When Thales was asked out of the Mindis Hall by Gilbert and Jinny with serious expressions, he had no idea what was going on.
"What's wrong?" Thales stepped out of the fir door of Mindis Hall for the first time in more than twenty days. He looked at the familiar dark carriage with a confused look on his face.
"Gilbert will explain it to you." Jinni's serious look made him nervous. She flicked the riding crop in her hand, jumped into the driver's seat lightly, and answered briefly: "All you have to do is get in the car immediately.
"
Thales turned his head in confusion, and the middle-aged nobleman took out a boarding stool from nowhere and placed it gently on the ground.
"Please, little sir."
"Ms. Jinnie doesn't like sitting in the car. I'm sorry, you have to endure an old man like me riding with you." Gilbert's attempt to release humor completely failed, and even the two horses could sense his thoughts.
Seriously, avoid him intentionally.
What's going on here?
With uneasiness and apprehension, Thales stepped on the boarding stool and carriage steps. He looked back at the guards in Mindis Hall and saw that they had no intention of leaving with him. It seemed that he felt Thales' gaze and moved with him.
The swordsmen led by Jorah bowed their heads to show their respect.
"They won't come with us - a carriage, it's more low-key." Gilbert said calmly.
Thales looked at the extremely solemn expressions on the two people's faces, resisted the desire to get to the bottom of things, and simply asked: "When we set off this time...will we come back?"
"It depends on His Majesty's will," Gilbert said in a heavy tone, "Forgive me for being rude, but we must set off as soon as possible."
Is the matter so serious?
Thales said nothing more and simply got into the carriage, followed closely by Gilbert, who gently closed the carriage door.
Inside the dim carriage, there are still the deep red sofas from twenty days ago, the glass dotted with crystals, the carriage decorated with the nine-pointed star emblem, and the slightly glowing luminous paint.
Jinnie's riding whip was brisk and rhythmic, but the speed of the car was much faster than the last time Gilbert drove, and of course, it was also much bumpier.
As the carriage bumped up and down, Gilbert watched the Mindis Hall gradually disappear outside the window under the moonlight, and looked at Thales solemnly.
"Time is of the essence, so I will choose the key points."
Except for the conversation in the secret room, Thales had never seen Gilbert so serious, which made him feel uneasy.
"The envoy from the Kingdom of Exeter is scheduled to visit the stars around the New Year." The middle-aged noble looked at Thales seriously.
Thales narrowed his eyes and tried hard to recall the history and places of the mainland in the past twenty days.
Kingdom of Exeter.
The country established in the North by Nekaru Ax, the human hero of the End War.
The Northern Dragon, the country of heroes, the Blade of the Western Continent, the powerful northern neighbor of the stars.
Gilbert continued solemnly: "An urgent report came from the north: Three days ago, the Exeter delegation was robbed and killed on its way south to the Central Territory, and no one was spared."
Thales opened his eyes in disbelief.
"The victims included six Exeter nobles, and...Prince Moral Walton." Gilbert sighed:
"He is King Exeter and the Grand Duke of Longxiao City, the only son of Nun VII, the heir of the Walton family, and the next Grand Duke of Longxiao City."
The time traveler gasped.
The most powerful country in the Western Continent, the only son of the king, and the heir to the territory.
Being kidnapped and killed in the realm of stars?
"Including the accompanying star nobles, there were no survivors at the scene and no clues. There was only a line of blood written on the ground made of the blood of the victims..."
Gilbert looked directly into Thales's eyes, nodded slightly with a worried look on his face and said, "If the stars are there, the empire will last forever."
The family motto of the Bright Star Royal Family?
Thales was startled.
"This kind of clumsiness and naivety is obviously a way to frame the blame and provoke conflicts between the two countries..." Thales thought carefully about the nature of this matter, but he suddenly realized something, raised his head in disbelief and asked: "Really
it works?"
"Unfortunately - it works, and it sucks." Gilbert whispered.
Very bad? Thales was shocked.
The carriage drove out of Evening Star District, entered King Street, and headed towards the Central District.
King Street is one of the largest streets in Yongxing City, with the largest flow of people second only to the north of the Central District. It is a transportation hub, Xingju Square where merchants and shops from various countries gather, and the large market next to the West City Gate where lower-class residents gather.
Different from the roads in XC District and Xihuan District, which are still illuminated by torches and animal oil lamps, the lights on King Street are all permanent lamps second only to Dongcheng District. There are gradually more pedestrians on the road, from performers to minstrels.
There are shop merchants shouting softly (some shops doing night business, such as clothing stores and watch shops are still open), domestic servants coming and going of the nobles, officials coming and going for entertainment, and even real nobles riding carriages or
Passed by on foot.
Here, their carriage is unremarkable.
Located at the junction of the Evening Star District and the Central District, King Street has a very high proportion of rich and noble people. Compared with the Star Square and the Grand Market that Thales has seen, this place seems more conservative and quiet, with fewer people.
The former is noisy and noisy, and the latter is local philistine rudeness, but even here, ragged beggars and homeless people can still be seen on both sides of the road from time to time, groaning and extending their hands to passers-by.
Fortunately, the carriage was equipped with one-way glass, so there was no chance of anyone noticing what was going on in the carriage.
But Thales's mind was focused on Gilbert's words at the moment, and he glanced at these street scenes in a hurry.
The words of the former Foreign Secretary continued to ring in my ears:
"The key lies in the Peace of the Fortress."
"At the end of the Year of Blood, Exeter invaded and Broken Dragon Fortress fell. From the northern border, cliff land, Western Wasteland to the East China Sea, most of the stars were caught in the flames of war. The major generals were weak and the kingdom was almost in despair. His Majesty, who had just succeeded to the throne,
We are even considering recruiting children under the age of fourteen to join the army."
Gilbert breathed a long sigh of relief, his eyes were lost in thought, as if he was remembering the war years.
"Because of the fear of the northern dragon by the countries in the Western Continent, and the concern of Suye and Hanbul in the Eastern Continent for the affairs of the Western Continent, we tried our best to mediate diplomatically to win the intervention of various countries, and finally forced Exeter's troops to attack
Having to retreat back the same way and sign a peace treaty, Exeter was even forced to vomit out a piece of wasteland occupied by the stars before the Year of Blood."
"I was a signatory of the "Fortress Peace Treaty" back then, and I know this very well."
Thales's eyes lit up: "We lost the war, but won the negotiation?"
Gilbert nodded, but his face was not relaxed: "This is terrible - it is not so much a peace treaty as a record of humiliation."
The carriage drove forward for a while, and there were many beggars on the road. Some even extended their hands to Ji Ni, who was the driver, but the cold-faced palace lady ignored them all, and her whip became more and more brisk.
"At a time when we are victorious and land wealth is within reach, being forced by the alliance of all countries to truce or even cede territory, this kind of defeat is more shameful than losing the war - many lords of Exeter, especially those in the south and
The grand dukes bordering the stars were so angry that the "Peace Treaty" even shook the rule of King Nun for a time. In the past ten years, the relationship between the dragons and the stars has been at a freezing point, and a large number of lithium deposits have been newly discovered in the north.
, the East China Sea also has a group of deep-sea whales rich in oil..."
Gilbert sighed.
Exeter, a country and a nation that is still in the process of being formed - Thales said in his heart: war is needed to sharpen the entire national community.
"The Lords of Exeter, at least the three Grand Dukes bordering us, are all eagerly looking forward to the war - they are eager for the large amounts of land, resources and wealth that were easily obtained twelve years ago but ultimately missed."
Gilbert shook his head and looked out the window with sadness in his eyes:
"That's why the Exeter delegation came to visit. They are determined to restore the "Fortress Peace Treaty" and want to redraw the border between the two countries."
"And now, the envoy was robbed and killed midway before reaching Eternal Star City - can you imagine the scene when the news is returned to Exeter?"
The carriage bumped over an uneven road surface, and the whole carriage shook.
Thales frowned: "Do you think it was the lords in Exeter who planned this robbery and murder? Just to - provoke a war and compete for territory and resources?"
Gilbert raised his head, his gaze was very scary at this moment.
"It's worse than this." The former foreign minister said coldly: "Exeter adopts a king-selection system, where the great lords vote and elect the king together. In recent decades, the Walton family has been on the throne.
It has been sitting for two full generations - and Nuln VII is by no means a beauty that everyone loves."
Thales said suddenly: "So, this is the common demand of some lords of Exeter to seek resources from the outside and strive to change the king internally?"
"We're close, young sir, take one step forward, take one step forward." Gilbert carefully guided the Kingdom's only Brilliant Star bloodline and said calmly:
"In the period from the assassination of the mission to the consequences, the pressure of this matter will be entirely on the shoulders of His Majesty Kessel. How to make a decision, how to respond, whether it is war or peace, what method, tough or weak, honorable
Humiliation, all responsibilities will be borne by His Majesty - from now on, all the nobles in the stars will keep their eyes fixed on Fuxing Palace."
"What do you mean?" Thales asked doubtfully - no matter how genius he is, he is not in a situation of aristocratic rules and cannot understand the significance of this matter.
At that moment, Gilbert's eyes suddenly became complicated and profound, making Thales unpredictable.
"First of all, although the handling of this matter is complicated, no matter whether it is war or peace, Your Majesty will not be able to escape the accusation of being cold-blooded and ruthless, not caring about the people, or being weak and easy to bully, and humiliating the stars. This will greatly damage Your Majesty and the Bright Star royal family.
Domestic prestige and authority.”
Thales' pupils narrowed suddenly - he began to understand the meaning of "worse than this".
"Secondly, to deal with this major matter, whether it is military mobilization or national decision-making, it requires power far beyond the territory directly under the royal family. It requires the cooperation of the entire star and the cooperation of the lords. This means that His Majesty must obtain the lords, especially the six
The full support of the wealthy families and the thirteen noble families, and this is by no means without cost!"
The price - Thales was shocked - for example, who is the next candidate for the High King of the Stars?
"Again, war has its pros and cons. It not only brings crisis, but also brings a reshuffle of power in the stars. After the baptism of war, the weak are eliminated, the old lose their place, the strong survive, and the living are stronger. - Some lords
One part of us has its end, and the other part has a new life.”
Under Gilbert's burning eyes, Thales sat blankly in the carriage, feeling the bumps and vibrations.
"Finally, the royal family has no heirs, and Xingchen has had no heirs for twelve years." Gilbert's voice suddenly rose: "What could be more compelling than an imminent crisis in the kingdom to force your majesty to choose an heir in advance for the sake of peace?"
What possible way out for the war? Even in this crisis, once a certain highly respected family makes a move to obey the people and gather the support of small and medium-sized nobles, who knows whether they can become the next shining star?
The next royal family?”
silence.
Thales looked out the window with dull eyes.
He understood what Gilbert meant.
It's just that he was shocked by the fact that burned his brain and made him horrified to think about it, and he couldn't let it go for a long time.
Gilbert looked at his expression and shook his head slightly.
Hopefully, this cruel and bloody game that has been played for thousands of years will not scare this smart and talented little gentleman away.
After a long while, Thales finally spoke in silence.
"So, this is not only the wish of Exeter: war and king change. It is also the wish of many people in Star Country: competition for the royal family." Thales added the final conclusion with difficulty:
"The assassination of the envoy is the result of many political factors... It is something that will inevitably happen with the tacit understanding of the careerists of the two countries..."
"Right." Thales spat out the last two words in an affirmative sentence.
Gilbert looked at his state worriedly, blinked hesitantly, and then said: "In view of the current situation of the royal family, your presence and appearance will not matter whether you are facing the lords at home or facing the Egyptians internationally.
Kuster, will be the target of public criticism - for your safety, I will suggest to Your Majesty to postpone recognition of you..."
"Is it worth it?" Thales didn't pay attention to Gilbert's words. He spoke softly and interrupted the middle-aged noble.
Gilbert raised his eyebrows.
"What kind of person would look forward to the coming of war?" Thales asked feebly.
"This is not a game of counting pieces on a chessboard," Thales slowly closed his eyes and clenched his fists: "This is a war. It is two groups of living people standing face to face, depriving each other reasonably and legally.
Life, until one side is deprived of all... war."
"They have experienced the disaster of the Year of Blood, why are there still people looking forward to war?"
"Just for a crown? To enjoy authority and power in a broken and decaying kingdom, in a barren and starving land, and among numb people? Then rule for more than twenty years in a miserable and miserable state, with fear and suspicion, and then rule
Do you impose the same misfortune on your descendants?"
"does it worth?"
Gilbert wanted to answer, but was speechless for a moment.
Thales, who had no answer, shook his head dejectedly.
However, this is probably history.
The history of human behavior.
There was another silence in the carriage.
The carriage drove away from the bustling King's Street. There were more and more beggars outside the carriage, and Jinni had to use a riding crop to scare them away.
"This is not just war," Gilbert looked at his students with a worried face and said softly, "This is politics."
"We are all gamblers aiming for power."
"Land and people are nothing but bargaining chips that can be exchanged."
"Between victory and defeat, it is just a transfer of chips."
"This is the game between the nobility and the state."
Thales raised his gaze and chuckled helplessly: "Yes, war is a continuation of politics - the game of power, the feast of crows."
But I don't like this.
In his heart, a voice whispered.
The traveler's peripheral vision shifted to the car window, where a beggar stretched out his hand to touch the axle with a sad face.
Looking at the group of beggars in the royal capital, Thales thought in a low voice: This is already a dilapidated kingdom——
etc!
The carriage passed by a bright eternal lamp. Thales focused his eyes and instantly saw the beggar's hand clearly.
Those were rough and calloused hands.
But the calluses are not evenly distributed in the areas where workers and beggars often touch and bear weight on their palms. Instead, they are concentrated on the thumb and index finger, and near the tiger's mouth.
His brain immediately started spinning.
He had also seen such unique calluses on another person's hands.
Yara Sarriton.
Thales was startled and turned to another beggar, then the third, then the fourth...
"Gilbert!"
The middle-aged noble looked puzzled.
Thales said calmly:
"Something's wrong."
"These people are not beggars."
The traveler took a deep breath:
"They...they are..."
Yodel's hoarse voice came faintly from the void, taking over his words:
"It's an assassin."
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Thanks to Mr. "Breaking Point String" for the reward at the starting point!