Kingdom’s Bloodline

In the tower, Cyril snorted coldly:

"I dare say that even a virtuous gentleman, when he sees the situation where Xingchen and the whole country believe that swords are on the verge of breaking out, it is hard to say that he will not feel a little bit of regret for his decision back then.

This time, Thales listened quietly without speaking.

But he remembered the words he used to persuade the five Grand Dukes when he tried his best to turn the tide in the Palace of Heroes.

[Xingchen's current weakness and turmoil are not accidental, but inevitable after embarking on this path. 】

【This is what Xianjun left for the stars. 】

At that time, this was the "argument" he swore, searched and tried to extract, and it was only used temporarily to shake the princes.

To be honest, he didn't even believe it himself.

But now...

Thales clenched his fists unconsciously.

But Cyril, who had been observing him silently, seemed not enough. After shaking his head with a tsk, he raised his voice, advanced his tone, and said the next sentence:

"But you know what, we, we guys who are dying, maybe just in the scary future where you 'crossed the barrier' and succeeded in 'climbing to the top'..."

The Duke's tone was very light, like whispering in the devil's ear:

"The most inconspicuous part."

Thales looked up suddenly.

"What's the meaning?"

I saw that the terrifying Duke of Xihuang no longer looked at him, but shook his head and sighed to himself:

"Do you think that after we feudal lords and the old aristocrats who ruled the place have completely disappeared, those common people who managed to occupy seats in the state council and those new aristocrats who you rely on as weapons will be satisfied?" , will be reconciled, and will retire after success?"

Cyril's eyes slowly became murderous:

"When you are on the throne to subdue the princes and gather power to say the same thing, do you think the royal family has spent a lot of money to support the princes in order to contain the princes? Where should the standing army go? What is the way out for a biting mad dog like Alaka Mu? What can an immoral woman like Sutherley bring you? What trouble can a shameless bastard like Williams share with you, both inside and outside the court?"

Thales took a deep breath.

The three handsome stars.

He thought of the savage Kingdom's Wrath, of the steady Flower of the Stronghold, of...

Nasty Legendary Wings.

As well as their subordinates, from Broken Dragon Fortress to Saber Tooth Camp... Countless, frequently mobilized, the royal standing army has gradually become the norm in the kingdom.

"As for the so-called 'Cunning Fox' Caso, 'Money Bag' Joke Mann, 'Private Soldier' ​​Red, and even old Godwin and sharp-faced Connie who were loyal to you in the imperial meeting, in order to overthrow the power The royalists who are the nobles, after they are done, what will they leave for you, and what will they ask you for?"

The duke's words became increasingly dangerous:

"Do you think that when Canxing reigns supreme on the throne and there is no threat to the land, when countless humble people have followed the king's will, erased the natural fear of the high-ranking people, and then merged into a torrent to defeat the old seal? When you become a nobleman of the new generation and serve the supreme king..."

Cyril's voice was so sharp that it almost pierced through the door, and it sounded like a poisonous snake spewing out a letter to Thales:

"Can you sit back and relax?"

Thales was silent for a long time.

But obviously His Excellency the Duke does not intend to let him go.

"It's even more terrifying."

Speaking of this, Cyril's tone was tainted with a touch of treachery, which was a bit alarmist:

"When those merchants who relied on you to sell their officials and nobles to reach the rank of nobility, they found that their gold coins could no longer buy more glory. It cannot be exchanged for the glory of the six founding dukes..."

At some point, Cyril started pacing again - Thales, who was in a daze, only realized after hearing the other party's voice coming from the left:

"When those professional bureaucrats who work hard to read and write can only get a meager salary in the form of paperwork, when those creditors in the royal bank find that the king has no intention or can no longer pass the internal search Or expand outward, thereby selling concessions, increasing debt, expanding profits..."

"When countless new nobles yearn for more power, status and interests, but can no longer find a big target like us, no enemy for them to plunder, and objects for them to demand..."

It was still the duke's exclusive words with acerbic tone, but Thales no longer felt the wit and humor at all.

Boom!

Cyril's crutches hit the ground hard.

I saw the Guardian Duke of Xihuang blocking the window, his figure against the light, and his wide but empty leather robe, covering him firmly like the shadow of a solar eclipse:

"Who do you think they are most likely to point their new finger at, who have lost their awe of those in high positions and are impatient for power?"

"Is it up, or down?"

Falkenhauser said coldly:

"Who is up, and who is down?"

"And what happens up, and what happens down?"

up.

down.

Unknowingly, Thales' left hand had firmly grasped the jc dagger stuck at the head of the bed.

Any change comes at a price.

The young man wondered.

Some prices may not be obvious at the time, but they are the same as when Cyril talked about the chess game...

After a hundred steps.

So, he, Thales Canxing.

Could it be "after a hundred steps"?

"Not to mention that these are all your conjectures..."

Thales took a deep breath, cheered himself up, and shook his head:

"If the general trend is true, then this cannot be avoided."

"Then, we must have corresponding methods, such as readjusting the situation and balancing interests-there will always be a better way out."

But Cyril smiled contemptuously—not his usual taunt or sarcasm aimed at offending people, but genuine, heartfelt disdain.

"So you have never been a ruler..."

"Hmph, do you really think that your citizens are sincere, loyal, good people who repay you well? As long as the government is clear and clear, they will live and work in peace and contentment? As long as you give them benefits, they will be satisfied and support you with tears of gratitude, even if Are you going to hell?"

Thales turned his head and frowned.

"Repeat," the prince choked a little unhappy:

"I don't like rhetorical questions."

But this time, Cyril no longer fell for his "rhetorical questions":

"Go to hell."

The Duke of Xihuang said coldly and shamelessly, Thales swore that he even heard the Western Wilderness dialect that some locals are accustomed to say:

"This is not a face-to-face transaction, and your people are not merchants: you hand them money with one hand, and they will return your goods with the next hand? This is not a bar fight, where you can earn your dignity back and overwhelm your opponent with just fists alone. "

Boom!

The Duke's figure flickered, and he took a big step forward very quickly. His robe, which was blown endlessly by the cold wind, pressed towards Thales like a hunting vulture:

"This world is not that simple. It's so simple that hard work will pay off. It's so simple that you'll get rewards if you work hard. It's so simple that if you work together, you will have great achievements and blessings for all people."

"People are not so simple. It is so simple that if you give kindness, you will repay it, if you give benefits, you will be satisfied, if you are severely punished, you will be afraid, and if you give power, you will obey."

Cyril's tone was urgent and sharp, like a reprimand:

"No."

He looked at Thales, who was a little startled, and slammed the wall with his crutches:

"I have ruled Xihuang for more than 20 years, starting from helping my uncle in political affairs. Believe me, your people will always give you unexpected and counterproductive feedback."

"A single person may cooperate, may be loyal, may obey, but a crowd of thousands?"

Falkenhauser snorted coldly, his eyes were cold, vigilant and alert, like facing an untouchable flame:

"A group of people, that is, a monster with an insatiable appetite, an insatiable shark, will always respond to the ruler beyond his expectations and catch you off guard."

Thales was slightly taken aback.

Cyril like this...

It's really not the usual way, at least not the way it was at the State Council meeting six years ago.

If he wasn't acting.

I saw Cyril turn around, gritted his teeth viciously:

"If you hate your people, they will hate you even more; if you love your people, they may not necessarily love you; high-pressure authority may usher in more intense resistance, but benefiting the people may not necessarily bring true love. Loyalty; good intentions, bad deeds, backfires are commonplace."

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The Duke's pacing became faster and faster, and the crutches repeatedly tapped the ground, making a palpitating dull sound.

"At the end of the Kings' Era, the first king who used crows to replace post messengers on a large scale brought unprecedented changes to the world, but he died in the end under the absurd charge of 'playing with things and losing one's mind, petting birds and abusing people'."

"Emperor Bashir, more than a thousand years ago, had a benevolent heart and made drastic reforms to the old system. He wanted to give shelter to his people who had nowhere to live, but he died of depression amidst the complaints and turmoil."

Listening to these strange and familiar historical stories, Thales frowned.

"You're saying we're on an uncontrollable path that may lead to unintended, counterproductive consequences? There's no human power to reverse it, or turn around to avoid it."

The Duke was noncommittal.

So Thales simply responded with a merciless cold snort:

"Then what you said just now is unstoppable, worry and vigilance, isn't it all bullshit?"

But it seemed that Cyril was also aroused. He first snorted angrily, leaned heavily on the crutches, and stopped:

"No, what I said was—"

"Expecting to use simple and crude means to reap direct and effective results is often half the effort and the opposite."

He stared straight at Thales:

"Even if the purpose is correct and the direction is correct, if the means are wrong and the method is wrong, it is very likely to be futile and even self-defeating."

"That's the problem we're dealing with—your father's mistake with his enemies."

The purpose is correct and the direction is correct.

Means deviation, method error.

your father, and his enemies.

common mistakes.

At that moment, Thales suddenly realized what Cyril meant.

and his position.

I only heard Cyril say coldly:

"The powerful ancient empire guarded the Thornland with heavy troops, and the Duke of Thorn ruled this southwestern province known for its rebellious spirit with an iron fist. He killed them submissively. It seems that his political achievements have been remarkable and effective, and the emperor is quite impressed."

But the duke's words changed, and it was dark and treacherous:

"However, when the time for the empire's decline came, the flag-raised rebellion was the most violent. In the end, the heads of the provincial governor and the family of the Duke of Thorns were hung on the flagpole, and it was none other than the sons of thorns who destroyed the empire's legion and shattered the empire's territory! "

In the increasingly turbulent brainstorming, Thales took a deep breath, leaned back against the wall:

"If I remember correctly, Falkenhauser with the four-eyed skull as the emblem, your ethnic language is 'Power comes from violence'?"

He whispered, waiting for the other party's response.

Power springs from violence.

The Duke of Xihuang hesitated slightly.

He was silent for a long while, until a ray of cold wind blew.

"right."

The Duke spoke quietly, with a rare complexity in his eyes:

"But outsiders only know this sentence."

"That's the worst sentence."

With a haggard and terrifying face, Cyril, who looked beyond human form, stared at Thales.

Power begins with violence, the worst line.

"So..." Thales asked tentatively.

But Cyril Falkenhauser interrupted him unceremoniously, spoke in a cold voice, and said a series of words in a deep tone that made Thales sit upright:

"Power dominates interests, interests lead to conflicts, conflicts lead to violence, violence leads to obedience, obedience forms habits, habits create order, and order reaffirms power."

Thales was stunned.

It's strange that Falkenhauser, who usually has a sharp voice and a hoarse hoarse voice, spoke in a cadence this time, as if with some kind of respect:

"This is the logic of 'power comes from violence': a perfect loop that cannot be broken."

"As for the power and violence that outsiders talk about, they are just two small pieces of the puzzle."

Cyril lowered his head, narrowed his eyes, and leaned on his crutches, like a vulture perched beside a tree waiting to move:

"But too many people like to simplify, skip a lot of steps in the middle, think that giving benefits will win obedience, and resorting to violence will bring power - and that is the biggest problem."

"Especially reformers who want to bring about change in the world, change everything that people take for granted."

Power springs from violence.

Just... two pieces of the puzzle.

Falkenhauser's words made Thales start to think.

Cyril snorted again:

"And you know, what do we call the former group of great people who most want, are most eager, are most confident, and are best at changing the world?"

Cyril's next word caught Thales' attention:

"Mage."

The room was silent for a few seconds.

Thales let go of the dagger in his hand, he raised his head involuntarily, tried his best to cover up his surprise, and looked solemnly at the duke's equally burdened eyes:

"And do you know what they brought to the world in the end?"

Cyril didn't continue talking.

Just like this, the two faced each other silently in this ominous room on the top of the tower, with scary eyes on one side and puzzled eyes on the other.

But Thales quickly shook off the untimely question.

"Cyrillic."

"You're not here to help your vassals and stand up for them," Thales quickly returned to the current context:

"But you are not on the king's side, to show your favor to the kingdom's blood."

Thales said straightforwardly:

"Right."

He used an affirmative sentence.

The two were silent for a while.

Finally, a smile appeared on Falkenhauser's face—not the habitual hypocritical smile before, but a sly and slightly light smile.

Although it was a bit scary to put on his face.

"I said, don't think of me as a stubborn old antique."

His Excellency the Duke exhaled a long breath, as if he wanted to make a summary of this conversation: "Falkenhauser is not an old-fashioned person who is ignorant of current affairs. If the tide is like this and the general trend is like this, then I will not hesitate to make changes. Accept fate without complaint or regret."

"I also believe that both order and habit - can be changed."

In front of Thales' careful and serious gaze, Cyril's eyes moved:

"But this kind of change must be step by step, bit by bit, drop by drop, and it will happen naturally and logically."

"Not like this."

Cyril raised his crutch and pointed out the window.

"The north has changed, and the prince has returned to the country."

The Duke said coldly:

"So, one side took advantage of the fire to rob, threatened the king with the safety of the heir to the kingdom, and forced him to hand over control of the western front."

"The other party simply took away the troops, supplies, and garrisons of the Western Wilderness lords after the vain and submissive, and beat them hard to kill them all."

Thales' expression slowly changed after hearing these two seemingly understated but actually thrilling words.

"Didn't you realize that, compared to the under-the-spot actions such as coercing the palace, blaming the palace, and making publicity six years ago, whether it is your father or the current princes, the actions of both sides are too violent."

"And the irony is, don't they really think that through such a so-called victory," Falkenhauser is very serious at the moment:

"Can you erase the opponent's ambition and hostility?"

Cyril waved decisively, quite imposingly.

"No."

This is a rare moment for Thales, when he feels that the other party, as a duke, is not at all inferior to the heroic and magnificent dukes of the Northland:

"They'll just push each other harder and worse until the last step, either now or later."

Thales pursed his lips, thinking a lot.

"But aren't you the leader of the princes in the west, the leader of the group, the lord of the ruins who restrained his vassals, and the guardian duke of the west?"

The prince spoke slowly:

"When the game between the Fuxing Palace and the ruins revolves around me and the game of power, shouldn't you be responsible for it and make achievements in it?"

Cyril smiled.

"So you're not yet a king."

The Duke glanced sideways at Thales:

"Do you think that at every important point in history, it is someone's will that dominates the tide?"

Cyril said coldly:

"You know, when your vassals and subordinates are furious, and everyone is proud, standing in front of the tide, you don't have much choice but to follow the tide."

Thales frowned more and more.

The Duke said sullenly:

"Unless you want to replace the king and become the target of public criticism that hinders them from regaining their hope - if you don't become their leader, you will become their enemy, the first to fall from both internal and external attacks."

Thales was silent for a long time.

So, Cyril's words mean...

The boy suddenly remembered the state meeting a long time ago, the vote to decide whether he was an illegitimate child or a legitimate prince.

At that time, Cyril voted "yes", but his nominal vassals, two of the thirteen noble families, voted "no".

Thales took a deep breath, bringing back his thoughts that were getting worse and worse:

"So bad?"

Cyril was also silent for a while.

"Don't forget what I said, people will always respond to the ruler beyond his expectations and catch you off guard-unfortunately, the lords of the West Wilderness are also within the scope of the description."

Falkenhauser turned his head and glanced at him lightly:

"Of course, as far as your father is concerned, you and I are also within the scope of the description."

Hearing what the other party said, Thales didn't answer.

The Duke turned his head and looked at the gray sky outside the window again:

"Bringing common people to fight against nobles, and unscrupulous methods to restrain power will have consequences-civilians are not pawns at your mercy, and nobles are not objects to be sacrificed."

His voice carried a long chill, like the bleak autumn wind:

"The feudal lords who obstruct the general situation are tantamount to seeking their own death, but the Fuxing Palace may not be able to achieve the desired results, and the eagerness of both sides for quick success is even more taboo."

Thales clenched his fists.

Cyril looked at the sky in the Western Wilderness, seemed to be at a loss, and sighed softly:

"More than a hundred years ago, the chessboard of the Xianjun was silent, gentle and stable."

"But to this day, the chessboard where your father played against them..."

The Duke of Xihuang paused for a few seconds.

"No, this won't end with a good ending—the Bloody Year won't be the end."

The confusion in his eyes dissipated, and he returned to reality, becoming sharp and vigilant:

"Unless His Majesty can slaughter all the creatures on this land and fundamentally erase all discordant sounds——I don't know, maybe one day in the future, when the Kingdom of Stars can have a magic gun , When the summons are sent instantly, and the ruler on the throne can easily destroy the world with just nodding his head, he may succeed."

Another gust of cold wind hit the tower, bringing with it the whistling sound.

But both of them seemed unaware.

This time, Thales was silent for a long time.

long time.

"No."

After a while, Thales spoke with a hoarse voice and said in a dark voice:

"Believe me, even if there is a day..."

"He won't succeed either."

( = )