Imperial China was interesting in that royal blood only matter within dynasties- in disastrous times, peasant rebels, rogue generals and foreign barbarians could uproot the center of power and declare their own new dynasty. Another interesting thing was the importance of the secular scholar-gentry administrator class, as opposed to feudal societies like medieval Europe and Japan where warrior classes were the ones with the power.
So could we have a dynasty were a former Confucian (or other) scholar managed to lead the rebel forces to victory, and to found a dynasty? I'm not saying that such a figure would substantially change the nature of the imperial system- especially as a Confucian, he'd preserve the old order. But maybe as someone with a background in both the direct administration, and with a strong background, such a rule would be more philosophical in nature. Could a sage-king result?
So could we have a dynasty were a former Confucian (or other) scholar managed to lead the rebel forces to victory, and to found a dynasty? I'm not saying that such a figure would substantially change the nature of the imperial system- especially as a Confucian, he'd preserve the old order. But maybe as someone with a background in both the direct administration, and with a strong background, such a rule would be more philosophical in nature. Could a sage-king result?