Social Class
Their are several strata in imperial society and while the circumstances in which one is born will often influence the class one is considered to fall into, it is rare birth would be
deterministic.
The Working Classes
Working classes are characterised by manual labour, a limitation on freedoms and being some of the poorest people in the Empire. All male workers can also be subjected to mandatory conscription
in the event of war.
The lowest of all classes, and the only one that can be determined by birth is the class of slaves known as ‘yeren’. Yeren are mostly enslaved as prisoners of war; the capture
of outlaws, the result of border skirmishes, or the raiding of outlander tribes. In the rare cases that yeren are permitted to have children, they too are yeren by birth. The vast majority of yeren are xiaolung, with longxue
making up the remainder. A lack of pigmentation in the scales has long been associated with longxue in this class, so non-yeren porcelain longxue will commonly pain their scales to distinguish themselves, particularly in areas
where they are uncommon.
The next class are the agriculturalists, liangcang, literally translating to granaries. It is the most populous group, but also the most dispersed as they are only found in rural
areas. Liancang are tenants to their administrative rulers and pay their dues by working the land. Once the term of a tenancy is complete, the liancang can leave should they choose to although this is difficult as they are
not able to posses legal tender while tenants. On the completion generous prefects will reward
Only slightly above the liancang are the labourers or ‘shou’. The shou, strictly speaking, are equivalent to the liancang, however, they tend to hold a little more influence
as they can posses legal tender and are able to travel more freely. Even then, the vast majority the shou often remain in one place throughout their lives, often preserving generations long family businesses.
At the helm of the working classes are the merchants, or ‘shangren’. These make up a far smaller proportion of the population than all the other working classes and are expected
to travel much further. For any unrestricted goods these are the individual who are responsible for distributing them. It is important to make the distinction however, these merchants do not own the goods they buy or sell
as these are still controlled by the prefects who rule them. In times past, merchants were unable to even haggle on price directly, but many prefects have found it beneficial to empower them in contemporary times.
Citizenry
The first citizens are the ‘elevated’ workers, or ‘shenggao’. Shenggao is a term that applies to an individual with no inherent qualification, but that has been
granted citizenship. This is usually in recognition of their work or due to them being taken into a religious institution, in the latter case, religious bodies are somewhat separate from the normal hierarchy. Simply being
a citizen is no guarantee of quality of life and indeed, many will live in equal poverty to the working classes and some even choose to give up their privileges and return to the classes below. Shenggao are permitted freedom
of travel and can petition a landholder for the right to permanently reside and they must pay a nominal tithe to whichever province they reside in at the end of the year. In rare cases, the working class may be able to purchase
citizenship, with the impetus being that if one has earned sufficient wealth to become a citizen, they are entitled to do so.
Official Selection
All subsequent classes are determined on the basis of qualification and parallel classes begin to emerge. These tend to be civic, military and clerical roles. Social mobility within
these classes can be frequent, owing to the greater resources available to the citizens and the clearer paths to progression. For each of these there is a process for qualification known as Official Selection.
Civics:
Beginning with the civic classes, these roles are almost exclusively bureaucratic, with menial tasks considered the purview of the lower classes. These classes are determined through
the imperial examinations, a serious of rigorous cultural and academic trials aimed at determining both the loyalty and talent of the subject. The top candidates in each exam will be granted the preferred positions in the
bureaucracy and be invited to take the higher level examinations.
Tongsheng: The lowest of the the examinations, that of a student in their infancy. These are held regularly and are recognised only at a prefectural level. There is little one can do
with this other than to enter the lower levels of the administration, but it grants a yearly salary and invaluable experience. With a strict focus on merit, it is rare that one will not have started as a Tongsheng. The exams
here will often include moderate literal and numerical tasks, as well as requiring the candidate to show a basic knowledge of their locality. These are open to any who wish to apply and typically do not demand a fee.
Shengyuan: Markedly tougher, the Shengyuan is an imperially recognised examination. It certifies the individual as having a full and complete education and allows them to work in any
branch of the administration. Often the Shengyuan will also be required for those entering clerical and military roles as well. The Shengyuan is open to any who wish to enter, but does require a fee to be paid in order to
sit it. Despite this barrier, many will choose to save all they can to sit the examination as it alone can elevate an entire family from poverty with the appointment of an official role and the salary that comes with it.
Julong: For those who wish to hold a position of influence, the Julong is essential. Julong have to complete an in depth and thorough examination, measuring not just intellect, but
also compliance. Candidates must show an understanding of the administration, what is convention and what is mandate. This examination can only be taken by invitation and is usually reserved for those who are headhunted to
take on higher positions in the bureaucracy.
Gongshi: Widely considered the most difficult of examinations, (although not the last), Gongshi undertake an academic gauntlet in order to qualify. The exam is only held ever decade
and usually invites a fraction of the candidates of the others due to it’s difficulty. Any Julong can undertake the exam free of charge, but there is seldom any need to. It is a requirement only for those who wish to
pursue the purest form of academia, including those who would set future imperial examinations. Provincial governors rarely undertake the Gongshi for risk of embarrassment.
Ceshi: ‘The Test’. The examination the carries the most prestige of any. It taken on invitation only and is for those Julong who a deemed loyal enough to serve in the Tianzi’s
own courts. It as more a test of loyalty than a test of skill, as only those who have proven themselves competent will be invited anyway. Regardless of profession, (civic, military, or clerical), the Ceshi is mandatory to
serve in the Imperial City of Zhuquan.
Military:
The lowest in the military will be those who have been conscripted or volunteer. In such a case, they will not be a professional but due to the nature of military service will often
be afforded privileges above their normal role. The military is one of the few ways that yeren are able to earn citizenry and while notable examples exist, it is exceedingly rare. There are only a few military ranks that can
be earned through service as the traditional doctrine has been for the highest positions to go to tacticians selected from the Julong, Gongshi, and Ceshi.
Clerical:
Religion within the Empire is irregular and ill structured, so the prestige that is ultimately held by a mushi, (priest), will be highly contextual on the circumstances of that priesthood.
It is understood by the imperial administration that examinations may not be suitable for selecting mushi, and so the clergy have freedom to appoint as their temples may require. That being said, mushi who take and pass the
examinations are often taken in much higher esteem than those who have not and greater concessions are granted to temples who follow the examination process within their hierarchy.
