After Meklen and Wolner successively sided with you, the balance of power in Leithanien underwent a subtle shift.
Those three Electors who had always styled themselves as neutral, the fence-sitters—Ziegler-Augustin, Gabriel-Alarand, and Alfred-Utica—finally felt a palpable sense of anxiety.
When the wealth and prestige of Meklen and Wolner became bound to yours, when blueprints for brand-new highways and railways were laid before them, the aristocratic reserve they prided themselves on proved utterly fragile against the onslaught of cold, hard cash.
Jealousy and fear intertwined, driving them to make the same decision.
Three teams of spies, disguised as merchant caravans, set out from their respective fiefs and entered Wasser Fief, Schtong Fief, and Caplania.
They were under orders to find the truth of your rule—to find the oppression behind the propaganda, the lies beneath the prosperity, the hidden traps behind the cooperation.
However, your intelligence network already blanketed these lands.
Under Gertrude's command, the movements and rendezvous of every single spy were compiled and delivered to your desk without omission.
You decided to apply the right medicine for the illness, carrying out a soft infiltration against these three Electors.
You dispatched your best propagandists to the town squares of Fordgang, where they told the tax-burdened citizens and merchants the story of how Wasser Fief had developed its industry and commerce, fattening the people's purses and causing total tax revenue to rise instead of fall.
You sent a trade delegation to visit Lord Gabriel of Niedenher, laden with well-designed, low-cost crafts, textiles, and assorted tools produced in Wasser Fief.
When he saw the 'Worker No. 1' textile machine—an exquisitely structured device several times more efficient than existing looms—the shock in his eyes was more potent than any political slogan.
You even had Arturia's Ministry of Culture organize a touring light cavalry song and dance troupe to visit the socially conservative Enwald.
While performing traditional Leithanien opera and folk dances, they were to 'casually' bring up the various welfare benefits for the children of Wasser Fief's workers, and the happy life where everyone had enough to eat and warm clothes to wear.
At the same time, Gertrude's intelligence department spread meticulously woven rumors in Leithanien's aristocratic salons and taverns.
Some said Meklen had earned back the previous year's profits in a single month through his railway trade with Wasser Fief.
Some said the output of the mines in Wolner's fief had tripled thanks to the introduction of new equipment from Wasser Fief.
Better yet, the Twin Empresses were considering establishing a 'Special Committee for Economic Development,' with seats reserved only for those Electors who moved with the tides of the era.
As this anxiety spread, the three Electors found that the merchants in their domains began to complain about trade barriers, scholars discussed the technological innovations of Wasser Fief, and even their own advisors were hinting that perhaps they should establish preliminary contact with Wasser Fief.
This intangible pressure from within was more suffocating than any external military threat.
The tide was turning.
When the weight of those words settled upon their hearts, even the most steadfast positions began to crack.
Ziegler-Augustin of the Fordgang Grand Region was the first to yield.
After personally reviewing the staggering efficiency report on Wasser Fief's agricultural processing plants brought back by his spies, he secretly dispatched an envoy to sign a grain trade and agricultural technology import agreement with you.
He swore on his family's honor to cast Fordgang's vote for you in the future parliament.
Next was Gabriel-Alarand of the Niedenher Grand Region.
He was utterly convinced by Wasser Fief's industrial potential. After refusing your gift of a textile machine, he made a more ambitious request: to establish a joint technology exchange center in Niedenher, with Wasser Fief providing the technology and him providing the land and workers.
In exchange, Niedenher's vote would be yours.
Finally, Alfred-Utica, during a tour of his domain, had his path blocked by a crowd of citizens who had spontaneously gathered to petition for the establishment of workers' welfare societies modeled after those in Wasser Fief.
Looking into their fanatical yet hopeful eyes, he felt for the first time the power of what was called 'the will of the people'.
He returned to the tower and wrote a personal letter, agreeing to the legal development of the Workers' Party in his domain and implicitly expressing his willingness to 'maintain alignment' with you in parliament.
At this point, Wasser Fief, Caplania, Schtong Fief, Fordgang, Niedenher, and Enwald.
Of the Empire's nine Great Electors, six votes were now securely in your grasp.
The obstacles on the path to imperial power were now mostly cleared.
You instructed Serafina and Gertrude to immediately begin deepening the cooperation with these five allies, using a great net woven from shared interests—railways, highways, trade orders, and more—to bind them irrevocably to your war chariot, forging an unbreakable alliance.
...
In the throne room of the tower, flames roared in the fireplace, casting flickering light and shadow upon the map on the wall.
Lacey stood before the map in silence.
His finger gently traced across six areas marked in red, representing Wasser Fief, Caplania, Schtong Fief, and the newly acquired Fordgang, Niedenher, and Enwald.
Six votes.
This meant that, whenever he wished, he could convene the council of Electors and place himself upon the crown and throne that symbolized the supreme power of Leithanien.
The prerequisite was that he first needed to launch a coup to overthrow the Twin Empresses.
This was obviously not so easy.
If a coup were to occur, the only one who would truly stand by his side would likely be Wolner alone.
Even Meklen's support was questionable.
Thus, relying on the strength of just two or three grand regions to seize power through an armed coup was probably a fool's dream.
'Everything is proceeding smoother than imaginable,' Gertrude's voice came from behind.
She walked to Lacey's side, her grey pupils reflecting the crimson on the map.
'That old fox Ziegler praised you in his letter as an 'economic prodigy seen once in a millennium'.'
'Gabriel is even more impatient; he's already allocated the land for the technology exchange center.'
She paused, her tone tinged with undisguised contempt: 'A bunch of fair-weather opportunists. The moment the wind changes, they sway faster than anyone.'
'I suggest we plant more personnel in their fiefs. If necessary, we can directly control their guards to prevent any second thoughts.'
Lacey said, 'Gertrude, your vigilance is necessary. The loyalty of these old nobles is thinner than paper.'
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over his most capable aide.
'We cannot maintain it with fear alone, nor can we naively count on their goodwill.'
Lacey's finger drew a circle on the map, encompassing the six crimson territories.
'We must use chains of mutual interest to bind them even more tightly to us.'
Gertrude raised an eyebrow.
Lacey continued, 'The trade agreements are only the first step.'
'I am preparing to invite these five Electors, and anyone else willing to join, to co-found the 'Leithanien Economic Community'.'
'The Leithanien Economic Community?' Gertrude repeated the phrase softly.
'An internal free trade zone,' Lacey explained.
'Within this community, we will unify tariffs, dismantle trade barriers, and standardize railway gauges and freight carriage sizes, allowing goods to flow unimpeded through the six grand regions.'
'Caplania's grain could be easily shipped to Niedenher, Wasser Fief's industrial goods could flood the markets of Fordgang within a day, and ore from Schtong Fief could be delivered to the furnaces of our every factory at the lowest possible cost.'
He paused for a moment.
'When their economies are deeply integrated with ours, when their merchants and people grow accustomed to this efficiency and prosperity, any attempt to break away from this system will be economic suicide.'
'At that point, their loyalty will no longer need to be guaranteed by our swords.'
Gertrude's breath caught slightly.
She could almost see an economic empire, with Wasser Fief as its heart and railways and trade as its arteries, slowly taking shape on the map.
'I understand,' she murmured. 'We don't need to buy them. We can assimilate them.'
'Yes, in a way they cannot refuse, and will even actively embrace,' Lacey added.
'What a... viciously brilliant plan.' The corners of Gertrude's mouth turned up in a smile of sincere admiration.
'While those old nobles are still playing their petty power games and conspiracies, we are already setting entirely new rules for the game.'
'I almost feel sorry for them.'
Lacey smiled and drained the hot tea from his cup.
'Then let's get ready,' he issued a new directive.
'Notify Leinia to have her draft the preliminary treaty for the 'Economic Community,' and have Serafina act as a special envoy to visit our five allies and explain the grand prospects of this plan.'
'Understood,' Gertrude nodded seriously.
'Gertrude, your Propaganda and Intelligence departments must also provide their full cooperation.'
'Keep a close watch on our two... old friends in Heidenshweir and Oschdenheim. They won't just sit back and watch us consolidate our power peacefully.'
Gertrude sneered and said, 'I can't wait to see the looks on their faces.'
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