Qi State

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Qi State (齐国)
Alias(es)	Great Qi; Great Qi Empire
Type	Sovereign empire; hegemon state of the Eastern Domain 309 2535
Government	Imperial monarchy
Ruling House	Jiang imperial house 2566
Capital	Linzi 1565
Ruler	Jiang Wuhua, the later ruler of Qi 2841 2889
Territory	Eastern Domain core; later expanded into former Xia lands and other regions 1688 2883
Status	Active 2889

History

Founding and restoration

Qi State's founding is dated to Dao Calendar 1922. Its restoration came in Dao Calendar 2813, the year Yang Kingdom fell; Qi Wu Emperor Jiang Wujiu used the chaos following Yang's collapse to restore the state and pursue dominance in the Eastern Domain. 2566

Qi Wu Emperor defeated an eleven-state coalition in seven consecutive battles and defended Qi's borders without losing territory. He later offered to abdicate in exchange for the coalition's withdrawal, producing the Zi River Alliance. 2566

Qi was the last of the seven clearly recognized hegemon states to attain that rank. Under Emperor Jiang Shu, it won the hegemonic enterprise contested with Xia Kingdom and replaced old Yang as the dominant power of the Eastern Domain. 2419 2535

Annexation of Yang

Qi's absorption of Yang State was prepared through long-term political, economic, cultural, and military infiltration. Even during Yang's resistance to the Black Plague, it depended on Qi's Four Seas Merchant Alliance to transport supplies. 340

Following the war, Qi completed its de facto occupation of Yang territory and eliminated the region's Ferocious Beasts. This immediately made travel and rural life safer for Yang's population, helping many accept Qi rule. 344

Integration remained uneven. Former Yang officials could hold posts within Qi's administration but often lacked real authority, while many old Qi citizens retained a sense of superiority over newcomers from Yang. 530 1191

Conflict with Xia

Qi first seized Sword Peak Mountain during a limited campaign against Xia Kingdom. Jiang Mengxiong held the mountain against Xia's counterattack, killed a True Man, and forced Xia to hand over a Divine Presence member of Equality State. The mountain was then “returned” to Xia by imperial decree as a warning. 1062 1070

The later Qi–Xia War was intended not merely to punish Xia, but to destroy its state and altars and secure Qi a lasting foothold in the Southern Regions. Qi mobilized nationally while Jing and Mu were occupied in their own war. 1548

Qi ultimately overturned Xia's state and altars. The route between Qi and Xia was opened, while several states along it submitted as vassals and ceased using the title “Son of Heaven” for their rulers. 1688

Former Xia official Yu Liyang became a key intermediary between the Qi court and the Xia lands, representing local needs while helping implement Qi's decrees under differing local customs. 1645

Later expansion

Under Jiang Wuhua's rule, Qi continued to consolidate its position. It openly governed multiple races under Ling Zha Holy Palace, including the flourishing ghost race and the Spirit Clan. 2864

Later accounts credit Qi with annexing Southern Xia, swallowing the East Sea, establishing a presence in Divine Firmament, occupying demon territory, dividing the Underworld, and incorporating the Spirit Clan. 2883

Territory and Administration

• Red Sun Prefecture is a mineral-rich southern region whose population is heavily involved in iron smelting. Qi armor and weapons are associated with Red Sun, while its soldiers are associated with Nanyao. 184
• Nanyao City was built by the Lian Clan after its original homeland was destroyed. The clan's control is so entrenched that Nanyao's City Lord must be a Lian; the city is also one of the world's five recognized weapon-smithing holy lands. 184
• Yang lands were incorporated into Qi after Yang State's destruction, but their customs and social temperament remained distinct from those of the original Qi territory. 1191 1645
• Former Xia lands became an extensive exclave requiring local adaptation rather than the simple imposition of Qi law. 1645
• Eastern Domain vassals such as Chang, Yi, Xu, and Rong retained substantial autonomy after the Qi–Xia War. Shen Kingdom, supported by East King Valley, remained outside Qi's normal hegemonic structure and was not subject to conscription. 1688

Economy and Infrastructure

• Qi possesses a highly developed economy. Its two largest merchant organizations, the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce and the Four Seas Merchant Alliance, maintain armed forces comparable to those of ordinary noble families. 167
• The state regulates major commercial projects within its territory. A Great Void Corner Tower in Heavenly Mansion City, though owned by Jiang Wang as a Great Void Envoy, remains subject to Qi jurisdiction, commercial taxation, and possible sealing for violations of Qi law. 997
• Qi's primary internal communication channel is based on Star Power and maintained by Imperial Observatory Director Ruan Qiu. During the Qi–Xia War, Ruan Qiu breached Xia's primary channel before the armies had met. 1564

Armed Forces and State Power

Nine Legions

Qi's military strength is centered on the Nine Legions, whose commanders include major figures such as Jiang Mengxiong, Cao Jie, Shi Mingcheng, and Yan Tu. 1381 1549

• Spring Death Army — Served as the vanguard of the main Qi force in the Xia campaign. 1571
• Autumn Killing Army — Advanced behind the Spring Death Army during the Xia campaign. 1571
• Winter Silence Army — One of the Nine Legions; its mobilization was used to demonstrate Qi's willingness to escalate against Xia. 1070
• Wind Chaser Army — Led by Li Zhengyan in operations across Fengjie Prefecture. 1571
• Heaven Cover Army — Deployed to the Near-Sea Archipelago under Qi Wen. 2368

National fortune and military artifacts

Qi can turn national fortune into direct military support. At the Banner Town Mountains and Rivers, Cao Jie planted the Ziwei Central Supreme Emperor Banner, anchoring Qi's national fortune and strengthening army morale. 1571

During the Xia campaign, the Purple Zenith Conquest Dragon broke the Nine Dragons Blazing Fire Array. Cao Jie then transformed Qi's national fortune into starlight rain to offset the suppression imposed by Xia's Nation-Protecting Array. 1575

Internal security

• Green Badges — Qi constables who pursue major threats, including Hell's Gate and Equality State operatives. 566 1071
• Equality State purge — After Xia surrendered an Equality State Divine Presence cultivator, Qi began a major purge. Investigations later uncovered a network including high-ranking officials, a third-rank Green Badge Constable, and Rain Cutter Army commander Yan Tu. 1070 1381
• Si Xuan Underground Palace — Used by Ruan Qiu to suppress Equality State leader King Zhao during the Southern Frontier official examination. 1698

Foreign Relations

• Jing Kingdom — Qi's principal great-power rival. Jing historically delayed Qi's expansion into Xia through Yitian Temple, but the two states have repeatedly competed across the Eastern Domain, Southern Regions, Near-Sea Archipelago, and broader Human Race affairs. 1548 2350 2419
• Xia Kingdom — A former rival for hegemony and later target of Qi's southern expansion. Qi destroyed its state and incorporated its lands after the Qi–Xia War. 1548 1688
• Yang State — Former Eastern Domain power comprehensively infiltrated, defeated, and annexed by Qi. 340 343
• Equality State — A clandestine adversary whose schemes within Qi included assassination attempts, political agitation, and infiltration of key institutions. Qi repeatedly used military and administrative power to dismantle its operations. 1070 1292 1698
• Sea Race — Qi participates in Human Race defenses against the Sea Race, including operations in the Lost Realm, at the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons, and in the Near-Sea Archipelago. 1707 1946
• Li Kingdom — Qi recognized Li's legitimacy after Ji Boyong's proclamation and later prepared for war as regional tensions escalated. 2874

Notable Quote

“A small punishment for a great warning, returned by imperial decree.”

— The inscription Jiang Mengxiong left on Sword Peak Mountain after Qi compelled Xia to surrender an Equality State cultivator. 1070