TFT Snippet #11

Very interesting, thank you RFC.

I think that the Harchongese bureaucracy will find that the South Harchongese are not as willing to put up with their close personal oversight as the bureaucrats seem to prefer. I wouldn't be surprised to see a revolution there rather than a restoration.

Keith_w wrote:Very interesting, thank you RFC.

I think that the Harchongese bureaucracy will find that the South Harchongese are not as willing to put up with their close personal oversight as the bureaucrats seem to prefer. I wouldn't be surprised to see a revolution there rather than a restoration.

I doubt there will be a revolt in the South. More likely the bureaucrats will be played against the Trading Houses by the Emperor. As it is, there are more than enough personnel in the Trading Houses to perform the functions of the bureaucrats. They are already doing that for their own Houses; keeping records, Understanding the ramifications of the laws passed, planning, building, managing money and managing relatios with the CoGA. The Emperor would be foolish to actually eliminate either, but more foolish to elevate either above the other.

PeterZ wrote:

Keith_w wrote:Very interesting, thank you RFC.

I think that the Harchongese bureaucracy will find that the South Harchongese are not as willing to put up with their close personal oversight as the bureaucrats seem to prefer. I wouldn't be surprised to see a revolution there rather than a restoration.

I doubt there will be a revolt in the South. More likely the bureaucrats will be played against the Trading Houses by the Emperor. As it is, there are more than enough personnel in the Trading Houses to perform the functions of the bureaucrats. They are already doing that for their own Houses; keeping records, Understanding the ramifications of the laws passed, planning, building, managing money and managing relatios with the CoGA. The Emperor would be foolish to actually eliminate either, but more foolish to elevate either above the other.

In the chapter, North Wind Blowing reflects upon the disruptions that occurs to their control of the Empire whenever an emperor dies and the next emperor thinks that he can exercise direct authority. Yet he also reflects that they are basically far from home and their center of power, and that few bureaucrats survived the sack of Shang-Mi. Add to that the more liberal attitudes and pragmatism of South Harchong and you get a very difficult equation for the people who favor the status quo. I think that the courtiers and the bureaucrats could have handled one problem at a time. But coming at them all at once, I think that they're in trouble. The crown prince might be angling towards reaching a deal with the southerners if it means winning back the north. Or else, he might be refusing to take up the crown for the reasons North Wind Blowing was thinking about - having him and the bureaucracy beg him to take up the crown and him refusing dragging his feet until he gets the direct authority he craves.