msmithbooks Chapter 135 Never Say It With Your Mouth
Chapter 135 Never Say It With Your Mouth
"Good morning, Grace."
Grace was surprised to run into the King in the corridors early in the morning.He had just woken up, and the king should have just come out of an all-night dinner.The favored ministers have changed, but the palace dinner is still lively.
The king clasped his gloved hands on his staff and asked him with a smile: "May I have the honor of having breakfast with you?"
Grace saw now that his face was as white as milk, which looked terrible, and then that his lips were also unnaturally red.But Grace immediately realized that it was because of her complexion, that her face was too pale, which made her lips red.
They had a particularly quiet breakfast.Actually only Grace ate something, while the king just put a cup of tea in front of him and watched him quietly.Then the king offered to go with him to the morning council.
The ministers, like Grace, couldn't figure out what the king was thinking.They wanted to put pressure on each other, but the king sat there silently, and the two parties only dared to test each other.
Grace read aloud the petition letters of the common people who hoped that the nobles would also pay taxes, and the ministers read aloud the petition letters of the local nobles complaining that their income was overtaken by the bourgeoisie; Grace threw out the financial data, and the ministers calculated the increase in taxation after the reform; Lace was worried about the victims, and the ministers listed the local relief centers that were added this year...
Grace suppressed her grief and growled: "Not enough, the relief house is far from enough!"
The ministers showed that kind of helpless respect.
The king suddenly raised his hand, and the people immediately fell silent.
The king stretched out his index finger and tapped the faces of the ministers one by one: "One, two, three... fourteen, fourteen." After counting the number of ministers, the king looked at the future queen again, "One."
Fourteen against one.
A soreness rose in Grace's throat, and she swallowed it hard again.
The king moved his hand to Grace's face, trying to touch it, but Grace turned her head away.
The king withdrew his hand and stood up, and the others followed suit.
"Without my approval in the future, no imperial meeting other than the regular meeting shall be held in the palace." The king issued such an order and left with his cane.
"Your Majesty!" Grace yelled at his back.
The king turned his head calmly.
There were tears of resentment in Grace's eyes, her lips were forced into a line, and her expression was obviously offensive: "If there is no more official business that needs me to deal with in the palace, can I go outside to pass the time?"
The king's eyes also glowed with water, but they were as silent as stagnant water.He looked at Grace with such moist and calm eyes for a while, and finally nodded his head vaguely, "But remember to bring the guards... Also, don't come back too late."
Grace bowed her head and curtseyed to the king without looking into those moist eyes.
The luxury carriage drove around Crown Plaza and entered an alley, where a light gray carriage was already waiting.Soon, the gray carriage came out of the alley, but stopped halfway. The driver jumped off the carriage and got into the tightly covered carriage.
The carriage shook slightly, and Alan Stone got out of the carriage with a satisfied smile, returned to the driver's seat, and drove the car into his yard on the back street of Crown Plaza.
Allen led Grace to a room on the second floor.There was a lot of smoke in the room, and it enveloped several young people like a thick fog.
These young people are all Alan's classmates or comrades-in-arms. They often discuss current affairs with him in cafes or pubs, but Alan has become reluctant to go out recently, so they all come to him.
The young people crowded around a table with pipes in their hands, wine bottles and glasses, and a deck of cards scattered on the table, but no one was playing.They all stood up respectfully when they saw Grace.
Allen went to the window, opened it, and fanned the air with his hands to let out some of the smoke in the house, while impassioned speeches came in from the square: "... those who can't eat pay 14 yuan for the land. Pounds, while those earning the most pay only £4 to the state!"
The air in the room is much clearer.Allen closed the window, returned to Grace, and introduced his friends to him, including James Lejan, whom Grace had met, and Johnson Schilling, whom Grace had known for a long time.
Allen didn't introduce Grace, but they obviously knew Grace's identity, and they all took off their hats and bowed respectfully.
Allen led Grace to an empty seat next to his own. Grace saw James Lejan winking at Allen narrowly, while the others looked at him curiously, fearing that he would be rude. From time to time, he bowed his head and took a puff of cigarettes.
Allen made a gesture, "Let's continue." The young people withdrew their curious eyes and continued to chat about the topic just now.They were talking about the national convention.Like Alan Stone, these young people were all civilians from other provinces. When they talked about the representatives of their own provinces, Grace listened very carefully.
While listening, Allen picked up the pipe in front of him and looked at it.When he went to pick up Grace just now, his pipe went out.Allen stretched out his arms to reach for the matches on the table, and the young man sitting next to him immediately got up to help him get them, and offered to help him light a cigarette.
Grace saw that Alan was very popular among her friends, even though he was probably the youngest among them.
A friend pinched a match to help light the tobacco, and Allen held the raised cigarette holder in his mouth and inhaled in small sips, gradually letting the tobacco burn through.He was about to take a deep breath, but stopped, because out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Grace was looking at his hand with envious and curious eyes.
"Do you want to smoke?" Allen handed the pipe to Grace.
Grace glanced at him in surprise, but stretched out her hand temptingly.It's actually kind of ugly, because he's wearing a skirt.But no one said anything about him here, and a few young people just peeked at him and Allen curiously.
Grace took a puff carefully with the cigarette holder in her mouth, and found that the smell of tobacco was milder than it smelled, and it only caused slight irritation in the throat, and she could hold back the cough.After the itching in his throat subsided, he took a second breath, and imitated Allen's movements to exhale a uniform cloud of smoke.
"Excuse me, you..." a young man said to Grace cautiously.
Grace seized this opportunity, put down her pipe hastily, and replied, "You may call me Grace."
The young man relaxed his eyebrows and asked, "Miss Grace, can you tell us about the court's attitude towards the nobles' tax payment?... We can swear that we will not tell the public."
Grace moved her eyes from the young man's face to the others, and looked at these worried and intelligent faces one by one, "Gentlemen, Colonel Ston trusts you, and I trust you. Don’t affect your confidence in the future.”
He repeated the recent discussions in the court, including the king's order this morning.
The room fell silent, and someone thumped the table depressedly, "Brigadier General Ston has been transferred, Count De La Salle and Count Laval have also been transferred, Allen has long been excluded, and now even you... now Only those noble gentlemen are left in the Imperial Conference Palace!"
Someone asked Grace unwillingly: "Does His Majesty know about people's requests? I heard that there are many petition letters—"
Grace nodded slightly, the king knew about those petition letters.
The room fell silent again.
After a while, James Legan said: "Please say more."
Grace thought for a while, roughly recounted several impressive petition letters, and raised her own doubts: "I found a new phenomenon, more and more civilian petition letters have similar wording, which was previously Only happens in the aristocracy."
A young man said: "Perhaps it is because more and more conference delegates have come to the capital from other provinces, and they must have exchanges with each other."
After the young man finished speaking, he looked at Alan, and Alan nodded, "That's true. Representatives of nobles and civilians have established their own social circles, especially civilian representatives, many of whom live in hotels near Crown Plaza. , and usually come to the pubs and coffee shops here for entertainment. Like us, they often get together to discuss political opportunities."
Grace suddenly realized, "No wonder there are always people giving speeches here... Alan, do you know many representatives?"
Allen replied: "Yes, some civilian representatives from other provinces could not afford the rent in the capital, and I funded some of them." privilege."
Grace echoed: "Indeed it is, and the letter from the clergyman confirms it."
These are all good news, and the brows of the young people stretched slightly.
"But none of this can change the court's attitude, can it?" asked a young man.
Grace lowered her head and took a puff of cigarette, using this song to avoid the disappointed eyes of the other party, and shook her head slightly.
Another young man asked: "Miss Grace, you just said that the ministers believe that the current reforms are very successful. I admit that the country is getting better, but I don't believe that these current measures can really help the country through the difficulties. Those measures Looks to me like a run down house with a fresh coat of paint, or a few carpet replacements, but the rotten foundations are still not fixed, and the house is still in danger... what do you think of this please What about the matter?"
Grace sincerely hopes that it is these young people in front of him who will have a meeting with him as soon as possible.
Those data that no one paid attention to in the imperial meeting were carefully listened to here. Grace calculated the income growth brought about by the tax reform, the defeat compensation sent by the enemy country, and the interest owed by the country for these young people who cared about the fate of the country. And the relief money that is expected to be needed this winter.
Mentioning the coming severe winter, everyone present frowned worriedly.Here, no one said to Grace: "Your Majesty, people starve to death every winter, and your wedding to the king is more important than everything else."
Not only because Alan spoke well of Grace in front of his friends in advance, these young people were all impressed by Grace's good memory and clear thinking.And they themselves are smart enough, relying on the numbers that Grace said, it has been determined that it is absolutely impossible to save the country from the terrible debt by relying on the existing reform measures.
A young man said: "The reform measures that have been carried out are actually not bad, but these good measures just show that we must continue the reform! To avoid disaster, there must be real change! The speaker outside just said it was so true Now, how can those who contribute the least to the country get the most? And it is such a large group!"
"You can't count on those ministers of noble origin. They only care about their own pockets and don't care about the country... It's a strange thing. If the country wants to survive, it has to revoke the privileges of the nobles; but what kind of policy is to be implemented? The nobles have the final say - should we beg them!"
James Lejan sneered: "If begging is useful!"
They fell silent again, each of them lost in sad and resentful contemplation, and the smoke in the room grew thicker.
Someone still had a glimmer of hope and said to Allen: "At least you and Miss Grace are still in the imperial meeting..."
Allen glanced at Grace first, as if hiding some words, and then looked at his friends: "Gentlemen, don't put your hopes on the imperial meeting anymore. The Reform Party no longer exists. Although we think that reform is the It's just started, but those gentlemen have got what they want, and for them reformation is over. What we have to wait for now is the National Conference, and only in the National Conference, we common people have a chance to speak .”
Immediately someone asked him: "Alan, what do you think is the most important task of the National Conference?"
"The Constitution." Allen said without hesitation, "Only clearly written regulations can be a guarantee, and only laws can limit privileges." He looked around, and finally locked his eyes on Grace's face, with a deep tone Said: "Not only from the nobles, but also from the king."
Grace and he looked at each other, lowered their eyes silently, and did not refute.
"Alan, do you think we can succeed?" Johnson Schilling asked.
Allen laughed, with one corner of his mouth raised high, looking extremely rebellious, "We are united, the priesthood is also facing us, and some far-sighted nobles also support us. The nobles have long since fallen, Now it is at the end of the battle, why should they stop us?"
The young people laughed loudly when they heard the words, "Yes! Those nobles are a bunch of lazy idiots. They have neither talent nor virtue. Many of them are even on the verge of bankruptcy. Only the clothes on their bodies are worth a lot. And our status depends on ourselves In exchange for hard work, our father's property is also earned by their hands, and those people just cast a good fetus, relying on their ancestors hundreds of years ago to win a good life for them with their swords. They have enjoyed it long enough Good luck, it's time for them to learn to do some work!"
James Lai let find good wine at Allen's house familiarly, and everyone drank it lively.He poured Grace a glass too, saying it was port wine from Portugal, the best in the world, and everyone should try it.
Grace took a sip and curled her lips secretly. She didn't expect that the spirit tasted worse than cigarettes, and it was also a taste he couldn't enjoy.But he was not depressed, on the contrary, he was a little happy, because he no longer had to envy the freedom of those men who smoked pipes and drank strong wine.
Later, Allen took the initiative to mention William, as if saying it specifically to him: "It is very different from the situation in the Army. Many middle and low-level officers in the Navy are of civilian origin, and they are very supportive of the previous military reforms, and they also support William. Although the Navy It is different from the army, but William's experience and knowledge can still come in handy. You can't imagine that the cannons on the coastline are arranged very unscientifically, as if they were placed there for neatness and beauty. After William passed, the first order It is to rearrange the cannons so that the coverage area of the artillery fire is more than doubled."
Grace listened gratefully.The young people present were also concerned about William's recent situation, listened carefully, and kept expressing their admiration for William, and envied Alan for having boarded a warship.
Grace was also curious and asked Allen: "What does a warship look like?"
Allen described how long the ship was, how big the sails were, how many cannons could be placed on the ship, and how spectacular it was when several cannons were fired together.
From what he said, the navy seemed much more interesting than the army.These young people who have been in the army all year round are itchy, so Alan has the opportunity to take them on board the ship to learn more.
Allen readily agreed, but jokingly said: "I just take people aboard. If someone gets seasick and falls into the sea midway, I don't care. He has to swim back by himself."
Everyone laughed and said that Johnson Schilling couldn't go because he couldn't swim.
After talking and laughing like this for a while, Allen found an excuse to drive his friends out.Everyone thought that he had something confidential to discuss with the future queen, so they all stood up and said goodbye tactfully. Only James Lejean gave Allen a thumbs up with an insightful look.Grace's heart fluttered again, for fear of being seen.
After Alan sent his friends away, he couldn't wait to run back upstairs.The children are still in class, and it is the tutor he hired for the children, who should be teaching mathematics at the moment.Eva and Anna had gone somewhere, perhaps sewing in the kitchen.
The house was very quiet, which made his footsteps heavy and urgent, making a "dong dong" sound on the old wooden floor.Grace poked her head out of his bedroom and yelled in a low voice. Allen turned around and went to the temporary meeting room just now, and got into his room with a smile.
As soon as he entered the door, he hugged Grace tightly and chased after Grace with his lips.Grace held the pipe to cover his face, and he chased the cigarette holder with his lips, saying, "Let me take a puff, I'm so hungry."
Grace raised her hand high, not even giving him a cigarette.Allen took this opportunity to sneak up on his lips.
Grace shook her head childishly, and Alan's kisses fell randomly on his face and hair.Grace shook her head even faster, her hair was thrown everywhere, and it hit Allen's face like a small whip, forcing him to lean back.
He finally came to his senses, and when Grace stopped shaking her head, he hurriedly asked cautiously, "Did I do something to scare you again? But please rest assured, James and the others are cautious people and will not mess around." Said."
Grace stared, "Who's scared?"
Allen hurriedly said, "It's me, I'm afraid. I'm afraid of making you angry, and I'm afraid that you won't give me cigarettes—"
Grace always liked what he did. Although she still had a straight face, she brought the cigarette holder to his lips.Those coquettish lips pouted forward quickly, and put the cigarette holder into his mouth.
Allen took a big puff of cigarette with Grace's hand, brewing for several seconds before exhaling a long puff of smoke.He gestured for a second sip, but his lips turned halfway and kissed Grace's again.He thought that Grace didn't like kissing him, so she always attacked him sneakily. He was afraid of making people angry again, so he deliberately made his lips make a sound that made people laugh.
Grace was really teased by him, she leaned against him limply with a smile.Allen also smiled, lowered his body, picked up Grace and threw it on the bed, and pressed himself on it.
The booze had worked its way into both of them, and their skin was pink with excitement as they romped in bed.In the middle, Grace heard the bells of the square church, but couldn't count them. She asked Allen in a daze, "Did it strike three times?"
Allen was fascinated and kissed the skin under his lower abdomen, and replied casually: "Yes... it's just three o'clock, it's still early."
But it was four knocks, and it was almost five o'clock when Eva came to urge them.
Grace rolled over and sat up, pushing Alan's shoulder anxiously, "I have something important to tell you."
Allen lazily leaned on his arm and smiled at him unhurriedly.
Grace combed her hair twice, felt cold, lay back again, pulled the quilt to the shoulders of the two, turned her face to Allen, and asked him: "In front of your friends today, do you have something to say? explain?"
Allen's face became serious, he was silent for a while, and said, "You're really sharp." He was a little afraid to look into Grace's eyes, and lowered his eyelids.The color of his eyelashes is darker than that of his hair, they are long and dense, slightly curled up, and look very docile when they droop down.
Grace stood up, put her hands on his bare chest, and asked: "What's the matter? Do you have any plans?" He was a little sad and lonely, and said in a low voice: "Let me guess, you Don't you plan to continue going to the Imperial Council? They humiliate you, don't they?"
Allen sat up hurriedly, hugged Grace, and held his hand tightly, "I do have the idea of not going to the court anymore, but it's not because I can't bear the insult of being underestimated... If it's just a little thing, I will I absolutely don't want to leave you alone at that conference table! You should know that I want to be your servant more than anyone...but they tried to transfer me to counter the rebellion...they have been putting pressure on me for a long time, Especially General Cromwell, he firmly believes that my future is in the provinces...but I really don't want to go!"
Allen was stunned, his blue eyes, which were always firm and full of ideas, became blank, "Grace, can you understand me?... I am a soldier. Since the time of the military school, I have been The target for shooting was imagined to be soldiers of the enemy country. But then what happened to that! Let me point the gun at my countrymen, at the peasants who use rakes and shovels as weapons! I really—” He swung hard Gritting his fist, he said, "I'd rather die on the border than point a gun at the starving people!"
Grace buried her head in his neck and hugged him tightly.
Allen lowered his head and kissed his hair eagerly, "Are you angry with me? Do you blame me for leaving yourself in the imperial meeting?"
Grace raised her head and kissed his neck desperately, "If you, like those ministers, tell me that it is the fate of the poor, I will really be angry with you!"
The two bodies were soon entangled again.Eva came and knocked a second time, more anxiously than before, because it was getting dark.
Grace jumped out of the bed and quickly put on her petticoat. Allen hugged his waist on the bed, but didn't let go. The hem of the petticoat was piled on his arm.
Grace thumped his shoulder hard, "The king ordered me not to go back too late!"
Allen became jealous, and took a hard bite on the round butt in front of him.
Grace let out a cry and twisted in horror to see if there were teeth marks on it.Allen quickly put on his clothes and ran to the cellar, fetching some ice.
He applied ice cubes to Grace's bitten buttocks for a while, and saw that the tooth marks gradually faded, and there were no signs of swelling around him, so he breathed a sigh of relief, and dejectedly put the remaining small piece of ice Throw it on the table.
Grace lay on the bed, twisted her waist and examined her buttocks for a long time, then jumped up and threw herself on Allen, bit him hard on the shoulder through the shirt, and asked angrily: "Do you know how Queen Anne died?" Is it?"
He really wanted to ask this bold man, did he know what crime Queen Anne was finally beheaded for?It's incest!The queen's younger brother confessed in person during the torture, and the crime of beheading was confirmed!
Allen turned to look at him.Grace knew how hard she was biting, but the person who was bitten didn't seem to feel pain, and the stubborn and quiet eyes made Grace let go.But he immediately pulled off the back of Alan's collar, exposing the strong muscles at the back of his neck, and bit down harder than before.This time Allen shivered in pain, and hugged him tightly at the same time.
Grace tasted some blood in her mouth, so she loosened her teeth and licked it gently with the tip of her tongue.He sighed for a long time, "Alan Stone, how many heads do you have to chop off?"
Allen buried his face deeply in Grace's arms pitifully like a child who was scolded and forgiven after getting into trouble.
That night, Grace received a letter from Alan Stone in the palace, without title or signature, and handed it to him through Anna's hand:
"Everyone has only one head, so in theory I only have enough to chop off once. Of course, I believe that neither you nor I want this to happen. Especially for a soldier, the happiest way to die should be Was hit by the last bullet of a victorious battle.
But if the situation you are worried about cannot be avoided, I will try to make the best result.
I will leave your image in my rolling head (According to the latest medical discoveries, the brain is the center of all thoughts and emotions, not the heart. The heart just supplies blood to the organs of the body. It works like a water pump, using pressure principle), and your name remains below my severed throat, as my last secret, never to be spoken. "