━ In a re-telling of Xiǎo Qiáo's "romance of the three-kingdoms," the cheery, energetic girl returns back to the Southlands along with her elder sister after her father retires from the imperial court, which is under the control by the tyrant Dǒng Z...
Alright, let's simplify things a bit for the non-history nerd readers. Here's what happening and shaking in the background of the story, "Starless Skies."
𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒
It is the Late Eastern Han dynasty and the capital, which is where the Qiao family was residing in prior to and during the first chapter of the story was Luoyang. It would later be moved to Chang'an by Dong Zhou in 191 CE, a year after the story begins.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
In ancient China, the middle kingdom was divided in terms of a top-down administrative pyramid as such:
The Capital → 13Provinces (Zhou)→ Commanderies (Jun) → Counties (Xian) → Towns/Cities.
Here's who is where currently in these terms:
After moving from the Capital, the Qiao family moved back to the Yang Province. The Yang Province is considered to be part of the Wu (South-East) Region, hence the mention of the Four Great Clans of Wu in Chapter 002.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
In the Yang Province, there are six commanderies: Danyang, Wu, Kuaiji, Yuzhang, Jiujiang and Lujiang.
Lujiang Commandery was where three of the Four Great Clans lived, the Qiao, Zhao and the Lu. However, the Qiao's hailed from Wancounty while the Zhou's in Shucounty.
The Commandery was administered by Lu Kang, whom we mentioned in Chapter 002, who also headed one of the Four Great Clans of Wu. The last of the Four Clans, the Zhu family were settled in Danyang Commandery.
Make sense? 😅
Anyways, after Sun Quan would take over it would all sorta morph together into Eastern Wu, one of the Three Kingdoms.
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒
QIAO [橋] FAMILY
Qiao Xuan — Head of the family. Formerly one of the Three Excellencies before retiring just before Dong Zhou took over. Also known as State Patriarch Qiao.
Qiao Mao — Younger brother of Qiao Xuan. Instrumental in forming the coalition against Dong Zhou, he forged a letter from the Three Excellencies and sent it to all the regional warlords spread throughout the Han Empire, urging them to rise up against Dong Zhuo and save Emperor Xian and the central government. He would become one of the Nine warlords of the coalition.
Qiao Yu — The late sole male heir to the Qiao family. Passed away before reaching the age of ten. Elder brother to the two Qiaos.
Qiao Qirì — Nicknamed Dá Qiáo, or Elder Qiao. First Young Miss of the Qiao family and fifteen-years-old in 190 CE.
Qiao Qiyuè — Nicknamed Xiǎo Qiáo, or Little Qiao. The youngest child of the Qiao family and is thirteen-years-old in 190 CE.
Feng Mian — Promoted from a concubine to the second wife upon giving birth to a male heir, she is the Second Madame of the Qiao Family. A devote and virtuous Buddhist woman.
ZHAO [周] FAMILY
Zhao Yi — Head of the family. Was a civil officer in the capital and old friends with the Qiao clan head.
Zhou Yu — Sole heir to the Zhou family. Blood brothers with Sun Ce.
LU [陸] FAMILY
Lu Kang — Head of the family. Administrator of Lujiang Commandery.
OTHERS
Cao Cao — Also known as Cao Mengde. Currently a cavalry commander under Dong Zhou. He'll be leaving that post soon...
