Directing on the Ark, Success if Not Banned

Vina also felt a sense of melancholy. Victoria today was truly an embarrassment to her as the Crown Prince, to the point where she couldn't even feel disgusted by the comedy "Yes, Prime Minister"—even though it frequently poked fun at Victoria's civil servants and politicians. Truthfully, Vina felt the show's satire was spot on.

"There's an ancient saying in Yan: 'Born in sorrow, die in comfort,'" Kal'tsit also chimed in.

"Victoria once had many wise rulers who, step by step, turned it into a powerful nation that dominated this land. But from the extinction of the Drac royal line and the internal strife within the Aslan clan, in just twenty years, this great nation has fallen into chaos."

"...I know, that's why I'm sitting here, watching this drama that satirizes Victoria."

Vina was well aware of this. She had to admit that Chen Qi, the creator of "Yes, Prime Minister," possessed an insight and political sensitivity that she had never seen before. If she didn't know that there had never been a Yan person in Victoria's civil service system, she might have truly believed this script was written by a seasoned civil servant.

In peacetime, if Vina had known about someone like Chen Qi, she would have certainly made him her imperial tutor. But now, Chen Qi was using his talents to aid the wicked. Even if he was truly forced, Vina couldn't easily let him off the hook.

"Dr. Kal'tsit, when can we depart for Londinium?" The thought of it made Vina impatient to return to Londinium and beat... no, "rescue" Chen Qi and his film crew.

"It will take at least another week's journey. We must first get within Victoria's borders so that the land ship can support the trip to Londinium and return," Kal'tsit replied.

"I will lend you Rhodes Island's elite squad. They won't help you seize power at this time, but they will help you blow up Londinium's television station and help you transfer Chen Qi and his group."

"...So, that means I have to watch two more episodes of this drama after it airs?"

However, at this moment, Vina was truly eager to return. The thought that the longer she delayed her return, the more episodes of "Yes, Prime Minister" would air within Victoria, made her extremely anxious.

In just five episodes, Chen Qi had already satirized Victoria's defense, the Infected issue, civil servant corruption, and the inaction of parliament. If this continued, who knew what else Chen Qi would bring out to satirize about Victoria?

Just as Vina was worrying, Amiya's slightly excited voice suddenly cut through the air again.

"Everyone, look! Episode six is out!"

"...I really wish it only aired one episode a day, like Yan dramas, with half an hour of commercials after each episode."

Upon hearing about the new episode of "Yes, Prime Minister," Vina and Kal'tsit, who had just breathed a sigh of relief because the fifth episode had been relatively restrained, instinctively became tense again.

And this rare complaint from Kal'tsit was echoed by Wei Yanyu in the distant Lungmen.

"Sigh... this is probably one of the few times I wish there were more commercials. Every time I watch a show Chen Qi makes, I feel like my heart can't take it."

"...I think it's his daring and outspoken personality that attracts Little Ta to follow him."

Chen, on the other hand, had a different opinion from Wei Yanyu. However, in this regard, Chen was merely a senior superintendent of Lungmen. Her job was to uphold the law and punish offenders. To a large extent, her upright personality made her suitable for this position, and therefore, she was completely clueless about politics.

Chen's most simple and pure view of good and evil made her feel that it was something to be greatly praised that someone could now boldly point out the shortcomings and internal corruption of a country on television.

"No one has ever done this before. Aren't you proud of him?" Chen turned to ask Wei Yanyu. With Talulah's return, Chen and Wei Yanyu's relationship was no longer so strained.

"I hope my niece likes a living person, not a spirit carved into a statue after being killed," Wei Yanyu replied, shaking his head helplessly and exhaling softly.

"Heroes only live in books and legends, but I don't want the person my niece likes to become such a symbol, and for her to suffer the pain of living alone in the future."

"This kid is now in Londinium, associating with Sarkaz... Although he's definitely being forced, filming so recklessly will only bring him and his crew more trouble, not the Sarkaz."

"—By the way, have you decided to go with those people from Rhodes Island?" Wei Yanyu suddenly recalled that Kal'tsit had specifically sent someone to discuss Chen Qi's matter with him a while ago.

It was at that time that Wei Yanyu and Chen learned that Chen Qi was in Londinium, which was now occupied by Theresis and his Sarkaz legion. Without a doubt, Chen Qi and his group were definitely forced to make such dramas for the Sarkaz.

Wei Yanyu's words were what confirmed Rhodes Island's plan this time was not to "kidnap" Chen Qi, but to "rescue" him.

While the outcome seemed the same, they were fundamentally different concepts. If it were a rescue, then Vina and her group would have to cooperate with Chen Qi to leave.

But if it were a kidnapping, Vina wouldn't have to worry about anything and would definitely hit Chen Qi on the head with a hammer, knock him out, and then take him away, all while venting her anger.

"Of course, Little Ta and Chen Qi are in Londinium, so I have to save them," Chen replied without hesitation.

"Not only me, but Lin Yuxia also said she would go with me. We'll go to Londinium and rescue Chen Qi and Little Ta."

"...I want to say this is very dangerous, but clearly, I can't convince you."

Wei Yanyu took a puff of his cigarette. He understood Chen Huijie's thoughts as well. After a period of silence, he finally sighed slowly.

"Take care of yourself, and cherish this hard-won reunion, understand?"

"...I know." Chen Huijie, unusually, didn't argue with Wei Yanyu and nodded solemnly.

"I've finally reunited with Little Ta, and I'll try my best to stay alive and come back... if it's absolutely necessary."

"That's good," Wei Yanyu said, feeling a little relieved. But he also knew that Chen Huijie was someone who would go all out for others, even sacrificing herself. Her purity made her a senior superintendent of Lungmen, but her purity was not well-suited for survival on the battlefield...

"...Let's keep watching." Wei Yanyu didn't know what else to say, so he decided to enjoy the time with his niece before their separation and continued to focus on "Yes, Prime Minister."

Soon, as the sixth episode began, Lungmen, Rhodes Island, and everyone else paying attention to "Yes, Prime Minister" immediately understood the theme of this episode from the opening lines, and the next point Victoria would satirize.

And this time, after identifying the target of the satire, Vina, Kal'tsit, and Wei Yanyu's expressions changed again, because the subject of satire this time was named "Diplomacy."

Chapter Forty-Five: Famous Scene: Punish the Strong and Support the Weak, Why Not Attack Ursus?

Diplomacy. For any nation, diplomacy has always been an extremely serious topic. For the various countries on Terra, whose world order has gradually taken shape and solidified, diplomacy largely represents a nation's strength and attitude.

The diplomatic attitudes of the various countries on this continent vary greatly. To give a few typical examples—Yan's foreign policy is non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and self-preservation. Coupled with Yan's formidable military strength, even though it is close to Ursus's territory, there have been no conflicts between the two.

In the era of its former emperor, Ursus was extremely aggressive. Under the leadership of the former Ursus emperor, Ursus embarked on the path of industrialization and became a powerful nation. While rapidly developing its national strength and exploiting vast territories, it also constantly interfered in the internal affairs of other countries, engaged in military threats, and diplomatic conflicts.

It even continuously extended olive branches to politicians and civil servants of other countries, hoping to attract more talent to participate in the construction of the Ursus Empire. It even infiltrated spies into various countries, except for Yan.

As an old power contemporary to Ursus, Victoria was naturally a place of "special attention" for Ursus.

And in the era depicted in "Yes, Prime Minister," due to the delicate balance of power, all countries were very strong, and none could afford the losses of a full-scale war. Therefore, the "salami-slicing tactic" through diplomatic means was a common method used by Ursus.

The story of the sixth episode of "Yes, Prime Minister" unfolds because of this. Theresis, playing Hark, insisted on implementing his defense policy, halting the production of Steam Knights and focusing on building the army. To push this policy, he planned to start with Leithania and improve diplomatic relations between the two countries. In the event of a future Ursus offensive, the military strengths of the two countries could counterbalance Ursus's advance.

After all, compared to Kazimierz, Leithania's stance was firmer and could be considered a qualified ally.

As expected, Ursus soon made a move against Victoria. Victoria's "Euric Autonomous Prefecture," with the involvement of Ursus, Rim Billiton, and Gaul, appeared to be plotting a coup. Theresis intended to stand with Leithania on this matter.

However, Victoria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs seemed to have different ideas. They did not want to antagonize the powerful Ursus and intended to remain inactive regarding the Euric Autonomous Prefecture issue.

Theresis, in turn, did not trust the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the reason was...

Theresis: "The people of Leithania believe the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are all defeatists and traitors."

"No. Uh... not entirely." Manfred, playing Bernard, didn't say much, but his meaning was clear enough.

But clearly, a country cannot have two foreign policies, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had its own ideas.

"If Victoria gets involved in the Euric Autonomous Prefecture matter, we just stopped the issue of Steam Knight parts for Columbia. If we get involved in this incident, it will inevitably cause panic in the northwestern regions, thus prompting their independence."

"Moreover, we just signed a contract in the Euric Autonomous Prefecture to build a direct railway and an Originium transit hub, so it's really not suitable to cause conflict at this time."

Of course, the bigger reason was that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not want to antagonize Ursus and Gaul, two powerful nations. Although Victoria's relationship with both countries was not good to begin with, appeasing these two countries was much more cost-effective for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs than pleasing Leithania.

As for how to please Ursus and Gaul... the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had its own methods.

Previously, there had been some conflict between Rim Billiton and Sami, and Rim Billiton had demanded that Victoria and other countries sanction Sami. Victoria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs clearly believed that places like Rim Billiton, with vast Originium and mineral resources, were much more valuable than countries like Sami, and thus intended to support Rim Billiton.

Leithania, on the other hand, favored Sami and hoped Victoria would not participate in this incident, and the Prime Minister saw it the same way. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs intended to use this issue to make the Prime Minister yield to them.

"He (the Prime Minister) just needs to know that when it comes to diplomatic incidents, his job is limited to public relations and hospitality."

"The actors are on stage, and he just needs to act steadily, stay clear-headed, and recite his lines according to the script," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs secretary requested of the cabinet secretary Humphrey, played by the Bloodborne Archon, with a tone of contempt for the position of Prime Minister.

"Some people try to think of their own lines," the Bloodborne Archon also smiled slightly, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs secretary immediately chimed in:

"And they get taken down immediately."

Their conversation caused everyone to laugh again. But within Rhodes Island, Vina, unable to help but view the issue from the perspective of a monarch, murmured:

"...Victoria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs can even sideline the Prime Minister's power?"

"Perhaps it is precisely because the royal family has handed over too much power to these people that Victoria is now completely divided by several dukes."

"—Don't deny everything because of this. Victoria's decline is ultimately due to the lack of deterrence from royal rule," Kal'tsit offered her own opinion, saying calmly:

"National policies should keep pace with the times, and extraordinary times require extraordinary measures. Once one goes to extremes, it is easy to turn a stable system into a weapon of dictatorship. All systems have their pros and cons, it just depends on the occasion."

"At least, the decisions made by Victoria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this TV series cannot be considered wrong. This matter is clearly adapted from the 'Fence Incident,' and the Euric Autonomous Prefecture was handed over to Rim Billiton, wasn't it?"

"Yes... if we follow the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' inaction, the 'Fence Incident' would definitely happen, so is the sixth episode of this TV series about this matter?"

Vina was very clear about the history of her country and immediately turned her gaze back to the screen. She was very curious to see how much Chen Qi intended to satirize Victoria's diplomacy with the development trend she knew.

It's nothing more than incompetence and inaction, right? It probably won't be able to satirize anything new, Vina thought. And now, within the screen, the Bloodborne Archon was confronting Theresis.

The Bloodborne Archon supported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even acting as their lobbyist. He wanted to change Theresis's mind and prevent him from opposing his Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Shouldn't we promote peace, harmony, and friendship?" Theresis asked in surprise, finding this matter to be a clear right-or-wrong issue, rather than related to diplomacy.

"—That's strange." The Bloodborne Archon raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Whenever multiple major powers' foreign ministry personnel gather, it's universally recognized as an expression of international animosity."

"Humphrey, shouldn't Victoria support law and justice?" Theresis tried to gain the moral high ground, asking the Bloodborne Archon.

However, Theresis's move was completely ineffective against a seasoned civil servant like the Bloodborne Archon. He smiled and said, "Of course, Prime Minister—as long as you don't violate our foreign policy."

"We should help the weak and oppress the strong!" Theresis said righteously, firm in his stance. The Bloodborne Archon, however, countered with a smile:

"Then send troops to the East to fight the Ursus legions?"

"—Ursus is too strong."

"Hahahaha!"

However, Theresis, who was a righteous messenger just a moment ago, suddenly lost a lot of his imposing aura upon hearing about a direct confrontation with Ursus, causing Victoria, Rhodes Island, and many other places to burst into laughter, filled with a joyous atmosphere.

Of course, there was also a well-known reason for this: the Ursus expedition to the East had ended in failure. This was the only setback for the previously unstoppable Ursus legions under the former Ursus emperor, and no one expected it to be achieved by a small country like the East.

After all, before that, the East was virtually unknown in this land. Everyone believed that the Ursus legions could conquer the East just like they conquered other countries, but they never expected that the East, with the support of various parties, would severely dampen the morale of the Ursus legions.

And looking at this sentence now, the satirical meaning is even double-edged. It not only satirizes Victoria's superficial "justice" but also satirizes Ursus's superficial "strength."

"Good... at least this guy finally picked another country to satirize."

This was the first time Vina had heard Chen Qi's script in "Yes, Prime Minister" satirize a country other than Victoria, which slightly improved her mood.

Also feeling better because of this was a beautiful woman with long white hair and dragon horns, currently in a medium-sized mobile city called "Little Hill County" within Victoria. Despite her beauty, she exuded a dangerous aura like a venomous scorpion.

...It was like the faint, eerie yet intensely burning feeling that lingered around her. The "leader" of the well-known "Deep Pool" organization within Little Hill County.

However, some people in Little Hill County knew about Deep Pool, but not its true leader. And now, this true leader, a Drac woman named "Ablana," was watching the scene on television with great interest.

"No matter how many times I watch it, I'm still amazed. Victoria can make so many taboo things public? These are things they never let others touch! Let alone broadcast them on TV?"

"...No, rather, this is not something Victoria would do. Other mobile cities in Victoria probably don't know about it yet, right? Londinium has long been occupied by Sarkaz."

However, Ablana's eyes flickered slightly. As the leader of "Deep Pool," she had been actively planning to fight for everything her people deserved. And now, this "Yes, Prime Minister," broadcast from Victoria, had caught her attention.

"But... the Sarkaz in Londinium shouldn't have the leisure and resources for this?"

"This is clearly not the work of the Sarkaz. Those warmongers wouldn't think of this idea of disintegrating Victoria from within."

Ablana pondered for a long time. Now, looking at the actors on the TV, who were clearly not the real Aslan and Feline, she revealed a knowing smile.

"Interesting... who came up with all this... I'm really curious."

"——We've already sent Ahfeni to Londinium to gather intelligence. I'm sure she'll give us a satisfactory answer, Sister."

However, not far behind Ablana, a woman who called her "Sister" and looked nearly ninety percent identical slowly walked over. The only difference between the two sisters was that the younger one's presence felt alternately cold and warm, but always within a comfortable limit.

Upon hearing her sister's words, Ablana also smiled faintly:

"Yes, Lavshini, I'm really looking forward to the useful intelligence she brings back. I'm curious, what kind of talent has that Regent of Londinium acquired?"

"Although I don't know who he is, his current revelations about Victoria… are the wisdom we need."

Chapter Forty-Six: Vina: Stop Scolding, Victoria's Underwear is About to Show

On the screen, the Bloodborne Archon, playing as Humphrey, and the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were discussing matters concerning the Euric Autonomous Prefecture. The Bloodborne Archon poured himself a drink and couldn't help but sigh:

"The matter of the Euric Autonomous Prefecture is truly tiresome."

"Exactly." The Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nodded in approval, extinguishing his cigar before replying, "Making them an autonomous prefecture twenty years ago was a big mistake."

"It was the general trend, wasn't it? The tide of change and all that."

"Yes, but the method was wrong." The Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took the wine offered by the Bloodborne Archon and then said something that surprised everyone watching this episode:

"We should have partitioned that region back then."

The Bloodborne Archon immediately understood and said without hesitation, "Just like how we partitioned areas like Old Terra, Sarkaz, Rim Billiton, and Columbia back then?"

"Precisely. That has always been our policy towards regions with separatist tendencies, and it has never failed," the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated frankly, admitting it so quickly that it was almost disorienting.

As for diplomatic matters, the Bloodborne Archon, who was the Cabinet Secretary, was somewhat confused. He asked with a hint of strangeness, "But doesn't partitioning a country always lead to civil war? Like Sarkaz and Rim Billiton now, and Terra in the past."

"——That's right, but it also gives them something to do, so they don't fight other countries and instead fight amongst themselves."

"Yes, it's quite good, saving us the trouble of setting policies." The Bloodborne Archon also smiled slowly. The two high-ranking secretaries raised their wine glasses. Accompanied by a burst of canned laughter, they revealed a piece of history that Victoria had always been unwilling to acknowledge.

At the same time, whether it was Kal'tsit or Vina from Rhodes Island, or the leader of Deep Pool from Little Hill County, anyone who knew of this taboo was deeply moved by this line.