Audience Code

The Audience Code (廟律, mdru-blut) contains some of the oldest extant pieces of Themiclesian legislation, argued by some to date to the end of the Archaic Period though more conventioned placed with the Classical Period.

The audience (朝) was one of the main ceremonies of the Themiclesian court from ancient times. As a system representing the political order, the seating order, the greetings, and so forth were strictly regulated, possibly customarily in early ages and then statutorily later.

Sections

二年、寺小臣南鄉稱朝者、（朝者）立東西鄉拜立對面拜。

§23. The Servant-Boys of the Household shall attend to the assembly, facing south. The courtiers shall stand and greet each other, facing each other, that is, the courtiers standing on the east side shall greet westwards.

寺御事除廷眔西東序、于（西東）門、（正門）南、厥大夫告大謁者、（大謁者）入閽在公大寢戶中大官。

§27. The Commissioners of the Household shall clear the courtyard, the west and east corridors, the west and east gates, and even to the south of the (main) gate. The Senior shall declare as such to the Chief Herald. The Chief Herald shall enter report the same at the door of the Elder's main bedchamber, that is to the officers of the Inner Seniors.

公出。

§34. The ruler shall emerge.

皇啻尹出自房、朝者伏、即立、弛

賓者相邦前、皇啻尹辟立、拜、

Discussion

Section 27 is old, but its contents are somewhat difficult to interpret. First, the Commissioners of the Household (an extant office) are required to "clean" the courtyard as well as the cloisters. However, at this point the congregants for the audience have already been led to their proper places, and to clean as in removing them would be illogical given what happens next. It is also difficult to imagine this cleaning action means clearing the area of physical rubbish, which is done before the congregants arrive by a different official. Perhaps the Commissioners' duties is to clean out unannounced visitors before the arrival of the prince, or perhaps the clearing is only a symbolic gesture.

The sequence of the cleaning has also drawn attention. It proceeds from the west and east corridors, to the west and east gates, and ends south of the (south) gate. Therefore the Commissioners are proceeding away from the throne hall and towards its outer courtyard gates. In a previous provision, the Senior Commissioner (御事大夫) was standing at the south gate to supervise the admission of the congregants, so it is sensible that this is where the Commissioners of the Household would meet their senior. While it is not declared that the Household Commissioners would report the results of the "clearing" to the Senior Commissioner, this is heavily implied, as the Senior Commissioner would now instruct the Chief Usher "of the same".

Having heard this, the Chief Usher

Section 34 is unequivocally very old as it addresses the monarch as "ruler" (公) rather than "elder prince" (大兄王), which firmly places it in the Classical Period or before. However, it seems this section was originally longer, perhaps specifying whence the ruler emerges or in whose company. This information would later have been superseded by other provisions, leading to its deletion. Thus while the provision is old, its context and meaning have been substantially altered.

Rights of audience

Because the audience ceremony is fundamentally a ceremony of greeting, having the right of audience meant being able to greet the Emperor on a regular basis and also to receive his greeting in response. In Themiclesian culture, greeting is a bilateral act—it is not complete unless the person greeted also greets in return. The right of audience is therefore a privilege that also comes with certain obligations towards the Emperor's court. The audience is also a way in which relationships between the Emperor and his subjects are visually confirmed in action, as well as their status (if any) demonstrated publicly. The way in which the greeting occurs is strictly regulated according to rank. Indeed, the fact that the act of greeting occurs at a pre-designated ceremony indicates the social and performative functions of greeting was recognized very early and deeply ingrained in the ceremony.

	Robe colour	Announcer	Announced	Seat	Intercessors	Emperor is...	Response
Chancellor	Black	Chancellor is self-announced		West-facing canopy	n/a	Kneeling then prostration	Chancellor takes the Emperor's robe train from a Baron-in-Waiting and ushers him to the canopy
Ambassadors	Customary	Chancellor	Ambassador of country	East-facing canopy	9		After prostrating, the Emperor says, "Our city is well. We wish your Sovereign myriads of years and propitiations."
Dukes	Scarlet		Duke of place	South-facing canopy			The Elder Prince Emperor bows down to greet you.
Ducal envoys of baronial rank	Crimson		Baron name of the Duke of place	Personal bench		Kneeling	The Elder Prince Emperor bows down to greet you.
Chief Barons, Barons, Baronets			Baron name of place		7		Our lord is reverently grateful for your courtesy.
Vice Chancellor	Black		Office name
Senior Royal Commissioner							Our lord is respectfully grateful for your courtesy.
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Governors							Our lord is grateful for your courtesy.
Companions
2,000-bushel rank		Vice Chancellor		Shared bench	5		Our lord has approved.
Corridor Commissioner	Purple					Seated
1,000-bushel rank	Black		Office with office name				Our lord is grateful for your assistance.
800-bushel rank
700/600-bushel ranks
Court men	Scarlet	Corridor Commissioner	Name	Standing
Boys

See also

• Themiclesia