Five Zone Tribute System

• Fourth ring from capital
• Obligation: Annual tribute (岁贡)
• Border regions under loose control

Escalation Protocol

When obligations are not met:

1. 不祭 (No daily offering) → 脩意
2. 不祀 (No monthly sacrifice) → 脩言
3. 不享 (No seasonal offering) → 脩文
4. 不贡 (No annual tribute) → 脩名
5. 不王 (No lifetime homage) → 脩德

If cultivation fails, then apply:

• 刑罚 for 甸服 violations
• 攻伐 for 侯服 violations
• 征讨 for 宾服 violations
• 威让 for 要服 violations
• 文告 for 荒服 violations

Expected Outcomes

• Near regions remain obedient
• Distant regions remain submissive
• Minimal military intervention required

Validation

• Verify that each zone's tribute frequency matches its distance tier (daily for 甸服, monthly for 侯服, seasonal for 宾服, annual for 要服, lifetime for 荒服)
• Confirm that the cultivation escalation sequence (脩意 through 脩德) was attempted before punitive measures
• Check that the appropriate enforcement response matches the zone level (刑罚 for 甸服 through 文告 for 荒服)