Directing on Rhodes Island, Success if Not Banned

"The one piece of history that Aslan of Victoria least wants to admit—it's just being said so easily?"

Ablana couldn't help but murmur to herself. This statement might not have had much impact if heard by some Victorians, as the history of Aslan pulling the imperial power that originally belonged to Drakon from Victoria's throne was completely public.

The Tara Dynasty was replaced by the Aslan Dynasty. From then on, the subjects originally belonging to the Tara Dynasty were suppressed and integrated by Victorians, gradually living on as new Victorians.

But how they were pulled down, most of these details had already been erased. For Aslan's rule, this was an inconvenient history to make public.

Yet, even Ablana hadn't expected that one day she wouldn't hear this from a speech, but from a political satire comedy circulating in Victoria, told in a joking, childish manner.

It was even so light as if it were taken for granted... but undoubtedly, the Bloodborne Archon, playing Humphrey on the television, and another Foreign Ministry secretary, their attitudes... symbolized the attitude of the Aslan high-ups in Victoria towards this matter.

—They didn't even feel ashamed of their ancestors' despicable actions.

However, at this moment, Ablana didn't even have a chance to get angry. Her eyes were fixed on the television, and at this moment, Bernard, played by Manfred on the television, also entered the office, asking about matters the Prime Minister was being kept in the dark about.

"It seems the Prime Minister is completely unaware of the situation." Manfred urgently hoped the two people in front of him could provide an answer, but unexpectedly, the Bloodborne Archon replied, "Good, very good, what else?"

"Uh... I'm wondering if it's about some diplomatic matters that he doesn't know about?"

"I don't even know where to begin, Bernard." The Bloodborne Archon slowly sat down, but the meaning of his words was already quite clear: they had no intention of letting the Prime Minister know about any so-called diplomatic matters.

Clearly, Humphrey and a group of civil servants believed that involving parliamentarians and politicians in diplomatic affairs was a very dangerous act. For this reason, the Bloodborne Archon specifically explained to Manfred:

"Diplomacy aims to keep Victoria alive until the next century, politics aims to keep Victoria alive until Friday afternoon."

Accompanied by canned laughter, at this moment, countless viewers were once again amused by these words, which could be called wise sayings.

As for why it was Friday afternoon? Because work ended and the holiday began on Friday afternoon! The audience immediately understood that politicians and parliamentarians didn't have a different attitude towards work than they, the workers, did. Everyone clocked in and out, and everyone lived by getting by.

However, this also subtly conveyed a dangerous message—if workers were just getting by, it might only lead to product issues; but if politicians and parliamentarians all held such thoughts, what would be the problem?

And at this moment, the Foreign Ministry secretary also explained to Manfred: "This land has twenty-one countries, and we've dealt with them for many years, and almost all parliamentarians are completely ignorant of this."

The Bloodborne Archon also chimed in with a light laugh, saying to Manfred, "Give them a map, and most of them wouldn't even be able to find Ascara County (the place where Silver Ash trains 'Mountain Snow Ghosts')."

"...Politicians wouldn't be that ignorant, would they?" Although Manfred was also a civil servant, he disagreed with the views of the Bloodborne Archon and the Foreign Ministry secretary. After all, as the Prime Minister's private secretary, he had to defend Theresis, who represented the politicians, a little.

However, upon hearing Manfred's words, he was met with a burst of light laughter from the two. After exchanging a smile, the two old Vulpos spoke again, "Very well, please sit down, Bernard."

After Manfred slowly sat down, the Foreign Ministry secretary and the Bloodborne Archon, one question each, began to prove their point.

"Where is New Agi City (a famous city in the Eastern country for games, anime, and urban legends)?"

Manfred: "Uh..."

"Where is the capital of Durin?"

"Mmm..."

"What is the second power position of Sargon's feudal system called?"

"Uh."

"What doctrine does Siracusa believe in?"

"Uh..."

"—Bernard." The Bloodborne Archon stared at the bewildered Manfred with a smile full of fawning, and teasingly said, "You should run for parliament."

"Hahahaha!"

At this moment, Rhodes Island erupted in a burst of hearty laughter. Whether it was Amiya, Huang, and a group of elite operators around Kal'tsit, or even many operators watching dramas in their rooms, they all let out long-lost, hearty laughs, clutching their stomachs in laughter.

Even Kal'tsit shook her head, her lips twitching slightly, unable to hide her amusement. As an immortal, she had to admit that sometimes, politicians and parliamentarians were indeed more ignorant than she had imagined.

However, soon, as Bernard questioned why the Foreign Ministry didn't need to discuss these diplomatic issues with parliamentarians, the Bloodborne Archon generously explained the meaning of diplomacy:

"The media, the people, and their chosen leaders only want to know who is good and who is bad."

"The problem is that for national interests, we have to trade with countries that people consider bad, and occasionally abandon good people who are unwilling to cooperate."

"That's why we avoid discussing diplomatic affairs, or only discuss them within the Foreign Ministry, and formulate a single policy to submit to the Foreign Minister. That's our conclusion, he just follows it, it's that simple."

If the previous conversation could only be described as teasing, then this time it was truly substantive.

For a moment, Vina, Kal'tsit, Ablana, Wei Yanyu, and a host of others who were highly sensitive to politics immediately smelled something different. They all realized that what was about to be revealed was definitely information that could be considered "internal unwritten rules" within Victoria's civil service system!

Especially with the meaning of diplomacy stated by the Bloodborne Archon, Ablana almost immediately took out her notebook and began to record these words. She realized that this was information she absolutely had to know—if she could truly re-establish the Tara Dynasty.

And on the television, Manfred felt something was amiss and continued to ask, "What if he's not satisfied?"

"If he urges us, we'll take another look." The Foreign Ministry secretary said nonchalantly. Hearing this, Manfred felt there might be other outcomes and couldn't help but ask, "And reach another conclusion?"

"Of course not, the same conclusion."

"—It's quite obvious, Bernard. The Foreign Ministry will give the Foreign Minister three choices." At this moment, the Bloodborne Archon personally taught Manfred again, sharing his experience and saying, "Two of them are actually exactly the same, and the third is completely unacceptable."

"For example, dispatching the Steam Knight to bomb Yan, or invading Gaul."

"Sometimes we'll also encourage the Foreign Minister to come up with policies himself, and then tell him that within 48 hours, we'll be starting a world war that involves all countries."

In just a few words, the Bloodborne Archon and the Foreign Ministry Secretary had thoroughly explained Victoria's foreign policy. While these might have seemed like mere tricks of the Foreign Ministry, the fact that Victoria's parliamentarians still used them today proved their extreme effectiveness.

Vina's expression was currently a mix of seriousness and surprise. She had been forced onto the streets far too early, and while she had received an education and understood politics well, she knew very little about the unwritten rules.

"Chen Qi... where on earth did this guy learn all this?"

"And why is he being used by Theresis? This is truly—"

At this moment, Vina gritted her teeth, feeling an unprecedented sense of frustration, a feeling of having her innermost secrets exposed without even knowing who the observer was.

Chen Qi—you better not let me catch you!

Chapter 47: Famous Scene: Victoria's Four-Step Diplomacy Revealed!

"Even if everything he wrote is true, what good does exposing it do him? Does he hate Victoria that much?"

Now, even Vina, who didn't have an overwhelming desire for the throne and merely aimed to fulfill her duty as Crown Princess, couldn't help but feel a degree of resentment towards Chen Qi.

No matter what, Vina was still Victoria's Crown Princess and a Victorian. Although her past experiences had caused her to lose everything, she still held a sense of recognition for Victoria and wished to restore its former glory.

Yet, she found that Victoria in her eyes seemed completely different from Victoria in Chen Qi's eyes. Furthermore, Chen Qi had been coerced by Theresis to go to Londinium. Could he have understood Victoria's civil service system so thoroughly after staying there for such a short time?

Or had Victoria's civil servants become so corrupt that an outsider could easily gather information and reveal all their secrets to the public?

"...Clearly, Theresis is more eager to promote 'Yes, Prime Minister'."

Kal'tsit, who understood Theresis's methods fairly well, spoke up, "He is very steady in everything he excels at, but he appears very anxious when exploring new fields. If this is a thirst for new knowledge... I suppose it can be considered as such, but it's evident that Theresis is currently using the television series 'Yes, Prime Minister' to continuously erode the Victorian people's confidence in Victoria. Perhaps one day, the people of Victoria will have no hope for both present-day Victoria and its former peak. If the Ursus people still have their former emperors to revere, then Victoria will likely have nothing worth the people's regret."

Kal'tsit's words were quite blunt, but she noticed a flicker of darkness on Vina's seemingly calm face and added, "...But honestly, if a country can be brought down by a TV show, then that country is pretty much done for. Victoria's future ultimately depends on you, Miss Vina. What kind of path you intend to lead your people down, how you plan to regain their confidence—that's what you need to consider."

Kal'tsit's words plunged Vina into a long silence. Vina was currently contemplating this issue. The reason she cared so much about the jokes about Victoria in 'Yes, Prime Minister' was precisely because she knew too well how fragile Victoria was at the moment. The disputes among the dukes, everyone's eyes fixed solely on the throne. Victoria was currently headless, its national strength declining day by day, and even its capital had been occupied by the Sarkaz! Even without Chen Qi or 'Yes, Prime Minister,' Victoria was already incredibly vulnerable, which was why she worried that this TV show would accelerate Victoria's fragmentation...

"...I haven't figured out how to continue on this path yet," Vina fell into a long silence, unsure how to resolve Londinium's predicament, let alone how to win back her people. After all, this was the current state of Victoria, and Vina had to admit that the criticisms in 'Yes, Prime Minister' were accurate.

Seeing this, Kal'tsit didn't press further. She knew Vina wasn't mature enough yet and needed more time to think about her future path. Kal'tsit had a premonition that Vina wouldn't take long to figure things out... perhaps after the plan to rescue Chen Qi succeeded, Vina would have a sudden realization. For now, Kal'tsit could only focus her attention on the television, wanting to see if the series would reveal anything else astonishing later on.

At this moment, the three people on the television received intelligence that with the aid of Ursus and Gaul, a coup in the Euricca Autonomous Region was imminent. Both Kal'tsit and Vina knew that if the Foreign Ministry didn't act, the "Siege" would occur just as it did in history. However, on the television, the Bloodborne Archon and the Foreign Ministry Secretary remained indifferent. This not only made the audience anxious but also made Manfred anxiously ask:

"Then what about the local residents?"

"Bernard, you sound just like a politician," the Bloodborne Archon teased. Manfred, however, was not in the mood for jokes and anxiously replied, "I'm sorry, but how can we help them?"

"Do nothing," the Foreign Ministry Secretary answered decisively. Seeing their indifference, Manfred voiced the question most concerning to the audience outside the screen:

"What if they ask us for help?"

"We will give them all the support they need, except for aid."

As soon as the Foreign Ministry Secretary said this, familiar laughter echoed through the screen once more. Clearly, Victoria's inaction was not a new occurrence; they were very accustomed to sitting back and watching the Vulpo fight amongst themselves.

This scene, witnessed by Ablana in the Deep Pool, who was diligently taking notes, couldn't help but elicit a smile as she murmured, "That's right, those hypocritical Victorians are all like this. They stay out of everything, indifferent to the pleas of us Terrans, and even those Terrans who have become Victorians. Now that your true colors have been exposed by the Sarkaz, I wonder how you feel..." Ablana thought this and couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Beside her, her sister Lavshini, who was the 'Shadow Dancer,' had never seen her sister smile so genuinely. Suddenly, even Lavshini, who only had a superficial understanding of politics, couldn't help but turn her gaze to the television, feeling a sense of curiosity towards the screenwriter her sister cared about so much.

Meanwhile, Manfred's interaction with the other two on the television was not yet over. Manfred couldn't help but ask, "What if the Prime Minister insists on helping them?"

"Then we follow the 'Four-Stage Tactic'," the Bloodborne Archon replied with a smile. Manfred was unaware of this, but fortunately, the Foreign Ministry Secretary explained it to Manfred and everyone watching:

"The Foreign Ministry's Standard Crisis Response Strategy."

"Stage One: We publicize that nothing has happened."

"Stage Two: We say that perhaps something has happened, but we shouldn't take action."

"Stage Three: We say that perhaps action should be taken, but we can't do anything."

"Stage Four: We say that perhaps something could have been done back then, but it's too late now."

Finally, the Bloodborne Archon delivered the concluding explanation of the "Four-Step Method" to everyone, clarifying the so-called Foreign Ministry crisis response strategy in an extremely clear and visually intuitive manner.

In that moment, it was as if the whole world fell silent, leaving only the canned laughter from the television. But beyond the ordinary viewers, all factions paying close attention to "Yes, Prime Minister" fell into silence.

Wei Yanyu and Chen of Lungmen were stunned.

Vina, Amiya, and Kal'tsit of Rhodes Island opened their mouths slightly, unable to speak.

The sisters Ablana and Lavshini of the Deep Pool were so taken aback they couldn't process it, even forgetting their notes.

In the sewers of Londinium, Alda of the Self-Rescue Army even forgot her anger, her pupils constricting slightly.

This silence didn't last long. The next moment, with an interlude, the screens of all televisions broadcasting "Yes, Prime Minister" in Lungmen, Rhodes Island, Little Hill County... and all of Victoria's cities except Londinium, flickered!

The next instant, what appeared before everyone was a screen of static, symbolizing a signal interruption. This drama, except for Londinium, had virtually vanished from the continent of Terra.

And the most straightforward explanation for all of this was that the administrators of Victoria's other mobile cities, namely those Dukes, had all tacitly chosen to cut off the broadcast the moment those words were aired!

And this could only convey one message... they too were shaken by the secrets revealed in "Yes, Prime Minister."

This meant that everything said in "Yes, Prime Minister" was entirely true! It was what Victoria's rulers did not want their citizens to know!

The Dukes had chosen the worst possible way, the most inappropriate way. The moment they cut off the broadcast, all of Victoria's people understood a saying from Yan: "There are no three hundred taels of silver buried here."

"Leader! Alda is back! She brought news from Londinium, we found out the screenwriter's name!"

Meanwhile, in Little Hill County, Ablana stared blankly at the static-filled television screen. Mandra, an executive from the Deep Pool, arrived at her leader's location and, through Lavshini, delivered the information she held into Ablana's hands.

"...Chen Qi."

Gazing at the intelligence in her hands, along with the detailed information about Chen Qi that Alda had gathered, Ablana's eyes grew increasingly delighted. At this moment, her face couldn't hide her smile!

"My sister, I've decided. We're going to Londinium!"

"Now?" Lavshini was startled by the words. However, she saw a look of determination on her sister's face. Ablana nodded heavily and declared with conviction:

"We need Chen Qi, we need that screenwriter. With him, we'll be unstoppable in Victoria! Our offensive will be like a bamboo breaking through!"

"He possesses power beyond our imagination. With him, it won't be long before we, the Tarans, reclaim everything that belongs to us from Aslan's rule, with justice and victory!"