Jinxia City

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Jinxia City (金霞城)
Type	City
Location	Shenzhou; its provincial capital 45
Government	Jinxia City General Affairs Bureau, established under Princess Ning Wanjun's authority and signature 183
Founders	Xia Fan and Princess Guangping/Ning Wanjun 732
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 45

Background / History

Salt-city era

Jinxia began as a heavily fortified but environmentally damaged salt-producing city. Its stone walls stood over ten meters high, with crenelated battlements and siege-defense weapons; outside the walls, salt burning had left the surrounding land barren and filled the sky with black smoke 45.

The salt trade was dominated by the Wang family, which had been appointed by the imperial court to oversee the industry. Their influence was so extensive that local officials treated them with deference, while disputes over private salt production and pricing continued beneath their control 46.

Sacking and reconstruction

The city was attacked and occupied amid a plot involving Wen Xingyuan, the Wang family, and the Donghai Gang. Princess Ning Wanjun's forces retook key positions including the armory and granary, but the fighting and subsequent fires caused over 1,200 civilian deaths, nearly 700 military casualties, and widespread destruction of homes 149 159 171.

Following the recapture, Xia Fan and Ning Wanjun transformed the Bureau of Military Affairs into the Jinxia City General Affairs Bureau. The new institution handled recruitment, damage registration, public assistance, schools, labor recruitment, and construction planning rather than functioning solely as a military office 183.

Growth into a new city

Jinxia's reconstruction relied on public works, job creation, refugee settlement, education, and the Mechanical Bureau. Within roughly six months, its permanent population exceeded 200,000—approximately double the estimated former population—with 70% of new residents coming from surrounding towns rather than Leizhou refugees 207 329.

To prevent unplanned shantytowns from forming outside the walls, the city dismantled its South Wall and developed a planned southern district with housing standards matching those inside the original city. Xuanwu Mechanical Beasts accelerated demolition and construction work 405.

Appearance

Jinxia's original appearance was dominated by gray defensive walls, yellow-brown barren ground, smoke from salt burning, and streets where residents commonly wore bamboo hats or scarves against falling dust 45.

Later accounts describe a transformed, crowded city with hardened infrastructure, brightly lit streets, Mechanism Beasts, mixed human and Yao populations, and active nightlife 728 730 745.

• Massive stone walls with battlements, corner defenses, and catapult-like siege weapons in its early period 45
• Salt-burning smoke and a persistent scent of firewood during its early industrial period 45
• Clear street signage and city-entry registration for newcomers 202 452
• Plaza districts used for trade fairs, concerts, celebrations, and public announcements 397 398 730
• Zhen (Thunder) Lamps and later electric lighting that keep major public areas illuminated after dark 730 797

Governance and Society

General Affairs Bureau

The General Affairs Bureau became Jinxia's central governing institution after replacing the former Bureau of Military Affairs in most civic functions. Its public-facing reception desks drew constant crowds seeking assistance, while its role expanded beyond maintaining order and collecting taxes 183 340.

Its early reconstruction plan required an initial investment of 280,000 taels, with projected mid-term spending exceeding one million taels. Funding was used for schools, salt-field labor, the Mechanical Bureau, and public administration 183.

Residency and integration

Jinxia actively absorbed refugees and migrants by offering registration, food, daily labor, training, and employment opportunities. Under Prefect Hong Siqi, incoming refugees were separated, registered, and assigned work; within days, later arrivals were helping maintain order themselves 239.

The city framed settlement as a fresh start rather than a temporary refuge. Newcomers could obtain guidance and training through paid courses designed to help them find suitable work and establish themselves 207 503.

• Formal citizens are protected by Jinxia law and granted the rights of residents, including freedom of movement 525
• Men and women are not subject to policy-based differential treatment; interference with a woman's independent movement violates city law 304
• Demons are permitted to live openly as part of the general population, provided they have not broken the law 340 698
• Humans, Yao, Elves, overseas merchants, and refugees coexist in the city’s streets and institutions 451 728

Education

Jinxia established a school at the Bureau of Military Affairs complex, teaching literacy, phonetic notation, arithmetic, natural history, Gewu, physical training, and other nontraditional subjects 244 454.

The curriculum is associated with an unusual rise in Qi Sense awakenings among students and recent residents. Yu Shuangxue and Xintao both began developing qi sensitivity after moving to Jinxia and attending its educational programs 453 454.

Public life and nightlife

The Affairs Bureau promoted nighttime activity through concerts, evening Academy courses, seafood markets, oil-lamp posts, and subsidies for candles and fish-oil lamps. The resulting foot traffic helped expand leisure and study opportunities while reducing space for gangs to operate 730.

Jinxia also holds public celebrations and trade fairs. During the New Year celebration, Ning Wanjun promised equal treatment and rewards for citizens regardless of origin or species 398.

Economy and Infrastructure

Salt, industry, and manufacturing

Salt production originally defined Jinxia's economy, but the city later diversified into steelmaking, machinery, agriculture, consumer goods, and arms production 45 229 364.

The Jinxia Mechanical Bureau became the center of its industrial development. With Elven Qi Sense Users helping operate artifacts and machinery, the bureau's production of armaments and daily goods was assessed as comparable to the Qi State's entire Ministry of Works, despite serving only one city 241 364.

• First successful steel smelting marked a major industrial breakthrough 229
• Assembly-line and modular production methods accelerated housing construction 241
• Winter wheat cultivation made formerly sandy ground arable 263
• Mechanical Beasts support construction, logistics, mining, farming, and military operations 405 471 726

Trade

The Jinxia Trade Fair connected merchants with the Affairs Bureau and showcased products selected for their novelty or innovation. Major featured goods included Crystal Glass, Hairtail Canned Food, and Refined Salt Seasoning 397.

The city’s commercial policy has the government provide technical support and incentives while merchants finance workshops and handle sales 397.

Jinxia later introduced the Jinxia Yuan, exchangeable for silver and copper through Ninghua Bank. It was promoted alongside lower-cost Mechanism Beast freight services 726.

Energy and communications

Jinxia adopted Sound Transmission Devices for long-distance communication and used them to broadcast announcements, coordinate military affairs, and receive reports across the sea 397 797.

An Energy Gathering Tower, built from a Spirit Tree Seed and a talisman module, began transmitting electrical energy from Baili Station to districts throughout Jinxia. Its cables and natural tree structure became a conspicuous landmark of the city’s technological development 778.

Military Role / Major Arcs

Defense and liberation of Jinxia

Jinxia's original walls were built for conventional defense, but the city was nevertheless infiltrated and sacked during the Donghai Gang crisis. Ning Wanjun's counterattack restored control of the armory, granary, and key wall passages 149 159.

The disaster prompted the city's governing and military reorganization under the General Affairs Bureau and the Princess's emerging administration 171 183.

Rise of the Jinxia Army

Jinxia developed a force centered on air rifles, artillery, Mechanical Beasts, mobile logistics, and Qi Sense Users. By the opening of the large-scale war with Shangyuan, its main force numbered roughly 7,000, including a 1,000-man Xuanwu Army operating more than 300 Xuanwu Mechanical Beasts 463.

Its strategy emphasized mobility and striking enemy weaknesses before hostile forces could reach the city. This approach allowed the Jinxia Army to erode larger armies outside Shenzhou rather than rely solely on siege defense 463 503 513.

Naval expansion

Jinxia's naval capability expanded through captured cannons, ice ships, Tree Boats, and alliance with Elven communities. In the battle against the Natating Kingdom, ice boats froze the sea into a stable surface, allowing soldiers and Mechanical Beasts to board enemy vessels and rescue captive Elves 184 384.

The city later fielded Electromagnetic Cannons at sea, using a Noah Tree Boat-mounted weapon to destroy shore-based Mechanism Beasts and rout enemy positions 678.

Overseas operations

Jinxia deployed forces to Yama Island to support the Yama Queen, counter Seven Stars operations, and secure regional stability. Its fleet bombarded Tsushima Mansion with Electromagnetic Cannons before landing the First Division and Mechanism Beasts 825 826.

The Jinxia Army's arrival and rapid conquest of Tsushima Mansion alarmed the Seven Stars Bureau, which recognized Jinxia as a threat beyond local Yama factions 835.

Notable Locations

• Jinxia City General Affairs Bureau — Former Bureau of Military Affairs converted into the city’s primary governing institution 183
• Fengyang Mountain Villa — Major command and planning site used by Ning Wanjun, Xia Fan, and Jinxia’s leadership 131 364 463
• Mechanical Bureau — Industrial research and production center led by Mo Yun 241 364
• Plaza District — Venue for trade fairs, public celebrations, concerts, and night events 397 398 730
• Inland River Wharf — Major waterfront district marked on city maps 202
• Energy Gathering Tower — Spirit Tree-based power-transmission structure distributing electricity to city districts 778

Relationships

• Ning Wanjun / Princess Guangping — Ruler and co-founder; she led Jinxia's defense, reconstruction, military campaigns, and public administration 183 398 732
• Xia Fan — Co-founder and chief architect of the General Affairs Bureau, Mechanical Bureau expansion, education reforms, and long-term modernization plans 183 244 772
• Jinxia Mechanical Bureau — Industrial institution responsible for Mechanism Beasts, steel production, firearms, naval innovations, and electrical projects 229 364 778
• Elven communities — Allies and residents who provide Qi Sense Users for construction and artifact operation; Jinxia pledged to protect the Tree Boat and its people 241 389
• Salvation Sect — Potential ally offered Jinxia weapons, medical supplies, lamps, and other resources in exchange for access, exploration, and trade rights in Baiyao Mountain 745
• Yama Kingdom — Overseas partner and military ally; Jinxia supported its queen and intervened on Yama Island against Seven Stars activity 405 825