1885, I came to save Greece

Chapter 203 The Trial of Diplomacy

The late autumn sun pierced through the crisp air of Thessaly and shone on the open ground in front of the San Nicholas Monastery.

A makeshift press conference venue has been set up here.

The background, however, is extremely impactful.

A huge, captured Ottoman banner was hung behind him. In the center of the banner was a large dark red stain, which, even after being cleaned, still represented the brains and blood of the bandit leader Hakan Bey, and was still shocking to behold.

A dozen or so journalists from major European newspapers in London, Paris, and Berlin sat in the audience, each with a different expression. Beside them were the latest cameras, ready to capture this historic moment.

Constantine, dressed in a black military uniform without any superfluous embellishments, appeared solemn and dignified. He did not immediately go up to the stage, but instead gestured to Alexandros, the Director of the Royal Intelligence Directorate, to begin the "results presentation."

Several capable personnel in intelligence agency uniforms carried in long tables.

The table was covered with "spoils of war".

"Please take a look, gentlemen," Alexandros's voice was cold and clear, "This is some of the weapons we captured. Dreyse rifles, Mauser 71/84 rifles, all bearing clear markings of the Ottoman Empire's arsenals."

The reporters' camera flashes immediately went off.

"This is a letter of appointment found on the bandit leader Hakan Bey, personally signed by Talat Pasha, the commander-in-chief of the Ottoman Empire's border guards. It clearly states that Hakan Bey is authorized to carry out 'special missions' within Greece."

A document protected by a glass frame was displayed to the public. The cursive signature and sealing wax stamp on it were unmistakable.

"In addition, we were fortunate enough to 'invite' a special witness."

Alexandros clapped his hands.

Two soldiers escorted a distraught Greek man forward. He was the gang leader who had been turned by the priest.

Facing the gaze of more than a dozen European journalists, the man trembled and knelt on the ground.

Alexandros placed a prepared statement in front of him.

"read!"

The man, trembling, read out the confession word by word in heavily accented Greek.

The testimony details how the Ottoman military recruited these desperate border people, provided them with weapons and money, and directed them to attack villages, burn churches, and create panic.

Every detail is crystal clear.

A journalist from the French newspaper Le Figaro couldn't help but stand up and ask, "Is what you're saying true? You weren't coerced?"

The man raised his head, his face streaked with tears and remorse: "I swear every word I've said before God! It was them! They forced us to slaughter our own people! It was Father Callinicus, it was His Highness the Crown Prince's forgiveness, that gave me the chance to be a human being again!"

The chain of evidence is now complete.

But Constantine's "performance" has only just begun.

He gestured to the soldiers to take the man away. Then, another witness was brought to the stage.

He is Elias, the old village chief of Deer Hunting Village.

He was dressed in a neatly laundered traditional dress, his face etched with the marks of time. He didn't look at the reporters, but instead bowed deeply to Constantine.

Constantine personally stepped down from the platform and helped him up.

"Grandpa, don't be afraid. Tell these friends from afar what you've been through."

Elias seemed a little flustered; he had never left those mountains and forests in his entire life. He rubbed his hands together and began to tell his story in the simplest of words.

He made no accusations, no condemnations.

He was just telling a story.

He recounted how his neighbor, a childhood friend, was beheaded with a machete while protecting his daughter.

He described how the village children were awakened by gunshots at night and were too frightened to close their eyes all night.

He described how they used the most primitive animal traps and snares to fight against those well-equipped devils.

His narration was plain and restrained, yet it contained the deepest sorrow and the most primal anger.

The reporters present fell silent. Some of the more emotional female reporters even quietly took out handkerchiefs and wiped their eyes.

This kind of authentic, tearful accusation from the grassroots is more penetrating than any eloquent political rhetoric.

When Elias finished speaking and stepped down from the stage, the entire audience erupted in spontaneous applause.

Finally, Constantine stepped onto that simple podium.

He looked around the room but did not speak immediately.

All eyes were on the young crown prince. Everyone wanted to know what the prince who had created the "Miracle of Thessaly" would have to say.

Will he angrily condemn it? Will he proudly flaunt his victory?

nothing.

Constantine's face bore a sorrowful expression of profound compassion.

"ladies and gentlemen."

His voice, amplified by the newly installed loudspeakers, resonated clearly throughout the venue.

"Today, I have invited you all here not to display a victory in a war. For on this land, there are no victors."

"What we see are only shattered homes, dead loved ones, and the lingering fear in the eyes of children."

"Greece is a country that has only recently gained independence. We yearn for peace, and we are focused on developing our economy and improving people's lives. We simply want our farmers to be able to grow bread safely on their own land, and our children to be able to study peacefully in bright classrooms."

"But our neighbor, the great Ottoman Empire, would not allow us to do so."

His tone suddenly shifted, becoming heavy with sarcasm.

"They dare not wage a fair and square war because they fear the condemnation of the entire civilized world. So they devised this most despicable and shameless method—they armed bandits, disguised themselves as robbers, and launched a dirty, clandestine proxy war against our unarmed civilians!"

"They thought that this would break our will and force us to submit. But they were wrong."

Constantine's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

"They underestimated the courage a nation can muster in defending its homeland! They underestimated our soldiers, our farmers, and even our unarmed priests!"

He pointed to the blood-stained flag behind him.

"This is the answer they got!"

After a brief pause, Constantine's gaze swept over every reporter present, and his tone became more serious and earnest than ever before.

"Today, they can treat Greece, which is seeking development, in this way."

"Then tomorrow, they can treat any civilized nation with which they have a dispute in the same way. Maybe Serbia, maybe Bulgaria, maybe even Austria-Hungary!"

My question is—

He took a step forward, leaning slightly forward, as if questioning the whole of Europe.

"Faced with this barbaric act of making terrorism a national policy, must we, the entire civilized world of Europe, really choose to sit idly by?!"

This question struck like a hammer blow to the hearts of every journalist.

The press conference has ended.

But the storm it stirred up has only just begun.

Constantine's speech, Elias's testimony, and the mountain of irrefutable evidence spread throughout Europe at top speed via newspapers and telegrams.

The Times' front-page headline read: "The Prince's Question: Where is the Bottom Line of Civilization?"

The newspaper Le Monde directly called the Ottoman Empire "the sick man of Europe and the financier of terrorism."

In diplomacy, the Ottoman Empire found itself in an unprecedented state of passivity and isolation. Their explanations appeared weak and powerless in the face of overwhelming evidence.

Although Britain, France, and other countries were unwilling to see Greece grow stronger as a result, they were forced to publicly pressure the Ottoman Sultanate government under the pressure of overwhelming public opinion and morality, condemning this "undignified" act of war.

Ultimately, under immense international pressure, the Ottoman Empire reluctantly paid Greece a staggering £500,000 in "conflict settlement and damages compensation" and replaced all the generals and officials in the border region.

Royal Palace in Athens.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, with a slightly trembling hand, presented Constantine with a bank draft.

"Your Highness...we...we won."

Constantine's fingertips traced the £500,000 promissory note; the cold, hard paper conveyed the retreat of an empire. He casually tossed it to the breathless Chancellor of the Exchequer behind him, his tone as indifferent as if he had merely picked up a scrap of paper. Through this sum of money, he had already heard the sound of the Ottoman Empire's skeleton crumbling.

He directly ordered the Finance Minister: "Put all this money into the two newly established funds. Half of it should be used for the 'National Compulsory Education Development Fund.' I demand that within five years, the enrollment rate of all school-age children in Greece must reach 70 percent."

"The other half, establish the 'Thessalonians Fallen Heroes' Pension,' with standards double those of regular soldiers! I want everyone to know that those who die for their country will have their families supported by the state until their death!"

The Chancellor of the Exchequer excitedly accepted the order and left.

Constantine stood alone before the enormous map.

This baptism of blood and fire united the Greek people like never before. The nation's prestige and actual strength both reached a new level.

His gaze passed over Thessaly, over the Aegean Sea, and finally settled on that ancient and great city that guarded the gateway between two continents.

Constantine picked up a red quill pen from the table and circled the city called "Constantinople" heavily on the map.