The Imperial Palace or Imperial Court is a palace complex in the Royal Capital of Li. It consists of two parts: the Rear Palace or Inner Court, where the Imperial Harem lives, and the Outer Court, where the offices of court officials are located. It serves as the Emperor and his government's main base of operations, and is the main setting of The Apothecary Diaries.
Royal Pavilion[]
The Royal Pavilion is group of buildings that serve as the residences of the Emperor and members of the Imperial Family.
Notable Buildings[]
- Long building that served as part of the old Inner Court, was where the Former Emperor was raised and later died, and housed his art room.[1]
Rear Palace[]
- Main article: Rear Palace
Outer Court[]
The Outer Court (or Outer Palace) is where most of the officials and facilities that support the workings of the Imperial Palace exist. Being several times larger than the rear palace,[2] the outer court is much more populated and bustling with activity. It is split into two sides: the eastern side contains the military, while the western side is home to the civil bureaucracy.[3]
Government[]
The Emperor is the ruler of Li. This hereditary position is passed down through males of the Imperial Family.
Though the exact structure of the government is unclear, under the Emperor are the sangong, the three most important leaders of the country. They include the Grand Commandant and Prime Minister.[4]
Named departments include:
- The Board of Rites is responsible for education, diplomacy, and rituals[5]
- The Board of Justice is responsible for law enforcement[6]
- The Board of Revenue oversees financial matters[7]
- The Ministry of War[8]
Other named positions include:
- Grand Marshal
- Grand Protector
- Director of Waters
- Master of Agriculture
Civil Officials[]
To become a civil official, one must pass the civil service exam that is held every four years.[4] Due to its difficulty, the average test-taker is in their thirties.[9]
Military Officials[]
Military officials serve in the Forbidden Army, and take the martial service exam to become one.[4] They are in charge of public safety and defending Li's borders.
Court Ladies[]
A court lady (官女, Kanjo?) is a woman serving the government of Li in an official capacity, typically as secretaries. Those seeking to become court ladies must pass a qualification exam that tests for knowledge on poems, history, and sutras; essentially a simpler version of the civil service exam that is held regularly.[10]
Most court ladies are the daughters of officials or rich merchants and see working in the outer court as a means of seeking out good marriage prospects, so turnover is quite high.
The role of medical assistant is a newly created position for court ladies, created as a compromise to address the shortage of rear palace doctors.
Notable Locations[]
- Imperial Medical Offices
- Jinshi's residence
- Small hill
- The archives
- Altar of the Sapphire Sky
- The morgue
- Annex for foreign envoys
- Quarantine tower
Trivia[]
- The government seems to be a hybrid of the Three Lords and Nine Ministers system and the Three Departments and Six Ministries system.
References[]
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 3, Chapter 14
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 2, Chapter 2
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 4, Chapter 9
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 8, Chapter 4
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 2, Chapter 12
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 2, Chapter 13
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 3, Chapter 18
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 13, Chapter 4
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 13, Chapter 11
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 7, Chapter 1