Religion in the Empire

Religion is no doubt a major driving force in Imperial society, just as it was in most other parts of the world. Under the schema of the Wei Empire, religions are generally divided into four categories:
 * 1) The Imperial Cult, whose rites are exclusive to the Emperor or the Imperial House
 * 2) Buddhism, the sects that venerate the Buddha
 * 3) Taoism, the many religions that either venerate Taoist deities, folk deities, or illustrious ancestors
 * 4) Foreign Religions - the catch-all term for the rites of the Oceanic people, or the white people (ie. Christianity)

Imperial Cult
The position of the Emperor in the Chinese polity is both as the supreme ruler of men, and as an intermediary between the human and godly worlds. As such, there are some particular religious rites which are the preserve of the Emperor, as the Son of Heaven. The subject of the rites are also worshipped by common folk, but the Emperor alone can mediate with them directly.

Some examples of these are:
 * The Seasonal Sacrifices: Heaven in winter, the Sun in spring, Earth in summer and the Moon in autumn.
 * The Prayers of Grain and Silk: the Emperor ploughs and harvests the field, while the Empress rears silkworms and harvests the silk.
 * Confucian Veneration: the veneration of Confucius and the Confucianist sages is mostly the preserve of the official class, and the Emperor alone may preside over some rites.

Foreign Religions
While there have been bloody purges of Christians in the Empire before, the current attitude of the authorities towards the 'cross-worshippers' has become slightly more open, if still quite wary.