A brilliant show's satire can hit you in any era / Are you really learning statecraft from a TV drama?

"Is it a supervisor's exam?"

Does it select students?

However, none of these issues fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education. Therefore, it seems that the Bloodborne Archon has no sufficient evidence to support his claim that "the Ministry of Education is useful."

Even the provision of education funding could be handled by the Ministry of Finance, without the need for two thousand civil servants to distribute the money from one person to another. As for the regulations established by the Ministry of Education, there aren't many at all; the Ministry of the Environment could do that too.

Even when it comes to assessing development plans, staff changes, changes in student enrollment, and planning school density in urban and rural areas, most schools handle these matters themselves, with the Ministry of Education playing no role whatsoever. Even the current state of education in Victoria was not planned by the Ministry of Education.

These questions left the Bloodborne Archon speechless. He understood everything, but he also knew that this situation could not be disrupted. In order to protect the interests of his colleagues who were also civil servants, and to prevent the fire of "abolishing departments" from burning him in the future, he had to stop it from happening.

"If it weren't for the fact that the academy's timber turned out to be a false alarm, even Humphrey and Arnold probably wouldn't have had a good solution, would they?"

As Wei Yenwu watched the episode's ending, Manfred told the bewildered Bloodborne Archon the news: the school the Prime Minister had just publicly praised had not only been involved in theft, but even the chair presented to the Prime Minister was made of stolen wood. If this were to be made public, Theresis's prestige would plummet, not to mention any talk of educational reform.

"Well, this proves what Humphrey said before: who can really know if a school is good or bad?"

The end of an episode of "Yes, Prime Minister" brought Wei Yenwu a lot of relief. However, Chen Huijie, who was standing next to him, frowned and asked in a low voice:

Why would this happen at that school all of a sudden? Isn't it a bit too much of a coincidence?

"Well, Little Chen, you'll have to think about it yourself. Some things are just coincidences, but of course, we can't rule out the possibility that they were planned coincidences."

Wei Yenwu took a drag of his cigarette, then relayed his opinion, laughing, "I think that even without this coincidence, such a policy would absolutely not be able to be implemented."

"Why?" Chen Huijie asked curiously upon hearing this. Suddenly, Wei Yenwu, feeling the attention of these young men, felt his vanity rise and immediately adopted a profound tone, replying:

"Because Hacker in the show still infringed on the interests of public servants. And haven't you noticed that this isn't the first time Hacker has infringed on the interests of public servants, but every time he does so, he has never succeeded?"

"Moreover, even Bernard, who received this news, informed Humphrey first, rather than immediately informing the Prime Minister. Clearly, on this issue, he also sided with the interests of civil servants. With the two highest-ranking civil servants working together, what strategies can the Prime Minister really implement?"

"So even without this incident, Bernard and Humphrey would have inevitably looked for other loopholes in that school. Basically, if they wanted to, wouldn't they have found some other scandals to achieve the same effect?"

As Wei Yenwu spoke, he tapped his pipe, glanced at the thoughtful young men, and smiled faintly:

"There was no surprise, it was just an inevitable result. Humphrey was at a loss, he just hadn't thought of anything else yet."

Even without this design, Humphrey would have definitely thought of it, because Bernard would certainly have helped Humphrey come up with this idea as well. Even Arnold, played by King of Scavengers, had already thought of it; he just passed the buck to Humphrey, letting him figure it out himself, since he couldn't bother his former Grand Secretariat secretary with everything.

But if Humphrey is truly at his wit's end, Arnold will definitely help. Then, with three people at the pinnacle of the Victoria Civil Service System working together, how could they possibly fail to stop Hacker?

"However, this also reflects another issue— Humphrey is increasingly losing control of his prime minister."

"I reckon that by the end of the next episode, Prime Minister Hacker will finally be able to defeat Humphrey one last time."

"Hmm? Why Officer Wei so sure?" Chen Huijie blinked and asked curiously, while Wei Yenwu smiled knowingly and replied:

"Because of checks and balances, whoever Little Chen Bernard supports is more likely to win. Since he's already helped Humphrey in this episode, he'll definitely try his best to show loyalty to the Prime Minister in the next episode to secure his position."

Wei Yenwu's feignedly profound demeanor also put Chen Huijie into deep thought. Wenyue, standing to the side, watched as the uncle and nephew's relationship had somewhat healed thanks to Talulah's return, and a rather satisfied smile appeared on her face.

Meanwhile, in Londinium, Theresia had finished summarizing the entire episode. Looking at the points she had written down, including the advantages and disadvantages of Victoria education, she had recorded everything mentioned in the episode.

"Director Chen Qi... he really is helping us in this way. In the end, you could even say there was no way to turn things around, but in order to tell us so much, he chose to list all these points out."

Theresia and Wei Yenwu had completely different feelings. Perhaps it was because Chen Qi had promised her that he would focus on education issues in the new episode of "Yes, Prime Minister." At the time, Theresia felt that Chen Qi had deliberately chosen this topic to help her and had written the script for this episode on the spot.

However, the twist at the end of this episode feels noticeably abrupt compared to the previous ones. This makes Theresia even more certain that Chen Qi temporarily revised the script for this episode to help her.

Otherwise, given her understanding of Chen Qi's abilities, he would surely have chosen a better way to turn things around... if given enough time.

Gazing at the paper covered in writing in her hand, Theresia couldn't help but smile tenderly, murmuring to herself:

"Rest assured, Director Chen Qi... We will never forget your help to our clan and to me."

"You need not worry at all about this awarding ceremony. My brother and I, along with our Sarkaz clan, will make sure everyone in the world knows that you are someone we watch over and protect."

As for education, Theresia, who now has a general idea of what to do, will naturally put the central government in charge of education in the future, rather than delegating it to local governments. Victoria made this mistake because the system was so deeply ingrained that it could not be changed, but the Sarkaz would not do so.

Everything in Kazdel needs to be re-established, so as long as the path is set correctly from the beginning, the Sarkaz will not repeat Victoria's mistakes on certain issues.

Theresia has even devised a method: the content praised in "Yes, Prime Minister" was retained after Kazdel's restoration, while the content satirized in it was completely reversed from the very beginning of the restoration!

Theresia's eyes shone with an unprecedented light of hope; she could already vaguely see the restoration of Kazdel and the revival of the Sarkaz race right before her eyes!

Chapter 161: The content of a divine drama can satirize you no matter the era.

After the penultimate episode of "Yes, Prime Minister," various countries gained some insights from this educational episode. Now, after a short break, the final episode is airing, and Kal'tsit can't help but remark:

"Before we knew it, it was already the last episode... It seems that Amiya's opportunity to learn from TV dramas has come to an end."

"I've written down some key points you can learn from these two seasons. You can take a look at them in your spare time; they should be very helpful."

"Hehe, even if Dr. Kal'tsit didn't say anything, I would definitely make time to review it." Although Amiya felt regretful that "Yes, Prime Minister" was about to end, she still genuinely liked the show.

It wasn't that Amiya liked politics, but rather that she liked the spirit of self-deprecation and satire conveyed in the show—although the show wasn't created by the Victoria themselves, Amiya still felt that there were far too few people with such spirit and courage in this world today.

"It seems, Amiya, you prefer this teaching method." Kal'tsit 'Amiya reaction was somewhat expected. Amiya was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then quickly explained:

"No, it's not that I dislike Dr. Kal'tsit's teaching methods!"

"No need to explain, Amiya, it's only natural. I must admit, this method is more beneficial for you." Kal'tsit wasn't jealous at all that Chen Qi had taken away her "teacher" who had taught Amiya for so many years. She said calmly:

"On the contrary, I admire Director Chen Qi for using this method to convey his ideas. If everyone could resolve issues in this peaceful way, then perhaps many disasters would not have to happen."

For example, Aegir... Kal'tsit thought to herself, unsure whether it was a sigh for the many disasters that had befallen this land, or something else entirely. In the end, she and Amiya's gaze returned to the drama, now the final episode of "Yes, Prime Minister".

The final episode, however, didn't seem to delve as deeply into the topics as before. Theresis's character, Hacker, was in a better situation this time than ever before. He was basking in his success in handling the House of Commons questioning, even giving a flawless answer to the unexpected question about whether he had wiretapped members' phones.

"Although I value the opinions of the House of Commons very much, I must admit that I would not listen to a single word of what the esteemed members have to say unless it is required for my work."

Manfred mimicked Theresis's tone when she spoke in the House of Commons. Her response was remarkably perfect, not only denying the "wiretapping of members' phones" but also subtly mocking the suspicious House of Commons —don't take yourselves so seriously; who listens to you if not for your jobs?

However, the Bloodborne Archon soon discovered that there was something wrong with this answer—because the matter of "eavesdropping on councilors" did indeed exist.

However, the information revealed by the Bloodborne Archon startled the high-ranking officials and ministers of various countries, especially those from Ursus, Yan, and Kazimierz, as these three countries had recently experienced considerable turmoil.

However, the situation in Yan is different. The emperor's repeated orders to investigate the Six Ministries, along with recent reports of strict accounting, have already frightened many well-hidden corrupt officials within the Six Ministries.

As for Ursus, is it surprising? The old nobles' campaign against Victoria ended in failure, and the new nobles seized the opportunity to gain some control. Now, within Ursus, the old and new nobles have created a delicate balance of power—both sides have troops and authority, but neither can defeat the other.

However, in order to establish their legitimacy, although both the old and new nobles held military power, none of them dared to be the traitor. At this time, the new emperor, who had never had much say, unexpectedly became the object of contention between the two factions.

Because only if the emperor supports your side can you claim that your side is the legitimate one, and that any action by the other side is a rebellion. In this twist of fate, the young emperor, who had no power since succeeding the previous emperor, actually gained some power.

Therefore, Ursus did not collapse after its failed westward expedition Ursus Victoria, but the balance of power led to tension between the two sides, and they were more worried about the possibility of their intelligence being intercepted by the other.

As for Kazimierz, aside from other factors, the National Assembly and the Commercial Federation are even more afraid of the possibility of wiretapping—especially since the Supervision Committee been eerily quiet recently. Although they have minimized the turmoil caused by Eureka, they do not believe that the Supervision Committee is completely unaware of anything.

Everything said in "Yes, Prime Minister" is now almost universally accepted as true, given Victoria's experience. Now, "Yes, Prime Minister" has revealed information about wiretapping members of parliament, which is bound to make those with guilty consciences think twice.

"So, are we really going to do that?"

"If we don't do this, how will we survive? The Supervision Committee definitely knows everything now. Only by completely discrediting the Supervision Committee and making Supervision Committee take the blame for everything can we save everything we have!"

"Currently, only director Chen Qi can get the Supervision Committee cover all this up—let those Campaign Knights who have something on us put on the armor of the Silvermane Knights we made and assassinate Chen Qi. Whether they succeed or not, everyone will think it's the Supervision Committee's order!"

After all, only the Supervision Committee the authority to mobilize the Silvermane Knights. And now, relying on those Campaign Knights have something on them, they can wear their replicas of the Silvermane Knights armor and ambush Chen Qi on his way to Columbia.

The consequences of Chen Qi's attack on Kazimierz are predictable. At that time, the Commercial Federation, together with some knights whose faith has been broken and who are filled with righteous indignation, can completely overthrow the Supervision Committee and make Kazimierz a country ruled by them!

Chen Qi was unaware that in the final episode of "Yes, Prime Minister," the single point of "wiretapping a member of parliament" directly led to a group of people taking action against him out of fear. However, even if he knew, he wouldn't care much.

Returning to the story, the Bloodborne Archon informed Theresis that his claim in the House of Commons that he "did not eavesdrop on members' conversations" was a complete lie. Theresis, unaware that they were indeed eavesdropping, immediately countered:

"But I didn't do it on purpose. I never intentionally mislead the House of Commons. Don't blame me; I was unaware of it."

"Prime Minister, people believe you know, and logically you should be responsible." Manfred seemed to have chosen to side with the Bloodborne Archon this time, expressing his opinion on the Prime Minister's act of making hasty conclusions without understanding the facts.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Theresis immediately questioned.

"--The Ministry of the Interior Minister probably doesn't feel the need to inform you, because he probably doesn't know either."

The Bloodborne Archon also made no secret of the fact that sometimes the government would deliberately withhold certain information from the Prime Minister in order to prevent suspicion among Grand Secretariat. Therefore, they would only notify the Prime Minister when it was absolutely necessary for him to know the situation.

"Prime Minister, if the system functions perfectly, then all you need to do is inform the civil servants what you want to say before they can speak publicly."

"But if he says something rashly without verifying it with us beforehand, then he has only himself to blame—you cannot say anything without verification."

"Excuse my bluntness, Prime Minister, you need to learn to be cautious. There are always things in government that require caution."

The Bloodborne Archon, unusually, gave Theresis a warning, telling him not to repeat the mistake. Theresis, now embarrassed and unwilling to go to the House of Commons to correct his statement, could only stubbornly deflect responsibility, saying, "But I don't think there's anything to be cautious about in the government."

"Besides, why would we be eavesdropping on Halifax (the minister whose call was being wiretapped)? Is he colluding with Ursus?"

"No, it's with Gaul, that's much more serious." The Bloodborne Archon answered Theresis's question with utmost seriousness, leaving Theresis bewildered. "Why?"

"The Ursus know us inside and out."

"Hahahahaha!" XN

Obviously, this was common knowledge back then. The extent to which Victoria was infiltrated during Ursus's heyday was discussed in the first season of "Yes, Prime Minister," and most viewers who watched the first season are naturally aware of this.

After a brief silence, Theresis continued, "But Gaul is a reliable ally in our fight against Ursus, isn't it?"

"No, Prime Minister." The Bloodborne Archon, however, analyzed the situation with a straight face. "Actually, Gaul is a suspect ally. Therefore, direct dialogue with Gaul is considered treason by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We are authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to conduct wiretapping."

"In short, too much talk leads to mistakes, don't you think? Prime Minister—about everything."

After admonishing Theresis, the Bloodborne Archon also privately discussed the matter of questioning in the House of Commons with Manfred. Clearly, the Bloodborne Archon did not want to speak up for their Prime Minister, who was prone to making mistakes, since the House of Commons had its own ways of verifying such errors.

Even though everyone knows that the Bloodborne Archon, the powerful Grand Secretariat secretary, certainly knows more than the Prime Minister, and if the Bloodborne Archon says that Theresis is right, the members of the House of Commons might believe the Prime Minister's words, the Bloodborne Archon does not want to leave himself with such a handle.

"By the way, Bernard, VBC (formerly BBC, the British Broadcasting Corporation) called this morning."

"VBC knows?" Upon hearing this, Manfred instinctively felt something was terribly wrong, but the Bloodborne Archon calmly replied:

"Of course not. They want me to be on a live interview program, on Radio 3, to talk about government structure."

However, the Bloodborne Archon's nonchalant attitude made Manfred uneasy, especially since Manfred had previously suffered at the hands of a reporter in a previous storyline. He worried that the Bloodborne Archon would repeat his mistake and immediately advised him:

"They might want you to speak."

"... That's what radio usually does."

The Bloodborne Archon understood Manfred's meaning, since these kinds of shows usually want to discuss some exciting and controversial topics, but the Bloodborne Archon still insisted on participating in the show.

"Of course, it wasn't out of selfishness, nor was it because I wanted to be a know-it-all or make a name for myself. However, one shouldn't be too humble."

However, these words coming from Humphrey, played by the Bloodborne Archon, were truly hilarious to the audience. It could be said that these characteristics of the character Humphrey even influenced the actor who played the Bloodborne Archon, making him himself enjoy this feeling of being a know-it-all.

"Shouldn't people like us be keeping our heads in the open?" Manfred, seeing that the Bloodborne Archon was determined, offered this final reminder, but the Bloodborne Archon persisted.

"You don't need to show your face to appear on the radio."

"Besides, if they say I'm not going, Arnold promises he will."

"--Perhaps that would be better." Manfred said almost without thinking, but as soon as he said that, he was immediately met with a death stare from the Bloodborne Archon that seemed to want to devour him!

At this moment, the Bloodborne Archon's slightly frightening, incredulous expression was on full display—this was the Bloodborne Archon's true reaction. Humphrey hated it most when people said he was inferior to Arnold, and so did the Bloodborne Archon, who hated it most when people said their Bloodfiend clan was inferior to the other kings of the Royal Court.

Especially the King of Scavengers, who can be considered one of the oldest beings in the Royal Court, even older than the Bloodborne Archon. Because of his role, the Bloodborne Archon has been subservient to the King of Scavengers on several occasions, and is extremely unhappy that some people say the King of Scavengers is better than him.

"Arnold?! If it were for my own sake, I'd rather not go!"

"But my sense of responsibility wouldn't allow me to stand idly by and watch Arnold be hailed as a model of an outstanding civil servant!"

"Hehe, you're still too inexperienced. The more someone fears being told they're inferior to someone else, the more they actually know deep down that they're not as good as that person."

However, at this moment, when Wei Yenwu saw the Bloodborne Archon's exasperated appearance, he couldn't help but find it amusing. The Bloodborne Archon's reaction reminded him of his brother—he and the current Bloodborne Archon were actually quite similar, both knowing that they were inferior to their opponents, and therefore most afraid of being pointed out.

However, Wei Yenwu's mutterings were overheard by the surrounding men in Black Cape, who, after exchanging bewildered glances, couldn't help but speak up:

"... Should we tell Officer Wei? The imperial court should be arriving at Lungmen soon, right?"

"Fortunately, the imperial officials haven't arrived yet, otherwise Officer Wei's words might have displeased His Majesty."

The men in Black Cape were also still shaken, but they couldn't help but feel sorry for Wei Yenwu —because they all knew that after this episode ended, their superior would probably have to face difficulties from their "jealous younger brother."

However... all the Black Cape were a little uneasy, because what the Bloodborne Archon said on TV just now, that "the government would deliberately not tell the Prime Minister the news in order to avoid suspicion"... seemed to correspond to what they were currently doing.

At this moment, all the Black Cape believe that "Yes, Prime Minister" is truly a "gem of humanity," because even though the political systems are different, it still manages to find ways to satirize you.

It truly lives up to its reputation as a work that "rules the world with half of its drama"—the indiscriminate AOE damage is absolutely terrifying.

Chapter 162: Are you really learning how to govern a country from TV dramas?

"This is my first time coming to Londinium to see the TV series 'Yes, Prime Minister'... But aren't you guys a bit outrageous? Do you really think you can learn anything from this show?"

Meanwhile, in Londinium, a group of guests had arrived today. The dashing Duke of Windermere, accompanied by the specially armed "Gray Hats" uniform that the Duke Caster had requested to accompany him, had come to Londinium for Chen Qi. Tomorrow was the Sarkaz ceremony where Chen Qi would be awarded a medal, and Windermere and the Duke of Wellington would represent Victoria to express their gratitude and bestow the medal upon Chen Qi.

Yes, they also planned to award Chen Qi a medal, and like Theresia and her brother, Victoria intended to grant Chen Qi a knighthood. Although Victoria's knighthood didn't carry the same weight as Kazdel's, it was still a gesture of goodwill.

Furthermore, Victoria also had a thank-you gift for Chen Qi for filming the second season of "Yes, Prime Minister," which she had already prepared. Although the dukes argued about it for a long time, in the end, "that" was the most suitable to give away... because it wouldn't be appropriate for any of them to have it in their hands. Rather than letting the demon find out, it was better to give it to Director Chen Qi —anyway, he probably wouldn't have any use for it.