21-06-2026, 02:37 PM
![[Image: Morning-Star.png]](https://i.ibb.co/bjQRPLyK/Morning-Star.png)
Noble families consolidate as the Celestial Throne remains empty
12th May, 5617 - KAIZHOU, Jiaozhi, Yingdala
It is almost impossible to miss the tension as one walks through Kaizhou, the capital of Commonwealth of Yingdala. Once one of the world's greatest powers, Yingdala has not been relevant to international politics for centuries, and the Yingdalan state apparatus is considered to be "dead man walking" by some. The reasoning behind that assessment is quite simple, Yingdala is an empire without emperor, ruled by ruthless and opportunistic nobility overseen only by chancellor with questionable health. It is almost a year since the Imperial Congress passed the Military Localisation Act, a law that allows noble families to field their private armies. The law was immediately exploited by the noble families to build up the strength of their own banner armies.
The families that utilised the law the most were the three most powerful noble houses of Yingdala, the Liang, the Chen, and the Wu. The Liang house is a powerful family based in the city of Hazhou and dominant in the Shu and Han provinces. The Chen family of Mundanwan governs the Min province and is known for its heavy focus on martial education of its members. The Wu family from Anle province are known for being merchants that were elevated to nobility for their loyalty to late regent Cou Mong in 5595 after the restoration of monarchy. Rumors have it that all three houses have already begun preparing moves to take the Mandate of Heaven for themselves.
However, the three powerful clans did not keep just to their possessions, but instead began offering protection to minor noble families, and even exerting influence in the capital province Jiaozhi which is usually considered to be neutral. Nowadays when in Kaizhou, one sees many soldiers proudly wearing the symbols of Wu, Liang, and Chen, rather than the Imperial Army. An uninformed foreigner might ask, why does not the emperor do something about this? The answer is, as many well know, there is no emperor. Since the death of last emperor Jiu in 5606, the celestial throne remains empty. According to some, the chancellor Gu Wanzhe and his hunger to keep the expanded power is to blame, while some accuse the divided nobility of refusing to collaborate. As always the truth is somewhere between.
As the tensions mount between the Three Great Houses, as they have begun to be called by the commoners, mount, and chancellor's health is rumored to be shakier by each passing day, it remains to be seen if the Celestial Empire can handle the next great crisis, or if it will dissolve into anarchy, banditry, and warlord fiefdoms as it did so many times before. "There have been many times in history when the powerful noble families fought between themselves, and that this habit is not gone even in 57th century, I fear" says professor of History of Yingdalan Nobility at University of Kaizhou Wei Yang, a well-known and renowned expert in the field.
The families that utilised the law the most were the three most powerful noble houses of Yingdala, the Liang, the Chen, and the Wu. The Liang house is a powerful family based in the city of Hazhou and dominant in the Shu and Han provinces. The Chen family of Mundanwan governs the Min province and is known for its heavy focus on martial education of its members. The Wu family from Anle province are known for being merchants that were elevated to nobility for their loyalty to late regent Cou Mong in 5595 after the restoration of monarchy. Rumors have it that all three houses have already begun preparing moves to take the Mandate of Heaven for themselves.
However, the three powerful clans did not keep just to their possessions, but instead began offering protection to minor noble families, and even exerting influence in the capital province Jiaozhi which is usually considered to be neutral. Nowadays when in Kaizhou, one sees many soldiers proudly wearing the symbols of Wu, Liang, and Chen, rather than the Imperial Army. An uninformed foreigner might ask, why does not the emperor do something about this? The answer is, as many well know, there is no emperor. Since the death of last emperor Jiu in 5606, the celestial throne remains empty. According to some, the chancellor Gu Wanzhe and his hunger to keep the expanded power is to blame, while some accuse the divided nobility of refusing to collaborate. As always the truth is somewhere between.
As the tensions mount between the Three Great Houses, as they have begun to be called by the commoners, mount, and chancellor's health is rumored to be shakier by each passing day, it remains to be seen if the Celestial Empire can handle the next great crisis, or if it will dissolve into anarchy, banditry, and warlord fiefdoms as it did so many times before. "There have been many times in history when the powerful noble families fought between themselves, and that this habit is not gone even in 57th century, I fear" says professor of History of Yingdalan Nobility at University of Kaizhou Wei Yang, a well-known and renowned expert in the field.
The Morning Star is an independent newspaper based in Kaizhou, Jiaozhi, and read nation-wide.
@MorningStar
#politics, #nobility, #military
@MorningStar
#politics, #nobility, #military
Ad Astra<3