Hao dynasty

* hanzi
* Romanized (pinyin)
* Romanized (eyebleeding)
* Emperor

South

* 穗州 Suizhou
* 蜀山 Shushan
* 紹清 Shaoqing
* 綵春 Caichun
* 楦州 Xuanzhou
* 天城 Tiancheng

> "*Ceres is a sleeping giant, when she wakes she will shake the world."*
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> -Leon I
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The **Hao dynasty** (大昊; Great Hao or Great Hau) is the ruling dynasty of Ceres, ruled by the native Xia Cerese and controlling both Inner and Outer Ceres. Through modernization and industrialization, it has maintained its status as an empire in the far east, though the incursions of colonial powers, notably the Ruthenes and Lorlands, are posing a challenge to its hegemony.

## Geography

Hao Ceres borders the kingdom of Kauchin to the east, Noss, Saarhing and Burya to the south, the Greater and Lesser Hasniva khanates to the west, and the Ruthenes to the north. Its western and northern borders consist of large ice-capped mountain ranges near impossible to penetrate, leaving only several routes through the Longzhou Valley and Kauchin to reach the north and west. Major rivers include the Jin (晉江), Yang (揚河) and Guang Rivers (廣河), which provide water for irrigation, drinking and industry, as well as connecting the whole empire's supply lines through the great canal.

Northern Ceres contains numerous major cities, and has a drier and colder climate. The region is also largely flat, allowing for a centralized power base and a largely homogeneous population with mutually intelligible dialects. The south, filled with mountains and rivers, is warmer and more humid, and produces much of the nation's food supply in the form of rice. Its terrain has also allowed the diversification of dialects, alongside the existence of numerous ethnic minorities. On the southern coast are numerous major port cities where foreigners are allowed to live and trade. These ports played a vital role in the modernization of Ceres, and are important centers of commerce and industry.

Beyond the Great Wall are the steppes inhabited by the Kherans and other nomadic peoples. With the exception of a few mining settlements, these regions are not inhabited by the Xia Cerese, and are therefore considered "Outer Ceres" by foreigners. To the west is the mountainous Chuan region, known to foreigners as Tschaan. This region is sparsely populated and has few value outside of being the source of major rivers and producing some traditional medicine. North of the Tschaan and west of the Great Wall is the Longzhou Valley, a stretch of dry desert sandwiched between the Irkha and Bharis mountains, and the main route connecting Ceres and the west by land. This region has been a major stop in the historical trade routes between Ceres and the outside world, and is also where foreign peoples and religions spread into Ceres from. The region has a mix of Xia Cerese and other ethnic minorities, notably the Avankir and Hashniva, and is also religiously diverse despite being sparsely populated

## History

### Civil war

By the 970s, the Hao elites were divided between Constitutionalists (憲黨) and Absolutists (皇黨) on the issue of political reforms. Limiting the emperor's power with a constitution and elected assembly would have been considered treasonous, however, newer generations of officials believed that reforming the country was necessary to prevent Ceres from being colonized. In 978, the Yongkang Emperor (永康帝) exiled over a hundred modernist officials and princes to distant regions.

This would prove to be a blessing in disguise, however, as a massive rebellion broke out in northern Ceres, forcing the emperor to flee the capital. Zhou Xisong, Prince Yue (越王周熙嵩), the emperor's brother, Viceroy of Taining and Yuenan (菁番總督) and major reformist, led his forces north to quell the rebels and also taking the opportunity to purge conservative political rivals. In the chaos, the emperor and his sons were killed by conservative general and usurper Li Qian, who proclaimed himself "Emperor" of a "Qi dynasty". After several years of civil war, Li's regime, known now as "Li Qi" (李齊) or "Bandit Qi" (匪齊) was defeated by Prince Yue's modernized military, and the Prince retook the capital and took the throne with the era name "Jiande" (建德).

### Modernization

With most of the conservatives having died in the chaos, and the surviving ones being barred from his new government, the Jiande Emperor was able to reform the empire to a more westernized regime, with a new education system, new government bodies and institutions, and the creation of new nobility. A cabinet was even created, allowing officials to have a say in the decision-making. However, the Jiande Emperor focused on industrial and commercial modernization, and had no intentions of having a constitution. Nonetheless, Ceres would begin opening up and modernizing in this new period.

The Jiande Emperor and his successors shared power with their officials to a certain extent, but no serious attempts of constitution and democratization occurred - until 1085, when the Longxian Emperor (隆憲帝) took the throne. With the era name meaning "Grand Constitution", the Longxian Emperor has expressed his intent to liberalize, sending officials and princes to study the constitutions and parliaments of other nations. A transitional period has been declared, and provincial assemblies (路議會) are being set up. In addition, provincial capitals and other inland areas are being designated as "open to foreigners", and foreign investment is being encouraged in the Eight Open Ports. Only time will tell whether or not the Emperor's ambitious campaigns will succeed

## Government

### Cabinet and Central Administration

The Cabinet for Discussing Policies (議政內閣) is a peculiar institution. It was originally created to strengthen the emperor's power and weaken the officials, to prevent them from threatening the throne, and acted more like a privy council that the emperor consulted, with no power to make decisions of its own. However, in recent modernization, the cabinet was empowered and restructured to resemble those of foreign countries, though it was still only answerable and appointed by the emperor. The Senior Grand Secretary (首輔大學士), a previously largely powerless position, would be empowered to become a Chancellor type figure. In addition, the ministers of the ministries, which previously only executed the decisions of the emperor, were included in the cabinet to have a voice in decision-making.

The cabinet has 9 Ministries or Boards (部). There were previously 6, but 3 more (Diplomacy, Agriculture and Commerce) were created for modernization purposes. In addition, different from foreign power structures, the Censorate (都察院) exists to monitor the actions of other ministers and bureaucrats.

### Regional administration

#### Provinces

Ceres has and still is a unified centralized state despite its size. To better impose its control over remote territories, provinces and other institutions are set up to rule the empire's lands. The province (承宣布政使司; colloquially known as 路) is the highest level territorial administrative unit, followed by prefectures (州), cities (府) and counties (縣). To prevent warlordism and separatism, each province has 2 governors (布政使) of equal rank. The Censorate also monitors the actions of regional administrators. In addition, a Viceroy (總督) also exists to oversee civilian administration as well as manage military affairs in 1 or 2 provinces. One exception is the Jingzhao directly administered region (京兆直隸司), which is directly administered by the central government and therefore has no appointed governors or viceroys. Including Jingzhao, Hao Ceres has 11 provinces.

#### Frontiers

The Frontier regions are managed by the Ministry of Tributary Affairs (理藩院). These include the Kheran region, Longzhou Valley, and the Tschaan region.

The Kherans are divided into three "leagues" (盟) that are separate from each other. The leagues are divided based on direction from the Kheran sacred mountains - the West League, East League and South League are west, east and south of the mountains respectively. Beneath the leagues are clans (部). The heads of the clans and leagues are chosen from Kheran nobles and recommended to the Emperor by the Ministry.

* 布爾罕西盟 Burkhan West League
* 布爾罕東盟 Burkhan East League
* 布爾罕南盟 Burkhan South League

The Longzhou Valley, between the Irkha and Bharis Mountain Ranges, is a crucial region that controls land trade between Ceres and the outside world. It is governed as the Longzhou Protectorate (隴州都護司), a group of vassal city-states, tribes, and Cerese garrisons commanded by the Protector-General of Longzhou (隴州都護), a high-ranking position equivalent to a Viceroy, who manages military and administrative affairs of the protectorate. Prior to the formation of the Board of Diplomacy, the Protector-General also handled diplomatic affairs with neighboring tribes and states, notably the Satvanids

The Tschaan region is divided into two protectorates, indirectly governed by the Ministry of Tributary Affairs through native vassal chieftains and nobles. The Viceroy of Liangchuan (兩川總督) is appointed to oversee and mediate affairs in the region

* 川北都護司 Chuanbei Protectorate
* 川南都護司 Chuannan Protectorate