u/MariKilkenni

One of the most interesting aspects of the Chinese medieval court is that you could immediately know the official’s rank just by looking at the color of his robe. This is particularly true for the period in which WWM is set. 

The young Song dynasty, just two years old at this time, relied a lot on the system established in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. In turn, the conservative Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period inherited bureaucratic institutions from the Tang dynasty. Song’s first Emperor, Taizu (good ol’ Big Zhao), chose to avoid drastic changes and preferred to rely on the court rather than the army, establishing a central government in Kaifeng. This was because in the chaotic years prior to the usurpation, military governors often had more power than any official, sometimes even more than kings of certain regions, and the new Emperor strove to weaken this military power for the sake of stability.

In this highly bureaucratic, hierarchical world, the color system was a convenient means of distinguishing people by just one look.

• The “main” color was, of course, yellow or gold, worn by the emperor and sometimes by his closest family. So it’s rare to see clothes of this color, unless, of course, you dyed your outfit.
• Next was purple, reserved for the highest-ranking officials, ranks 1-3 (we could call them ministers). Purple dye was expensive and thus very prestigious. People of the highest ranks usually had a small gold pouch attached to their belt, called fish pouch because originally it contained a fish-shaped tally. Initially a means of identification, these pouches became a status symbol. In the game, ministers possess scholar boxes which you can request. Or just steal, of course!
• Red or crimson was worn by senior officials, ranks 4-5, who had silver fish pouches. In the game they, too, have scholar boxes, and they’re usually more generous than ministers. Also worth noting that some officials have bags with 15 echo jades, like Qian Lu, a man talking by two carriages in the Reserve Archives, or Lu Zhaohui, who is sitting in the building located at the top of the Reserve Archives map. You’ll have to seize these bags, because who would give them away to a stranger?

A high-ranking official with two men of a lower rank. Apart from their colors, you can see another difference: their belts and \"fish pouches\" attached to them

• If you see men in green robes, they’re middle-ranking officials (rank 6-7, something like magistrates) who didn’t have fish pouches. Many of them only have wheat kernel, but some have money bags or even bags of 15 echo jades, like Yup Baicon in the Hall of State.
• The blue color was for lower-ranking officials, rank 8-9. Beneath them were unranked clerks handling paperwork in white (the colour of students as well) or grey robes and men responsible for labor and errands in black clothes. In the game they have food items like fruits or eggs.

A middle-ranking official with a simpler belt. Gotta give it to the devs, the attention to detail in officials' design is great

There are also eunuchs, dressed in robes of a particular dark grey shade. Now, eunuchs were divided between the Inner and High Inner Bureau. As you might have guessed, those from the Inner Bureau were low-ranking, doing cleaning and small chores. The High Inner Bureau attendants supervised certain palace services. But don’t be fooled, you may stumble upon a humble eunuch sweeping the floor who possesses a money bag, like a few at Chongyuan Hall or Wenming Hall. But they are rather stingy.

Many higher-ranking officials, including our beloved Prefect, wear a futou (black hat) with long horizontal wings. They are perhaps the most notable novelty of the Song dynasty: before that, flaps were much smaller and drooping (chuijiao futou, which literally means “drooping-wing futou”). But, to be fair, they became longer in the decades leading up to the 960s. According to an anecdote, Emperor Taizu designed them to prevent officials from whispering gossip, although this is unconfirmed.

Belts are interesting too. Usually made of leather, they conveyed status with small plaques attached to them. Jade plaques were reserved for the highest ranks, receiving them was a sign of favor from the Emperor himself, almost like receiving a medal. Then followed gold and silver, and two officials in, say, red robes, could have different plaques, depending on their status. Some officials had ivory plaques.

Actually, this rigid “dress code” affected commoners as well. There’s a reason why so many ordinary folks in WWM are dressed in simple shades of brown, white, or beige: those were accepted colors for them, because basically it was the shade of undyed fabrics. Violating this code could result in punishment, so Young Wanderer likely commits crimes against fashion on a daily basis.

P.S. Keep in mind that officials need rest, so you won’t find them at night!

P.P.S. Guard officers have buff scrolls, while imperial physicians can give you healer boxes (you can find them in the Imperial Vaults, for example).