Great Xia

Biodata

Government and Law

• Great Xia's official structure resembled the Tang system but differed in significant details. Its central government included the Three Provinces, Six Ministries, and Nine Courts. 33 286
• Memorials from nobles were processed through the Central Secretariat, Chancellery, and Ministry of Personnel. 93
• The Court of Judicial Review, Ministry of Punishment, and Court of the Imperial Clan jointly administered criminal law. 303
• The Great Xia Codex served as a legal reference for sentencing. Li Nuo later revised it to increase imprisonment terms and narrow redemption penalties. 15 36 355
• The Mirror Division functioned as an intelligence agency under the Minister of Justice; it was later separated from Li Xuanjing's authority by Emperor Xia. 393 423

Nobility

• Great Xia recognized nine ranks of noble title: three ranks of princes, princes of the realm, dukes, and marquises; two ranks of earls; and one rank of viscounts. 93
• Noble titles descended by one rank each generation, theoretically reaching commoner status after nine generations. 93
• By Li Nuo's era, all active Great Xia nobles carried imperial Li blood and retained the right to participate in state deliberations. 93
• The six great aristocratic families controlled local officials, military figures, land, and regional power; in many prefectures, their influence rivaled that of the Imperial Court. 357 378

Territory and International Position

• Great Xia was one of the continent's five great dynasties. 280
• Its eastern border faced the ocean, while its other borders faced four major powers once the buffer states fell, creating a difficult strategic position. 361
• Great Xia maintained a military alliance with Zhao State: an invasion of either state obligated the other to provide aid. 361 404
• Liang State had long served as a buffer between Great Xia and Wei State. Its turn toward Wei allowed Wei troops to station directly along Great Xia's border. 343
• Yue State was considered strategically vital because complete Wei or Chu control of it would threaten Great Xia's southwestern security. 397

History

Aristocratic dominance and reform pressures

Great Xia had existed for more than three centuries, following the chaotic Warring States period. Despite nominal imperial rule, powerful families and local gentry accumulated land, wealth, officials, and private military strength, limiting the court's ability to govern beyond Chang'an. 356 357 375

The Wang Family of Jinyang exemplified this influence. Its academies funded students' education and examination fees, its businesses operated across Great Xia, and officials tied to the family received supplementary salaries. In Hedong Circuit, local people were said to know the Wang Family rather than the imperial family. 286

Li Nuo and allied officials pushed reforms intended to curb aristocratic privilege, improve legal enforcement, assist common people, and strengthen the Imperial Court. Their efforts included sanitation regulations, anti-theft measures, legal revisions, tax proposals, medical reform, expanded education, and stricter supervision of local officials. 232 355 361 372 394

Conflict with Wei State

Wei State formally invaded Great Xia after capturing Liangzhou, beginning a major war. Great Xia expelled Wei envoys, sought aid from Zhao State, prioritized Ministry of War spending, expanded recruitment, and summoned Half-Saints from the six great clans. 404

Great Xia initially suffered heavy losses: four of its seven clan Half-Saints were killed and three others severely wounded, while Wei forces pressed the front line. 413

The war turned during the Battle of the Twin Emperors at Yizhou. Emperor Xia, secretly a Martial Arts Half-Saint, defeated and beheaded the Wei Emperor in their duel. 414 Great Xia absorbed Wei's national fortune and annexed the largest share of Wei territory, while Qi and Chu divided the remainder. 415

Continental unification

After Wei's collapse, Great Xia annexed nearby small states and became the continent's largest power. 415 Its armies later reached the capitals of Qi and Chu; both states ultimately abdicated without prolonged resistance. 429

The continent was unified under Great Xia. 430

End of the emperor system

Emperor Xia's later reversal of reforms and suppression of the Confucian school generated widespread public foreboding, particularly over the possible return of noble privilege, redemption penalties, and corrupt local rule. 423

Following the political upheaval, the emperor system ended. Li Xuanjing, the Left Prime Minister, and the Right Prime Minister all resigned, leaving a new struggle over Great Xia's future governance, corruption, aristocratic influence, martial sect interference, and entrenched customs. 435

Society and Culture

• Great Xia's written language resembles traditional Chinese characters; Shuowen, authored by a Confucian sage, is used as a dictionary explaining commonly used characters. 15
• The imperial examination includes the Six Arts, including charioteering and calculation. 105 112
• Public sanitation regulations initially faced resistance in Chang'an but eventually gained support after visibly improving street cleanliness. 232
• Great Xia's martial world historically remained separate from the Imperial Court. The court's martial arts tournament in Chang'an marked an unprecedented attempt to build ties with major sects. 222
• During the later war, common people increasingly identified with Great Xia and showed willingness to defend it. 406

Later Development

Seventy years after the medical reform, medical knowledge and infrastructure had advanced enough that common people could generally expect to live to seventy in the absence of unforeseen circumstances. The continent had remained free of war for decades, and the population had multiplied several times. 439

Chang'an became the political, economic, and cultural center of the unified continent. Its older low-rise buildings were replaced by skyscrapers, while expansion and redevelopment struggled to keep pace with population growth. 439