Yu Dynasty Yingdala (4338-4636)

[Wu Han]

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High Police, Military Presence in Yincheng for Ryeo Family's Protection

Military officers patrol the Yincheng Train Terminal

YINCHENG, Jiaozhi -- Following their extraction from Dankuk by MSS agents, the government has permitted members of the Ryeo Clan to take up residence at the historical Yincheng Mountain Resort. The Yincheng Mountain Resort has not been used since 4202 during the brief restoration of the monarchy. It fell into disrepair during the RC/Pua Dictatorship, but restoration efforts were started under Chancellor Wu in 4268 and completed in 4275.

It is not known exactly which members of the Ryeo Clan are in Yincheng, as the government won't release that information for security reasons. It can be assumed, however, that they are very important given the high military and police presence in the mountain city.

Reception for the soldiers in Yincheng has been mostly positive. Local grandmother of five Zou Guanting and her friends walk down to the town square every morning to feed the soldiers:

It's nice having these soldiers around. They're such kind and helpful kids. Just the other day I had two young men help me carry my groceries home, and I live near the top of the hill, so that's not easy. Their young energy is infectious and has us all feeling a little younger too! I wish they never had to leave.

To the giggling of her elderly friends, she added:

And they're all so handsome! Who's sons are these?

Left: Zou Guanting and friend Lin Yijun dishing up soldiers; Right: Two soldiers help an old lady walk home

Not everyone is so happy, however. Local university student Yu Bao came home for the summer and saw a very different situation:

It's like we're living in a police state! You can't go anywhere around town without seeing a police officer here or a soldier over there. It makes me sick! Not to mention the fact that these soldiers are here to protect members of a foreign aristocracy. How much is this going to cost us average Indralans?

The National Police Agency nor the Armed Forces would respond to questions regarding the length of deployment in Yincheng.

Chancellor Spotted At Wife's Fashion Show During Kaizhou Fashion Week

Chancellor Huang (circled) is seen at his wife, Kim Bo-young's Summer/Fall Fashion Show

KAIZHOU, Jiaozhi -- Fashion Week is underway, with models, designers, and celebrities from all over the world descending on Kaizhou. This also includes Chancellor Huang, who was spotted at his wife's show yesterday evening.

First Lady Kim Bo-young founded her namesake couture house (stylized as kimboyoung) in 4250 and quickly established herself at the forefront of the emerging Indralan fashion scene. Relying on innovative fabric research, soft draping, light materials, and easy wearability, Kim Bo-young's pieces have been praised for their sophisticated yet intentionally relaxed vision of femininity.

Chancellor Huang's government reduced the luxury goods sales tax from 50% to 5% in 4286 which drew criticism from the opposition as it seemed that the Chancellor was acting on a conflict of interest. The Chancellor made comments in the National Conference which claimed that "Indrala-based artists and designers" were punished by "a punitive and unfair tax rate." These statements were interpreted by some as a direct reference to his wife's line of work.

WBC Drama Spring Reigns Everywhere Attracts Large Viewership for Finale

Actress He Wu gazes at actor Dylan Hong in a screenshot from the drama's final episode

TIAN'AN, Han -- The final episode of WBC's monarchy-themed historical drama Spring Reigns Everywhere has attracted a very high final national viewership of 42%. While lower than the record-breaking finale of 4272's The Final Emperor, which garnered 66% viewership, Spring Reigns Everywhere has joined an elite group of television dramas to reach above 40%.

While historical dramas, such as and Five Golden Flowers are generally the most popular, apathy towards the monarchy and the debate surrounding it in this country has contributed to lackluster performances for monarchy-themed dramas, with many failing to reach above 5% national viewership. Kaizhou National University professor of Film and Media Studies attributes the success of Spring Reigns Everywhere to two things:

I think it is likely that many Indralans have been a bit enchanted by the concept of the monarchy following the news around the Ryeo Clan, as well as just general sentiments changing. Many young people weren't around during the whole monarchy debate back in the 70s, and so they don't share the same traumas as many of their parents and grandparents.

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Originally posted by Wu Han on 29 October 2017.