Zhang Fan went to see Marquis Charles before Yu Yingnan, without mentioning the forged letter or that he had been invited by Princess Alice. Instead, he said that he had come of his own volition.
A butler came out and led him into Marquis Charles's study. After Zhang Fan sat down, the butler left and closed the door.
"It's quite rare for you to come see me at this time." Marquis Charlie sat behind his desk with a half-smile, looking at Zhang Fan. The corners of his mouth were upturned, echoing the signature hooked nose of the Charlie family's past heads.
"I am about to return to Benghazi to assume my new post, so it is only natural that I should come to report to the Marquis and receive his instructions." Zhang Fan could now lie without batting an eye.
"Oh?" Marquis Charles's smile deepened. "In that case, shouldn't you be reporting to Marquis Ferlinan instead?"
"Heh." Zhang Fan chuckled awkwardly, but this didn't surprise him.
His trip to Monte Cristo was hardly a secret, and he had lingered outside the gates for at least half an hour before entering. If Marquis Charles hadn't received the news, then his men's intelligence work must have been terrible.
"The Marquis Ferlinan extended a very kind invitation, and I had no choice but to go," Zhang Fan said with a smile, as if it were just an ordinary banquet. Knowing that he went to Monte Cristo was one thing; knowing what he and the Marquis Ferlinan discussed was quite another.
During their conversation, only he and the Marquis Ferlinan were present. Zhang Fan did not believe that Marquis Charles's men could obtain such information, after all, Monte Cristo was the Marquis Ferlinan's stronghold, and it was not so easy for outsiders to enter the core area.
Since they don't know, they can make it up. Anyway, the other party can't possibly verify these words with the Marquis Ferlinan, at least not under the current circumstances.
"There's nothing I can do; the Marquis of Ferlinan's offer was far too generous," Zhang Fan said with an embarrassed smile. "It truly struck a chord with me."
"Oh?" Marquis Charles asked with interest, "What kind of conditions could tempt you?"
"Second only to one person, above ten thousand others," Zhang Fan replied.
Marquis Charles paused for a moment upon hearing this, then finally smiled: "Indeed, Prince Reinhardt cannot offer you this deal, because I am here..."
“Hahaha—” Marquis Charles continued to laugh, “Then shouldn’t you go to Marquis Ferlinan’s side? They are now very close to meeting your conditions.”
“No!” Zhang Fan shook his head firmly. “The Marquis of Ferlinan cannot actually meet my conditions.”
"Why?" Marquis Charles asked.
“Because I’m not stupid,” Zhang Fan laughed. “I don’t want to be ousted after only a few days in my position.”
Zhang Fan's meaning was clear: he believed that even if the Marquis of Ferlinan ascended the throne, he wouldn't last long.
"So you're back?" Marquis Charles said, somewhat surprised. "But it's no use. Prince Reinhardt can't give you what you want..."
“Prince Reinhardt can’t provide it,” Zhang Fan smiled slightly, his eyes fixed on Marquis Charles, who stood behind the desk like an eagle. “But Your Excellency, you can!”
"Me?" Marquis Charles's eyes narrowed instantly. "How can I give it to you?"
"Please forgive my bluntness."
"Neither Prince Reinhardt nor Marquis Ferlinan, nor the rest of the Reinhardt royal family, are qualified to inherit the throne! There is someone else who is qualified to inherit the throne."
"Even royalty isn't qualified?" Marquis Charles's eyes narrowed even more. "Then who is qualified?"
“The one who is qualified is…” Zhang Fan stared intently at the other person, “Your Excellency, Marquis!”
"Go on!" Marquis Charlie's eyes flashed with a sharp light.
“From the moment Patriarch Hussein of the Charlie family brought back the ‘Star Core,’ this country originally belonged to the Charlie family!” Zhang Fan said slowly. “However, fate was unfair. Disease took Patriarch Hussein’s life early, which allowed the Ryan royal family to continue to retain their royal status.”
"But even so, if the Ryan royal family had any conscience at all, they should have abdicated the throne to the son or grandson of the old patriarch Hussein."
"But the Ryan royal family did not do that; instead, they have clung to their imperial power to this day!"
"Now is the time for the Charlie family to take back what rightfully belongs to them!"
Zhang Fan's voice was low, but it was like a thunderclap in the study. With such treasonous words, Marquis Charles, as the head of the Senate with oversight power, had enough reason to send Zhang Fan to prison.
But the Marquis Charles did not do so, and the study remained silent.
Zhang Fan didn't continue speaking, but patiently waited for the other party's response.
He knew he was facing a cunning eagle, and an ambitious one at that.
In the Duchy of Ryan, the title of Marquis is the ceiling of noble status. If one wants to rise to the next level, the only option is to become royalty; there is no other way.
Facing what might be his greatest enemy, Zhang Fan really wanted to jump over and finish him off with a single blow, but he kept reminding himself that he had to stay calm when facing such a boss-level foe.
Thanks to his professional instincts honed on the battlefield, Zhang Fan could identify at least six or seven blind spots in the study where someone could hide.
Moreover, Zhang Fan wasn't sure whether the desk separating him and the other person was an ordinary desk, so he dared not make any rash moves.
“If my good-for-nothing sons were half as good as you, I would be content for the rest of my life,” Marquis Charles broke the silence, speaking with admiration. “What do you plan to do next?”
“You flatter me, Your Excellency. That is precisely why I have come here today,” Zhang Fan said. “I will be serving as the commander of the newly established Muli, Haige, and Anlin three-star independent fleets. If we can bring this fleet to Adelaide, it will undoubtedly become a powerful force that can influence the course of events.”
"However, external fleets must obtain Grand Duke Ryan's permission to enter the capital star region; otherwise, they cannot pass through the defensive fortresses of the capital star garrison."
"But now we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"Grand Duke Ryan has been ill and in a coma for a long time, and Marquis Ferlinan is acting as regent. That means that as long as Marquis Ferlinan's permission is obtained, the Independent Fleet can safely enter the capital's star system!"
“But Marquis Ferlinan is unlikely to simply agree to your request.” Marquis Charles touched his nose, indicating his agreement with Zhang Fan’s approach, but also raising his own questions.
“Indeed, gaining the Marquis Ferlinan’s trust is key.” Zhang Fan said, a wicked smile appearing on his face. “So I have to find a reason to make people believe that I have completely broken with Prince Reinhardt and sided entirely with the Marquis Ferlinan, with no possibility of betrayal!”
“Oh?” Marquis Charles stroked his chin. “It won’t be easy to do that; there will be a lot of preparations to be made.”
“It’s not difficult at all.” Zhang Fan smiled confidently. “In fact, Your Excellency Marquis, you have already prepared everything for me in advance.”
"Me?" Marquis Charles was taken aback. "I prepared everything for you?"
“Yes, Prince Reinhardt will be marrying Princess Alice in two days, right?” Zhang Fan smiled. “If I’m not mistaken, the invitations to Marquis Ferlinan and other important officials of Ryan should have already been sent out.”
“Yes, the invitations should have reached them by now. They are all very important figures in various circles of Ryan.” Marquis Charlie did not hide anything, and glanced at the time on his watch. “In half an hour, Ryan National Television will broadcast the news that the prince and princess will be getting married.”
Even if Marquis Charles wanted to keep the news of Alice's wedding a secret from Madame Qiu, such a major event as the wedding of a prince and a princess would inevitably require extensive publicity. The fact that the news was kept secret until two days before the wedding was the maximum that could be done.
If we strictly follow the schedule, Princess Alice will have to stay at the Marquis's mansion all day tomorrow to prepare for her wedding. The wedding ceremony will begin early the day after tomorrow. Royal weddings are very complicated, with parades and such, and they usually start in the early morning.
That means tonight might be Princess Alice's last night of freedom before her marriage.
"That's excellent." Zhang Fan gave a standard military salute. "My lord, in order to ensure the mission is completed smoothly, I will take my leave to make preparations. You will hear the news of my success tomorrow morning!"
Marquis Charles watched Zhang Fan leave with some surprise. He couldn't figure out how Zhang Fan could convince people that he had broken with Prince Reinhardt in order to gain the Marquis Ferlinan's trust.
But since it was only one night, Marquis Charles didn't ask any further questions.
Tonight, a major news story has caused a huge stir in Ryan society: Prince Reinhardt and Princess Alice will be getting married the day after tomorrow.
Amid the uneasy atmosphere of Grand Duke Ryan's critical illness, this was undoubtedly a shot in the arm, bringing rare joy to the people of Ryan who were shrouded in gloom.
Although Reinhardt and Alice are 20 years apart in age, no one cares about that; people are focused on the upcoming wedding of the "prince" and "princess."
The whole society was filled with joy, and people spontaneously decorated their homes with lanterns and colorful decorations, preparing to celebrate this fairytale wedding they had imagined.
The next morning, Marquis Charles was having breakfast.
The television was broadcasting the morning news from Lane National Television.
A minor mishap occurred during the live news broadcast. After seeing the news script handed to him by the director, the news anchor froze for several seconds. Prompted by the director, the anchor finally reacted and read the script in a trembling voice:
Dear viewers, here is the latest news we have just received: Princess Alice eloped with a military officer named Zhang Fan, Ryan, before her wedding!
Clang!
The glass of milk in Marquis Charles's hand fell to the ground...
At this moment, the people of Lane watching on television were stunned.
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