Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

"Modifying the Golden Laws was indeed a great feat, but it cannot be denied that Syracuse gained independence during the reign of the Witch King."

"Turning the research tower into a university sounds like a blessing for all people."

"But I ask you, do the son of a miner who can't even get enough to eat, and the daughter of a farmer who can't even read, have the opportunity or the right to go to university?"

"This so-called opening up is nothing more than changing from opening up to a small group of nobles to opening up to another small group of wealthy merchants and lower-class nobles."

"For the lower classes who make up more than 90% of Letania's population, nothing has changed."

“As for weakening the Elector…” Lacey turned around, a sarcastic smile on her lips.

"This was indeed the most successful thing he did in the early stages."

"But what was the result? He weakened the old power center, but failed to establish a new system that could truly serve the country."

"He simply concentrated power in his own hands."

"When he became engrossed in unknown things and neglected state affairs, the long-suppressed electors immediately launched a counterattack and gained even greater power than before, ultimately leading to the decline of Letania and the fall of the Witch King himself."

"In retrospect, this is more like a political suicide."

Lacey walked back to the table, placed her hands on the surface, and looked down at Fremont.

"Your Excellency Fremont, let's talk about the most fundamental things."

"The Witch King ruled Letania for over a hundred years. During this time, did Letania's economic strength improve? Did agricultural output experience a qualitative leap? Were there any innovations in the army's equipment and tactical concepts?"

"nothing!"

"The poor remain poor, the nobles remain nobles, the class structure of society is as solid as a rock, and the upward mobility of the lower class is as narrow as the eye of a needle."

"All he did was repaint the exterior walls of a house whose foundation was already rotten and replace a few nice tiles."

"If merely doing these superficial things is enough to be hailed as a once-in-a-millennium wise ruler, then every monarch in Terra would probably have a glorious place in history."

"As the monarch of a country, no matter what difficulties or pursuits he may have, he must take the development of the country and the well-being of the people as the primary premise."

"He failed, therefore, he was a failed ruler, that's all I can say."

His words came out like a machine gun, each one piercing to the heart.

The entire study was deathly silent.

Hedley and W didn't dare to breathe.

They had never heard such audacious and outrageous remarks.

This almost completely refuted the witch king's claims.

Fremont's anger gradually faded, replaced by a complex expression.

Shock, thought of medical treatment, the silk gulls, 9?U company's leek: scars, ripples, loneliness...

He opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't find a single compelling word to refute it.

Because everything Lacey said was true.

It is a fact that these "gods" of the old era have selectively ignored.

They saw the glory of the Witch King resisting the Gallic invasion, and his greatness as a sorcerer, but overlooked his dereliction of duty as the ruler of Letania.

"You...you little rascal..."

After a long silence, Fremont finally uttered a single sentence.

“You see things more clearly than we old folks do.”

He leaned back in his chair, looking as if he had aged considerably in an instant.

"So, what do you plan to do? And what difference can your Workers' Party make for Letania?"

He asked, and this time, his tone was no longer accusatory but genuinely inquiring.

“It’s very simple.” Lacey sat back in her chair, her expression returning to calm.

"Politically, the electoral system should be completely abolished, and a strong central government should be established."

"Economically, we will nationalize vital industries such as mines and railways, and vigorously support light industries that can benefit the people."

"Militarily, we must build a modern army that truly belongs to the people."

"Technically, we broke with the tradition of 'emphasizing craftsmanship over skills' and established the National Academy of Sciences, allowing craftsmen and scholars to enjoy equal status."

“As for Kazdel…” Lacey glanced at Hedley and W, “perhaps we can learn from that.”

"The future of a race cannot be placed on one or two heroes, but should be built on a system that allows all members of the race to give full play to their talents."

Fremont's deep blue eyes flickered violently.

Lacey's blueprint was far more ambitious than Herhunzoren's original vision.

The two then engaged in a lengthy and in-depth discussion, ranging from Letania's tax reforms to the future prospects of Sarkaz mercenaries.

Fremont is more like a scholar who thirsts for new knowledge, constantly seeking new insights.

When Lacey and the others said their goodbyes and left, it was already dawn.

Standing at the doorway, Fremont watched Lacey's retreating figure and slowly said, "Lacey Glass, I will always be watching you, to see if the world you depict is heaven or another hell."

Lacey didn't turn around, she just waved.

Once back on the carriage returning to Vaser Territory, the atmosphere inside was completely different from when we arrived.

For the first time, W put away her nonchalant smile and fell into deep thought.

Hedley also changed his previously somewhat distant attitude and asked Lacey some questions.

The group left Trinitylme in a carriage.

……

Holy Lytanian Empire: Chapter 52: I, Hadley, have wandered for half my life, only regretting that I have never met a wise ruler!

"The future of a race cannot be placed on one or two heroes, but should be built on a system that allows all members of the race to give full play to their talents."

On the carriage back to Vaserland, Hadley sat upright, repeatedly pondering the words in his mind.

Hedley has spent half his life wandering, always seeking an answer—where is the way out for the Sarkaz?

He fought for Therese and also ran for Therese.

He agrees with the ideals of both princes to varying degrees, and like most Sarkaz, he believes that only the two princes can save the Sarkaz.

But he hadn't expected that this outsider, this young Letanian, would have such a clear understanding of the situation on Terra.

And it subtly reveals the Sarkaz's predicament.

'Should we let all members of our tribe use their talents...?'

Thinking of Kazdel's current predicament, Hedley shook his head bitterly, closed his eyes, and leaned against the carriage.

……

The carriage entered the capital of the Vasseur territory, Eisenwild.

People spontaneously gathered on both sides of the street, and when they saw the familiar hammer and sickle flag, the cheers that erupted almost shook the entire city.

Lacey did not linger amidst the cheers; the motorcade drove straight toward the former Elector's Tower.

In the courtyard of the tower, three hundred Sarkaz mercenaries were already fully prepared for battle.

After Hedley finished counting the last commission paid by Gertrude, the heavy box was loaded onto the carriage.

"Your Excellency Lexi".

Hedley walked up to Lacey, no longer referring to him as "employer."

"This collaboration has been very pleasant. The warriors of Kazdel respect the strong, but they respect the wise even more."

He paused, then said solemnly, "If there is any need in the future, Kazdel's friends are always ready to listen to your voice."

“That day will come,” Lacey said with a smile, shaking his hand.

W stretched and yawned as he leaned in, saying with a grin, "Hey, great thinker, next time something fun happens like this, overthrowing the Elector, don't forget to call me!"

"As for the payment... I can give you a 20% discount!"

After saying that, she made a face at Taylor and nimbly jumped onto the carriage.

The convoy slowly started moving and left the city that had just welcomed its new owner.

After seeing off the mercenaries, Lacey didn't catch her breath for a moment.

He turned to face his core team—Taylor, Serafina, Gertrude, and Arturo, who had been silently following along with the group, his eyes somewhat lost.

"Let's go, we still have a lot to do."

……

……

The throne room, once used by Otto Gladstone to host lavish banquets, has now been completely emptied.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, there is only a long wooden table and a few simple chairs.

Lacey stood at the head of the table, with a map of Letania behind him.

"Everyone!" His voice echoed in the empty hall.

"From this day forward, an era belonging to the old nobility has come to a complete end in the territory of Vaser!"

"But the end is only the beginning."

He looked around at everyone.

"We cannot be satisfied with simply overthrowing a tyrant; more importantly, we must establish a completely new order."

"We will transform Vaser Territory into a model district, a beacon for all the oppressed in Leitania to see!"

"I declare that I will take 'Mein Kampf' as the fundamental guide, bring the Workers' Party into a phase of full governance, and establish a completely new organizational structure."

He picked up a wooden stick and pointed to the map behind him.

"A healthy country needs well-defined departments to keep it running, and the same is true for a region."

"Therefore, I have decided to establish nine core departments under the Workers' Party Joint Committee: the Second Committee for Investigating Differences!"

Everyone held their breath.

Rewarding merit is nothing more than this.

"Taylor!"

“Here!” Taylor stepped forward.

"I appoint you as the Minister of the Fighting Department of the Workers' Party!" Lacey's voice was firm and powerful.

"Your mission is to expand and reorganize the workers' pickets, transforming them into a disciplined and invincible modern army!"

"Defend the territory of Vaser, defend the people, and defend the hard-won fruits of our victory!"

A fire ignited in Taylor's eyes, and he pounded his chest with a heavy thud: "Mission accomplished!"

"Seraphina!"

“I’m here, Lacey,” Serafina said with a smile as she stepped forward.

“I appoint you to head the External Relations Department, responsible for liaising and maneuvering with other powers in Letania, and even other countries.” Lacey looked at her.

"I need you to make our voices resound throughout Terra."

“It is my honor.” Serafina’s smile remained gentle, but her eyes held a heavy sense of responsibility.

Then, Lacey's gaze turned to Gertrude.

The former noblewoman, who had always craved power, felt her heart begin to race uncontrollably.

Gertrude Strolo.

“Yes.” Trud tried to keep his voice steady.

"I appoint you to oversee both the Propaganda Department and the Intelligence Department."

"You need to spread the Workers' Party's ideology and the ideas of 'Mein Kampf' to every corner of Wasser and even Letania, and let them take root in people's hearts."

"As for intelligence, I don't care what methods you use, I only care about the results. I need to get sufficiently accurate intelligence."

Gertrude's lips slowly curled up.