"Yes, Prime Minister" sees the light of day again / Theresis: If only my sister were alive...

How could watching TV have turned her into not only unable to go home, but also seemingly uprooting her place in the house?

Chapter 117: The Reappearance of "Yes, Prime Minister"

"Your Grace! Was this decision made jointly by the eight dukes?"

"Your Grace! Do you intend to abolish the Emperor?"

"Your Majesty the Duke..."

However, when the Duke of Wellington, as the representative, announced the final results of the discussion among the eight dukes, countless reporters from various countries asked questions, and the flashbulbs of cameras went off continuously, demonstrating just how sensational this huge news was to the outside world.

Not only foreigners, but even the citizens of Victoria were surprised that the eight dukes would make such a bold and sensational decision.

It's important to understand that from the time most Victoria could remember, the image of the "Emperor," symbolizing the pinnacle of power, was deeply ingrained in their minds. So what if the eight dukes were to actually limit imperial power?

Almost immediately, all the Victoria were outraged by this decision. However, the Duke of Wellington had clearly anticipated this, and after gesturing for silence, he calmly but firmly replied:

"I know you all have many questions, but this time, the eight dukes discussed this issue together, and we made this decision after considering many factors."

"But before that, please allow me to ask all citizens of Victoria a question—once again, Victoria has fallen into its Darkest Hour, beset by internal and external troubles. This time, without the wise and mighty His Majesty Frederick III, whose power has helped Victoria defend against the foreign enemies?"

However, as soon as the Duke of Wellington uttered these words, the room fell silent. After exchanging bewildered glances, the reporters and representatives from various countries turned their attention to the Duke of Wellington.

Their meaning was quite clear—didn't you lead the army to resist the attacks of Leithania and Ursus at the crucial moment, and even scare away Kazimierz?

"I believe Director Chen Qi can definitely provide a good answer to this question."

At that moment, Ablana, standing to the side, picked up where the Duke of Wellington left off. In an instant, all eyes were once again on Chen Qi. Chen Qi met Ablana's gaze, feeling a bit bitter inside—what was this woman up to?

This is clearly a matter between you Victoria and your family, why are you dragging me into it? But facing the microphone handed to him by Ablana, in front of everyone, it would be too embarrassing not to give a good answer.

Therefore, Chen Qi immediately chose to take a broader perspective and gave the best answer, saying:

"It is the power of the people."

"--As expected of Director Chen Qi, he hit the nail on the head."

However, upon receiving the expected answer, and seeing Chen Qi's unwavering response, Ablana's smile involuntarily widened, causing Talulah, who was standing not far away, to clench her fists.

Chen Qi's answer immediately caught the attention of the foreign representatives. They already valued Chen Qi, but his words made them realize even more that Chen Qi extraordinary.

Little did they know that Chen Qi's upbringing was different from theirs... The education Chen Qi received from a young age destined him to be more morally upright and broad-minded than most of the high-ranking officials, and even the emperors, in this land.

"Director Chen Qi is right, and that is our answer, the answer to why we made this choice."

The Duke of Wellington nodded approvingly. As one of the younger of the eight dukes, he was a man of great military achievements, bravery, and open-mindedness. He admired Chen Qi's resounding answer.

However, in his view, it was not surprising that Chen Qi could answer the question. Both "Darkest Hour" and "Braveheart" constantly conveyed Chen Qi's own values, and this was the result of the discussion among the eight dukes.

"People of Victoria, it was not our eight dukes, nor any of Victoria's emperors, who drove away the enemy; it was your strength that allowed Victoria to overcome this crisis."

"Your strength is the foundation of this nation. Without you, even the most brilliant and powerful emperor would be powerless."

"And now, the throne is high and there has been no successor for a long time, yet Victoria still stands strong because of the combined strength of every Victoria citizen. In this war, we were united, forgetting our differences, and the strength we formed was enough to surpass the leadership of any emperor."

"And in times of crisis, the throne remains vacant, with no one stepping forward to succeed to it—and we have proven that even without an emperor's leadership, we can defend our homeland solely through the strength of the people of Victoria."

"Just as the people of Victoria overthrew the emperor, we are giving this power back to the people of Victoria. Even without an emperor in the future, we will continue to move forward."

"Therefore, we will allocate a larger portion of royal power to those who truly serve the country. From now on, the emperor will no longer be the sole voice; the voice of the Victoria people will be the voice that governs the nation."

The Duke of Wellington's resounding answer echoed throughout the hall, and no one dared to refute his powerful response.

No, or rather, the person who wants to refute him is not here at this moment, but on Rhodes Island.

"That guy! You clearly wanted to go to Victoria, Master! But if you actually went, would they accept you?! Even if they did, would they still listen to you?!"

"Isn't it possible they'll kill you right now, or put you in the lap as a puppet?! One or two of them clearly harbor rebellious intentions, yet they're standing up now saying they don't need an emperor! * Victoria's profanity*!"

Beside Vina, Indra was so angry at the Duke of Wellington's words that he was about to smash the television. Fortunately, Dagda, Morgan and others stopped him, but they still couldn't stop Indra from cursing and pleading for Vina's innocence.

It wasn't that they were afraid to go; it was that given the circumstances, going would have meant certain death! If Vina had returned to Victoria at that time, she probably wouldn't have even reached the eight dukes before being imprisoned and never seeing the light of day again. That would have been considered lucky.

The eight dukes are clearly trying to prevent a successor to the throne! Now they're openly declaring that they don't need an emperor—of course they don't!

"This is the final result of the eight dukes' discussions. None of the eight dukes are particularly happy, but none of them object."

However, after a moment of slight surprise, Kal'tsit realized why the final result of the discussion among the eight dukes was to limit imperial power.

"Even without an emperor, the eight dukes still wield the most power in Victoria. Given that the unified Victoria system is unlikely to change, their proposal to limit imperial power without overthrowing it, and to establish a new system where the eight dukes can wield even more power, is the best option for them."

"Is there not a single one of the eight dukes loyal to the emperor?!" Indra was furious and asked instinctively.

However, Kal'tsit shook her head and said calmly, "It is precisely because there are still dukes loyal to the emperor that they compromised and settled for second best; otherwise, they probably wouldn't even have retained the throne today."

"This decision may not satisfy all the dukes, but it will undoubtedly satisfy all of them, and that is enough."

"Rather than choosing an emperor they wouldn't accept, it's better to secure their own positions. That way, no matter which one of them has ulterior motives, there will still be some room for maneuver."

"And... the most important thing is to prevent the Victoria people, who are still caught up in the fervor, from rebelling against them and consolidating their power."

It must be said that Kal'tsit is very clear about what the eight dukes are thinking. Victoria is indeed no longer suitable for an ordinary emperor to lead. Unless a superhuman emerges, it will be difficult to convince each of the eight dukes.

If you can't subdue at least half of the eight dukes, even the most powerful emperor won't give you room to fight.

"So that means... Victoria doesn't need an emperor for the time being?"

Upon hearing the news, Vina went from being shocked at first to gradually accepting the fact and becoming much calmer.

Seeing this, Kal'tsit was also a little surprised by Vina's calm acceptance of the fact, and couldn't help but ask, "You seem relieved?"

"... I suppose so. I don't know if I'm a good emperor, but I do know that I will only be the emperor of Victoria when the people of Victoria need me."

"If they don't approve of me... even with royal blood, I can't lead Victoria to do better. It's better to wait patiently and learn gradually."

"Until... when my people need an emperor again, I hope that by then I will have become a qualified ruler."

Vina had already figured this out. Victoria had weathered the storm and now needed to recuperate. Although the eight dukes were wary of each other, they also understood the situation. Only a strong Victoria could support their internal strife.

It would take at least twenty or thirty years for Victoria to become powerful, and I am still not mature enough. So instead of rushing to put Liberi on the shelves, I should go and hone my skills some more.

Soon after, the Duke of Wellington, on television, announced Victoria's next course of action: to retain the monarchy but transfer most of the power to Parliament, with the monarchy retaining only the final decision-making authority.

The civil service system of Victoria's parliamentary system will be retained, and the power of parliament will be further expanded. The prime minister will still be the nominal head of the civil service, but now the prime minister reports to the eight dukes instead of the emperor.

With no heir to the throne for the time being, the eight dukes will vote on each proposal, with the minority yielding to the majority, temporarily assuming the position of Victoria's highest power.

To put it bluntly, in Chen Qi's understanding, it's a constitutional monarchy. It's just that now there's an extra link in the decision-making process, with the eight dukes making the decision. If there's an emperor in the future, the eight dukes will discuss it, and then the emperor will make the final decision.

Unfortunately... Victoria is unlikely to have an emperor for the time being. That's why Ablana didn't join the fray; whoever becomes emperor now will be squeezed out by the other dukes.

"In addition, we made a decision, a small one, to let the people of Victoria know that our government is more enlightened and more trustworthy."

But the Duke of Wellington seemed not to have finished speaking. He slightly changed the subject, revealing a subtle smile, and addressed the group of foreign representatives, saying each word carefully:

"To demonstrate that our government is worthy of the trust of the people of Victoria, and to express that we are bidding farewell to the Victoria of the past, we have decided to lift the restrictions on the broadcast of 'Yes, Prime Minister' within Victoria."

"From this day forward, Victoria will no longer impose restrictions on the promotion of 'Yes, Prime Minister' or any other works by director Chen Qi, as a sign of our friendship and the trust the people of Victoria have in our government."

However, as soon as the Duke of Wellington made these remarks, the faces of many representatives from various countries darkened. Even the Ursus nobles who had not sent representatives but were watching Victoria's new policies on television looked grim, as if they had been targeted by Homo.

Good grief, all that buildup, and all you did was use this to annoy us, huh?!

Do you think they don't know what kind of TV series "Yes, Prime Minister" is? Don't they know that they've even passed laws to restrict the spread of this kind of thing domestically? They can broadcast it freely here, but what kind of turmoil will that cause to their country's security?!

Victoria! You deserve to die!

Chapter 118: Theresis: If only my sister were alive...

Today's official announcements from Victoria were all quite significant. First, the eight dukes introduced new policies to limit royal power, and then there was the news that the restrictions on "Yes, Prime Minister" would be lifted, indicating that Victoria's new government was different from the past. This news quickly spread throughout the entire Terra via live broadcast.

This news was extremely shocking to all countries. After all, Victoria was a long-established power, and her every move had a significant impact on the surrounding countries. Who was in power represented the future direction of the country, and was basically tied to the personality of that person.

For example, the former emperor of Ursus was an ambitious emperor who wanted to expand his territory. Other examples include the emperors of Gaul and the former emperors of Yan. In Terra, a country's national policies are often closely related to the personality of the person in power.

However, Victoria's course has now become uncertain. The joint rule of the eight dukes has divided Victoria's power, delegating it to Parliament. This move has made neighboring countries uneasy—after all, every conclusion Victoria reaches will become the "most reasonable solution" discussed by a majority of Parliament and then decided by the eight dukes.

Whether Victoria will become stronger as a result, they don't know, but if, as the Duke of Wellington said, every choice is decided by Parliament and then discussed and implemented by the eight dukes, and it aligns with the interests of the majority...

So, they could theoretically guess how quickly a country could recover its national strength by repeatedly implementing a policy of "not acting impulsively."

As for the lifting of the broadcast restrictions on "Yes, Prime Minister"... it's not so hard to accept in comparison. Although various countries felt it was satirized to some extent, everyone knows which two countries would be most disgusted after "Yes, Prime Minister" was released.

Without a doubt, one Ursus, one Kazimierz.

Ursus was so heavily criticized for the Infected in "Yes, Prime Minister" that the show was banned by the authorities; while Kazimierz is more similar to Victoria, and the parliamentary system makes them particularly "identifiable".

Of course, besides that, Victoria had another major piece of news, which was overshadowed by the two overly joyful announcements and seemed less important.

That is, after discussion, the eight dukes decided to restart the "Steam Knight" manufacturing project.

This confrontation with three countries made the eight dukes realize just how passive the Victoria army was when facing powerful enemies without Steam Knight, and how much sacrifice they had to make. With Steam Knight, many of their stalemates would be broken in an instant.

Although the Steam Knight were a last resort and a signal of all-out war... it's always better to have the initiative than to hope that the other side won't break the war treaty.

At least, if there were Steam Knight, it's questionable whether the three countries would dare to take advantage of the situation this time.

"In this way, Victoria's national strength will theoretically develop very rapidly in the next two or three decades. Although it may not necessarily return to the peak of the Victoria dynasty, I think it will have no problem regaining its dominant position in the western continent."

"The deal offered by the eight dukes is that the Sarkaz mercenaries will protect Victoria, which is currently weakened, during this period. In return, they will regularly and steadily transport the resources needed to build Mobile City to Kazdel at a relatively low price."

After the armistice ceremony concluded, Theresis and the Pope specifically sought out Chen Qi for tea and conversation. This time, neither Ablana, Madam Sicily, nor Silver Ash were qualified to approach; this was not a discussion at their level.

Now, in the coffee shop in Little Hill County, Chen Qi felt like a million eyes were watching him... The two highest authorities, one from heaven and the other from hell, were beside him, creating immense pressure...

This time, even Nian, Amiya, and Talulah could only chat at another table; the conversation on Chen Qi's side was no longer a topic they could participate in.

"This is a long-term deal. Victoria needs the Sarkaz's military protection. Until they produce enough Steam Knight and restore sufficient defense capabilities, the Sarkaz will have the resources to rebuild Kazdel."

Theresis seemed to be in a very good mood. This regent, who never showed his emotions on his face, had a slight smile on his face throughout his conversation with Chen Qi, and said:

"Director Chen Qi, your help to the Sarkaz... I'm ashamed to say, but the help you've provided is greater than what I, as the Regent, have accomplished over decades."

"Haha, after all, Director Chen Qi's reputation is much better than Sarkaz's." The Pope chuckled nonchalantly, seemingly unconcerned about sitting next to Theresis, and said:

"Moreover, Director Chen Qi's works sometimes help us in Laterano to address internal issues. Now that Victoria has just established a new order, the eight dukes are willing to re-establish diplomatic relations with Laterano and need some financial assistance from Laterano."

"This time, we plan to rebuild the diocese in Victoria, but the bishop will be directly appointed by our Laterano. The atmosphere of the Laterano foreign dioceses is completely renewed."

"--More importantly, Director Chen Qi, you have really done a lot of promotion for our doctrines. Frederick III in 'Darkest Hour' and Emil in 'Braveheart' both mentioned the 'Lord' we believe in. Thank you so much."

"Being able to assist you both is enough to repay our friendship." Chen Qi was gradually getting used to chatting with important figures in Terra every day, and in response to the Pope and Theresis's gratitude, he said:

"My two new works are also thanks to the help of Theresis and His Holiness the Pope; otherwise, I'm afraid they wouldn't have had such a great effect, let alone stopped the war."

"For some future works, I may still need everyone's help. I can only offer some assistance to you both within the limits of my own work."

"--Then, to the sound of our great friendship."

The Pope, a master of enlivening the atmosphere, immediately raised his teacup and gestured for Chen Qi and Theresis to clink glasses. After a moment's thought, Theresis reluctantly raised his glass as well.

"Respect for Friendship."

The sight of these three people, representing three different factions, chatting and laughing together is something that, two years ago, none of them would have thought would have happened.

"I just don't understand, Theresis, why aren't I in a hurry to go back to Londinium now that Victoria's new policy has been announced?" Chen Qi couldn't help but ask Theresis. Theresis is a very busy man; he's already finished the most important things, and he's still staying in Little Hill County. Surely he can't be staying just to accompany him?

Chen Qi could only say that he already had Talulah to keep him company, and if all else failed, he still had Nian by his side. If Theresis had been replaced by Theresia, he might not have cared about spending some time with her.

"Of course not, I have something else in common with Director Chen Qi this time." Theresis smiled slightly and said, "I also received an invitation to the film festival and was nominated for Best Actor."

"... Don't tell me you actually care about that award." Chen Qi's expression turned somewhat horrified; he suddenly felt that he, as a transmigrator, didn't quite recognize Theresis anymore.

"Why wouldn't we care? This is a great opportunity." Theresis shook her head, explaining her thoughts:

Throughout history, the Sarkaz have seemed to have little to do with civilization, culture, or art. When people think of the Sarkaz, they think of our bloodthirstiness, belligerence, and strength, as well as customs that they reject without understanding them.

"And now, as the acting ruler of the Sarkaz, I am representing the Sarkaz race and entering their attention for the first time as someone involved in art. This is a good opportunity to change the impression of the Sarkaz race."

"That doesn't sound like something you would say."

Theresis's plan left Chen Qi completely bewildered. He almost thought that the person standing in front of him was Theresis, not Theresia. After all, Theresis's proposals were quite similar to his sister's, such as helping the Sarkaz integrate into society.

"Sounds like my sister Theresia's words, doesn't it?"

Theresis clearly understood Chen Qi's meaning; however, when Chen Qi mentioned Theresia, Theresis's eyes narrowed slightly, thinking that Chen Qi was indeed not as simple as he appeared.

Because only the remnants of the Babel and the Sarkaz people of that time knew about Theresia's personality and beliefs—and even most of the Sarkaz were not entirely clear about Theresia's beliefs; they simply followed Theresia because Theresia had indeed brought them hope.

Therefore, Chen Qi's statement that he knew Theresia's personality and beliefs... is enough to show that he knew these things at least before the Kazdel Civil War, while Theresis had no recollection of Chen Qi.

Then there's only one possibility: Chen Qi, this "mysterious being," may have been paying attention to the Sarkaz race for many years... especially to Theresia.

This conveys two very important messages. First, Chen Qi is definitely not an ordinary person; Theresis suspects that Chen Qi may very well be the incarnation of some so-called "Feranmut."