Great Yan

Biodata

History

Founding

At the end of the previous dynasty, regional lords fought across a fractured realm while demons and gods ravaged the people. Great Yan's founding ancestor, known for virtue, gained the people's support with the aid of a Daoist; together, they subdued chaotic gods and demons before establishing a dynasty centered on livelihoods and the economy. 140

The dynasty's founding also coincided with the collapse of the former Heavenly Court. The new Heavenly Emperor rose with the support of Great Yan's founding ancestor and was, in truth, the ancestor's biological father. 672

Agricultural crises and recovery

A major earlier crisis was eased under Prime Minister He Fa, who returned land to the people and introduced superior eastern rice strains, increasing yields and laying the foundation for Great Yan's later prosperity. 59

Several decades before the dynasty's decline became apparent, land concentration and population pressure had brought the realm close to rebellion. Daoist Tiansuan and Chancellor He helped avert the crisis through measures that strengthened the state, though many people never realized how near Great Yan had come to turmoil. 411 488

Zenith and decline

Great Yan reached an unprecedented height under Emperor Mingzong of Yan. It was regarded as the strongest and most prosperous dynasty in history, but later accounts also identify this reign as the point at which its decline began. 138 156 715

After the late emperor's reign, a less capable emperor, factional politics under State Preceptor Miaohua Zi, and accumulated contradictions weakened the dynasty's national fortune. 673

Though Great Yan remained outwardly prosperous, the court gradually lost practical control to local powers, while martial sects and regional forces expanded to fill the resulting vacuum. 663

Territory and Influence

• Great Yan's territory was described as broader than that of any previous dynasty. 546
• Yanzhou formed its northernmost province and stretched along the northern frontier through grasslands, deserts, forests, mountains, and plains. 260
• The Western Regions remained under Great Yan's effective control, protected by the Four Garrisons of Anxi and deeply shaped by Great Yan language, culture, and institutions. 537
• Weilan Kingdom became a tributary state after Great Yan's army arrived, with three thousand Great Yan armored soldiers stationed in its capital. 546
• Great Yan was widely regarded as the center of the world; elites from smaller states sought to live in Changjing, while foreign societies often adopted its cultural practices. 431
• Its people commonly called their realm the “Central Kingdom,” believing Great Yan to be the world's rightful central civilization. 538

Governance and Society

• Great Yan maintained a powerful imperial court headed by the emperor, with chancellors, censors, provincial officials, military commanders, and an Imperial Preceptor involved in major affairs. 345 373
• The dynasty's early political ideals emphasized the welfare of common people and economic stability. 140
• Its rule in Yanzhou integrated northern peoples into Central Plains institutions; local northerners studied for the imperial examinations and entered government service. 261
• Great Yan's prosperity did not eliminate poverty. At one point, its population had reached roughly 190 million, with too little farmland and widespread hunger among poorer families. 59
• A previous empress substantially elevated women's social and political standing, allowing women greater participation in commerce and government; her influence persisted for more than a century. 179
• Great Yan's religious art favored realistic, human-like divine statues rather than exaggeratedly imposing images, reflecting strong cultural confidence among its people. 326

Military

The Northern Garrison Army's cohesion, logistics, armored troops, and battlefield experience were presented as the product of generations of governance and collective labor, not merely individual strategy. 292

Chen Ziyi's enormous prestige became a political danger in itself: his command of more than half the realm's forces led to persistent fears that the Northern Garrison Army could overturn the court if it rose with him. 293 348

Relationship with the Heavenly Palace

The Heavenly Palace that existed during Great Yan's height was inseparably linked to the Lin dynasty and its founding. Over time, however, the relationship between Fulong Temple, the Heavenly Palace, and the mortal realm became increasingly strained. 411 672

The central conflict was not merely between individual cultivators or gods, but between divine authority and the living beings of the mortal world. 411

Great Yan's Imperial Preceptor used court authority, formations, military guards, and alliances with powerful beings to establish and protect Karma Mountain Ghost City, an early foundation for the underworld. 393

Notable Figures

• Great Yan's founding ancestor — Established the dynasty after the previous realm's collapse; won followers through personal virtue and was assisted by a Daoist in suppressing demons and hostile gods. 140 377
• Daoist Fuyang — Fulong Temple patriarch associated with Great Yan's founding and the founding ancestor's rise. 140 357
• He Fa — Prime minister whose land reforms and introduction of superior rice strains helped Great Yan survive an earlier food crisis. 59
• Daoist Tiansuan — An extraordinary figure whose efforts helped delay a major internal crisis and strengthen the realm. 411 488
• Emperor Mingzong of Yan — Ruler of Great Yan's most prosperous age; later remembered as one of history's most famous emperors, though not as an emperor for the ages. 715
• Chen Ziyi — Famed general and commander of the Northern Garrison Army, renowned for defeating the Northern Steppe and for military prestige that alarmed the court. 121 292 348
• Wan Jiang — Imperial Preceptor involved in the formation of Karma Mountain Ghost City and the underworld's early structure. 382 393