According to the later records of "Dark Star History", in the year 679 of the end of the calendar, Thales Bright Star, the second son and successor of the Iron Fist King, who was known as "Polaris" at the time, escaped from the dangerous hostage life through complex political mediation and was captured.
The princes of the Northland were sent out of the country with gifts and returned to the Kingdom of Stars, where they were immediately canonized as the Duke of Star Lake Castle.
(There is also a saying that the people in the North were unwilling to let the prince go. The latter fought his way out and escaped in embarrassment. However, he was separated from his entourage and had to cross the desert alone and returned home with the help of the orc tribe. However, this theory
The source is the folk bards and tribal songs circulated in Caligre Independent State and around the city of Bladeya. It is more like a literary interpretation full of passion and fantasy by poets. It has neither logic nor evidence, so it is not credible.
)
On November 2 of the same year, the Duke of Thales attended the Royal Council for the first time in records and officially participated in the politics of the kingdom.
This meeting is of great importance and mainly resolves two thorny issues:
The first was a vicious incident that offended the royal family: a debt-ridden and desperate country squire from the West Wasteland broke into (some say he was invited by someone interested) into the Mindis Hall. At that time, Polaris was having a banquet. In front of all the dignitaries, the former
He drew his sword to intimidate the guests, accusing the royal family of killing the foreign ministers of the Western Wilderness. Although the uninvited guest of the Western Wilderness was eventually killed by Duke Thales himself ("Your Highness's bravery is not inferior to the wrath of the kingdom." Earl Godwin, who was present, said to his sons afterwards
Such emotion), but this incident brought disgrace to the royal family, shocked the government and the public, and spread rumors.
Next came an even worse political incident: a few months ago, the greedy Western Wasteland vassals, led by Viscount Lugo of Xizhan Fort (today's Four Points District of Fusha City), wanted to monopolize the desert trade routes and did not hesitate to spread rumors and slander, forcing them to leave.
Marshal Williams, known as the "Legendary Wing", represented the royal family and guarded the Blade Ya Camp (Note: the ancient castle community heritage park in the western suburbs of Blade Ya City today). Just one month later, Xi Jinping lost the support of the standing army and the military discipline was weakened.
The desolate princes were attacked by desolate skeleton men and orcs (some say they were sand pirates who disguised themselves as one of their own and sneaked into the camp). They almost lost the Sabertooth Sand Dunes. Viscount Lugo and his two sons were killed on the spot. Fortunately, they were killed on the spot.
Marshal Williams stationed troops not far away and promptly led his troops to return reinforcements. Although he did not disdain the conduct of the nobles in the Western Wilderness, he still rescued the friendly troops regardless of past suspicions, defended the front and drove away foreign enemies, and thus managed to protect the border.
Two things, one more shocking than the other (not to mention that they happened at the same time strangely), there is no doubt that the arrogant and domineering attitude of the Western Wasteland princes gave the Canxing royal family a blow in the head, as a gift to congratulate the reunion of their father and son.
The whole kingdom is waiting for the reaction of the Fuxing Palace.
It is said that the imperial meeting lasted from morning to late at night and lasted for a whole day. The imperial ministers had serious differences at the meeting:
Military advisor Thordor Red believed that these two incidents were proof that the princes of the Western Wilderness were ineffective in governing and contemptuous of the royal family. He suggested that the Iron Fist King take a tough stance and appoint Marshal Williams (for his biography, see also Thales Daniel Dorsey).
"Records of Famous Officials and Generals at the End of the Chronicle" written by Dr. Il, as a royal envoy, sent troops to the deserted ruins (today's Duke District of Fusha City) to investigate the crimes of the Western Wasteland vassals headed by the Duke of Falkenhausz. The implication is that
He does not hesitate to fight to establish his authority and set an example to others. People who hold similar opinions to him include the Minister of Commerce and Trade and the religious adviser.
On the other side, the Prime Minister, Duke Bob Cullen, is more willing to believe that these two incidents were just accidents, and is worried about the possible negative consequences of this move. The Financial Controller, Juke Mann, lacks confidence in the budget for the expedition, and the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry is also unwilling to
Militarism affected production, and all three of them firmly opposed the radical opinions of the military advisers. Strangely, this time, the respected "Sly Fox" Casso, a royalist who always supported the king in attacking local vassals, also stood on their side.
.
As one of the parties involved, the young Duke of Thales wanted to perform well in the meeting, but he soon discovered that the imperial ministers, including his teacher Count Casso, did not care about this man who had been imprisoned in the north for six years.
A young boy who attends the imperial court with the false title of Duke of Xinghu.
Seeing that he was being ignored, the Duke of Xinghu was extremely disappointed, so he left his seat in the middle and left the palace.
The imperial meeting continued, and the ministers who were divided into two groups insisted on their own opinions and argued fiercely. Kessel V was upset ("I can tell you that the king is not happy. Very, very, very, very, not happy."
Happy." Lord Clapham, then Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, wrote in a private letter), and even had to interrupt the meeting several times.
Until dusk, Duke Thales returned to the Renaissance Palace.
This time, he brought a sword.
At first, no one understood the Duke's intention, and even the royal guards guarding the palace were frightened ("The Duke returned at night with his sword in hand, and the guards were all frightened." "Secret Records of the Watch: Marius"), but this time,
Polaris at least attracted the attention of the imperial ministers and made them patiently listen to his words. Military adviser Thordo commented: "His serious look reminds me of Prince Horace."
What happened during this period is unknown to later historians, but many people believe that it was with this heirloom sword of the Falkenhaus family that the prince proved his influence over the Western Wilderness, and he successfully persuaded the king and
ministers, and allowed him to handle the crisis in a more clever way (compared to sending troops to the west).
The Renaissance Palace soon sent a letter to the ruins, which was written by the Duke of Tyers himself, namely the "Letter to Cyril" (now in the Merrill Xixer University Museum, one page of the original has been lost).
Duke Xinghu’s wording in this letter was sincere, neither humble nor arrogant. He not only reviewed his friendship with several old friends in the Western Wilderness, but also mentioned the royal family’s permanent garrison in the Western Wilderness (this is a reference for studying the Star Kingdom’s military and foreign policy in the Great Desert).
Scholars provided important evidence), and also gave special thanks to Duke Cyril Falkenhaus for the sword, but did not mention the accident at the Blade Tooth camp and the banquet.
Scholars of later generations have many interpretations of this letter. It is generally believed that Duke Thales carefully selected his wording and content. Every word, including the degree of rhetoric, is a deliberately polished message. He is hiding something in the dark while trying to win over him.
While making a secret threat, he also analyzed the situation in the Western Wilderness with clear and unique insights. Most importantly, he pointed out his intentions by leaving blank spaces.
("It's impossible for Duke Cyril not to know the seriousness of those two things. He must be ready to bargain. But the more Duke Xinghu spares his words and never mentions it, the more uneasy and frightened he becomes. Although on paper
Say nothing, but speak loudly. There is no higher realm of diplomacy than this." Dr. T. D. Doyle, "Research on the Changes in the Feudal System of the Western Wasteland in the Old Kingdom")
At any rate, the letter worked.
Baron Vanke Gouz, the palace staff of Fusha Palace, said that the Duke of Xihuang "thought for a long time" after reading this letter. Soon, under his leadership, the usually unruly princes of Xihuang bowed their heads and admitted their mistakes.
He ruled poorly, apologized for the accident at the Blade Tooth Camp and the injustice suffered by Marshal Williams, and even took the initiative to request the Fuxing Palace to send troops to the Western Wilderness, completely surrendering to the kingship of Kessel V.
The successful handling of the crisis in the Western Wasteland without conflict or bloodshed has greatly enhanced Thales Brightstar's political status and given him a solid place in the Imperial Council.
If the reputation of Duke Thales had previously been limited to the "distressed little prince" among the common people (due to his clever performance at the meeting and his experience in confronting the Northern Kingdom), after this incident, everyone from nobles to officials
, from the vassals to the princes, the entire kingdom has the impression that "the Duke of Xinghu can take on great responsibilities in politics".
The king's heir is widely expected, which objectively consolidates the unstable rule of the Bright Star royal family (some scholars believe it is a solid foundation, but high-pressure and strong), causing enemies who are ready to move to put away their unnecessary ambitions.
But history is not that simple.
In fact, the strong rise of Duke Xinghu has caused dissatisfaction among many people, including the crisis in the Western Wilderness. Many big figures in the Imperial Council have worked hard for many years to govern the country and assist the government, but in the end they are not as good as a young man who has been imprisoned in the north for many years.
This makes them lose face.
What’s more, when this case started, the affairs of the Royal Council were actually overridden by the Duke of Xinghu in the form of private reports to the king. This directly affected the authority and status of the royalists in front of the king.
(“I can’t reveal the specifics, but I can tell you that when the prince entered the door, all of us didn’t even dare to breathe.” The then financial controller Juke Mann once said this.)
More importantly, most of the royalists came from the new nobility. They believed that the Duke of Xinghu stood with the old princes on many matters (such as land and tax policies), which fundamentally harmed their interests.
And this did not come out of nowhere:
The gentle and effective handling of the crisis in the Western Wasteland has indeed allowed Polaris to win the hearts of many local princes. Many people began to go to the Mindis Hall where the Duke was with disputes and problems that the king would not understand before, hoping to get the same satisfactory solution.
The solution did not live up to their expectations. The Duke of Thales was good at balancing various aspects and could withstand the overwhelming pressure from the King and the Royal Council. He was also extremely charming and gently appeased the many dissatisfactions of local vassals.
As a result, the reputation of Duke Xinghu increased day by day, and the Mindis Hall soon became the only place for foreign vassals to visit the royal capital. One of the protagonists of the crisis in the Western Wilderness, Count Lewis Bozdorf of the Castle of Heroes, even sent his heirs to
With Duke Xinghu, I hope he will follow the Duke and achieve success in his studies.
At that time, a wealthy knight from the countryside who went to the city to deal with matters said to a friend of his who was in financial difficulties: "Relax, there is nothing in this world that cannot be solved... If there is, then go to Fuxing Palace.
Yes, then go there twice...if not, then go to Mindis Hall."
How Polar Star considered it, whether his actions were truly sympathetic to the local princes, or whether he was ambitious and seeking fame, is unknown to future generations. But in any case, Duke Xinghu's actions not only gained him fame, but also taught him to be feared, until these
Fear gathered into a stream, turned into slander and suspicion, and rushed to Kessel V, the highest point of Fuxing Palace.
Later historical evaluations have many discussions and criticisms on the personal character of the Iron Fist King. It is believed that the king's indifferent and stubborn character is the main reason that hinders him from maintaining a good relationship with his son. If Kessel V could not be so rough, tough and suspicious,
Instead, we can openly and honestly understand each other with the Duke of Xinghu. Then when the kingdom is undergoing changes, many governance conflicts between the central and local governments (including the crisis in the Western Wilderness mentioned earlier, including the subsequent turmoil in the Iris family) may be able to be resolved between the father and son.
With concerted efforts, we can solve the problem.
It’s a pity that there is no if in history.
Beginning in the spring of 680, sinister rumors such as "two stars rule the country and see the big from the small" appeared in the capital of the stars. Some illegal underground gambling stalls even launched a bet on "how long can the king live?"
Historical records indicate that in the summer of 680 in the Ending Calendar, under the combined influence of various factors, the fifteen-year-old Duke of Thales was ruthlessly exiled from Eternal Star City by Kessel V.
After a frightening day, the prince's Mindis Hall was finally released, and the Star Lake Guards were also released from custody, finally giving Thales a place to go home and sleep.
Even though Fuxing Palace tried its best to block it, rumors that Duke Xinghu broke into the palace at night and broke with the king and his son inevitably spread throughout the royal capital.
As for what happened to His Highness the Prince in Fuxing Palace that day, the remaining members of the Star Lake Guards were both surprised and confused (especially after the Flag Wing interrogated them for six hours and then hurriedly retreated), and the rumors they heard from everywhere were confusing.
It was unbearable, so D.D, Glover and others who once "followed His Highness up the mountain of swords and into the sea of fire" suddenly became the most popular, being sought after and questioned everywhere ("If you understand, you will understand. For others, ahem, sorry, I want to
Keep secrets for the prince." D.D) touched his butt and looked humiliated. Except for Jenny who couldn't speak in the stable, even the new Rolf was handed a note.
But as the rumors spread, the direction of the wind changed so quickly. The Mindis Hall was filled with people singing and dancing one night, but the next day it became a vacuum and forbidden place where no one could approach the Yongxing City.
The security officers and patrols who had always been diligently on duty nearby and enthusiastically shouldered the transportation duties were completely withdrawn by the third day, and Mallos had to dispatch some idle guard personnel (D.D. was indignant about this) and
The servants go out every week to purchase supplies for living, but even among the servants in Mindis Hall, many of them broke their contracts and resigned for various reasons.
The avenue outside the manor used to be bustling every day, where everyone craved their necks to catch a glimpse of the prince, but now it is deserted.
The news was received the next day. Jinni, who rushed back from outside the city, learned what happened (outside Ballard) and rushed to Mindis Hall to get furious. She thought Thales's actions were reckless and impulsive. She was self-righteous and followed
His foolish father was no different (hearing this, Marius hastily dismissed everyone).
"We just broke down." Thales could only smile while stroking his new ring, and asked Marius to send someone (D.D was indignant about this) to send away the disappointed and unbelievable Jini.
.
“You can fool other people, but you can’t fool me!”
The palace lady looked furious when she left. Thales could only hide with his head in his hands:
“I’ll figure it out, no matter which bastard I have to rip open!”
It is said that after that, Baron Quentin, the palace steward of the Renaissance Palace, was ill for two whole weeks.
There was no news about Cohen after he returned home, until Conmuto inquired from an acquaintance in the Police Department and learned that Director Lobik of the West City Police Department heard about Cohen's feats and ordered him to suspend his duties in anger. As a result, Cohen
He reminded the director in a low voice that he was already suspended, and the director was so angry that he announced his reinstatement on the spot. When Cohen was beaming, he transferred the latter's post to the Road Maintenance Section of the West City Gate, which did not last long, because Cohen was at the city gate.
He broke the head of an out-of-town nobleman with a broom, and was suspended again by the director of the road maintenance department despite the begging and gratitude of his colleagues in the road maintenance department.
The prince's classes continued, but Gilbert resigned from his teaching duties due to heavy government affairs. Thales was silent for a long time, but Huaiya breathed a sigh of relief.
At the same time, several teachers who worked in Wangli College also resigned. Baron Quentin had to post advertisements throughout the city to recruit bachelors, but there were still very few applicants. In the end, the highly respected Grand Bachelor Bona came forward in person to "recruit" at the college.
Several of his own students came to teach the prince.
Thales didn’t know what the rumors outside had become, but he didn’t care much about these things.
He knew that all this was destined to happen.
And he has more urgent tasks.
In the name of the Duke of Star Lake, Thales hastily wrote a letter. Without even reading it a second time, he asked someone to send it to the Fuxing Palace and publicly sent it to Falkenhauser in the ruins. He grabbed the sword and did
Now that you have done what you can do, it's the other person's turn.
Lord Cyril’s reaction did not disappoint him.
Falkenholz first replied to the letter, admitting his fault: without Baron Williams' timely rescue, the important town of the Kingdom of Xihuang was almost lost. For this reason, he requested the royal family to send more standing troops to the western front to "guide defense", and he was willing to donate part of the tax revenue.
Use them as military resources to defend the territory and make up for your sins.
I don’t know what the Duke of Xihuang did. In the span of a month since him, Bozdov of Heroic Soul Castle, Chroma of Wing Castle, and many other princes of Xihuang have written letters to apologize, not only to Fuxing Palace, but also to
In the Blade Tooth Camp, Baron Williams's gradually expanding military camp, there is an endless stream of guests and gifts.
In response, King Kessel replied graciously: I am very pleased to be loyal to the country. If you make mistakes, correct them. What is the crime? Border defense is an important matter, and we should be careful. We should recruit new troops and set off as soon as possible.
As for the Blade Tooth Camp, it is said that Legend Wings, who took the trouble to do so, waved his hand: the gift will be accepted, the person will be left behind, and he will be held in a cell in exchange for a ransom.
Along with Falkenhausz's letter, there was also a bunch of high-quality carriage bridle ropes that Lord Cyril named and sent to Duke Thales, with the inscription "Exquisitely crafted, of high quality, durable, and able to pull through a great deal."
According to Mr. Wyatt, His Highness was very fond of the bridle ropes and treasured them so much that he even refused to let them be stored in the warehouse.
A few weeks later, the Logistics Wing reported to Mallos that the sewer pipe in Mindis Hall was blocked by a tattered rope, and the watchman had to send someone (D.D was very angry about this) to work for a full hour to clear it.
.
As for the debt dispute between Bailar and the Doyle family at the royal banquet, the result was quickly announced:
With the full cooperation of the Xihuang side, the Nobles Affairs Council, the Finance and Taxation Department, and the Judgment Hall jointly reiterated the case and ruled that the Doyle family illegally loaned money and occupied land. However, the Bailar family could not escape the blame, and the judge ordered both parties to bear their respective responsibilities.
loss, and reach a repayment ratio that is acceptable to both parties within their capabilities.
As for Anke Bailar himself, who was treasonous and offended the royal family at the banquet, he was deprived of his inheritance rights and was taken to the Prison of Bones and imprisoned for life. Thales could only attach a letter, asking everyone from the Duke of West Wasteland to the Wings of Legend, etc.
(He was very confident in the former, but he simply gave up on the latter, leaving only the sentence "for the sake of Ricky and the key").
Thales originally thought that the matter would be over here, but he obviously underestimated the impact of the matter.
Within a few weeks, Mindis Hall became lively again, and the guests who came to visit were no longer people from the central area, but foreign vassals from all over the country, officials and even ordinary civilians who could afford the travel expenses.
It was okay to meet the tactful ones, at least they knew to ask for a report or send an invitation first, and then wait for a response, but more people rushed in blankly, with a heaviness as if the sky was falling, and were struggling with the Star Lake Guards
During the fight (D.D was aggrieved by this), he shouted at the window, "I have something to ask, prince, please listen carefully."
Thales was very interested in the beginning and insisted on seeing guests every day. He listened to things ranging from the squire and landlord "I met an old man collecting rent at home" to a certain knight "Your Highness, I want to report that my neighbor next door is a bandit. I need a gun."
"Army" and even "Your Highness needs a boss to owe us wages when looking at my daughter's portrait", which made him know a lot about the customs and folk customs in various places in the stars. But gradually, people from other places came to see the Duke of Star Lake.
More and more, Thales found that he was too busy at all, so he had to do it for him (D.D was indignant) to receive guests in advance and screen the guests. Most of the guests only left records, and only those with important matters were selected.
receive.
Sure enough, not everyone can play with the approachable way little flowery Zhan En does.
Facing these various guests, some Taylors only need to smile and listen. At most, Mallos can reply with a letter full of words of encouragement. All he needs to do is sign and stamp "The Duke knows it."
With some small gifts, the other party often goes back satisfied, but some problems are really serious and require Thales to enter the palace again to face the king (most of the time it is his "go away") to get the answer.
Even if it can't be solved.
But the really troublesome thing is other people who want to take advantage of the opportunity to surrender and join the Duke's command. For such people, Mallos rejects them on the spot on the grounds of "insufficient funds" or "full staff", but even some others
Thales also found it difficult to refuse.
“My name is Paul Bozdorf, from the Black Lion family of Heroic Castle. I believe we have met before, everyone.”
The young nobleman in front of him had a bandage on his head, carrying his own luggage, and bowing dumbly.
This is Paul, who had led the Black Lion Infantry to escort Thales back to Eternal Star City from Gift Town on his father's orders. He appeared in front of the prince again, as dull as ever:
“My father wants me to join your guard and follow you around. In fact, I can be your flag bearer. Where is the flag he gave you?”
Confronted with the obvious intention of Earl Black Lion to send the heir, Thales expressed that he had a headache.
“Oh, that flag,” the prince said awkwardly, “By the way, what happened to your head?”
"Sorry, there was a carriage that wanted to overtake, so I responded to him in the old way, which is very common in the Western Wilderness." Paul touched his broken head, his expression unchanged, "But there was a street sweeper at the gate of the city.
have a finger in the pie."
Thales refused repeatedly and had no choice but to agree, and Tomaros found a place for Paul in the Mindis Hall (D.D volunteered, but Glover was eventually assigned as Paul's introducer).
But even inside Mindis Hall, problems are not small.
In addition to rumors spreading and people panicking, Mallos had to convene a disciplinary meeting. In addition to the old Dragon Sky City Department ("those fake Yankees" D.D's catchphrase) and the Star Lake Guards ("those city people" soldier Willow's
Complaints) The integration was not as smooth as Thales imagined:
Wyatt is Gilbert's son. He tries hard to blend in with everyone. However, D.D's talent is not shared by everyone, so everyone still keeps a distance from him. Rolf's equipment and appearance clearly indicate that he is not easy to mess with.
In the past few days, people have been mistaking him for being arrogant and unwilling to speak, and he almost got into a fight with Zonevide; Genard is a veteran in the army and seems to have an old grudge with Conmuto; Willow has been in Longxiao City for several years.
The 20-year-old rural soldier in the northern border always made everyone in the guard look at him with his informal behavior.
Therefore, in order to speed up the familiarity between the two sides, Marius decided to start from standing guard, disperse the people and regroup them, starting with Thales' personal bodyguards.
And this is a bad idea.
The combination of D.D and Huaiya made Thales feel tired. On the one hand, D.D knew Huaiya's identity and deliberately talked to him, and his words were flattering and funny. However, Huaiya was serious and felt that he had to answer every question out of politeness.
The two people go back and forth, creating a scene called Nao Noisy.
“So, Mr. Huaiya, you have stayed in Longxiao City for the past six years, eating and sleeping with the prince without leaving each other?”
“No, Sir Doyle, I occasionally leave my post, sometimes for His Highness’s duties, and sometimes for normal holidays.”
“Oh, do you go home a lot?”
"Not much, Mr. Doyle, as I said, I am not close to my father."
“Oh, alas, we young people don’t like to be close to our parents...”
“I don’t believe so. I have friends who have good relationships with their parents.”
“Well, I have had a stepmother since I was a child, and where is your mother?”
“She... passed away.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...”
“It’s okay, I understand.”
“Then Count Cassel doesn’t want to marry again?”
Thales, who was concentrating on doing the exercises, couldn't bear it anymore and slammed the table angrily:
“Can you shut up?”
Waia and D.D both stood at attention.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness!”
So the two lowered their voices and spoke with anger:
“Well, Your Highness asked us not to talk... My mother named it after her young brother who died young..."
“I see, no wonder it sounds so good. Hey, are you an only child?”
“I think it’s best for us not to talk...Yes, my mother wanted to have a second child before she died..."
Thales was so angry that he fainted in the book.
Glover is not good at talking, and Rolf can't speak at all. They should be a very quiet and comfortable combination, but the two people who were born on the street have a problem:
They stood behind Thales, one on the left and the other on the right. Sometimes they would accidentally catch each other's eyes. At this time, neither party was willing to show weakness, so one party's eyes became dignified and deep, and the other party's eyes became cold and sharp.
, then one side becomes more profound and solemn, while the other side becomes sharper and colder. This side retaliates harder and harder, and the other side refuses to retreat even an inch and retaliates even more...
As time passed and the two looked at each other silently, murderous intent gradually began to fill the air, and a chill filled the air.
The atmosphere is ominous and heavy.
Every time Thales looked up from his book, he felt like he was between two magic guns, making it difficult to breathe.
It's like being at a funeral.
“Can you stop staring?”
The zombies and the ghosts with the wind snorted together, looking away, and the air returned to normal.
Until they (inevitably) meet again next time.
Thales, who was protected by them, felt so desperate.
When Wyatt and Glover were accompanying Thales, it was another situation.
The attendant considers himself the most important confidant of the prince, and if he wants to show his favor to Glover, he will always nod to him in a friendly manner when the two of them look at each other casually. Faced with the enthusiastic and unsociable zombie, he becomes unnatural, and the latter often
He awkwardly moved his chin back in embarrassment, then turned his head and looked away. This made Huaiya stunned for a moment, thinking that he had done something wrong, so he put on a smile the next time, so Glover was even more at a loss and pulled stiffly.
He opened his mouth and turned his head to avoid it. If Waiya thought this was a positive response from the other party, he would be encouraged to continue smiling. If he thought the other party's reaction was not good, he would reflect on himself and be more friendly and enthusiastic next time. So Glover became more and more embarrassed, but he
I don’t want to speak...
So what Thales glimpsed with his peripheral vision was often a scene like this:
On the left, Huaiya smiles and nods for a while. After receiving a response, he is sometimes disappointed and frustrated, sometimes full of confidence, and is always trying to make some eye contact with the other person.
On the right, Glover, who was standing guard, huddled up as much as possible with the least use of his limbs, twisting weakly and painfully, avoiding his eyes, and forcing a smile, like a little baby who was poked in the face but couldn't resist.
.
"enough!"
Thales gritted his teeth and started to protest again:
“If you want to flirt, go to the next bedroom!”
The defensive combination of Doyle and Rolf is hard to describe.
Doyle had a cheerful personality and was overly familiar with himself. He tried to talk to Rolf as always, but he knew that the ghost in the wind could not speak, so he carefully wrote down the "interesting gestures" between the latter and the prince, and kept them close to the prince.
, when on duty face to face, he would show a mysterious smile from time to time, and suddenly throw a gesture to the other party that he had no idea what it meant:
【Have a meal】
Rolf rolled his eyes and turned to ignore him.
D.D vaguely knew what was wrong, but he was not discouraged. He only became more and more courageous. He made the next gesture and raised his eyebrows to indicate whether he was right:
【You?But?】
Rolf was a little angry, but he knew the man's character and tried to ignore it.
D.D blinked and began to combine different gestures:
【Go to the toilet? Eat?】
Rolf subconsciously gritted his teeth and gave him a murderous look in return.
But Doyle was inspired and became more enthusiastic:
【You? Toilet, eat?】
Rolf’s eyes were so cold that the Mindis Hall turned into ice.
Doyle felt he was on the right track:
【Like, toilet?】
Rolf's anger almost spilled out of his mask.
D.D was even more surprised:
【Like, do?】
Rolf clenched his fist until Doyle's last few cheerful gestures:
【Like?Fuck?You?】
The next second, Thales, who was engrossed in reading, felt a gust of wind blowing past, and there was a crackling sound. The ghost with the wind rolled into a ball with D.D until Bastia or Nexi came over after hearing the news.
They separate.
Thales, who was watching all this, felt his heart heavy and picked up the pages on the floor in a daze.
Life in Mindis Hall has been a constant back and forth between a backwater of staleness and a hectic state of affairs, depending on what problems you encounter today, but there is basically no in-between.
In short, for a period of time after the agreement with the king, there were rumors outside, and the forces in Yongxing City also took sides, and the Duke of Star Lake gained rare freedom. There was no longer any advice from a higher level, and there was no longer any
Wherever you go, there are huge crowds of people, and there are no longer strict rules and regulations that must be adhered to at all times.
But whenever Thales looked at the sunset outside the window, he knew that everything in front of him had a price.
Things in Xihuang have come to an end, but the kingdom will not stop moving forward.
Thales lowered his head and looked at the "covenant" in his hand.
The kingdom will not forget him, and the Fuxing Palace will not forget him either.
He is the king's sword and chess piece.
He was waved and moved again...
Just a matter of time.
But before that…
“We have no money.”
Thales turned back gracefully and was immediately shocked:
"What?"
The indifferent Marius and the logistics officer with a constipated look on his face, Edward Straw stood in front of him.
“You heard what I said.”
"All our previous expenditures were taken care of by the Renaissance Palace. We only need to hand over the account book to Baron Quentin at the end of the month," Mallos said dullly: "But now..."
Straight Logistics Officer raised the account book in embarrassment.
Tales came back to his senses:
“Oh, yes, we...we are responsible for our own profits and losses.”
According to the terms he negotiated with the king, this is one of the signs of the disharmony between Mindis Hall and Fuxing Palace.
It is also the condition for his independence.
“Wait a minute, don’t we have other income?”
Stor's logistics officer had a sad look on his face. He explained carefully for the Duke who had no fingers in the spring water and didn't know how valuable food and rice were.
"Yes, we have the salary of the royal guard, and you also have the regular living allowance from the Prince of the Stars, but..."
“Not enough.” Mallos said bluntly, expressionlessly.
"First of all, you have done so many things in the past few months. Just the tea fee for the reception... And because the relationship between Mindis Hall and many city departments, including market officials, has weakened, we have spent a lot more for no reason. Oh, the most important one is
The most important ones are the ones at the banquet..."
Glass wine glass.
Tales, who was hopeless, helped him finish what he said in his heart.
"And we still have to pay the debt in installments...forget it, you are already troubled enough."
Strauss calculated the accounts carefully:
"After we are responsible for our own profits and losses, we cannot purchase directly from the channels of Fuxing Palace, and the expenditure is a lot more. You know, the prices in Yongxing City..."
Thales knew the prices in Morning Star District and Evening Star District, and nodded numbly:
Yongxingju, great difficulty.
So he rolled his eyes:
“Wait a minute, I heard D.D say that there are many rare treasures in the Mindis Hall, such as famous paintings...”
Marius frowned and looked behind him at a portrait of "Jackal" Sumer III.
“Even if you dare to sell...”
“Who dares to buy it?”
Tiles's expression drooped again.
“Then maybe we can open the first floor of the Mindis Hall for everyone to visit, and then charge an entrance fee of two silver coins per person?”
“Where did the bad idea come from again?”
“Hey, I read it from the book. How do you think it is?”
“Which book? Maybe I should report it to the Department of Ethics...”
“Well, in Longxiao City, a book written by Northerners, it tells the story of the life of a large family in a manor..."
“That,” Shituo’s logistics officer said tentatively:
“In fact, many of your distinguished guests these days are interested in investing in you, including...”
"No." Thales and Mallos said in unison at this time, surprisingly unanimous.
The prince and the watchman looked at each other.
It seems that both he and the other party know what can and cannot be done.
In fact, even though Thales made such a deviant and shocking act that spread rumors from the outside world, Mallos still reacted indifferently and did not ask any more questions. He continued to work as usual and turned around to think that not long after the robbery, people were separated
The Xinghu Guards were reorganized and continued to take care of the daily life of Mindis Hall.
It seemed as if Thales just went for a walk around the Fuxing Palace.
Apathy remains the same, numbness remains the same.
This made Thales very grateful to him.
Well, it would be better if he didn't apply this attitude to my orders.
“Then maybe you can tell His Majesty and ask Baron Quentin to give our expenses to...”
"No." Thales refused decisively, even more decisively than before.
“Okay,” Logistics Officer Straw sighed and closed the ledger, “then there is only one last option left.”
Thales and Mallos both turned their heads, as if listening.
“We can no longer stay in Yongxing City due to the price of goods here. We have even advanced the salary of the guards for the next month.”
No longer staying in Yongxing City.
Ah, it would be nice to stay away from Fuxing Palace, away from the king, and away from bad people and things, but...
Thales raised his eyebrows:
"where to?"
“Of course, I’m going to your fief,” Straw Logistics Officer said sternly. “According to the sacred star law, Your Excellency, you can exercise your natural rights on the fief to collect taxes.”
“Fiefdom? I still have a fiefdom that can collect taxes?”
Thales said with a smile:
“Where? D.D’s pocket money pocket?”
Marius coughed.
“Of course, don’t forget, you are the Duke of Xinghu.”
The Duke of Star Lake.
Thales was confused and a little surprised.
Isn’t this a false title? The kind that gives you the courage to put on a show?
“And your fiefdom is…”
The watchman nodded solemnly and pointed to the lakeside castle on a landscape painting on the wall:
“Xinghu Castle.”
Just in case someone doesn’t know, let me just say that the extra chapter is in the same place.