Zhao Ziyang was the Prince of Zonasa. He was killed in battle some time in...2005? 2006? Quite a while ago, anyway.
His daughter is Zhao Hoshi, formerly Zhao Hoshi Eiryn, Queen of Svunnetland. She is the rightful heir of the Principality. However, when Ziyang died, Hoshi was still Queen of Svunnetland, and did not wish to see Zonasa destroyed by coming under her rule. Thus, the regency was created. When Svunnetland was destroyed, Hoshi could not bring herself to take over for those who had been ruling Zonasa (partly because her player was, and is, somewhat inactive).
However, Hoshi is getting married now. By the ancient laws and customs of the land, that means that her husband will be a male heir to Ziyang...
Actually, it was more that Einar, ruler of Svunnetland, claimed that as Hoshi's husband, he should become prince. Zonasa said 'no way,' since we didn't like him very much, and it was a war with him that killed Zhao and brought us down to one or two regions. After a couple of different proposals, including if I recall one by Morgan that either Hoshi join Zonasa and rule it as a separate realm from Svunnetland, or else select a regent to do so . . . Hoshi actually gave up all claim to any inheritance going through her, and told Zonasa to select their own prince, after which Morgan became Zonasa's second prince.
Those were some fun times, unfortunately Morgan did not do well as prince and then I got severely ill and had to stop playing for a while, and it was about two years before I came back.
Well, I dunno how much they would have stuck to it if a few of us who remembered Ziyang hadn't joined recently 
...Actually, that's not fair. Morgan has been pretty staunch in his support of the principle that he is a regent for the House of Zhao, at least verbally.
Morgan also definitely counts as one of those who remembers Ziyang, though, given that he was basically his protege. Morgan owes his political career to him (and to his servant, who was ennobled after Zhao's death -- the player's next character, who was Regent when I returned, and again gave me a leg up), and so if generally going to be nothing but respectful to the family.
The whole regent tradition started after I left, though (mostly -- I called myself regent for the first couple weeks I ruled after Zhao's death, but then I became prince), but Morgan is mostly happy to forget he was a prince at one point, because he didn't do terribly well . . . and he wants to eventually bring some reforms to have Zonasa just elect princes for life, and then he would be happy to return to being Duke . . . provided he can find someone he thinks would be good to push into the position of prince. He likes to rule from behind the curtain more, really.
