Meixun

**Meixun** (Mei: 美峋, Transliteration: Měi xún) formally known as the **Celestial Empire of Meixun** (Mei: 天朝美峋, Transliteration: Tiān cháo měi xún) is a vast empire located on the continent of Shijie. For decades it has consolidated regional power and consumed many of its smaller neighbors. Thus, at it's current form the empire borders only Jinguk to the Southwest and the continental colonies of Ishikoku to the North.

One of the world's earliest civilizations, Meixun developed in the fertile plains and valleys of the great Jin and Tang rivers. Although it began as a collection of disparate and warring states, the nation eventually unified in 118 BCE. Since its formation, it has become the longest continuous civilization in the world and expanded greatly under the rule of the Celestial Empire.

Today it has become one of the world's most powerful colonial empires, as well as one of its largest economies.

## Etymology

The name 'Meixun' means beautiful hills which describes one of the most popular features in the country: limestones peaks that jut out of the landscape in shapes that often seeming reminiscent of animals, people, and objects. It is furthermore an indication of the nation's majority group: the Mei, whose name can be translated as beautiful.

## History

*Main article: History of Meixun*

Meixun's history stretches back for thousands of years, a time span that has made it the nation with the longest continuous history in the world. The foundation of its state was set up as far back as 697 BCE when it the Xia Dynasty established an imperial system of governance over their territory in the Jin River Valley. After this point, the various kingdoms and states that made up Meixun squabbled among themselves for hundreds of years until the reign of Emperor Li He Shen of Zhujing. Under his command, he was able to unify Meixun under his banner, although full unification wouldn't be completed until about 400 years after.

As time continued, the Celestial Empire of Meixun begun stretching its muscles through the conquest of surrounding small states. As opposed to just annexing these; however, Meixun created a tributary system. This would last until 1524 when the Meixunese Emperor announced full integration of all tributary states into the empire.

Around that same time, Meixun began its own overseas explorations, discovering the continent of Martria under Chen Kuang and establishing contact with the Eastern world. In fact, soon after, the Pearl Route, a major maritime trade network was established between Shijie and Telepha. Later, the Emperor began funding colonial expeditions in modern-day Chendi and Yutian, marking the beginning of the Meixunese Colonial Empire.

## Colonial Empire

*Main article: Meixun Colonial Empire*

At its current, and highest point, the colonial possessions of Meixun's empire stretch across three separate continents and have a total population of about 420 million people as of an 1848 estimate.

Meixun's two largest colonies are located on the continent of Martria. Both have rapidly developed in their own right, receiving immigrants in what is likely the hundreds over the course of their existence. Yutian, the largest contiguous imperial colony of Meixun contains a population of about 45 million people, while Chendi, it's northern sister, supports about 30 million.

Along with these larger holdings, the Meixun colonial empire also contains the city of Dongmen in Telepha and Touxian a small colony on the same island as Sadjoavombe.

## Geography and Environment

*Main article: Geography of Meixun*

Meixun controls a vast territory on the continent of Shijie, enough that without its overseas colonies, it ranks as the second largest nation in the world, and could constitute a subcontinent on its own. To the south is the BLANK SEA, while to the east sits the BLANK OCEAN; the BLANK SEA is off Meixun's western coast.

Running down the center of Meixun is a large series of mountain ranges that nearly split the country in half, which is known as the BLANK RANGE. This has led to a number of innovative farming techniques among the many hills and valleys, such as terrace farming. Flatland is meanwhile much more prevalent along the country's coastlines, where a majority of Meixun's population has settled. One of the most important coastline areas is the Eastern Plains, a vast expanse of generally flat land that has been able to support millions of Meixunese farms.

The lifeblood of Meixun; however, is likely its three major rivers: the Jin, Cui, and Tang. These three rivers have over the years provided plentiful harvests, sources of freshwater, and methods of efficient travel to the Mei who inhabited its banks. Much of the surrounding land has thus been converted for agricultural use, though quite a few forests and jungles exist in the highlands.

Meixun's climate can vary greatly based on location within it, but in most areas the country is hot and wet, fed by western flowing currents of warm water. The mean average temperature of this area can range between 30 to 34 degrees Celsius on average. Some of its southern reaches are actually temperate, fluctuating between four distinct seasons, although they on general also stay quite warm.

## Politics

*Main article: Politics of Meixun*
The Celestial Empire of Meixun is headed by an Emperor who is the highest legislative, executive, and judicial authority in the country. Along with this, they oversee high level and important national affairs.

Due to Meixun's large size; however, most day to day affairs are run by an efficient bureaucracy system. In this, officials are chosen through a series of exams that are technically open to all, but the rigor and academic requirements often leave only the rich or well connected able to achieve such positions. Each of Meixun's highest subdivisions, called circuits, are run by a governor who is handpicked by the Emperor. While they have authority over their territory, they must ultimately defer to the Emperor and may be removed from office.

On the local level, day to day affairs are allowed to be run in whichever way an area chooses. This has led to a variety of different local government forms from village councils to even rudimentary presidential elections.

### Foreign relations

Meixun has long had an important role on the international stage, as one of the world's largest and strongest colonial powers. Due to this position; however, it has maintained a strong rivalry with Ishikoku; its maritime neighbor, as both have battled for control of colonial holdings in Martria, as well as over Shijie, itself.

Historically, the empire has also had complicated relationships with other neighboring nations, such as VIETNAM, TIBET, LAOS, and KHMER. These states and kingdoms became client and tributary states under Meixun, before eventually being mostly engulfed into the empire.

More recently, Meixun has begun to align itself with the nation of Altéa in Telepha, a pivot solidified by its recent aid to Altéa during the country's invasion of PORTUGAL, in which it was able to gain the colony of Dongmen.

### Administrative Divisions

The highest administrative division in Meixun is the circuit of which there are X. Underneath them exist X prefectures, the number varying based on the population of each circuit. Along with this, there are a number of independent prefectures that are ruled by their own governor, these are usually made up by large or important metropolitan areas.

Technically outside the empire, are a small number of nominally independent tributary and client states, whose territorial size has been greatly diminished by Meixunese conquest.

## Demographics

*Main article: Demographics of Meixun*
The continental empire of Meixun is estimated to have a population of a little under 355 million people, making it one of the world's most populated nations. Its population has only continued to grow due to the nation's vast trade networks, fertile farmland, and increasing immigration. Despite these seemingly good times, a large number of Meixunese still emigrate to the country's colonies in Martria.

Once fairly homogenous, the empire has since diversified greatly with its conquests of neighboring ethnic groups like the VIETNAMESE, TIBETAN, LAO, and KHMER, who now make up notable minorities in the nation. Because of this integration, many Meixunese citizens have opened up to others, and immigration into the nation has become an accepted, if not encourage the practice.

### Religion

The largest practiced religion in Meixun is a combination of TAOISM and traditional Meixunese folk religion. These tend to focus on the worship of a variety of spirits, forces of nature, and gods, as well as placing importance on ancestral veneration. One of its major tenets is the existence of a magical force called the TAO that all should live in harmony with.

Over time other more minor religions have also ebbed and flowed throughout the ages in Meixun, some even being enveloped into both TAOISM and Meixunese folk religion. Perhaps the biggest example is BUDDHISM which has evolved uniquely in Meixun, interchanging ideas of gods and spirits with Meixun's other religions.

### Language

*Main article: Mei language*
The primary language spoken in Meixun is Northern Mei, which can also be referred to as Standard Mei. This is the official language of all government affairs, as well as the tongue of the Emperor. Southern Mei is the empire's second most spoken language, and is largely prevalent in the South, as its name suggests. Besides the two Mei dialects, one can hear VIETNAMESE, TIBETAN, LAO, KHMER, and even THAI, BURMESE, Jin, and Ishi in various parts of the empire.

## Culture

*Main article: Culture of Meixun*
Meixun is a veritable "salad bowl"of culture groups due to its expansive size and conquests. A fact that represents the nations long history and diverse indigenous cultures many of which have largely been blended with the cultures of the imperials of Meixun.

Mei culture is actually split between multiple groups, much of which represent a number of smaller ethnic groups that are often incorrectly bunched together with the Mei, forming due to geographic and historical separation. The largest of these are Northern and Southern Mei. Over the years there have been some tension between the two groups, with the Southern Mei being dominant in the past, but the Northern Mei being considered the main culture of Meixun today.

Meixunese culture has historically had a large presence over the nations of Shijie, and has overtime influenced not only the groups it conquered, but also the neighboring cultures of the Ishi, Jin, THAI, and BURMESE, although that isn't to say exchange hasn't gone both ways.