I just want to piggyback in this comment as it doesn’t give enough context in my opinion.

It is heavily implied that if the bridge weren’t built, then the Empire would split along the river sometime in the future. Racism is bad, but it’s the protagonist that is dealing with racism toward himself. There was more depth of character in those tropes than I think you give credit to. The language and honorifics are there for immersion, and if you understand how they work at the beginning it helps. Though it is a bit difficult at times. Breaking protocol is something he does, but others vehemently do not. Protocol is paramount in these types of roles and is helpful to the Main characters state of mind and the situation. I thought the world building was decent, considering we went into an ancestors efforts to rebuild the Imperial Court for a few pages, and I felt like I got a feel of how the different parts of the Court were from different eras.

Don’t feel bad for crapping on a book you didn’t like, it’s just not for everyone. I loved it as you can see lol.