"Oh, it's too tight. You can't use that much force. Be a little gentler."
Kirk stood in front of the mirror, frowning and complaining.
“Honey, please.
This is the first time I’ve done anything like this.”
Hermann put on an innocent expression and spread his hands.
"If you ask Veronica to help you put on this dress, she'll definitely do a better job than I can."
"That's what I always say, you don't understand romance at all."
Kirk smiled and lifted the sides of his corset, slightly loosening his court-style dress that was almost squeezing his chest into a meat filling.
“Do you know why those French people who spray cologne on their bodies all day long can create a wealth empire comparable to that of the Jews
Is that because they are smarter than you nerds who spend all day thinking about the daily basics
Or was it because the cologne they wore could easily make women hand over the gold marks in their pockets
No, no, no, these are not reasons.
The point is that they understand romance, don't you understand, Hermann?"
Kirk turned around and looked at Herman, who looked confused. She leaned forward with her hands on her hips.
"Hermann."
"Um, sorry, I got distracted. Where were you talking about?"
Herman scratched his hair and lowered his head humbly.
"You are such a blockhead, there is really no hope for you.
Romance! I mean romance! Not some complicated circuit diagram in your head."
Kirk turned his head away angrily, but his eyes were still on Herman. Kirk liked the annoyed look on Herman's face every time he played a trick on him.
"Well, instead of discussing romance, I think it would be better to think about what to give at the birthday party for His Majesty Frederick III."
Hermann shrugged. He had looked at every item in the family warehouse, but there was no item that he thought would satisfy Frederick III.
Kirk stepped forward and twisted Herman's arm. Herman asked in pain, "Hey, what are you doing?"
"It is precisely because I understand your troubles better than you do that I am teaching you what is the right choice to give as a gift."
Kirk said seriously.
"Please, I don't think the French romance can please His Majesty Frederick III.
He is the monarch of a country, what else can't he get?"
Hermann said ruefully,
"Whether it's porcelain from the East or a witch doll from the South, as long as he wants it, he just needs to beckon and someone will bring those precious treasures to him. Is there anything he doesn't have?"
"You are such a shallow man, Hermann.
Calm down and think about why the French can make a lot of money, and where does their money come from? "
Kirk winked playfully and glanced at Herman.
"All right.
I'll try to analyze it.
First of all, high-end handbags, shoes, and accessories are all things that women like, so their wealth comes from women's money?"
Hermann sat on the bed, clasped his hands together, and thought hard.
"You are only half right. You haven't thought of the deeper meaning of the other half yet. Keep thinking about it."
Kirk turned in front of the mirror, examining the dress she was wearing to see if it was suitable for the king's banquet.
"I don't understand. All I think about are all kinds of odds and ends. What does this have to do with romance?"
Hermann said distressedly.
“Romance is a kind of fantasy, romance is a kind of pursuit.
Romance is full of passion. Charles Baudelaire, a famous French poet, once said that romance is neither a genius of improvisation nor an emphasis on complete precision, but somewhere in between, following your feelings.
This romantic feeling is the real commercial value of high-end products.
The difference between street stall goods and branded goods may be the workmanship, the material, or the craftsmanship, but women are sensory animals and they are emotional.
Romance is exactly what we women pursue.
Most of the people who pay for it are men, whether they are suitors or husbands.
Romance is a talent that men use to please women, and it is also a model used by the French to conduct business.
Now do you understand the importance of romance in choosing this gift? "②
Kirk said with a smile.
"So what you mean is that we should give gifts that will please Princess Victoria, rather than simply using the value of the gifts to demonstrate our loyalty to His Majesty Frederick III."
Herman clapped his hands and realized what Kirk wanted to tell him.
"Well, actually I have already chosen it. I just want you to learn the importance and commercial value of romance, and knock on your wooden head."
Kirk applied delicate lipstick in front of the mirror and turned back to kiss Herman.
“Okay, okay, you do have a point.
So what did you pick?"
Herman raised an eyebrow and asked curiously.
“A set of tea sets from the East.
The azure pattern and white background create a perfectly harmonious pattern on the teapot, she will definitely like it.
Princess Victoria is from England. Drinking tea is a very important part of their culture, and I believe this exquisite tea set will be enough to touch her heart.
As long as Princess Victoria smiles, His Majesty will be happy, that's for sure."
Kirk said, then he held up his skirt with both hands and walked out of the room.
"Why are you still standing there? We are going out.
This kind of party can only be early, not late."
Hermann stood up and followed closely.
"I'll leave the house to you, Baird and Veronica."
Hermann shouted, and Eugene was already sitting in the carriage waiting.
Veronica ran out of the room after hearing the noise.
"Wait a minute. Wait a minute."
She held a porcelain vase in her hand and handed it carefully to Hermann.
"This is the antidote pill I prepared. Each of you should take one before entering the palace."
“Thank you for your kindness, but do you think this thing can really be used
We are going to the palace for dinner, right?"
Hermann laughed and refused.
"No, no, no, it's precisely because we're dining in the palace that we have to be on guard.
My detoxification pills can remove most toxins. Even for deadly poisons, my pills can buy you crucial time.
Baird and I both hope that you can return safely."
After Veronica finished speaking, she looked at the housekeeper Baird who was directing the workers to clean not far away.
After hearing this, Baird nodded solemnly.
"Don't worry, I've tried this pill before. Apart from a slight fishy smell when swallowing, there are almost no side effects."
"This pill will form a thin film in your esophagus and stomach to prevent the invasion of poisons, and each pill can maintain its effectiveness for 24 hours.
If you feel any discomfort, such as nausea, vomiting, or dizziness, it means you are poisoned.
At this time, you need to induce vomiting immediately. As long as you vomit everything out, you will basically be fine."
Veronica said earnestly.
"Okay, okay, can you tell me why you have to be so cautious?"
Hermann asked.
Baird came to Herman's side and whispered,
“The Prime Minister suspects that His Majesty is colluding with the mysterious forces, so something might go wrong at this birthday banquet.
I asked Hayden, who is more skilled, to be your groom, as an extra layer of protection.
There are four in total, and one is for Lord Bismarck.
When you give it to him, remember to tell him the name Huang Hun."
Herman patted Baird on the shoulder after hearing this.
"Thank you for your concern. I will pay attention to it."
Hermann carefully put the porcelain bottle into his pocket and got into the carriage.
——
"Hahaha, welcome to His Majesty's birthday banquet. May I ask who you three are?"
The eunuch standing at the palace gate bent over with a smile to greet the Hermann family who had just got off the carriage.
"The Einsta family is invited by His Majesty. This is our invitation."
Hayden jumped down from the front seat of the carriage and handed over the gilded invitation in his arms.
"Oh, I'm sorry, the groom can't sit among the invited guests. I'll send someone to make the arrangements later.
And the three of you, please come this way."
The eunuch said politely.
At this time, Hayden could only wave helplessly to Hermann.
"This is the gift we brought. Should we give it to you now?"
Hermann asked, carefully holding the tea set in an exquisitely packaged box.
"No, no, no, it will be opened in front of everyone and will be evaluated by His Majesty."
The eunuch replied with a smile,
"If the gift you chose is not good enough, then I suggest you go back and choose another one. After all, it's still early."
"Oh, thank you for your reminder. Is there anything we should pay attention to?"
Hermann shook the eunuch's hand enthusiastically and secretly passed a few large-denomination gold marks to him.
The eunuch accepted Hermann's kindness without changing his expression, and said with narrowed eyes,
"It's better not to be too expensive. Your Majesty is not short of wealth."
Herman looked at Kirk, and Kirk gave him an expression that said, "I knew it a long time ago," which made Herman laugh and cry.
Hermann turned sincerely and bowed thirty degrees to the eunuch, then let Kirk take his arm and walk in.
"Hermann, do you think this food we just gave you will be useful?"
Eugene leaned over to Herman's ear and whispered.
He looked around the palace, which was filled with patrolling guards and guards hiding in the dark.
“I don’t know, but it’s better than being defenseless.
We just need to keep a low profile and gain the favor of Frederick III, rather than his dislike. After all, our theoretical backer is Chancellor Bismarck."
Hermann replied in a low voice.
In the inner courtyard of the palace, there are small round tables half the height of his body, and on each of them are placed some exquisitely crafted snacks.
Palace maids dressed like waiters were moving among the crowd, carrying different kinds of drinks in their hands.
Most of the invited guests are elites from all walks of life.
The three members of the Einstar family dispersed and chatted casually with people from various factions.
Their cunning business talents make them very comfortable in this situation.
"The Prime Minister has arrived."
At this time, the eunuch's voice at the door was heard, and all the guests stopped their chat.
The scene suddenly became silent, and everyone turned their eyes to the entrance of the inner courtyard.
Bismarck was wearing military uniform as usual, but what was surprising this time was that he was holding a long cane in his hand.
The old man who believes everything he says is really old.
This sentence became a thought in everyone's mind, but no one dared to say it out loud.
"Why? You don't welcome me?"
Bismarck looked around and found that these people were still as cowardly as ever, and few of them could look him in the eye.
"snort."
Bismarck snorted, then walked to a small round table, picked up a piece of cake and prepared to put it in his mouth.
The doctor beside him spoke up.
"Cream cakes are not healthy. The high sugar and high calories will have an impact on your kidneys."
Bismarck blew his moustache.
"If you can't eat this and you can't eat that, what's the fun in life?"
After saying that, he stuffed the small cake into his mouth.
Hermann handed the gift to Eugene, and immediately walked to Bismarck, bowed and greeted him politely.
"Merchant Herman Einstar meets the Prime Minister."
"Oh? I don't remember meeting you before? Let me think... Are you Eugene's brother?"
Bismarck asked with a smile.
"Yes.
Mr. Bismarck has some cream on his beard. If you don't mind, please wipe it with this handkerchief."
Hermann cleverly placed the antidote pill in the handkerchief, and at this angle only Bismarck could see the small black pill.
"What do you want to do, kid?"
Bismarck lowered his voice and said unhappily.
Herman's outstretched hand froze in the air, but he immediately remembered what Veronica had told him before they left, and said,
"Of course, I want to enjoy the sunset with you, my Lord."
Others might find it puzzling, as it was clearly noon with the sun shining brightly, yet they were talking about dusk.
After hearing this, Bismarck narrowed his eyes, took Hermann's handkerchief, and hid the pill in his palm while wiping his mouth.
No one noticed Bismarck's little trick, simply because his majesty was still there and no one wanted to provoke this old man.
"What do you want to do at dusk?"
Bismarck grabbed Hermann's shoulder and pulled him towards him.
In the eyes of others, Hermann seemed to be appreciated by Bismarck, who pulled him closer to have a private conversation.
"This is a pill to detoxify."
Hermann answered truthfully.
"Oh? That's a good idea, but I've already taken it."
Bismarck rolled his eyes.
"Go ahead, don't get too involved with me."
"Fuck you, I have cream on my beard, do I need you to remind me?"
Bismarck shouted and pushed Hermann two steps away.
He put on an expression of disdain, and Hermann at this moment perfectly demonstrated what it meant to look bewildered.
Coreya, wearing a red dress, held a glass of wine and watched the little episode between the two with a smile.
The intrigue within the inner court had just begun.