Development diary 36 - Regents and Shoguns
It is time to let a couple of cats out of the proverbial bag, since some things have progressed far enough that I'm reasonably confident that they'll be part of the next version. One of these features has been hinted at a little for a while, while the other hasn't really been hinted at.
While there has been an Emperor (Tenno) of Japan since
at least December 5, 539 (the start of Emperor Kinmei), and possibly for over a thousand years before that date (even if those rulers aren't historically verifiable), the
de facto ruler of Japan has at times not been the
de jure ruler. For most of the time between 858 and 1867 (the Meiji Restoration) the Sessho/Kampaku (Regent) exercised quite a bit of power over the Tenno and the realm, with the position being held by the Fujiwara clan or its cadet branches (treated as separate dynasties in CK2).
Following the Genpei War (1180-1185), things of course got a bit more complicated than just "The Regent rules for the Tenno", since the Kamakura Shogunate was created as a result of that war and the Regent's power waned since the Tenno's power waned as the Shogun handled most non-ceremonial affairs of state. As if
that wasn't enough, the Hojo clan became the
de facto rulers of the Shogunate through their position as Shikken (Regent) from 1199, and even
that office eventually became subordinate to the Tokuso. There was also the brief Kenmu Restoration (1333-1336) and the regent-less (for the Shogun) Ashikaga Shogunate (and the Tokugawa Shogunate, but that's after CK2), but I'll spare you the details there and end this brief historical overview.
Previously, the closest we've gotten to modelling this mess of figureheads and regents was giving Fujiwara Yorimichi the title of k_japan as a viceroyalty in 1066 and effectively calling it a day. As you might have noticed, the moment he dies the Tenno keeps k_japan for himself because
even the AI is smart enough to know that handing it back out is a terrible idea, meaning that the regency isn't really a factor for long and that the Tenno quickly becomes the real power in Japan. This is of course rather ahistorical, and it is something that (barring unforeseen developments) should be represented better in the next version.
Becoming the Regent:
As mentioned above, there was historically a Regent during nearly all possible start dates (we'll hopefully support a few more than Stamford Bridge in the next version), but if there isn't a Regent (who has the Regent trait) there are a few different options for attempting to become the Regent, available to Shinto or Japonic Buddhist vassals of the Tenno that aren't part of his dynasty.
- You can ask nicely. This costs 1000 prestige or 500 prestige plus a Regency bloodline (the Fujiuwara bloodline shown previously is the non-generic version of it) and can only be attempted every five years. It is somewhat unlikely that this will be accepted, but it is possible that the Tenno will agree if he has certain traits (e.g. Imbecile, Content, or Slothful). He'll not dislike you for asking or consider it treasonous, so there's no real downside aside from the prestige cost.
- You can start a faction for it and issue an ultimatum, potentially having to fight a war for it. People with a Regency bloodline will generally find it easier to get support for this. Thanks to how the faction system works there can only be one of these factions at a time, and they dissolve automatically on the leader's death. You get a Regency bloodline if you win the faction war or if the ultimatum is accepted.
Additionally, if the Tenno has a regency but no Regent exists all Shinto or Japonic Buddhist vassals of the Tenno that aren't part of his dynasty, don't have an NAP with the Tenno, and that either a) are on the council, b) are one of the seven most powerful vassals in the realm, or c) are part of a Regency bloodline can start a plot to make themselves the Regent on a permanent basis. This is of course a plot and can result in imprisonment if the Tenno can get approval for that action.
Should there already be a Regent, other Shinto or Japonic Buddhist vassals that aren't part of the Tenno's dynasty (unless the Regent also is part of this dynasty somehow) can go to war with the Regent for the purpose of taking over the Regency. This costs 500 prestige. If you lose the war, the Regent imprisons you and also makes you his vassal if your tier is lower than his. White peace is impossible (no matter what the screenshot says).
Should the Regent have a regency (and thus not be the actual regent) or be a baron or courtier other Shinto or Japonic Buddhist vassals that aren't part of the Tenno's dynasty can plot to replace them. The Regent can also freely usurp the actual regent position from a baron or courtier if they previously were incapacitated.
Ending the Permanent Regency:
It seems fairly reasonable to assume that you'll not want to always have a Regent if you're playing as the Tenno, and it is normally possible to escape from it in two different ways.
- You can ask nicely. This costs 2000 prestige if your regent has a Regency bloodline and 1000 prestige otherwise and can only be attempted every five years. If your regent (the position holder, not the person with the trait) is a baron or courtier this will automatically be accepted; otherwise they get a choice. Generally this will be refused, but you could get lucky based on their traits.
- You can issue an ultimatum. This requires 2000 prestige if your regent has a Regency bloodline and 1000 prestige otherwise and cannot be attempted if you've got an NAP with the Regent. If the Regent leads the Regency Loyalists faction (he can't be schemed out of it, isn't forced out of it by having a council position (this is also true for his dynasty members), and will normally be part of it; he and his dynasty members join it instantly when someone becomes the Regent, including when you start the campaign) you have to fight everyone in this faction if he refuses, otherwise you only have to fight the Regent.
Effects of being the Regent:
The Regent has several nice things going for them:
- The Tenno's council members
cannot vote to revoke titles from, imprison, banish, or execute the Regent or the Regent's dynasty unless the Regent proposes it, they're part of the dynasty in question, or they're a rival of the Regent. This is the case even if they've got the Loyalist stance.
- The Regent can transfer a lower tier vassal from the Tenno to the Regent. It costs 500 prestige to transfer a count and 1000 prestige to transfer a duke. This can be done every ten years. The Tenno cannot refuse this.
- The Regent can take a title (that isn't k_chrysanthemum_throne, c_yamashiro, or the capital (which generally will be Yamashiro)) from the Tenno. This costs 500 prestige for a county, 1000 prestige for a duchy, and 2500 prestige for a kingdom. The Tenno cannot refuse this but will get a weak pressed claim, and this can only be done once every ten years.
- The Regent can (if the holder of k_chrysanthemum_throne is male) replace the Tenno's spouse (demoting the existing one to a concubine) with a female dynasty member of his if the current spouse isn't from his dynasty, isn't pregnant, isn't the mother of the current heir, isn't the lover of the Tenno, and isn't already a dynasty member of the Regent's dynasty. This costs 500 prestige, can only be done every ten years, and there are some fairly strict requirements on the new spouse (she must be fairly young, not have a lover (unless the lover is the Tenno) or previous spouse, not have negative congenital traits, and so on). As this creates an NAP this is of course a good way to at least temporarily prevent the Tenno from trying to end the Permanent Regency.
If there is a Shogun all of the previous benefits except for the first one are deactivated for the Tenno's Regent. It is conceivable that the last one will remain a Regent feature (in which case the Shogun will lose it), since the Fujiwaras kept intermarrying with the Imperial Family historically, but we'll see.
Effects of having a Regent:
In addition to having to consider the things above there are a couple of more consequences:
- You
cannot act against the Regent, as in a normal regency.
- Your council
must approve of everything you want to do, regardless of what the council laws are, as in a normal regency.
- You
cannot block vassal wars with a law while there is a Permanent Regency in place (save through Enforce Realm Peace). If you get a Permanent Regency and have restricted vassal wars the law will immediately change to permit both internal and external wars.
- The "Proclaim Shogunate" faction becomes available.
Some normal limits of having a regent (e.g. not being able to command troops) are also in place, but a number of things (e.g. being able to send your relatives into hiding) aren't blocked unless you'd have a regency for other reasons (e.g. being a prisoner or Incapable)
or you recently (during the last ten years) failed to win a war to end the Permanent Regency.
The "Proclaim Shogunate" faction and the Shogunate in general:
If there is a Permanent Regency it is possible for vassals to seek to create a Shogunate if the Tenno holds an emperor title (which normally is the case if there isn't already a Shogun). The Proclaim Shogunate faction can be started by vassals that are Shinto or Japonic Buddhists, that are not part of the Tenno's dynasty (they should support the Tenno) or the Regent's dynasty (they should support the Regent), and that either a) are king tier, b) are duke tier, have a Shogunate bloodline, and have 1000 prestige, or c) have 5000 prestige, and the faction ceases to exist if the leader dies.
It is impossible for the Regent, the Regent's dynasty members, and the Tenno's dynasty members to join this faction, and being a councillor doesn't disqualify you (since the Tenno's council has little power due to not being able to oppose the Regent). Joining this faction makes you unable to be part of the Regency Loyalists faction unless you leave the Proclaim Shogunate Faction, since you're seeking to make the Regent less powerful.
If the faction issues an ultimatum that is accepted or successfully wins a faction war all non-baron vassals of the Tenno that aren't part of the Tenno's dynasty or the Regent's dynasty become vassals of the new Shogun (if the Regent holds one or more kingdoms they're forfeit, with the Regent getting strong inheritable claims), who usurps the empire title, and the Tenno loses all held kingdoms other than k_chrysanthemum_throne (getting strong inheritable claims). The new Shogun instantly implements Late Feudal administration, Controlled Realm Inheritance (should already be in place), Unrestricted Vassal Wars (should already be in place), Primogeniture (should already be in place), and No Viceroyalties and gets the Japanese Feudal government if he had the Confucian Bureaucracy government. The Shogun also gets a bloodline for it, if not already part of a Shogunate bloodline.
The Shogun takes the ability to take titles, take vassals, and override marriages for the Tenno from the Regent, with the same costs and effects. These abilities are only available if the Shogun doesn't have a Regent.
Regents for the Shogun and ending the Shogunate:
As mentioned previously, the Kamakura Shogunate quickly ended up
de facto ruled by a Regent, which will be possible in Tianxia as well (it will, however, stop
there; the Shogun's Regent won't be subordinate to someone as that'd be messy to implement). This operates almost exactly as the Permanent Regency for the Tenno, with the further restriction that the Tenno can't become the Regent for the Shogun (that'd be quite confusing, after all) or join the Shogun's Regent's Regency Loyalists faction, including how you can become the Regent, what the Regent can do, and how the Regency can be ended. It is possible for
any emperor tier Shinto or Japonic Buddhist (unless Chinese Imperial; that takes precedence) to get a Permanent Regency, so if you somehow become the Shinto Emperor of Britannia you'll have to deal with this possibility.
Since the Tenno might want to regain his throne from the Shogun (or some vassals might want to get him back in power) there is also an "End Shogunate" faction, available if the Tenno is a subject of this particular empire. The Shogun's dynasty and the Shogun's Regent's dynasty (if not also the Tenno's dynasty) can't join, and joining makes you unable to be part of the Regency Loyalists faction. The Tenno cannot be blocked from this faction with a councillor position or through scheming.
If this faction achieves its objective the Tenno regains the empire and implements Imperial Administration, Primogeniture, Unrestricted Vassal Wars, Controlled Realm Inheritance, and Duchy Viceroyalties. Any ongoing Permanent Regency for both the Tenno and the ex-Shogun instantly ends, and all non-baron vassals of the ex-Shogun are transferred to the Tenno. Additionally, all kingdoms held by the ex-Shogun that aren't his new primary title are destroyed (with the ex-Shogun getting strong inheritable claims), which means that the ex-Shogun will find it somewhat hard to re-consolidate and attempt to create a new Shogunate.
As has been the case in the past it is quite likely that there won't be overly frequent dev diaries moving forward due to the majority of the work being done in the near future probably will be dedicated to updating/improving the history files, which is rather boring to look at or write about unless something major has been done.
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