Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Page 277

Ashley breathed a sigh of relief; she hadn't expected Ronan to agree so easily. "That's great."

"Is that all?" Ronan asked.

“There’s one more thing. Although our Empress isn’t the type to need to be waited on hand and foot, she’s still a little unaccustomed to a life without servants. I could work as a maid, since I’ve done it for many years before, but she definitely wouldn’t allow it,” Ashley said.

Ambrina, who was not used to being waited on hand and foot, was the one who forbade Ashley from doing maid work.

“Anli wouldn’t agree either. You’re part of our special family, not anyone’s servant,” Ronan said. “You don’t need to serve them, but it would be good if you could take care of them a little.”

Ambrina was indeed not used to it. After being a queen for so many years, she had hundreds of people serving her. In fact, Isabel was somewhat used to it as well, after all, she was once a princess and later a high-ranking civil servant. She didn't have people serving her, but there were people specifically assigned to take care of her daily chores.

Ashley is different. An illegitimate child, she lost her mother at a young age and struggled on the streets alone. Later, she became Isabel's maid and secretary, occasionally handling shady matters. Compared to Elena and Alice, Ashley is different in that she excels at her job as a maid.

“No problem,” Ashley replied.

Initially, she became Ronan's woman because she felt that things were already like this, so she might as well be with him. But more than that, she wanted to climb to a high position, prove herself, and show her deceased mother that a woman can rely on others, but ultimately she must rely on herself.

But now, she doesn't have so many thoughts anymore. She's just grateful to be a part of this special family that surprisingly brings a touch of warmth.

"Is that all?" Ronan asked again.

Ashley understood now. She gently nudged Ronan, then squatted down, unbuckled his belt, and pulled down his pants.

While playing cards, Ronan's mind was already in turmoil, and he was still half-erect. Ashley only licked him a few times, and he immediately became hard and erect.

Ashley held the almost erect penis head in one hand, stuck out her tongue, and licked it upwards again and again.

Ronan looked at Ashley's absorbed expression, her parted legs, and the black stockings that shimmered in the sunlight, leaving a bright line. He couldn't help but pull up the large fishtail braid in Ashley's flaxen hair and gently wiggle it.

Then, Ashley grasped the enormous penis with both hands and began to suck and swallow. Before long, the front half of Ronan's penis was wet. Ashley spat it out, tilted her head back, and a glistening line of viscous fluid stretched from her lips. Then, she opened her mouth and swallowed it whole, almost completely engulfing Ronan's penis.

Before long, Ronan couldn't hold back any longer. He pushed Ashley away, pulled her up, and turned around.

Ashley braced herself against the trunk of a tree in front of her, bending over and sticking her buttocks out. Ronan lifted her skirt and pulled down her pantyhose and underwear, revealing that the thin, soft silk underwear was completely soaked.

Ronan reached over and teased it with one hand, saying, "Why is it so wet?"

“I miss the Lord,” Ashley said, with a hint of resentment. “I was originally in the later rounds, and often before it was my turn, I would have to deal with something. Once that was done, I would often have to start all over again from His Majesty the King and the former Prime Minister. In the last two years, Miss Zhao has also been cutting in line from time to time.”

"Feeling emotional?" Ronan asked with a smile.

"Hehe, just kidding, I've just been thirsty for a long time." Ashley said, holding onto the tree trunk with both hands, turning to the side, raising her left leg high and straight up, doing a split.

“Then I’ll fill you up properly.” With that, Ronan grabbed Ashley’s upright left thigh with both hands and thrust in all the way.

Ronan had sex with Ashley twice, filling her up to about 70% capacity, before returning to the spaceship with her to have dinner with the others.

After a night's rest, the spaceship took off the next day.

At noon, the group arrived in Switz. The spaceship was retracted, transforming into a large metal box of about one cubic meter. The group carried this object on their journey, and near dusk, they arrived at a small town on the border of Switz.

The town is small but bustling. Although no one does business here, it is the closest town to the Kingdom of Phos. Merchants from the east often choose to stay here for one night and then leave early in the morning, traveling for a day to reach a large town in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Phos that serves as a trading post.

Dinia made some changes, turning her hair red, since her white hair and red eyes were still too conspicuous.

Then there was Zhao Yingqi, with dyed blonde hair and wearing a flat-topped cavalry hat with the brim pulled low. Unless you looked closely, you wouldn't know she was from the far East.

The others didn't change anything, they just dressed more casually.

It's not that they really expect not to be recognized. If that were the case, it wouldn't be such a casual, minor change. It's just to avoid people recognizing them and then making a big scene, holding a grand banquet or something, which would be too much trouble. They're here for tourism and fun, not to be treated as the most distinguished foreign guests.

However, Ronan and his group still stood out.

After all, they are all beautiful women, each with their own unique charm.

They chose the best hotel in town, a part of a baron's ancestral estate that had been converted into an inn. After dinner, just as they were about to pay the bill, the manager informed them that someone had already paid for them—a merchant from Suleiman.

Ronan had a vague recollection of this person, but it was just a vague impression. They had passed each other when they went upstairs to look at the apartment, and the person hadn't even greeted them.

"Should we go find him, or ignore him?" Ronan asked Ambrina and Dinia for their opinions.

Dinia remained silent.

Ambrina, however, seemed somewhat excited. "Let's go find him." She had just arrived and already encountered something so interesting.

“Okay,” Ronan replied.

"Let's go, let's go now." Ambrina was somewhat impatient.

Ronan glanced at Dinia, who replied, "You guys go ahead." She wasn't very interested.

Finally, Ronan, Ambrina, and Isabel asked the shopkeeper for the other person's room and then went upstairs to find the Suleiman merchant.

This inn only has three rooms, but they are all quite large. The room where the merchant Suleiman is located is the one on the far right.

Ronan knocked on the door, having already concealed his identity, and it took quite a while for someone to open it. Inside was a group of Suleimanians, all dressed similarly: headscarves, robes, waist knives, and muskets. The room also smelled of mutton, a mixture of spices and leftover lamb bones, and there was a faint smell of alcohol.

Goodness, no wonder they didn't eat in the lobby; these people aren't halal.

Chapter 631 The Imperial Guards, the "Manchu Masters," there must be a conspiracy.

Before anyone else could speak, Ambrina greeted the person opposite her in three different languages: North Venetian, French, and West Germanic.

The Switz people also speak Venetian, just like the Swiss in another timeline speak Italian. French is undoubtedly their language, and in this timeline, due to economic and military development, it has become an upper-class language. West Germanic is High German, and this language was also spoken in the territory of the previous emperor.

The leader of the Suleimans came over and greeted them in perfect French, then made a cross gesture.

He, a mere green-haired guy, dared to make that gesture.

There's only one possibility: he doesn't believe in that religion. He's a follower of the Seven Saints Sect, and an older one at that. His identity is quite clear: he's a member of the Imperial Guard, or more accurately, the New Army. But whether he's qualified to be a "Manchu Master" who calls himself a "slave" is another matter.

In short, it's awesome.

"Do you know me?" Ronan asked, being as direct as he could be.

The bearded man shook his head. "I don't know him."

"Then you'll pay for our bill?" Ronan demanded.

“You can just call me Kasim.” The bearded man gave his name first, then said, “I don’t know your identity, but I can confirm that you and your female companion are from the Kingdom of Phos, of noble status and great strength.”

"How did you tell they were so strong?" Ronan asked curiously. Knowing they were Phos people was easy; anyone with hearing could tell. It was also easy to tell they were of noble birth. Although their clothes weren't fancy, they were made of high-quality materials and were well-tailored. Not to mention their shoes, made of top-quality leather, which were things that ordinary people could never afford. But their strength was interesting; they didn't use any magic or mana.

The bearded Kasim chuckled. “Ha, you and your companion look like you have extensive combat experience, yet your skin is so fine and your hands are so smooth. Only a mage can do both of these things at the same time.”

“Indeed.” Ronan immediately understood. “You must be a member of the Royal Guard, so why are you a merchant?”

Decades ago, the Royal Guard was simply an army, but it became more complex. The Royal Guard persuaded the Sultan to implement reforms that allowed them to marry and engage in business.

Nowadays, many members of the Imperial Guard are colluded with merchants, and at the overall level, they control a large number of Suleiman's commercial industries, including food, textiles, gambling, and even coffee shops and cigarettes. They are not good at fighting, but they are good at doing business.

But the Imperial Guard usually does business in the core area.

“The difference between the guards is greater than the difference between a person and a sheep,” Qasim said with a helpless, wry smile.

I understand now, they really were Manchus.

Some Manchus called themselves good servants, but they could bully their masters. Some Manchus dreamed of being servants, but in reality they were worse than cattle and horses. The same was true of Suleiman's guards. Some of them did big business in the capital and made money while lying down. If they were unhappy, they would ask, "Why did the Sultan rebel?" Others could only risk their lives to earn a meager living. They traveled abroad and couldn't even afford to have four wives.

These days, it's not easy to be a merchant. Every country has its honest and kind-hearted people. The eastern mountainous region of the Kingdom of Phos is a typical example of such a region. Herdsmen graze sheep during the day and slaughter fat sheep at night. If you have the power, the fat sheep will be yours to eat. If you don't have the power, sorry, you'll be the fat sheep.

"Enough with the unnecessary words, what do you want with us?" Ronan asked directly.

“It’s not that I’m asking you to do anything, I just want to offer you a fortune.” The bearded Qasim said with a fawning expression, “My brother is not my father’s son at all, but he inherited my father’s position as legion commander. If you are willing to help me expose his identity, we will split the profits 30/70 after it’s done.”

It's that 3:7 ratio again, right? It's the same ratio all over the world, isn't it?

"What kind of people does your father have under his command?" Ronan asked.

With his beard spread his fingers, Qasim said, "Ten cafes."

"That's it?" Ronan was a little disappointed.

“We sell coffee during the day and alcohol at night,” Qasim added.

Goodness, I get it. Selling bootlegging in areas where alcohol is prohibited—the profits must be enormous, needless to say. And they must also have their own underground distilleries, distributing their liquor all over the country.

However, it didn't matter much to Ronan; he couldn't take it with him anyway.

Moreover, this Qasim has a big problem. It's reasonable for him to ask for outside help for such a big matter, but it's unreasonable for him to ask someone like Ronan and his team, who don't even know the basics of the situation.

They're either stupid or bad, most likely bad.

Just then, Ambrina suddenly said, "It seems like a good idea, but it's getting late, we need to rest, and we'll discuss it again tomorrow. If there are no problems, we'll definitely agree."

“Thank you for your help, madam.” Qasim bowed in thanks.

Ambrina simply nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Back in her room, Ambrina immediately recounted what had just happened.

While Ambrina was speaking, Isabel didn't interrupt her. As soon as Ambrina finished speaking, Isabel immediately objected, "Are you out of your mind? This person clearly has a problem."

“If he doesn’t have any problems, I don’t want to bother with him,” Ambrina said. “Don’t you think it’s interesting? It’s like the protagonist of a play, suddenly getting caught up in a conspiracy. By the way, Yingqi, what’s that super cool Seris line about killing people, then throwing off your clothes and hiding everything afterward?”

"Kill one man in ten steps, leave no trace for a thousand miles. After the deed is done, dust off your clothes and leave, concealing your body and life." Zhao Yingqi replied with a hint of helplessness.

"Yes, that's the line, it's so cool," Ambrina said excitedly.

At that moment, Ronan suddenly spoke up, "Did you notice that there's a woman among them?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked at Ambrina and Isabel, the two involved parties, who shook their heads. The next moment, everyone's eyes were on Ronan, as if they were being interrogated.

“Don’t look at me like that. Do you think I’m that kind of person?” Ronan retorted.

“Yes,” Dinia said abruptly.

Others nodded.

Ronan raised his voice, "We're talking about serious matters!"

“Ronan, you’re getting impatient,” Ambrina said, followed by Isabel, “Yes, you’re a little impatient.”

“They really are in a hurry,” Dinia agreed.

Elena added, "Sir, there are so many of us here. Of course, you can pick wildflowers if you want, but you can't be indiscriminate about the world and the location."

“Dad, I’m very disappointed in you.” Astrid also joined in the word chain with a serious expression.

"I'm scared of you all." Ronan said helplessly, and decided not to argue anymore. He went straight to the point. "It's already strange that they bring women when they come out to trade. It's even stranger that this Qasim is planning something big and bringing a woman along. And this woman didn't really disguise herself. She was just wearing men's clothes. Everyone around her deliberately kept their distance from her. Obviously, she's not an ordinary person."

After they finished speaking, the group of women stopped fooling around and began to think about it.

Ashley, the team's second-in-command and former intelligence chief, speculated, "There's a possibility that he recognized us, and his goal wasn't to seize our property, but something much bigger, related to this woman."

Chapter 632 Speculation, 37, Reaching an Agreement

Then, Isabelle refined Ashley's guess.

The bearded Qasim was originally supposed to be a merchant, bringing this woman to the Kingdom of Phos under the guise of doing business, and then try his luck in the capital to see if he could persuade some important figure to give him some assistance. However, he arrived at the wrong time; he ran into Ronan and his group, and after recognizing them, he changed his plans at the last minute.

Afterwards, the group of people offered several different guesses.

But one thing remains unchanged: things are definitely not as simple as the bearded Qasim said. He must have other motives. He just saw that Ronan and his group were powerful and that they were high-status Phasians who wanted to have them protect him and help him take back his family property.

Whether he recognized Ronan and his group, and whether the matter was related to that woman, remains unknown.

"Why worry about so much? We're just ordinary citizens now. If things get really troublesome, we can just leave. What can anyone do to us?" Ambrina said.

It's really hard to find anyone in this world who can do anything to Ronan and his group. Individually, Ronan and Dinia combined are already far superior to any known seventh-tier being.

In a group battle, Ronan does have a few weaklings, but even if someone goes crazy, can he really expect a group of high-level mages to go crazy with him?

The incident involving the Pope back then involved the Pope challenging the fundamental interests of the conservative faction within the Vatican, creating a life-or-death situation between the two sides.

Ronan and his group have all retired now, so who would have a conflict with them about only one person surviving? Even if there were, it wouldn't be with Suleiman.

"Besides, having a tour guide like this seems pretty good. It can save us some trouble at the border and we don't have to worry about the route," Elena added.

"A tour guide? The kind that leads people into a fire pit?" Alice asked coldly.

Elena didn't respond, instead directly asking, "Then how about you lead the way from here?"

After all these years, the two of them are still the same; whenever they're together, they always bicker.

Alice was about to say something more when Ronan raised his hand to stop her. "Alright, Didi, what do you think?"

Ambrina was determined to get involved, and Isabel didn't object. Now it was up to Dinia to decide.

Broadly speaking, Ronan's group of women falls into three factions: the "royalists," including Ambrina herself, Alice, and Zhao Yingqi (who had lived in the palace since childhood and even feigned conversion to Christianity, with Ambrina as his godmother); the "spy gang," led by Isabelle, along with Ashley and Golan; and finally, the "workers' and peasants' party," consisting of Dinya, Agustina, and Elena.

“Go.” Dinia didn’t say “whatever” but gave a definite answer, then added, “The most interesting thing about traveling isn’t the scenery, but experiencing the local customs and culture, right?”

The matter was settled.

The next morning, after breakfast, the two groups gathered together.

Qasim first reintroduced his background and then briefly introduced his subordinates.