People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

The cost is merely a small financial expense. But the benefits, not even considering the gains in cultural soft power and external publicity, are substantial. The tourists attracted and the goods sold after cultural export will quickly recoup this expense. There's no reason not to agree to this.

Therefore, this is a very simple and direct tactic.

From the perspective of the soon-to-be ruthless and authoritative empress, the situation is as follows:

Prime Minister Scherrag and Interim Secretary General of the Universal Summit, Mr. Ernst Siwaish, visited Letania at the invitation of the Elector of St. Tung. Deeply influenced by music and art in Letania, he decided to add an international concert to the Universal Summit system. He also decided to visit Trilintelme after his visit to St. Tung to discuss this matter with the Twin Queens.

The International Music Festival, since the fifth was named after the seventh "International" (referring to the seven nations), the sixth naturally followed the model of the current Casimir Games, where the four international summits formed a four-party organizing committee as the second host, and other countries acted as co-organizers. However, Prime Minister Ernst deeply trusted the musical tastes of the Leitanians, so in addition to choosing Leitania as the venue for the first International Music Festival, he also selected a Leitanian as the person in charge of the festival, responsible for coordinating the event.

Admittedly, this Letanian woman's status is quite ordinary; she's merely an obscure count, and the fact that the person in charge made this decision without consulting the Twin Queens is somewhat inappropriate. However, regardless, the person in charge is still Letanian, and her low status implies limited influence, meaning she couldn't possibly be a core member of either faction in Letania's current internal power struggle. For the Twin Queens, who already hold a decisive advantage in the conflict, remaining barely neutral is tantamount to favoring them.

Moreover, Prime Minister Ernst has always been known for his meritocratic approach, so such minor procedural deficiencies are acceptable for Letania, which is hosting the event for the first time and is poised to reap huge benefits from it.

If they insist on dwelling on this matter, they might replace the person in charge. Once Ernst returns to Sherag, listens to others' whispers, and replaces the person in charge with some "old hand" from Sherag, Colombia, or Victoria. Then Letania will have nowhere to turn.

Well, now comes the problem.

Did Ernst say when the concert would be held?

No, I don't think so. The funding is still undecided, the specific location is still undecided, and everything needs further discussion. At the moment, all that's been confirmed is a "person in charge of coordinating this matter on behalf of the World Summit."

But whether it's the Twin Queens or the remnants of the Witch King, how could they not take this matter seriously?

Definitely not. For the Gemini Queens, this could be the biggest achievement of their ruling career in recent years! If handled well, it could not only enhance the public's sense of national pride, satisfaction, social stability, and approval ratings, but also allow them to consolidate power.

It's a very simple principle—any matter that can only be controlled by the central government and cannot be controlled by local authorities, once successfully implemented, will greatly increase the central government's power.

If the Kazimierz Supervisory Council 5 was able to turn the tide in one fell swoop through the World Games – although it was tricked and 2 didn't completely turn the tide – how much more so for the twin queens of Letania, who are in a much better situation?

For the remnants of the Witch King's faction, this was also a calculated move, because they had no right to refuse on behalf of Letania!

Once the Concert of Nations is held in Letania, the Queen's prestige will soar and their power will be greatly diminished!

Faced with this situation, they only have two choices.

They could either watch silently and wait for the right moment to surrender politely and see if they could retain their title of nobility.

Alternatively, they could make a desperate attempt to sabotage the process.

Once they chose the latter, Ernst's objective was achieved.

Because of the conflict, the issue of "the successor to the throne of Shi Tongling" was instantly transformed into "the issue of holding the International Music Concert".

Moreover, this change was unavoidable. For the Empress, the latter was clearly more important than the former, while for the remnants of the Witch King's faction, the former was merely an expansion of their power, an addition, but if the latter succeeded, it would be a complete wipeout, digging deep to eradicate them from the very roots! Like the proverb "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao," they had no choice but to prioritize preserving their core territory!

At this point, Ernst's problem was easily solved.

"Using a bigger contradiction to cover up some smaller contradictions is a common tactic used by both civil servants and the media."

Ernst explained,

"For the sake of profit, the Queen will shift her focus to my World Concert. For the sake of survival, the remnants of the Witch King will also shift their focus to sabotaging this negotiation."

"In this way, complex problems are simplified."

The issue of succession to the throne is a very complex one. Ernst cannot judge which successor is good and which is bad. It is very likely that they are not so different in terms of good and bad, but simply more and more personified.

Ernst had no reason, nor any need, to interfere in other people's family affairs and internal politics. Not only was it taboo, but even an upright official would find it difficult to settle family disputes.

However, if we shift the focus of this conflict and bring the struggle between the Queen's faction and the remnants of the Witch King's faction, which is hidden beneath the issue of succession, directly to the forefront, then Ernst's situation becomes much easier to handle.

The Witch King's remnants are traitors! They're terrorist organizations! They're rats that everyone wants to kill!

Killing insects and shooting down the sun! It's everyone's responsibility!

The whole scheme, in essence, boils down to grasping one fundamental principle—interests.

They use larger interests to cover smaller ones, and use life-or-death interests to replace further interests. The methods they use are simple and uncomplicated, consisting of only three: first, "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao, attacking what the enemy must defend"; second, "shifting the contradiction, prioritizing the resolution of the principal contradiction and its main aspect"; and third, "simplifying complex problems."

With this plan, Ernst didn't even need to do much.

After all, he was just a kind-hearted, simple-minded person who loved music and Letanian culture and wanted to "help promote Letania." The fight didn't happen because he created any conflict out of thin air; he merely stirred up and exacerbated existing tensions.

He wasn't even worried that the remnants of the Witch King's faction would be driven to desperation, because no matter how they tried, they wouldn't be able to reach him.

He was behind the scenes; he set up the targets. The person in charge of this matter was Count Viseheim—Gerd Strolo.

Ernst wasn't some saint either. Opportunities and risks are relative. Gertrude's humble posture and her desperate pleas for him suggest there's something going on behind the scenes.

Ernst decided not to pursue the matter further, pretending ignorance was best for both of them. Gertrude only needed to do the task he assigned her well; she, the chosen target, could then shed all her past and become a member of the International Summit's staff. If she didn't do it well, Ernst could only lament the loss and choose another.

If there's anything that Jurnster is worried about, it's only one thing. Three…

That is the One of Eternal Grace.

Just like the "reporter" who came out to stir things up at the end of the World Games, wanting to monopolize everything, Ernst always felt that Her Majesty the White Queen was playing a rather complicated role in this succession struggle.

But so far, she hasn't shown any concrete signs, and Ernst can't directly question her. The International Concert is a major boon for the Queen's faction, so she probably wouldn't ruin her own plans. Therefore, Ernst should just keep a low profile. It's not her turn yet.

"In this way, the major matter can be settled."

Ensiodis glanced at Ernst with some horror and subconsciously took a small step back.

Then, he seemed to realize that this was his younger brother, so he stepped forward, reached out, and patted Ernst on the shoulder:

"Ernst."

"What's wrong?" Ernst turned his head and tilted his head back.

"It's nothing, I just feel a lot of pressure."

Ernst paused for a moment, then chuckled, but didn't reply.

But he couldn't break free from Ensiodes's large hand.

Eugene's hand!

Chapter 686 Your Majesty, would you like to make music with me?

Jin Lufawei flicked his cloak, knelt on one knee, and gave a knightly salute to the gloomy-faced Caprini before him:

"Your Majesty, as you predicted, Shitong Territory has been sealed off."

Herlinmat nodded slightly.

Ivignad acted swiftly indeed. From her initial demand for an empress to personally visit Shitong, to the issuance of the decree to completely blockade Shitong, restricting entry but not exit, and now that the blockade is officially in place, it is clear that she had been planning this for a long time.

Her plan was proceeding smoothly and systematically, even before Herlinmat had agreed to go to Shitong territory.

The reason for this is that the transmission of commands takes time.

Even if the Queen controls the most efficient intelligence system in all of Letania, it is difficult for their orders to arrive in a day, let alone be as seamless as they are now.

No sooner had Shi Tongling, the Elector of the Emperor, fallen seriously ill than the Empress received the news. The Empress was about to depart when the Empress had already prepared for a blockade. Herlinmat hadn't even reached the halfway point of her journey when troop deployment, roadblocks, patrols, and all sorts of troublesome blockade measures requiring countless confirmation procedures were already completed. Meanwhile, Herlinmat hadn't even approved a single document.

Your smoothness is remarkable. If you hadn't prepared all the documents and procedures in advance, and even prepared the army beforehand, then Herlinmat could only comment that Ivignad had secretly shown off a whole box of Dove chocolates!

Herlinmat found it even more ridiculous when she recalled what Ivignad had said when she proposed sealing off the territory of Shitong.

"Right now, those ambitious and disloyal princes haven't made any concrete moves yet. If you go there suddenly, you'll catch them completely off guard!"

"If we use the excuse of 'ensuring the safety of the Elector and the smooth succession of the heir' to blockade the entire Shitong territory, that would be cutting off their lifeline and completely eliminating any possibility of them interfering with the succession in Shitong! At that time, you can go there in person and put pressure on Walner. He is in poor health and cannot seek any external assistance. With our people persuading him to surrender, I'm not afraid that he will obediently submit!"

"Even if he still wants to struggle in his death throes, hehe, Shi Tongling is isolated from the outside world, and he is seriously ill. We control the channels of information. I think, Herlinmat, you should know what to do, right?"

Right?

Hehe, that's a good one, isn't it?

Ivignad's abacus was clicking away so loudly that even people in the Leopold and Vaser regions could probably hear it.

Every word she said was actually correct, theoretically feasible, and could bring the greatest benefit to the Queen's faction.

But even the most perfect plan comes at a price.

What will be the cost of this plan?

Herlinmat guessed that it might be herself?

After all, firstly, the Empress's sudden personal involvement in the succession of the electorate broke the established rules among everyone.

The unspoken rule is that, in general, the various factions, whether electors from other regions or the current emperor in the capital, should not personally intervene in the matter of the succession of the electors. Instead, they should elect their respective heirs and engage in a proxy war that is confined to the heirs and does not involve open conflict.

This was done not only to ensure that Letania was at least superficially politically stable and that its rulers and ministers were wise, but also because the Electors, as the first echelon of power under the Letanian emperor, always had to maintain their "respectability".

Every elector and emperor, regardless of their family background or how many years they have held the position, does not wish to see themselves being purged by others on their deathbed, forced to watch their power slip away.

They all at least hoped that, before they breathed their last, they would still have the "supreme decision-making power" over their own territory.

The Witch King broke this rule and brutally centralized power, suppressing the electors to the extreme. This led to the electors, who originally had different interests and might even be irreconcilable enemies, eventually gathering together and launching a rebellion!

To some extent, Herlinmat and Ivignad were able to rise to power precisely because the great nobles wanted to restore this tradition.

And now, Ivignad is making Herlinmat break this taboo!

If Helena were to do so, it would indeed bring a huge benefit to the Empress's faction as a whole—control of an entire Electoral District. However, looking around at her own reputation, it would be a devastating blow to her political credibility!

Secondly, as mentioned above, was it really necessary to blockade the Shi Tongling Electoral Marquis Region?

Ivignad put it nicely: it was to prevent other electors from launching a last-ditch counterattack. But upon closer examination, this was actually highly unlikely.

Herlinmat's arrival caught everyone completely off guard. Even if the other electors wanted to come, they wouldn't have made it in time! There simply wasn't enough time!

Some might say that Werner could have held out a little longer, and perhaps the other electors would have heard the news and started riding over immediately.

But this clearly underestimates Helinmat's "subjective initiative".

She's already arrived, she's already broken the unspoken rules, she's already covered in black—she could go even further! In the window of opportunity before the other electors arrive, she has a hundred ways to ensure that the already ailing Elector Walner dies at the perfect moment.

She was, after all, the Empress. Without direct evidence that she had "murdered an elector," who would dare openly rebel against her?

However, the cost is also obvious.

She will be hated by all the electors.

It includes all of them, including those electors who are not remnants of the Witch King's faction!

So, to put it simply, Ivignad's strategy was also a calculated move.

She used the interests of the entire "Empress's Faction" to hold Empress Helinmat's interests hostage, sacrificing Empress Helinmat's own reputation in exchange for huge gains for the entire Empress's Faction.

Of course, to some extent, as one of only two leaders in the "Empress's Faction," she, the "uninformed person," naturally benefited the most after the other person was thrown out as a price.

The most ingenious part of this scheme lies precisely in this—she grasped human nature. She understood the character of Helena Matt!

Judging from the complexity of the scheme alone, it is extremely easy to see through!

Even someone like Helena, who doesn't usually play these games, can see, with a little thought, how much negative impact it would have on someone who should be following the rules but actively breaks them.

But Helene Marte will do it anyway.

Because Ivignad knew that Helimat was exactly that kind of person! Ivignad knew because Helimat was the one who had spent every day with her, was created together, grew up together, fought alongside her to the top of the tower, and defeated the "King of Wizardry" with their intimate dual magic—the one who understood her best!

She would place Letania above herself as empress, and prioritize the interests of the collective over her own. Her military bearing and the title of "Ruthless Authority" meant that she was ruthless not only to Letania's enemies but also to herself!

She treated herself like a brick, ready to be moved wherever needed. If necessary, she would even be discarded or used to plug any holes, as long as it was "for the greater good," she would not hesitate!

This quality is undoubtedly good for the country; Paradox Interactive players often like to send the three-strike Zhu Qizhen to his death early so that the 323-stat Zhu Qiyu can take over. But for a "living monarch," it's terrible.

Anything bad can be used as leverage or exploited.

As expected, Helenade agreed to the request.

Even though her expression was so gloomy when she heard about it, she still chose to set off in the end.

Even though she knew at this moment that her trip might cause a huge uproar in Letania, she only sighed deeply and did not choose to stop the group's progress.

"Your Majesty, do you wish to continue?"

Even her own bodyguards, Jin Lu, sensed something was amiss and asked a question.

He said this perhaps simply because he felt the blockade order was executed too smoothly and too quickly. They wouldn't understand the calculations and disagreements among the queens. After all, just as Ivignad said, they wouldn't have any disagreements in their public appearances.

Helena will also make sure they don't feel like there's a disagreement between her and Ivignad.

So she nodded:

"Just keep going."

Come here.

It's just a little "embarrassing".

In any case, at worst, it would just mean that everyone is guilty, and the blame lies solely with me.

Ivignad wouldn't be affected at all; after all, even the Electors wouldn't believe that one of them could "command" the other to do such a thing.

Jin Lufawei pursed his lips, bowed respectfully once more, and turned to leave.