Chapter 1097

The situation after meeting with the Prime Minister?

Hearing the words of the two ladies-in-waiting, the Princess subconsciously touched her arm, and her heart couldn't help but warm slightly.

Yes, after meeting with the Prime Minister, she was first injured by the officers who blocked the residence, and then secretly climbed over the outer wall to find Leon. During this period, there was no news, so Father would inevitably feel worried and naturally send someone to ask.

"Let's go."

Nodding to the two ladies-in-waiting, the Princess temporarily put down her messy thoughts and prepared to set off to the upper floor of the palace. However...

"Princess, not that way."

After calling the Princess, one of the ladies-in-waiting respectfully reported:

"His Majesty is not in the bedroom. He is waiting for you in the side hall on the fourth floor. Please come this way."

Side hall on the fourth floor?

Hearing the lady-in-waiting's words, the Princess couldn't help but be slightly startled.

The side hall on the fourth floor of the palace is a small meeting room for receiving important personnel. However, Father's physical condition has always been poor. At this time, he should have finished the alchemy supplement and be resting in the bedroom on the top floor. Why would he be in the small meeting room?

"Is there an important guest?"

After pondering for a while, the Princess, who followed behind the lady-in-waiting, asked with some doubt:

"The envoy from the Black Forest Kingdom? Or the diplomat from the Saio Kingdom?"

"Neither, Princess."

The lady-in-waiting who led the way said respectfully:

"At least before we came over, there were no guests in the side hall."

No guests?

Hearing the lady-in-waiting's answer, the Princess's eyebrows raised in surprise. She just wanted to continue asking, but heard the lady-in-waiting who led the way say:

"Princess, our duty is only to lead the way for you. As for other things, as ladies-in-waiting, we shouldn't talk too much. Please ask His Majesty in person after seeing him!"

"..."

Didn't expect that just asking about Father's situation would inexplicably eat a soft nail. The Princess's brows couldn't help but quietly wrinkle, and the coldness suddenly seeped into her heart, which was originally warm.

Unlike her, when Father chooses ladies-in-waiting, he doesn't value talent and character, but values caution and obedience, and whether he can accurately and appropriately convey his will.

In other words, these two ladies-in-waiting are the purest mouthpieces. Their attitude toward her, in a sense, is equal to Father's attitude toward her.

And they, who have always been cautious, suddenly refused to answer her questions. It is only possible that they received some instructions, or vaguely sensed something from Father's attitude and actions.

After following the two expressionless ladies-in-waiting to the side hall on the fourth floor of the palace, the scene inside the side hall completely verified the Princess's guess.

In the side hall specially used for receiving important guests, it was not just the old King alone. A man and a woman, who looked about forty years old and whose features were slightly similar, were sitting on armchairs padded with swan velvet, waiting for her with the old King.

When seeing the Princess appear outside the door, the man who looked older showed a gentle smile and nodded slightly to her, while the woman, whose makeup was exquisite and whose clothes were gorgeous, curled her lips hiddenly, and a hint of undisguised disgust flowed from the corner of her eyes.

"Veronica."

Accompanied by a somewhat hoarse call, the old King, who was sitting directly opposite the door, picked up the scepter inlaid with bright red gems beside him, pointed to the empty chair opposite the middle-aged man and woman, and said with an unrefusable tone:

"Come over and sit, tell me about today's situation."

"Good." After looking at the Wang Hou and the Minister of Finance in the side hall, the Princess sighed secretly in her heart, then walked slowly into the meeting room, sat in the seat designated by the old King, and began to tell:

"This afternoon, I visited the Prime Minister's residence according to the original schedule to discuss the expansion of voting power. But just as the meeting was about to end, more than 300 officers at the colonel and lieutenant levels, instigated by 'people with ulterior motives', blocked me in the Prime Minister's residence."

When mentioning "people with ulterior motives", the Princess deliberately slowed down her speech, glanced at the middle-aged man and woman opposite with deep meaning, then looked back at the old King in the main seat and said:

"To gather so many officers of the military department at once, it not only requires a very strong background and connections, but also takes no less than a week.

And regarding the decision to push the selection order, although many people have known about it recently, a week ago, I only told you alone. So can you tell me, who learned about this news from you?"

?!

Hearing the Princess's inquiry, the Wang Hou opposite couldn't help but be slightly startled, then grabbed the armrest of the chair and said angrily:

"What are you..."

"Sorry, the news might have been leaked from me."

After pulling the Wang Hou's sleeve and dragging back the questioning that was about to blurt out, the gentle Minister of Finance sighed:

"After learning that Princess Veronica was going to push the selection order, I immediately issued an internal letter, requiring the Ministry of Finance to make corresponding preparations and clarify the salary owed to the officers in advance to cooperate with the Princess's measures.

But I didn't expect that I emphasized repeatedly that the internal letter must not be sent out and must be handled within the department. But recently, due to cooperating with the Princess's tax reduction policy, the Ministry of Finance is really too busy, and someone still violated the regulations and took the letter home.

Although there is no evidence to confirm it, I personally guess that it is very likely that the letters were seen by the officials' family members, who privately notified the nobles they were on good terms with, leading to the matter being leaked."

At this point, the Minister of Finance stood up from the chair, bowed slightly to the Princess opposite, and apologized with a face of shame:

"Sorry, Princess Veronica, it is mostly my mismanagement that led to the news being leaked in advance, which caused you to be blocked by officers and even thrown stones at and injured. I am willing to take full responsibility for this."

"..."

"Possibly" leaked by you, "although" there is no evidence to confirm it, "mostly" your mismanagement... Haha, your apology is really too precise.

Facing the "sincere" apology of the Minister of Finance, Princess Veronica did not stand up to accept it, but turned her head to look at the old King in the main seat, with playfulness that could not be covered in her bright eyes, and a trace of deep expectation hidden.

"Veronica."

After calling the Princess's name, the old King, who was haggard, old, and sitting in a wheelchair, but with a straight back, hit the floor hard with the scepter in his hand, and said with a tired tone:

"Unintentional mistake, don't be too calculating. Moreover, you were only injured in the arm and will be fine after resting for a few days. Let's just leave it at that."

Unintentional mistake? Only injured in the arm and will be fine after resting for a few days?

Hearing the old King's words, the Princess couldn't help but lower her head to look at her arm. Although the wound on her arm had been treated by Leon, the dark brown blood stains on it soaked from the elbow to the wrist. No matter how you look at it, it is not a small injury.

Moreover, Father didn't even notice that she was clearly injured in the arm, but the clothes on her arm were still flat, without any bulge due to bandaging, and there was no trace of bandaging at all.

Um... thinking about it carefully, it is reasonable. After all, from the time she came in until now, he didn't even look at her injured arm, so of course he couldn't find this small abnormality.

"Fine, then let's leave it at that."

After smiling self-deprecatingly, the Princess closed her eyes slightly, then no longer looked at the old King, but stared at the middle-aged man and woman opposite, and asked calmly:

"Then what? You two came here in the middle of the night, it wouldn't just be to care about my injury, right?"

(End of chapter)