If no Christianity...

[Timaeus]

as far as i understand, Confucianism and Taoism are for the philosophers and elites, and the rest take the rudimentary parts of those two to reinforce the local traditions.

so i can see Neo-Platonism or Stoicism being for intellectual types and the emperor, while the locals continue practicing whatever their local rites are.

 

[LSCatilina]

as far as i understand, Confucianism and Taoism are for the philosophers and elites, and the rest take the rudimentary parts of those two to reinforce the local traditions.

so i can see Neo-Platonism or Stoicism being for intellectual types and the emperor, while the locals continue practicing whatever their local rites are.

Ah, it could work indeed. Maybe less formalized than what you describe (Emperors switched or made their own brew with philosophy avaibles), but yI could quite see it.