Post

Romberg wrote:

According to the Wiki, at least in the Tang and Ming there was definite evidence of such, and then there were records of other periods.

The Qing marked the growth of Japan and the end of tribute, so it's possible that the symbolism reflects a gone past.

I would think that because of China's Isolationism at that point (Inward Perfection) and Japan's fierce sense of Nationalism, a Japanese puppet seems quite unlikely