Under this new administrative regime, sovereigns created new titles such as Ranged Marquises and Lords (君) who taxed on their feeding fief (食邑).
Ranged Marquis was the highest title of nobility for subjects who were not from the imperial family of the Han dynasty.
Marquisates were administered by a counselor-delegate (國相 Guó Xiàng) as a magistrate (令, 長) in his district.
The land owners could appoint their courtier-officers: household aide (家丞 Jiā Chéng), drafter (舍人 Shè Rén), Grand Master of Gates (門大夫 Mén Dà Fū), Frontrider (洗馬 Xǐ Mǎ), messenger (行人 Xíngrén), etc.
Those marquises who did not hold office in the central government and were not married to an imperial princess were required to leave the capital, Chang'an, and move to their peerage.
At first, Emperor Gaozu of Han, had said in the covenant of Baima "If one gets a marquisate without military exploits, all people must attack him."
This guidance was ignored, and instead powerful men like the prime minister (丞相) and consort kin – family heads whose daughters married into the imperial house – were enfeoffed while lacking military accomplishment.
In normal conditions, marquisates whose owners died without sons would be revoked by the emperor, but close relatives could inherit the title in certain circumstances.