People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Rather than risk having "Ers" banned later, it's better to make some changes to it now.

Deleting or altering it might not sound good, but we can carry on the traditional spirit of the Great Yan Dynasty and use subtle, euphemistic language.

Vina nodded knowingly.

Ernst had already spoken to her about this, and now it seems that the Prime Minister has a long-term vision and a clearer understanding of the Great Yan than she does.

Reflecting on my life in Longmen during this period, and my personal understanding of the local customs and Wei Yanwu's philosophy of life, I realized that...

In some ways, his views are quite similar to Ernst's.

No, considering the cause and effect, it should be said that Ernst is a pure Great Flame Man lurking in Sherag.

After briefly recalling the snarling snow leopard of Sherag, Vina nodded to Lin Yuxia, turned around, and prepared to return to Governor Wei Yanwu's mansion.

The issue of setting up the world view first wasn't a big problem, and Ernst had already given instructions and given permission for the deletions and revisions to the manuscript. However, Wei Yanwu had genuinely misled her.

Although it's not a big deal—after all, publishing a book is a long process, and often a good book doesn't attract public attention and praise until decades or even centuries after the author's death—making the most of this opportunity is exactly what a qualified diplomat should do.

We need to find Wei Yanwu and get a lot of gold coins!

...........

Coming down from the publishing house, Lin Yuxia was led by her editor to the shelf display of "The Chronicles of Erzlie" and introduced it as follows:

"Ms. Lin, please look, this is the most prominent spot in the entire bookstore, and the contents of the prologue are all displayed here. I will publish the revised manuscript you sent in a month after further review."

Lin Yuxia nodded, looking around at the people coming and going, occasionally some of whom stopped to look at the scene with some confusion:

"I thought all those people in the bookstore were there to snatch this book."

"How could that be, Miss Lin? You should know very well that books that satirize the government are always the hardest to sell."

The editor-in-chief spoke eloquently,

"I have seen the original, unedited copies of the manuscript sent by Governor Wei and Mr. Adams. Although some parts of it, from my perspective, are indeed not suitable for publication, but..."

He paused, then spoke with the professionalism of a text editor, rather than the political stance of a reviewer:

"In my opinion, the target audience for this kind of book is obvious: enthusiasts of politics and history, as well as big shots like Governor Wei. After all, there is a lot of profound content in 'Ers,' which allows people to feel a very different world and the magnificent sense of waves of many seemingly different civilizations."

"But in this day and age, hardly anyone reads books anymore, and when they do, they rarely read books on politics and history, even if the content seems like science fiction. The labels alone have already deterred a large number of people. And those who pretend to read political and historical books, half of them don't understand them either, and half of those who do understand them don't agree with them. The rest are just people who are either against the government or engaged in historical nihilism."

He shrugged and spread his hands in a helpless gesture.

"That's why I insisted on publishing the prologue first and argued with Governor Wei on the matter. To some extent, I think this prologue allows for more room for imagination than the actual content that follows, and it has more potential to become a hit."

The editor-in-chief sighed deeply and offered a heartfelt assessment:

"The person who wrote this book is a genius, but unfortunately, geniuses don't write jokes."

PS: The previous image was a foreshadowing that I didn't explain clearly, so I'm adding a patch here.

Both Swire and Wei Yanwu mentioned printers, and the issue of deletion and review had already been raised. Logically, a separate section should have been written to discuss Ers's deletion issues, but I wanted to rush through the story and follow Victoria's route, so I somewhat glossed over this part. As a result, a misunderstanding arose.

I apologize, and I will try to slow down the pace in the future.

Chapter Ninety-Five Wei Yanwu: Seventy percent complete, seventy percent complete, hesitant.

Great Yan, Longmen, Longmen Governor's Mansion.

Looking at Vina, who clearly looked like she was about to interrogate him, Wei Yanwu's expression was quite helpless.

“Miss Vina, I understand your request very well.”

To be fair, releasing the setting materials first was indeed a bit unreasonable, but it was a compromise reached after he negotiated and discussed with Lin Gerui and O'Erer.

Is the Chronicles of Erzley well-written?

Ernst's writing is good, but some parts are indeed too explicit and not suitable for release.

For example, at the end of "Ancient Civilization: China - The Age of Myths", the "Wu King's Conquest of Zhou" is described by the "narrator" as the last divine war in Chinese history.

Dynastic changes are not uncommon. In distant foreign lands, the Pegasus God People were overthrown by the Knights, the Eagle Empire was overthrown by the Ursus, and the Drak were invaded by Aslan, forcing them to sign a treaty that divided the right of succession to the throne in two.

According to Wei Yanwu, the dynastic changes described in the Chronicles of Erslie are quite normal, just as the "narrator" says in the introduction: happy things are mostly alike, but unhappinesses are each unhappy in their own way. Without the scourge of natural disasters and Oripathy, the world wouldn't necessarily be a better place. On the contrary, without the infected as a default outlet for pent-up frustration, people's oppressed emotions couldn't be released, gradually accumulating. Amplified by other objective factors, the powder keg was ignited, and it was quite normal for a tyrant to be overthrown.

But why did you choose to report on this kind of thing?

China is alluding to the Great Yan. Even if Ernst didn't have this idea, even if everything is reasonable and the situation unfolds naturally, as long as one's stance is on the Great Yan, one's perspective will be biased.

Because no one in this world can achieve absolute objectivity.

Wei Yanwu, a seasoned veteran, knew this very well, and the other three who had seen the manuscript would not have been unaware of it either.

On the positive side, Ernst's description of dynastic changes serves as a warning to rulers: after the rise of Robber Zhi and Zhuang Ju, King Chen rose up and wielded his yellow axe. If you trample the people under your feet, the people will naturally throw you to the bottom.

But to those with ill intentions, this is a reminder that disrupting social order and openly rebelling are justifiable, and that as long as enough people are incited, the chances of success are even quite high!

When that time comes, the world will change, and emperors will take turns sitting on the throne. This year it's my turn!

Is rebellion justified?

From Ernst's perspective, rebellion was justified.

Unfortunately, many people in Terra, to put it bluntly, except for a few old monsters who might not even be human, clearly haven't received any Party education in their thinking.

You know we can't reach that level. The most advanced thing we've achieved is capitalism, and we can't even compare to the financial giants on Wall Street. Bankers' methods are still limited to forced demolitions and contract traps. We're stuck in the middle, like we're in the late stages of cancer.

Therefore, for Wei Yanwu and the other three, they sought common ground while reserving differences, and the final conclusion they reached was...

First, it's crucial to avoid offending Vina and Ernst, the behemoth agent behind her. The posture must be carefully maintained, and the actions must be cautious. Paying attention is essential, but how to do it effectively is an art. The book will definitely be published, but how to publish it is also an art.

Wei Yanwu and the editor-in-chief decided to publish a preface first as a warm-up for the main book. This would be followed by a series of promotional programs.

For example, a program could be filmed called "Entering Ers". Based on the content in the "Preface" and a part of the "China Chapter", several episodes of expert analysis, several situational dramas, and several suspenseful exploration segments would be produced to first generate buzz about the concept of "Ers in another world" and arouse the interest of the people of Lungmen in the era of great entertainment.

After all, television programs and variety shows on the internet are always more captivating than dry books.

The key point is that through these programs, Wei Yanwu can subtly guide the interpretation of "Ers' China Chapter".

Expert interpretations, as authoritative, are aimed at middle-aged and elderly people; sitcoms, as a product of the entertainment era, are aimed at young and middle-aged people; while the deliberately mysterious exploration programs are aimed at those "awakened teenagers" who have no concept of what politics is but like to pretend they know a lot.

In this way, the mainstream media narrative and analytical methods can be established, allowing us to gain absolute dominance in the propaganda arena.

At this point, it would be logical to release "The Ancient Civilization of Ers: China Chapter," which has undergone content censorship and review. Coupled with promotion on television and the internet, this would not only attract a lot of attention but also avoid the risk of the discussion going astray.

Wei Yanwu will also have something to say at that time.

You, Vina, say I didn't take this seriously, that's not true, is it? Longmen went to great lengths for the publication of *Ers*, with accompanying TV programs, online variety shows, on-site analysis by top experts, and performances by celebrity actors—I doubt any other book launch received this kind of treatment! With this whole process, even if it were a pornographic book, it would still be a bestseller! How can you say I didn't take it seriously?

The only downside might be that Ers's presentation is delayed, and other shows and variety programs might overshadow it, leaving little room for people to think independently about Ers.

But you didn't tell me beforehand that "this is not allowed," did you?

This can't be blamed on me, can it?

Wei Yanwu was, after all, a seasoned politician. In terms of how to "fulfill the other party's demands while achieving one's own goals," his experience even surpassed that of Ernst, who had lived two lives.

Not to mention Vina, who had just become a diplomat and had never experienced such a scene before.

Vina was not a genius; every politician needs time to mature. She couldn't have been as ruthless as Bismarck or as Austrian Chancellor Metternich who built the Vienna System from the outset.

Wei Yanwu's explanation was airtight, his blueprint was enticing enough, and his proposed solution was impeccable. Apart from writing these things down in letters and reporting them to Ernst, all she could do was monitor Wei Yanwu in Lungmen and ensure that his promises were fulfilled one by one.

"Of course, if Miss Vina is not satisfied with this plan, I can promise to cancel these arrangements and publish the subsequent chapters in the normal order within a week. What do you think?"

What do you think? This statement essentially throws the choice back to Vina.

Commonly known as "passing the buck".

Wei Yanwu was cunning; he didn't want to offend the agent of a giant beast at all, so he let Vina make the decision.

This was actually a trap. From the moment he made this decision without telling Vina and the other three, he had already made the choice for Vina.

But now he has to act innocent and pretend it's for your own good.

This kind of thing happens very often. If it were Ernst here, he would realize that this is exactly the same as when his father went to do something and waited for a long time, only to have someone else cut in line just when it was about to be his turn.

They tell you, "Either you continue to wait, or you come back tomorrow." They never mention the queue jumper or their own mistake in accommodating the queue jumper, shifting the blame onto the victim and making them make their own choice and pay the price.

It's all the same old tricks.

Vina realized something was amiss, but she couldn't think of a good way to refute it at the moment.

These two are not in the same league.

Having barely managed to persuade Vina, Wei Yanwu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Although he was confident that his reasons were not difficult to find fault with, Vina's questioning alone was enough to put him under immense pressure.

Lungmen truly cannot withstand the hatred of a giant beast... No city can withstand the hatred of a giant beast.

Although the publication of this book was strictly speaking Ernst's personal request and could not be considered a diplomatic event—diplomacy is defined as activities between states, or at least between two political entities, such as exchanging envoys, conducting negotiations, and holding talks—given Ernst's own status, the fact that he was aware of his actions was still a tense affair.

But Wei Yanwu had no choice.

If nothing is done, and Ernst's idea is to release the manuscript without any modifications, whether the book becomes a hit is a minor matter. Wouldn't Wei Yanwu then become a subordinate following orders?

Respect and awe are Wei Yanwu's attitude towards Ernst and Vina, but that doesn't mean Wei Yanwu is really cowardly or someone who can be manipulated.

With a sigh of relief, Wei Yanwu immediately came up with a backup plan to deal with Vina's dissatisfaction after she noticed.

"Of course, the brilliance of 'Ers' is beyond doubt. Such a magnificent blueprint for another world is something we all want to see. Lungmen, whether it is myself, Lin Gerui, or the editor-in-chief of Linquan Publishing House, is very willing to strengthen cooperation with Mr. Ernst and become the designated publisher for the book."

"Therefore, I hope Miss Vina can consult with Prime Minister Ernst about this proposal. We will certainly offer generous terms."

"We will ensure that the unpleasantness of today's Ancient Civilization chapter will not happen again in the future. We will contact and discuss any publicity strategies with Ernst in advance. You can also send a representative to Lungmen to serve as a permanent consultant for the publication of 'The Chronicles of Erslie' in Lungmen. They will have the right to participate in all distribution processes and make suggestions."

"And what about the royalties?" Vina asked the most crucial question.

Wei Yanwu's fluent tongue twister was momentarily interrupted by this sudden sentence, but he quickly recovered:

"Of course, we will also offer the most generous treatment in terms of royalties."

"Our first promotional campaign was due to our oversight, which caused your dissatisfaction. Therefore, this time, Linquan Publishing House is voluntarily offering this promotion free of charge."

"How about 3 million Lungmen dollars for the manuscript fee, plus a 70/30 split of sales revenue?"

This is an unprecedented offer. In the past, no author in Longmen has ever been heard of being able to share revenue or buy out the entire content.

Wei Yanwu only dared to make this request because of Ernst and Aslan.

Vina thought for a moment and nodded:

"Seventy percent, seventy percent. I'll reply to Prime Minister Ernst with these terms. I'll ask him to make the final decision on the specifics."

Visibly, Wei Yanwu's smiling lips twitched slightly, and he gritted his teeth as he said:

"walk slowly!"

Chapter Ninety-Six: The Duke of Caesar in Victoria

A week flies by.

During this period, Ernst received many letters from the outside world, and trade and foreign exchanges in Shelag became much more frequent, which would have been almost impossible in the past.

Among them was a letter from Vina in Lungmen. Wei Yanwu's attitude was as Ernst had expected; while the deletions were still a cause for concern, they were generally inconsequential. This was because they hadn't yet reached the crucial parts of the book, *Ers*.

As for the exclusive publishing contract he mentioned, Ernst unequivocally chose to refuse. Revenue sharing and royalties could be discussed, but Ernst's reach and influence would not be limited to Longmen or Dayan, much less to Wei Yanwu's restrictions.

What he wants to ensure is that more people can see this book, and for that, some sacrifices are worthwhile.

The current chapter on the four ancient civilizations is just an introduction. Besides making money, the real dipping sauce he's going to use hasn't been served yet.

Sherag is backward, and one wrong step could lead to utter ruin, but that doesn't mean that every place in the world lacks the ability to practice another route.

Even if Wei Yanwu was experienced and saw the potential risks of "Ers", could he really block an idea just because he could edit a book?

Once he had slowly sketched out the social landscape of the other world, he unfolded the German Peasants' War, the French Revolution, and the Paris Commune in the form of a story, then incorporated the Manifesto into it, and finally brought the whole story to a climax through two "Great Wars" chapters.

By then, Ernst will undoubtedly have become a bestseller thanks to the vigorous promotion by those who believe they have Ernst under their thumb.

Do not underestimate the influence of books. Ideas are priceless. What we recite, think, and practice now are all derived from the content written by ancient philosophers and developed in combination with social realities.

By then, even if someone like Wei Yanwu finally realizes Ernst's true purpose and understands the potential impact of the book, it will be too late.

If Lungmen wasn't willing to sell, then he could switch to Columbia, Letania, or even... At that time, Sherag might not have lacked the ability to run a publishing house.