Thales found that he still underestimated the high wall of power.

After he privately hinted that Marius and Shituo might as well send someone to "study and study" the plan to move to Star Lake Castle, in less than a week, the news that Duke Star Lake was about to move out of the royal capital spread throughout the streets of Yongxing City.

Alley.

"It's not good. There are even rumors in the brothels on Hongfang Street that the prince is tired of the girls in the capital and is going to practice his spear elsewhere. I don't know how they know and don't ask me how I know.

"Yes." Glover, who had returned from leave, solemnly reported to the prince, and at the same time glared at Huaiya who was hesitant to speak next to him.

The first-class punishment officer of the Star Lake Guards, Old Patterson was very angry about this. He took two of his men and the wind ghost Rolf ("He looks weird and vicious, Your Highness, he is very suitable for this job, of course"

The most important thing is that I can point at him and say to everyone, 'Look, this is what you get for talking too much.'" Patterson gritted his teeth), holding a whip menacingly, he went around the Mindis Hall to "catch moles," vowing to

Find out who leaked the secret.

 “That’s definitely not me!”

Difficult to drag large and small bags of exaggerated luggage, D.D returned from home with difficulty, and was caught by the "Mole Catching Team" at the gate.

"The setting sun is a lesson. I didn't mention anything to anyone about our move. Are you talking about these luggages? Hey, my parents forced it on me. I can't help it. You see, even winter clothes are packed in. It's so annoying.

It’s really... Hey! Mute! Don’t touch my lucky stuffed bear! It’s a must-have on the bedside!”

There was a moment of panic in the Mindis Hall, until Marius came forward and reminded the old prison officer gently and tactfully:

For such a big thing as the prince moving, even if it is just a preliminary "research and study", there must be a lot of troubles, coupled with the deteriorating finances of Mindis Hall ("I think we need to hire more people, cooks, gardeners, grooms and maids"

What? A glass wine glass? What does this have to do with a wine glass? Forget it, I'll just go ask His Highness." Wyatt Castle's honest and doubtful last words), as long as everyone in Mindis Hall still has family and friends, then

News leaks are inevitable.

As for why Duke Thales left the royal capital, there are many rumors on the street, ranging from "the legend of the ghosts of the Dukes of Mindis Hall" to "the legend of the rebellious prince's escape from marriage", and even "the theory of the hidden beauty in Xinghu Castle". There are many versions, mainly

The controversy lies in the identity, number, and even gender of the heroines, because Mindis Hall has no (money) to recruit maids after the prince returns.

What’s interesting is that the common people dismissed the idea that “the prince is bankrupt” and would even be met with laughter as soon as it was brought up: “Do you know how much the treasures in the Mindis Hall alone are worth? The prince even **

**It’s all made of gold, do you need to worry about it?”

The rumors became so chaotic that Prime Minister Cullen couldn't help but personally intervene during the royal meeting one day.

Thales was inconvenient to answer directly, so he cleverly shifted the firepower and tried to explore the possibility of saving Mindis Hall's finances:

 “Father, what do you think?”

At that time, the wise and wise King Kessel was reading the port tax report of the Emerald City, listening to the resentful complaints of Chief Qiu Ke (“As a powerful financial controller, I only get a salary of five silver coins per month, do I care?

Money? But they, this group of profiteers and corrupt officials from the south bank, have benefited from your majesty’s wise grace and made a lot of money, but they are so selfish that they even have to pay this small tax?"), frowning.

He was so preoccupied that he just waved his hand with disdain and said, "Get lost."

 “He granted it.”

 After coming out of the Renaissance Palace, facing Marius’s suspicious eyes and Straw’s expectant expression (“Your Majesty can’t let you starve to death, can you?”), Duke Thales smiled brightly, looking well-informed, steady and confident:

“His Majesty spoke highly of the long-term and fruitful work of Mindis Hall. He is full of confidence and expectations and sincerely encourages us to be unique, keep pace with the times, be independent, generate income from sources, pursue excellence, and explore the future.”

boom!

 Marios slapped the table expressionlessly: "The point."

 The Duke’s smile instantly collapsed:

 “No money.”

So after another two days, the rumors on the streets in the capital changed:

In order to resist the marriage arranged by his father, the Duke of Thales (there are also bets on who the heroine will be. It is worth mentioning that although the odds are so high that it is impossible, the prince's old friend, the heir to Walla, Cohen

·Karabyan did appear at the bottom of the odds list, behind all the ladies), and he did not hesitate to show his dissatisfaction in protest, which aroused the anger of the king. He broke out on the spot in the imperial meeting and slapped the heir hard in front of all the ministers.

A slap in the face will make him get out of the royal capital immediately!

 “No one has ever slapped me!”

 At the training ground, facing the worried Huaiya and the plate full of "skin care and beauty medicines" in his hand, Thales was furious:

"I'm fine, and my face is fine too! No, why should I let you see my butt? Other parts of my butt are fine! The sun is setting, I entered the palace this time for real, really, really, really not rebelling! What are you doing?

Don’t you want to believe it?”

Under the influence of various factors (mainly the increasingly alarming figures in the ledger), Thales simply gave up keeping a low profile and stopped covering up. He began to ask Marius to conduct an inventory with great fanfare, and sent a logistics officer named Strato to contact the general manager of the Fuxing Palace.

, asked the Noble Affairs Council for the account books and maps of Star Lake Castle, told the Bright Star private soldiers about staying behind, communicated with the Security Department about the time of departure, and asked others (D.D was aggrieved about this) to purchase sufficient supplies, and at the same time

Close the door to thank guests and live in seclusion.

"Is this really okay? Won't the rumors be worse?" Huaiya frowned.

"Believe me," the prince gritted his teeth and drew his bow and arrow on the training ground, aiming at Marius's butt in the distance, "the prince's butt is very popular."

 Huaiya looked stunned.

But luckily, all kinds of rumors only circulated for a few days before they all turned to:

It is said that the Duke of Thales overstepped his bounds in a royal meeting. The king was furious and cut off the financial resources of Mindis Hall as punishment. The Duke of Xinghu had to leave the royal capital and find his own way out.

Well, at least part of it is true.

A widely circulated theory among vassals and bureaucrats is that Duke Xinghu's political stance is too moderate on the issue of taxation, and he even sympathizes with the distant princes. This offended the long-established royal supporters, who in

Repeated slanders at the royal council finally moved the king and forced the duke to stay away from the political center.

Hmm, this is not entirely wrong.

So, on a working day morning, when the sky was first light, the door of Mindis Hall opened quietly, and the motorcade belonging to the Duke of Star Lake slowly drove out, heading for Star Lake Castle near the royal hunting forest on the outskirts of the city.

“Are you sure everyone is okay with this? After all, this is leaving the city and going to the countryside.”

Thales yawned widely and lay beside the car window with a sleepy look on his face, watching the logistics officer Piloga make the final handover with the private soldiers and servants who stayed behind.

"They are royal guards, not counselors and lobbyists," Mallos rode next to the carriage (the driver was originally Glover, but Thales refused), frowning and looking at the account book handed over by the logistics wing, "

It's not their job to express opinions. Damn it, why did you overspend again last month? What's going on with so many skin care products?"

 On the other side of the carriage, Wyatt turned his head silently and started talking animatedly with Rolf.

In the silence of the early morning, their motorcade caught up with the earliest opening of the city gate, passed through the Sage Gate on the south side of the royal capital amidst a crowd of pointing fingers, passed several markets and villages outside the city, and crossed the Muhe Ferry.

, driving onto the southern section of Fuxing Avenue, which was vigorously rebuilt during the period of Tormund III.

The south side of the royal capital is obviously more prosperous than the north side. The road is full of small traders and hired workers who get up early to enter the city, farmers and craftsmen preparing to go to the market, postal carriages going back and forth, and even travelers from foreign lands, who may drive to transport goods.

They came from various towns near Yongxing City carrying goods, or carrying suitcases on foot. They were in small groups, bustling with people, and from time to time they commented on the convoys passing by them.

"Ah, I know this motorcade. It should be the traveling court of this season, the judge who patrols the territory for the king to judge cases..."

"I'll knock you down. He doesn't even have a flag. He must be the illegitimate son of a certain noble family. He's so rich that he can't keep it public."

 “Look at the momentum of this team, tsk tsk, it’s so awesome, that’s what men should be like!”

“Tch, it’s just a bastard with a good life. If I were born there, I could take his place!”

It was late summer, and the vegetation around the avenue was lush and green. The Duke's motorcade turned down the avenue. There were fewer travelers, the trees were thick, the sun was blocked, birds and beasts were flying, the surroundings were full of life, and the wildness was increasing. They entered the scope of the royal family's hunting forest.

.

 “Holy shit, I swear that’s a bear!”

D.D exclaimed, causing the whole team to become nervous: "Zombie, draw your sword!"

"Don't be suspicious," veteran Gennard shouted to stop them. He shook his head, "I can see clearly, it's just a wild cat."

According to Mallos, the royal family's hunting forest delineated since the Black Eyes era has always been a good place for the royal family to enjoy outings and entertain guests. Before the Year of Blood, the late King Eddie led his ministers to hunt here more than once, and congratulations

The two princes, Lars and Heiman, especially enjoyed hanging out with their friends and riding horses for a carnival.

In the Year of Blood, Yongxing City was threatened by the rebels and Exeter, and had to close its doors. As a result, bandits gathered throughout the central territory, and the surrounding villages and small towns, including many noble fiefdoms, almost suffered.

, the hunting forest also became an ownerless wasteland, until the "Fortress Peace Treaty" was signed, the Kingdom's Fury returned with the Fury Guards, reorganized the central standing army, and wiped out the remnants of the rebels and bandits around the royal capital.

As for the post-war war, firstly, the national treasury was in straits, and secondly, people's livelihood was in decline. Moreover, the Iron-fisted King himself had no interest in hunting and feasting. The royal forest rangers who were responsible for guarding and maintaining had no rewards to receive, and the traders and farmers had no profits to share, so they all started

They scattered and settled nearby, or became tenants of the farm, or were hired to work, or joined the Bright Star private army, which in turn became a high-quality source of soldiers when the standing army was reorganized.

"The Baron Manor of Kingdom's Wrath is down that road, and next to it is the military camp of the Central Standing Army. For more than ten years, he has almost turned the hunting forest into their exclusive training ground and exercise ground," Mallos looked at a

The path in the forest was obviously trampled, and his eyes were deep, "But the good thing is that there is a standing army here, and no one dares to invade the nearby Wang family territory."

Jenny, who had been raised as a noble war horse since she was a child, was extremely dissatisfied with such an environment. She would break away from the horse leader from time to time, neighing and chasing the shadows of deer or badgers that flashed through the depths of the jungle.

After trying his best to call out, Els returned with a gloomy look and was covered in traces of branches and vegetation.

“She is the queen in the stable, and no horse dares to compete with her,” said the veteran Jeannard cheerfully, “but the birds and animals here don’t have this consciousness, and they are not very satisfied.”

They soon came to an iconic big tree. The watchman said that this was the most popular camping spot when the hunting forest was still prosperous in the past, and the big tree was thick and dense, blocking the sky and the sun, and looked very old.

It is called "Star Tree" and has many legendary stories about the Bright Star Royal Family:

It is said that in the last years of the empire, the illegitimate King Fuxing once ignited his fighting spirit under this tree, determined to make a name for himself and get rid of his reputation as a bastard;

Some people also say that five hundred years ago, Prince Brad, the "Procrastinator", encountered a coup and fled from Yongxing City in a hurry with a nine-star crown. It was only by climbing this tree that he escaped the pursuit of his cousin Keira, the "Unlucky One"

, fled to the Heroic Soul Castle to recruit troops, and kicked off the bloody curtain of the "Double Star Confrontation";
To be continued...