"Yes, Prime Minister" taught you step by step how to wage internal power struggles / The information-packed first episode of "Yes, Prime Minister"

"I hope you can give me even more surprises this time, my Playwright friend." Although the Bloodborne Archon's attitude remained relatively indifferent, he was still quite polite to Chen Qi out of consideration for his position.

Moreover, whether it was because he had outshone Theresis at the awards ceremony, or because mentioning "Humphrey" again made the Bloodborne Archon feel comfortable, he seemed to be in a very good mood.

However, Chen Qi is bound to disappoint the Bloodborne Archon. In the second season of "Yes, Prime Minister," the Prime Minister, played by Theresis, will have fewer opportunities to suffer setbacks. On the contrary, the Bloodborne Archon may have to face more setbacks.

"Well then, the script is all here. We need a week to prepare. Please, as always, familiarize yourselves with the script, and then we'll start filming the second season next week."

"Yes, Director." X3

This time, the three high-ranking Sarkaz all spoke up in unison, teasing Chen Qi. Only after Chen Qi left did the three exchange glances, and then Manfred spoke:

"General, should I reconvene the Kazdel Military Commission and continue the weekly meetings?"

"Of course, by the way, this time remember to also grant authorization to all of Victoria's Mobile City, and while we're at it, have our Sarkaz spies find a way to 'accidentally leak' this information in countries like Ursus and Kazimierz."

Theresis's lips curled slightly. Now, with Victoria's support, they could finally openly and massively disseminate the contents of "Yes, Prime Minister" to various countries across Terra.

Moreover, they don't need to consider the consequences, because this is a power "officially granted" to the Sarkaz by Victoria. They just need to put on a good show, do their research, and then spread it, making these countries as chaotic as possible.

Especially in countries like Ursus and Kazimierz, the more chaotic they are, the less resources they will have to manage the affairs of the Sarkaz Kazdel Sarkaz the future—this is the most cost-effective way to rebuild a country without spending a fortune or risking the annihilation of the Sarkaz race.

A week passed quickly, during which the three Sarkaz discussed the script. The three, whose relationship had become somewhat strained due to returning to their daily routines, once again had enough time to work things out.

So, on the day filming officially began, the Duke of Wellington, along with Ablana and a host of Victoria officers, politicians, and civil servants, were on high alert, waiting for the start of filming for the second season of "Yes, Prime Minister".

A closer look reveals that they are all holding pens and notebooks. Clearly, the Duke of Wellington, like Theresis, intends to record all the noteworthy points in "Yes, Prime Minister" to facilitate their future internal reorganization.

"Alright, all departments, get ready—Act One of Episode One of 'Yes, Prime Minister,' let's begin filming!"

Finally, with Chen Qi's order, the first episode of the second season of "Yes, Prime Minister" officially began. The very first scene showed Humphrey, played by Bloodborne Archon, discussing a topic of great concern to Victoria's officials—troop movements—with secretaries from several departments.

It turns out that the Minister of Employment proposed to the Prime Minister that 200,000 to 300,000 soldiers be transferred to Mobile City in the less developed north, northwest, and northeast regions to address issues such as employment and uneven economic development.

This was undoubtedly bad news for officials in the Ministry of Defense, because Victoria's south was prosperous, and almost all economic centers were located there, while the north was practically a wilderness. Why would they abandon the prosperous life in the south to suffer hardship and disaster in the north?

"It's just a troop movement, not an invasion by Ursus." Humphrey, played by Bloodborne Archon, seemed unable to think of a way to intervene and could only reassure the Secretary of Ministry of Defense.

However, upon seeing this, the Secretary of Ministry of Defense said helplessly, "It would be better if Ursus invaded; we have measures to repel them."

These words surprised the Bloodborne Archon, who subconsciously turned his head and asked, "Really?"

"When did the Ministry of Defense become so powerful?" The Bloodborne Archon was clearly curious, but the Ministry of Ministry of Defense secretary, upon hearing this, immediately shook his head with a sullen face and said:

"No, but at least it doesn't require much brainpower."

Well... this is the first thing they've got down to: criticizing defense and the extravagance of officials. The Duke of Wellington, who was witnessing it for the first time, was speechless. Faced with the sharpness of Chen Qi's writing, he inexplicably felt that letting Chen Qi take action would be a mistake...

However, since it can be used to attack enemy countries, it's a good show, especially since Ursus has just withdrawn its troops and there's widespread discontent within its own country, so they have to continue filming.

So let them criticize us, anyway, we've already criticized most of what needs to be criticized... so what's a little more?

Chapter 123: "Yes, Prime Minister" - A Step-by-Step Guide to Internal Strife

"Transferring troops to the north... this is indeed a sensitive issue. It's beneficial to the country, but it could easily cause discontent among military commanders, and even pose a danger of mutiny."

Although he was targeted, the Duke of Wellington did not forget that he came to learn, so he immediately expressed his concern about the difficulties raised by "Yes, Prime Duke of Wellington".

Ablana, standing to the side, seemed somewhat puzzled and asked, "Duke of Wellington, is this matter very troublesome?"

"Yes, Victoria is rich in the south, but there aren't many Mobile City in the north, and the surrounding villages and towns aren't very developed either. Most of the important Mobile City are concentrated in the south, so there are more troops stationed there."

"Sending generals and soldiers who have been in the south for too long to the north can indeed help with the construction of the north, but the army is indeed prone to disobeying orders."

The Duke of Wellington was well aware of these issues concerning Victoria, as his fiefdom extended to the north, encompassing the former Old Tara region.

He was also well aware that the reason the north was poorer than the south was due to the historical remnants of the old Tara region. Victoria had started his dynasty in the south, which was why the south was more prosperous under Aslan's rule. In contrast, Tara dynasty in the north, after cooperating with Aska and gradually annexing other regions, did not cooperate with Victoria's rule.

Poor and desolate places breed unruly people. This also led to an increasingly polarized development between the north and south of Victoria. The Duke of Wellington, as the most capable of leading armies among the eight dukes, had his fiefdom in the former Tara region. On the one hand, this was because his original Tara identity would be accepted by the locals, and on the other hand... it made it much easier to command rebellions.

The same applies to the TV series; even Humphrey, played by the Bloodborne Archon, felt that from the Prime Minister's perspective, the decision was "Tai He."

"Deploying half the army to the north would create countless jobs—such as support staff, supplies, construction, and vehicle and ship repair. Approximately 30,000 paychecks would be spent in northern shops."

However, this reason clearly failed to convince the senior officers. General Guy, the Director of Personnel and Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Defense, specifically sought out the Bloodborne Archon for this reason, but when the same explanation failed to persuade him, he quickly said:

"Junior officers may be able to be stationed in the North indefinitely, but you can't let senior officers live in the North their entire lives!"

"Their wives won't be able to stand it! Their children's schooling will also be a problem!"

At this point, Guy quickly added, as if to explain that his strong reaction was not because the matter concerned his own interests, but because he was thinking of his wife and children.

However, the response to the general was a murmur of unspoken laughter from the Victoria officials; clearly, everyone understood the general's thoughts.

As expected, the Bloodborne Archon smiled slightly upon hearing this and deliberately asked, "As far as I know, aren't there schools in the North too?"

"What about luxury shopping malls?" the general immediately retorted. "What about horse racing, car racing, and military clubs?"

"I mean the entire civilization! It's not even in the North!"

"... You can't say things like that carelessly, it could be seen as splitting Victoria between the north and south."

However, what seemed like a casual conversation among officials was actually a source of great anxiety for the Duke of Wellington. He immediately noticed a crucial signal from the general's words on television—the differences between the North and the South.

It is well known that Victoria is poor in the north and rich in the south. This has led to stagnant development and high unemployment in the north for many years.

This is something that the people of Victoria all know, but rarely mention, or even never mention. This is because a large number of people have migrated to the South, and many officials are also serving in the South. The general's matter-of-fact words would expose this fact, which is not a good sign.

"It looks like I'll have to discuss the development plan for the north with the others this week."

The Duke of Wellington thought to himself, since they had already decided to support the broadcast of "Yes, Prime Minister" in order to consolidate public support and annoy enemy countries, they needed to remedy the problems pointed out in the program as soon as possible, or at the very least, make it seem like they wanted to.

Now is the time when Victoria needs to unite as one. None of the eight dukes wants to be the "example," otherwise they will definitely be criticized and the other seven will take the opportunity to suppress or even annex them.

Meanwhile, Ablana listened quietly and noticed that Chen Qi's film, "Yes, Prime Minister," had only given the Duke of Wellington a glimpse of the initial signs of progress before he decided to address the economic stagnation in the North.

Ablana, of course, knew that only Chen Qi's work could achieve such an effect... A dazzling light shone in Ablana's eyes.

"Just how many surprises can you bring me... Director Chen Qi?" Ablana murmured to herself, while the story on the screen continued to unfold.

If this policy is passed, not only the military but also civil servants will be transferred to the barren north after retirement, which is unacceptable to Humphrey, played by the Bloodborne Archon. Therefore, the Bloodborne Archon intends to oppose the plan.

However, this policy was indeed very difficult to refute, and the Bloodborne Archon decided that if he couldn't solve the problem, he would deal with the person who raised it.

"But only someone with severe paranoia would think the employment minister is plotting against him."

"Really? Then we have hope." After thinking it over, the Bloodborne Archon felt that there was nothing wrong with it.

As expected, at the subsequent meeting, the Employment Minister's proposal received the support of Prime Minister Hacker, played by Theresis, who requested that the "meeting minutes" record that "today, all members of the [Grand Secretariat Committee], including the Prime Minister, supported their ideas."

After the meeting, Humphrey stayed behind separately to discuss the plan with Theresis.

The HR manager doesn't like this plan.

"Of course, that means the ladies won't be able to go to the tennis courts and shopping malls," Theresis succinctly pointed out the key reason why the plan was opposed.

"Prime Minister, how can you say that?" The Bloodborne Archon, who knew perfectly well what was going on, also smiled insincerely and said, "This has nothing to do with their personal interests; their opposition is purely for strategic considerations."

"Strategy? You bet." Theresis smiled and replied.

"Iberia is cooperating with us and wants us to help them build a shipyard, so it needs to be located 30 kilometers from the sea."

"To guard against the Ursus army (the Ursus garrison and northeast Victoria), it should be established in Peninsula County (southwest Victoria)."

"The army's land transport ships need to be inspected in Little Hill County (northeast of Victoria), so the Ministry of Works needs to be established in Connor County (a rich county in southern Victoria)."

To put it bluntly, all the resources that seemed to be allocated to the north ended up being used in the south. No wonder Victoria's north hasn't developed at all; you can tell why by looking at all the important construction projects that aren't located in the north.

"Oh, these are all exceptions," the Bloodborne Archon said, maintaining his composure perfectly, while Theresis responded with a dismissive smile.

"I have over seven hundred 'special cases' here."

This conversation elicited a few chuckles from the Victoria officials. They were all well aware of the unspoken implications, but pretended not to know, since they were the ones enjoying these privileges.

On the screen, the Bloodborne Archon did not object to the plan; instead, he asked another question.

Do you think the Minister of Employment is doing a good job?

"Yes, he's a good person," Theresis answered without hesitation. However, this time, the Bloodborne Archon smiled again, his tone subtly praising her with a hint of admiration.

"I completely agree, Prime Minister. He is simply exceptionally talented, intelligent, steady, skillful, and has a commanding presence."

The Bloodborne Archon, contrary to his usual behavior, showered the Minister of Employment with praise. However, as his praise unfolded, Theresis's expression slowly hardened, and she couldn't help but retort, "--It's not that bad, is it?"

People can accept that another person is intelligent, but those in high positions often find it difficult to accept someone who is even more intelligent and capable than themselves. This is especially true for someone like Theresis, who has already reached the pinnacle of power; someone more intelligent than him could potentially threaten his position.

At this moment, the Bloodborne Archon's uncharacteristic praise, along with Theresis's words, caused the officials who had been watching the spectacle to feel a chill in their hearts—a strange sense of crisis suddenly began to linger in their minds.

Something seems off... Some of the younger officials, unfamiliar with this tactic, were bewildered, but the older ministers and civil servants had already changed their expressions.

"But you also said he's a very nice person, right?" The Bloodborne Archon noticed the change in Theresis's expression, but continued to fuel the fire:

He is very popular.

"He's not that popular, is he?" Theresis sensed a dangerous undercurrent and even stopped speaking well of the Minister of Employment.

"Of course, he's adept at playing both sides in Whitehall and among the various parties in Parliament." The Bloodborne Archon, however, continued to provoke Theresis's nerves, employing his tactics. "It's said that the same applies to the grassroots."

"They have complete influence within the Grand Secretariat, don't they?"

At this point, everyone sensed something unusual, and their expressions changed, regardless of whether they had noticed the Bloodborne Archon's move.

Finally, the Bloodborne Archon revealed his true intentions and uttered a statement that would have a profound impact on any ruler:

"In fact, some people are already saying that he should take over as prime minister."

"Hiss--"

Upon hearing the Bloodborne Archon's words, all the civil servants who hadn't understood before gasped in shock. They suddenly realized what all that long buildup had been for.

This isn't flattery, it's downright sabotage! To tell a prime minister, whose term hasn't even ended, that another minister might succeed him—what does that mean? It's a veiled indication that someone wants to oust the current prime minister!

Instantly, all the laughter ceased, and the Victoria officials and ministers stood at attention, with only the soft rustling of pens being heard.

They're taking notes—this is a great tactic for factional infighting! What if they don't learn it themselves, and others do?!

At this moment, even Ablana's eyes lit up, and she quickly recorded everything. This kind of "teaching by example" was a treasure trove of knowledge for Ablana!

Meanwhile, the Duke of Wellington's mind was in turmoil... He realized that Chen Qi's presentation of this plot was like a bombshell, revealing something that no ruling class would ever disclose to the common people—factional strife!

In reality, the ministers who were removed from office or exiled to the frontier for various reasons were not necessarily those who made mistakes, offered unacceptable suggestions, or engaged in corruption. In fact, a large part of them were removed from office simply because they lost in factional struggles.

However, now that "Yes, Prime Minister" has revealed this, most people in Victoria will just laugh it off... But what will happen to countries like Ursus and Kazimierz, which haven't experienced the full-scale bombardment of "Yes, Prime Minister"?

"Although it's a bit dangerous for Victoria herself... it's better to reveal it now, when the internal danger is minimal but the external danger is greatest, using this comedic method, rather than letting it come out in the future!"

The Duke of Wellington had also made up his mind, his eyes shining as he stared at the big screen. He no longer regretted supporting Chen Qi and continuing to film "Yes, Prime Minister"!

Chapter 124: The first episode of "Yes, Prime Minister," packed with useful information.

It has to be said that daring to write "factional strife" into a script and then perform it for everyone is already quite explosive.

The revelation of internal power struggles has a negative impact and is likely to cause public controversy, especially in the case of Humphrey, who, despite his outstanding abilities, clearly did not work for the people's benefit but instead formed cliques for personal gain, and thus held a high position. The controversy is even greater in this situation.

This sends a bad signal... Could all the civil servants and officials standing in the Victoria Parliament today be like Humphrey, engaging in factionalism and self-serving activities?

However, as the Duke of Wellington previously stated, at this point in time, in order to rebuild the people of Victoria's confidence in the government, they want to broadcast "Yes, Prime Minister" as a warning, with the aim of drawing a line between themselves and the past.

While this will still cause some controversy, it will undoubtedly reduce the impact significantly; however, for Ursus, which has just suffered a major defeat, and for countries like Kazimierz, which, although they have gained a small advantage, are plagued with internal problems, the impact will be severe.

Victoria is now like someone who has nothing to lose and isn't afraid to admit it. Since that's the case, she might as well spill everything out!

Meanwhile, on the screen, due to the Bloodborne Archon's instigation and the Employment Minister's excessive "intelligence and competence," Prime Minister Theresis felt increasingly uneasy. He began to recall the Employment Minister's actions during this period and discovered many inconsistencies.

He's always giving speeches.

"He was always talking to backbenchers in the tea room."

Of course, more importantly, Theresis discovered that the Minister of Employment had not uttered a single word of praise for himself, the leader, in any of his six recent speeches, which made the Prime Minister, who was already concerned about votes and power, even more suspicious.

Then, Theresis immediately instructed Bernard, played by Manfred, to contact the organization secretary and investigate the Employment Minister's alleged plot to rebel.

In just a few words, a Minister of Employment who was wholeheartedly devoted to the people, loyal and pragmatic, was suddenly suspected of treason by the Prime Minister, whom he had trusted. It must be said that this smooth and efficient operation left many young Victoria officers, as well as Sarkaz officers watching from another room, speechless with admiration.

"It feels like his official career has come to an end... His fate is probably either going to the House of Commons or being exiled to the Northwest, right?"

"However, the fact that he didn't mention the Prime Minister at all in six speeches shows that the Employment Minister doesn't really respect the Prime Minister."

"It's less about disrespect and more about poor interpersonal skills. After all, there are two different things: not flattering enough and not flattering at all."

"He died because he didn't know how to behave properly. Sigh, that's just how it is."

However, for Victoria's civil servants and politicians, this outcome doesn't seem unacceptable, as it's a necessary skill to become an official; otherwise, one certainly won't go far.

Rather, if we look at it from another angle, the fact that someone like the Minister of Employment, who seems to lack social skills, has managed to reach this position—though not a high-ranking one—is enough to demonstrate his competence.