Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

"They are like a pack of mad dogs in a cage, never noticing the hunter outside the cage before tearing each other apart."

……

Holy Lytania Empire: Chapter 128: How can one profit from seeking help from a tiger?

Over the past five years, dramatic changes have been taking place on the land of Kazdel, unseen by you.

The Sarkaz Royal Army, with the quiet support of Letania, underwent a transformative change.

The rusty swords were replaced with standard-issue weapons discarded by the Letania Armory, and the tattered leather armor was replaced with uniform military protective gear.

Officers from Letania, acting as advisors, taught them modern military discipline and tactical concepts.

They lie in wait on the borders of Kazdel, awaiting your command to unleash their vengeful fury upon all of Terra.

Victoria was not entirely unaware.

Five years ago, the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Red Pine Forest in Casimir had made the Grand Dukes realize the importance of air superiority.

They are investing heavily in an attempt to replicate your air superiority.

However, the technological gap cannot be easily bridged with money.

With only partial technical assistance from Colombia, they managed to produce some poorly made copies of aircraft and small drones.

[In addition, with the bomber production line sold to them by Colombia, Victoria's vast industrial base barely allowed them to maintain a mediocre air force with low efficiency.]

Whether this air force possesses air combat capabilities remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Colombia completely changed its strategy.

The lights in the presidential palace burn all night; faced with your ever-expanding military power, they have abandoned their stance of watching from the sidelines.

On one hand, large amounts of military aid and technical advisors are being sent to Victoria and Ursus in an attempt to arm your potential adversaries.

On the other hand, international public opinion controlled by Colombia began to operate frantically, with newspapers filled with accusations of Letania's military expansion and neo-hegemony, attempting to portray you as the public enemy of all Terra, but with little effect.

With aid from Colombia, Ursus's military forces in northern Casimir have been given a respite and are recovering.

The young Emperor Fyodor did not waste this opportunity. While strengthening his iron grip on the newly occupied territories, he secretly trained his own new army using Colombian technology.

In the distant East, the Yan Empire remained highly vigilant regarding the rise of Letania.

Their spies infiltrated the empire, attempting to uncover the secrets of this western behemoth.

However, the ancient Great Yan Dynasty still adhered to the doctrine of the mean, and was unwilling to easily step into the quagmire of the West before the situation became completely clear.

At this turbulent moment, a diplomatic invitation from Triinttelme, sent in your personal capacity, arrived on the desk of Emperor Fyodor of Ursus.

Fyodor was well aware of your ambitions, and after several days and nights of deliberation, he made a decision that surprised everyone—to personally travel to Triinttelme for a face-to-face diplomatic meeting with you.

When Fyodor's royal train pulled into Triinttelme station, you greeted him with the highest honors.

From the train station to the palace, the roadsides were lined with citizens who had spontaneously gathered to watch. They carried no weapons, only flowers and musical instruments, their faces radiating confidence and pride.

Fyodor watched all this through the car window. He saw a world completely different from the lifeless Ursus, which filled him with mixed emotions.

At the welcome dinner, you skillfully used the "art of language" to express your admiration to its fullest extent.

[You praised Fyodor's youth and talent, commended the Ursus people's resilience, cleverly attributed Ursus's past failures to the "corruption of the old era," and implied that you and he were both "pioneers of a new era."]

[Fyodor felt an unprecedented sense of respect in your words, and his tense nerves unconsciously relaxed considerably.]

The atmosphere finally became delicate during the private meeting after the dinner.

Instead of making any direct request, you steered the conversation towards Victoria.

You acted like a storyteller, vividly describing the infighting and corruption of the Victorian dukes, portraying them as a group of parasites who only cared about vying for power and had long been abandoned by the times.

[You "casually" mentioned that the Duke of Wellington once mocked the Ursus army at a private party as "barbaric bears who only know how to build victories with human lives."]

You sighed with "regret," saying that Duke Godotin had rejected an order for ore from Ursus, explaining that he "didn't want Ursus gold coins to dirty his own pockets."

These stories, half-true and half-false, took a deep liking to Fyodor's young and proud heart.

He recalled the terrible price Ursus had paid in every war.

You keenly sensed the anger in his eyes, and so you threw out the final bait.

[You're implying that when Victoria, the ailing lion, collapses due to internal strife, Ursus, the northern bear, is fully capable of extracting benefits from it—those resource-rich and strategically important northern territories.]

Fyodor's breathing became rapid.

[The annexation of Victoria's northern territories was a dream that several generations of Ursus emperors had failed to realize.]

The temptation was so great that he forgot all his vigilance and doubts; it's also possible that your words had an effect.

Fyodor knew it was a high-stakes gamble, but the scales in his heart had already begun to tip irreversibly.

……

Trinitylme, a hotel for foreign guests.

Fyodor waved away all the servants and stood alone by the window.

Outside the window is the magnificent night view of Trinityl.

He reflected on everything he had seen that day.

Neat streets, confident citizens, and... the composed smile on Emperor Lacey's face.

That wasn't an act; it was a genuine, heartfelt confidence in one's own abilities.

He recalled what Lacey had said during the meeting, and every word stirred up his deepest desires and resentment.

Victoria's Northern Territory...

That land that Ursus (one)?> Qi Yi (? two 《Eight Silks & Silks? Ba has coveted for centuries.

"His Majesty."

An aged voice came from the doorway; it was his chief advisor, Count Bogdanov.

This old man was a veteran of three reigns and one of the few who dared to speak frankly to the emperor.

“You also think he’s a devil, right?” Fyodor didn’t turn around.

“Your Majesty, whether he is a devil or not is not important.” Bogdanov slowly stepped forward and stood side by side with the emperor.

"The important thing is whether what he has is what we want."

“We want it, but can we afford it?” Fyodor asked rhetorically.

"How can one possibly profit from seeking a tiger's skin?"

“Your Majesty, aren’t we currently negotiating with the Colombians?” Bogdanov’s tone was calm.

"The Colombians gave us the technology so that we could be their shield against Letania."

"The Letanians promised us clothes (zero meaning Qi Si Wu 9 Si Jiu 8) in order to make us the spear that pierces Victoria."

"When did we Ursus fall so low that we can only be used as weapons by others?"

These words stung Fyodor.

He turned abruptly and stared at the old count: "Then tell me, what should we do?"

"Reject him? And then watch him devour the entire Victoria all by himself, only to turn around and turn against us?"

Bogdanov was not intimidated by the emperor's wrath. He simply bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, shields may be worn down, but the spearhead can at least determine where to strike and... how deep."

He raised his head, his cloudy eyes gleaming with a sharp light: "Emperor Lexi wants us to lead the charge, very well, we can fight."

"But the course of the war and the distribution of the spoils are not up to him alone."

“The north of Victoria must be ours.”

"As for Lontinim, which he wants... well, that depends on how tough his spear is."

Fyodor remained silent.

He understood what the old minister meant.

It's a gamble, but Ursus has no other choice.

Rather than passively becoming a dam to block floods, it's better to actively become part of the flood and destroy other people's houses.

"Prepare the meeting materials for tomorrow." Fyodor turned back to look out the window, his voice regaining its composure.

"I need to know how much flesh we can tear off of that sick lion at most."

In the darkness, the young emperor's shadow was stretched long by the lamplight.

……

Holy Leitanian Empire: Chapter 129: Pre-War Meeting

After Fyodor returned home, the Ursus Emperor's swift and decisive actions shook the entire north.

Under the pretext of "maintaining border stability and preventing terrorist infiltration," he issued a secret order, and hundreds of thousands of Ursus troops silently amassed on the Victoria border.

Military trains operated tirelessly throughout the night as an unprecedented military exercise unfolded under the shadow of war.

The intelligence department of the Duke of Victoria's council was not just for show; Ursus's unusual movements were quickly detected.

A flurry of strongly worded protest letters flooded the Ursus palace, questioning Fyodor's intentions. However, these letters all went unanswered; Ursus dismissed them as internal matters of the military exercise.

The dukes felt unprecedented anger and unease, but their internal suspicions and infighting prevented them from forming a unified will despite their power. The pressure from the north only exacerbated their mutual accusations.

At the Colombian presidential palace, advisor Hawke's expression had never been so grave.

The meeting between Lacey and Fyodor in Triinttelme, and the subsequent unusual movements of Ursus at the border, were linked together, sending chills down his spine.

The encirclement of Letania that Colombia is attempting to build is crumbling from within.

……

Triinttelme, Imperial Central Conference Hall.

"Your Majesty, the five-year plan has been exceeded," said Economy Minister Mecklen, who was very excited.

"Although our national treasury is almost empty, every gold coin has been turned into tanks, airplanes and cannonballs."

“The production lines in Syracuse and South Qazimir are also operating at full capacity, and their ‘contribution’ has given us peace of mind.”

"Now, with Victoria in turmoil and Ursus amassing troops in the north, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"We should declare war immediately and take Lontinem before they can react!"

Mecklen's tone was resolute, as if the fruits of victory in the war were already laid out on the table.

He even added somewhat playfully, "War is the best investment, Your Majesty. Only by destroying an old world can we build a new one."

“I agree with Minister Mecklen’s opinion.” Military Secretary Taylor, dressed in military uniform, stepped forward and spoke in a loud voice.

"The brothers in the armored division can't wait any longer!"

"The morale of the entire army is high, and the new weapons have been fully deployed and tested. We are ready to break through their defenses at any time!"

Intelligence Minister Gertrude was not as excited as they were; she simply handed over a report from the Six Wings.

“Your Majesty, Victoria’s defense system is already one-way transparent to us.”

"Their dukes are still arguing fiercely about who should pay for the northern defenses, and the Duke of Wellington has even refused to allow his troops to enter the territories of other dukes to help defend them."

"They are like a pack of mad dogs locked in the same cage, and they will never pay attention to the hunter outside the cage before they kill each other."

“So what are we waiting for?” Mecklen spread his hands. “Wait until they decide their victor and then unite against us?”

"I object."

A cool, clear voice rang out, breaking the frenzied atmosphere in the conference room.

All eyes were on Count Lenia, the finance minister.

She wore a well-tailored women's suit, and behind her gold-rimmed glasses, her blue eyes held only calmness and prudence.

"I oppose starting a war immediately."

She met the surprised or disapproving gazes of the crowd and looked directly at Lacey.

"Your Majesty, ministers, we have all witnessed the power of the empire, but we cannot ignore the enormous risks behind the war."

She walked to the sand table, picked up the account report representing Letania's military expenditures, and gently placed it on the sand table.

"For this five-year plan, we have practically drained the empire of every drop of blood."

"The factory operates on three shifts, and the workers are paid three times the normal wage, but their bodies are not made of steel."