The Prime Minister: ???
Cursing under his breath, the Prime Minister angrily said, “I swear to the Lord, it absolutely wasn’t me!”
John reassured him in a soothing tone, “That’s what I told the Queen as well. But the Queen doesn’t believe it. After the Crown Prince recovers, she plans to involve him in politics and take back the authority of the parliament.”
The Queen’s husband had helped her maintain a firm grip on the parliament while he was alive. However, when he passed away, servants implicated the Crown Prince in his death. The Queen grew estranged from him, believing he was eager to inherit the throne and had argued with her husband over state matters to the point of causing his death. As a result, she stripped the Crown Prince of his political power and became depressed, neglecting her duties. This gave the Prime Minister a great opportunity to seize power.
The Prime Minister’s expression darkened as he clenched the pen in his hand. He told John, “No matter what methods you use, you must prevent the Queen and the Crown Prince from participating in parliamentary decisions!”
John replied nonchalantly, “I’ll try my best. I’m not sure if the Queen has become suspicious of me, but since I was injured while saving her and the young prince last time, she has assigned several royal guards to me. They say it’s to protect me, but it feels more like surveillance.”
“I understand,” the Prime Minister said, planning to take action against the Crown Prince himself. Since the Crown Prince had forced the Queen back to the capital under the guise of being gravely ill, he decided to make sure he truly fell ill!
After hanging up the phone, John thought for a moment and called Zhang Fang, sharing the situation with him. He found the mysterious and clever boy from the East intriguing. Perhaps he could help him take down the Prime Minister!
Zhang Fang guessed that the Prime Minister would indeed take action against the Crown Prince, but there would be no evidence left behind. He advised John to keep an eye on the Crown Prince’s situation. If something suspicious arose, it would be better to turn it to their advantage.
Zhang Fang did not disappoint John. He immediately went to inform the Queen.
Upon learning that the Prime Minister planned to strike again this time targeting the Crown Prince, the Queen felt particularly uneasy. Following John’s suggestion, she decided to let events unfold.
The Crown Prince had recently been mingling with the members of parliament and planned to go out early the next morning. He was preparing to drink a glass of milk before going to sleep.
A maid, with her head down, delivered the milk to the Crown Prince’s room. Just as the Crown Prince was about to drink the milk, John suddenly burst into his room and loudly stopped him, saying, “You can’t drink that!”
Furrowing his brows, the Crown Prince looked at John.
John ordered his men to apprehend the maid and informed the Crown Prince, “The milk has been tampered with! The Prime Minister ordered her to do this!”
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince’s face turned pale with shock, followed by anger. He was about to smash the cup at the maid, but John stopped him.
“This is evidence! We must arrest the Prime Minister immediately!”
Realizing this was a great opportunity to bring down the Prime Minister, the Crown Prince quickly pretended to faint.
Even if the maid denied it, John had already arranged for someone else to pose as the intermediary between the Prime Minister and the maid. That person had already confessed to the crime! The maid was instantly thrown into a panic. While it was true someone had given her a packet of poison, it was not the person in front of her. She understood that, regardless of the facts, there was now a witness to confirm her as the murderer, and being caught in the act meant certain death for her!
The Queen dispatched people to the Prime Minister’s residence that night to arrest him.
The Prime Minister did not expect his scheme to be exposed. Initially, he could not fathom how he had been discovered, considering the maids close to the Crown Prince were loyal to him. They adored him, so even if things fell apart, they would not betray him. It was only upon seeing John that he realized he had fallen to this lowly individual!
“John! You despicable little man! How dare you betray me! I will certainly inform the Queen that you were once loyal to me! When she realizes you have been insincere, she will definitely abandon you!”
John coldly replied, “I have long since admitted to this matter. Now, the Queen will not believe anything you have to say!”
Fortunately, Zhang Fang had taught him to confess to the Queen after heroically saving her. Otherwise, if the Prime Minister revealed everything, he would surely lose the Queen’s trust!
The Prime Minister cursed John with a plethora of foul words.
In retaliation, John slapped him several times, knocking him unconscious.
Once word of the Prime Minister’s poisoning of the Crown Prince spread, it shocked the entire capital. While previously, the members of parliament had obeyed the Prime Minister, now that he had fallen, they were leaderless and had no choice but to comply with the Queen’s orders.
That night, outside the grand hall, the streets were bustling with nobles and their wives rushing to the banquet.
Following the instructions of the event staff, they took their seats in designated areas while curiously observing the strangely shaped stage.
At eight o’clock in the evening, the royal family arrived. John warmly introduced the event’s planning to the Queen.
“This event was organized by a merchant from the East. He brought many beautiful garments, and when I saw them, I began to fantasize about how stunning the Queen would look wearing them!”
One must admit, the garments brought by Zhang Fang were indeed beautiful. The fabrics were exquisite, and just the styles were enough to catch the eye! John believed that once this banquet was successfully held, Zhang Fang would surely provide him with a steady stream of profits!
Since the death of her husband, the Queen had always dressed in mourning attire, wearing simple black clothing. Tonight, she again wore black. This event had only political significance for her, but after hearing John’s words, she began to feel tempted. She contemplated how long it had been since she had dressed up properly.
Upon seeing the Queen, everyone present stood and bowed to her.
The Queen smiled and responded to the crowd, then ascended to her seat.
The lights suddenly dimmed, causing murmurs to spread among the audience.
Soon enough, the stage lights illuminated!
The music began, and models walked on stage, moving to the rhythm.
Zhang Fang even hired someone to explain the designs of the garments.
“This dress is made from materials sourced from a mysterious and ancient Eastern kingdom, and it is fully handmade, with each thread sparkling like the stars. The collar’s design draws from the style of Huaxia clothing, which is unique. The hem of the dress is designed to resemble a blooming lily. Wearing it feels like being an ethereal spirit!”