Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

"Father! Have you gone mad?!"

A man who looked remarkably like Mecklen, but appeared younger and more impetuous, stood excitedly. He was Mecklen's eldest son and the first in line to the family throne, Arlin Neham.

"You've invested nearly half of the family's cash flow into those damn stones and grains! Do you know what people outside are saying about us now?"

“They say the Nehm family is going bankrupt, and that you’re getting senile!” Yarlin’s hands trembled slightly with excitement.

Inside the council chamber, a host of family elders and uncles echoed their sentiments.

“Yes, Mecklen, this move is too big. Our family’s foundation is in sound trade; we don’t need to do this,” a white-haired uncle said with a pained expression, leaning on his cane.

"Master, please reconsider! At the very least, you should tell us what your purpose is in doing this?"

Faced with the doubts and panic of his tribesmen, Mecklen simply sat calmly in the main seat, slowly stirring his coffee with a small silver spoon, as if listening to a farce that had nothing to do with him.

He slowly put down his coffee cup only after everyone had finished speaking.

The clinking of cups and saucers instantly silenced the noisy council chamber.

His gaze swept over everyone, and the majesty in his eyes made all those who met his gaze involuntarily lower their heads.

"Are you done talking?" he asked calmly.

"Bankruptcy? Dementia?"

Mecklen chuckled lightly, his laughter filled with disdain.

“Yarlin, my child, your judgment hasn’t improved much.”

"I taught you that a true businessman doesn't look at the numbers in the ledger, but at the scales of the times."

He stood up and pulled out the tumor.

Do you think that the wealth of the Nehm family was accumulated through sound trade?

His voice suddenly rose: "Wrong!"

"It's about taking bolder bets than others at every turning point in history!"

“My grandfather bet on the Witch King’s ascension to the throne, and he won! I bet on the Twin Queens’ overthrow of the Witch King, and I won too!”

“And now, a new era is about to begin!” Mecklen turned around abruptly, his gaze fixed intently on his son.

"And that young man named Lacey is the one who ushered in this era!"

“You call him a madman, but this madman, in just one year, turned the near-bankrupt Vase territory into a money-printing machine!”

“You only see the risks, but I see an opportunity to make the Nehm family stand for a hundred years!”

He walked up to Yarlin and patted his stiff shoulder.

“Children, I’m not gambling; I’m buying a ticket for your future.”

“The most expensive ticket to board the ark of a new era.” His tone softened.

"Whether it's war or peace, the world is changing."

"That man named Lacey is the only one drawing up a new map."

“I would rather hold a pen and draw with him than be erased from the map by him.”

Yarlin opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't utter a single word.

He saw a light in his father's eyes that he had never seen before.

The family meeting ended unhappily due to Mecklen's tough stance.

The dissenting voices were suppressed, but the seeds of doubt were sown.

……

In the Vase Territory, in the tower, inside the throne room.

Gertrude placed a newly received top-secret intelligence report on Lacey's desk.

“Mecklen moved very quickly; he almost mobilized all his forces, and our plan got off to a perfect start.”

Lacey picked up the intelligence report, quickly scanned it, and a satisfied look appeared on her face.

“A greedy wolf won’t easily give up once it smells blood.” He put down the intelligence report and looked out the window.

……

Holy Lytanian Empire: Chapter Sixty-Six: When besieging an army, leave an opening; when facing a desperate enemy, do not press them too hard.

Inside the tower, Gertrude continued to report to Lacey.

"The intelligence department has completed its initial framework."

"Currently, our network covers all the Electoral territories except for Haydenschwell."

"Border areas, especially towns bordering Ursus and Kazimir, are our key infiltration targets."

She handed Lacey a document.

"This is the list of the first batch of seeds, a total of 127 people."

“Including a disillusioned noble steward, a marginalized merchant guild steward, a city guard captain dissatisfied with the status quo, and some… well-informed friends in the tavern.” Gertrude chose her words very carefully.

"They provided us with information on the grain reserves within their respective territories, troop movements, tax accounts, and private conversations among nobles."

In return, we pay money or promise a brighter future.

Lacey flipped through the list, each name accompanied by detailed background information, personality weaknesses, and specific plans for turning or bribing the person.

He even saw several familiar names, figures who were well-known in some cities but had now become extensions of the Workers' Party.

The intelligence department's operational efficiency and infiltration capabilities far exceeded Lacey's expectations.

“Well done.” Lacey closed the file and exclaimed sincerely, “This is much faster than I expected.”

“Efficiency stems from demand,” Gertrude replied calmly.

"The old order is decaying, and there are many people who yearn for change."

“We simply gave them a chance, and a sufficiently convincing reason.”

Her gaze shifted to Lacey, and she continued her report: "In addition, while compiling intelligence on the Hochberg family, we discovered an interesting secret."

"Oh?"

Lacey became interested.

“This Lord Hochberg is an anomaly among all the Electors,” Gertrude said.

"He is not keen on power struggles, nor does he covet wealth; he is more like a writer who lives in poetry and fantasy."

"To the outside world, he maintained the image of being single and childless, disguising himself as a romantic who was indifferent to worldly affairs."

She took a photo and a document from the folder and gently placed them on the table next to Lacey.

The photo shows a beautiful little girl, about three or four years old, with bright blonde hair and a pair of adorable antlers, holding a rag doll and smiling innocently.

“Viviana Drost,” Gertrude’s voice lowered slightly. “The illegitimate daughter of the Elector of Hochberg.”

"Her mother was a former member of the Droste family."

"You should remember that the Drost family was one of the Witch King's most loyal henchmen. After the Twin Queens came to power, the entire family was uprooted, and all members were either executed or sent to prison for life."

Lacey picked up the photo and gently stroked the girl's smiling face with her fingertips.

He could imagine how much that sentimental man, Werner, would cherish the child.

Gertrude continued, "Werner must have secretly hidden his pregnant lover back then, thus evading the Queen's Voice's search."

“Our intelligence agents followed a highly secretive flow of funds and eventually discovered that the girl, Viviana, is currently being raised in Kazimierz by Grand Knight Ioleta Russell.”

Lacey raised an eyebrow slightly.

This is no longer a simple scandal involving a noblewoman's illegitimate daughter.

One end of this rope was tied to an Elector of Letania, while the other end was connected to the bloodline of the remnants of the Witch King's faction.

Gertrude looked at Lacey and concluded, "Once this secret is exposed, Werner von Hochberg will face more than just the end of his political career."

“To protect the remnants of the Witch King’s faction is the most complete betrayal of the Double Crown.”

"The royal family, the other electors, and the entire old noble class of Letania will tear him to pieces, and Shitong territory will be immediately divided up."

“This is a perfect handle!” Gertrude said excitedly.

She made no attempt to hide her thoughts: "Use this secret to force him to side with us!"

He had no choice!

"If we leak this information, the Hochberg family will fall apart instantly!"

"Either become our ally, or you'll be utterly disgraced!"

This is the most direct and also the most brutal way.

Use leverage to force the other party to comply.

Lacey shook her head.

“No.” He put the photo back on the desktop.

Gertrude frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled.

“Gertrude, what do you think this Elector, who loves poetry, fears most?”

Gertrude immediately understood what Lacey meant.

She pondered for a moment and replied, "What he fears most is probably not his own death or the loss of power."

"For someone who lives in the spiritual world, the greatest fear is watching helplessly as something they cherish is destroyed."

"That is, his daughter Viviana. He was afraid that his daughter would be caught up in this storm and repeat the mistakes of her mother's family."

“That’s right.” Lacey stood up.

"Therefore, we can't act like robbers, rushing up to him with this intelligence and forcing him to take sides."

"That would only turn him into a beast driven to the brink of destruction. He would do anything to protect his daughter and fight us to the death."

"They might even escalate the conflict to the Gemini Queen, and perish together with us."

Gertrude remained silent for a moment after hearing this.

She admitted that Lacey had a broader vision and a better understanding of human nature than she did in the use of political maneuvering.

"Then what do you mean?"

"When besieging an enemy, one must first be prepared to attack them. Do not press a desperate enemy," Lacey said with a smile.

Regardless of whether Gertrude understood or not, he continued, "When surrounding an enemy, leave an opening; don't push a cornered enemy too far."

"You've blocked all his escape routes, leaving him with no choice but to fight you to the death."

"But if you leave him a way out that seems like he can survive, he will give up the fight for that faint hope."

"Werner is an extremely valuable piece."

"He is kind, sentimental, well-regarded among the nobility, and also controls a large region."

“We cannot threaten such a person; instead, we must find ways to make him work for us.”

Gertrude pondered Lacey's words and gradually came to understand.

"You mean...give him a choice?"

"Yes."

“We want him to understand that we have his secrets, but we don’t intend to use them to blackmail him and destroy him. Instead, we want to provide him with a protective umbrella.”

“We want him to see that by cooperating with us, he can not only save his daughter, but also gain much more than he does now.”

"For example, if he craves power, give him power."

“He desires wealth, so give him wealth.”

"He longed for freedom... so give him freedom."

“Then what should I do?” Gertrude asked.

"Prepare an anonymous letter to send to him."

"Remember, there should be no threats or demands in the letter."