Apart from the direct heirs of the imperial family, all other collateral branches were addressed by their names at this time, allowing everyone to discern their generation. For instance, Hua Zhengkai, walking directly ahead of the Prince of Shicheng Hua Tianxiong, was known to be of the same generation as Hua Tianxiong’s father, Hua Zhengming. Then there was Hua Haicheng, an eighteen-year-old Martial Practitioner who was a nephew-generation relative to Hua Tianxiong. Among the members of the imperial family, however, status was determined not only by generation but also by whether one belonged to the direct line or a collateral branch. Most direct-line princes held prominent positions, while those from collateral branches generally held more peripheral ones.
Hua Tianxiong, for instance, despite having been the deposed Crown Prince, held a relatively higher status because his father, Hua Zhengchun, was the current Emperor. Ultimately, however, strength remained the deciding factor. Take the Ten Protectors, for example; many came from collateral branches, yet their status was unparalleled. Only the Ancestors held higher standing, and their authority even exceeded that of the current Emperor, though they concerned themselves solely with the affairs of the Great Qin Imperial Family.
As for the ministers, only the most senior among them—such as the Chancellor or the Ministers of the Military—were entitled to send their offspring, and each minister was limited to one slot. This w…
Chapter 710