Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1575 Paris
"Dimensional reduction, right? I'll have to face this problem eventually." Although she knew exactly what was going to happen, this was the first time Victoria was confronting this reality.

Rome sought lasting peace and tranquility, and if it wanted to maintain contact with China, it shouldn't have abandoned the world in the first place—Rome indeed abandoned the world, abandoning everything on earth.

This kind of dimensional reduction is not as simple as just staying indoors, because that at most is just disconnection.

This dimensional reduction is like shrinking into a book—the reader's level is always higher than the characters in the book. And the fates of the characters in the book are laid flat on a two-dimensional plane, like the red-hatted plumber. They are either rewritten at will by a pen or manipulated at will by a remote control, all stemming from the divine power of a higher dimension.

Characters of lower dimensions are powerless to resist in this process. Even a three-year-old child, as long as he has a controller, will have to go through fire and water, stepping on carnivorous plants and crashing into turtle shells. Because the external commands imposed upon him determine the character's fate.

As a lower-dimensional character, he can certainly have his own views on these issues. But his stance on solving these problems ultimately relies on the higher-dimensional narrative.

In other words, dimensional reduction means completely abandoning one's stance.

And the final writer, the one who ultimately preserved this "story," was Victoria.

Even so, Victoria believed it was necessary.

If contact continues, creating a tangled web of problems, then worldly issues will inevitably spill over into Rome sooner or later. Because if both sides share a network, they will inevitably share the same public agenda. For example, the recent case of the "father killing his son" caused a huge uproar within the Ming Dynasty, and when it reached Rome, it caused another uproar. Similarly, any trouble in Rome will cause another uproar here.

Especially the latter part.

Shangluo hadn't actually witnessed the Romans' ways of doing things before, because both sides had deliberately created memes to separate them. If Rome was a place where everything was possible, then only "eating" was something Shangluo had seen before.

The Karin family, originally knights from the countryside and lords of a village, provided such luxurious food that Zhu Xianxi ate with relish—though this was mainly due to Zhu Xianxi's lack of pickiness and the quality of the ingredients. Zhu Xianxi's high praise for the meal clearly stemmed from the Karin family's exceptional culinary skills.

Here's the problem. Karin's family is indeed just a minor knight. Although they belong to the nobility, they are only at the bottom of the nobility. However, they can still train a chef who can handle such a wide variety of ingredients, and that chef is also skilled at preparing banquets.

This was no ordinary luxury. Even Zhu Xianxi didn't have a chef specifically assigned to him to prepare banquets—this was something only found in the past when eunuchs were in power, and they would organize their own small kitchens. Or perhaps, the social elites of the Ming Dynasty would hire such a chef for their homes.

This dish is quite elaborate and is collectively known as banquet cuisine, or swallow and wing banquet.

Although each region has its own local cuisine, banquet dishes emphasize the same flavor across the country. The base is the imperial cuisine of Shandong and Huaiyang cuisines, and after chefs from various regions came to Beijing, dishes prepared by chefs from Sichuan and Guangdong were gradually added, and later, Southeast Asian cuisine was also added.

While there isn't a fixed standard, the prevailing trends in Beijing are a standard in themselves. Regardless of the origin of the dish, if it becomes the focus at a particular banquet, then subsequent banquets can try to incorporate it. Essentially, this is a large-scale cultural project co-created by everyone; everyone who can afford to host a banquet can try to contribute, leaving a shining mark on the chef they sponsor.

This is a kind of play, a play based on eating.

But here's the problem—in Da Ming, Zhu Xianxi himself doesn't participate in these activities, because no one ever invites him to dinner. As for the other people in Shangluo who are into food and drink, he's vaguely heard their names.

But in Rome, Karin's family held no significant status whatsoever; their status wasn't much different from that of Shangluo. Shangluo could, to some extent, be considered part of the "knightly class," since hereditary military ranks were considered knighthood. Karin's family wasn't even from the countryside; they were nobles within Rome, practically senators.

However, given that the nation's strength was far inferior to that of the Ming Dynasty, and the Karin family's social class was even lower than that of the Shangluo family, it was absurd that they could participate in the "banquet cuisine" tradition. This was utterly absurd. According to Zhu Xianxi's assessment, their chefs would be skilled enough to prepare banquets even in the capital.

At this level, cooking skills are less important than the ability to manage a banquet. This involves deciding on dishes based on seasonal ingredients, managing the chefs, understanding the guests' needs, scheduling the day, and coordinating with other tasks.

Karin's family has a chef of that caliber.

“Ah,” Victoria thought for a moment, “you might be overestimating Karin’s family. Their level of expertise shouldn’t be something they can just pull off anytime. Did Mr. Kesso tell you they’ve been preparing for a long time?”

"I did say that."

“That’s right. I know the kind of chef you’re talking about; that requires a lot of money. The chefs at Karin’s family can’t just put on a banquet like this anytime; they probably need to prepare for ten days to two weeks in advance.”

"Wait a minute. In our area, we also need to prepare for such banquets."

"Huh? Aren't we supposed to eat it anytime?"

"Where do so many people eat out so casually, even at someone else's house? Usually, it's in a famous hotel. For example, our local Grand Secretary Wen—the grandfather of Wen Yuan you met—didn't have a chef at home. If he wanted to invite someone to dinner, he would host them at one of the restaurants along the Qinhuai River."

"Oh? You guys are so frugal?"

"It's not that I'm frugal, it's that you're all too extravagant. All I see is this one meal, and that's how lavish it is. The rest..."

“Then I suggest you don’t watch it,” Victoria said seriously. “If you watch it, I’m afraid you won’t be able to sleep. You’ll think, how dare these people do such a thing.”

"So you know what I mean, right?"

“Well, we can’t let our people corrupt you, right? Ah,” Victoria clutched her head. “Actually, the Romans weren’t always like this. The Romans also had a frugal and simple lifestyle. Logically speaking, it was the Greeks who did it, and Nero was the one who introduced the Greek style.”

"Don't you idolize Nero?"

"Except for that. Even if I were Greek, I would think the Romans were better in their original way. But now, it's no use trying to cure these superficial ailments, is it?" "I think the Romans were quite self-aware."

That shows remarkable self-awareness. Knowing there was no cure, they decisively chose to end their lives—a decision not everyone can accept. It was Emperor Agassiz who overruled public opinion to make this decision. Now it seems it was the only way to coexist peacefully with China.

"Waaah, my father was truly a wise and virtuous ruler throughout the ages."

That was certainly a wise move at the right time. But I think he read some off-topic script somewhere and didn't want to repeat the same mistake, which is why he made that decision.

"Ah? Is that so? This..." She suddenly remembered what Agassiz had told her before—his sister whom he had never met, Elizabeth. She was a Roman emperor from another historical period.

Your expression seems a bit off? Could it be true?

"Perhaps. Perhaps he really did witness another, even darker, history. It might be a secret to others, but it probably isn't to Shangluo. After all, Shangluo came from Zhong State, right?"

"We don't have the Roman Empire of the Industrial Revolution where we are. Our ecological niche is..." Not wanting to touch on Victoria's sore spot, Shangluo sang those two lines from the song, "It's from 'Ceddin Deden.' But they're actually quite nice people; they even went to provide disaster relief during the Irish famine."

"Thank goodness you didn't say that name. My blood pressure went up just hearing it. The fall of a nation, the fall of the world—who could bear that?"

"So what if the world falls? My great-grandfather, Emperor Gaozu—we have the same system in our region—was a true hero. Even if the world falls, he can save it. He can wash, dry, and piece together the shattered land, clean it up, and then put it back together. That's called a perfect and complete world. And after he cleaned it up once, someone else could clean it up again later."

"Do we have such people in Rome? Has anyone raised the Roman flag again?"

"Ah huh."

"What did you say?"

"I don't think you want to hear about that man; he was Italian. What I can say is—Constantine XI, he died for his country, and the Venetians didn't kick him while he was down, while the Genoese did their utmost. In the end, Rome could be said to have died with dignity, a grand funeral. Constantinople, beginning with Constantine I, ended with Constantine XI; perhaps that's fate."

"After Rome left, did anyone inherit Rome's mantle?"

"Yes, Venice. Venice has maintained its Senate and citizens' assembly. No one is more orthodox than Venice."

"I," Victoria slapped her forehead, "I really want to gouge out my ears and pretend I never heard this."

"You can't even speak properly anymore."

"Calm down. Calm down. I understand, I understand. Genoa is still an honest man. Tsk, it seems similar things are about to happen to me. It's just a pity that I am not the emperor who dies for his country. This is the self-degradation of civilization, no one can save it, nor does it need to be saved. All legends and myths will come to an end once again. I will remain in this world under the sun as the last custodian. I think this is the meaning my father made me the Roman emperor."

In this process, the Roman emperor will truly ascend to the highest level of mystique—because she alone will not be subject to dimensional reduction. As the author, she will hold the "copyright" to the Romans after their dimensional reduction. Only she will decide the fate of the Romans, and only she can decide.

Of course, it was Victoria's responsibility to keep this story alive.

Her work wasn't lonely—she had many friends who could help her. For example, Shangluo would work with him to manage that "storybook." He would always hold the "pen" that could rewrite the fate of the Romans.

So, Shangluo, you'd better be careful.

"What are you afraid of? Although we always talk about books and pens, that's a metaphor. There isn't really a book or a pen that can easily change the fate of the Romans. What I'm saying is that the fate of the Romans is laid flat like a story written in a book, and it can indeed be influenced by external decisions. And, the most important responsibility is still in Victoria's hands."

"In my hands? Why?"

"You don't want the Romans to become electronic pets, do you?"

Victoria shook her head violently.

"Therefore, to avoid such a thing from happening, you must end the fate of the Romans when necessary, and put an end to their story. Perhaps in the future someone will be able to ascend from it, rise from it, and then take control of the fate of that land again—that's another matter. Anyway, as long as I am here, the Romans will have peace."

This wasn't exactly peaceful. But the Romans' good days were numbered, and this change would at least allow them to continue their decadent lifestyle for who knows how many more years—Shangluo, for one, felt he certainly had plenty of time to live. Since the Romans had entrusted themselves to him without fear of death, Shangluo didn't mind helping them preserve their story, provided he could profit from it.

"So, Victoria, you've made up your mind, haven't you?"

“Yes, let’s do it this way. My father, Phaethon, and his father have all pretty much finalized the matter.”

"My father didn't say anything, but since he trusts me to do this, let's go with it. By the way, my senior brother has also confirmed it. This matter has already reached a consensus on your side, so I won't interfere for now. On our side, since it's an external matter, I'll take care of it. I agree."

“Okay~~” Victoria clapped softly, “This is something to celebrate, and we should celebrate it in a big way. But we won’t stay here for now. I’ll treat you to dinner when we get back!”

"Then, we only have one thing left—Paris. The Elf King of Paris hasn't been completely wiped out yet. Once the Paris issue is resolved, the land around Rome will be basically pacified. At that time, once we complete our global ascension, the Heavenly Court will truly be able to be established."

(End of this chapter)