1885, I came to save Greece

Chapter 69 Tariffs Doubled! The Prince's Amazing Gamble!

Constantine's voice, like a red-hot warhammer, slammed onto the cold marble floor of the parliament hall, the echoes making everyone's eardrums buzz.

After a brief silence, laughter erupted like a bursting dam.

"Hahahaha! Tax police? What did I just hear? This is the funniest joke I've heard all year." A bloated oligarchic senator clutched his stomach, laughing so hard that tears streamed down his face.

"Using a private army independent of the state system to collect taxes? Your Highness, are you governing a country or running a bandit's den?"

"Ridiculous! Absurd! Unheard of!"

Boos, jeers, and whistles surged in from all directions, merging into a foul wave of sound that attempted to completely drown Constantine.

Prime Minister Zaymis's facial muscles twitched as he suppressed his elation and reverted to his pained expression. He stepped forward, his voice filled with condescending sarcasm.

"What a high-sounding reason. What a 'Royal Tax Police' excuse."

He deliberately emphasized the word "royal," implying the private nature of this unit.

"Your Highness, do you think we're three-year-old children? That we'd believe such a fairy tale?" Zaimis spread his arms wide, facing all the councilors, stirring their emotions. "Combating smuggling is the duty of our customs and police departments. Since when has a secret force trained by foreign butchers been needed to exercise the power of the state?"

"Well said, Your Excellency the Prime Minister!"

"That's just an excuse! A complete lie!"

Supporters echoed wildly, pushing the atmosphere to a climax that was extremely unfavorable to Constantine.

Constantine was oblivious to all the noise around him.

His gaze, from beginning to end, was like two cold searchlights, fixed intently on Zaimis alone.

Ignoring Zaimis's questioning, he instead strode down the steps, calmly and steadily, until he reached the open space in the very center of the council hall.

This was the center of power in all of Greece.

All eyes were on him.

"I know you gentlemen do not believe me."

Constantine's voice rang out again. This time, he didn't raise his voice, but instead used a strange power to suppress the clamor of the entire arena.

"Empty talk is useless."

His gaze swept across the entire room, passing over the mocking, angry, and gloating faces one by one.

"I, Constantine Glücksburg, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Greece, hereby pledge my allegiance!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his right hand, fingers together, and solemnly protected it to his chest.

This action made everyone hold their breath.

That's the posture of a soldier taking an oath.

Give me three months!

Constantine's voice was as hard as granite, each word clear and resounding.

"And grant this 'Royal Tax Police' completely independent law enforcement powers in Piraeus, our most important port, free from interference from any other department!"

His voice suddenly rose to a high pitch, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding above everyone's heads!

"If I cannot reduce the monthly customs revenue of the Port of Piraeus to what it is based on current official statistics within three months..."

He paused for a moment, each syllable sounding as if he was gathering his strength.

"……double!"

"I, Constantine, will personally order the disbandment of this force!"

"Furthermore, I have voluntarily resigned from all my military and political positions, including Honorary Commander of the Royal Guard and Chief Advisor to the Royal Family!"

"Finally, on my own behalf, I publicly apologize to this parliament and to all the people of Greece!"

The entire room fell silent!

This time, it was truly deathly silent—so quiet you could hear a pin drop!

At that moment, the entire venue was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Members of parliament, journalists, and foreign diplomats were all frozen in place, their mouths agape and their eyes wide, as if witnessing a divine miracle.

crazy!

This prince has gone completely mad!

Tariffs doubled?!

Doubling the port's customs revenue within three months?!

How is that possible!

What kind of place is Piraeus? It's the most festering sore in all of Greece!

The smuggling networks there are deeply entrenched, like tree roots that have penetrated deep into the ground, forming an inseparable community of interests with customs, police, dockworkers, and even some high-ranking government officials.

This is an open secret throughout Greece.

Successive finance ministers have attempted to reform the system, but each attempt has failed, and some have even lost their jobs as a result.

double?

Let alone doubling, even a ten percent increase from the current level would be enough to make someone a national hero and go down in history!

The stakes were to resign from all positions and publicly apologize!

This is no longer a political gamble; this is political suicide!

On Prime Minister Zaymis's face, the mask of a compassionate saint finally cracked. His pupils contracted instantly, and behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes no longer held feigned grief and indignation, but genuine horror and disbelief!

The oligarchic members of parliament behind him were also completely stunned. They looked at each other, their smugness and cruelty replaced by a profound sense of absurdity.

They felt like they had punched cotton, no, they had punched a ball of barbed steel wool!

They found themselves in an unprecedented dilemma.

reject?

If they refuse this bet, it would be tantamount to openly admitting in front of all Greeks: We do not want the country's customs revenue to increase! We would rather let smugglers continue to empty the national treasury than give the crown prince a chance to prove himself!

Politically, this is tantamount to playing with fire! Those business owners and centrist members of parliament who already harbor resentment towards them will immediately tear them to shreds!

agree?

But once agreed, it would be tantamount to giving Constantine's "secret army" that was not controlled by Congress a legal status for three months (the Royal Guard is essentially still a ceremonial guard to maintain the king's dignity, and is still an armed force that is paid by the state and controlled by parliamentary appropriations)!

It's like giving him a sword of Damocles, allowing him to do whatever he wants in the port of Piraeus, one of the oligarchic group's most important money bags!

This...this is a trap!

A calculated trap, disguised with the most outrageous and impossible promises!

Zaimis felt his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Constantine lowered his hand, his once calm blue eyes now filled with aggression.

Step by step, he closed in on the prime minister's seat once again.

He looked at Zaimis, whose expression was constantly changing, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"What is it, Your Excellency the Prime Minister?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like an awl, piercing Zaimis's most vulnerable nerves.

Are you afraid that the country's purse is getting too bulging?

"I'm still scared, I..."

"Can it really be done?"