Great Kang

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Great Kang (大康)
Alias(es)	Kang Kingdom; Great Kang Realm 622 769
Type	Kingdom and imperial dynasty 224 769
Location	Central Plains, principally south of the Yong River 611 976
Capital	Kang Capital 199 776
Government	Hereditary imperial monarchy under the Long family; Qiqi holds governing power late in the story 499 1755
Age	More than five hundred years since its founding by Chapter 224 224
Population	Tens of millions, according to Zhuge Guanqi’s strategic assessment 1018
Status	Survives its prolonged decline and becomes prosperous and internally stable near the novel’s end 1755 1769

Background / History

Earlier prominence and the Qixia Lake incident

Great Kang was once the dominant empire of the Central Plains, with extensive territory stretching east–west and north–south. During Emperor Mingzong Long Yuan’s reign, the War Sage Zhuge Yunchun commanded the Battle of the Yong River at Eastern Liang Commandery, laying the foundation for a national resurgence. Local residents later commemorated him at the Temple of the Martial Sage 1030 1448.

Approximately 150 years before Hu Xiaotian’s investigation, an extraterrestrial spacecraft crashed at Qixia Lake. Great Kang’s troops fought its occupants, killing or capturing some while others escaped. The court concealed the incident, filled in the lake, and organized secret forces to hunt the survivors. According to Ghost Physician Fu Wan, some survivors subsequently supported the Xue family’s establishment of Great Yong and manipulated the rivalry between the two kingdoms to weaken both 1469.

Long Xuan’en’s first reign

Long Xuan’en claimed that he inherited an empty treasury, annual deficits, recurring famine, and popular uprisings. Over forty-one years, he said, he repaid the kingdom’s debts and suppressed repeated rebellions. His later reign nevertheless became embroiled in succession disputes, including the replacement of Crown Prince Long Yelin with Long Yeqing 215 436.

Long Yelin’s takeover and national fragmentation

Long Yelin seized control of the palace and forced his father’s abdication. The succession was publicly presented as Long Xuan’en restoring Yelin to the position of crown prince and voluntarily transferring the throne. After ascending, Yelin ordered Long Yeqing’s death 215 224.

The new reign failed to reverse Great Kang’s decline. Li Tianheng seized military authority in Western Sichuan and established an independent domain, while Ji Feihua accumulated influence over the court. Yelin later admitted that killing his brother and taking the throne before stabilizing the country had cost him popular support and accelerated Western Sichuan’s rebellion 278 425 426.

Empress Jian poisoned Yelin during a dispute over succession. By the time Hu Xiaotian assessed the situation from Great Yong, Crown Prince Long Tingsheng was governing and Jian was ruling behind the curtain. The subsequent conspiracy involving Jian and Ji Feihua was defeated; Yelin died, and Jian and Tingsheng were executed. Ji Feihua was also publicly reported executed, although the later failure to recover his body left doubts about his fate 611 649 769 776 777.

Restoration and Qiqi’s appointment

Long Xuan’en resumed authority but declined to purge the surviving ministers, reasoning that vengeance could destroy the already fragmented kingdom. He retained Chancellor Zhou Ruiyuan and Grand Tutor Wen Chenghuan, and appointed Qiqi King Yongyang—the first woman granted a king’s title in Great Kang’s history. Qiqi subsequently handled much of the government’s business 769 776 777.

Restoration did not immediately resolve the famine or unrest. Qiqi advocated surrendering less important territory and enfeoffing regional rulers to preserve the kingdom’s core. Long Xuan’en initially rejected the proposal, then authorized a trial by assigning Eastern Liang Commandery to Qiqi and sending Hu Xiaotian to govern it on her behalf. Xue Shengkang’s death meanwhile diverted Great Yong into succession struggles, giving Great Kang a temporary reprieve from invasion 957 964 965.

Hu Xiaotian’s autonomy and reconciliation

Eastern Liang became Hu Xiaotian’s base rather than a securely controlled imperial possession. His capture of the Eastern Luo Granary and expansion along the Yong River strengthened his position, provoking the court’s suspicion. Although he later accepted the title Prince of Suppressing the Sea, his territory remained effectively independent and took no orders from Great Kang’s court 1012 1101 1414 1512.

Relations eventually thawed through Hu’s reconciliation with Qiqi. The court began supplying grain to his territory, abandoning the opportunity to join Great Yong in an economic blockade against him. Hu and Qiqi renewed their betrothal, and their combined strength became central to Great Kang’s recovery 1643 1707 1755.

Late-story recovery

After two years of favorable weather, Great Kang enjoyed renewed prosperity and unprecedented internal stability. Qiqi held governing power, while Hu Xiaotian possessed the kingdom’s greatest strength. The narrative presents their future children, bearing the Hu surname, as Great Kang’s eventual rulers; it does not describe Hu proclaiming himself emperor 1755.

Hu’s control of the Yulan Kingdom secured western trade routes and blocked a passage through which Black Hu and Shajia could have coordinated an eastward advance. Bohai acknowledged Great Kang’s suzerainty, while Great Yong’s rebellions and Black Hu’s internal tribal conflict reduced the immediate external danger 1755 1769.

Geography and Territory

Location / Region	Significance
Kang Capital	Seat of the imperial court. It experiences martial law after the Imperial Mausoleum uprising and severe flooding after eleven days of rain 870 888.
Yong River	Major natural defensive barrier and a proposed restored border with Great Yong. Hu Xiaotian’s control of the river gives him leverage over both kingdoms 1028 1645.
Eastern Liang Commandery	Historically Kang territory, later occupied by Great Yong and returned as compensation for Princess Anping’s reported murder. It is Great Kang’s only city north of the Yong River at the time of Hu’s appointment, surrounded by Yong territory 777 976 977.
Western Sichuan	Formerly part of Great Kang; breaks away under Li Tianheng. His intended return to Kang allegiance is derailed by his murder, after which the region aligns with the Fragrant Kingdom 278 1572 1577.
Yunyang	A strategic military position held by Su Yuchi and reinforced by Great Kang to deter Hu. Hu later occupies it during Western Sichuan’s upheaval 1385 1563.
Cloud Marsh region	Great Kang strengthens the surrounding cities as pressure on Hu Xiaotian increases 1402.
Seven northwestern provinces	Suffer successive poor harvests and five months without rain or snow during Long Yelin’s reign 425.
Langya Commandery	Southeastern commandery devastated by a typhoon and seawater flooding 425.
Chengchun	Site of civil unrest in which more than a thousand commoners storm the provincial offices 425.
Qixia Lake	Site of the concealed spacecraft crash; subsequently filled in by the imperial court 1469.

Notable Sites

• Spirit Firmament Palace — Designed and built by Zhuge Yunchun. Its ruins prompt Long Xuan’en to question whether Great Kang will suffer the same fate; he initially refuses to rebuild it 776 777 1189.
• Purple Orchid Palace — Contains Qiqi’s study while she governs. A secret passage connects its well to the sealed Wine Cellar at the Palace Gardens Bureau 779.
• Imperial Mausoleum — A major focus of Long Xuan’en’s expenditure and pursuit of immortality; a later uprising contributes to unrest in the capital 859 870.
• Temple of the Martial Sage — Eastern Liang memorial to Zhuge Yunchun, containing his statue and cliff-carved Rhapsody of Mountains and Rivers 1030.
• Seven-Treasure Exquisite Tower — Attacked during the incidents surrounding the theft of Great Kang’s national treasure 1686.

Government and Court

Figure / Institution	Role
Long Xuan’en	Emperor, later Retired Emperor, then restored sovereign. Delegates substantial governing work to Qiqi but continues to control major appointments and policy 224 769 965.
Long Yelin	Successor who obtains the throne through coercion and presides over worsening fragmentation 224 425.
Qiqi / King Yongyang	Appointed to help rescue the kingdom from crisis; conducts court affairs and ultimately holds power 769 777 1755.
Zhou Ruiyuan	Chancellor and a central administrator. His domestic management is credited with helping Great Kang survive repeated crises 425 1193.
Wen Chenghuan	Grand Tutor and influential diplomat. Later exposed as Li Mingzuo, a Great Yong agent operating undercover for decades; his execution is scheduled for after autumn 1193 1716 1755.
Hong Beimo	Leading figure in the restoration who rebuilds the Heavenly Secrets Bureau and directs covert operations 855.
Ji Feihua	Powerful court figure whose influence overshadows the government during the succession crisis 770.
Hu Buwei	Minister of Revenue, credited by Xue Shengkang with numerous services to Great Kang 672.
Wu Jingshan	Minister of Rites, involved in diplomatic missions and preparations for Princess Yongyang’s visits 777 1534.

• Succession disputes repeatedly destabilize the state, from Yelin’s overthrow of his father to later uncertainty over Long Tingzhen and Qiqi 215 1190.
• Qiqi’s authority is initially conditional: Long Xuan’en refuses to let her accompany Hu to Eastern Liang, requiring her to remain in the capital and assist him 965.
• Covert violence serves court policy: Hong Beimo admits ordering Hu’s assassination and claims the emperor approved it; Hu questions whether that account is truthful or intimidation 855.
• Hu’s princely title does not establish effective subordination: his public acceptance of Kang allegiance coexists with independent rule over his own territory 1512 1534.

Economy and Civilian Conditions

Famine and Trade Restrictions

• Repeated droughts, floods, poor harvests, and uprisings overwhelm Great Kang’s finances during Long Yelin’s reign 425.
• Great Yong secretly restricts neighboring kingdoms from selling grain to Great Kang without prohibiting all commerce. The embargo prevents the court from buying food even when it has money 871 1028.
• Rice is the staple south of the Yong River, while flour-based foods and other grains predominate north of it. Zan Buliu’s description of northern tubers prompts Hu to consider alternative food supplies 871.
• Famine becomes severe enough that Qiqi fears the government may be unable to provide soldiers’ grain and pay. The capital’s livestock markets empty, and animals are slaughtered for food 957 974.
• Zhuge Guanqi identifies population loss as an existential danger: a Yong policy welcoming Kang refugees could undermine the kingdom’s labor base, legitimacy, and soldiers’ willingness to fight 1018.

Relief and Recovery

• Great Kang’s six great granaries release grain simultaneously after Long Xuan’en’s restoration 776.
• Early restoration measures include tax waivers and contributions from the emperor’s private gold and silver reserves 871.
• Great Yong offers to lift the grain embargo and lend 500,000 shi of grain in exchange for Eastern Liang Commandery and the Eastern Luo Granary. The offer illustrates the court’s vulnerability to food-based territorial bargaining 1028.
• Hu gives much of the grain seized from the Eastern Luo Granary to the court, aiding relief while strengthening his reputation for loyalty 1037.
• Following Western Sichuan’s earthquake, millions of refugees move toward Great Kang, which establishes a narrow border buffer zone to accommodate them 1550.
• Favorable weather, renewed cooperation with Hu, and expanding Bohai trade support late-story prosperity 1755.

Military and Defense

Strategic Position

• Great Yong initially shields Great Kang from Black Hu’s northern armies, but its own expansion makes it Great Kang’s principal threat 562 611.
• Despite its decline, Great Kang still ranks second among the Central Plains kingdoms in territory and strength at the time of Hu’s assessment 1120.
• Hu’s forces along the Yong River provide an additional barrier against Great Yong. Su Yuchi considers them strategically beneficial to Great Kang despite Hu’s suspected ambitions 1102.
• Great Kang’s navy weakens considerably, and the Fragrant Kingdom’s navy surpasses it. Later, Zhuge Guanqi still ranks Kang’s navy among the finest and judges a combined Kang–Hu fleet unmatched within the four seas 1120 1707.

Heavenly Secrets Bureau Weapons

Weapon	Documented capabilities / deployment
Winged Armor	Associated with the Bureau’s Winged Armor Warriors. Its construction exceeds the capabilities of Great Yong’s ordinary craftsmen 1411.
Heaven-Shaking Crossbows	Poison-firing weapons credited with Yunyang’s victory over Western Sichuan. Su Yuchi possesses at least two hundred 1411.
Tortoise-Shell War Chariots	Armored vehicles with rotating blades, agile turning, and the ability to move without their horses. Su Yuchi possesses more than one hundred 1411.

• The weapons’ performance at Yunyang reveals that Great Kang has concealed substantial military strength 1411.
• Li Chenzhou urges Great Yong to obtain the Bureau’s secrets rather than allow Kang’s technological advantage to grow 1411.
• Great Kang reinforces Su Yuchi with 20,000 troops and substantial supplies before Hu’s advisers debate expansion around Cloud Marsh 1385.

Foreign Relations

• Great Yong — Principal rival for supremacy in the Central Plains. A marriage alliance involving Princess Anping is intended to delay war, while grain embargoes and territorial demands become additional instruments of pressure. Late in the story, Great Kang declines both an alliance against Black Hu and assistance to Black Hu against Yong 611 1028 1686.
• Black Hu — Northern power whose wars with Great Yong repeatedly give Kang breathing room. Its delegation later steals Great Kang’s national treasure, including two skulls connected to the Fated Ones 1160 1703 1707.
• Shajia — Western neighbor. Khan Sang Muzha forbids border harassment and cultivates friendly, vassal relations with Kang while expanding elsewhere. An attack on its visiting delegation could trigger war 199 200.
• Southern Yue — Longstanding tributary state. When Shajia captures five of its cities, Great Kang threatens intervention by 200,000 troops under Marshal Li; Sang Muzha withdraws but leaves the cities devastated 199.
• Western Sichuan — Breakaway region whose independence weakens Kang. Li Tianheng’s eventual plan to return to Kang allegiance ends with his assassination and the suppression of pro-reunification supporters 278 1572.
• Fragrant Kingdom — Southern power with growing naval strength and ambitions in the Central Plains. Its alignment with Western Sichuan worsens relations with Great Kang, which reach their lowest recorded point near the story’s end 1120 1577 1755.
• Bohai Kingdom — Develops increasingly close ties with Kang, acknowledges its suzerainty, pays annual tribute, attends court, and expands bilateral trade 1755.