Chapter 17: Recklessness is not a fault

Harburg, the family's ancestral home, was not a very large castle, so after the first day's meeting was over, Andre did not arrange anything. No matter who it was, they all had to figure out for themselves where to sleep for themselves. Whether they were uninvited guests like Zhou Ming or the princess Louise, or even Yifaman, they still had to find their own accommodation.

However Luckily, there is a large city within a short drive of Harburg, and its name is still Harburg. It is the capital of Alsace and the most prosperous city here.

The is the most prestigious five-star hotel in Strasbourg. This time, most of the people attending the conference are from here, and the others have their own estates in Strasbourg. After all, this is also a famous economic zone in France, only slightly inferior to Paris, with many factories and a famous river port. Even though it is no longer the base of Harcourt, it still has a lot of industry.

Since there is there were no industries, Zhou Ming could only live in the Hotel Rohmann like Princess Louise, who was suffering from a sore throat.

After they had checked in at the hotel and returned their luggage to their own rooms, they immediately went to Louise's room.

Louise, As a princess, she naturally booked the hotel's presidential suite. She seemed to have anticipated the arrival of Zhou Ming and Caitlin, so when Zhou Ming knocked on the door of the room to introduce himself, he was invited in by the guard.

Louise was was drinking tea in the living room of the room. When she saw Zhou Ming and Caitlin walk in, she simply asked them to sit on the sofa opposite and told her maid to bring them two cups of tea.

'This is from Huaxia. It was made two years ago, which is said to be the best Pu'er season, and also the result of a Hong Kong businessman improving the production process. I don't know about all that. I just simply think that it tastes very good. I know that you, Ming Zhou, are from Huaxia, so why don't you come and taste it for me.'

Louise Louise gave Ming a gesture of invitation and added, 'Of course you can also add a sugar cube, that will make it even better.'

Ming first Louise, and then said, 'I'm afraid I'll disappoint Her Royal Highness. Although I'm Chinese, I don't know how to appreciate tea. I just follow According to our customs, we don't add sugar to tea because it takes away the natural flavour, but you can add some honey or milk to enhance the taste.'

'I see. I think I remember. In the future, I will try to drink tea in the Chinese way according to what you said.'

Louise said put down the teacup in her hand and then said, 'You know what? I am very disappointed with your performance today.'

These sudden words made Zhou Ming and Caitlin pause for a moment. Regarding their performance, Louise said with a smile, 'Do you think I am too direct? Why don't talk endlessly like the other aristocrats?'

Zhou Ming trailed off: 'Of course not, Ms. Louise. You are Caitlin's aunt, which makes you my elder, and you are also a princess. In any capacity, you have the right to speak like this.'

Louise nodded and nodded: 'You Chinese are very good at talking, which is both a strength and a weakness. The strength is that it makes people feel comfortable, but the weakness is that it makes you arrogant.'

'At one time, thought that Archduke Ferdinand would approve of your relationship because you, Zhou Ming, have personal qualities that others don't have, or you have a different kind of wisdom. That's why told you the time and place of this meeting. I thought you would bring some surprises to this meeting, but now it seems that I have thought too much.'

Louise bitterly said with a bitter smile, 'You did bring a surprise, but there is nothing to make me happy about it, because you were so reckless, both in the way you came straight here and in your plan to interrupt the meeting. It was all like a dutiful son, without thinking twice.'

'Auntie, You're mistaken. We set off for Alsace as soon as we heard about the meeting. We didn't have time to make any arrangements, so it's not Zhou Ming's fault,' Caitlin explained for him.

'Caitlin don't you think that's just an excuse you're making up to help him out?' Louise said 'I know you travelled from Bermuda here, but if I remember correctly, you had to stop over in the UK for a day, didn't you? So why why don't you use it for thinking? Or, why can't you use the three days, other than sleeping, for thinking? Is the itinerary really just an itinerary, and can't be used for thinking?'

Caitlin nodded nodded, 'I understand what you mean, Auntie, but we still have to deal with jet lag on the way here, and the plane was so noisy. And we ourselves know too little about this meeting and the situation on Andre's side. It's too much to ask Zhou Ming to come up with a perfect solution.'

Zhou Ming spoke up and interrupted Caitlin: 'No need to explain, what I did was really reckless!'

Caitlin said anxiously, 'Zhou Ming, how can you say that? This is not your fault, there are reasons for all of this, aren't there?'

'It's true there is a reason, but that reason still does not excuse my reckless behaviour.' Zhou Ming then said to Louise, 'But Your Royal Highness, I admit to my recklessness, but I do not believe I was at fault.'

Louise her eyebrows, as if she was surprised by Zhou Ming's words: 'Admitting recklessness but not admitting fault is a very interesting disease. If a philosophical proposition, perhaps he would make a good one. But unfortunately, we have to face the facts.'

'But what I said I'm just telling the truth,' said Zhou Ming.

Louise didn't say anything right away. She looked Zhou Ming deeply in the eyes before saying, 'So you think that you deliberately drove Yifman from his position today, interrupted André's speech and finally ran up to the podium to steal the show. Are these actions the best you can do?'

'These actions are certainly not the best behaviour, but they are indeed the best behaviour I have shown today,' Ming replied.

'Why?' Louise asked curiously.

'Because I need to know more about this meeting, both the people involved and their motives,'

said Ming, and shook his head. 'I know it was rash of me to drive Ifman away, but I had to find a place for Caitlin, otherwise her already-disdained status as first heir would be even worse.'

'So you just drove someone away.' Louise then asked, 'But you have to understand that everyone who could sit in the hall today has a very important status. You were already at a disadvantage in front of André, and now you have offended another person for no reason. Do you think this is a sensible approach?'

Zhou Ming explained with a mixture of laughter and tears unable to explain, 'My Queen, I want to say that I am not an idiot. I don't choose who to offend just because I don't like them. Although I don't know Ifman, when I was outside the door I could see that he and André were on close terms. He was also the biggest fan of André's. Even when I told him to get up at the end, he asked André's opinion before speaking.'

'From these I can tell that he is Andre's man. Even if I am wrong, he will not support us. So an opponent who is already on the opposite side, it's fine to offend him,' Ming said nonchalantly.

Louise, however, heard another key point in Zhou Ming's words: 'You said that you had been observing everyone's performance since before you entered the door? That means that you had already been planning to use this method to establish Caitlyn's authority from that moment on, right?'

Zhou Ming trailed off 'I'm sorry, I didn't. Observation is just a habit of mine.'

Louise was silent for a long time before she said, 'I like observation, it's a good habit, because you never know what good fortune it will bring you. So then what? You can't keep being so reckless.'

'Of course will. That is why, after the meeting, we came straight to you, Your Highness. We need allies,' said Zhou Ming. 'Caitlin and I are very grateful for the invitation you used to let us into Harrowsbourg at the entrance, but what we need is an alliance that firmly binds our interests together, not just the concern of elders.'

'This is a very novel proposal, but the question is, what makes you think I need an alliance?' Louise suddenly asked.

Facing Louise Ming suddenly laughed in response to Louise's question: 'I think Your Royal Highness seems to have misunderstood something. From the very beginning, it has been Your Royal Highness who needs to ally with us, not me. Am I right?'

Ming's counter question made Louise freeze in her tracks. The question also took Caitlyn by surprise. She tugged on Ming's sleeve a little anxiously and whispered to him, 'Ming, why are you talking to your aunt like that? That's really polite, and if my aunt gets angry, we won't have anyone to rely on in Harburg!'

Zhou Ming was unmoved, he continued: 'In fact, I don't understand why. Obviously, Caitlin and I are in a non-sorrowful situation, and just a few guards can keep us out of the gates of Harburg. But when I think back to Her Royal Highness all your actions, whether it was agreeing to attend the funeral of Archduke Ferdinand or deliberately mentioning the meeting in Harburg to us and hoping we would attend, all of this shows that you need us as allies.'

At this point Zhou Ming paused for a moment, and then said after thinking for a while: 'Or it should be said to be an ally of the Archduke Ferdinand line. I think you have been in contact with the Archduke Ferdinand before. At the beginning, you also wanted to invite him to attend this meeting, didn't you? It's just that his sudden death, you had no choice but to let us take over.'

In the midst of Zhou Ming Louise fell silent as Ming continued to speak, while Ming sat patiently, waiting for her answer. Only Caitlin sat beside Ming, anxiously. However, thanks to her very good aristocratic education, she was able to sit there steadily with Ming and Louise.

After a long after a long time, Louise finally broke the silence and said helplessly, 'I have to say, you really have a keen sense of observation. As you guessed, I do need Caitlin.'

Louise said in a different way, 'Or your ally.'