Great Zhou Dynasty

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Great Zhou Dynasty
Original Name	大周国
Type	Dynasty / sovereign state
Capital	Xuanjing City 163 198
Government	Imperial dynasty headed by an emperor; supported by the military, Heavenly Oversight Bureau, academy, and chancellor faction 196
Current Ruler	Emperor Xuanwu, formerly the Third Prince 295 305
Notable Former Ruler	Emperor Shengwu, founder of the dynasty 199 304
Status	Active; domestic feudal-lord rebellion was pacified, but the dynasty remains engaged in a wider war against Great Qi and Great Yue 317 318
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Governance and Institutions

Imperial Authority

The imperial palace in Xuanjing City is the dynasty's political core, while Xuanjing itself serves as its strategic center. The Imperial Study is where the emperor handles memorials and meets the highest-ranking officials. 195 295

Institution / Position	Function
Emperor	Supreme ruler of the dynasty and final authority over promotions, punishments, succession, and major military decisions. 20 295
Chancellor	Head of the civil officials; holds immense prestige and is considered second only to the emperor in authority. 196
Military	One of the dynasty's principal power blocs; Marshal Yang is among its most respected founding-era figures. 196 225
Academy	Major scholar faction alongside the chancellor's office; some scholars enter government while others study at the academy. 196
Heavenly Oversight Bureau	Special department overseeing martial artists and Bizarre Entities. 20
Golden Dragon Guard	A hidden force of tens of thousands of martial artists disguised as ordinary soldiers; formerly answered only to Emperor Shengwu and was transferred to Shen Bai's command. 304 305

Heavenly Oversight Bureau

Established shortly after the dynasty's founding, the Heavenly Oversight Bureau handles all matters involving the pugilistic world and Bizarre Entities. During the dynasty's unrest, it also conducted annual inspections of civil and military officials, with results reported directly to the emperor for decisions on promotion, demotion, reward, or punishment. 20

• Its members operate across the dynasty's administrative regions, with titles changing according to jurisdiction, such as Provincial Chief Overseer and Prefectural Chief Overseer. 84
• The Bureau's Director-General oversees all members nationwide and is regarded as one of the dynasty's most influential figures. 165
• Under Shen Bai's leadership, the Bureau eliminated demonic forces, uncovered internal traitors, and restored order in Qianyuan Capital. 214 261 267

Administrative Structure

The dynasty is divided into multiple administrative levels, including capital-level cities, prefectures, provinces, and counties. Ascending Cloud County is a county-level territory, while Moyun Capital and Xuanjing City are capital-level cities. 1 20 84 295

• Provincial Chief Overseers command the Heavenly Oversight Bureau across a province and its subordinate counties. 84
• Capital-level cities may be governed by marquises with substantial military authority, creating a long-term risk of regional rebellion. 295 304
• In remote counties during periods of imperial instability, the central government struggles to maintain effective control. 4

History

Founding

The Great Zhou Dynasty emerged from an era of warlord conflict, widespread devastation, and suffering among the common people. Emperor Shengwu rose from humble origins, commanded an iron army, overthrew the previous dynasty, and united the realm. 163 199

The previous dynasty's emperor, Tianyun, was remembered in historical records as a tyrant whose rule provoked rebellion. After the old court collapsed, Emperor Shengwu established the Great Zhou Dynasty and became revered for restoring order. 199

Emperor Shengwu's Decline

Although Emperor Shengwu's continued presence deterred open rebellion, he had suffered severe internal injuries in an ambush by other nations during his early years. As his health worsened, feudal lords began waiting for his death before pursuing their ambitions. 139

Despite his illness, Shengwu continued arranging the dynasty's future, entrusting Shen Bai with exceptional authority and seeking to protect the common people from renewed chaos. 257 304

Succession and the King with Equal Authority

Emperor Shengwu appointed the Third Prince as Crown Prince, judging him more suitable to preserve domestic stability than the militarily powerful First Prince. 295

In the same decree, Shengwu named Shen Bai King with Equal Authority, granting him secret warrants, the right to act before reporting, and authority to depose an incompetent ruler. 295 296

After using the Barren Forbidden Land to eliminate the former emperor's threat, Emperor Shengwu entered the Forbidden Land himself. The Third Prince subsequently ascended as Emperor Xuanwu, while Shen Bai was assigned to govern Moyun Capital and command the Golden Dragon Guard. 304 305

Domestic Unrest

Following Emperor Shengwu's departure, marquises across numerous capital-level cities raised banners of rebellion. Some regional rulers remained loyal and formed defensive alliances with the Heavenly Oversight Bureau, but much of the dynasty entered open conflict. 305

Shen Bai became the foremost figure in suppressing the rebellion:

• He eliminated the First Prince after the latter conspired with the Chaos Organization to seize the throne. 308 314
• He moved against rebellious feudal lords while returning toward Moyun Capital. 314
• More than a hundred feudal lords were caught in the Boulder Forbidden Zone incident; most were killed or petrified, and the remaining rebellion was later suppressed by the dynasty's senior officials. 317
• Shen Bai was recognized as the greatest contributor to the pacification of the feudal lords. 317

With the internal rebellion quelled, Zhou Qing took responsibility for managing Moyun Capital while Shen Bai focused on preparing for external threats. 317 318

Foreign Relations

Nation / Group	Relationship with Great Zhou
Great Nan Kingdom	Allied state. It sent forces to assist in suppressing the feudal-lord rebellion, and the two nations jointly defended their border. 308 318
Great Qi Kingdom	Hostile power controlled by the Chaos Organization; joined Great Yue in launching an assault against Great Zhou and Great Nan. 305 318
Great Yue Kingdom	Initially separate from Great Qi, then submitted to the Chaos Organization and joined its campaign against Great Zhou and Great Nan. 306 318
Chaos Organization	Major enemy working to destabilize and destroy the dynasty; it viewed Shen Bai's loyalty and repeated victories as a direct obstacle. 308 318
Heavenly Pride Salvation Society	Cooperative organization opposed to the Chaos Organization; Shen Bai joined it and later worked with its members in Qianyuan Capital. 205 274

Border War

After the feudal-lord rebellion was suppressed, Great Qi and Great Yue—both influenced by the Chaos Organization—launched a full assault against Great Zhou and Great Nan. Great Zhou transferred troops to support the joint border defense, while Xuanjing City prepared for a possible national crisis. 317 318

Emperor Xuanwu entrusted Shen Bai with the Imperial Seal and the future leadership of the dynasty should the situation become dire. 318

• The dynasty and Great Nan later retreated toward Huangfeng City as the border conflict intensified. 319
• Shen Bai was tasked with destroying the enemy's fortune after senior Great Zhou officials were severely injured in battle. 328
• Great Qi and Great Yue temporarily withdrew after disasters and misfortunes struck their armies, allowing Great Zhou and Great Nan time to recover. 340
• The Great Yue emperor ultimately died during the allied Great Zhou–Great Nan campaign, after which the two nations prepared for a wider offensive. 351

Notable Figures

• Emperor Shengwu — Founder of the Great Zhou Dynasty; appointed Shen Bai King with Equal Authority before entering the Barren Forbidden Land. 199 295 304
• Emperor Xuanwu — Former Third Prince and Shengwu's successor; leads the dynasty during the war against Great Qi and Great Yue. 295 305 318
• Shen Bai — King with Equal Authority, lord of Moyun Capital, commander of the Golden Dragon Guard, and chief contributor to the pacification of the feudal lords. 304 317
• Eunuch Chen — A founding-era powerhouse and imperial attendant who supports both Shengwu and Xuanwu. 194 305
• Zhou Qing — Shen Bai's close friend; later manages Moyun Capital in Shen Bai's absence. 317 318
• Marshal Yang — Founding-era military leader and one of the army's most respected figures. 225
• Chancellor Cao — Head of the chancellor faction and one of the dynasty's foremost scholars and officials. 195 196
• Zhao Henglong — Leader of the Golden Dragon Guard, who pledged allegiance to Shen Bai after the guard's activation. 304

Trivia

• The Great Zhou Dynasty's young generation was considered weaker than those of other nations because many potential talents were lost during the earlier era of warfare. 167 196
• Shen Bai's rise from Ascending Cloud County to King with Equal Authority became a source of national pride; after Qianyuan Capital's liberation, citizens even began sculpting statues of him. 267
• Emperor Shengwu believed Shen Bai could become the person who would preserve the Great Zhou Dynasty through its next crisis. 304