Northern Eagle, White Sun

[Admiral Taiwanpenguin]

To Princess Elizabeth II of House Gough,

I believe it is with both of our nations' interests to re-establish formal relations for not only the practical establishment of trade but as a way to discuss the state of the Chinese population within Krimeon. These diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties have, of course, been cut off since the War of Black Blood. It would be my pleasure to host a meeting in our capital of Nanjing to further discuss the topic. If you should accept, I shall have several military aircraft escort you to the capital, as we happen to be in the middle of monsoon season, and we will have to ensure your safety. The president and I await your response, and, should you accept, your timely arrival in Nanjing. Feel free to bring accompaniment, if you wish.


With sincere respect,

Emperor-Admiral Jingduming von Nanjing

[The Young Pope]

Prince Rodrigo of House Gough and his lifelong wife and companion, Princess consort Victoria, were on their way to the Chinese capital of Nanjing and they were told by their hosts about the ongoing monsoon season, which apparently required a customary military escort once they entered Chinese air space. Without any intention of disrespecting the Chinese, the Krimeonite government accepted this offer.

As 45 years is a fairly long time, Rodrigo has seen and done a lot of things throughout his reign, becoming the first Krimeonite monarch to be of a mixed descent and produce interracial heirs, although it was otherwise not seen as unusual with the rest of the Krimeonite members of House Gough due to the multiultural setup of the Principality, which was internationally dubbed as "Little Mundus", due to the vast amount of races, cultures and religions who've flocked to this large, vibrant city for the past centuries ever since the Ardians founded it in the early middle ages and beyond the Krimeonite Revolutionary War.

One of the most important duties as the reigning monarch of this diverse country was to develop and foster relations between these major ethnicities, this included the Chinese people who've been credited to have greatly contributed to Krimeon City's sucess in financial wealth; Krimeon City is in fact is home to one of the largest ethnic Chinese populations outside of China, with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city. A state visit to the Chinese homeland was thus seen as appropriate.

As the Royal aircraft entered the Chinese airspace, Rodrigo could see through his window the approaching military jets steadily approaching their aircraft in order to escort them safely to the airport. Hoping that this visit would only mean pleasentries and positive outcome, he reclined back in her seat to wait til' the final moments of descent, and also itching to use his German with others who were quite proficient in the language besides her own family. After the visit to China, the Royal couple were going to visit Rodrigo's distant relative, King Ferdinand of House Lapu in Quintelia, who happened to be a direct neighbour of China as well.

[Admiral Taiwanpenguin]

Emperor-Admiral Jingduming stood in the gray overcast sky at Nanjing International Airport, waiting for Princess Rodrigo to land. President Max Herminstaat stood at his side, patiently watching the sky. It had been a while since the Imperial Republic had reconnected with its foreign populations in Krimeon, the war having destroyed many of the vital communication towers that allowed the Imperial Republic to communicate with the outside world - specifically the Imperial embassy in Krimeon. Since the end of the war, the Imperial Engineers had rebuilt the towers and reconnected with the embassy and its thirty-five soldier garrison. The original guard, had of course, passed on, replaced by volunteers who they had trained as their replacements. There were, of course, a few problems with the replacements being Krimeon citizens, something that Emperor Jingduming hoped to figure out with Princess Rodrigo.

The two watched the escort fighters guide the Krimeon aircraft to the runway, and stepped out to meet the royal couple as the stairs descended.
"Princess and Prince Rodrigo," bowing as he spoke. "Welcome to the Imperial Republic. Apologies for the inconvenience with the fighters. I trust you had a safe trip?"

President Herminstaat also bowed, carefully mirroring the Emperor's practiced stance. Two Marine-Guard stood behind them, in front of the armored car that was to transport them to the Imperial Fortress.

[The Young Pope]

"Very much so, Emperor Jingduming, and I'm glad that you've taken the initiative to revive the relations that were once blooming." Prince Rodrigo greeted back, as he and Princess Victoria bowed in return as well, with the cameras of various media outlets drowning them in a strobe of flashes. "Truly, there's a few items on the discussion table that ought to be dealt with, over some steaming dim sum and a cup or two of tea hehe." he replied once more. "Well shall we, gentlemen?" Princess Victoria asked gesturing towards the armored vehicle.

[Admiral Taiwanpenguin]

(OOC: Sorry for the extremely late reply, just pretend that this happened a wile earlier!)

"Oh, there certainly will be that,"returned the Emperor-Admiral. He smiled in reply to Princess Rodrigo's suggestion, following the Krimeon monarchs into the armored vehicle. He ushered President Herminstaat in a vehicle behind the Krimeonites', with himself following, almost thrown in by his personal Marine-Guards. (He didn't blame them, for all of the Imperial Republic was still shaky after the recent terrorist attack on the border.) The vehicle began moving forward immediately, accompanied by a mixture of military and police vehicles, who began carving a path through the streets of Nanjing, ushering pedestrians, who opened umbrellas as a sudden rain began to fall.

They took a different path than the when King Lapu had visited, something that the BIS had insisted on, despite the Emperor-Admiral considering the measures excessive. Nevertheless, as the convoy turned onto one of the military tunnels leading to the Imperial Fortress, they passed by a crowd waving welcome banners and patches of the 9th Foreign Defensive Garrison, the force that was originally stationed in Krimeon.

Spoiler: show

The tunnel was short; they exited almost as soon as they had entered, the view of the Imperial Fortress' pagoda-shaped defensive towers peeking out from among the alpine trees. The road took them closer to the Imperial Fortress to the point where the Southern Gates were presented in their field of vision, its doors swinging outwards to welcome the group.

As the convoy rolled to a halt beneath the Imperial Fortress's Southern Entrance, another pair of Marine-Guard hurried forward to open each vehicles' doors. The Emperor-Admiral and President both stepped out, the President accepting his cane from a nearby servant. The Emperor beckoned to the Krimeonites towards the Imperial Fortress's doors, where an elevator was waiting.

[The Young Pope]

Princess Victoria crept up closer to her Royal husband as the convoy made its way through the streets of Nanjing, with the Royal guards wearing plainclothes were on the alert, as one couldn't be certain in dangerous times such as these like terrorism, which Mundus experienced a lot lately of, from the Gungnir attacking Christians to the WMRA assassinating the Vaguzian Royals and the pursecution of the Cultists in Royal Seleucid. Prince Rodrigo simply made a comforting gesture towards his consort to reassure her that everything was going to turn out fine.

The convoy eventually came to a halt outside the ancient Imperial Fortess, which impressed Rodrigo more than enough; Chinese-style imperial Palaces in Krimeon were obviously miniature in size and complexity, so this was a welcoming change of sight. "Could you tell us more about the fortress, in particular its history and other facts that I should know about?" the Prince inquired to strike a conversation as their Chinese hosts escorted them to the elevator.

[Admiral Taiwanpenguin]

The Emperor-Admiral, happy to oblige, replied, “Certainly. The Fortress was first constructed at the end of the Ming Kingdom’s conquest of Heisen-Draumer and Ganxi regions, though it was called the Royal Palace at the time. Our legends say that the first King of the Ming Kingdom struck his sword here and ordered that the capital be constructed along these mountains. It took centuries: the walls came first, then the foundation, and so on. Each century, another generation of Emperors or Empresses has added something from their reign to the Imperial Fortress. The pagodas, for example, were added around the end of Era of Six Kingdoms, when the first Ming-Brandenburg Dynasty came into being to signify that the four directions of the land were now part of one nation.” As they boarded the elevator, the Emperor-Admiral motioned towards the gates they had entered through. “The Southern Gate was only added a few years later, as an exit for the most critical civilians and government officers in case Nanjing were to fall. It served its purpose well - it was used during the Last Stand of the Shattered Sword, where the remaining forces and Royal administration of the Restored Empire escaped to the mountains. The Ardians occupied the Palace for less than a decade before the forces of the First Republic took it back. The Ardian Empire had tried to break into the royal tombs beneath the Fortress - they failed, but they managed to severely damage the seal of the vaults. Speaking of which, there are almost sixteen levels beneath the Imperial Fortress, each one holding two centuries worth of Imperial rulers. The Ardians likely wanted not just the valuables buried down there, but likely also the large amounts of capital wealth that was hidden away, in case the entire nation had to be rebuilt. After that, we took no chances and began reinforcing the entire complex. We armored everything, built hidden bunkers for our troops to defend the place, and even covered the garden with traps to be armed during times of need. That is when it was christened the Imperial Fortress. Fast-forward to the War of Black Blood, and the Battle for Nanjing, where it was literally bombed every single day, just as we bombed their hideouts with equal force. The damage has been repaired by now, though we passed by one or two memorials on our way to the main hall."

They had left the elevator by now, and reached the main pavilion, which contained a large table, covered in various dishes, ranging from omisua[1] to seasoned duck. Emperor-Admiral Jingduming indicated the steaming banquet with a small gesture. "In the Imperial Republic, the common greeting is "Have you eaten?", so, allow me to ask you to this meal as we discuss politics?"

1.	technically its taiwanese, but still, I count it anyway

[The Young Pope]

"Mhm, I always find it interesting to hear about Chinese history, it's certainly one of the most ancient in Mundus as far as I'm aware of. Krimeon City's earliest records date from around 1147 more or less, which is nothing compared to the others but we Krimeonites like everyone else ought to cherish its own unique history and culture, including you too; it's unfortunately something that the younger generations don't seem to understand, so it's up to us to ensure that the wisdom and knowledge gained from the past will be preserved."

Prince Rodrigo replied as he held Princess Victoria by the arm and accompanying the Emperor-Admiral upwards, he was glad to make this trip although his own gut instinct told him that all of this would soon be over when Tsar Viktor Gough-Petrov came back from his 1 year hiatus; he was after all married to Rodrigo's sister, Tsarina Catherine of House Adartse. The old Prince from Quintelia felt actually relieved, he was in his prime age to retire and he only agreed to become the regent of Krimeon only this once, out of family's sake.

"Oh do please serve us authentic Chinese food, after eating Borscht and Pirogy every day I think it's a delightful change from the ordinary, wouldn't you say so sweety?" Rodrigo said, giving Victoria a kiss on the mouth before they made their way to the assigned seats, dig in the dim sum and begin the serious political talks that would aim to only improve Krimeonite-Chinese relations. "Emperor-Admiral, I almost forgot to give you a special gift, that is uniquely Krimeonite; would you like to receive it at the end of the 'divine' feast?" the old Prince asked with a smile.

"Aside from that, what would His Imperial Majesty wish to bring forth on the table for discussion's sake?"

[Admiral Taiwanpenguin]

The Emperor-Admiral nodded, adding, "After all, who knows whether we shall need such information in the near future? Such thinking is often rewarded by gratitude from future generations."

"I would be both delighted and honored to receive such a gift from such a diverse nation as yours. As for the discussion in question, I would like to first inquire on the state of trade and Krimeonite-Chinese communities between our nations. In the past, before the War of Black Blood, merchants from both our nations were given free access to ports and regions of trade. I would like to reintroduce this freedom of access, along with a promise of diplomatic safety once within territorial waters. As I'm sure you know, some of our people settled there, and formed small communities, of which I believe are called "Chinatowns". As for the Chinatowns, I would first like to request on the behalf of the 9th Foreign Defense Garrison and staff of the First Republic-era embassy. The original members, have, of course, since moved on, but as their replacements are currently Krimeon Chinese, we have a slight issue. Traditional doctrine states that garrison troops must be Imperial citizens, and so I would like to request that Dragonaii troops either be shipped to replace them, or that the current staff be naturalized as dual citizens of both our nations. Otherwise, I would like to have all Chinese Dragonaii be given the ability to freely travel back and forth to the Imperial Republic, given that they have a willing caretaker or family.

He indicated towards the food, telling Prince Rodrigo, "Please, have some while you consider. A strong mind works better when fed."

[The Young Pope]

The Prince took his time eating as he listened to the Emperor-Admiral's concerns, nodding to show his understanding as the conversation progressed. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, "Most certainly do we have pockets of Chinese communities spread out across Krimeon City, and what's intriguing is how they managed to blend your culture with ours in certain ways, or should I say my temporary adopted one" he chuckled.

"As for the status of the Dragonali there has been no issue from our side in terms of their naturalized citizenship, in fact they're already dual citizens according to the laws of the country. What I'm most curious about is their legality; Could you just describe their purposes being stationed in Krimeon, where they're stationed and other valuable intelligence that's ought to be known? As you may be aware, it wouldn't exactly taste well with the State Duma (Parliament) if foreign militaries would be placed on our soil without permission, especially by the people's established will." Prince Rodrigo replied further.

"Krimeon's always open for free trade and when there is money to be made, we take it! We can discuss specific details once we get to that stage of our discussion, although I can already give a hint that such a proposition would be received positively."

[Admiral Taiwanpenguin]

Satisfied with the Prince’s answers, the Emperor-Admiral responded, “That can be arranged. I will simply dispatch a few BIS officers to polish up training and have other personnel sent to hold sensitive information. This will sit well with the public, I think.”

“As for the economics, I’d like to know if there are any natural resources that Krimeon would find of worth from the Imperial Republic. The problem in the Imperial Republic is that we simply have so much raw materiel that we lack the industry to process it all. Thus the search for a market.”

[The Young Pope]

"Oh, I'm sure there are many Lovely things that the Tsardom wishes to acquire and is already acquiring, in fact. Naturally this needs to be codified in one way or the other, and what better way couldn't it be other than a treaty, such as this?" the Prince stated, showing a draft of the proposed treaty aimed to improve both nations' relations.

Spoiler: show

Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation Between the Tsardom of Krimeon and Second Imperial Chinese Republic of the Ming-Brandenburg Throne

Section I - Diplomacy

(1) The parties agree to maintain active embassies with each other. If summoned an ambassador shall present themselves to the host government within twenty four hours of the summons.

(2) The parties declare that they shall act in a spirit of friendship and cooperation with a view to further developing and fostering economic and cultural intercourse with one another, each adhering to the principle of respect for the independence and sovereignty of the other and non-interference in their internal affairs.

(3) Should disputes or conflicts arise between the Parties and they are unable to resolve them through communication channels then they agree to resolve the matter through third party arbitration utilising a mutually acceptable multinational organisation.

(4) The parties shall allow citizens of the other nation to apply for a fast track visas aiding in travel between the two nations for purpose of trade, recreation, and business. These visas shall be available to anyone who meets the following criteria.

(a) Has a stay lasting no longer than 30 days
(b) Has a return ticket booked at least 10 days before travel
(c) Is able to fund the duration of their stay.
(d) Has no criminal record
(e) Is not deemed a threat to national security.
(f) All requirements have been fulfilled in accordance to local laws and procedures when conducting trade and/or business.

(5) The parties agree to extradite persons accused of crimes in one country to the jurisdiction of the other. No extradition shall take place until compelling evidence has been presented and the country who would be granting extradition is satisfied that Articles four and seven of the Mundus Convention of Universal Rights will be met.

Section II - Trade

(6) The parties pledge to trade fairly with each other and to respect the lawful commerce of each party.

(7) Neither of the parties shall create taxes, limits, bans, or quotas on the goods or services of the other party on basis of their origin from the other party, with exception to such taxes, limits, bans, or quotas created by international organizations of which the parties are members thereof.

( The parties recognize the right of free commercial navigation through the waters and airspace of the other party, with adherence to local laws and procedures.

Section III - Miscellaneous

(9) This treaty shall be in force until either party withdraws from it. After which the treaty shall cease to be in force 30 days after notice is given. Notice shall be given in writing.

(10) The present treaty shall be ratified within the shortest possible time. The agreement shall enter into force as soon as it is signed by both parties.

"If there's anything to add or remove, feel free to do so my friend."

[Admiral Taiwanpenguin]

Carefully studying the treaty, Emperor-Admiral Jingduming nodded, and replied, “It seems completely solid to me. Is there anything else?”
He took a sip of his tea as he waited for the Prince’s response.

[The Young Pope]

Pleased with the Emperor's reponse, the Prince replied: "Excellent, this will of course need to be passed by the Parliament back home, but I wouldn't worry to much if I were you, it's merely a formality as it'll more than likely pass with flying colors, so to say." the Prince and and his wife both smiled as they too sipped their tea. "I can't possibly fathom as to what I'd want to bring up further, considering how well the discussions have fared so far and this delicious meal may have clouded my ability to think further." he said adding a small laughter in the end.

[Admiral Taiwanpenguin]

The Emperor-Admiral smiled in return, saying, “I’m glad you enjoyed it.“

“Actually, I have but one. Do you have any suggestions for a nation that would purchase our natural resources?”

[The Young Pope]

"Truth be told, I wouldn't want to recommend any specifics as I'm sure virtually anyone and everyone would like to intertwine themselves in the Chinese market; it's always better to do the field work by yourself, though we're willing to offer advice if you happen to find anyone interesting." the Prince simply said.

[Admiral Taiwanpenguin]

“I see. Well, thank you anyway. I believe our business here is concluded. I hope you have a safe journey back to Krimeon. It was a pleasure hosting you and the Princess.”

[The Young Pope]

"Well, we're actually going to spend a few days and explore new cities we haven't ventured to, before heading back to Quintelia actually. It's about time my retirement's in place." Prince Rodrigo said, commenting on the fact that the rightful Tsar would soon make a comeback after his 1 year hiatus. The Royal couple thanked their Imperial host Before heading out of the complex and begin their week long vacation in China.