People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

A series of questions arose in his mind, and the old master couldn't help but raise his head and look again at the messenger of the true dragon, who was actually a "superhuman" from a foreign land.

She knew that all the unusual things happening before her eyes, and the countless questions in her mind, probably stemmed from the person in front of her.

She was so curious; she wanted an answer.

Ernst smiled slightly, nodded to the old master, and explained in a tone that sounded almost like a missionary:

"Your Excellency, [Guozhu]".

"Times have changed."

"You should learn about what the 'International Summit' is!"

Chapter 972 True Dragon: Mr. Ernst, you won't dislike me, will you?

Yan, Baizao, Forbidden City.

When I returned to Baizhao, the atmosphere in the city had clearly undergone a huge change.

The True Dragon ordered the evacuation of the people near the Suiling area within the city—Baizao was, after all, a super mobile city. Initially, it might have been comparable in size to Suiling, but now, its scale far exceeded that of Suiling. To minimize potential casualties for the Great Yan in this war, the True Dragon decreed the recall of dozens of high-speed warships and hundreds of land-based ships from Yumen, Gouwu, Jiangqi, and other locations!

It was not to increase the firepower of Yanwu Kingdom in this battle, but to transform these national treasures into arks that could carry lives and accommodate those people who had to leave their homes at this critical moment!

These people living near the Suiling area will be temporarily transferred to the Great Yan's high-speed warships, which will arrive to provide assistance, under the protection of the Great Yan Imperial Guards.

"True Dragon, this move is probably not wise."

Upon hearing this, Wang frowned deeply, clearly displeased.

But the emperor on the dragon throne remained unfazed.

"Of course I know that this will draw criticism."

The Suiling area is the oldest part of Baizhao City and the closest to the Forbidden City and the Imperial Palace. It's not large in area, but it's mostly composed of traditional courtyard houses, old alleyways, and other old-style Yan Kingdom buildings. In terms of construction cost, these buildings might not be worth much, but unlike in other countries, in Yan Kingdom culture, the richer the historical value of an old object, the more precious it becomes!

It goes without saying who lives here.

The fact that Zhenlong insisted on launching the war to exterminate the year had already shaken the court and the public, but they dared not act rashly because of the existence of Wei Yanwu, this "sword".

However, the fact that the imperial court dared not speak ill of the true dragon does not mean that rumors of the true dragon would not arise in the martial arts world.

When the war against the Year Beast begins, there is no distinction between north and south, or between young and old. But why, at this moment, does the True Dragon specifically use high-speed warships to protect the legacy of a group of "high-ranking officials and nobles," while ignoring the other Great Yan people who are also in Baizhao City?

Although the imperial court has issued a notice clarifying that the evacuation was only because the area was near the Suiling Mausoleum and was to protect the lives and property of the people of Dayan to the greatest extent, some people still couldn't help but have doubts.

However, Zhenlong, who should have taken control before the public opinion worsened, did not make any move this time.

"Let them discuss it. I don't need my reputation anyway."

"Furthermore, I have already made arrangements. Wei Yanwu will depart with the high-speed warship."

He looked at Wang and Ernst with a meaningful smile on his face.

Wang clicked his tongue and didn't ask any further questions.

Ernst sighed softly.

Even though he had some doubts at first, when Zhenlong mentioned that Wei Yanwu would also be traveling together, he understood what Zhenlong was planning.

During the battle against the Year Beast, the imperial court must not be allowed to move. The Emperor and all the civil and military officials must sit in the center to command and ensure that the Yan Kingdom's formation remains intact.

Ernst did not know whether all of them were prepared to sacrifice their lives for their country.

But Ernst knew they couldn't leave.

Because, just like that Soviet joke—they still have families!

Where will their families be then?

The answer is obvious—on high-speed warships!

Ernst was certain that the True Dragon had given the order that if any official deserted during the battle against the Year Beast and disrupted the morale of the army, then his family lineage would be in grave danger.

The high-speed warships were guarded by fully armed Great Yan Imperial Guards. Even if they wanted to escape, where could they run to?

This can only be described as a vicious scheme. At the very least, as Zhenlong himself said, once the emperor directly threatened the lives of his subjects, family members, and even clans, his reputation was completely ruined!

No minister would want to work under such a "tyrant." Most people become officials to get promoted and make money. Even those who have ideals and want to help the world may not be able to tolerate such "brutal," "tyrannical," and "utterly distrustful" methods!

In addition, the war against the Year Beast may bring huge losses to the Yan Kingdom. If things continue like this, the position of True Dragon will become precarious after the war!

This is not an exaggeration. The Three Dukes have a history of colluding with the Crown Prince to stage a coup and force the emperor to abdicate. The lessons of history are still fresh in our minds. Who can guarantee that they will not repeat the same trick "for the sake of the world and themselves" and do it again?

And the true dragon clearly foresaw that outcome as well.

So he did something that many old emperors in history would do – imprison a group of capable ministers and fierce generals, leaving them for his successor to release, so that he could “benefit the people.”

It's easy to imagine that after the Battle of Zhusui, the Emperor's authority in the court crumbled, and his reputation among the people plummeted due to his "only saving the powerful and wealthy" policy. Conversely, Wei Yanwu gained a large following by releasing the ministers, their relatives, and rising stars who were ostensibly under "protection" but were actually under "house arrest" on the high-speed warships. Furthermore, his immediate and vigorous anti-corruption campaign upon arriving in Baizhao further enhanced his public image.

"The roles of offense and defense have shifted."

"The true dragon spoke slowly."

Ernst gave him a deep look, unsure whether he was referring to the future of him and his brother Wei Yanwu, or to the current battle against the Sui beast.

Perhaps, it's both?

Through a few seemingly reasonable yet meaningful personnel appointments and a few minor political storms, the future of a deposed crown prince whom everyone thought could never rise to power was arranged. After decades of power struggles, Zhenlong's current political acumen is probably beyond Wei Yanwu's easy comprehension.

Poor Wei Lao Er was completely controlled by the real dragon.

Is this the difficulty of politics in the Yan Kingdom?

Ernst grinned unnoticed.

Fortunately, he didn't make his fortune in Yan Country. Otherwise, given his level of skill, even if he were cautious, thoughtful, and confident that he could make it big, he would probably have to wait until he was in his forties, fifties, or even sixties!

At that age, it's hard to say whether he still has the physical strength and drive he had when he was young!

The dragon did not notice Ernst's slightly sentimental expression; his attention was focused on the several beast agents present.

Like Sui, the agents of the Sui Beast have always been a thorn in the side of the Yan Kingdom. Their existence is like a needle stuck in the eyes of all the people of Yan Kingdom, constantly reminding them that Sui is still alive and will return sooner or later.

However, there is a slight difference. Although it is a politically correct practice in Yan Kingdom to remove the year beast, there are many different opinions in the court regarding the year beast's agent.

The Grand Tutor advocated making the best use of people's talents and resources, which was completely different from the Grand Commandant's radical advocacy of "complete elimination".

The True Dragon hadn't been particularly biased in this matter, but at this moment, looking at the Beast Agents gathered here and those rushing here, he took a deep breath:

"Today I face the agents of the Year Beast for the first time. I have heard your legends since I was a child."

“Among you, some serve as soldiers on the frontier, some make a living in the marketplace, and some live in seclusion in the mountains, composing poems and painting. Before, you were like abstract symbols in my mind. I also know that the Yan Kingdom has never given a fair assessment of your contributions and destruction.”

"From this day forward, since you have chosen to fight for the Yan Kingdom, I, in the name of the True Dragon, promise you: if you exert your utmost in this war and lay the foundation for eternal peace for the Yan Kingdom, then I will pardon all your past sins; and I will reward you for your past merits. If you wish to stay in the Yan Kingdom, I can order that you be granted official Yan Kingdom status, free from surveillance and unfair treatment; if you wish to leave the Yan Kingdom, then the mountains are high and the seas are wide, and I will allow you to roam freely, and I and the Yan Kingdom will never interfere in the slightest again!"

“A ruler’s word is law. Once this promise is made, I will immediately summon the official in charge of drafting the edict to draft it on the spot, and I will affix my imperial seal to it immediately.”

He nodded to the two somewhat stunned Nine-Year-Old Beast Agents, then turned to look at Ernst, who was standing to the side, looking a little bewildered.

"Don't understand?"

He made an "uh" sound.

It's not that he didn't understand at all; he did know some classical Chinese and knew that the emperor would use classical Chinese instead of the vernacular he usually spoke in formal occasions, such as when drafting edicts, issuing decrees, or making promises. But suddenly there was such a long passage, without any subtitles, and the emperor was speaking so fast that Ernst was a little caught off guard.

But he still roughly understood the meaning.

The dragon didn't seem to care much, but simply smiled, patted Ernst on the shoulder, and slowly said:

"It's okay if you didn't understand; it's just about making some arrangements for your affairs after death."

"What are you saying, Your Majesty?"

Ernst waved his hand.

The true dragon, however, raised an eyebrow at him meaningfully:

"This is no joke."

"Ernst, where do you think I should go after this matter is over?"

After this is over?

Ernst dared not answer that question.

After all, in his mind, once you sat on the dragon throne—that golden toilet—there was basically no possibility of abdication. But the true dragon clearly had that intention, and had already arranged everything.

The matching mechanism on Terra is quite different from that on Earth. If Wei Yanwu was able to survive, then Zhenlong shouldn't be able to get up from the toilet and immediately meet the 240th generation emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty.

What he'll do next is a very sensitive question.

Is he to be confined to the palace, become an emperor emeritus, spend his later years in peace, and, like some other emperor emeritus, frantically produce brothers for the new emperor?

Or will he, like Wei Yanwu, go to some border city and start farming from scratch?

We can't just go straight to Longmen and take everything from Wei Yanwu, can we?

Seeing Ernst remain silent, Zhenlong simply smiled, leaned close to Ernst's ear, and whispered:

"If I were to come to your Wan Guo Feng at that time, I would be willing to seek an official position. Would Mr. Ernst look down on me?"

Ernst shuddered, his tail hairs stood on end, and he was almost about to activate his Spinosaurus form!

Damn, what kind of slang is that!

You're not serious, are you?!

Chapter 973 Something's Wrong with Precys!

It is said that on the eve of the coup at Gaoping Tombs, Sima Yi told his two sons, Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, about their plans.

Sima Zhao was greatly alarmed and tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, while Sima Shi remained calm and slept soundly as if nothing had happened.

The next day, while General Cao Shuang was taking the young Emperor Cao Fang from Luoyang to sweep the tombs at Gaoping Mausoleum, they launched a coup, seized control of the capital, and the Cao Wei regime fell into the hands of the Sima family.

This incident set countless precedents in Chinese history and was regarded by many as "a major decline in the moral standards of ancient China." The Sima family became infamous for their "classic" act of pointing at the Luo River and farting. Together with the later "murder of the emperor in the street," it formed a complete set and earned the most sarcastic and ironic phrase in history: "I humbly submit that the holy dynasty governs the world with filial piety."

But Ernst at this moment had some admiration for that Sima Shi.

It's not so much his ability to "secretly raise three thousand assassins, scattered among the people, and then gather them all in one day, with no one knowing where they came from," but rather his mental fortitude and sleep quality.

At least, after learning that the war to slay the gods would officially begin tomorrow, and that a part of the legendary story would be recreated, Ernst has been having trouble sleeping.

He had seen his fair share of big events, but this was truly the first time he had ever witnessed one like today. During those days in Victoria, he hadn't slept at all; he had only managed to endure it thanks to his Terra Superman physique.

Now, even though he was lying on a soft bed, even though he had made countless preparations in theory, and even though nothing unexpected was likely to happen, he was still somewhat uneasy.

After all, as everyone knows, with Terra's excellent matchmaking system, when you think something is unlikely to go wrong, then it's very likely to go wrong!

Ernst sighed softly and sat up in bed.

He didn't plan to ask Kal'tsit for some sleeping pills right now, but decided to check his preparations one last time.

After taking out the divine stone, Ernst first contacted the great god Yeragand.

The voice of "Enya" came from the other side of the sacred stone. It seems that the great god Yeragand has been using this voice a lot lately.

Ernst didn't know what to say; he probably thought the most dangerous place was the safest.

"Ernst, it's so late, aren't you asleep yet?"

"No, great master. Where are you now?"

"We've arrived at Baizhao and are currently outside the city. We've already met up with the Rhodes Island team."

Ernst nodded slightly.

After discovering that he could not contact Precyth temporarily, he immediately activated plan B, which was to summon another Originium Creator, the Doctor.

The Doctor's mobility is quite average; he can only travel from Lungmen to Hundred Stove by vehicle. Because of the Doctor's unique circumstances, Ernst and Kal'tsit are hesitant to let him ride in a stranger's vehicle.

Without common sense, what if you get kidnapped by someone with ill intentions?

Even without them, there's a possibility of encountering Rusthammers, Infected, and the Yan Kingdom's unique terrorist organization, the [Shan Hai Zhong]. To avoid any unforeseen complications, Ernst simply asked the True Dragon for a pass, allowing Rhodes Island to also enter Hundred Stove.

This land-based naval base thus became the foothold for the "foreign aid forces" that were attacking the year.

The great god Yeragand, Sami, [Chronology], a group of Sui family agents, and the few "helpers" that Wang invited will all gather here, saving the true dragon from arguing with the court officials about "allowing external behemoths into the city".

Sherag is tens of thousands of miles away from the Great Yan. For an ordinary person, a round trip would probably take more than half a month. But for a giant beast, this distance is nothing at all.

Especially since Ernst has this bug-like existence of [Time Sequence].

Under Sami's persuasion (coercion), this lazy god who never did anything productive finally became somewhat reliable for a while. His soul, hidden in his pocket watch, revealed itself, and with just a slight tremor, his power tore a rift open in mid-air.

The ends of the earth are reached in an instant!

The great god Yeragand and [Sami] are already in place, and the remaining Sui family agents are presumably already there as well. Ernst then asked: