Court (Themiclesia)
Court (朝, hnrjaw) is the ceremonial meeting of the Themiclesian monarch with an assembly of civil and military officials, of which there are several varieties, varying by scope, occasion, and purpose. The original purpose of holding court is to transact affairs of state or those of the royal family, but the practice has become purely procedural in recent times. At one time perceived as an institution fundamental to continuance of government, it was imbued with many rites to emphasize the power of the crown, which eventually impaired the efficiency of the practice itself, leading to its demise. Today, the main purpose of holding court is to deliver royal assent to legislation.
Etymology
The character for "court" (朝, hnrjaw) was written with the radicals for grass, sun, and moon, assembled to represent a sun rising and shining through woods, while the moon was still visible in the sky. The composite meaning is the early morning. It is generally assumed that the term was applied to court, since court was usually held during the early morning, as evinced from the Menghean Classics of Poetry.
Types of court held
- Great Court (大朝, dais-hnrjaw), held on the first (moonless) day of each lunation, consisting of all peers and officials located in the capial city Ninth Rank and above; the equivalent military rank is Colonel in the Army and Commodore in the Navy and Air Force. Individuals with the title of Courtesy Courtier (奉朝請, bjong'-hnrjaw-snjing) as well as foreign envoys of Ambassadorial or Ministerial rank are also invited to participate. For the first Great Court held each solar year, the representatives of prefectures and other high-ranking regional officials are present.
- Day Court (日朝, njit-hnrjaw), held every fifth day (weekends not counted), attended by government ministers and legislators.
- Leisure Court (宴朝, ‘rians-hnrjaw), held, in principle, every day, for the emperor's personal attendants and the governors of his household.
Procedure for holding court
The procedures here described focuses on the Great Court, which has the most complex set of ceremonies; where other forms of court share similar procedures it will appear noted.
Morning greeting
The day prior to holding court, a great bonfire will be prepared before the Gate of Rectitude. Midnight on the following day, all gates of the Palace where court is held (almost always in Kien-k'ang, but exceptions have occurred) are opened by the Left and Right Guard Regiments, as courtiers gradually arrive. Those who arrive early will be led by the Guards to cushions set out under the Gate of Rectitude for a brief rest. With 12.5 marks of the night water-clock (each mark lasts 14 minutes and 24 seconds, total 180 minutes) prior to sunrise (about 1:00 about the summer solstice and 5:00 about the winter solstice), the Gate of Rectitude is opened by Ushers, who proceed to lead courtiers individually to their pre-determined places in the Front Hall, a large, open courtyard before Dais-gjek-dens (太極殿), the main hall of the palace. While courtiers typically sit in silence at this interval, they may converse with each other and move around. Roughly ten minutes before the entry of the emperor, the Tribunes of the Hall will start advising courtiers to return to their seats. All courtiers are expected to be in Court Dress, which consists of an elaborate headdress, a silken, robe in doublecloth with a satin over-robe, a skirt of the same material, an apron, a sash, wooden cogs, and a braided ribbon holding their seals of office. Military officers are not exception to this rule.
At seven marks (counting down) of the night water-clock, a Meridian Attendant (who is residing with the emperor in the Enclosure, the area behind the main hall, 侍中, dji-trjung) will declare to him that the courtiers outside are ready for his emergence and requests the Meridian Corps of Gentlemen (中郎署, trjung-rang-dja, led by the Commander of the Meridian Gentlemen, (中郎將 trjung-rang-tsjangs) be at position, whereupon the emperor will assent and be seated in the Small Coach, in a procession already laid out. The Meridian Attendant sits in the coach with the sovereign, while two Cavalier Attendants (散騎常侍, sans-grjar-djang-dji) follow the coach immediately on foot. A Regular Attendant (中常侍, trjung-djang-dji) drives the Small Coach, which is pulled by six miniature horses. The President of the Protonotaries (中書令, trjung-st'ja-mlings) follows on foot after the Cavalier Attendants. After them, the Director of the Amber Gate (黃門令, ghwang-men-mlings), a Gentlemen of the Amber Gate (黃門侍郎, ghwang-men-dji-rang), and the Minister of the Menials (冗從僕射, njung-dzjung-bok-mljas) lead twelve Retainers of the Amber Gate (中黃門冗從, trjung-ghwang-men-njung-dzjung, the emperor's nurses) and twelve Menials of the Amber Gate (小黃門, sjawh-ghwang-men, the emperor's heralds) on foot. Then, the President of the Meridian Councillors (中大夫令, trjung-dais-pja-mlings) follows, leading two Meridian Councillors (中大夫, trjung-dais-pja). Before the Small Coach, two Attendant Tribunes (侍御史, dji-ngjak-slji) lead the horses and the Superintendant of the Palace Hall (殿中監, den-trjung-kriam) precedes the entire procession into the Front Hall, via the West Pavilion Gate (西閤門, ser-klak-men).
Under the columnade encircling the Front Hall, the Orchestra of the Four Halls begin playing a selection of ancient melodies as the royal procession enters the Front Hall. Upon hearing this, courtiers may choose to stand or bow to greet the emperor. If standing, he must rise to full height and step aside from his seat; if bowing, he must remain seated in position. This posture persists until the emperor's procession has ascended the East Ramp of the main hall and assumed the throne in the hall, whereupon the Orchestras pause the music. After this, the Grand Counsel ushers the princes into the main hall, where they present their gifts and present their well-wishing messages. Following them, the same occurs for peers and officials above the Sixth Rank. All those who enter the main hall must relieve themselves of their swords and shoes at the base of the dias. At the same time, ushers collect the gifts and messages from the lower-ranking courtiers without inviting them into the hall, since they are too numerous. The princes present jade discs, peers (and equivalent) sheep or a sheep-shaped thing, and all others goose or a goose-shaped thing. A toast is distributed by the ushers to all courtiers to a Myriad Years of longevity for the emperor. Then the assembly retreats from the hall. As the emperor departs from the throne, music again plays, as courtiers bid the emperor farewell in the same way as they greeted him. The procession leaves the Front Hall by the East Pavilion Gate. Thus far, the procedure is called the Morning Greeting, as it takes place in the total darkness before dawn.
Daytime Meeting
The Morning Greeting lasts slightly longer than an hour. The emperor retreats into the Enclosure to assume a different attire. Precisely when the night water-clock is depleted (about 3:30 in summer, and 7:15 in winter), and the day water-clock is set, the procession again emerges from the West Pavilion Gate and ascends the main hall, to be greeted in the same way. This time, all courtiers and diplomats attending are invited in the order of precedence into the main hall for banqueting. Diplomats receive special standing for the Daytime Meeting and are invited into the hall before the other courtiers. The ushers distribute rice alcohol to the attendees, with which the leader of the Diplomatic Corps is expected to toast the emperor with something other than the one already used. The Prime Minister delivers the following toast, followed by his predecessors in reverse order of taking office. Food, starting with soup, followed with various meat and vegetables, with staples always served. Diplomats are usually able to notify the palace as to their dietary preferences to avoid embarrassments. Courtiers may speak with each other during the banquet but not walk to a different table. The emperor departs from the banquet informally, and courtiers are not required to stand or bow to bid him farewell.
Possible reforms
Though this ceremony has remained virtually unchanged for centuries, as of the ascension of the new Griam-'an Emperor in 2016, there have been suggestions and allegations that temporary changes may be effected in view of the reigning emperor's very young age.
- Almost immediately after Emperor Griam-'an's ascension, noted sleep researcher Dr. Boris Camper, of the Organized States, used Emperor Griam-'an's participation in court as a negative example of a schedule expected to impair a child's mental and physical development. While he later explained his statements were not directed at Themiclesian royalty, they have generated some interest in the media coverage of the crown.
- In Apr. 2015, a paparazzi report found the Empress Dowager yawning extravagantly in the throne, while her son rested on her lap. The spokesperson asked the media to follow regulations in the taking pictures of the royal family "in the best interest of the country, the members of the royal family, and public access to them".
- On Aug. 3rd, 2016, the five-year-old Emperor was seen sleeping with his face against the desk as court gathered; the picture was apparently taken by a courtier's cellular device that was hacked and controlled from the outside. While mild criticism surfaced, it seems public opinion has concurred that the Emperor should not be required to observe full decorum during his minority. Security experts have voiced concerns that a cellular phone could be remotely controlled and used to take a picture was a serious problem, but few agencies have reported these suggestions. The Cabinet Office ordered an investigation be conducted, but no official report has been delivered to the government since, and the committee has not met once since initial convention.