novelSusiti Chapter 32 Forging Greek Monarchy with English Chains
Chapter 32 Forging Greek Monarchy with English Chains
Sir Harding's facial muscles froze completely.
He felt as if he were not facing a nineteen-year-old crown prince, but rather staring at an ancient devil who had crawled out of the abyss of hell with a radiant smile.
audit?
Or should we conduct financial audits on the most powerful oligarchic families in the country?
This is no longer a case of using someone else to do the dirty work; it's forcing Hardin to personally raise the butcher's knife, to sever the thickest blood vessels that are entrenched in the body of Greece, and then to offer all the gushing blood as a sacrifice to the crown prince before him!
reject?
How could he refuse!
"Preventing corruption," "rectifying finances," "being accountable to British taxpayers"... these are all high-sounding reasons that he himself just righteously uttered. Now Constantine is taking the initiative to ask them to audit the most corrupt and most in need of rectification areas. Isn't this precisely the "advisory group's" natural duty?
If he were to utter a single "no" at this moment, it would be tantamount to slapping himself in the face in public, admitting that the so-called "advisory group" was nothing more than a despicable tool used to seize benefits and control Greece! The face of the British Empire in front of all of Europe would be utterly shattered at this moment!
accept?
Harding's throat went dry. He could easily imagine the monstrous waves that would be unleashed if this group of British experts, waving the banner of "reorganizing finances and ensuring investment security," stormed into the ledgers of those oligarchic families!
Those shipping magnates, bankers, and landowners were the true controllers of Greece, their influence extending to parliament, cabinet, and even the military! They could easily render any decree ineffective and paralyze the entire supply chain of Athens!
Constantine is going to... use the credibility of the British Empire to wage a war to the death against the entire Greek oligarchic class!
Harding's back was instantly soaked with a fine layer of cold sweat.
Looking at the innocent-looking young man with a pure and harmless smile, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head for the first time.
He was checkmated.
It was firmly nailed to the chessboard it had laid out.
In the reception room, the Greek officials, who had just been so agitated, fell silent. They weren't fools; in a flash, everyone understood the Crown Prince's intentions.
The Chancellor's liver-colored face slowly lost its color, replaced by a complex flush of shock and ecstasy.
Those oligarchs! Those parasites who wield power in Parliament, control the nation's economic lifeline, and make any government reforms impossible! His Highness the Crown Prince has come up with such a groundbreaking idea—to use the British to uproot these cancerous growths!
All eyes were on Sir Harding, awaiting his answer.
Constantine continued to smile, a smile full of patience, like a sincere partner waiting for a friend to make the right choice.
Harding's lips moved a few times, but he couldn't utter a single word. He felt as if there was a wad of burning cotton stuck in his throat.
In the midst of this suffocating silence, Constantine spoke again, his voice gentle and sincere, as if offering a way out for his friend who was caught in a dilemma.
"Sir, please don't misunderstand. I made this suggestion not to target anyone."
He walked slowly back to the table and lightly tapped the agreement with his finger.
"Greece's biggest problem has never been the quality of its projects, but the corruption and inefficiency in their implementation. My father's cabinet, and our parliament, are deeply entrenched with complex webs of vested interests. Any reform that benefits the country will ultimately be eroded by endless internal squabbles and exchanges of favors."
Constantine's gaze swept over the Greek officials present, and everyone who met his eyes lowered their heads in shame.
This is a fact.
An undeniable fact.
"Therefore," Constantine's tone shifted, his voice becoming firm and forceful, "in order to ensure that your country's advisory group has an efficient, incorruptible, and powerful partner, and to ensure that every shilling of these seven and a half million pounds is truly used for the revival of Greece, and not lost in layers of subcontracting and kickbacks..."
He paused for a moment, each word like a heavy hammer blow to Harding's heart.
"I request that a supplementary clause be added to the agreement!"
"The financial advisory group dispatched by your country will report directly to me, Crown Prince Constantine of Greece! And will assist me in establishing a brand new, independent agency with the highest priority—"
"The Office of the Royal Economic Advisor!"
Harding's pupils suddenly contracted!
coming!
This is the real killer move!
Constantine seemed oblivious to Harding's reaction, continuing to paint a picture of the institution's future in a hopeful tone.
"This office will completely bypass existing cabinet and parliamentary procedures. It will be directly led by me and guided by top-level British experts. Its sole responsibility will be to oversee the planning, approval, and financial oversight of all bond funds!"
His voice echoed throughout the hall, filled with undeniable power.
"In this way, we can establish the shortest and most transparent path for the use of funds! Ensuring that every penny is used effectively! This also makes it most convenient for your country's advisory team to carry out their work anytime, anywhere, isn't it, Sir?"
Sir Harding felt a sudden dizziness.
He understood completely.
If the first suggestion to "audit the oligarchs" pushed him to the brink, then the second request to establish a "Royal Economic Advisory Office" was Constantine extending his leg, intending to kick him off completely!
In London's vision, this "advisory group" was a supreme "emperor," a Damocles' sword hanging over the entire Greek government. They could veto any financial proposal from the Greek cabinet at any time and audit the accounts of any department, thus firmly controlling the economic lifeline of Greece.
But now, Constantine has completely reversed the nature of this "emperor emeritus" with an irresistible reason: "for efficiency" and "for anti-corruption"!
It is no longer accountable to the Greek government, but directly to the Crown Prince himself!
It is no longer a tool for supervising and controlling the Greek government, but has instead become a "royal instrument" that helps the Greek crown prince bypass the government and parliament to establish a personal autocratic institution!
The yoke that the English had painstakingly designed was taken by Constantine with a smile just before it was placed around the Greek's neck. He then handed it back to the English, saying, "Come, my friend, forge this yoke into a sword that obeys only my commands!"
What a terrifying political maneuver!
Cold sweat had already formed streams on Harding's forehead.
Constantine looked at his pale face, and his smile grew even brighter. He delivered the final blow, the sound of which, though not loud, exploded in Hardin's ears like thunder.
"Could it be...?"
"Would the British Empire rather trust a group of bureaucrats that we ourselves admit are corrupt and inefficient than a crown prince determined to eradicate these ills and implement radical reforms?"
These are words that strike at the heart!
Harding swayed and nearly lost his balance.
His assistant quickly stepped forward to support him.
All escape routes have been blocked.
Constantine's every request was based on the high ground of "protecting British interests," and he had no reason to refute it.
He knew he had already lost.
In this battle over a single agreement, he was completely manipulated by a nineteen-year-old.
Harding took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth.
"Your Highness...you have won."
He closed his eyes, his face etched with exhaustion and frustration.
"I will immediately send your 'supplementary suggestions' to London by telegram with the highest priority. And..." he paused, his voice hoarse, "I will personally urge Prime Minister Salisbury to expedite this matter."
"Because you're right, this is indeed... beneficial to both of us."
Constantine's smile finally carried a hint of genuine warmth.
He reached out and grasped Harding's cold hand once more.
"Sir, I knew it. You are a true friend of the Greek people."