novelSusiti Chapter 204 Going to Thessaly
Chapter 204 Going to Thessaly
Map Room, Royal Palace of Athens.
The red quill pen left a heavy, distinct circle on the name "Constantinople." As the pen left the map, Constantine didn't look at the circle; his gaze seemed to pierce through the paper, landing on the strait above.
The joy of victory swept across all of Greece like a tidal wave.
But beneath the surface, undercurrents are quietly surging.
Inside Athens' most luxurious private cigar club, smoke swirls. It's a last refuge for old-school politicians and disillusioned oligarchs.
The victory in the "Ghost War" was not an honor for them, but a piercing humiliation. With each increase in Constantine's prestige, their resentment deepened.
An old nobleman who made his fortune selling grains took a deep drag on his Cuban cigar and blew the smoke toward the crystal chandelier on the ceiling.
"Can prestige put food on the table? Does war cost nothing? Does compensation cost nothing? That damned education fund is a bottomless pit! I heard that even the rats in the national treasury are starving and want to hang themselves!"
The banker next to him, a fat man who had once been close to Zaimis, put down his glass and wiped his greasy mouth with a handkerchief.
"It's not just a lack of money. He's offended the Ottomans and the financial groups secretly supported by the British. Just you wait and see, not a single bank in Europe will lend him another penny. Without money, his reforms and his new army are all castles in the air!"
"He's using all of our money to forge his own crown! Tragically, the citizens of Athens see him as a savior!"
"Hmph, a savior? He's just a gambler who's brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy. I bet he won't even be able to pay his officials' salaries in three months!"
"That will be Greece's last hurrah before it goes bankrupt. I'm waiting to see how it kneels down and begs us 'remnants of the old era' to save its mess."
These whispers, like summer mosquitoes, buzzed and swarmed. They quickly spread from the closed salons to the parliament, to the corners of the newspapers, converging into a pessimistic tone that hung over Athens.
This argument is not entirely without basis.
In the royal study, the Chancellor of the Exchequer stood before Constantine once more. His face was even paler than before, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat.
What he handed over was a thin, yet incredibly heavy, deficit report.
"Your Highness, this is the latest financial report." His voice was hoarse, and his fingers trembled slightly with nervousness. "Of the 500,000 pounds in reparations, half went into the education fund and the other half was used as compensation. This money has won you tremendous support from the people... but it has also completely emptied our national treasury."
The Chancellor of the Exchequer took a deep breath and pointed to the glaring red number on the report.
"The funds available to maintain the government's daily operations and pay officials' and military salaries can only last for a maximum of two months. We have no funds left to pay the interest on our government bonds next quarter."
"I tentatively contacted several banks in Paris and London. They...they all declined our loan requests, citing the need for a new assessment of your country's financial situation."
"Your Highness," the Chancellor of the Exchequer said, his voice tinged with despair, "we...we're really going bankrupt."
A long silence fell over the study.
The flames in the fireplace burned quietly.
Constantine didn't look at the report. His gaze fell on another document on the table.
It was a report from the Thessaly local government, on rough paper with illegible handwriting, and it carried a fresh, earthy scent.
Unlike the despair brought by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, every word of this report exudes a simple and vibrant vitality.
"...After the land reform, the people's hearts were at ease. Villages everywhere were grateful for His Highness's kindness and erected longevity tablets..."
"...This year, with favorable weather and no attacks from Ottoman bandits, farmers' enthusiasm for farming is unprecedented. According to preliminary statistics, the total grain output in the Thessaly region this quarter has surged by 38 percent compared to the same period last year..."
"...A large surplus of grain entered the market for trading, and for the first time, farmers had surplus money. Markets in cities like Larissa and Tricala saw record-breaking volumes of goods traded, a scene of great prosperity..."
Thirty-eight percent!
This number, like a bolt of lightning, pierced the gloom that had been hanging over Constantine's heart.
He looked up at the worried Chancellor of the Exchequer.
A plan that seemed almost insane to outsiders quickly took shape in his mind.
"gentlemen."
Constantine stood up and walked over to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
"When everyone thinks we're penniless, what do you think we should do?"
The Chancellor of the Exchequer shook his head blankly: "Your Highness, I...I don't understand."
"Explain? Release the accounts and tell them we actually have the ability to pay our debts? No, that will only make them more convinced of our weakness."
Constantine walked to the window and looked out at the bustling city of Athens.
"The best approach is not to argue, but to showcase our abundance to the world with an unprecedentedly grand celebration!"
The Chancellor's eyes widened suddenly. He almost thought he had misheard.
"A...a celebration? Your Highness, at this time? We don't even have next month's salary..."
"The money will come," Constantine interrupted him, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable force. "And there will be so much that it will shut everyone up."
He turned around and gave the Chancellor of the Exchequer a series of orders.
"In my name, I hereby issue this announcement to the entire nation: One month from now, the first 'National Harvest Festival' will be held in Syntagma Square, Athens!"
"Invite all foreign ambassadors, journalists, and military attachés stationed in Greece. Extend the sincerest invitation to bankers, businessmen, and investors throughout Europe, informing them that the Kingdom of Greece will present them with a feast of wealth!"
"At the same time, extend a royal invitation to Thessaly, to all the farmers who have just acquired land. Let them bring their freshest and fullest harvest of the year, filling their wagons, to Athens! To participate in this celebration that belongs to them!"
"The royal family will cover all food and lodging expenses for all farmers participating in the march, and will also provide them with double the grain purchase price!"
The Chancellor of the Exchequer felt his heart pounding in his throat as he listened to the series of orders.
He opened his mouth, wanting to dissuade him, but found himself unable to utter a single word.
He saw in the young crown prince's eyes a confidence he couldn't comprehend. It was a powerful force capable of utterly shattering all pessimism and despair.
"Go ahead and do it, sir." Constantine patted him on the shoulder. "This will be the most magnificent invitation Greece has ever sent to the whole world."
The Chancellor of the Exchequer walked out of his study in a daze.
When news of the "National Harvest Festival" spread from the royal palace, the entire political circle of Athens was in an uproar.
The old-school politicians were initially taken aback, but then erupted in undisguised elation and mockery.
"Have you heard? Our prince doesn't have money to pay his officials' salaries, but he has plenty to throw parties!"
"Trying to put on a brave face when he's not, is truly pathetic. Does he think a celebration can conjure up bread?"
"I think this is Greece's last hurrah before its bankruptcy!"
"I can't wait to see how he'll handle it. Declaring the country bankrupt in front of all the ambassadors in Europe—that'll be quite a spectacle."
"Did he think he could fool those cunning European bankers with a few cartloads of grain? How naive! Utterly naive!"
Gleeful laughter echoed in the dark corners of Athens.
They were all eager to see what would happen next. They had prepared their chairs and sunflower seeds, ready to witness the grandest collapse ever staged by their high-spirited prince.
They awaited Constantine's defeat.
Awaiting Greece's defeat.