AVAILABLE RANKS
Emperor of the World: [1 rank available] This position is twofold: not only is the Emperor King of Sheng-gu, and thus has responsibilities to the province, but the Emperor is also responsible for maintaining the Empire's vast borders.
Empress: [1 rank available] The Emperor's wife. Empresses typically begin their marriage while their husband is still the Crown Prince, as the union is often an arranged political move.
Empress Dowager: [1 rank available] The mother of the current Emperor, widow of the prior Emperor. Often retains considerable rank as the imperial advisor.
The Four Ladies: [4 ranks available] Second only to the Empress, they share rank with one another, and often compete for the Emperor's favor. Hailing one each from the four provinces, the Four Ladies are Imperial Consorts who often have ambitions to be the bearer of the Crown Prince.
Lady of Beauty: Royal consort chosen from Sheng-gu applicants. Essentially a diplomatic position, the Lady of Beauty is responsible for managing relations pertaining to visitors to Sheng-gu.
Lady of Virtue: Royal consort chosen from Huohu applicants. Essentially a diplomatic position, as the Lady of Virtue is an ambassador between the Imperial Court and Huohu's regional courts.
Lady of Grace: Royal consort chosen from Songtu applicants. A diplomatic position as the Lady of Grace is an ambassador between the Imperial Court and Songtu's regional courts.
Lady of Honor: Royal consort chosen from Gushui applicants. Meant as a diplomatic position, where the consort would act as an ambassador and liaison, cultural tensions between the Gushui and Sheng-gu have made this a difficult position to hold.
Concubines [Unlimited availability]: Not officially married to the Emperor, but may bear children that become nobility, thus elevating the concubine's family to a higher status as a result.
Crown Prince: [1 rank available] Typically the first son born to any of the Emperor's official wives, but sometimes chosen outside of this lineage by Imperial edict. Will be crowned Emperor following his predecessor's death.
First Princess: The firstborn daughter of the Emperor. Cannot succeed the throne, but she is often a key administrative figure. Marriage to the First Princess is a highly sought after position as it is tied to considerable wealth.
LING
Princes/Princesses: [Unlimited availability] The younger children born from the Emperor's wives. Succession to the throne is based on birth order, making the Emperor's sons born rivals to one another.
City Lords: [8 ranks available, one for each Sheng-gu city] Held only by nobility, and passed down to the eldest son of the noble house.
Nobles: [Unlimited ranks available] Officers of the imperial court, responsible for varying aspects of governmental structure such as accounting, taxation, trade agreements, etc. The Sheng-gu are notorious for having a title for almost everything, their court bureaucracy is overwhelmingly dense.