Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

Mostima's heart, which had been racing because of thinking about him, gradually slowed down. She took a deep breath and rubbed Exusiai's head.

Her three days have passed; has she found an answer?

Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't. But she must wait, until her "one month," three years later.

"He made a lot of grand pronouncements and emotional appeals, but then he ran back in less than a month. That guy will definitely laugh at him mercilessly, won't he?"

Mostima silently reminded himself.

Wait a minute, just a little longer.

Chapter Twenty: As long as I go with you, that's enough.

The aircraft's exhaust streaked across the sky above Londinham as it departed from Royal Westminster International Airport, bound for Dragon Gate. Unbeknownst to many, the Victorian royal family was embarking on a belated summer trip.

Wayne and Vina weren't without vacation villas; in fact, the Victorian royal family owned private vacation villas in Colombia, Letania, and even Ursus. But they didn't have any in Yan.

This is probably because the Yan Kingdom has been in a closed state for many years and has almost no contact with foreign countries. Whether it was Vina's father, the former Emperor Andrew, or Wayne's father, the King of the North, during their time, Victoria had very little contact with the Yan Kingdom. The only time they cooperated at the official level was when they put pressure on Wei Yanwu to eliminate Edward.

After this, relations between the two countries did not improve despite their shared misdeeds; instead, they returned to a state of coldness. Victoria, as a hegemonic empire, had no interest in, and even less appetite for, the Great Yan, which had no ambition for dominance and focused solely on its regional dominance. And Yan... the Yan Kingdom said nothing and did nothing.

If I had to use a metaphor, it would be like Queen Victoria, with her queenly personality, meeting Yan, with her icy, aloof personality.

Victoria: "Yan, will you be my subordinate?"

Yan: "?" (Looking at an idiot)

Victoria: "Then you can't be someone else's subordinate!"

Yan: "Not interested." (Rolls eyes)

That's roughly the idea; since there's no conflict of interest between the two sides, there's naturally very little communication.

Therefore, Vina had very high expectations for this trip. Even on the plane, she kept asking Wayne, who claimed to be an expert on Yan, questions:

"Brother, is Longmen fun?"

"Uh...it's pretty fun, isn't it?" Wayne replied.

Vina frowned: "Why are you using such an uncertain tone? Brother, haven't you studied flames?"

Wayne shrugged: "But I've never actually been there."

Whether Lungmen is fun or not, Wayne really doesn't know. He is indeed an expert on Yan, at least more so than the others on the aircraft.

The state of Yan is quite peculiar. Based on Wayne's research on Yan and its historical records during this period, Yan in Terra is probably an ultimate entity that integrates many dynasties in Chinese history.

The Yan Kingdom possessed the national strength of the Han and Tang dynasties. Although it adhered to a Confucian-like doctrine, it did not overly emphasize literature over military affairs, and its people retained a high degree of martial spirit. However, strangely, despite possessing the national strength of the Han and Tang dynasties, the Great Yan lacked their ambitions. They not only failed to establish the "tribute system" of a celestial empire, but also failed to subdue their vassal states. Looking at the history of the Great Yan, it seems that the only officially recognized vassal state was the distant and somewhat ambiguous Eastern Kingdom on the border.

Lacking ambition is neither a good thing nor a bad thing. What's strange to Wayne is that in the last two hundred years, the Great Yan has suddenly fallen into a long period of "closure". The originally open gates of the country were ordered to be closed by the True Dragon. Foreign travelers must go through many reporting and inspection processes to enter the Great Yan. Even some overseas Chinese of the Great Yan who want to return to their motherland have been ruthlessly rejected.

Wien is very familiar with this situation; it's all about isolationism!

Possessing the national strength of the Han and Tang dynasties, the literature of the Song dynasty, and the military prowess of the Yuan dynasty, it distortedly adopted the Qing dynasty's policy of isolationism, even gradually separating itself from the Terran map, becoming a political island that few countries cared about. It neither forms alliances nor participates in discussions of international affairs; after the collapse of Colombia, the Great Yan was the only country that did not participate in the spoils.

Wayne's understanding of Yan was limited to this. As for the deeper aspects, he didn't know, and perhaps not many people on this land, apart from the leaders of Yan themselves, knew.

But this number does not include Theresa.

Seeing Wayne hesitate, Theresa took the initiative to speak, continuing Wayne's words:

“Mr. Bruce is right, but you haven’t noticed the exception of Lungmen.”

"Within the entire administrative system of the Great Yan, Longmen is a unique type. It is governed by Wei Yanwu, the elder brother of the current Great Yan Zhenlong, and is subordinate to the Yan Kingdom. However, Zhenlong has shown a neglectful attitude towards the development of this place. Apart from the national assessment that is conducted every four years, the development of Longmen is not subject to the internal policies of the Great Yan."

Therefore, Longmen is open. It is the last city in Great Yan where direct trade and communication with the government is possible. In Longmen, you can glimpse a small part of the history and culture of this unique nation, and you can see, through a glimpse, the awe-inspiring power that would erupt if Yan were to engage in global affairs.

—During Wei Yanwu's twelve-year rule, Lungmen transformed from a small border buffer town under the puppet rule of the Ursus Empire into the current trading center of eastern Terra. It issued its own independent currency, the Lungmen Coin, which even to some extent replaced the Victoria Gold Coin in the east. The Lungmen Financial Exchange, once the third largest financial exchange in all of Terra, officially rose to second place after the New York Financial Exchange disappeared with the fall of Columbia, second only to the core city of Londinium.

This is the Great Yan Dynasty. Even though it has been asleep for a long time and has not cared about worldly affairs, no one dares to underestimate its majesty.

Victoria never intended to incorporate Yan into her hegemonic system, perhaps also out of concern that she didn't want to wake him up.

"So, in the end, you still haven't said what's fun about Yan Kingdom."

Vina felt a bit overwhelmed after being given another political lecture by the two of them for no apparent reason.

Didn't I come here on vacation? How did it turn into a lecture on the international political landscape?

Theresa and Wayne exchanged a glance and shrugged.

This is actually a very interesting research topic for them. After all, keyboard politics is always a great way to relieve boredom, no matter when or where, and given Wayne and Theresa's status, their keyboards might one day become real official documents.

The difference between sham keyboard politics and genuine strategic planning lies solely in whether you possess the ability to realize your ambitions. If you can, you can devise grand plans for dividing the world into three kingdoms from your humble thatched cottage in Nanyang; if you can't, then you're just spouting nonsense.

"There's not much fun in Longmen, or rather, every part of it is fun."

Wayne said,

"Even amusement parks and scenic spots can become boring after a few visits. On the contrary, the most interesting thing is the novelty of visiting a place for the first time."

“Vina, we’re going to a completely new country, a country that’s completely different from the Western countries we usually live in, both in terms of customs and social systems. You won’t be disappointed.”

Looking at Wayne's confident face, Vina finally nodded.

"It's okay, it doesn't really matter to me where I go."

She paused, blushed slightly, and said shyly:

"As long as I go with you, that's fine."

Theresa, who was standing nearby, suddenly froze.

Chapter Twenty-One: Wei Yanwu

Longmen International Airport.

Longmen International Airport has been closed to the public since 9:00 a.m. today, as the Imperial Guard, led by Chen, is conducting a comprehensive inspection of the entire airport.

Flying from Lontinem in Victoria to Lungmen is a considerable distance, taking nearly 12 hours even by air. Beforehand, Chen was responsible for checking the security of the entire airport to ensure the visit was safe and without incident.

Inside the airport control tower, Wei Yanwu stood with his arms crossed, leisurely watching Chen shuttle back and forth between the tarmac, runway, and waiting hall. After watching for a while, he turned his head to look at the man beside him, dressed in a white robe with a striking single horn on his forehead, and said:

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, the airport security is absolutely secure. Superintendent Chen is the most outstanding superintendent in Lungmen. If we were to compare him to someone else, he would be no less capable than the captain of your country's Royal Canadian Mounted Police."

Upon hearing this, the unicorn turned its head, looked at Wei Yanwu's face, and after a long while, it was certain that he was not joking. It then seriously reminded him:

"Don't make this kind of comparison next time."

Wei Yanwu was taken aback: "Why? Don't you always promote the Royal Victorian Mounted Police as the first line of defense for the people of Victoria?"

The unicorn chuckled and asked in return, "Are you a Victorian?"

Wei Yanwu shook his head: "Of course not."

The unicorn shrugged. "Then how could you believe such a thing?" He paused, then added, "The purpose of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is to make Victorians feel protected."

Wei Yanwu was speechless.

He thought about it and it seemed to make sense. Not only the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Victoria, but also the Guard Bureau in Lungmen and the military and police in Ursus were all similar organizations.

But that unicorn is really bold. I'm not the only one here.

Seemingly aware of what Wei Yanwu was thinking, the unicorn shrugged indifferently:

"There's nothing I'm afraid to say. It's an open secret. Besides, having such an institution is better than not having one, isn't it?"

Wei Yanwu nodded.

Indeed. Although agencies like the Mounted Police and the Guard Bureau are mostly responsible for handling trivial matters in the eyes of rulers, and for providing a sense of security to the public in place of special armed forces that cannot be frequently exposed to the public eye, it is better to have them than not.

We can't follow Colombia's example, where the reputation of the "police" was ruined by the National Guard. The whole country was in chaos, yet everywhere was a beautiful sight.

"Dudududu!"

A horn blared, interrupting Wei Yanwu's thoughts. He looked down and saw Chen Zheng honking his horn in a jeep parked below the control tower. Seeing Wei Yanwu looking over, Chen Zheng raised his hand from behind the window and gave him an OK sign.

"It seems the inspection is complete."

Wei Yanwu nodded to Chen, then turned to look at the three people behind him who were completely shrouded in red robes, and said:

"So, gentlemen, now that everything is clear at the airport, where are you headed next?"

"Wei Yanwu, this matter is of great importance. Why have you not reported it to the court?"

The red-robed man standing in the center of the three said coldly,

"Do you know that this is the time for inspection? We are inspecting the four seas on behalf of His Majesty the True Dragon. You have not informed us of such a matter of great importance to the nation. What is your punishment?"

Wei Yanwu released his hands, took the pipe from his waist, lit it, took a long drag, and asked in return:

"Your Excellency, what crime have I committed? To be honest, I had already written a letter about this matter and sent it to the capital before you arrived. I believe His Majesty is already aware of this by now."

It's just an excuse to procrastinate!

The Inspectorate could see through Wei Yanwu's lie at a glance. It was currently the quadrennial national inspection period of the Great Yan Dynasty. His Majesty the True Dragon had appointed officials from the Court of Judicial Review to inspect the country on behalf of the Emperor. All matters, from treason and rebellion to long-standing injustices, could be reported directly to the inspectors of the Court of Judicial Review, who would then make decisions and act expediently.

Wei Yanwu, having served as the Governor of Longmen for so many years, couldn't possibly be unaware of this! Yet, knowing that the Censorate would arrive soon, he chose to report directly to the Emperor instead of informing the Censorate. He even unilaterally approved Victoria's visit—what was he planning?

The man in the red robe clenched his fists, seemingly about to lash out, but seeing Wei Yanwu's composed demeanor, he relaxed.

He couldn't do anything about Wei Yanwu for the time being. Although Wei Yanwu deliberately bypassed the surveillance of the Censorate, he had to admit that his procedures were still flawless. His Majesty had indeed received Wei Yanwu's memorial, and even sooner than Wei Yanwu had expected; the court had already learned of this three days ago.

Since the emperor was aware of the situation and did not criticize it, Wei Yanwu's actions were not considered a violation of regulations; at most, it meant he didn't take the three members of the Dali Temple's Censorate seriously. However, Wei Yanwu was a member of the imperial family, and although His Majesty didn't particularly like him, they were still relatives, so the Censorate couldn't do anything to him.

"Don't let us find out what you're up to, Wei Yanwu."

The man in the red robe warned. Wei Yanwu leisurely clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed slightly, and smiled:

"Of course I wouldn't dare."

The man in red glared at him, then glanced at the silent unicorn standing beside Wei Yanwu. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and let out a cold snort.

"Hmph, let's go."

After the three left, Wei Yanwu straightened his back again and took another puff of his pipe.

"What are you plotting, Wei Yanwu?"

The unicorn asked,

"The Yan Kingdom doesn't trust you, and Victoria can't figure you out either. What are you planning to do?"

Wei Yanwu turned his head, and for a fleeting moment, the unicorn seemed to see a chilling killing intent flash across Wei Yanwu's smiling dragon face, hidden in his eyes. But it was only for a second; Wei Yanwu's expression was flawless once more. He shook his head, looked at the now wary unicorn, and said: