The Divine Frostbreath Empire (神圣霜息帝国) is also privately referred to by the various races and principalities within its vast domain as "The United Empire"(联合帝国). This is not only due to its immense size but also its unique foundation—the Empire has always maintained the coexistence of six tributary realms, or Vassal Kingdoms (藩属国度), which possess ancient lineages and semi-independent authority, thereby safeguarding the Emperor's central rule.
These six major realms are known in the Empire's annals and star charts by powerful and symbolic names: Dragon Fang (龙牙), Tiger Wing (虎翼), Raven (渡鸦), Silver Wolf (银狼), Bronze Sparrow (铜雀), and Black Sheep (黑羊).
Their rulers are honored as "Lord of the Realm"(国主) or "Duke-King"(王爵). They are not merely the sovereigns of their partitioned territories but also hold a supreme authority: the title of Elector King (选帝王爵). Whenever the Imperial Throne stands vacant, the power to determine the succession of the next Emperor of The Divine Frostbreath Empire (神圣霜息帝国) rests in the hands of these six Duke-Kings.
This peculiar political structure, which in certain eras even shone with the light of enlightenment, can be traced back to the Empire's founder, the immortal legend crowned "Conqueror Emperor"(征服帝) by posterity—Dipper Kuí(北斗魁).
Since his time, the system of shared governance between the Imperial authority and the Six Duke-Kings has functioned like the Empire's heartbeat and breath, enduring twenty-five generations of succession to this day.
The ancient epic of the founding of the nation is chanted through the generations by every bard in the Empire: the ancestors of the Divine Frostbreath (神圣霜息) people were once nomadic, roaming the vast snow forests of the continent's northeastern corner. They herded, hunted, and at times swept southward like a fierce cold wind, invading the wealthy agrarian nations to plunder grain, silk, and even people.
However, approximately five hundred years ago, a powerful ruler emerged among the Southern States. He not only unified the Central Plains but also led a massive Northern Expedition, striking directly at the heart of the Frostbreath people. Throughout the continuous warfare, though the Frostbreath ancestors were fearlessly brave and achieved frequent victories, they ultimately could not withstand the sheer national power and resources of the enormous Southern Empire.
The tribal chief was killed, their homeland was lost, and the entire tribe was forced to abandon their homes and embark on a long westward journey of exile. They fought and searched all the way, heading towards the legendary "new land where the sun sets"(太阳沉没之处的新天地), constantly moving west, then further west, as if pursuing a distant yet intensely alluring mirage.
During the long migration, a split occurred within the tribe. One branch chose to continue westward, disappearing over the horizon; the other, which formed the direct lineage of the current Imperial House, resolutely turned northward under the guidance of a great prophet, determined to cross the towering, snow-capped mountain range that spanned the world. That journey was paved with blood, tears, white bones, and indomitable will.
Innumerable compatriots were either swallowed by violent avalanches or plunged to their deaths into bottomless glacial crevasses. This arduous trek, which lasted a full decade, was filled with "courage and suffering"(勇气与苦难) unimaginable to mortals, forming the most tragic yet most moving first half of the Empire's founding legend, which still shines brightly in the murals and songs of the capital, Prime Lake City (首湖城).
Finally, they found the promised land of their destiny—a vast, almost boundless basin encircled by ancient snow mountains. In the center of the basin lay a giant lake, hazy and immense, more accurately described as an "inland sea"(内海). This body of water, later named Lake Dipper (北斗湖) after the Imperial surname, spanned nearly four hundred kilometers east to west and reached one hundred sixty kilometers north to south, dotted with over two hundred islands of various sizes.
The lake was deep and rich; a single net cast could capture massive salmon, as large as a child, whose scales shimmered with iridescence in the sun. Although the winters here were bitterly cold and despairingly long, during the brief summer, the sun shone, the ice and snow melted, and the fertile black soil erupted with astonishing vitality, causing crops to grow at an unprecedented, frantic pace.
The Frostbreath people finally found their long-sought home. They renamed the land after their own tribe, vowing to live and multiply here until eternity. After settling, the system of joint leadership by several major families, formed during the migration, was naturally continued.
But peace and order did not last long.
A young man named Dipper Kuí(北斗魁) ignited the flame of rebellion after growing dissatisfied with what he saw as an "unjust" ruling—his half-brothers had seized the land and power that should have been his. Following a fierce quarrel, he killed those brothers and was condemned for the high crime of treason, sentenced to death by stoning. But like a ferocious beast escaping its cage, he successfully broke out of prison, embarking on a path to overthrow the old order.
In his most isolated and helpless moment, six former close friends offered him aid. With the wisdom, valor, and steadfast support of these six men, Dipper Kuí(北斗魁) fought over forty intensely brutal battles in the following years, winning every single one.
Historical records note that his desperate struggle "thickened his blades twice over with congealed blood."
Ultimately, the old tribal power structure was completely destroyed, and all authority over the entire Frostbreath land fell into Dipper Kuí's (北斗魁) hands. However, the prolonged civil war also nearly halved the tribal population, leaving countless towns and villages as scorched earth ruins. Dipper Kuí(北斗魁) did not dwell on victory; he abolished the ancient title of "Tribal Chief"(族长), proclaimed himself "King," and immediately launched campaigns southward and eastward, forcing his arch-rival The Snow Wolf Kingdom (雪狼王国) to submit (though this submission was never truly stable). He established a sphere of influence far greater than that of any of his ancestors, and finally crowned himself with the ultimate symbol of supreme power—the "Emperor"(皇帝) diadem.
Once his power was secured, Dipper Kuí(北斗魁) did not forget the six comrades who had given him everything during his most difficult times. To reward their merits, and to build a governing structure that would balance power while protecting the center, he carried out an unprecedented Grand Feudalization (大分封). Out of the Empire's one hundred twenty counties, he bestowed sixty counties' worth of land upon these six meritorious officials, ten counties each, establishing six major duchies (or kingdoms), and granting them independent authority over internal affairs, taxation, conscription, judiciary, and even some legislative power within their territories.
The Emperor (皇帝) directly governed the remaining sixty counties. In Dipper Kuí's (北斗魁) clever plan, the borders of these six duchies were not directly contiguous; they were mostly separated by territories directly under Imperial control, to prevent them from easily forming a coalition that could threaten the center.
Thus, a balanced, yet subtly volatile, Elective Monarchy System (皇帝选举制度) was born.
The coexistence and checks-and-balances between the Emperor and the six Elector Kings (选帝王爵) became the invisible cornerstone that supported the operation of The Divine Frostbreath Empire (神圣霜息帝国) for nearly three centuries. To further solidify this alliance, which was based on personal trust and political strategy, Dipper Kuí(北斗魁) also implemented a clever policy of intermarriage, widely injecting the Imperial bloodline into the six Duke-King families. Theoretically, the Empire and the Duchies, the Imperial House and the Duke-King families, became a community of shared destiny (命运共同体) from then on, bound to support each other for the prosperity of the Empire.
However, just as all things in the world cannot escape the erosion of time, neither can power. As the years passed, heroes grew old, alliances became tarnished, and the system founded on personal trust began to slowly decay and distort in the face of human greed, suspicion, and ambition.
From Conqueror Emperor Dipper Kuí(征服帝北斗魁) to the present, twenty-five generations of monarchs have ruled. Now, it was the turn of the sullen and suspicious Dipper Huǎng (北斗晃). Over this long span of three hundred years, the foundation of power supporting the Empire's vast body was already riddled with conflict and cracks.
The Emperor sought to diminish the power of the Duke-Kings and centralize authority, while the Elector King (选帝王爵) Council constantly resisted the expansion of Imperial power, even intentionally choosing mediocre or even foolish successors to sit on the throne to counterbalance an overly powerful Emperor. The Imperial House also frequently and roughly interfered with the internal succession of the Duke-King families, sowing countless seeds of hatred.
Following this long cycle of never-ending conflict, compromise, betrayal, and integration, the final result was the sudden death of Emperor Dipper Huǎng (皇帝北斗晃)—regardless of the truth concealed behind that "sudden death."
"The late Emperor is gone. Who will now ascend to the supreme throne of The Divine Frostbreath Empire (神圣霜息帝国)?"
After the brief, formalized period of mourning, the gaze of everyone—whether nobles inside or outside the court, governors in distant border regions, or the six Elector Kings (选帝王爵) holding the crucial votes—rapidly and intensely focused on this single, paramount question. After all, for the dead, a few tears and a few symbolic wreaths were enough to relegate them to the dust of history. The present and the future always belong to the living.
Who, exactly, can win that heavy and tempting crown?
According to the Empire's law of succession and the current political reality, there are officially only two candidates qualified to inherit the throne:
First, the late Emperor Dipper Huǎng's (北斗晃) only surviving son, The Winter Duke (寒公爵) Dipper Aureus (北斗煜), who has just returned from the front lines covered in blood, holding immense military exploits and power.
Second, the late Emperor Dipper Huǎng's (北斗晃) only legitimate grandson, the only son left by the deceased Eldest Prince, the eight-year-old Imperial Grandson Dipper Qián (皇太孙北斗乾).
The young uncle, and the young nephew.
The eight-year-old Dipper Qián (北斗乾) naturally lacks any capacity for understanding or managing state affairs. But he possesses an undeniable legal advantage—he is the Eldest Son's heir. In the eyes of many nobles and officials who follow ancient tradition, this inherently represents a certain legitimacy.
More ironically, his tender age has become a major "advantage"(优势) for his claim to the throne. This is because a child Emperor of eight means that for at least the next decade, the Empire's substantive power will inevitably fall into the hands of his guardian.
And the faction coveting this "guardianship" is already obvious: Dipper Qián's (北斗乾) birth mother, the ambitious Grand Princess Consort Sū Wăn (大公妃苏婉)(who should perhaps now be called the Grand Dowager), and her immensely powerful father—Marquis Sū Wàng of State Stability (定国侯苏望).
The ambition of this father-daughter duo to control the Empire by manipulating the child Emperor is so blatant and unconcealed that a common saying circulates in the palace:"Even the curly-haired cat in the Imperial Garden can see this clearly."
However, regardless of the law or the backing, anyone who ultimately wishes to wear the crown must adhere to one iron rule—winning the support of at least four votes among the six Elector Kings (选帝王爵).
The Imperial House Law explicitly stipulates:
"He who has not secured the support of four of the six Elector Kings shall not ascend to the Imperial Throne."
Six Duke-Kings, four votes for an absolute majority. This seemingly clear rule has historically led to several three-against-three stalemates. Although past standoffs were mostly resolved through a period of political maneuvering and backroom deals, no one can guarantee that this time will not escalate into a protracted confrontation, one that might even tear the Empire apart.
The Empire's fate is now hanging by a thread. The decisive weight that tips the scales is held in the hands of those six Elector Kings (选帝王爵)—especially Mentiel Mont, Lord of the Raven Kingdom (渡鸦国主孟契尔), who had just engaged in a silent clash with Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) outside the Imperial Chamber.
Mentiel Mont (孟契尔) harbored no hatred toward Dipper Aureus (北斗煜); in fact, on a level of emotional resonance, he was aligned with him. The old Emperor deserved to die, and Dipper Aureus's (北斗煜) act of regicide was not a crime, but a great act to save the Empire.
As Dipper Aureus's (北斗煜) rival and confidant during their student years, Mentiel Mont (孟契尔) was emotionally inclined to favor Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) as the new Emperor. This was not merely personal camaraderie; it was also a cold, realistic calculation.
Five of the six Elector Kings (选帝国主) have already arrived at the capital; only Wū Liè, Lord of the Tiger Wing Kingdom (虎翼国主) is yet to reach Prime Lake City (首湖城), but this does not affect the convocation of the Electoral Council.
The current situation is simple: three-to-two. The rulers of Dragon Fang (龙牙), Silver Wolf (银狼), and Bronze Sparrow (铜雀) are siding with Imperial Grandson Dipper Qián (皇太孙北斗乾). Marquis Sū Wàng (定国侯苏望) is fully supporting his grandson, and although the Marquis does not govern a vassal kingdom, his vast financial power is the best form of backing.
Through the deployment of wealth, Sū Wàng (苏望) had long established a dense intelligence and commercial network within the Six Vassal Kingdoms, naturally securing many supporters in advance. With three current votes of support, and the expected support of the Lord of the Tiger Wing Kingdom (虎翼国主) for his grandson, Sū Wàng (苏望) is confidently certain that the Electoral Council will be a mere formality, with the outcome quickly decided.
Standing on Dipper Aureus's (北斗煜) side are only the rulers of Raven (渡鸦) and Black Sheep (黑羊). Chéng Mùbái, Lord of the Black Sheep Kingdom (黑羊国主程慕白), is three years older than Mentiel Mont (孟契尔) at twenty-nine, in the prime of his youth and energy. He scoffs at Sū Wàng's (苏望) approach of using money to buy power. His decision to support Dipper Aureus (北斗煜) is somewhat similar to Mentiel Mont's (孟契尔) calculation: he believes that only by allowing the Electoral Council to remain split will he, with his electoral power, have the maximum leverage and means to extract concessions.
If the outcome is decided too early, there are no benefits for him from the Dipper Qián (北斗乾) camp. Only by maintaining the deadlock can he seize the greatest advantages.
Regarding the incoming Wū Liè, Lord of the Tiger Wing Kingdom (虎翼国主邬烈), who is thirty-three, his true stance has not been made public. If the positions of Black Sheep (黑羊) and Raven (渡鸦) remain firm, they are confident in winning over Wū Liè(邬烈), who also belongs to the "Young Faction"(年轻派), using similar rationales.
However, an urgent dispatch arrived at Prime Lake City (首湖城) at the fastest speed, delivered confidentially to the Electoral Council:
"Wū Liè, Lord of the Tiger Wing Kingdom (虎翼国主邬烈), is dead. Aged thirty-three."
This news struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky!
The Empire's electoral iron rule: Four votes make an Emperor.
The succession of an Elector King (选帝国主) requires the Emperor's endorsement, otherwise it is invalid.
Now, an Elector King (选帝国主) has died. The Electoral Council stands at three-to-two!
"This era is truly fascinating."
Mentiel Mont (孟契尔) could wake up laughing in his sleep.
End of 1-5.