They don't want me to try anymore.

It's like there are four or five butts on each person; it's utterly chaotic.

Of course, perhaps His Majesty the Emperor deliberately stirred things up...

That's the situation.

Richard meticulously analyzed the situation, remembering Connaught's unyielding big buttocks, and finally figured it out.

Ideally, the empire should be kept from war. If war is unavoidable, it should be a northward or eastward expedition, and not an attempt to harass the south!

As for the conflicts between the princes, it's best for him not to get involved.

Therefore, he and the New Era newspaper should undoubtedly follow Lauren Tolle in supporting the conservatives and the northward movement!

Coincidentally, Luvia's Cromwell family, although relatively neutral, was considered a semi-conservative due to its long lineage and close ties with the northern landowning nobles.

With Luvia's help, you quickly made connections with many conservative officials.

As the influence of the New Era Daily grows, they are happy to cooperate with you.

At your behest, the newspapers are now filled with news about the rampage of demons in the Eastern Frontier and the orc invasion.

Your new friends also frequently provide you with unique intelligence, allowing you to expose the crimes of many multinational corporations.

Your newspaper is selling better, but at the same time, you've made more enemies. They haven't attacked yet, but you know it's only a matter of time.

The newspaper is ready.

But Luvia sensed something was wrong.

She keenly sensed that Richard's current actions were extremely dangerous—the factional struggles were fierce and brutal, and even she, as a member of an old, established family, dared not get involved rashly. For Richard, a foreigner, to get involved was no different from dancing on the edge of a cliff.

In some people's terms, this is like Wu Dalang sucking giraffe milk—jumping around and sucking!

Of course, she also knew in her heart that Richard might be trying to save his hometown through this...

But she doubted whether it could really work.

If it works out, that would be great. Richard would be fully integrated into the Empire's system, and she wouldn't have to worry about this man slipping out of her grasp anymore.

But what will Richard do if things don't work out? Will he turn against the Empire's mainstream again? And then, what choice will Luvia, as the sword of the Empire, make?

Now, Luvia doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of her first simulation...

No, we still have to stop the situation from escalating to this point!

As for the method...

Luvia recalled the third simulation: Did Richard and Alice unite in Connaught?

If she were to marry Richard, bring him into the Targaryen family, forcibly keep Connaught under the Targaryen name as a ducal fief, and then drive out Standard Fruit, would Richard accept that?

However, to do this, she is still not quite up to par, and the empire itself is quite sensitive about the marriages of experts—she needs to truly advance to the legendary level before she can act as she pleases and silence everyone's gossip.

Just as Luvia was worrying about the future.

Richard received an unexpected visitor.

"Wilt? The quartermaster of the Highland Legion? What does he want with me?"

You secretly received Wilt.

The young officer, with a sorrowful yet resolute expression, handed you a stack of documents.

You have read it once...

Mom!

This is something that could get you beheaded!

Chapter 81 Prison is a good place.

The documents were full of scandals involving the Highland Legion.

On a smaller scale, there is evidence of bribery between officials at all levels, as well as exaggerated and inconsistent account books, including things like a roll of toilet paper costing one silver coin and a coffee cup costing three silver coins.

On a larger scale, the records state that the Highland Legion lied about military intelligence, concealed defeats, and killed innocent people to claim credit when they were wiping out the Swamp Orc tribes. What Richard found even more unbearable was that the Legion assisted some private companies in conducting magical experiments related to plagues and curses in remote villages on the border of the Empire, without the villagers' knowledge.

The last dozen or so pages of the document were filled with medical records and hand-drawn illustrations of patients, their appearances so tragic that they would have been impossible to show without censoring them in my past life.

Richard finished reading and sighed deeply.

This is to report something...

[You asked Wilt why he didn't hand the documents over to the Imperial Judge, but instead came to him, a newspaper owner.]

Wirth replied that much of this information was classified, that he himself had obtained it illegally, and that its contents were too significant; he feared that going through the proper channels of reporting would result in its suppression.

Oh no, you think I can't suppress it?

Do you realize that your stuff is way too extreme?

Could this be a trap set by the progressives?

There's no need for that. A trap doesn't require forging so many documents, and using a young, up-and-coming high-ranking officer as bait is somewhat wasteful...

It seems to be true.

You then asked Wilt if he knew the consequences of his actions, and why he was able to make such a decision.

[Wilter's answer was without the slightest hesitation: "For justice... a soldier must act like a soldier! The Highland Legion's depravity violates the spirit and virtues of the Empire, and is intolerable!"]

This guy……

Richard was silent for a moment, a sense of admiration rising in his heart.

He calmly began to think things through.

This set of documents was quite damaging. Although the empire was essentially a feudal autocracy, it still had to consider public opinion.

Therefore, once the documents are leaked, the Highland Legion commander, an important leader of the southward expansionist faction, will most likely lose his position, and a series of middle-ranking officers will also be in trouble. The expansionist forces will suffer a great setback, which is indeed in Connaught's interest.

But afterwards, the New Era newspaper was likely doomed, and Richard himself would suffer as well—the Progressives and the Southbound Movement had suffered such a great loss that they were bound to retaliate, and the Empire had never protected freedom of the press.

Then his plan to simulate influencing imperial decision-making through newspapers will fall apart halfway.

Therefore, the more rational choice was for Richard not to publish the document, but to secretly send it to Lauren Tolly, a conservative bigwig.

The latter might report to the emperor or threaten the other side in private, without exposing anything. They would only make compromises and deals behind the scenes, thus causing the power of the factions to rise and fall.

Overall, it is less lethal but relatively safe.

However, as Richard read the lines of text describing Wilt and the experimental data, his thoughts began to waver.

The Highland Legion's human experimentation was disgusting, reminding him of many unpleasant memories from his past life.

If a promising, homegrown Imperial officer like Wirth dared to stand up for justice, wouldn't it be a bit unreasonable for someone like him, who runs a newspaper and is still in the process of simulating something, to hesitate?

Ok……

Screw your safety, I'm about to cause trouble!

Since its founding, the new era newspaper has not reported any truly historic news, and has been criticized by many in the empire as a vulgar newspaper...

You look down on me, huh? I'll show you what's what!

It can also add drama!

You summoned a trusted confidant, secretly instructed them to compile and print the materials overnight, and then distributed them as a supplementary page the following day.

[The incident immediately caused a public outcry.]

The New Era newspaper achieved unprecedented sales.

But behind the sales figures, you quickly realized that you had stirred up a hornet's nest.

People on the streets are talking about the Highland Legion's atrocities, and many morally upright (at least outwardly) respectable people are speaking out, demanding an investigation and severe punishment.

Norton I convened an emergency royal council. No one knows what was decided at the meeting, but the next day, the commander and deputy commander of the Highland Legion were temporarily dismissed, and dozens of mid- to low-ranking officers and business executives were taken away for investigation.

At least for now, justice has been served.

At this time, you receive a message from Chancellor of the Exchequer Lauren, who severely reprimands you for overstepping your bounds and says that a powerful figure is eyeing you, and he may not be able to protect you.

The eerie silence lasted for a month.

As the events surrounding the Highland Legion faded from public memory, you heard that Wilt had disappeared.

That evening, a mysteriously dressed guard knocked on your door, saying that you had violated the Empire's secrecy and espionage laws and needed to go with them.

The result wasn't too surprising. You went through a hasty trial and were sentenced to ten years in prison. No connections or foreign royal status helped. Your newspaper was also taken over by someone else.

You were thrown into the Imperial Central Prison.

Wow, they've already entered the Dragon's Den? That's really ruthless...

Logically speaking, I have quite a few protectors, yet this is the result. I'm afraid I've taken the full force of the opposition...

It seems this attempt at a roundabout way to achieve our goal has come to an end.

So let's put all our energy into enhancing the drama!

Going to prison is a story worth telling.

Richard chuckled to himself and rallied.

at the same time.