Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

The news came two days later in the afternoon.

Several court clerks, escorted by soldiers, posted a notice on the bulletin board in the city center square.

"Public trial announcement!"

"The traitor Lacey is guilty of heinous crimes and has shaken the foundations of the nation."

"To uphold the laws of Letania, the Salem Court will hold a public trial for the criminal Lacey in three days! All citizens of the city are welcome to attend!"

The announcement caused an uproar throughout the city.

The nobles and factory owners clapped their hands in celebration, believing it to be a wise decision by the Elector.

A public trial would be enough to permanently condemn that instigator, expose his true colors to his followers, and thus dismantle the so-called Workers' Party.

When this news reached the slums, the people's hearts, which had just begun to settle down, were thrown into turmoil once again.

"A public trial? Doesn't that mean sentencing him to death in front of everyone?!"

"How vicious! They not only want to kill him, but also humiliate him!"

"We can't just stand by and watch! Charge out and storm the execution ground!"

The anger spread rapidly, and some hot-blooded young people even began sharpening their axes, preparing to fight.

That evening, the Workers' Party headquarters held an emergency meeting.

The warehouse was packed with branch leaders, all of them looking anxious and angry, arguing amongst themselves, making the whole meeting room a complete mess.

"Quiet!"

Serafina slammed her hand on the table.

She stood up and looked around at the excited faces, her gaze sweeping over each one.

Her Originium Arts allow her to clearly perceive the various emotions in this space: anger, fear, despair...

She began by saying, "I know what everyone is thinking."

"Rescue the execution ground? And then what? Fight a street battle with the Elector's regular army in the streets of Salem?"

"How many of us are there? How many of them are there? What are our weapons? What are their weapons?"

"What can we do? Just watch Mr. Lacey die?!" A young member stood up agitatedly.

“He won’t die,” Serafina said, emphasizing each word.

Everyone was stunned, looking at her in bewilderment.

Serafina took a deep breath, her voice suddenly rising: "Don't you understand yet?"

"Why did they have to hold a public trial?" Serafina didn't explain directly, but instead posed a question, "They could have just killed Mr. Lacey in prison, why go through all that trouble and make the whole city know?"

"Because...they want to make an example of us! They want to humiliate us!"

“That’s right!” Serafina nodded vigorously. “They want us to see the leader tried and convicted, so that we will feel despair and give up resistance.”

"They thought that as long as Mr. Lacey, the leader, was overthrown, the Workers' Party would collapse."

"But they are wrong. They are neither capable of judging nor qualified to judge Mr. Lacey."

“Miss Serafina, what should we do?” Taylor the blacksmith asked in a gruff voice.

“Let’s do what we have to do.” Serafina’s gaze swept over everyone. “Three days from now, on the day of the public trial, we will all be there.”

“We’ll just go there, stand there, and watch.”

"We must show those nobles, those adults, that the Workers' Party through our actions that we are not a rabble!"

"We want the whole of Salem to see who the true masters of this city are!"

The surrounding members finally stopped arguing and panicking. They stood up, silently paid their respects to Serafina, and then turned and left to spread the word about the decision to every corner of the slums.

Only Serafina and the blacksmith Taylor remained in the warehouse.

“Miss Serafina, do you really believe... Mr. Lacey…” Taylor asked, somewhat uneasy.

Serafina walked to the window, looked at the dark night sky outside, and said softly, "What I believe in is not whether he will die or not."

"What I believe is that no matter what happens, the fire he ignited will never go out again."

……

Holy Leitanian Empire: Chapter Thirteen: Public Trial

Three days later, in the morning, in the square outside the courthouse of the Seliuyiyin Ergezisibaqun/?liaolem.

At this moment, the place was packed with people, from well-dressed wealthy merchants and arrogant nobles to dusty workers and pale-faced poor people. Almost all the residents of Salem had gathered here.

Serafina and the blacksmith Taylor stood together in the crowd.

Serafina wore an inconspicuous gray cloak with the hood pulled low, revealing only a section of her fair chin.

With her eyes closed, she used Originium Arts to sense the electrical signals around her.

“There are so many people,” Taylor the blacksmith said in a deep voice.

“Don’t be nervous, Taylor,” Serafina said softly. “Remember Mr. Lacey’s words, we are just spectators today.”

“But I…” Taylor gritted her teeth.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself."

“Then look at me.” Serafina opened her eyes. “If you want to do something, just look at me. As long as I don’t move, you can’t move.”

Taylor nodded emphatically.

On the other side of the square, on a second-floor balcony with a superb view, Countess Lenia held a glass of red wine, looking down at everything below with great interest.

The butler, with a serious expression, stood beside her.

“Isn’t it a spectacular sight?” Lenia swirled her wine glass, the crimson liquid curving along the glass.

"How could a peasant like him stir up such a huge storm?"

"Miss, are we really not going to do anything?" the butler asked in a low voice.

"If... I mean if, that Lacey is sentenced to death, the slums will probably riot immediately."

"So what?" Lenia chuckled.

"The uprising was then suppressed by the city guards, and blood flowed like a river."

“Those bigwigs don’t care if Salem is severely weakened afterward; they only care about their own prestige.”

"I'd like to see what this Lacey is planning to do..."

Her gaze was deep, and no one knew what the count was planning.

……

"clang--"

"clang--"

“(One) li ng 器罒 (Seven) 飼捂铛——”

The courtroom bells rang, and the square fell silent instantly as everyone's eyes were fixed on the slowly opening door.

Two rows of fully armed guards emerged first, lining both sides of the steps. Then, Lacey, escorted by four guards, came out.

He was still wearing that faded coarse cloth shirt, with heavy shackles on his wrists and ankles.

With each step, the iron chain dragged on the ground, making a "clattering" sound.

But there was no trace of the dejection of a prisoner on his face. He stood straight, his steps were steady, and his gaze calmly swept over the thousands of faces in the square.

Many members of the Workers' Party in the group had tears welling up in their eyes upon seeing this scene.

Their leader, the one who led them to stand tall, is now in chains.

Lacey was led to a makeshift trial platform, behind which sat three people at a long table.

In the middle is the presiding judge, an elderly man with gray hair and a serious expression, said to be named Alistair, who is known in Salem for his strictness and impartiality.

On the left is the prosecutor, a slick-haired, middle-aged man who is a loyal lackey of the Elector.

On the right is the clerk, who is engrossed in taking notes.

Prosecutor Valerius glanced at Lacey with disdain, stood up, cleared his throat, and began to read his prepared indictment in an exaggerated tone.

"Silence! The Salem Tribunal is now in session! The trial of the traitor—Lassie!"

His voice, amplified by a simple Originium megaphone, resounded throughout the entire plaza.

"The defendant, Lacey, was originally a commoner, yet he did not think of serving the country, disregarded Her Majesty the Queen's kindness, and harbored treacherous and wolfish ambitions!"

"Firstly, openly inciting the people, spreading reactionary remarks, slandering our noble aristocratic class, provoking class antagonism, and attempting to overthrow the sacred order that has lasted for thousands of years in Letania! This is the crime of sedition!"

"Secondly, they illegally formed an armed organization called the 'Workers' Party,' hoarded weapons, seized factories, openly confronted the city guards, and disregarded the law! This constitutes the crime of organizing a riot!"

"Thirdly, their words and actions have seriously endangered Leitania's national security and shaken the foundation of the nation!"

"Considering all the above crimes, the defendant Lacey is guilty of treason! His crimes are heinous and beyond description!"

"I request the court to sentence him to death, verify his identity, serve as a warning to others, and uphold the laws of Letania!"

Valerius finished speaking in one breath, sat down triumphantly, and looked at Lacey defiantly, as if he could already see him being sent to the gallows.

A round of applause and cheers erupted from the area in the square where the nobles were.

The people in the slums clenched their fists tightly, their anger burning in their chests, yet suppressed by a heavy sense of powerlessness.

They can't do anything.

This has always been the case.

Judge Alistair remained expressionless. He glanced at the eloquent prosecutor, then at the calm and collected Lacey, and tapped his gavel.

"Defendant Lacey, do you plead guilty to the prosecutor's charges?"

All eyes in the room instantly focused on the young man in shackles.

Lacey slowly raised her head, her gaze passing over the judge and prosecutor, and looking down at the thousands of people in the audience.

He could feel countless gazes, a mixture of worry, anger, and expectation, directed at him.

He smiled calmly and said, "Your Honor, before answering your question, I would like to ask the Prosecutor a question first."

Everyone was stunned.

The defendant retorted by asking the prosecutor? This is unheard of in court.

Prosecutor Valerius frowned: "You are not qualified to ask questions!"

"Why not?" Lacey's voice suddenly rose.

"Does a person about to be sentenced to death not even have the right to say a few final words in this courtroom in Letania? Or is it, Prosecutor, that you are afraid?"

“Nonsense! What do I have to be afraid of?” Valerius was enraged.

"If you're not afraid, why won't you let me ask?" Lacey pressed on.

Judge Alistair paused for a moment, then struck the gavel again: "Permission granted, but only one question may be asked."

Lacey nodded slightly to the judge, then turned his gaze to Valerius, his eyes sharp as he asked, "Your Honor, you have just accused me of treason. So, I would like to ask, what exactly constitutes treason?"

What constitutes treason?

Prosecutor Valerius laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, his huge body trembling with laughter.

"You ask me what treason is? Organizing thugs, opposing the country, and dividing the people—that's treason! Do I really need to teach you such a simple truth?"

……

Holy Leitanian Empire: Chapter Fourteen: Courtroom Elegance

Lacey shook her head, her smile vanishing, replaced by a serious expression as she denied, "No, you're wrong."

He dragged his heavy shackles forward, took a step, and shouted to the thousands of people below: "I! Lacey! A Caprini, born on the border of Letania."

“My father was a teacher. He taught me to read and to love this land. My mother was a worker. Her hands were calloused, but she supported our family.”

"When the Four Emperors War broke out, I answered the call, put on my uniform, and went to the battlefield."

The noisy square quieted down as people listened intently to the confession of this "traitor."

"I charged into battle, watching my comrades fall one by one. I earned this medal of war with my blood and courage!" As he said this, he straightened his chest, and despite his tattered clothes, the spirit of a war hero remained undiminished.