The story takes place in the middle period of the Dayong Dynasty (approximately corresponding to the transitional stage between the Tang and Song Dynasties in reality). Imperial power fell to the wayside, and feudal vassalages and gentry monopolies coexisted:
Geographical pattern:
The core area of the Central Plains: centered on the capital "Luoyang" and radiating to Bianliang, Lin'an and other state capitals, it was the core of direct control by the imperial power. However, the gentry's forces were intricately entangled and controlled land and imperial examination quotas.
The jurisdiction of the feudal town: the "Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun" in the north were controlled by Xiao Lie, the governor of the Zhenbei Army, with a hundred thousand troops; the "Three Prefectures of Wu and Yue" in the south were under the jurisdiction of Liu Chengye, Marquis of Jingnan, who was very wealthy thanks to water transportation and overseas trade; the "Longyou Road" in the west was separatist by Zhao Dechang, the king of Longxi, who controlled the throat of the Silk Road.
Border zone: The northeast is bordered by the Khitan tribe, the southwest has conflicts with Nanzhao from time to time, and the northwest faces Uighur raids. Most border military households are hereditary, and their loyalty to the court varies.
