Old businessmen from the South Coast often say that there are no secrets in the Emerald City, and all news has wings.
Some even have more than one pair.
It is said that on the day of the non-night banquet, Prince Thales, who was in charge of the Kongming Palace in the name of regent, strategized, dispatched troops and generals, cleverly laid traps, and stirred up trouble in the city in the near future-committing countless serial murders and leading Iris away.
Hua Jingtian's old grievances caused Duke Zhann to lose power overnight, and even turned the Emerald City upside down - the ultimate killer was forced to have nowhere to escape, and was trapped on the North Gate Bridge. Seeing that he was about to be captured, he could not escape with his wings.
As for the true identity of these unspeakable murderers and who was behind the scenes, neither the officials dispatched that night nor the official announcement to calm the people afterward were unclear, and there were divergent opinions for a while:
Some people say that he was annihilated by the old Duke because he was unwilling to accept the adaptation in the past. He is a remnant of the "fourth mercenary" outside the Emerald Legion. He came back many years later to take revenge on the Emerald City, intending to make the ungrateful Kevin Deere family pay the price.
;
Some people also say that he was a terrible killer who was adopted by the Dukes of Iris since he was a child and trained with a lot of money. He hid overseas and returned as soon as he was ordered to do those scandalous things for the Kongming Palace, such as "closing the case" for the assassination of the old Duke.
, killing people and silencing them, even their shadows can be seen in the Year of Blood;
Some people say that he is a descendant of the old Gonghai City army. He was loyal to Viscount Sona Kelvindir. After his master died unjustly, he escaped from pursuit. He lay dormant for many years and accumulated strength. When the time came, he would report to the person responsible for the old case.
The participants took revenge and avenged their master;
Some people also say that he was a wandering knight who graduated from the Tower of the End and was full of chivalrous spirit. He met the "Scarlet Iris" Federico Cavendier overseas. After hearing what happened to him, he burst into tears and swore
Stand up for strangers and uphold justice, even if it means being an enemy of those in power, fighting against evil laws, and saying goodbye to life;
There are even foolish people who say that the murderer is the King of Water Ghouls who specializes in immortal evil. He once spread superstitions and bewitched the world, but was suppressed by the old Duke with the sacred righteousness given by the Sunset Goddess. It has been lurking underground in the Emerald City for many years.
, with hatred in his heart, cursed the Kevin Deere family day and night, and waited until Prince Thales came to visit, then launched his killings to accumulate blood sacrifices and resentful spirits, so as to break free from suppression and destroy the world;
Of course, the most convincing theory is that the person's identity is suspicious and he is a senior spy from Quintana, a mysterious agency of the Hamble Dynasty. He is also a disciple of the cunning and insidious Master Bai, who planned the old Duke's conspiracy in the past.
He died, blaming Viscount Sonar, with the intention of causing trouble in the South Bank, overthrowing the kingdom, and even today's death of the wealthy businessman, the disappearance of the defender, the murder of the vigilance officer, and the violent death of the inquisitor, with the intention of deceiving and bewitching brothers Zhan En and Federico, and instigating internal strife.
...Of course, his conspiracy was finally defeated by the loyal unknown guards of the kingdom's secret department in the most heroic way. Only then can the current situation of "the heroes of Xinghu Castle capture the evil, and the virtuous prince regent and change the sky" can be revealed.
Everyone knows a thing or two.
(As for the follow-up of the story, it is said that Prince Thales was furious after hearing the news. With a wave of his hand in Kongming Palace, he shut down the territorial sea trade on the south coast for thirty days and seized more than 300 Hamble ships in response.
All the civil servants in the city and the soldiers of the Emerald Legion were filled with righteous indignation. They wrote to donate money and voluntarily suspended their pay for three months in order to share the prince's worries and reduce the losses. However, His Highness just refused and instead issued a salary reward in advance, a piece of gold.
There were so many of them that the officers and soldiers in the city burst into tears of gratitude and became even more attentive to their duties.
The patriotic merchants were not to be outdone. Some shipowners among them took the initiative to stop selling Humble's goods and even dumped the goods into the sea. Others lit a huge fire on Ruhsan Street, burned goods in protest, and smashed Humble's goods.
Goods, claiming that even if they starve to death, they won’t use Humble’s imported goods.
On the street, the Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood, who were originally incompatible with each other, heard about this incident. They unexpectedly stopped fighting and surrendered to the prince with the same hatred of the enemy. Many criminals rushed to surrender, hoping to fight against the barren hillbillies of Hamble.
This is in line with the old saying: For every person who slaughters dogs for justice, most people who are patriotic are for the community.
The local nobles were even more indignant. It was said that Mrs. Tuolier of the Popon family donated all her money to the Kongming Palace, claiming that ordinary people would not hesitate to die in a battle and vowed to live and die with the stars.
When the news reached the Fuxing Palace, His Majesty the King paid no attention to it. Only the Black Prophet smiled slightly and mobilized three thousand elite secret agents to massacre 30,000 Quintana spies in one night - another said 300,000, it depends.
Did you listen to it on a rickshaw or during a banquet?
And Prime Minister Cullen, who wanted to marry his granddaughter to the prince, even gave an order with great courage. The 3,333 warships of the Extreme Sun Fleet - don't ask whether the Cullen family has so many ships. This is yours.
Should I ask? - They all sailed out of the seven ports in the East China Sea, crossed the Glorious Bay, patrolled the End Sea, and demonstrated to Humble for thirty days.
The Star Kingdom's determination and measures shocked countries all over the world. Under this combination of blows, the prices of the culprit Hanbul soared, resources were in short supply, complaints spread, people were in dire straits, all walks of life suffered heavy losses, internal conflicts broke out again, and rebels from the country emerged one after another!
Seeing that Humble's vitality was seriously damaged and would not recover for another thirty years, the freed up market share benefited the business groups who had come all day long, and the latter spent the extra money on the border game with the Hamble dynasty. It is said that Wisdom
Coexisting with beauty and having a good relationship with the stars, His Majesty the King of Yao wakes up laughing every night even from his dreams.
So overnight, the entire Humble Dynasty panicked!!!
Tianhui Talal was panic-stricken, Priest Bai regretted endlessly, the seven major surnames blamed each other, and Kadir Asaf, who could not even sit firmly in the throne, was so frightened that he sent his envoys twice - one of whom was his most precious
Son, and the other is a classmate and friend of Duke Jenn—please plead guilty and seek forgiveness!
This result is a powerful warning to those hostile forces who want to disrupt our kingdom: the stars will not tolerate them if they make small moves!
If there is a treacherous villain who wants to do harm to the kingdom again, he will have to murmur in his heart and weigh the weight of the following sentence:
If the stars are there, the empire will last forever!
How glorious the empire is, how long its history is, and all the conspiracies and tricks played by you barbarian hillbillies are all leftover from our ancestors!)
But among the many versions of rumors, one thing is unanimously recognized:
The mysterious murderer who was forced to Beimen Bridge was very powerful and his methods were terrible. He could be defeated by one enemy, a hundred people or a thousand troops. Even the top eight experts from this year's election all came out to surround and kill him with all their strength.
, he was not his only enemy - the Baibu Ranger, who behaved funny and was ridiculed by everyone for not doing his job properly, unfortunately died in his hands. Fortunately, the local philanthropist who cherished his hometown and the major shareholder of Brother Medicine Store, Lazanci Fisso, did not care.
The former suspect paid for the burial, and a monument was erected to commemorate the ranger Kong Geyou, in order to change people's view of him - not to mention that the man had countless treacherous minions hiding in the North Gate Bridge to help secretly and prevent His Highness the Prince's plan to capture the murderer.
However, no matter how powerful the murderer is and how many minions he has, how can he be the opponent of the unfathomable royal guards in the Fuxing Palace in the past and now the heroes of Star Lake Castle under Prince Thales?
Unfortunately, just as the murderer failed and was about to be captured, and the shocking Iris case was about to come to light, Miss Healey stood alone in the way.
Perhaps for the sake of Iris' reputation, perhaps for personal revenge, or perhaps for the sake of her brother who is in prison, the first lady of the Emerald City did not hesitate and turned against Prince Thales.
Let, it is said that the two sides were at war with each other for a time, and the tearful Miss Hilley even slapped the prince in public and put a dagger to His Highness's heart!
The heroes of Star Lake Castle were frightened and wanted to stop them at all costs, but His Highness Thales didn't care whether his robes were stained with blood or his dignity was humiliated. He issued a strict order not to allow them to hurt him even if he lost his life.
And every bit of the girl in front of me!
On the long street, in front of thousands of troops, the young man and woman who were forced to become enemies looked at each other in the moonlight with a dagger between them, silent.
A quarter of an hour passed, and countless resentments and lovesickness finally turned into a sad smile after the end of love.
So under the moonlight that night, the heartbroken Miss Hilley ran away with the blood-stained dagger.
The long street was filled with tears she shed.
His Royal Highness, who was covered in blood, smiled, turned around with difficulty, and let the beauty drift away.
Bear the accusation and infamy of sacrificing for love alone.
"What is all this mess?"
In the Duke's study, Thales was reading the newly sent information and public opinion booklet sent by Balta the Barber, banged the table, and shouted in disbelief:
"Who wrote the script?"
There was a cough in the study.
Thales spoke for a moment, then realized that the situation was wrong and the words he used were indecent. He had to restrain his expression, sit upright, and strategically took a sip of tea, but the smell of the tea made him grin.
He no longer looked at the bullshit public opinion records in the brochure, such as "All walks of life felt the prince's kindness and felt sorry for His Highness's sadness, so they worked hard to make progress without daring to make mistakes. All industries in the Emerald City are gradually getting on the right track." He raised his head again.
, looking at the two people on the left and right opposite the desk.
Two most special guests.
"Good morning, Jenn. And you, Federico - long time no see?"
The fallen Duke of Iris sat indifferently on the guest seat he was not used to, with a face as cold as ice and without saying a word.
Federico on the other side looked at his cousin with a half-smile, his eyes as gentle as water - water about to boil.
"It's not that long," Federico said quietly, "only eleven years."
Zhan En snorted coldly and didn't reply.
Very good - Thales's inner voice sneered - exactly the effect you want, Thales.
Thales ignored the tension between them, raised his teacup, and felt the aftertaste of the tea:
"Don't just sit there, could you please have some tea?"
The Duke of Nan'an looked at the teacup in his hand expressionlessly and made no move.
Feder observed the other party's reaction and remained calm.
Thales didn't take it seriously. He picked up the teaspoon and pressed the broken tea in the cup:
"This is yerba mate, a rare specialty that comes all the way from the Zante Islands. It is also the special tea used by Xinghu Castle to entertain distinguished guests - of course, it is unofficial."
His tone paused and became serious:
"After we finish drinking tea, we can talk about business."
After the words fell, the Kevin Dill brothers looked at each other almost at the same time!
The two pairs of eyes were full of vigilance, disgust, and even hatred.
The next second, the two people who were facing each other raised their teacups at the same time as if they had a tacit understanding. Even if they were drinking tea, their eyes would never leave each other's side.
But the confrontation ended quickly:
Federico frowned a few seconds after the tea went down his throat. He turned around and took away the cup without hesitation, spitting out the broken tea in his mouth. The bottom of the cup hit the table with an unusual sharp sound:
"What does this smell like?"
Zhan En couldn't hide the slight trembling of his fingers, but he resisted the bitterness and let the edge of the teacup stay under the bridge of his nose for a few seconds, then quietly spit out the tea, and then slowly put the teacup down, leaving his lips tightly pursed.
"Very strong, isn't it?"
Thales observed the two people who were losing their composure. He calmly pressed it with a teaspoon, pushed away the broken tea in the tea, and took a sip, his brows loosening and tightening:
"It's okay, you'll get used to it if you drink too much."
Both the Kevin Dill brothers were shocked, but the tense atmosphere also eased a lot.
"The Police Department will only allow prisoners in separate trials to meet each other when it is absolutely sure."
Zhan quickly adjusted himself, and the orthodox Duke of Iris finally spoke without looking at the cup of tea:
"And His Highness the Prince wants us to meet now...I guess you have taken control of the situation and resolved the crisis?"
Federico's eyes moved as he was still digesting the bitter taste.
"It's a delay, not a solution."
Thales smiled slightly and put down the tea cup:
"We all know that the so-called control of the situation is only temporary. Emerald City is just temporarily obeying me and no longer making small moves. If we want to finally solve the crisis of Emerald City, especially the crisis of your 'Red and Black', then I will eventually
Choose one of you, either red or black, to decide who will rule the Kongming Palace."
At least, that's what many people believe.
After the words fell, the brothers Kevin Dill looked at each other in unison.
The atmosphere is subtle.
"It's a pity," Zhan En looked at the cousin who had put him in this situation and smiled coldly, "The Duke's throne can't be split in two, right?"
"It's a pity," Thales answered seemingly relaxedly, "Neither can the throne."
The two Kevin Deeres looked at Thales at the same time, thoughtfully.
Federico was silent for a while, then suddenly smiled:
"Your Highness is brave and resourceful, and with the help of noble people, he can turn danger into good fortune. No wonder he can calm down the situation and take control of the Emerald City in a matter of seconds."
Help me...
Thales heard the hint in his words and frowned slightly.
"I forgot to mention that the killer, Lausanne II, I finally caught him."
The prince raised his eyebrows and smiled:
"He opened his mouth and told me everything."
Now, it was Federico's turn to frown.
everything?
Where is everything?
Thales seemed to hear his thoughts and added absently:
"Everything is enough to find out the mastermind behind it."
Federico's expression changed.
Without waiting for his reply, Zhan En on the opposite side asked hurriedly:
"What about Shilai? She's here too?"
"Don't worry, she is safe," Thales replied quickly, "For the time being."
??????55.??????
Zhan frowned fiercely:
"Temporarily? Thales, you promised..."
"That's not good," Federico interrupted the Duke himself in a playful tone, "No matter how many troubles she gets into, our little girl still has to be saved, right, cousin?"
At that moment, Zhan En's expression became ugly.
Finally, he slowly turned his head and looked at his cousin whom he had not seen for many years.
"She has nothing to do with any of this, Feder."
"In that case," Federico met his gaze without showing any signs of weakness, "then please don't involve her."
Zhan En remained silent, but his brows tightened.
"Please remember, gentlemen, there are three of us sitting here now."
Thales noticed something was wrong and quickly brought the topic back.
After all, this is Kongming Palace.
Not everyone is qualified to be invited in for tea.
The Kevin Deere brothers looked at each other for a few more seconds, and then they each looked away and thought deeply.
"Of course, Your Highness," Federico said softly, "Of course."
The Duke's study fell silent again.
Is it really wise to bring them both under the same roof?
Thales couldn't help but come up with this idea.
Of course wise.
Thales' voice from the bottom of his heart said quietly:
Their hatred for each other clouded their sanity.
Criticisms of each other destroyed their armor.
Their fear of each other exposed their weaknesses.
And when they mention Hilley... at least you know now, Thales, what really matters in this room is not just the Duke's throne.
Thinking of this, Thales cheered up and returned to reality.
"Kongming Palace has many good teas, and the Emerald City also has many purchase channels for tea types."
Zhan, who was deep in thought, suddenly raised his yerba mate tea cup:
"Why do you have to drink this?"
Thales came back to his senses.
"First of all, the shipping channels in Emerald City are being restored, and secondly..."
He grinned:
"In order to overcome the current difficulties together, I have reduced some of the expenses of Kongming Palace, including the cost of tea."
Overcoming the difficulties together...
Zhan En looked at the thick pieces of tea in the tea cup, his eyebrows furrowed and he didn't know what to think.
Thales picked up the cup with a smile and looked at Duke Iris:
"Come on, you're welcome, let's try again?"
Zhan En looked at the turbid tea in the cup and frowned:
"I'm not used to this taste."
Thales raised his eyebrows and took another sip of tea, his facial features curled up in pain.
Ah, I feel the same way.
But who allows the logistics wing to have a limited budget?
"Your Highness didn't ask you if you are used to it."
The person who answered Zhane was Federico.
The son of Kevin Deere, who had been in exile for many years, stared at his cousin and enemy, and sneered aggressively:
"He said: drink, drink, go."
Zhan frowned slightly.
I didn't say that - Thales pursed his lips:
"Forget it, Federico, everyone has his own..."
But before Thales finished speaking, Federico smiled coldly. He raised the teacup, took a big sip regardless of the broken tea in the cup, and then slammed the teacup on the table!
Thales' eyes widened and he was too late to stop him.
Darling, take such a big sip... Even Marius, who drank the yerba mate as water, would look disfigured if he saw it?
"Damn..."
Although his facial features were distorted and his whole body was trembling due to the smell of tea, Federico leaned back in his chair and laughed:
"It's so painful and so painful."
He opened his eyes a slit and looked at Zhan En with a rather strange look in his eyes:
"But I have to say, it's better than what I drank in the past eleven years."
The atmosphere is not good and words are like knives.
Thales could only smile.
Not to be outdone, Zhan En snorted disdainfully:
"Why, the vampires didn't reward you with blood?"
"I don't drink blood," Feder's eyes burned, "unless it's your blood."
"We both have the same surname and the same blood."
"So it doesn't matter who has the same blood," Federico said, "as long as it's Kevin Deere."
"It seems that you have never drank blood."
Thales shrugged helplessly, ignoring their overt sarcasm, and continued to look down at the last few lines in the intelligence and opinion book:
With the wise regent of Thales and the virtuous corporal returning home, the Emerald City's business, life, prices, public opinion, and atmosphere quickly stabilized and gradually recovered.
As for who will be the final winner in the sinister political struggle behind Kong Ming Palace, who will sit on the throne and become the Duke of Nan'an, people are talking about it in the streets, but everyone is losing interest.
("It must be someone from Kevin Deere's family. Could it be me?")
On the contrary, the old case of the assassination of the old Duke of Leinster eleven years ago has triggered a lot of discussion. Whether you are a dock porter, a gatekeeper of a mansion, a restaurant chef or a butcher in a butcher shop, everyone over the age of eleven has started to discuss it.
I began to recall every little daily thing that happened eleven years ago, and how strange and weird they were, how unreasonable, and how they had early warning signs.
(“Why did I suddenly stop crying when I was in the cradle? Did I see something or hear something? Or feel something? I didn’t think it at the time, but now I think about it, oh, there was something wrong with that night, maybe I was
I saw the assassin’s sword and shadow!”
"I felt something was wrong at the time. It was just that I was afraid to speak out because of all kinds of scruples, but now I finally dare to speak out! Alas, if I had been braver and had the courage to speak out, then the old Duke might not have died. Emerald City
It’s not like this…”
"I can't hold it in anymore. I must say it out: I originally liked my sister-in-law - she was not my sister-in-law at that time, but that night when I mustered up the courage to confess my love, I stood in front of her house eleven years ago.
, I obviously decided to circle around three more times before going in, but I heard a strange loud noise coming from the Sunset Temple! I thought it was an earthquake, so I rushed to help but was driven back by the guards... Wuwu... Wait until I come back the next day.
At home, I found out that my brother had confessed his love first... wu wu wu... this damn political conspiracy has ruined my life's happiness..."
"I have been saying over the years that there was definitely something wrong with my youngest son not being admitted as a tax officer. Behind it was the abuse of public power to suppress good people, and even political strife! And this is what I saw behind the assassination of the old Duke.
A series of strange political stories, deduced with reason and evidence! But no one believed it, and they said that I was a conspiracy theory, spreading rumors, and being paranoid? What, now those people are slapped in the face? Bang! Bang! Bang! It hurts.
Doesn’t it hurt? Boomerang, right? Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Does it hurt? Now the truth is revealed, but I have a broad mind and don’t want anything else. I just apologize in public and give some compensation!”)
From nobles and wealthy businessmen to traffickers and lackeys, everyone is talking about the entanglements behind the scenes, from "Kuntana's poisonous plan to disrupt the stars" to "the old Duke's last plan to save the South Bank", from "the royal family's plan to seize the emerald"
"To "brothers counter-planned to protect the sky", or "Leinster's big plan to conquer the world" and "Viscount Sonar's clever plan to serve the country", or even the most legendary "Blood Bottle Gang designed to destroy the court" and "Brothers
He knows how to harm the country with one plan." He spoke clearly and clearly, and his words were vivid and fascinating.
But the story must eventually end.
"I know, I know, now you all feel that no matter who I choose to be the duke, the other person will be charged with patricide or rebellion and die. Unfortunately, now you all want the other person to go
die."
Thales' thoughts returned to the study. He sighed, closed the information book, and interrupted the bickering between the two cousins.
"Let me get right to the point: no, can, can."
He looked at the two Kevin Deeres with a solemn expression:
"You will all survive."
The study was quiet for a few seconds. No matter how bad the relationship between the two Kevin Deeres was, they couldn't help but frown at each other.
Until Zhan snorted:
"No wonder you want to invite us to tea."
Federico rolled his eyes:
"What do you think, Your Highness?"
coming.
Thales exhaled, smiled at the two of them, and first looked at the current Duke of South Bank:
"Don't worry, Zhan, you will be cleared of charges. After all, we can't keep a man who is guilty of patricide and deliberately conceals the evidence to continue to be the Lord of Emerald City and the Duke of South Bank."
Zhan was still frowning and thinking, but Federico understood something.
"Your Highness!"
He took the lead in protesting:
"Are you going to reinstate him as Duke?"
Thales smiled and raised his hands to appease him:
"Be patient, Federer."
The Duke of Star Lake turned to Zhan. This time his expression changed. He was no longer as gentle as before:
"But Jann Kevin Deer, as a condition of innocence and restoration, you will receive a reprimand from the Renaissance Palace for your negligence and negligence, and even the disgrace of your family."
His Highness the Prince changed the subject:
"And you will sincerely apologize and accept criticism. In order to prevent the Iris family from making the same mistakes, you will make some improvements in Emerald City's taxation, military, trade and even bureaucratic personnel systems, and accept guidance and help from Yongxing City - don't worry,
As long as I'm here, they won't bully others too much."
This time, Zhan finally changed his color!
But he was very well-educated, but he couldn't help but clench his fists:
"Aren't you going to...deceive others too much?"
Federico sneered beside him, but Thales quickly glanced at him.
"Zhan, as long as you agree to the conditions, Federico will not have any revenge or hostility against you or your sister for the rest of his life, and will also give up pursuing the old cases."
Thales narrowed his eyes and said:
"Of course, he'd better not directly or indirectly damage the economy and public security order of Emerald City, shake the unity of the Iris family, or even question the legitimacy of your position as Duke - after all, Emerald City and even the South Bank are the territory of the Kingdom.
Under the protection of the royal family."
Royal protection...
This time it was Federico's turn to find it hard to accept. He stood up suddenly:
"What?!"
Thales had expected this, so he calmly motioned for Federico to sit back down.
"And you, Fede, have to stay and supervise him to achieve these conditions," Thales said lightly. "For this reason, you will end your exile and officially return to the Iris family."
Return to the Iris family...
This time Zhan En was in disbelief. He stood up suddenly:
"What!?"
Thales calmly turned his finger and also motioned for Zhan to return:
"Yes, Fede, you heard it right: your father, the former Viscount of Gonghai City, Sona Kelvindir, will be vindicated, cleared of guilt, and restored to honor. He is not a traitor who killed his brother, and you are just a traitor.
Justly plead grievances for my father."
Zhan En sneered:
"Then how are you going to explain the old case of my father's assassination? Was it done by people from the North? People from Hamble? People from the Far East? Or was it the disaster that destroyed Longxiao City? Or was it simply the Assassin Flower Sariton who took action again?"
"I'm not done yet!"
Thales' words were much more serious, with a hint of warning.
"Similarly, as long as you agree to these conditions, Feder," he turned to Feder and softened his tone, "Duke Zhan will forgive your sins, and he will not pursue his cousin for causing trouble in the Emerald City - whether it was years ago or now.
——’s actions, including the murders you ordered the killer to commit. Not only that, I will also suggest that he make you Viscount of Gonghai City, which is the title Viscount Sona had during his lifetime, to appease your father’s heavenly spirit.”
Federico's eyebrows jumped!
Viscount Gonghai City...
On the other side, Zhan En could not bear it anymore and gritted his teeth:
"impossible!"
"Not only that!"
Thales increased his tone, ignoring and covering up Zhan's protest:
"Your cousin will welcome you to stay in Nan'an regardless of past grudges, and assist him in governing the country, especially supervising the reform measures mentioned above, monitoring the progress, checking for deficiencies, and urging him to better serve the kingdom. Of course,
More importantly, I would like to remind the Duke: Never make the same mistake as today."
Thales emphasized the last few words very strongly.
Auxiliary minister.
Supervision.
remind.
Zhan En's face became increasingly ugly.
"So, Zhan, Fed, you two..."
Thales slowly looked to the left and right, becoming gentle and kind again, just like the old lady next door knitting: