The Visitors Who Came to Study Great Yan's Art of Political Maneuvering

Therefore, Vina, who thought she had learned enough, was slapped in the face in the first episode of the Great Yan Dynasty and had to go back to rest. She didn't even watch the following episodes. But now, the Great Yan Emperor's wrath has made Vina even more convinced that Chen Qi's political wisdom will definitely help her return to the center of power in Victoria in the future.

Therefore, Chen Qi absolutely cannot be harmed. As a member of the royal family, Vina knew very well that if she wanted to harm someone, she didn't need to actually use assassination; instead, she could make small moves in ordinary times. She quickly said:

"When we in the Victoria royal family were vying for power, we often used certain tactics, such as putting slow-acting poison in food or using smoke to cause suffocation... Teacher, you need someone to help you take care of these issues."

"I will be responsible for testing the food sent to you from the palace for poison every day, and I will also monitor the people who come to your room every day to make sure they don't do anything suspicious, so that your room is always under our surveillance."

"Vina's words make sense." Saria, who had been Chen Qi's bodyguard and secretary, also supported Vina's idea at this moment, saying, "I usually protect everyone in the crew, but right now, I think you're the one who needs our protection the most."

However, even with Vina and Saria's offer, Chen Qi still refused. What a joke! With a group of people waiting outside the door, what privacy did he and Talulah have? Besides, he could tell from the Mini-map whether Great Yan was monitoring him; everyone around him was his own people, not a single one from Great Yan.

As for poisoning, that's even more ridiculous. Chen Qi's current physique and strength are completely comparable to Feranmut. What poison could possibly kill him? If the Great Yan really had such a thing, they would have used it on "Sui" or other covetous Feranmut long ago.

However, even after Chen Qi's explanation, Vina and the dozen or so Shield Guard remained hesitant and unwilling to leave. Seeing this, Chen Qi rolled his eyes and had no choice but to unleash his ultimate move.

"Fine, so none of you are leaving? Fine, then just listen outside the door."

As he spoke, Chen Qi walked towards the room. However, while Vina and the other Shield Guard were still wondering what was going on, less than half an hour later, everyone heard Talulah's voice suddenly echoing in the room.

As if doing some extremely tiring physical labor, Talulah's breathing gradually became heavy from the initial ease, making the group of Shield Guard feel extremely embarrassed. They all scattered and left the scene like birds; those with wives went back to their wives, and those without wives went back to their rooms.

Miss Vina, who was "loyal" to Chen Qi, also blushed and chose to flee the scene after a full half hour. Clearly, she was not as determined as she thought.

Saria alone persisted outside the door for an hour. In the end, this woman, known as "harder than diamond," silently dragged her shield away, her legs trembling slightly.

"This is taking way too long... Even if one is Feranmut and the other Mythical Race, it's still too much..."

Before leaving, Saria blushed slightly, a rare occurrence for her. As a researcher, her first reaction was to wonder if this was reasonable... Countless formulas flashed through her mind, and after some mental calculations, she came to an important conclusion.

--With Chen Qi's current physique, he definitely can't defeat Talulah alone; he'd need at least another Mythical Race of the same level as Talulah.

Even after everyone had left, the "battle" between Chen Qi and Talulah continued for three hours. It wasn't until both moons were high in the sky that Chen Qi's side finally achieved a resounding victory, capturing a fortified city. What a great victory!

"Huff... huff..."

"You... you were just kidding me all along, weren't you? Why... it's been almost a month now, and I'm still exhausted every time..."

Talulah seemed unable to accept her defeat once again. For the past month, ever since they arrived at the palace, Talulah had been challenging Chen Qi's authority every time—because Talulah and Chen Qi had already tried it on the ship. She was clearly very dissatisfied with the current "switch of roles" and had been seeking revenge on Chen Qi every day.

Then, ever since she felt fully prepared last month and kicked into Chen Qi's room, she has hardly left the room.

Each defeat was a result of utter exhaustion. As a hybrid of the Drac and Dragon races, Talulah was truly Mythical Race among Mythical Race. This was why Chen Qi was no match for Talulah before he improved his strength while filming "Kung Fu Hustle."

But now, Talulah, defeated and disarmed, has become just like Chen Qi. She laboriously rolled over, seemingly accepting reality, and immediately shrank back into the covers, weakly saying:

"I can't take it anymore, I surrender... If this continues, everyone will laugh at me to death... They'll say the assistant director hasn't gone to work for a month, just hiding in his room. I'll have no dignity in front of everyone."

Talulah also made an excuse not to play overtime with Chen Qi anymore. Chen Qi was a little surprised that Talulah, with her stubborn personality, would give up, and said with amusement:

"You were the one who kept pestering me back then, and now you're actually backing down? Now you finally understand how I felt back then, right?"

"Ugh... Then go find someone else. I'm not ready for this anymore. A month has passed, and I won't think about this kind of thing for at least a week."

Talulah replied listlessly, then turned over and prepared to sleep, not noticing Chen Qi's surprised expression as if he thought he had misheard. She then continued:

"FrostNova's room isn't far from here, and she's known you for a long time. Go find her and tell her I agreed; she definitely won't object... Patriot have absolutely nothing to say either."

"At least I'm less worried about FrostNova, and I can accept things a bit more. At least I'm a little better off than the others... sigh..."

... She's asleep. Chen Qi looked at Talulah, who had fallen asleep after muttering to herself, and helped her tidy her messy hair. After glancing at the door for a moment, he lay down next to Talulah, instead of going to find FrostNova as Talulah had said.

Talulah needs to regain her senses before asking her about this again. Otherwise, if she takes advantage of her vulnerability, she might lash out at FrostNova Talulah, leading to a dramatic clash between two opposing forces on set...

With this in mind, Chen Qi suppressed his restless thoughts. Meanwhile, asleep, Chen Qi seemed unaware of the [Mini-map], where a blue dot was almost overlapping with his and Talulah's room.

"Fine wine, elegant music, and beautiful music! I really wish my two younger sisters could hear it."

Meanwhile, Ling, who was in Chen Qi's room, had drunk quite a bit. Originally, she had Feranmut physique, so it was difficult for her to get drunk. But this time, she deliberately let herself get drunk, accompanied by a "harmonious melody," and drank a gourd full of wine. She got completely drunk and fell asleep on the roof.

However, what reassured Ling even more was that her two younger sisters didn't come that night. But what Ling didn't know was that the main reason her two sisters didn't come was that they were discussing another matter.

Within Xi's painted world, Nian opened her eyes and found herself pulled into it. Facing the aloof Xi before her, Nian remained silent for a moment before asking softly:

"What do you want to do? If it's your business, I won't stop you, but you won't get past your sister and brother."

"I'm doing this to help Chen Qi. Don't think I only have such shallow thoughts."

Xi rolled her eyes. Of course, she could see Nian's strange expression, but she didn't care right now. However, Nian quickly understood his sister's words, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes. He immediately said:

"I know your personality. If you offend someone you care about, you'll fight to the death even if you're terrified... But Chen Qi won't let you do that, so you'd better not even think about provoking Great Yan."

"Who said I was going to provoke the Great Yan?" Xi, of course, knew what was important. She couldn't possibly pose any threat to the Emperor of Great Yan or Great Yan itself. She simply said calmly:

"At most, I'll cause a little trouble, but it won't harm the common people or damage the reputation of the Great Yan. It might even enhance the Great Yan's prestige."

"However, our Emperor may be in for a period of great suffering."

"Do you remember all the connections Chen Qi has built up along the way? Coincidentally, I left a painting at each country I visited; perhaps now it will come in handy."

"I think they will be quite interested in Chen Qi's work. And now that Chen Qi is practically royalty, everyone will want to get to know him again. At that time, I think our Great Yan Emperor will understand how fortunate it is that Chen Qi is now standing with him."

PS: First chapter today!

Volume 1: Chapter 292: The Crowd Who Came to Learn the Art of Political Intrigue in the Great Yan

Xi's actions initially did not disturb anyone, and filming proceeded as usual. The Great Yan Emperor continued with everything as normal the next day, filming when it was his turn, but he did not pay much attention to the filming process.

Instead, the Emperor of Great Yan began to devote most of his energy to state affairs. He began to review the expenditures of the Six Ministries of the court and the annual expenditures sent by various local governments since he took office with greater care than ever before, checking them one by one to look for any omissions or ambiguities.

"The Great Yan Dynasty 1566" had a profound impact on the Emperor of Great Yan. He witnessed firsthand the Great Yan of later generations, a society where officials protected each other, forming an impenetrable wall, and exploiting the people. While this might have been manageable under normal circumstances, when major events occurred and related memorials and confessions reached the palace, how vast was the difference between what the Emperor saw and the truth?

While watching the play, he still had a god-like perspective, allowing him to understand the ins and outs of each event. But even so, ordinary people would find it all confusing, let alone the emperor, who was not clear about the specifics.

The Great Yan Emperor believed he understood everything within the palace, but he genuinely lacked knowledge of the details concerning local governments. In the drama, the Emperor Jiajing, despite his extraordinary abilities and connections, refrained from seeking details about local governments, focusing instead on setting national policies and targets, leaving the rest to the local governments to figure out.

Without the absolutely loyal Directorate of Ceremonial, the Emperor Jiajing might not have been able to gather such comprehensive intelligence, much less put on such a "divine" act. Ultimately, the Emperor Jiajing relied on the intelligence he obtained through his own power base to decide how to feign divine intervention.

This gave the Emperor of Great Yan inspiration, but he hesitated. Did Great Yan really need to strengthen imperial power now? And would strengthening imperial power really be a good thing? What if his descendants, like Jiajing, preyed on the people and enriched themselves? Wouldn't strengthening imperial power only make him more lawless?

The Emperor of Great Yan was conflicted and couldn't make up his mind. Faced with such a prosperous era, he felt that the wealth of Great Yan was like a loan, and he was just as anxious as the bank was about to repay it. So he could only devote more energy to government affairs, wanting to eliminate hidden dangers for his descendants and to plan more paths for them.

In the midst of this back and forth, the Emperor of Great Yan was so busy that he forgot to greet Chen Qi and say "You did a great job." By the time he realized what was happening, it was someone from the Ministry of Rites who delivered a diplomatic intelligence report.

"... The Sarkaz clan of Kazdel intends to establish diplomatic relations with the Great Yan, and the Regent is willing to personally visit the Great Yan for exchange and learning?"

When the Emperor of Great Yan received the diplomatic news about Kazdel from Ning Ciqiu, a second-rank official in the Ministry of Rites, he was somewhat bewildered. Had Great Yan and Kazdel ever had any diplomatic relations before?

I don't think so. Even when Kazdel destroyed the country several times, the Great Yan had no connection with Kazdel. At that time, the True Lung Emperor was still gathering the strength of the whole country to resist the Feranmut, and neither helped nor participated in the destruction of Kazdel.

The Sarkaz clan is currently cooperating with Victoria on the reconstruction of Kazdel, and the Emperor of Great Yan has heard some rumors about it... Could it be that Kazdel's territory is relatively close to Great Yan, and given the past peaceful relations between Great Yan and Kazdel, they are seeking diplomatic relations and protection?

No, wait, there seems to be another person who deserves the Sarkaz's attention. I almost forgot, Chen Qi is also a guest of honor of the Sarkaz, and has even been granted the title of lord.

"So that means... the Sarkaz clan actually came to see Chen Qi? The Sarkaz have been trying to curry favor with Chen Qi all along, and this time they might be wary of the actions of our Great Yan and intend to win Chen Qi over?"

After careful consideration, the Emperor of Great Yan said to Ning Ciqiu:

"The Sarkaz regent has not yet arrived. We have already agreed to receive him. Once he arrives, treat him with the courtesy due to a state guest, but do not let Chen Qi know. Bring him directly before me."

"Yes." Ning Ciqiu nodded and withdrew. The Emperor of Great Yan didn't pay much attention to it at the time, thinking it was just a formal diplomatic incident that he could handle.

A few days later, Ning Ciqiu came again, this time with a diplomatic mission. The country of Victoria, represented by Duke of Windermere, would be coming to the Great Yan Imperial Palace to establish friendly relations with Great Yan, and she specifically mentioned Chen Qi and Vina.

"... He will be treated with the utmost respect as a state guest; I will personally receive him a week from now."

However, by the time the Emperor of Great Yan realized something was amiss, it was too late. For almost every three days thereafter, he received a diplomatic report, and without exception, the report indicated a state-level reception. Their purpose was clear: to "casually" visit Chen Qi.

"Your Majesty, this is a diplomatic report from Columbia..."

"Your Majesty, this is Syracuse."

"Your Majesty, there's also Laterano here..."

Ning Ciqiu reported this every few days, and the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty only belatedly realized that something was amiss—were there too many state guests lately? One was received, and before the next could even arrive, yet another was already here?

Receiving state guests isn't particularly expensive; it's simply a matter of four dishes and a soup per meal. However, with the increasing number of state guests, even though their guards haven't entered the territory of the Great Yan, the imperial city's defense capabilities have risen to an unprecedented level.

Especially since the relationships between the various factions involved are far from friendly, a diplomatic conflict could easily erupt. And the officials of the Ministry of Rites are already incredibly busy—isn't this just playing with them?!

A few days later, just as the Great Yan Emperor was at his wits' end, Ning Ciqiu arrived at the palace again. This time, her expression was more solemn as she addressed the Great Yan Emperor:

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

"Stop! I know, there's diplomacy again, isn't there?" The Emperor of Great Yan, unable to contain himself any longer, waved his hand, signaling Ning Ciqiu to stop talking. He clutched his head, looking extremely troubled, and said in an anxious and helpless tone:

"Let me guess, almost everyone who's supposed to come has arrived. Representatives have been to almost every country Director Chen Qi has visited. So, which country this time? Kazimierz? Leithania?"

"Neither." Ning Ciqiu swallowed hard, carefully handed over the memorial in her hand, and then continued:

"This is a diplomatic incident involving the Ursus Empire. The new emperor of Ursus intends to lead a diplomatic delegation to Great Yan to improve the long-standing diplomatic relations between Ursus and Great Yan."

"Ursus? Have those Russian bears changed their nature?"

The Emperor of Great Yan was unusually bewildered by this. If the establishment of diplomatic relations between the representatives of these countries and Great Yan was understandable since they had no prior ties, then the relationship between Ursus and Great Yan could only be described as one of deep-seated hatred.

Ursus and Great Yan have had constant friction on their border since the time of the late Emperor of Ursus. In particular, when Ursus launched its eastern expedition against the Higashi, which was a vassal state of Great Yan, a considerable battle broke out between them.

Ursus's foreign policy has always been the kind that dares to challenge anyone, regardless of their strength or weakness. This first instance of them sending a friendly signal has left the Great Yan Emperor completely bewildered.

Especially... Chen Qi and Ursus have no connection whatsoever, right? Their relationship is actually quite tense, so there's no reason for them to come for Chen Qi, is there?

"... Your Majesty, our Ministry of Rites has discussed the matter and believes that the arrival of so many state guests as scheduled is unprecedented in the history of the Great Yan. Therefore, we should hold a grand diplomatic banquet to discuss the matter with the diplomatic delegations of various countries."

"--That's right, invite them all to the main hall now. I want to ask them personally what their true thoughts are."

"Furthermore, summon Director Chen Qi to me as well. Tell him that I have asked him to meet some old friends, and that he will be a distinguished guest at the subsequent diplomatic banquet."

The Emperor of Great Yan waved his hand and immediately ordered Ning Ciqiu to bring all the state guests who had come recently. He wanted to see if these people, gathered together now, had all figured things out and wanted to form a permanent alliance with Great Yan.

But if they're all here for Chen Qi... that doesn't make sense, does it? Chen Qi has never been sent abroad, and given his personality, he'd never ask for help. So why have all these people gathered here?

With this question in mind, the Emperor of Great Yan awaited the arrival of everyone on his dragon throne in the main hall. A short while later, Chen Qi was the first to arrive from the film set. Before Chen Qi could even greet them, Ning Ciqiu rushed back and immediately said solemnly:

"Your Majesty, Director Chen Qi, and the state guests have all arrived."

"Yes, please come in."

At the Emperor of Great Yan's command, Chen Qi soon saw Theresis, Madame Madam Sicily, Duke of Windermere, and other familiar faces arrive in the hall, accompanied by two rows of Great Yan Imperial Guard. They all immediately extended friendly signals to Chen Qi.

"Everyone, what brings you all here?" Chen Qi asked, somewhat surprised, looking at Theresis had taken the initiative to stand beside him and the Madam Sicily on the other side. Was this a large-scale international summit?

"This is also my question." The Emperor of Great Yan, seated on the dragon throne, took the initiative to speak, asking the assembled state guests:

"Gentlemen, you are all representatives of your respective countries. I am greatly pleased to see that you have established an alliance with my Great Yan through peaceful diplomacy. This will save our soldiers from shedding so much blood and our people from the suffering of war."

"However... I do not know the purpose of your gathering here today. Please explain your intentions. If you have truly come to form an alliance, I welcome you on behalf of the Great Yan. But if you have ulterior motives... I will listen attentively, but please be careful with your words."

The Emperor of Great Yan displayed the diplomatic attitude of a nation: welcome friends with fine wine, and meet enemies with weapons.

Inside the main hall, after exchanging glances, the group finally stepped forward Laterano Church, known for his diplomatic image, and addressed the Great Yan Emperor with a smile:

"Your Majesty, there is no need to be so tense. Our purpose in coming here is truly to forge an alliance. Our Laterano has also hosted the Summit of Nations before to repair relations between nations."

"--On the other hand, we do indeed have our difficulties, and we hope that the Emperor of Great Yan can grant our request, and we also hope that Director Chen Qi can help us."

At this moment, Theresis also stepped forward. As the representative of the group who was arguably the closest to Chen Qi, Theresis spoke to the Emperor of Great Yan with a relatively humble attitude:

"We have heard that Director Chen Qi is filming a political drama with the Great Yan. We all rely on Director Chen Qi's guidance and assistance, and hope to take this opportunity to watch Director Chen Qi's masterpiece to provide necessary reference for the restoration of our Sarkaz nation."

Me too.

After Theresis explained his purpose, Madam Sicily stepped forward. This "The Godfather" who was the first to wholeheartedly support Chen Qi with the power of her nation could be considered Chen Qi's initial supporter. Although her status was not as prominent as those present, she was still very much liked by Chen Qi.

"The order in Syracuse needs to be reset. Currently, under the rule of the 'Beast Lord,' Syracuse is embroiled in endless power struggles. Families can no longer support the order in Syracuse. We all hope to build a truly independent nation-state."

"I have long heard of the prosperous and peaceful reign of the Great Yan, and this grand production by Director Chen Qi may offer some insights into the order of our Syracuse."

" --Victoria is in dire need of rebuilding, and although it has regained some of its national strength, it still needs more knowledge." Duke of Windermere echoed this sentiment, stating his purpose directly:

"Yes, Prime Minister" is no longer a good reference. Now, Director Chen Qi's drama is perfect for us to find problems. We humbly request that the Emperor of Great Yan allow us to watch it.

However, everyone kept saying the same thing: they came to see Chen Qi's "The Great Yan Dynasty." But compared to Chen Qi, who was surprised by the show's unexpected fame, the Great Yan Emperor's expression was rather unpleasant.

After all... family scandals shouldn't be aired in public! "The Great Yan Dynasty 1566" may be considered a grand drama, but it's not exactly a show for foreigners! If they watched it, what would become of the Great Yan's reputation?!

The thought of "The Great Yan Dynasty 1566" being seen by a group of foreigners sent a jolt of pain through the Great Yan Emperor's head, as if a rush of blood had surged to his brain, and his blood pressure spiked...

Outside the main hall, Xi and Nian, who had come with Chen Qi, remained silent. However, seeing the Emperor of Great Yan looking like he had no choice but to accept the situation, they both felt incredibly pleased.

It seems that His Majesty the Emperor is now gradually realizing that Chen Qi's power is far more terrifying than he imagined... His military strength is never the biggest threat, but rather his ability to completely expose the side of you that you least want to reveal, leaving you with no room for rebuttal.

This is what makes Chen Qi so terrifying, and now the Emperor of Great Yan has experienced it firsthand and remembered that Chen Qi is not someone he can easily manipulate...

PS: Second chapter today! As usual, there will be another update tonight (Ah, so tired, I feel like I'm writing later and later, gradually getting used to my current biological clock... slumped... completely motionless...)