Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

“Under these circumstances, any hesitation would be an insult to your wisdom and an irresponsibility toward my daughter’s future.”

"Please give me one night to sort out my thoughts, and let me... say goodbye to the past."

He knew that when the sun rose tomorrow, he would no longer be the poet-elector who only knew about romance and poetry.

Lacey smiled and nodded: "Of course, there are guest rooms in the tower. They are simple, but very quiet."

"May the night in Vaser bring you sweet dreams."

……

……

Werner spent the entire night awake in his room at the tower.

He pondered every word Lacey said, weighing the pros and cons.

The more he thought about it, the clearer it became that Lacey represented an unstoppable trend.

This trend will completely destroy Letania's decaying old dikes.

Unlike the Twin Queens, Lacey did not exterminate the remnants of the Witch King's faction.

He demonstrated a pragmatic attitude of transformation and utilization towards Otto's old subordinates, the merchants, and even himself, the Elector who held the secrets of the remnants of the Witch King.

This magnanimity gave Werner hope that the Hochberg family could continue.

At dawn, the first rays of sunlight shone through the window, illuminating the room.

Warner made a decision.

He straightened his clothes and walked into the throne room again.

Lacey was already waiting there, as if she knew he would come.

Without any further pleasantries, Werner walked up to Lacey and bowed deeply in respect.

“Your Excellency Lacey, I think I don’t need to say anything more.” He straightened up, his gaze frank.

“From today onward, the Hochberg family will be the Workers’ Party’s most steadfast ally.”

"The direction you point out is the direction Shi Tongling will take forward."

He took the small silver box from his pocket and placed it on the table in front of Lacey.

"As for my daughter... I entrust her fate to you."

Lacey opened the box, glanced at the photo of the girl with the innocent smile, then closed the lid and gently pushed it back.

"Don't worry, Your Excellency Werner," he said with a smile.

"Soon, you will be able to personally return this box to its owner in the territory of Vaser."

"A true king must not only know how to wield a sword, but also how to offer protection," Werner remarked sincerely.

“In you, I see the hope for the future of Letania.”

"Those colleagues who only know how to protect their own privileges have no idea what kind of existence they are facing."

Lacey smiled noncommittally.

Shi Tongling's submission meant that he now held a second crucial vote besides his own.

The road to the throne has been extended a great step forward.

……

Holy Lytanian Empire: Chapter Seventy: Let's put it to the test.

Two weeks later, Trinterme.

At a dinner hosted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Mechren Neham, the richest Elector of Letania, has been in the best of mood lately, like the June sun in Trilintelme.

He even spent a fortune to buy a sapphire called "Heart of the Deep" from a bankrupt nobleman in Victoria and had the best craftsmen set it into his lapel pin.

“Oh, Mecklen, my dear friend.”

Elector Ziegler Augustine of Fordham, holding a wine glass, casually approached.

"It seems that business in Keprania must be very good this year. This gem could probably buy half of a military factory, right?"

Ziegler's words carried three parts envy and seven parts probing.

The other electors present, Gabriel Alarand of the Odenher region and Alfred Utika of the Enwade region, also pricked up their ears.

They had all heard that the caravans from Keprania had been unusually active lately, practically monopolizing the transport routes to Ursus.

Meanwhile, the prices of iron ore and coal on the international market have soared, and the Nehm family seems to be behind it all.

Mecklen stroked the jewel on his chest, an innocent smile on his face.

“Not at all, Your Excellency Ziegler is too kind.” He shook his chubby finger.

"The transportation business is just so-so, barely enough to make ends meet."

"But I heard that your grain harvest in Fordgang this year wasn't very good?"

“The price of grain in Ursus rose sharply recently, and I happened to have stockpiled a batch. If Lord Ziegler is interested, I can offer you a friendly price.”

Ziegler Augustine's smile froze for a moment.

He coughed lightly, trying to steer the conversation back on track: "We'll talk about this later. I heard... that Werner from Shitong territory went to Waser territory a few days ago?"

As soon as the question was raised, all the nobles around who had been listening intently stopped talking and glanced in this direction, intentionally or unintentionally.

Werner von Hochberg?

The Elector, renowned for his poetry and refined taste, actually went to visit that foreman?

Mecklen took a big gulp of wine and let out a satisfied sigh.

He wiped his mouth and said, "They went, not only did they go, but I also heard that they got along very well."

"That sentimental guy, Walner, is actually concerned about the territory's economy!"

"He asked me whether it was faster to transport ore from Shitongling to Waserling by water or by the newly built highway."

"A newly built road?" Ziegler astutely grasped the key phrase.

“Yes, the highway.” Mecklen said as if it were a trivial matter.

"Waseer Territory and Shiton Territory are preparing to jointly build a high-standard highway connecting the mining areas of Essenwild and Shiton Territory."

"It is said that it can reduce the transportation time by half."

"Oh, right, this project seems to be open to public bidding, but..."

He deliberately drew out his words, glancing around at the curious yet wary faces around him.

"...The majority of the project share has been secured by the People's Construction Company of Vaser Territory and several construction teams from our Keprania."

"There's nothing we can do. Our equipment is the newest, and our workers are the most efficient." He spread his hands, making a helpless expression.

"His Excellency Werner said this is to embrace the new era."

"Isn't it funny? A poet is starting to talk about the times!"

The sheer amount of information contained in those words left everyone present feeling dizzy.

Joint venture for road construction?

Werner and Lacey?

Aren't those two people completely unrelated?

When did their relationship become so close?

Such actions already indicate that Shi Tongling is moving closer to the Workers' Party.

What stung them even more was the undisguised boastfulness in Mecklen's words.

While they were still arguing over the funding for repairing the potholed dirt roads in their territory, others had already begun constructing a high-standard highway connecting the two regions.

And the ones who orchestrated all of this were actually the businessman they looked down on the most and the peasant they wanted to hang themselves the most.

"It's just a highway, how much profit can it make?" In the corner, the young nobleman muttered disdainfully, his voice tinged with sourness.

Mecklen heard this, and he laughed, revealing a set of white teeth.

"Profit? Young man, you're looking at things from a very narrow perspective."

He put down his wine glass and walked to the center of the hall.

"Do you know that a railway is being surveyed from Keprania to Vaser Territory? Do you know what that means?"

He held up one finger: "This means that the iron pots, farm tools, and cloth produced in the factories of Vaser territory, which are cheaper than you can imagine, can fill the markets of Keprania in a single day!"

"And our food, timber, and handicrafts from Kepranya can be transported into that industrial zone at the lowest possible cost."

He then held up a second finger: "The cost of this railway alone, including the preliminary exploration, design, and procurement, is astronomical."

"The purchase of iron ore and coal alone has cost enough to buy this entire estate beneath your feet."

"And this is just the beginning."

Mecklen's voice echoed in the quiet hall, striking at the fragile pride of the old aristocracy.

After saying this, he picked up his wine glass, took a satisfied sip, then turned and left, leaving behind a group of old nobles lost in thought.

The atmosphere at the banquet remained lively, with melodious music echoing under the crystal chandelier.

But the minds of this group, especially those of Ziegler, Gabriel, and Alfred, the three electors, were already in complete turmoil.

For these electors whose territories are small and whose strength is mediocre, the growth of wealth has long since reached a bottleneck.

They do not possess the formidable military strength of Hayden Schwell, nor do they control the commercial lifeline of Kepranya.

Maintaining their current dignity is their greatest pursuit.

But now, Lacey, of humble origins, Mecklen, reeking of money, and Warner, who has always only known romance and poetry, have joined forces to pave a broad road that they never even dared to dream of.

Hey.

That was genuine jealousy.

……

After the dinner, the three of them spontaneously gathered in a quiet side room.

"We...can no longer sit idly by."

Ziegler Augustine spoke first, his expression somewhat grave.

"While what that fat man Mecklen said may be an exaggeration, as you all saw, his attire and the smug looks on his staff's faces don't seem fake."

"If this continues, the gap between us and them will only widen."

“But, that Lexi…” Gabriel Alarand said worriedly.

"He's a complete madman!"

"The things he did in Wasser territory—abolishing noble privileges, setting up some special people's court, and throwing the Earl of Austin and his family off the tower!"

"If we cooperate with him, wouldn't that be like asking a tiger for its skin?"

"Once he grows powerful, the first thing he'll probably devour is us old nobles!"

“Gabriel is right,” Alfred Utica agreed.

"Imperial power, tradition, and order—these are the foundations upon which we stand."

“That Lacey, he wants to overthrow all of this. If we cooperate with him, we are betraying our own class.”

“Class? Tradition?” Ziegler sneered.

“My friends, when the Mecklenne transport fleet is full of ships and the Warner estate is overflowing with grain, can your so-called class and tradition be exchanged for a wagonload of coal?”

He looked around at his two colleagues and said, word by word, "Times have changed!"

"The Twin Queens tacitly approved of Lacey's existence, and even the most aloof Werner chose to cooperate with him. What does this mean?"

"This shows that Lacey represents a trend that we cannot stop!"

"What we need to consider now is not whether or not to board the ship, but how to buy a ticket at the most respectable price!"