Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

“I shed blood for Letania! I risked my life to defend this country! And now you stand here, accusing me of treason?”

Valerius's face stiffened; he hadn't expected Lacey to say such things.

Lacey didn't give him a chance to refute, and suddenly changed the subject, her voice becoming impassioned.

"You accuse me of inciting the public? I'm just saying what they dare not say!"

"Farmers toil for a year, but they have to hand over most of their harvest to noble lords who never work in the fields, and the remaining grain is not even enough to feed themselves!"

"Workers toil day and night in mines and factories, risking their lives, only to receive meager wages and be riddled with injuries! And their blood and sweat become fine wine in some people's glasses and gold-plated carriages!"

"I'm asking you!" he suddenly turned to the crowd below, "Is what I said true or not!"

"Yes--!"

Someone in the crowd shouted out first, and then a thunderous response erupted from below the stage.

"You accuse me of organizing an illegal armed group? Those sickles and axes are tools for farmers to cultivate the land and tools for workers to labor!"

"They picked up tools not to rebel, but simply to demand justice from those heartless bosses who owed them wages!"

"Does this mean that in this country, people like us at the bottom of society don't even have the right to demand our unpaid wages?"

"You say I'm dividing the people? That's a huge joke!" Lacey sneered. "The one who's truly dividing this country isn't me! It's you!"

"It is you high and mighty nobles, it is you bloated and fat officials! It is you who have divided humanity into two species!"

"One type is the privileged who are born with everything, and the other is the waste that you trample on at will!"

"Enough!" Valerius finally couldn't hold back any longer, slamming his fist on the table and shouting, "Nonsense! You're openly slandering me! Guards! Shut him up!"

However, the guards below the steps hesitated.

Most of them were also from ordinary backgrounds, and every word Lacey said resonated with them. They looked at the young man on the stage with complicated expressions.

Judge Alistair slammed his gavel down: "Silence! Let the defendant finish speaking!"

Valerius could only sit down sullenly, glaring at Lacey with resentful eyes.

Lacey took a deep breath and continued, "Your Honor, Your Honor, fellow countrymen of Letania."

He surveyed the entire room, his voice ringing out powerfully: "Some people say I have committed treason!"

"I want to show you what true treason really is!"

"In the Four Emperors' War, our Leitanian soldiers won the war with their blood and lives, defending the dignity of our nation! But what was the result? Instead of glory, we were met with the humiliating 'Three Emperors' Contract'!"

The Three Emperors Contract!

The moment those words were spoken, the entire square erupted in chaos.

Whether nobles or commoners, almost everyone's expression changed.

This is a thorn etched in the heart of every Letanian.

We were the victorious nation, and we paid the most terrible price, but we did not receive the spoils that matched our victory!

This treaty, signed by the Gemini Queens with Victoria and Ursus after they came to power in order to consolidate their rule, is also the biggest stain on the legitimacy of their rule.

No one has dared to mention this matter in public; everyone has been carefully avoiding it.

And today, in front of the entire city, Lacey tore it open in a bloody manner.

On the balcony, Countess Lenia's wine glass clattered onto the table, spilling wine everywhere.

"A madman...this madman..."

She stared intently at Lacey on the stage, her eyes revealing genuine shock for the first time.

"Who was it that, at the negotiating table, abandoned the land we fought so hard for with our lives?" Lacey's voice echoed across the square.

"Who betrayed the interests of the nation, and betrayed the tens of thousands of heroic souls who died on the battlefield?"

"I'll tell you!" Lacey suddenly yanked on his shackles, pointing them at the pale-faced nobles and officials.

"It's them! It's those who call themselves our leaders! They ended the war, but lost their dignity! They signed the treaty, but betrayed the entire nation!"

"I, Lacey, was once a soldier on the battlefield. Now, as the leader of the Workers' Party, all I do is lead my people to reclaim what rightfully belongs to us! To reclaim our land, our wealth, and the glory of Letania!"

"If defending the rights of the people is a crime, then I plead guilty!"

"If it is a sin to make this country great again, then I plead guilty!"

"If this is called treason..." He paused, his gaze sharp as he scanned everyone who was utterly shocked by his words.

"Then today, I will shoulder this crime of treason!!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the whole world seemed to freeze.

The next second, a deafening roar erupted from every corner of the square.

"Lassie is innocent!"

"Heroes are innocent!"

"Repeal the Three Emperors' Contract!"

"Give me back my honor!"

The crowd's emotions were completely ignited, and they broke through the symbolic barrier of the guards, surging toward the trial bench.

Prosecutor Valerius, his face ashen, slumped into his chair.

Judge Alistair sat there, motionless.

He looked at the excited crowd below the stage, and at the young man who, despite being shackled, seemed taller than everyone else.

He recalled the ideals he had when he was young, and the past glory of this country.

After a long while, he picked up the gavel and struck it down with all his might.

"clang--!"

The square fell silent as everyone looked at the judge, awaiting the final verdict.

Alistair stood up and loudly proclaimed: "After trial, the defendant Lacey's words and deeds have violated the laws of Letania and constitute the crime of treason. The evidence is conclusive."

"...sentenced to five years in prison and fined 500 ducats."

A desperate cry of alarm erupted from the crowd.

Serafina's heart sank to the bottom.

However, what the judge said next left everyone speechless.

“However!” Alistair changed the subject, “Given that the defendant Lacey served the country in the Four Emperors War, his motives… are understandable.”

"And while his remarks were somewhat extreme, they also reflected some of the demands of the public."

"In the spirit of legal prudence and humanitarianism, this court decides that the defendant, Lacey, may be eligible for parole after serving three months of his sentence."

"The fine will be offset by the community service he organized for the people in the slums."

silence.

The entire square fell silent for three seconds.

Then, deafening cheers erupted into the sky!

"We win! We win!"

"Long live Letania!"

"Long live Lord Lacey!"

"Long live victory!"

People embraced each other, weeping with joy.

This is not just a victory for Lacey alone, it is a victory for all of them!

They cheered for their victory.

"Long live victory!"

"Long live victory!"

……

……

Holy Leitanian Empire: Chapter Fifteen: Reactions from All Sides

"Breaking News! Breaking News! The earth-shattering trial of traitor Lacey! Judge Alistair delivers a historic verdict!"

Exclusive report! Hero or traitor? A soldier's final statement in court!

Within days, Salem's trial spread rapidly to the surrounding areas and even the whole of Letania.

Newspapers in almost every city published the trial in their largest pages.

Even some conservative newspapers had to admit that Lacey's speech was highly inflammatory and deeply touched on the pain points of the people.

Lacey's name, and his famous quote, "If defending the rights of the people is a crime, then I plead guilty," spread far and wide.

As the story spread, it was constantly embellished and became increasingly legendary.

Some say that Lacey summoned the spirits of fallen heroes in court, scaring the prosecutor so much that he wet his pants.

Some say that Judge Alistair's gavel is an ancient artifact that can distinguish between loyalty and treachery, good and evil, which is why he did not sentence Lacey to death.

People were enthusiastically discussing the traitor who had been sentenced to three months in prison in taverns, factories, and fields.

Overnight, he became a national political star, a symbol of daring to say "no" to power.

The Workers' Party's popularity reached its peak.

……

In Castor, an industrial city hundreds of miles away from Salem.

The Rusty Wrench beer hall is the most popular beer hall among miners and smelters here because it has the cheapest and strongest beer.

As the night shift ended, the workers, covered in grease, flooded in, exchanging a day's hard-earned money for a moment of numbness.

The tavern was in complete chaos, a cacophony of curses, boasts, and the clatter of dice against the table.

"Hey, have you heard? That guy in Salem named Lacey." A burly man with a full beard gulped down a mouthful of cheap beer and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Who doesn't know? The newspapers are all over it! I heard he's a tough guy who gave those noble gentlemen a thorough dressing-down in front of the judge!"

“It’s more than just cursing!” Another tall, thin man jumped onto the table; he was clearly drunk, his cheeks flushed.

He straightened his chest and cleared his throat, mimicking the manner described in the newspaper.

"...I'm asking you!" he shouted, pointing at the people in the tavern, "Is what I said true or not!"

The tavern fell silent instantly, and everyone stared at him.

"Yes--!"

After a brief silence, someone shouted, and the entire tavern erupted in response.

The glass was slammed heavily onto the table, splashing wine everywhere.

He said, "If defending the rights of the people is a crime..."

The tall, thin man took a deep breath and shouted out the words that made his blood boil with all his might.

"—Then I plead guilty!"

"well said!"

"Another drink! To that Lassie!"

"Respect to Lassie!"

The tavern owner was a bald, fat man. He nervously peeked out from behind the bar, trying to get everyone to be quiet, but seeing the faces burning with excitement, he wisely swallowed his words and silently brought out another keg of beer.

Similar scenes were playing out simultaneously in countless cities across Letania.

Lacey's name, along with that trial, was like a spark, blown by the wind in all directions, planting a kind of expectation in the hearts of ordinary people.

……

As the external storm intensifies.

Trilinterme, the capital of Letania, is atop the twin towers.