Thinking a little bit more about the finances of the Lunar Empire. Most of the land in Peloria is not owned by the peasants – it is owned by the emperor, by temples, by lesser nobles, etc. This land is worked by others who pay a rent to the owner. This rent can be shockingly high – typically half the harvest goes to the owner.
On those lands owned by the Red Emperor, the imperial household collects the rent. Other owners have to pay a tax to emperor, probably about 1/10th to 1/5th of the total harvest. Failing to pay that tax triggers the Tax Demons.
The Red Emperor owns in theory at least all the lands his Mother conquered from the Carmanians or from barbarians, and all land seized from rebels (ie all of Dara Happa). However, lands that voluntarily submitted to the Red Goddess remain their own (although they have to pay tax).
Of course, over the centuries, the Red Emperor granted lands to individuals, temples, and cities. So for example, he gave his daughter Hwarin Dalthippa the lands she conquered in the South. The Red Emperor gave Phargentes those lands he conquered from the barbarians in Tarsh. The Temples of the Reaching Moon were richly endowed by the Red Emperor. And so on.
However, the Red Emperor reclaimed land that was taken from Sheng Seleris and his followers, including the New Grasslands. Over the last century and a half or so, much of this land has been granted away by the Red Emperor.
Now like with other empires, giving away the crown properties tends to diminish the revenues of the emperor. Of course, what the Red Emperor can give, he can take away. For example, the Eel-ariash and other satrapal clans lost many privileges in the mid-16th century.
So putting that all together we end up with a patchwork of imperial domains, temple holdings, satrapal estates, etc.
