People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

“I understand, Mr. Ernst. I will convey the risks to everyone; please make your own choices.”

"But I think I will go."

Ernst paused slightly, looking at Himer in surprise. Himer, however, pursed his lips, took Ernst's hand, and nodded with a smile.

"I think this way, the risk for our team will be much smaller, right?"

She wasn't a complete political idiot; after serving as an organizational leader for so long, she had developed some political acumen.

Ernst's analysis made a lot of sense, but he kept something to himself.

For example, if Ursus is indeed planning this, in the most extreme case, even if their troops safely leave the warlord's territory, there will still be a final hurdle.

Hey fellow villager, I need to borrow something.

I'll borrow your head.

Who can guarantee that the Ursus Emperor won't personally eliminate this team to ensure that the conflict is ignited and incurs the wrath of the World Summit?

The best way to avoid this risk is actually quite simple.

A glint appeared in Himer's eyes as he feigned confusion and asked:

"Ursus, do you dare to sacrifice the leader of an organization under the World Summit?"

Ernst gave a wry smile.

They probably wouldn't dare.

While the World Summit objectively advocates equality for all, and the Human Rights Council places even greater emphasis on the concept of human rights equality, equality also has its own hierarchy. Different people, with different identities, objectively carry different weight.

The attack on a delegation from the World Summit in Ursus would provoke the World Summit's anger over the misdeeds of Ursus's warlords, providing the Ursus Emperor with leverage. Because a small team, frankly speaking, isn't a major issue; the deaths are merely a statistic, an "accident." Politically, this isn't enough to provoke direct anger from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council towards Ursus, a fellow member; it would only target a portion of the delegation.

But an attack on a leader in Ursus is a different story. The inadequate security in Ursus allowed a newly appointed leader to encounter such an incident on his first overseas trip – a major diplomatic incident! They too must face accountability and even pay the price.

At the World Summit, not only will the perpetrators be punished, but Ursus will also be condemned. This is clearly putting the cart before the horse for the Ursus emperor, who wants to enhance his prestige and be a good person.

I couldn't borrow any strength, and I ended up getting myself into trouble.

But to be honest, these are all theories.

Ernst hadn't actually been to Ursus, so who knew just how crazy they really were? Besides, even if Himer personally led the team, which might dissuade the emperor from stabbing him in the back at the last minute, the risk posed by the warlords ahead was still a real concern. Given Ursus's excellent matchmaking system, could those minor warlords possibly think that far ahead?

This is also gambling with one's own life.

But looking into Hamer's eyes, Ernst knew that her mind was made up.

The claim that she didn't send her subordinates to their deaths while she reaped the benefits is misleading.

She only had principles in her eyes, not business.

Ernst admitted again that this was indeed what she did.

I just don't know how long she can keep doing this in this cesspool of land.

Well, I can still protect her for a while, so I'll do my best.

Ernst took a deep breath, gestured for Hammer to wait a moment, then pressed the call button on the table and addressed Hinterlea at the door:

"Hinterlea, please invite Mr. Andorn and Miss Alina here."

A moment later, the angelic guide Andorn and the prosthetic expert Alina, who had been waiting in the waiting room, pushed open the door and entered.

Ernst nodded to the two of them, then introduced them to Himer:

“You should know Andorn; he spoke at the summit. This is Alina; she’s from the Ursus Tundra, a native of Ursus, and has connections with the Tundra Guerrilla.”

Alina reached out her hand to Himer, and Himer returned the gesture.

"These are all things said behind closed doors."

Ernst emphasized,

"Alina is also returning to Ursus. She needs to make contact with the guerrillas and transfer aid supplies for them. Hemer, your team can take her with them. This way, you can provide cover for the supplies she's transporting, and if your team encounters trouble in Ursus, you can also contact the guerrillas through her to solve any immediate problems."

In warlord-controlled areas, expecting to rely on the Ursus military and police for help in the event of a conflict is nothing short of a pipe dream. They should take a look at who pays the local military and police.

But the guerrillas are different; they really go into battle when something happens.

This was the last layer of invisible protection Ernst could provide for Himer.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Ernst."

Hemer stepped forward solemnly, opened his arms, and gave Ernst a big hug.

"goodbye!"

"Take care and have a safe journey."

Ernst did not refuse and hugged the young lady Liboli in return.

The feather that Himer had given him was tied to his wrist and swayed slightly.

Chapter 610 The Great Yan Dynasty is indeed a layered cake

Work can never stop for a moment.

No sooner had Hermer and his group left to discuss their trip to Ursus than Ernst received visitors from Yan Kingdom.

"Miss Ning looks even more beautiful than when we last met, after several months apart."

As the host, Ernst poured Ning Ciqiu a cup of tea and uttered words of praise.

The Yan Kingdom has been known as a land of etiquette since ancient times, and the people of the Yan Kingdom are very particular about etiquette. This etiquette is somewhat different from the politeness that modern people generally believe in. It is more inclined to the "etiquette" emphasized in traditional culture, such as respect for superiors and inferiors, not being allowed to pick up chopsticks before elders arrive, and not being allowed to tap bowls while eating, etc.

In modern society, this concept of etiquette has gradually been replaced by normal politeness. At least before Ernst's time travel, etiquette in the land of etiquette had basically become synonymous with politeness and good manners, which can be considered a kind of progress.

However, the Yan Kingdom was a feudal empire.

This is why Ernst never completely equated Yan with his hometown.

But since it was a reception for foreign guests, and of a high caliber at that, Ernst would certainly have shown them the utmost courtesy and respect that he and Scherage had for Yan, one of the five permanent members of the Security Council.

However, Ning Ciqiu didn't seem to be very receptive to this. She took the teacup Ernst pushed towards her, took only a small sip, smiled slightly, put down the cup, and got straight to the point:

“Mr. Ernst, there are no outsiders here. Ci Qiu’s visit is not entirely at the behest of the Grand Commandant. So please relax and consider this a casual chat and a request for your guidance. I hope you can answer my questions.”

B. Ernst was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He subconsciously felt that this was some kind of trap.

But upon closer examination, it doesn't seem to make any sense.

4. This is my office, surrounded by people I trust. What kind of trap could Ning Ciqiu possibly set for me here?

However, it is indeed rare for someone to take the initiative to have a closed-door talk with a foreign leader to seek advice and guidance, especially from Chinese people, whose first impression on Ernst was that they were conservative.

However, Ning Ciqiu's expression was very serious. So much so that Ernst was momentarily unsure what she was up to, and could only nod hesitantly:

"Miss Ning, please speak freely. However, I am not omniscient, and if some questions involve the Great Yan, please forgive me for being unable to answer them."

Ning Ciqiu smiled and nodded: "I understand."

She paused for a moment, then asked her first question:

“Mr. Ernst, before I set off for Shelag, my grandfather asked me a few questions and asked me to find the answers.”

"The first question is, our family is at its peak, and His Majesty the True Dragon sent us a box of fruit, but when we opened it, we found that there wasn't a single fruit inside. What does this mean?"

Ernst raised an eyebrow and replied in Yan language:

"There are no fruits in the box, please pick (cut) them yourself."

A flicker of realization crossed Ning Ciqiu's face, but she was immediately startled, her brows furrowing as she continued:

"Then why are people's feet always whiter than their face and hands?"

Because I slurp it cleanly.

Whoops, just kidding.

Ernst paused for a moment, gave Ning Ciqiu a strange look, and continued to answer in Yan language:

"Because your feet are always hidden and cannot be seen in the light."

What is the meaning of the character "人" (person)?

"Just two strokes, a left-falling stroke and a right-falling stroke."

Ning Ciqiu fell silent.

Ernst was somewhat puzzled by the meaning behind Ning Ciqiu's three questions. After hearing the first two questions, Ernst wondered if something had happened to Ning Ciqiu's family, and if she was about to stage a scenario where her entire family was wiped out, exiled to Lingnan, leaving only her as the youngest daughter in a foreign land, secretly gathering strength and waiting for an opportunity to take revenge.

Her third question, however, was something completely unrelated: "What is a human being?"

Ernst had no idea what a human being was. If you asked about the structure of the human body, he could at least list out the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, but if you asked about the concept of a human being, that was far too broad.

Racial, emotional, and certain justifications by faith—do you consider yourself human? I think I am. How can I possibly finish explaining?

Ernst could only reply with a rather silly answer: "人 (person), one stroke, one dot, two strokes, that's all." (÷0) [☆]

He was waiting for Ning Ciqiu's next words so he could find out her background and true intentions.

But to his surprise, Ning Ciqiu never followed up.

His grandfather asked him these three questions. But not all of these questions were directed at him.

This is a secret circulating among the highest echelons of the Great Yan Kingdom.

Rumor has it that when the Great Yan Go master played against the agent of the Year Beast, they agreed to a three-game match.

In each of the three rounds, at the end of each round, he asked the second-in-command of the Year Beast agents, [Wang], one of the three questions.

In the end, he failed, hoping to cut himself into pieces and scatter them across the chessboard of heaven and earth, thus escaping the imprisonment of the capital's guards. Now, he is one of the most vigilant enemies of the Great Yan Dynasty.

[Looking Back] The answers from that time have not been passed down and remain unknown, but these three questions have been recorded. Many people truly at the center of the power struggle in Baizhao have offered their own answers to these three questions.

Ning Ciqiu's grandfather asked her these three questions, hoping she would find her own answers. His purpose was quite simple.

He is nurturing, training, and testing Ning Ciqiu.

Ning Ciqiu chose to ask Ernst these three questions. This seemed like a violation of the rules, but it wasn't.

Ning Ciqiu's grandfather did not set a rule forbidding seeking answers from outsiders. After all, connections, and even luck, are also part of one's strength.

Even though Ning Ciqiu obtained Ernst's answers to these three questions, her confusion remained unresolved and instead grew stronger.

"What's the significance of these three questions?"

She asked curiously.

Now it was Ernst's turn to be speechless. How was he supposed to know what those three questions meant? He could only ask in return:

"Under what circumstances did your grandfather ask you these three questions?"

Ning Ciqiu hesitated for a moment before replying, "His Majesty the True Dragon intends to send a delegation to the World Summit. The Grand Tutor has made it clear that, in order to check and balance the court, the envoy will not be him, but the Grand Commandant. When I returned from the Grand Tutor's place, I asked my grandfather for clarification, but he said that His Majesty the True Dragon's preferred candidate is me."

"Sure enough, at the court assembly the next day, the Emperor appointed me as his deputy to accompany the Grand Commandant on his mission. The night before my departure, my grandfather pulled me aside and asked me these three questions. He said that if I could understand them, he would be at ease."

Ernst nodded thoughtfully, then glanced at Ning Ciqiu with some surprise.

I didn't realize this girl had such a promising career in government.

The emperor sought a balance of power, so the Grand Tutor, standing between the Grand Commandant and the Grand Preceptor, sent the weaker Grand Preceptor on a diplomatic mission to gain merit and thus balance the court's situation. This is not hard to understand.

However, the fact that a Grand Tutor was inserted into the Grand Commandant's delegation, and that he personally selected the generals, suggests that this was not entirely for the sake of balance.

If it were for the sake of balance, and the woman were to feign virtue and pretend not to be biased, then with the power politics of a proper emperor, a mere hint would be enough for the Grand Tutor to know what to do. There would be no need for the Grand Tutor to personally appoint Ning Ciqiu; he would simply slip one or two of his own people into the Grand Commandant's delegation to avoid embarrassing the emperor.

But he chose Ning Ciqiu, a well-known member of the Grand Tutor's faction.

This is a statement, a release of a political signal.

I've declared that I will utilize the resources behind this person to cooperate with me. From this moment on, this person will neither be a member of the Grand Tutor's faction nor a member of the Grand Commandant's faction, but rather a member of the True Dragon faction, a member of the "Great Yan" faction.

This is both a direct attempt to split the Grand Tutor's faction and to support a "Minister's faction" or a "Vice Minister's faction," and also an opportunity for Ning Ciqiu.

Ning Ciqiu probably didn't realize what kind of opportunity this was, nor did she realize how great the danger was hidden behind it.

If you do this position well, you'll be like Huo Guang or Zhang Juzheng; if you do it poorly, you'll be like Yan Song or Wei Zhongxian.

But if you mess things up and displease the emperor, you'll be a pawn, a scapegoat, the "treacherous villain" who will be dragged out to take the blame in the purge of corrupt officials!

But no matter what, it seems that very few of them have a good ending.

Especially Ning Ciqiu's current immature appearance.

Ernst couldn't say whether the political struggles in feudal courts or modern governments were more intense, but the political struggles in feudal courts certainly had a more ancient feel; if you couldn't win, you'd definitely lose your head.

Once you understand this point, you can analyze specific situations in detail and arrive at the answers to those three questions.