This scene was brilliantly arranged. The assassin first aimed at the queen during a feast, but John was prepared and shielded her, taking the queen’s embrace to evade the bullets. Then, as the assassin attempted to escape, he kidnapped the young prince as a hostage. Like a true warrior, John pursued him, disregarding his own safety, and ultimately returned the young prince safely, albeit wounded in the process.
Following this incident, the queen and her children showed particular concern for John. Even though John’s brothers had previously treated them poorly, the prince and princess chose to forgive the brothers for their past mistreatment due to John’s courageous actions.
“Dear John, if it weren’t for you, I might already be with my beloved. Thank you for saving me and my children,” the queen said solemnly as she visited John’s home with her children to express her gratitude.
In the past, the young prince had harbored a strong hatred for John’s brothers. However, after John risked his own safety to save him from the assassin, he could no longer hold on to any resentment. He earnestly told John, “You are both a villain and a hero.”
John raised an eyebrow, knowing that if he hadn’t followed the Prime Minister’s orders, he wouldn’t have mistreated the queen’s children. Thankfully, the crisis was resolved. As long as the queen’s children no longer held resentment towards him, he could continue to stay by the queen’s side!
The queen signaled for her servants to take the princes and princesses outside. She sat on the edge of the bed and quietly asked John, “John, you’ve saved my family. What can I do for you?”
John gazed deeply at the queen and gently replied, “Your Majesty, first, I must confess. Previously, the Prime Minister instructed me to treat the princes and princesses harshly, claiming it would motivate them to strive for improvement. But I was wrong; I should not have treated them that way. I now understand that the Prime Minister is preventing you from returning to take charge; he does not want you back.”
Hearing this, the queen appeared shocked but quickly grasped the underlying scheme. Over the years, she had been in a state of depression, lacking the energy to govern. The Prime Minister had suggested she take a break for her mental health. Trusting him, the queen temporarily left the capital to live in seclusion. Because the Prime Minister often visited her to report on governmental affairs and seek her counsel, she did not suspect any ulterior motives. However, upon returning to the castle, she had been attacked, leading one to speculate that there were those in the upper house who didn’t want her to return to power!
“Are you implying that the assassin was sent by the Prime Minister?” the queen asked, her face serious and stern.
John sighed and said softly, “It pains me to say this. All these years by your side, I genuinely wish for your happiness. As for these complex matters, I did not know how to confront them. To spare you from worry, I chose to conceal the truth. Since your departure from the capital, the Prime Minister’s power has grown, excluding dissenters from the upper house. It is now he who calls the shots.”
The queen clenched her fists, her expression turning cold. She felt immediate regret. It was all her fault for being weak; if she had been stronger, the Prime Minister would never have had the opportunity to seize such absolute power! She had truly raised a formidable beast!
“I understand now, John. You focus on your recovery. I will handle everything,” the queen said, standing with a determined look in her eyes.
John gazed at her with deep affection and replied earnestly, “Your Majesty, please take care of yourself. I will recover as soon as possible!”
Unable to resist, the queen leaned in and kissed John’s forehead.
John froze, softly whispering, “Your Majesty, we shouldn’t do this. My status is lowly, and your closeness with me could provoke laughter from outsiders. You are the radiant sun, and I do not wish for anyone to ridicule you!”
The queen reached out, stroking his head, and spoke softly, “I am not afraid of gossip.”
Even when her children criticized her for being too close with John, mocking him as her lover, the queen did not care. This was also why she had disregarded her children’s previous disparagement of John’s brothers; she believed they were intentionally trying to undermine her relationship with John due to their dissatisfaction with her closeness to him, and thus fabricated those lies.
“Your Majesty, you are the Statue of Liberty, always so resplendent!” John said as he extended his hand to grasp hers, respectfully kissing the back of her hand.
The queen responded by holding his hand, and they silently gazed at each other for a moment before releasing their hold. She had many tasks to attend to; her years away from the capital had given rise to the ambitions of certain individuals. She needed to eliminate their claws! Break their wings! Show those people who the true master of this country is!
Without needing John’s notification, Zhang Fang saw the newspaper; the queen was making public appearances and speeches today, making her intentions clear. He understood that the queen was ready to take back her power. This was a good sign. Soon, the queen would likely take action against the Prime Minister and those in the upper house. Once the George family fell, Zhang Fang would be able to deal with them easily.
After resting at home for half a month, John returned to the queen’s side to continue serving her.
“Your Majesty, I have an idea. Why not host a fashion gala and invite the noblewomen to participate? Let’s see how they respond,” Zhang Fang said, as preparations were already underway for John to take action.
The queen pondered this suggestion, finding it quite good. Instead of constantly battling with the men, it would be wiser to engage with the women behind them and see how many would stand with her!
Thus, she agreed to host the fashion gala and let John take charge of the event.
With the queen’s support, John immediately sent out invitations to the noblewomen, inviting them to the fashion exhibition.
Upon receiving the invitations, the noblewomen were hesitant.
Attending would mean allegiance to the queen.
Not attending would mean opposing her.
The fact that the queen was currently targeting the Prime Minister was common knowledge in political circles. As the saying goes, a Prime Minister can flow, but the royal family is solid! No matter what, they had to give the queen this courtesy.
So, after much hesitation, each household still sent their women to the gala.
The Prime Minister learned of this and was particularly furious. However, he did not immediately confront the members of parliament. Upon discovering that John was hosting the event, he even called John to question him about his intentions.
John would not offend anyone until he could bring down the Prime Minister. With a resigned tone, he had to inform the Prime Minister, “The queen was assassinated upon her return to the castle. She suspects you were behind it, so she intends to take action against you.”