novelSusiti Chapter 70 The Prime Minister in a Dire Situation
Chapter 70 The Prime Minister in a Dire Situation
Constantine's last, casual question was like an invisible slap in the face to Zaimis.
He was cornered, with nowhere left to retreat.
All eyes in the entire parliament hall were focused on him like searchlights, awaiting his answer.
Zaimis felt as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff. One step forward would be a trap set by Constantine, and one step back would be an abyss of political ruin.
The expressions on the faces of the centrist lawmakers present began to change.
Those legislators who represented the interests of local industrialists and businessmen whispered among themselves, their faces clearly showing their interest.
For them, smuggling is the greatest enemy. For every extra drachma a smuggler earns, their legitimate business loses ten drachmas.
Whether the Crown Prince's bet is true or false, it is entirely beneficial to them!
Success! The national treasury is ample, the smuggling network has been dismantled, and the market environment has been purified.
They lost, and an ambitious crown prince was deposed, but they suffered no loss whatsoever.
Sir Charles Harding, the British ambassador, sat in the special observer's seat, gently stroking his chin with his fingers as he watched the spectacle with great interest.
When Constantine made his pledge, a barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in Sir Harding's eyes.
At that moment, he made a tiny movement.
He nodded very slightly, almost imperceptibly, in Constantine's direction.
Although the action was small, it was like a pebble thrown into a lake that was already turbulent.
The British attitude!
A financially healthy Greece, a Greece capable of repaying its enormous national debt, is in the interest of the British Empire!
Constantine's bet played right into London's hands!
Zaimis's heart sank to the bottom. He knew he had no choice but to accept.
He quickly turned to the side and, with a few core members of the oligarch group beside him, held a final emergency meeting in a voice only they could hear.
"What do we do? This is a trap!" A congressman, a representative of banker Stretter, turned pale.
"We cannot agree to this! The port of Piraeus is our lifeline!" The spokesperson for shipping magnate Sigros trembled in his voice.
"What's the panic?"
Zaimis lowered his voice and sternly silenced their commotion.
His mind was racing; the cold sweat had subsided, replaced by a serpentine calm.
"Think about this carefully! Doubling tariffs! Is this something that can be accomplished in a short time?!"
"We know the situation in Piraeus better than anyone! It's a web woven over decades! Even if it were Constantine, or even Bismarck himself, he wouldn't be able to do anything to it for at least three months!"
The oligarchic politicians fell silent instantly, their eyes filled with contemplation.
Zaimis's voice was incredibly seductive.
"He's bluffing! He's desperate and has no other choice but to resort to this suicidal gamble to try and save his life!"
"He's digging his own grave!" Zaimis made his final judgment.
"We agree! Not only do we agree, but we'll also, in front of all the people of Greece, turn this pledge into a legally binding agreement! We'll make him sign it in black and white!"
"If he fails to do so in three months, we will have the most legitimate reason to strip him of all his power! At that time, all of Greece will be completely under our control!"
"This kid is using his political life to pave the way for us to the pinnacle of power!"
These words enlightened all the oligarchic members of parliament, and their panic instantly turned into greed and ecstasy.
A glint of malice flashed in Zaimis's eyes. He whispered to the shipping magnate's representative beside him, "Go back and tell Sigros to prepare. Since His Highness wants to fish in our fishpond, we'll turn that fishpond into a swamp where no one can survive!"
That's right!
He is dead!
This bet was the noose he himself handed over!
"good!"
Zaimis whirled around, as if he had made a tremendous decision. He faced Constantine again, and all the members of parliament, and responded loudly in a righteous tone:
"We accept Your Highness's bet!"
"For the future of Greece! For the honor of the nation! Parliament is willing to give Your Highness a chance to prove yourself!"
He waved his arms as if he were the hero who had served the country and its people.
"We can pass a provisional bill granting you and your 'Royal Tax Police' independent, temporary law enforcement powers in the port of Piraeus for a period of three months!"
Then, he abruptly changed the subject, revealing his true intentions!
"but!"
Zaimis's voice turned incredibly cold as he stared intently at Constantine, enunciating each word clearly.
"If Your Highness fails to double customs revenue in three months, we demand that you fulfill all the promises you made today before Parliament and the entire Greek people!"
"We demand that you disband the troops, resign from your post, and issue a public apology!!"
A tense impeachment case that was about to drag the crown prince into the abyss was cleverly transformed by Constantine in a way that no one could have imagined into a public gamble concerning the fate of the nation and his own destiny!
Driven by Zaimis, the fervent parliament, with unprecedented efficiency, swiftly drafted and passed the "Emergency Bill on Granting Temporary Enforcement Powers to the Royal Tax Police in the Port of Piraeus".
When the Speaker, with trembling hands, struck the decisive gavel, thunderous applause erupted throughout the parliament hall.
The oligarchs cheered, as if they could already see Constantine stepping down in disgrace three months later.
Centrists and business leaders cheered because they saw a glimmer of hope in cracking down on smuggling and revitalizing the economy.
Everyone felt like they were the winner.
Except for Zaymis.
Amidst a wave of applause, he looked at the young man standing alone in the center of the hall.
Constantine's face showed neither the tension of a gambler making a desperate gamble, nor the joy of receiving authorization.
His expression was as calm as a bottomless lake.
At the moment the bill passed, he didn't even look at the speaker or the members of parliament who were cheering for him.
His gaze passed through the noisy crowd and landed on Zaimis once again.
Then Constantine laughed.
That wasn't the prince's smile, nor the marshal's smile.
It was a hunter's cold, domineering smile as he watched his prey finally step into his carefully laid trap.
Zaimis's heart skipped a beat.
An ominous premonition, without warning, like a cold, venomous snake, instantly coiled around his spine.
Constantine turned away, not looking at anyone again.
Behind him, the oligarchs inside the parliament hall were barely suppressed glee and clamor; in front of him, the sunlight outside the parliament doors was both dazzling and warm.
With steady steps, under everyone's gaze, he walked alone out of the council hall, leaving all the conspiracies and schemes behind that heavy oak door.