The Dayin Dynasty — World & Setting

The world of Pursuit of Jade (逐玉) is set in the fictional Dayin Dynasty (大尹王朝) — a powerful but politically unstable empire loosely inspired by the aesthetics and social structures of China's Tang and Song dynasties. This page covers everything you need to know about the world our characters inhabit: the political factions vying for power, the key locations where the story unfolds, and the social structures that shape every relationship.

The Dayin Dynasty

The Dayin Dynasty (大尹) is a sprawling empire that has ruled for several generations. At its height, the Dayin was prosperous and militarily dominant, with secure borders and flourishing trade routes. But by the time of the story, cracks have formed. The current Emperor, Qi Sheng, is a capable but embattled ruler who inherited a court riddled with factionalism, corruption, and old grudges. The balance of power between the military aristocracy and the civil bureaucracy has grown dangerously unstable.

The dynasty's aesthetic draws heavily from Tang Dynasty grandeur — the elaborate court dress, the cosmopolitan capital, the prominence of poetry and art — blended with Song Dynasty sophistication in governance, commerce, and urban life. The result is a world that feels both historically grounded and distinctly its own: rich, textured, and just unfamiliar enough to keep viewers intrigued.

Central to the Dayin's identity is its military tradition. The empire was founded by conquest, and noble families like the Xie clan earned their titles on the battlefield. But as the dynasty matured, civilian officials gained increasing influence, creating a tension between sword and pen that runs through every level of the story.

Political Factions

Power in the Dayin Dynasty is contested by four major groups, each with their own interests, allies, and methods.

The Imperial Court

Led by Emperor Qi Sheng

The Emperor sits at the apex of the Dayin power structure, but his authority is more theoretical than absolute. Qi Sheng is intelligent and politically astute, but he inherited a court where powerful factions had grown accustomed to operating independently. His primary goal throughout the story is to consolidate genuine imperial authority — playing factions against each other when necessary, building alliances with trustworthy figures like Xie Zheng, and gradually dismantling the power bases of those who would act as shadow rulers.

The Military Aristocracy

Represented by Marquis Xie Zheng's faction

The Xie family and their allies represent the Dayin's martial tradition — noble families who earned their titles through military service and who maintain private armies and border garrisons. Once the most powerful force in the empire, the military aristocracy was devastated by the Jinzhou massacre, which killed many of their leaders and left the survivors under a cloud of suspicion. Xie Zheng's quest to restore his family's honor is also a fight to restore the military faction's legitimate place in the empire's power structure.

The Civil Officials

Led by Prime Minister Wei Yan's faction

Wei Yan and his network of civil officials represent the bureaucratic wing of the Dayin government. They control taxation, legal proceedings, provincial appointments, and much of the empire's day-to-day administration. Wei Yan himself is a formidable political operator — patient, calculating, and willing to make moral compromises in pursuit of what he sees as stability. His faction's involvement in the Jinzhou cover-up makes them the primary political antagonists of the story, though the novel is careful to show that not all civil officials are corrupt.

The Merchant Network

Controlled by Qi Min

Qi Min operates outside the traditional power structure, wielding influence through wealth, trade networks, and strategic information brokering. In the rigid social hierarchy of the Dayin Dynasty, merchants are technically lower-status than scholars and soldiers, which fuels Qi Min's resentment and ambition. His network controls trade routes, bribes officials, and funds private operations. He is neither purely political nor purely criminal — he occupies a gray zone that makes him unpredictable and dangerous.

Key Locations

The Capital (京城)

The political and cultural heart of the Dayin Dynasty. A grand, cosmopolitan city modeled on Chang'an and Kaifeng, with wide boulevards, bustling marketplaces, the Imperial Palace at its center, and residential wards housing everyone from nobles to commoners. Most of the story's political maneuvering takes place here.

Jinzhou (锦州)

A strategically vital border region and the site of the massacre that drives the entire plot. Jinzhou sits at the empire's northern frontier, controlling key mountain passes and trade routes. Once prosperous and well-defended under the Xie family's watch, it became a haunted, diminished place after the massacre. The truth of what happened at Jinzhou is the story's central mystery.

Xie Family Estate (谢府)

The marquis's residence in the capital. Once one of the grandest estates in the city, it fell into disrepair after the Jinzhou disaster. As Xie Zheng works to restore his family's name, the estate is gradually brought back to life — a physical metaphor for the Xie family's restoration. Many key domestic scenes between Xie Zheng and Fan Changyu take place here.

Fan Family Butcher Shop

Fan Changyu's humble point of origin — a modest butcher shop in a common district of the capital. The shop represents everything about Changyu's background that makes her unusual in aristocratic circles: practical, unpretentious, and rooted in honest work. Despite her rise in status, Changyu never fully leaves the butcher shop behind.

Yu Qianqian's Restaurant

The restaurant run by Yu Qianqian, serving as both a social hub and a recurring story location. Qianqian's modern (transmigrator-influenced) approach to cuisine and business makes it one of the capital's most popular establishments. It serves as a neutral meeting ground where characters from different factions cross paths.

The Imperial Palace

The seat of imperial power — a sprawling complex of halls, gardens, and administrative buildings. The Emperor holds court in the main hall, but much of the real political maneuvering happens in private audiences, garden walks, and the chambers of influential officials. Access to the palace is strictly controlled and deeply hierarchical.

The Imperial Academy

The Dayin Dynasty's premier institution of learning, where the empire's future civil officials are trained. The Academy plays a secondary but important role in the story, representing the civilian intellectual tradition that sometimes clashes with the military aristocracy. Several supporting characters are Academy scholars, and key documents related to the Jinzhou case are eventually traced through Academy archives.

Social Structure

The Dayin Dynasty maintains a rigid social hierarchy, though the story frequently explores how individuals push against and transcend these boundaries.

Social Class	Description	Key Characters
Imperial Family	The Emperor and the royal bloodline. Absolute authority in theory, constrained by factions in practice.	Emperor Qi Sheng
Military Nobility	Families who hold hereditary titles earned through military service. They maintain private forces and control border regions.	Xie Zheng, the Xie family
Civil Officials	Scholar-bureaucrats who pass the imperial examinations. They administer the empire and wield enormous institutional power.	Wei Yan, various ministers
Merchants	Wealthy but socially looked-down-upon. Merchants can accumulate vast fortunes but are excluded from the formal power structure.	Qi Min
Commoners	Farmers, artisans, shopkeepers, laborers — the backbone of the empire. Respected in Confucian theory, often exploited in practice.	Fan Changyu, her father
Military Ranks	Soldiers range from common infantry to elite personal guards. Loyalty is often to their commander rather than the throne.	Xie Zheng's lieutenant, the border garrison

The Jinzhou Massacre

The Jinzhou Massacre is the single most important event in the backstory of Pursuit of Jade — the incident that shattered the Xie family, set Xie Zheng on his path, and created the central mystery that drives the entire narrative.

Years before the story begins, the Xie family's military forces were stationed at Jinzhou, guarding the empire's northern border. In a single catastrophic night, the garrison was attacked and virtually wiped out. Xie Zheng's father and many of his relatives were killed. The official account blamed the Xie family themselves — accusing them of treason and collusion with enemy forces — leading to the family's disgrace and the stripping of their titles.

But the official account is a lie. Xie Zheng knows this, and his entire arc is driven by the need to uncover what truly happened that night, who orchestrated the massacre, and why the truth was buried. The Jinzhou case pulls in threads from every political faction in the story — military, civilian, and commercial — revealing a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of the Dayin government.

For the full resolution of the Jinzhou case, including all spoilers, see our Novel Ending Explained page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Dayin Dynasty based on a real Chinese dynasty?

No, the Dayin Dynasty is entirely fictional. However, it draws heavily from the aesthetics, social structures, and political dynamics of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) and Song Dynasty (960–1279). The grand court culture, the tension between military and civilian officials, and the importance of the imperial examination system all have historical parallels.

When is the story set historically?

Pursuit of Jade does not correspond to a specific historical period. The fictional Dayin Dynasty exists in its own timeline, allowing the creators to blend elements from different eras freely. Think of it as an alternate-history China rather than a period piece.

What is the significance of jade in the story?

Jade (玉) carries deep symbolic weight throughout the story. In Chinese culture, jade represents virtue, purity, and moral integrity. The title "Pursuit of Jade" (逐玉) operates on multiple levels: it references the characters' pursuit of justice and truth, the romantic pursuit between the leads, and Fan Changyu's name itself — "Changyu" (长玉) can be read as "enduring jade," suggesting her unbreakable character.

The Dayin Dynasty — World & Setting