"I dare say that even a wise king, when he sees today's situation where the whole country is full of suspicion and suspicion, it is hard to say that he will not feel a little regret for his decision back then.
This time, Thales listened quietly and said nothing.
But he remembered the words he used to persuade the five grand dukes when he tried his best to turn the tide in the Palace of Heroes.
[The current weakness and turmoil of the stars are not accidental, but inevitable after embarking on this path.]
【This is what the wise king left for the stars.】
At that time, this was the "argument" that he swore to and worked hard to pluck out, and it was only temporarily used to sway a few princes.
To be honest, even he himself didn't really believe it.
But now...
Thales clenched his fists unconsciously.
But Cyril, who had been observing him silently, seemed to be not enough. After tutting and shaking his head, he raised his voice and spoke the next sentence:
"But you know, we, those of us who are declining, may just be in the scary future where you 'cross the obstacle' and successfully 'reach the summit'..."
The Duke's tone was very soft, like a devil whispering in his ears:
"The most inconspicuous member."
Thales suddenly raised his head.
"What's the meaning?"
The terrifying Duke of Xihuang no longer looked at him, but turned his head and sighed:
"You think that after we, the feudal lords and the old nobles who dominated the place, have completely disappeared, the common people who have finally found seats in the national meeting and the new nobles who you rely on as weapons will be satisfied.
, you will be willing to do so, and you will succeed and retire?”
Cyril's eyes slowly turned murderous:
"When you ascend the throne to subdue the princes and gather power, do you think that in order to contain the princes, the royal family spends a lot of money to support the standing army and look at where to go? What is the way out for a biting mad dog like Alaka Mu? A biting mad dog like Sonia...
What can an immoral woman like Satherley bring to you? What trouble-making shameless bastard like Williams can share with you both inside and outside the government?"
Thales took a deep breath.
Three handsome men of the stars.
He thought of the rude Kingdom's Fury, of the steady Flower of the Fortress, of...
Annoying legendary wings.
As well as their subordinates from Broken Dragon Fortress to Blade Fang Camp... there are countless of them, and they are mobilized frequently, and they have gradually become the royal standing army that is the norm in the kingdom.
"As for people like 'Cunning Fox' Cassel, 'Money Bag' Jack Man, 'Private' Red, and even Old Man Godwin and Pointy-faced Connie in the Council, who are so called loyal to you in order to defeat the powerful.
The royalists who regard nobles as their own responsibilities, after they have accomplished their great work, what will they leave behind for you and what will they ask for from you?"
The Duke's words became increasingly dangerous:
"Do you think that when the shining star occupies the throne supremely and there is no threat to the country, when countless humble people have followed the king's will and erased their natural fear of the high-ranking people, and then merged into a rolling torrent to defeat the old seal?
Minister, when you become a new generation of nobles and serve the supreme king..."
Cyril's voice was so sharp that it almost penetrated the door. To Thales, it sounded like a poisonous snake spitting a message:
"Can you just sit back and relax?"
Thales was silent for a long time.
But it was obvious that His Excellency the Duke did not intend to let him go.
"What's even scarier is..."
Speaking of this, Cyril's tone was tinged with a hint of treachery, a bit alarmist:
"When those merchants who relied on you to sell their official positions and get titles, found that their gold coins could no longer buy more glory, when those mercenary knights who won titles by opening up the frontier wasteland, found that their swords
It cannot be exchanged for glory like the founding six guardian dukes..."
At some point, Cyril started pacing again. Thales, who was lost in thought, only realized this when he heard the other party's voice coming from nearby:
"When those professional bureaucrats who worked hard to read and digitize could only earn a meager salary in the form of paperwork, when the creditors in the royal bank found that the king had no intention or could no longer pass the internal confiscation of the house.
Or expand outward, thereby selling concessions, increasing debt, and expanding profits..."
"When countless new nobles are eager for more power, status and benefits, but can no longer find a big target like us, no enemy for them to plunder, no object for them to demand..."
It was still the duke's exclusive words with a harsh tone, but Thales no longer felt any trace of wit or humor.
Boom!
Cyril's crutch hit the ground hard.
I saw the Guardian Duke of the West Wasteland blocking the window, his figure facing back the light, and his broad but empty leather robe covering him tightly like the shadow of a solar eclipse:
"Who do you think they, who have lost their respect for those in high positions and are eager for power, are most likely to point their new fingers at?"
"Is it up or down?"
Falkenholz said coldly:
"Who's going up, and who's going down?"
"And what happens when it goes up, and what happens when it goes down?"
up.
down.
Unconsciously, Thales' left hand had firmly grasped the jc dagger stuck on the bedside.
Any change comes at a cost.
The young man thought in a daze.
Some costs may not be apparent at the time, but they are just like when Cyril talked about the chess game...
After a hundred steps.
Then, he is Thales Bright Star.
Could it be that "after a hundred steps"?
"Let's not mention that these are all your conjectures..."
Thales took a deep breath, cheered up, and shook his head:
"If the general trend is really like this, then it is inevitable."
"Then, we will definitely have corresponding methods, such as readjusting the situation and balancing interests, and there will always be a better way out."
But Cyril's contemptuous smile was not his usual ridicule or sarcasm aimed at offending others, but genuine disdain from the bottom of his heart.
"So you have never been a ruler..."
"Humph, do you really think that your citizens are good people who are sincere and loyal and repay their kindness? As long as the governance is clear, they will live and work in peace and contentment? As long as you give them benefits, they will be satisfied and support you with tears of gratitude, even if
Are you going to hell?"
Thales turned his head and frowned.
"Repeat," the prince choked and was a little unhappy:
"I don't like rhetorical questions."
But this time, Cyril no longer fell for his "rhetorical questions":
"Go to hell."
The Duke of Xihuang said coldly and shamelessly. Thales swore that he even heard the Xihuang dialect that some locals are used to speaking:
"This is not a face-to-face transaction, and your people are not businessmen: you hand them money with one hand, and they will give you goods with the next hand? This is not even a bar fight. You can earn back your dignity and subdue your opponent with your fists alone.
"
Boom!
The Duke swayed and took a big step forward very quickly. His robes that were fluttering in the cold wind pressed against Thales like a hunting vulture:
"This world is not that simple. It is so simple that you can gain something if you work hard. It is so simple that you can be rewarded if you put in your efforts. It is so simple that if you work together and work hard, you can have lasting achievements and benefit all people."
"People are not that simple. It's as simple as giving kindness to others, giving benefits to others, fearing severe punishment, and submitting to threats."
Cyril's tone was urgent and sharp, like a scolding:
"No."
He looked at Thales who was a little shocked and hit the wall hard with his cane:
"I have been ruling the Western Wasteland for more than twenty years, starting from helping my uncle with political affairs. Believe me, your people will always give you unexpected and counterproductive feedback."
"One person may be cooperative, loyal, or obedient, but a group of thousands of people?"
Falkenhausz snorted coldly, his eyes were cold, alert and alert, as if facing an untouchable flame:
"A group of people are giant beasts with bottomless appetites and sharks that are never satisfied. They will always give the ruler a response that is beyond his expectation and will catch you off guard."
Thales was slightly stunned.
Cyril looks like this...
This is really not the usual situation, at least not the way it was at the State Council meeting six years ago.
If he wasn't acting.
Cyril turned around and gritted his teeth viciously:
“If you hate your people, they will hate you even more; if you love your people, they may not necessarily love you back; high-pressure authority may usher in more intense resistance, but benefiting the people may not necessarily bring about sincere love.
Loyalty; good intentions and bad deeds, but backfires are commonplace."
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The Duke's pace became faster and faster, and his cane repeatedly tapped the ground, making a heart-stopping muffled sound.
"At the end of the Age of Kings, the first king to use messenger crows on a large scale to replace post messengers brought unprecedented changes to the world. However, he eventually died under the ridiculous charge of "playing with things to lose one's morale, petting birds and abusing the people."
"Emperor Bashir more than a thousand years ago had a kind heart and made drastic changes to the old system in order to provide shelter to his people who had nowhere to live. However, he died of depression amid widespread complaints and public sentiment."
Listening to these historical stories that seemed both strange and familiar, Thales frowned.
"Are you saying that we are on an uncontrollable path that may lead to unexpected and counterproductive consequences? We can neither use human power to reverse it nor turn around to avoid it."
The Duke was noncommittal.
So Thales simply responded with a cold snort without mercy:
"Then the unstoppable momentum you just said, and the worry and vigilance you just mentioned, aren't they all bullshit?"
But it seemed that Cyril was also aroused. He snorted angrily, hit the ground heavily with his crutch, and stopped:
"No, that's what I said"
"Expecting to use simple and crude means to achieve direct and effective results often results in half the effort and the opposite."
He stared directly at Thales:
"Even if the purpose is correct and the direction is correct, if the means are wrong and the method is wrong, it is very likely to be in vain or even self-defeating."
"The problem we face is the mistake your father and his enemies made together."
The purpose is correct and the direction is correct.
Means deviation, method error.
Your father, and his enemies.
Mistakes made together.
At that moment, Thales suddenly realized what Cyril meant.
and his position.
Just listen to Cyril say coldly:
"The powerful ancient empire guarded the land of thorns with heavy troops. The Duke of thorns ruled this southwestern province known for its rebellious spirit with an iron fist, killing them into obedience. It seemed that his political achievements were remarkable and effective, and the emperor was quite impressed."
But the Duke's words suddenly changed and became dark and treacherous:
"However, when the time came for the empire to decline, the flag-raising rebellion was the strongest. In the end, the heads of the provincial governor and the Duke of Thorns' family were hung on the flagpole, the imperial legions were destroyed, and the empire's territory was shattered. It was none other than these Sons of Thorns!
"
In the increasingly exciting mental whirling, Thales took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall:
"If I remember correctly, Falkenhauser, who uses the four-eyed skull as his emblem, your ethnic language is 'power comes from violence'?"
He whispered, waiting for the other party's response.
Power arises from violence.
The Duke of Xihuang hesitated slightly.
He was silent for a long time, until a gust of cold wind blew.
"right."
The Duke said quietly, with a rare complexity in his eyes:
"But outsiders only know this sentence."
"This is the worst sentence."
Cyril, who had a gaunt and terrifying face and looked less than human, stared at Thales.
Power comes from violence, the worst sentence.
"So..." Thales asked tentatively.
But Cyril Falkenholz interrupted him rudely, spoke in a cold voice, and said a series of words in a deep tone that made Thales sit upright:
"Power dominates interests, interests cause conflicts, conflicts produce violence, violence brings obedience, obedience forms habits, habits create order, and order reaffirms power."
Thales was stunned.
It is strange that Falkenholz, who usually has a sharp voice and an unpleasant hoarse voice, this time spoke in a measured tone, as if with some kind of respect:
"This is the logic of 'power arises from violence': a perfect loop that cannot be broken."
"As for the power and violence that outsiders talk about, they are just two small pieces of the puzzle."
Cyril lowered his head, narrowed his eyes, and held on to his cane, like a vulture perched next to a tree, waiting to move:
"But too many people like to simplify and skip many intermediate steps. They think that giving benefits can win obedience, and that resorting to violence can bring power. This is the biggest problem."
"Especially reformers who want to bring about change in the world and change everything that people take for granted."
Power arises from violence.
Just...two pieces of the puzzle.
Falkenholz's words made Thales think deeply.
Cyril snorted again:
"And you know, what do we call the group of great people who wanted, were most eager, were most confident, and were best at changing the world?"
Cyril's next words caught Thales' attention:
"Mage."
There was silence in the room for a few seconds.
Thales let go of the dagger in his hand. He raised his head involuntarily, trying his best to hide his surprise, and solemnly looked into the Duke's eyes that looked equally burdened:
"And do you know what they ultimately brought to the world?"
Cyril did not continue.
The two of them faced each other silently in this ominous room at the top of the tower, with a scary look on one side and a puzzled look on the other.
But Thales quickly shook off the inappropriate questions.
"Cyrillic."
"You are not here to help your vassals and stand up for them," Thales quickly returned to the current context:
"But you are not siding with the king to show your surrender."
Thales said bluntly:
"Right."
He used affirmative sentences.
The two were silent for a while.
Finally, the smile on Falkenhausz's face was not the usual false smile before, but a sly, somewhat light smile.
Although it looked a little scary on his face.
"I told you, don't think of me as a stubborn, old-fashioned antique."
The Duke took a long breath and seemed to want to summarize this conversation: "Fackenhauser is not a conservative who is ignorant of the current situation. If the tide is like this and the general trend is like this, then I will not hesitate to make changes, and I will not hesitate to make changes."
Accept your fate without regrets."
"I also believe that both order and habits can be changed."
In front of Thales' careful and serious gaze, Cyril's eyes moved:
"But this kind of change must be step by step, bit by bit, drop by drop, and it will happen naturally and naturally."
"Not like this."
Cyril raised his crutch and pointed out the window.
"Changes occurred in the north, and the prince returned to his country."
The Duke said coldly:
"As a result, one party took advantage of the situation and threatened the king with the safety and life of the kingdom's heir, forcing him to hand over control of the western front."
"The other side simply took advantage of the situation and took away the armies, supplies, and garrison of the lords of the Western Wilderness. They beat them hard and killed them all."
Thales' expression slowly changed as he listened to these two seemingly understated but actually thrilling words.
"Didn't you realize that compared to the small actions behind the scenes such as forcing the palace, framing blame, and building momentum six years ago, the actions of both your father and the current princes are too drastic."
"The irony is, do they really think they can win through such a so-called victory," Falkenhauser said seriously at this moment:
"Can it erase the opponent's ambition and hostility?"
Cyril waved his hand decisively and with great momentum.
"No."
This was a rare moment for Thales when he felt that as a duke, the other party was not inferior to all the heroic and majestic grand dukes in the North:
"They will only push each other to get worse and worse until the final step, either now or later."
Thales pursed his lips, thinking about everything.
"But aren't you the leader of the western princes, the leader of the people, the lord of the ruins who controls the vassals, and the guardian duke of the western wasteland?"
The prince spoke slowly:
"When the game between Fuxing Palace and Ruins is put on a chessboard involving me and power, shouldn't you be responsible for it and not be able to make a difference in it?"
Cyril smiled.
"So you are not the king yet."
The Duke glanced sideways at Thales:
"Do you think that at every important node in history, it is the will of a certain person that dominates the tide?"
Cyril said coldly:
"You know, when your vassals and subordinates are angry and the public's opinions are high, standing in front of the wave, you don't have much choice but to follow the tide."
Thales's brows furrowed more and more tightly.
The Duke said sadly:
"Unless you want to replace the king and become the target of public criticism that hinders their hope of regaining their power, if you don't become their leader, you will become their enemy and the first to fall under the attack from both inside and outside."
Thales was silent for a long time.
Therefore, Cyril's words mean...
The young man suddenly remembered the state council meeting long ago, the vote that decided whether he was an illegitimate son or a legitimate prince.
At that time, Cyril voted "yes", but his nominal vassals, two of the thirteen noble families, voted "no".
Thales took a deep breath and brought his thoughts, which were getting worse and worse, back to the present:
"So bad?"
Cyril was also silent for a while.
"Don't forget what I said. People will always give a ruler a response that is beyond his expectation and catches you off guard. It is unfortunate that the lords of the Western Wilderness are also within the scope of the description."
Falkenholz turned his head and glanced at him lightly:
"Of course, for your father, you and I, we are also within the scope of the description."
Listening to the other party's ulterior remarks, Thales did not answer.
The Duke turned back and looked at the gray sky outside the window again:
"The practice of wooing the common people against the nobles and curbing power by any means will have consequences. The common people are not pawns at your mercy, and the nobles are not objects to be sacrificed."
His voice was filled with chill, like the bleak autumn wind:
"For feudal lords to block the general trend, they are seeking death. However, the Fuxing Palace may not necessarily be able to obtain the results they want, and the eagerness for quick success and instant benefit on both sides is a big taboo."
Thales clenched his fists.
Cyril looked at the sky in the Western Wasteland, seemingly confused, and sighed softly:
"More than a hundred years ago, the wise king's chessboard made silent, gentle and steady moves."
"But to this day, the chessboard where your father plays against them..."
Duke Xihuang paused for a few seconds.
"No, this will not end on a good note. The Year of Blood will not be the end of the story."
The confusion in his eyes dissipated and he returned to reality, becoming sharp and alert:
"Unless Your Majesty can kill all the creatures on this land and completely erase all the discord, I don't know. Maybe one day in the future, when the Kingdom of Stars can have everyone with a magic gun in hand, they can send messages
When the attack is imminent and the ruler on the throne can easily destroy the world with just a nod of his head, he may succeed."
Another gust of cold wind blew into the tower, bringing with it a whistling sound.
But neither of them seemed aware of it.
This time, Thales was silent for a long time.
long time.
"No."
After a long while, Thales spoke gloomily with a dry voice: