Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-4923787-20130719015425/@comment-32656-20130807121242

Best bet I can think of is the Muslim generals that served the Qing. They were very loyal, and fought the revolutionaries until the emperor abdicated. Afterwards, they grudgingly served the "Republic," but several were warlords in that era, with the others supporting them. They officially went over to the KMT, but little changed about their governing.

Would not be too far off, I think, to have one of them march on the capital and overthrow the Qing, though they'd be years away from power over all China. I'd expect Yinchuan to be the capital of this empire.

If the imperialists have no one to put on the throne that would be recognized, they would not be able to organize such a government.

Separatists did, could, and would. Really was no federalists in China.

Past that is just going way too far, nor are those provinces at all right.