long guo Imperial Government of Long Guo

[Bellosh]

The Imperial Government of Long Guo - The Immortal Bureaucracy 

 

Few nations have thrived for more than two thousand years like Long Guo. Even more remarkable is the fact that for most of the Dragon Kingdom’s history, the serpentine and majestic Long have taken a backseat in the country’s affairs. Thus, unlike Equestria where nigh-immortal rulers serve as the primary figureheads and guardians, the imperial monarchy of Long Guo depend on another form of immortality; that of a pervasive centralized government.

 

The First Imperial Sovereigns — Empress Xi Hua and Emperor Xiao Huo — understood that without the ability to singlehandedly safeguard their land from threats and disasters, they (and their successors) would have to empower an army of loyal servants to do their bidding. As even the tyrannical dragon King Faba had discovered, it was difficult to govern a country when a ruler could only be in one place at any given time. Borrowing from Faba’s (then) radical ideas on governance, the First Imperial Sovereigns permanently removed local nobles from power all over Long Guo, replacing them with appointed magistrates selected by merit.

 

More reforms were needed however to guarantee the future prosperity of newly unified Long Guo. If such a nation wanted to thrive without constant assistance from the long-lived Elder Dragons, it would have to become as grand and advanced as possible, with the capability to free most of the populace from the drudgery of civic labor. Eschewing the practice of a local community banding together on public projects (as is still common in many parts of Equestria), the Long Sun emperors created a vast Civil Service of professional laborers, constables, clerks, and other functionaries; all under the ultimate oversight of the Imperial Court. With a state-funded apparatus able to construct expansive infrastructure projects like irrigation canals and roads, Long Guo thus became the nurturing cradle of many of the world’s oldest cities, like the capital city of Huangjing.

 

Long Guo’s government structure has not changed much in over two thousand years. Most municipalities do not elect their own leaders; magistrates appointed by the Emperor instead hold court in large cities and economically vital towns, exercising executive and judicial powers at the local level. Although wise emperors and magistrates come and go, the vast Civil Service provides a continuity of competent, meritorious bureaucracy no matter who rules the land. To qualify for a particular government post or promotion, one must first past the appropriate imperial examination. Grueling affairs, these days-long exams test a scholar’s knowledge of subjects he or she is expected to utilize in their position along with the precepts of the Path of the Dragon. Although this examination system has produced countless able officials throughout hundreds of generations, a lack of focus on evaluating one’s original thinking means that true visionaries within the imperial bureaucracy are few and far between.

 

Ultimate legislative, executive, and judicial authority rests with an emperor or empress. Among other duties, the Emperor serves as the bridge between the earthly Long Sun and the heavenly Long. As per the Heavenly Pact between the imperial monarchy and the Serpent Council of Longri-La, only those qilin or longma fostered in foalhood by the Matron are eligible to sit on the Dragon Throne. Thus, the imperial sovereign is the sole Long Sun considered by ritual law to be the equal of the Serpent Dragons, requiring that ruler to always conduct and display themselves in a manner emulating the heavenly majesty of the Long. In reality, that requirement leads the Imperial Court to flaunt its power and aloofness for all to see; a practice that critics sometimes called “governance by opulence”.

 

One of the most important reforms of the current ruling dynasty has been the introduction of advocates. Chosen by leading members of a community or industry, advocates represent their constituents’ interests in the Imperial Court and possess the same prestige as the highest-ranked bureaucrats. An advocate’s role is to petition the Emperor on any matter: addressing critical issues, adopting draft laws, and appealing decisions of local magistrates. Like members of the bureaucracy, advocates also must pass imperial examinations to be qualified to represent constituents before the Imperial Court.

While this government structure is uniform throughout most of the Dragon Kingdom, the coastal metropolis of Long Kong is the biggest exception. In stark contrast to the rest of the realm, Long Kong’s municipal government utilizes concepts of democracy and separation of powers inspired by lands across the sea. The city’s Legislative Council members, Chief Executive, and Imperial Court advocate are elected into office by Long Kong’s citizens, while judges operate under a  completely distinct legal code. The power of the Emperor is heavily constrained in Long Kong; all his edicts must be approved by the Legislative Council and co-signed into municipal law by the Chief Executive before coming into effect, and even then imperial edicts can potentially be overturned if challenged in the Municipal Court. Only in overseeing Long Kong’s foreign affairs does the imperial government function unchecked, although a growing number of local voices argue that even that is an anachronism in this modern age.

 

~A Reign of Ten Thousand Years

Dr. Tong Ze