Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

At the same time, we will vigorously support the country's existing light industry and handicrafts, enhance product competitiveness, and accumulate wealth for the country through trade.

Militarily, you astutely pointed out the distorted structure of Letania's military power: its over-reliance on a small number of tower sorcerers, which renders civilians mere cannon fodder in war, resulting in Letania often being stronger in defense than offense.

[You proposed that a modern army belonging to the people must be established, and the country should vigorously develop the military industry, research and mass-produce armored vehicles, long-range weapons, and standardized staves that allow ordinary people to easily cast Originium Arts.]

[You wrote: "When every farmer and worker of Letania takes up arms, all of Terra will tremble!"]

In the technological field, you vehemently criticized the nation's traditional emphasis on "art over technology," arguing that the flourishing of art must be built upon a strong industrial and technological foundation.

[You proposed establishing a national academy of sciences, raising the social status of skilled artisans, and allocating resources towards practical technology fields.]

In diplomacy, you proposed the strategy of "befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones," establishing friendly trade relations and forming strategic alliances with distant countries such as Great Yan and Colombia.

[And regarding the surrounding area, you turned your attention to Syracuse.]

You declared: "Syracuse has been an inseparable and sacred territory of Letania since ancient times, and achieving unification is an inescapable historical mission for us!"

[You used the most vehement language to condemn the humiliating Treaty of Lingons, also known as the Treaty of the Three Emperors, calling it "a shameful mark etched on the spine of the nation," and vowed that one day you would tear up the treaty and reclaim the blood and glory that Letania had shed in the war from Victoria and Ursus.]

Finally, you concluded the book with the sentence: "A nation without a strong army to defend its dignity is nothing more than a fish on a chopping block, at the mercy of others. The revival of Letania will surely begin with the sound of swords being forged!"

[Once the manuscript is complete, you hand it over to Seraphina, instructing her to use the funds and channels provided by Gertrude, in the name of the Workers' Party, to simultaneously open printing presses in four locations: Viseheim, Salem, Finkshire, and Grey Iron, to print large quantities of *Mein Kampf* at extremely low prices.]

[At the same time, countless propagandists were dispatched to various towns and even villages in Letania to give public speeches and read excerpts from the book.]

Through these actions, "Mein Kampf" instantly ignited public opinion throughout Letania.

The book's passionate prose, clear and concise outline, and grand vision for the future resonated deeply with every Letanian yearning for change.

Whether it's workers and farmers dissatisfied with reality, frustrated intellectuals, or even lower-ranking military officers and enlightened aristocrats dissatisfied with the status quo, they all found resonance in this book.

[Mein Kampf spread at an unprecedented speed, its sales soaring, quickly surpassing all chivalric novels and romantic poetry collections to become Letania's best-selling book.]

Lacey's name rose from a local resistance leader to a nationally recognized intellectual mentor.

The Workers' Party's influence, along with the dissemination of this book, spread to every corner of Letania.

……

……

Holy Leitanian Empire: Chapter Thirty-Five: Plotting Against the Elector

Three months have passed since the Queen's decree arrived in Viseheim.

The chill of early spring was completely dispelled by the ever-increasing enthusiasm for construction.

Viseheim, a city that was once turbulent due to changes in lords, is now being revitalized at a visible pace.

The Workers' Party's original temporary headquarters, a dilapidated warehouse, has been replaced by a three-story red brick building. A red party flag with a crossed sickle and hammer emblem hangs above the entrance.

On the training field at this moment, Taylor's voice was as loud as ever.

"Get running, all of you! How can you protect our hospital and school if your legs are weak? How can you protect your wives and kids?"

Thousands of workers’ pickets, dressed in matching green uniforms, are sweating profusely as they walk along the training field.

They are no longer the rabble driven solely by passion.

After three months of systematic training, their ranks became neat and orderly, and the blankness in their eyes disappeared, replaced by a more soldierly determination.

Although their equipment was still rudimentary, their spirit and morale were enough to make any regular city guard not dare to underestimate them.

"Reporting, Captain Taylor!" A young scout came running up, panting.

"The third shipment of iron ore from Finkshire has arrived, and Earl Gertrude's butler is asking when we will settle the bill."

Taylor raised an eyebrow, grinned, and revealed two rows of white teeth.

"Tell him to go find Sister Serafina. I'm only in charge of training, not settling accounts."

"Tell him not to rush us. Our Workers' Party never delays paying our comrades' wages, nor does it ever let those bloodsuckers who want to take advantage of us get away with it."

Amidst laughter and playful banter, he looked at the team he had personally trained, his heart filled with pride.

He used to be just a blacksmith, whose biggest dream was to hammer out some tools every day and exchange them for a few more copper coins.

Now, he has thousands of heroes under his command, all fighting for the same goal.

This feeling is more intoxicating than creating any tool.

……

Meanwhile, in her office on the third floor of headquarters, Lacey stood quietly in front of a map of Letania hanging on the wall.

On the map, Salem, Viseheim, Finkshire, and Grey Iron are the four places he circled in red ink.

The number of members of the Workers' Party has long exceeded 10,000, a force that is enough to make any local nobleman uneasy.

But Lacey's gaze went beyond these four strongholds, reaching for places much further away.

His finger gently touched a vast area called the "Rupercan Region".

Salem is a city on the edge of this region.

He became the Elector.

What Count Lenia heard as the ravings of a madman had, in Lacey's mind, evolved into several clear and feasible paths.

The first path is to accumulate strength and gradually erode territory.

Using the Workers' Party's existing influence, they will slowly attach themselves to the Elector of Rupertham, like leeches.

Through economic infiltration, ideological propaganda, and the subversion of lower-level officials, he gradually undermined the foundation of his rule.

At the same time, he curries favor with the twin queens of Trinity, playing the role of an "obedient hound," and with their support, eventually takes their place.

This is the safest route with the least risk.

But Lacey quickly dismissed it.

Too slow, slow enough for any variable to occur.

To place one's hopes on the Queen's support and the enemy's folly is tantamount to putting one's own neck under someone else's knife.

The chessboard in Letania is constantly changing, and he doesn't have much time to wait for an uncertain outcome.

The second path: war.

At a suitable time, the Workers' Party will use all its power to launch an armed coup against the Elector of Rupercan's Tower.

Fast, accurate, and ruthless, a single blow can be fatal.

The thought flashed through his mind for only a moment before he extinguished it.

That was too reckless.

The Elector's private army numbered at least tens of thousands.

Not to mention the tower sorcerers and golden law guards who reside within the tower and can easily incinerate an army.

Faced with such a disparity in strength, the thousands of workers' pickets were nothing more than sent to their deaths.

Even he himself, with the support of "United We Stand," has become quite strong, probably at the level of someone from the bottom to the middle of a large cup.

But to think that one could break through the defenses of tens of thousands of troops and a tall tower on one's own is nothing short of a pipe dream.

Lacey's fingertip slowly slid across the map, finally stopping at the border of Letania.

He decided to take the third path.

Since internal forces are not yet sufficient to change the course of the game, let's introduce external variables.

Great Yan?

It was too far away, and besides, their emperor had little interest in the conflicts on Terra.

Kazimir?

Those knights controlled by the Merchants' Guild only care about commercial interests and the arena. It would be too costly and impractical for them to send troops to interfere in Letania's internal affairs.

Ursus? Iberia? Colombia?

After much deliberation, his gaze finally settled on two names: Kazdel and Victoria.

As a Sarkaz person who is over three hundred years old in reality, Lacey knows her race very well. The Sarkaz are recognized as a warlike race throughout the entire continent of Terra.

Their hatred for Letania is long-standing, especially for the Elector of the Vaser Territory in the north, a blood feud spanning generations.

Decades ago, the Elector had joined forces with the Duke of Victoria to launch a failed invasion of Kazdel.

Moreover, recent news suggests that the Vase territory may be mobilizing for war again.

This might be an opportunity.

The enemy of my enemy is the friend I can unite with.

If we can persuade Theresis and Theresia to send troops from the north to contain the Vassell territory, then we can take action from the south...

The idea is very tempting, but the risks are equally enormous.

Associating with the demon race would put him and the Workers' Party in a very passive political position, and they would easily be labeled as "colluding with foreign enemies and betraying the nation".

So, what about Victoria?

Through Gertrude's connections with the caravan, the Workers' Party did indeed establish ties with several Victorian merchant guilds.

However, it is almost impossible to get in touch with a duke who can mobilize troops through these connections.

Moreover, once Victoria's army sets foot in Letania, it will no longer be a domestic affair, but a war between nations.

This would completely disrupt all his plans.

Just as he was lost in thought, there was a gentle knock on the office door, and Serafina walked in carrying a steaming cup of coffee.

She placed the coffee on the table, glanced at Lacey who was deep in thought in front of the map, and said softly, "The files of the party members have been initially compiled, and everyone's strengths, personality, and family background have been recorded."

"In addition, news came from Gertrude that she has successfully persuaded two neighboring barons to allow our caravans to pass through and to purchase our goods."

“Well done.” Lacey turned around, picked up her coffee, and took a sip.

"But this is not enough; our foundation is still too shallow."

Serafina looked at Lacey's furrowed brows and knew that this man carried the future of tens of thousands of people on his shoulders.

She didn't say anything like "take a break," but calmly said, "Our manpower and resources have reached their limit. Any further expansion will be extremely difficult."

“I understand.” Lacey nodded, her gaze returning to the map. “Therefore, we can no longer use the usual methods.”

“We need a lever, a fulcrum strong enough to move the whole of Letania.”

Suddenly, a melodious cello sound came from outside the door, interspersed with a few squeaks like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Lacey and Serafina exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat helpless.

“Arturo is looking for inspiration again.” Serafina rubbed her temples.

Lacey put down her coffee cup and walked to the window.

On the open ground next to the training field, Arturo was playing her ever-present cello with her eyes closed and a look of rapture on her face.

In front of her, an unfortunate orange cat was so frightened by her piano playing that it arched its back, its fur standing on end, and let out a pitiful protest.

Lacey's lips curled into a smile.

This eccentric artist can sometimes bring a bit of relief to the tense and oppressive atmosphere.

Looking down at the vibrant scene below, and at the people striving for a common goal, the music dispelled some of the fog in his heart.

There must be a way.

It's just that the time isn't right yet.

What he needs to do is make ample preparations before the opportunity arrives.

……

Holy Leitanian Empire: Chapter Thirty-Six: Plans Can't Keep Up with Changes

Opportunities sometimes come in ways that no one can predict.

Two weeks later, explosive news came from northwestern Letania.