Inside the reception room of Monte Cristo, the new Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Inspector General drank tea while occasionally glancing up at the door.

The Marquis said he would be right back, but it has been two hours since he left and he still hasn't returned.

Without the Marquis Ferlinan's orders, the two dared not leave the reception room to wander outside, and could only wait here while drinking tea, having already gone to the toilet several times.

"Hahaha--"

Marquis Ferlinan’s hearty laughter rang out from outside the drawing room, and the finance minister and the chief inspector immediately stood up from their seats to greet him.

"Come, come, come." Marquis Ferlinan walked in with a big smile, patted the young man on the back and introduced him, "From now on, you are all colleagues, so let's all get to know each other."

The finance minister and the chief inspector were somewhat taken aback, but seeing that the young man had been personally brought in by the Marquis of Ferlinan, they naturally dared not be presumptuous and took the initiative to introduce themselves.

"How shall I address you?" After Zhang Fan finished introducing himself, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Chief Inspector looked at him.

"I am Zhang Fan, commander of the 358th Regiment of the ROK Army stationed in Benghazi."

"ah?!"

After hearing the introduction, both the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Inspector General involuntarily took a half step back.

"You, you..."

These two know best how their predecessors met their gruesome ends. The former Chancellor of the Exchequer was crushed into a bloody pulp inside the overturned car, while the former Inspector General fared even worse. Although he didn't die on the spot, all three of his legs were shattered. It would have been better if he had died then and there, at least he would have suffered less.

“It was all just a minor misunderstanding before.” Marquis Ferlinan, who had seen everything, mediated with a smile, “From now on, the three of you will be my three sharp swords. You must put aside past grievances, cooperate sincerely, and dedicate yourselves to the great cause of the Duchy!”

"yes!"

"If the Ministry of Finance and the police force do anything inappropriate in the future, please give them your reminders, General Zhang."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Inspector General spoke politely, and Zhang Fan naturally understood what they meant.

"You two are too kind. Please continue to guide us in the future."

"Good, good, good!" Marquis Ferlinan was in high spirits.

Now he has people in the military, government, and police, and he has filled his biggest gap in knowledge, allowing him to act more freely in the future. The four of them discussed current affairs and spoke freely in the reception room in a harmonious atmosphere.

Report!

The conversation was abruptly interrupted when Captain Luke, without being announced, burst through the door.

"What is it?" Marquis Ferlinan was not angry. His captain of guard barged in without regard for guests, so it must be something extremely urgent.

Luke jogged over to Marquis Ferlinan and whispered a few words in his ear. Marquis Ferlinan's eyes widened, and he finally slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

"Someone! Prepare the car immediately!"

Marquis Ferlinan, no longer caring about anyone else, simply instructed his butler to see the guests out, while he himself hurriedly left with Luke.

Today, an unofficial message started circulating wildly in Adelaide:

The supreme ruler of the Duchy of Ryan, Grand Duke Ryan, is critically ill and in danger of losing his life at any moment.

The source of this news is unknown, but it is common knowledge that Grand Duke Ryan has been ill for many years. Therefore, after this news came out, many people had doubts and either called the Royal Secretariat to inquire or sent people directly to the palace to confirm.

The phone call received a denial: Grand Duke Ryan was in good health and should not believe the rumors. The people sent to the palace were not even allowed to enter the palace gates this time and were ordered to return by the royal guards.

The entire palace was now surrounded by the royal guards, creating a solemn atmosphere. Some people tried to inquire about the situation privately, but the royal guards remained silent, offering only the response, "No comment."

News of Grand Duke Ryan's critical illness spread like wildfire throughout the Duchy of Ryan. Even the Ryan army troops stationed on the front lines with the Kingdom of Fashan received orders from the military to consolidate their defenses, fortify their positions, maintain a tight garrison, and refrain from any rash advances.

Adelaide Police also received orders to increase patrols and arrest those who spread rumors, incite trouble, and seek to create chaos.

This is quite intriguing. If Grand Duke Ryan is in good health, dispelling the rumors would be a simple matter; all he would need to do is make a brief appearance.

But no.

Grand Duke Ryan has not appeared in public since the news of his critical illness broke.

The first day or two were fine, but on the third day, many people became restless. This included the Senate, local offices in the capital, and government officials from various regions. They all went to the palace to request an audience with the Grand Duke, but without exception, they were all blocked in front of the council chamber.

Many people waited outside the council hall from morning till night. The Grand Duke did not see him, but he did see many white-clad personnel escorted by the Imperial Guard hurrying by. They only went in and did not come out.

Through various private inquiries, it was discovered that those people in white were actually medical staff from Adelaide Central Hospital.

A week later, a decree from the Ryan royal family arrived: the Grand Duke of Ryan was unwell and needed to rest. During his rest period, he would not receive any visitors, and Marquis Ferlinan would act as the sole representative of Ryan's government affairs.

This caused a huge uproar. Although this was not the first time the Marquis of Ferlinan had acted as a representative of government, this time was different; it was "full authority," and many people sensed something was amiss.

People began to believe the news that Archduke Ryan was critically ill.

Before the decree was promulgated, another unpublished decree further convinced many of Ryan's powerful figures that the Grand Duke of Ryan was critically ill.

That is, Marshal Zhu Yifu of the Ryan National Army was urgently summoned. Upon entering the palace, Marshal Zhu Yifu was immediately placed under house arrest by the Imperial Guard, and was not allowed to return to the Marshal's Mansion or communicate with the outside world.

Marshal Zhu Yifu is hailed as a close comrade-in-arms of Grand Duke Ryan. In their youth, they served in the same unit. Even though he has now retired to the second line, Marshal Zhu Yifu still enjoys high prestige and unparalleled appeal in the Ryan National Army, and is the de facto supreme military commander behind the scenes.

If Archduke Ryan were to suddenly pass away, and Marshal Zhu Yifu were to raise his voice, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Therefore, placing Marshal Zhu Yifu under house arrest is undoubtedly the safest course of action at this moment.

However, the house arrest of Marshal Zhu Yifu was undoubtedly a major earthquake for both the military and political circles of Ryan.

No one else in the entire Duchy of Ryan could unite the Ryan army through their own prestige, not even the General Staff of the Army.

On the contrary, the division within the Ryan National Army began precisely at the General Staff level.

General Andrei, the Chief of the General Staff, was a staunch follower of Marshal Zhu Yifu. He was extremely dissatisfied with the actions of the Lane royal family and began to outwardly comply with but inwardly defy some orders directly from the royal family, citing the principle that "a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders."

This further exacerbated the divisions within the military, and some astute individuals began to frequently contact these senior military officers.

At Monte Cristo, the Marquis Ferlinan made a rare trip back home, as his official duties had been increasing exponentially each day.

However, this political evergreen, who is over sixty years old, is still full of energy. Although the fatigue on his face cannot be hidden, his eyes are still shining brightly, as if a ball of fire is burning inside.

"My lord, what is the Grand Duke's health like?"

A month has passed since the news of Grand Duke Ryan's critical illness. The political scene in Ryan is in turmoil, as if the air has been suddenly sucked away before a storm. Many people are already under immense pressure and are almost suffocating.

Those who could enter the reception room at this moment were all Marquis Ferlinan's confidants, so there was no need to be too careful with their words.

“I only met the Grand Duke a few days ago, and judging from the current situation…” Marquis Ferlinan shook his head, his tone somber, “it’s not optimistic.”

"The Central Hospital has done everything it can to treat him, but the Grand Duke is sometimes conscious and sometimes unconscious, and he has not yet been out of danger."

“Apart from the Queen accompanying the Grand Duke, the Imperial Guard has forbidden anyone from approaching him.” Marquis Ferlinan paused here, “It’s not just us, the Senate is the same, even Prince Reinhardt has been placed under house arrest and is not allowed to leave his residence.”

"It seems the rumors are true..." The people below began to whisper among themselves, discussing the matter.

"It's a foregone conclusion that the Grand Duke is critically ill."

"This isn't the first time the Duke has fallen ill. If he becomes seriously ill this time, then..."

"According to the law, Prince Reinhardt would serve as regent..."

“But now the Grand Duke is acting as the head of government, and he has not handed over the affairs of state to Prince Reinhard.”

"As the lord just said, the Grand Duke is often unconscious, how can he have time to entrust state affairs to Prince Reinhard?"

"You yourself said that the Grand Duke is unconscious. What if the Grand Duke intends to hand over the affairs of state to Lord Ferlinan?"

“But according to the law, if the Grand Duke remains in a coma until his death, then Prince Reinhard, who is first in line to the throne, will inherit the throne…”

“Prince Reinhard is unworthy of his position, in my opinion…”

As the discussion progressed, many people began to steal glances at the Marquis Ferlinan out of the corner of their eyes to see his reaction.

"Ahem, ahem!" Marquis Ferlinan sat there leisurely drinking tea, cleared his throat, and the entire reception room immediately fell silent.

"Gentlemen, the Grand Duke is gravely ill, and Ryan is in dire straits. What we must do is stand firm at our posts, remain loyal and devoted, and wait until the Grand Duke's condition improves. Do not have any disloyalty! Remember this!"

"yes!"

The government officials present all bowed in response.

Inside the villa in Helenbergh, where Prince Reinhardt is under house arrest.

Bang!

With a loud bang, Prince Reinhard slammed his fist hard on the table.

"That old bastard Ferlinan! He just doesn't want to hand over power to me!"

"What do you mean, 'wait for the Grand Duke's condition to improve'? Is he even going to get better?!"

"Once the Grand Duke passes away and holds absolute power, will he really be so kind as to hand it over to me? Damn it!"

"Why did they have to get sick now of all times? Those two old geezers deserve to die!"

That single statement was enough to charge Prince Reinhard with disloyalty and filial impiety, but there were no outsiders present at the moment; he was facing only Marquis Charles.

"Until the Grand Duke's condition is confirmed, everything is uncertain," Marquis Charles said expressionlessly.

"What can we do then? Not only has he grounded me, but he also won't let you see me or my cousin. Who else can we let go?"

“I can have your wife try,” Marquis Charles said calmly. “Your wife has special permission to freely enter and leave the palace, and it’s still valid. Although she won’t be able to see the Grand Duke, she can see the Queen…”

"That's right!" Prince Reinhardt exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "How could I have forgotten that? Quickly, go and fetch the Marchioness!"

Inside the Monte Cristo estate, several Royal Guard officers who came to deliver orders barged into the drawing room, then simply saluted the Marquis Ferlinan before turning to the crowd below.

"Which one of you is Major General Zhang Fan?"

The reception room was completely silent. People automatically made way for him, and Zhang Fan, who was sitting at the back, stood up with a look of surprise on his face.

"I am."

"General, please follow us." The leading officer snapped to attention and gave a crisp military salute.

Zhang Fan glanced at the Marquis Ferlinan as he walked.

Marquis Ferlinan also looked puzzled, but nodded nonetheless. The Imperial Guard was directly under the command of Grand Duke Ryan, and even he wouldn't dare disobey orders.

Who is looking for me?

"The Grand Duke wishes to see the General!"

As a group of people, including the Marquis of Ferlinan, watched in astonishment, Zhang Fan boarded a military vehicle belonging to the Imperial Guard and headed towards the palace.