Even prior to the
Zhongzhi (
Termination) event in 2199, there existed open rebellious movements against authoritarian Pan-Asian Combine rule in the Li Ming colonies. The PAC-appointed governing body on Zhuque had found it increasingly difficult to hide information on their genocide and experimentation of the local Aos Si from adventuring journalists, and the nail in the coffin for the local authoritarian government came from the artificial
Zhuli servants commonplace throughout the Li Ming system in 2199, who surgically eliminated the executive leadership in the system during the events of the Zhongzhi.
The sudden betrayal, combined with a nigh-complete loss of PAC governance both on a local and interstellar scale, paralyzed coordinated decision making as the Zhuli escaped to Pingqiong. Their actions ultimately had an unintended side effect of opening an enormous system-wide power vacuum for the local pro-democracy rebels to exploit, leading to a rapid and popular takeover of governance at all levels throughout the Li Ming system. By the time the 2230’s arrived, a rudimentary parliament had been established and was in contact with the other ex-territories of the PAC, leading talks of establishing a new democratic interstellar federation to replace the gap left by the PAC’s collapse.
Immediately following the Zhongzhi in 2199,
Operation Distant Flock was in full effect by the
American Union and the
Commonwealth of Worlds. In the Battle of Kongzi, the western coalition systematically destroyed resisting ex-PAC voidcraft while taking custody over those that surrendered, neutering Li Ming’s ability to defend itself and serving as the system’s local military force instead. However, the American Union chose not to visibly interfere with what appeared to be a grassroots democratic takeover of Zhuque, instead choosing to put their support behind the locally formed fledgling government and allowing it to progress independently outside of military matters. The expedient destruction of resisting PAC spacecraft is believed to have contributed to the success of the early rebel government,by preventing any attempt of remaining PAC military authorities to retake control of the Zhuque planetary government by means of local space superiority.
Following the Heaven Forged Republic’s formation in the 23rd century, the western coalition would gradually relinquish military command of Li Ming, eventually retreating entirely in the early 24th century and allowing the local Li Ming government to begin managing its own defensive forces as it came into maturity as a part of the newly-formed democratic supernation known as the HFR,
The Commonwealth of the Dawn was officially established in 2235, subsequently leading to the creation of the HFR alongside the United Republics of China in Sol and the Federation of Celestial Territories in Shen Zhou with the signing of the Zhuque Promises in 2253. At the top of the CotD’s agenda was restoring the system’s economy that had broken down over the chaotic course of the early 23rd century. To do so, Li Ming resorted to state-run
corporations like its predecessor, the PAC. Through a controversial but ultimately successful vote, the government took complete control over the space mining industry to fund state programs, rebuild infrastructure, and provide social welfare, a system that has survived into the 24th century.
As the economy stabilized in the 2250’s, Li Ming turned to humanitarian reforms, the most pressing of which was the poor treatment of the local Aos Si. Not only were there moral holes that needed to be filled, but conflict with the local Aos Si was a personnel and resource taxing affair, when the Aos Si could instead be peacefully incorporated into Li Ming’s working population. Thus, teams of researchers and professors were sent out to establish diplomatic contact with the Aos Si, recruiting leaders in the local communities into human educational programs to accelerate them through human society, attracting further Aos Si immigration into Li Ming jurisdiction. Controversially, multiple Li Ming administrations have purposefully turned a blind eye to anti-human resentments amongst the integrated Aos Si, leading to anti-human incidents in the 24th century due to the purposeful negligence in security.
Long term demographic problems remained a concern. In the 2260’s, several years after the official establishment of the greater HFR, Li Ming introduced a new array of social programs. Direct resource contributions opened up to mothers, giving them access to food and housing in the absence of work. Major incentives opened to humans in other systems to make the arduous journey into the Li Ming system as immigrants. The introduction of these social programs coincided with a general, solarpunk movement to reorganize society into more sustainable, organic communities, most prominently seen in the capital of Yunwang and its surrounding rural villages.
From the 2270’s onward, Li Ming continued to improve its international relations with the local Aos Si and expanded its social programs, fueled by state investments in space resource exploitation. In 2278, the New Dawnlight/新曙光 Project was started on the mercurial world of Jiuweihu/九尾狐/“Nine-tailed Fox”, an ongoing dyson swarm project to provide near limitless power to the inner Li Ming system.