The moonlight was cold, and the funeral songs in my ears stopped, replaced by the flower of the fortress laughing again and the shouts of her soldiers.
"Depose the Duke and destroy Zhan?"
In the lounge, Thales repeated the king's words and took a deep breath:
"Let me guess, Your Majesty, you will gather the strength of the whole country to raise for me a royal standing army of more than 30,000 people, with strong soldiers and horses, equipped with the best equipment, and provide the most sufficient logistics, and then give me your left hand
I unleashed the Wrath of the Kingdom and placed a Legend Wing in my right hand. Then, under my correct leadership, one on the left and the other on the right, they rushed into the Emerald City in a simple and rough but unstoppable way, broke the Kongming Palace, and then took away Zhan Kevin
Dill was snatched from his ducal throne, shoved headfirst into the toilet and flushed into the moat?"
King Kessel was silent for a while.
"No."
Thales sneered, "Sure enough," his words contained sarcasm:
"So, you must have planned a perfect plan that can kill Zhan En in a safe and low-key manner without forcing the princes to rebel and teach Xingchen to destroy the country in the civil war. Only then can you have the confidence to ask me to run errands? After all, we all
Should we learn something from the last 'Sand King' incident and maybe my little protest?"
The Iron Fist King glanced at him and turned to look at the desk.
"Open it."
It took several seconds for Thales to realize that what the other party was signaling was the scroll brought by the king.
The prince pursed his lips to express his dissatisfaction with Kessel's appetite, but he still came to the desk and picked up the scroll and found that it was printed with the exclusive coat of arms of the Iris family.
"Warmly welcome... Duke Thales is famous far and wide... we had a great conversation... we have been separated for a long time, and I miss you a lot..."
Thales read the contents of the letter intermittently, most of which were polite nonsense.
"Although the Emerald City is small, although the Kongming Palace is humble...the two families have a long-standing relationship...I and the sages of Nan'an...attend the grand event...and look forward to it..."
Thales finished reading the scroll, and when he was confused, he saw something under the scroll on the desk.
He picked up the plate frame that he thought was the scroll at first, and his expression suddenly changed.
"What is this?" Thales raised his head and looked at His Majesty the King in disbelief.
"As you can see, it is a reply letter from Duke Kevin Deere." King Kessel V was still looking at the sparkling Star Lake. "He welcomed his close friend, the Duke of Star Lake, to the Emerald City to stay at Kongming Palace.
Participate in the 'Emerald Celebration' and rejoice with the people of Nan'an to commemorate the deep friendship between the nine-pointed star and the iris, and the loyal bond between Fuxing Palace and Kongming Palace."
"No, no, no, I mean..."
Thales put down the scroll, raised the frame, which was actually a small portrait, towards the king, raised his voice, and said indecent words:
"What the fuck is this?"
King Kessel turned back.
Under Thales' shocked and angry expression, in the picture frame on his chest, a teenage girl with a round face turned back among the flowers and smiled at the king. Her smile was sweet and innocent.
And on her tailored skirt, the fleur-de-lis emblem was looming.
"It should be because the painter has changed. It's not as good as the last one."
The king only glanced at it and hummed indifferently.
"Don't worry, as usual, your portrait has also been sent, which is fair."
fair……
Thales only felt that his forehead was full of blood, and it would soon burst out of his blood vessels. He took a deep breath and used all his strength to ensure that the volume would not break the window:
"I repeat one last time: What the fuck is this, what the fuck?"
Every time the prince uttered a curse word, the picture frame shook with his fingers.
The room was quiet for a few seconds.
"Nothing," King Kessel said lightly, "You need a reason to go to the Emerald City. For example, you are going to greet and meet one of your fiancée candidates, the noble and noble Shilai Kevin, the sister of Duke Zhan.
Miss Dill."
The king glanced at him as if looking at a fool:
"Is there a problem?"
have.
Big question!
No one told me!
Thales turned over the portrait and stared at the round-faced girl above in stunned silence.
Hilley Kevin Deere.
Zhan En's biological sister.
Thinking of the cold and sharp threat of Duke Iris, Thales felt his hand holding the picture frame go cold.
What are you doing...
"Okay, please correct me if I'm wrong. So, the purpose or name of my trip is to go to the Emerald City...for a blind date?"
Thales tried to adjust his mood and forget the anger of being fooled.
"The letter won't be too straightforward. But, yes, when young men and women from important families reach marriage age, it is best to see each other, get to know each other and get to know each other before engaging in marriage. It is best to cultivate friendship. This has been the practice of the kingdom for many years."
The king's tone was normal, as if no one should be surprised at all.
Thales stared blankly at the girl in the painting for a long while before putting Miss Hilley down and returned to the conversation with the king.
"Okay, I know that with your temperament, this is very unlikely, but I still want to ask," Thales swallowed hard and suddenly remembered the ultimate goal of his trip, "Are you asking me?"
Make an engagement with that young lady, and then let Zhan suddenly die suddenly, and then we can use that young lady’s inheritance rights to enjoy the benefits and take the South Bank into our pocket?”
King Kessel snorted, his meaning was unclear, which made Thales feel confused.
"Two or three hundred years ago, this was an effective method, but unfortunately, at least in the Kingdom of Stars, simple family marriage is no longer the best way to gain power."
"Oh, what a pity." Thales breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, but there was no regret on his face, "It seems that this is the only way that the noble and pure Miss Hilley and I can end up together.
Already."
The king didn't speak, he just narrowed his eyes and looked at him from a distance.
"You know, after what happened at the last royal banquet, Zhan and I have new grudges and old grudges, and we are incompatible with each other."
Thales sneered:
"And now I actually want to go to the Emerald City to ask for marriage. Well, at least I'm visiting his sister on the premise of marriage... Now, he will definitely think that I did it on purpose, provoking him through his sister.
Hey, with Xiao Huahua’s small belly, it would be strange if he didn’t go crazy and fuck me.”
When Thales said this, he remembered something. His expression became condensed and his words were stagnant.
Eh?
Provocation through his sister…
Fuck me like crazy...
"etc."
Thales' expression changed slightly, and he picked up the scroll again.
"This, this is just a reply letter from Kevin Deere, so..."
Duke Xinghu widened his eyes and looked at the indifferent king in disbelief:
"Your Majesty, whether it's an engagement or a blind date, how long ago did you tell Zhan En about this mess between his sister and me?"
"When it was confirmed that you had escaped from the North and were about to return to the royal capital," King Kessel no longer looked at him, and his tone was nonchalant, "the Nobles Affairs Council selected a list, including dozens of suitable nobles.
The women inspected them one by one and conveyed their marriage intentions to their families, which naturally included Iris."
"What?"
When I escaped from danger in the North and returned to the royal capital...
Thales's heart skipped a beat.
That means, that means...
"As far as I know, the girl from Kevin Deere's family is reclusive, and her character and behavior need to be observed, so her original ranking on the list was not high, but now, she just needs it."
"Wait!" Thales crossed his hands and stopped the king with a horrified expression.
"Wait, so before the royal banquet, or even before I returned to China, you told Zhan En: Fuxing Palace is interested in his sister?"
Thales stared at King Kessel intently.
The king looked back at him with deep blue eyes.
"It was not me, but you who 'told' him. Don't forget, Prince Thales is the real owner of the marriage, so you can show your sincerity."
Sincerity...
The more Thales listened, the more he became confused.
He looked at Miss Hilley on the desk.
The king seemed to think Thales wasn't bothered enough: "And it's not a simple 'information'. This is a formal note between big families, especially the marriage between Canxing and the Kevin Deere family has a long history. This is quite serious and sacred."
There is no room for ridicule or disrespect in this matter."
No, no, no.
"Fuck, what the hell."
The young man figured something out, turned around, and leaned weakly on the desk.
"I, I understand..."
The king seemed unsurprised and looked at his son calmly.
Thales' breathing quickened.
He said with a momentary expression of disbelief after a sudden realization:
"I understand, the reason why Zhan wanted to facilitate the kidnapping and assassination of Anke Bailar at the royal banquet..."
At the royal banquet, Zhan's words when he finally confronted him privately rang in Thales' ears again:
[This is a warning. I came to you on purpose, Thales, to give you one last chance. 】
last chance.
"It is better to be a friend than to die because of an enemy."
Thales clenched his fists and gritted his teeth:
"That night, the reason why Zhan wanted to be the chess player who disrupted the situation, the reason why he wanted to add fuel to the flames, the reason why he was eager to cause trouble for me, drag me into trouble, see me make a fool of myself, and ruin my reputation..."
[I want you to know, Thales, and I want to teach you to know: This is my response.]
Thales rubbed his forehead painfully:
"And the reason why he still hated me so much after I returned to China, and the reason why he bit me like a mad dog uncharacteristically..."
[In response to you offending me, rejecting me, and even threatening me six years later.]
"All of these, these unreasonable attacks and frame-ups in my opinion, are not because he has a brain attack, nor are they because he is a domineering person, nor are they even because he dislikes me..."
Thales slapped his thighs regretfully:
"It's because, in Zhan's opinion, I am the one who impatiently sends marriage letters to him as soon as he returns home, threatens him in revenge, provokes him to offend him, and covets his sister!"
【Watch your hands, Your Highness.】
Ah ah ah ah ah!
Thales, who wanted to know the truth, pounded the table angrily:
"Hold!"
Duke Xinghu's angry voice finally dispersed in the lounge.
The king's figure still stood by the window, motionless.
"Wait, you already know these things, right?"
Thales thought of something and stared at King Kessel:
"Zhann bit me as soon as we met at the royal banquet, and the reason why I was so miserable in the end was because you found me this damn marriage partner?" the prince's questioning voice floated in the lounge.
"Parents arrange marriages for their children," King Kessel said calmly and without apology, "This is a matter of course."
Yes, just like children organizing funeral arrangements for their parents.
Listening to the other party's light response, Thales became angry:
"Then I really want to thank you, our eight generations of ancestors!"
The unhappy young man used foul language without scruples, showing no dignity or etiquette that a duke should have.
The king looked at him faintly:
"You just want to thank your father for his kindness?"
Thales spent several seconds and tried his best to expel the unsatisfactory anger from his chest.
He forced a smile:
"Of course not, I'm just too excited. Yes, I should have another way to thank you. Let me think about it, yes, yes: it just so happens that the toilet brush in my bathroom is broken, father."
The boy's smile became more and more exaggerated and dazzling: "It is considerate and thoughtful, and its head is as hard as yours. Do you want to take over its job? It's very simple. You just need to get into the toilet with your head down and twist it up, down, left and right!"
"
The king made a humming voice, not sure if he was expressing his dissatisfaction with the Duke's attitude, or if he was really applauding his humor.
After figuring out the cause and effect, Thales sighed with anger and waved his hands:
"But why, why didn't anyone tell me about such a big thing like marriage?"
"Gilbert should have informed you on the first day you returned home and handed you the final list," the king said calmly, "Didn't he?"
Thales sneered and waved his hand without thinking:
"Nonsense, if he told me, I could still do this"
[At the age of fourteen, according to the standards of the imperial era, you are already a real adult, able to fight with a sword, marry a wife and have children...]
[Gilbert, regarding this, as times change and society progresses, I believe we need to discuss it.]
Thales remembered something and stopped talking.
[So, Your Highness, you have reached your age this year... please note that you have an obligation to continue the greatness...]
【Cough! Cough cough cough】
"Damn it, I remember, he meant it."
Thales said blankly:
"From the first day to the day of the banquet, at least three times, but every time I spoke, I interrupted, refused, and changed the topic..."
The king remained silent.
"Even on the day I fell out with you, the reason he used to soften his cheeks was because of marriage," Thales pulled his hair painfully, "Damn it, damn it, I should have thought of it earlier! This is what he wanted to tell me!"
Gilbert, why are you so respectful and polite? Why do you give up every time I cough? Why can't you insist on nagging for a while, at least to finish the nagging!
The king snorted softly, his tone intriguing:
"Then I guess you have nothing to complain about and can only fill the toilet brush vacancy yourself?"
Thales let go of his hair, glared at him fiercely, and then thought of another person angrily:
"Damn Jenn Kelvindill, what's the 'warning' and what's the 'response', all the twists and turns, he's a duke after all, why can't he speak more clearly?"
Thales gritted his teeth.
Hey Tails, why did you write to marry my sister? Is it a threat?
No Jen, I didn’t, I’m not, you’re talking nonsense!
Oh, that's okay, you can eat, I'll go and get rid of the brother who broke into the banquet with a sword.
Isn’t this the end??? Everyone is happy!
The depression and silence in the lounge lasted for a while.
Finally, Prince Thales breathed out weakly.
"So, Your Majesty, are you sure?"
He said listlessly to the king:
"You want to depose him, but one of the six guardian dukes of the kingdom is still the richest, youngest and most popular one. If something goes wrong along the way, for the sake of the setting sun, I will even ask Exeter and Kang
The Mars Alliance declared war at the same time, which seems more rational than this."
King Kessel never looked back:
"I thought you hated him and were happy to see the downfall of Jann Kevin Deal."
Hate him.
Thales snorted sarcastically:
"Believe me, on another occasion, I would be happy to replace the toilet brush in my castle with a little flower. But, to destroy him? Zhan is not a soft persimmon, and he is extremely wary of us, not to mention he hates me.
, if I make a little mistake in this step, I will be trapped in the Emerald City."
"Tiles Bright Star."
The king called his full name with a cold tone that made the young man's nerves tense.
"Do I need to remind you of our covenant?"
At that moment, Thales felt as if someone poured cold water on his head.
Thales stood up straight, feeling that all the joints in his body were extremely stiff.
On his front, a certain bone ring became heavier and heavier.
Gortaksa.
"I will help you push the kingdom forward, remove obstacles, and break shackles," Thales said bitterly, "I will do whatever it takes to do this."
No matter what.
"Very good, then it's just like what we agreed. My child, become my sword and go through the thorns and thorns until the kingdom is clear."
The king's face appeared in the moonlight from the window:
"Unless you regret it."
Regret.
Thales swallowed his throat and felt that his front was a little heavier.
"So, Your Majesty, you want me to visit a distinguished noble lady in the same way as I would treat my fiancée, but secretly rack my brains and plan to depose or even kill her brother. That's great, it doesn't get better than this.
It’s a bloody love script.”
He tried his best to make his tone lighter.
"Tiles."
But His Majesty the King's tone made all his efforts to pretend to be relaxed go to waste:
"From the moment you returned to China, this matter was determined and inevitable."
"It's inevitable."
Thales opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
He could only turn his head and look at the portrait on the desk.
The round-faced girl in the painting is surrounded by flowers, innocent and happy, as if there is no danger in her world.
It wasn't until a cat meowed from the castle, evoking the chorus of cats and the barking of dogs, that Thales' thoughts were brought back to reality.
"What's the specific plan?"
Thales exhaled and his tone became serious, losing some of the joking tone before.
"What is the plan of the Kingdom's secret department? Intimidation, inducement, assassination, poisoning, or just meeting and slashing with an ax? Who should I cooperate with and how should I do it? You have said it first, even if it is acting, I will never kiss
Jenn’s ass.”
But the king just looked at him quietly.
"You'll see it when you get there."
The Iron Fist King's answer made Thales frown.
"This answer is not feasible. Our covenant is stipulated in advance: you will respect my wishes, listen to my opinions, and treat them sincerely without any reservation or deception."
The young man repeatedly emphasized:
"any."
The king was silent for a few seconds, and then sneered.
"My child, why do you think I put on the uniform of the royal guard and come to see you in private?"
"Because the helmet is more handsome?"
King Kessel ignored Thales's sarcasm. He came to Thales and stared into the boy's eyes:
"Our covenant is destined to be a top secret that cannot be disclosed to outsiders, even to the secrets of the kingdom."
Even for the secrets of the kingdom.
Thales' eyes moved:
"In other words, Your Majesty, in their eyes, we are still a father and son who have different opinions and have a quarrel with each other? But this is not the reason why you conceal your plan from me and remain silent."
But the king shook his head:
"Our sworn plan is to gradually turn against each other and use this to win. You and I should stay apart from each other, rather than know the details. If you know the details of all the actions, your behavior in the Emerald City will be different. There is no guarantee that it will not happen.
As soon as someone discovered the clues, as you said, Zhan En was already very wary of us."
Thales frowned:
"In other words, I am the same as before. I can't control or cooperate with the secret department, let alone know their actions? How can I complete the task?"
King Kessel turned around.
"Don't worry, you don't need to be the protagonist in this operation. All you need to do is as a third party in the Emerald City, as an unbiased weight in the center of the scale, listen, watch, witness, and follow the trend.
That’s it.”
He just needs to listen, watch, witness, and just go with the flow?
Thales frowned: And this means a lot.
It should be noted that as the guardian duke, Zhan En has been rooted in the South Coast Territory for many years and has unfathomable power. But Thales, he doesn't have to do anything?
The king curled his lips slightly and said in a deep tone:
"The rest will be done by others."
Others.
Is he referring to the Kingdom's secret science, or something else...
Thales' expression remained unchanged:
"But what if, like before, I'm not helping them, hindering their affairs, and messing up your situation instead?"
The king's expression changed and he glanced at him.
"That's why I'm here, to tell you what the ultimate goal is: as long as it's accomplished, I don't care what you do, whether you satisfy the Arcana or they satisfy you."
What?
Thales was a little confused.
It doesn’t matter what I do, it doesn’t matter whether I satisfy the secret department...
"But if this is the case"
"And isn't this exactly what you want? Isn't it what you fought for last time when you broke into the palace illegally?"
The Iron Fist King didn't give him a chance to ask. He leaned down and pressed Thales' shoulders with his palms. There was a strange meaning in his words: "I didn't give you specific plans and rules, so I gave you outside the framework."
, the power of discretion and ad hoc decision-making.”
discretion.
Make decisions on the fly.
Thales was stunned.
real?
The troublesome prince who had always been accused of "ruining my good deeds and ruining my plans" was not used to it for a while.
The sound of the banquet coming from the corridor outside the door gradually became quieter. Thales guessed that it was probably the Flower of the Fortress that drank everyone down.
The king was obviously unwilling to delay any longer. He picked up the helmet of the royal guard and fastened it on his head meticulously.
Like a true defender.
"You can do it according to your preferences and standards. Just like if you don't like the roughness of Operation Sand King, then go influence it and reverse it. You don't have to worry about whose intention it is to succeed or who is to be ruined.
,if only……"
Having said this, King Kessel V paused.
Thales took a deep breath and took over his words:
"Just accomplish your goal: depose Zahn?"
The king loosened his helmet and nodded:
"And don't expose yourself."
He asked me to go to the Emerald City and told me the ultimate goal, but he didn't tell me the plan or details of the secret department. He just asked me to adapt to the situation and follow the trend?
That……
"Then lend me Yodel."
"I will use him for such a big thing," Thales said calmly, looking at the eyes behind the king's helmet, "Eda is back anyway, she can protect you."
Yodel.
King Kessel was silent for a few seconds, shook his head and chuckled.
"This is only the first time, son. It is the first test of the waters since the establishment of our covenant, and I have not yet seen its results."
Thales gritted his teeth.
"Cooperation requires trust, and trust needs to be earned."
King Kessel simply rejected him and turned around and left without hesitation.
From his gait to his posture, he completed the transformation from king to defender in an instant.
Even the people closest to me may not be able to recognize him.
Thales shook off his chaotic thoughts and subconsciously called out to Kessel:
"That's it? Nothing more?"
The king paused for a moment.
"Let me see, oh, yes."
Kessel turned around, his face hidden behind his helmet:
"Remember, when you get along with that girl, remember to show your gentleness, courtesy, respect, sincerity, and thoughtfulness like a real man."
The next second, the temperature of the king's words dropped sharply:
"To comfort her..."
"The pain of losing a brother."
King Kessel opened the door and stepped into the corridor.
Only Thales was left, staring blankly at his back as he disappeared.
Mallos came in from the door and turned a blind eye to the strange guard who just walked out of the room.
"Your Highness, if you feel unwell," the watchman said calmly, "we can end the banquet early."
Thales came back to his senses.
He touched his front pocket and took another look at the girl in the painting.
"No, it's not necessary," the prince said calmly, but there seemed to be sadness in his brows, "No, this is just the beginning."
It was night, and Sonia's hearty laughter sounded again outside the corridor, mixed with the endless meowing of cats inside and outside the castle.