Mengfudao

Mengfudao is a scholarly philosophy practiced primarily in Qikuo, and thus throughout the Phoenix Empire; while it does not hold the status of an official religion, it is the official governing philosophy. They revere the sage Mengfu, an advisor during the turbulent years of the Rose-Queens' initial conquests. Through his wisdom he attained a form of immortality. While Mengfudao's teachings were written down during and shortly after his death, and the rulers of the First Empire dallied with his ideas, it would not be until the second empire that his theories were truly embraced wholeheartedly, establishing proper examination systems and influencing the way states are run and everyday interactions unfold; a thorough knowledge of his texts and those of his disciples is required to accomplish anything within the administration of both the second and third empires. However, its influence has also come with trials; the scholar-officials raised to greatness through Mengfu's teachings, or at least some of them, would take his masterful advice on statecraft and politics without coupling it with the humility and respect for tradition and hierarchy that he espouses, leading to the rise of the Advisors.