Kingdom’s Bloodline

[When will you understand that the height of your father's wrist has nothing to do with the result of his will? 】

The familiar sharp voice sounded in the memory.

[And it’s not just him, there are countless people, whether they are on the side of the king like the royal party, or on the opposite side of him like Kuust, the intensifying conflict between them will bring unforeseen consequences. 】

Thales sat quietly on the seat, staring at the map in front of him seriously, trying his best to drive out what Falkenhauser said on the Ghost Prince Tower.

Is this the kingdom he will face?

At this moment, all the monarchs in front of the imperial court are cautious.

"You know, Suoduo, don't talk about execution."

Beside the discussion table, Prime Minister Cullen looked like an old man suffering from a serious illness, with a weak voice:

"Just because your words today are leaked, will there be a lot of waves in the kingdom?"

The military advisor snorted slightly and shook his head.

He was about to speak, but was interrupted by the foreign minister beside him.

"It's one thing for us to live frugally and pay for our own profits and losses to support the royal standing army." Gilbert was still gentle, but his warning was palpable: "As for ordering the whole country to reduce the power of the lords to recruit armed forces?"

"Sodo, that's another matter."

Su Duo frowned, as if he didn't agree.

But out of respect and admiration for Xingchencunhu for a long time, he did not immediately refute.

Seeing someone helping, Prime Minister Cullen gave the Foreign Minister a grateful look in relief.

"Take Yongxing City as an example: the royal standing army and Canxing private soldiers, one takes this as a job, and the other is enlisted during the service period."

The Prime Minister nodded and smiled towards the backlit shadow on the throne:

"Although the sources are different, they are all sharp weapons in His Majesty's hands."

The city lord of Huigang, who was born in a famous family and nicknamed "Sword of the Bay", looked back at Soduo, his eyes were no longer filled with the oiliness of a good old man, but a little more serious in business negotiations:

"The same is true everywhere in the stars: the lord usually holds rare but professional elite guards,

If necessary, the general public will be recruited to serve as the main force on the battlefield. "

"One strange and one positive, cooperate in combat. One recruit and one recruit, two tracks go hand in hand."

"This is an established practice in the kingdom, a long-standing tradition."

The treasurer, Joke Mann, snorted softly, Viscount Connie narrowed his eyes, and Lord Clapham simply continued to be distracted.

"But it is this dual-track recruitment system that seriously hinders our army!"

Suo Duo, who has thinning hair but still looks hale and hearty, doesn't care about other people's eyes, and retorts loudly:

"Reality has proved that the private conscripts of the lords, even the private soldiers of the Canxing family - no offense, Your Majesty - are poorly organized, good and bad, let alone comparable to the elite royal standing army."

King Kessel changed his sitting position in the shadows, his face still blurred.

Thales' eyes moved slightly, remembering that it was Canxing's private soldiers conscripted from his family's territory that guarded the long-closed Mindis Hall many years ago.

"So he has been unable to confer a title..."

On the opposite side, Joke Man shook his head in disdain at Suduo, while complaining to the prime minister:

"Every time the atmosphere is good, this goddamn soldier has to do something to spoil the scenery and screw everything up."

Consultant Soduo turned his head sharply, his eyes sharp.

"And every time it's a critical moment, you're always on the sidelines, being vicious, vitriolic, and holding your money bag tighter than your own **."

Like a general on the battlefield, he fought back coldly:

"That's probably why you haven't been able to get a title, Moneybag."

Joke Man blushed.

But a few seconds later, facing Soduo with knife-like eyes, the resentful Chief Financial Officer still lowered his head.

He muttered unintelligible words in his mouth.

Thales heard it in the senses of hell, and what Qiao Ke chanted might be "Say it like you don't need to shit".

With a small victory, Suoduo no longer looked at Qiu Ke, but turned to everyone:

"Since the establishment of the establishment in the 'Sand King' era, the royal standing army has gone through decades of development and testing, and has been proven to be a safe and reliable professional elite soldier. From recruitment to training, from maintenance to combat, its significance and status are far beyond ordinary The lord's personal guard."

He speaks generously:

"Take the three guards as an example: Baron Mu's Fury Guard is a powerful army in the world who is good at fighting tough battles. It is iron-blooded and fearless, not inferior to Exter's heavy-armed elite;"

"Lady Sutherley's star guards shoulder heavy responsibilities and guard the Dragon Fortress. They have rich experience and are especially good at defending, attrition and blocking in the face of strong pressure;"

"The Stardust Guard of Baron Williams is the sharp swords and arrows on the western front, riding lightly like lightning, and galloping thousands of miles. It can be described as prestigious."

Thales recalled the three generals of Xingchen and their elite soldiers, thinking deeply.

Sodor turned to Duke Cullen, quite challenging:

"Is it possible for Canxing's private soldiers who belong to conscripts to do all of these?"

"Even if it's the professional soldiers of a few lords——the Black Lion Infantry Regiment of the Western Wilderness, the White Eagle Scouts of Arend, and the mountain walkers of the Giant Horned Deer Family, can they do it?"

The figure of the king moved slightly, revealing the sunlight behind him, which happened to shine on Soduo.

It seemed that the military adviser at the moment was aboveboard and imposing.

Duke Cullen was silent for a while.

After a while, the Prime Minister picked up the teacup at hand and took a sip:

"When it comes to fighting, Soduo, I'm not as good as you."

"But armed self-defense is the natural right of the lords, and it is also their traditional obligation to help the lord in battle. It is the normal state that everyone has been obsessed with since birth."

"From the central leader to the blade leader, the conscripts under the command of thousands of stars and hundreds of lords account for 90% of the total army strength of the kingdom. And the command and command responsibilities of their children are more related to the title promotion and local legal order of countless people."

Cullen looked at Sodor seriously:

"Territory population, fiscal and tax output, and one party's governance are all in it."

"Don't take it lightly."

However, he didn't get the response he wanted.

"Ninety percent of the kingdom's total military strength?"

Suo Duo snorted softly:

"Is it the few hundred people that you and the loyal lords worked so hard to cobble together at the state council six years ago?"

Facing Sodor's cold gaze, Prime Minister Cullen paused slightly with his teacup-holding hand.

"Sodor, we are at the imperial meeting," Gilbert said in time, with a warning in his voice, calming down the bad atmosphere a bit:

"Pay attention to proportion."

Facing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Su Duo restrained his momentum of fighting to the end, and said slowly:

"Sorry, Count Caso."

The military advisor turned to the others with a firm expression:

"Your Majesty, gentlemen!"

"His Royal Highness Thales has returned to the country, the "Fortress Peace Treaty" exists in name only, and there is no longer any room for political buffer between us and Exeter!"

Thales frowned.

Gilbert gave him a comforting look just in time, signaling not to be nervous.

"And six years ago in the Hall of Stars, the embarrassment of the princes discussing the number of troops to send is still vivid."

Sodor didn't go to see the Prime Minister, but he couldn't control the eyes of other people on Duke Cullen.

The latter just shook the teacup lightly, seemingly unaware.

"That's why I took the trouble to move the detailed battle report to the Ballard room."

The military advisor showed a sad look:

"The Kingdom of Stars cannot withstand the next bloody year."

For a moment, it was as if someone had abruptly turned off the sound in the Ballard room.

Not even the sound of breathing was heard.

Desktops, palms, documents, teacups—all the officials seemed to have found something more interesting, except that no one dared to look at the throne at the end of the long table.

Thales took a deep breath and caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye:

King Kessel was still as indifferent as before, calm, as if he was just a bystander of the meeting in front of him.

He was just a bystander of the disaster more than ten years ago.

"Enough, don't scare me any more!"

A few seconds later, Joke Man, the chief financial officer who had already expressed his opinion, finally couldn't help but speak:

"Earl Casso just made it very clear: Exter's internal friction is endless and is declining!"

Soduo's face turned cold, and he answered the words very quickly to fight back:

"So the balance is no longer, and the pattern is turbulent!"

"We need a strong army more than ever!"

Qiu Ke showed disdain and was about to retort, but before she could say anything, her expression changed.

"Ah, Sodo, I understand."

The treasurer said playfully:

"You are so keen on this matter, is it because you are about to retire..."

"So I want to help my own people in the end, so that those mud-legged soldiers in the standing army, including the little vampires in the Military Affairs Department, can move their buttocks again, so that they can make an exception, be promoted to a title, and occupy a high position?"

Joke Man squinted his eyes and said:

"Like you are now?"

Su Duo's face changed.

"In the eyes of a businessman who is all about profit," he groaned and turned his head, very annoyed, but not as grand and generous as before:

"Even the sun stinks of copper."

Joke Man sneered:

"Bronze smell?"

"I've said so much nonsense," the chief financial officer slapped the table, gritted his teeth and pointed at Suduo, with no slack in the air:

"Don't you just want to get money from the treasury?"

"In the setting sun, after Williams made a mess in the Western Wilderness, I still hope that your Military Affairs Department will calm down!"

Sodor took a deep breath, as if he was going to have an attack, but finally held back under Gilbert's eyes.

Thales watched the quarrel between the two, watched the attitudes of several people to each other, and slowly realized the rhythm of the imperial meeting.

"It was what happened in Xihuang that strengthened my determination."

The voice of the military advisor trembled slightly, obviously holding back his anger with great perseverance:

"Needless to say, most of the militiamen conscripted for compulsory service face the embarrassment of lax discipline, inefficient organization, and embarrassing status on the battlefield."

"Although the regular professional soldiers are small in number and good at fighting, if they only obey the orders of the unruly lord, it is very easy to cause hidden dangers of internal command when cooperating in combat, and the harm is even worse than that of conscripts."

"It's like the chaos in the Saber Camp, and Exeter's defeat."

So Duo said sternly:

"We thought that the two systems of enlistment were in parallel, that we could get the benefits of both, but in fact we suffered all the disadvantages of both!"

"Whether it is for war or politics, whether it is a standing army or a conscript, reform is imminent."

What he said was well-founded, without the anger and criticism before, even Qiu Ke, who disliked Suoduo, was powerless to refute for a while.

But unexpectedly, it was Gilbert who spoke this time.

"In the vicinity of Yongxing City, the expansion of the royal standing army does not matter," the foreign minister said earnestly:

"However, Lord Soduo, in the eyes of more people, meddling in the autonomous rights of local vassals, especially restricting the recruitment of armed forces, will be understood as the persecution of freedom by the royal power."

Maybe because he didn't expect that his old friend would not support him all the time, Sodor snorted angrily this time, not giving Gilbert any face:

"Could it be that they don't understand that if we keep silent and give in blindly?"

Gilbert's expression darkened.

"Look at last night," the military adviser said coldly:

"An accident at a royal banquet."

"Whoever dares to reach out to the heir of the kingdom, we must respond!"

Thales remained expressionless, pretending not to see everyone's eyes.

But in his mind, the words that Duke Xihuang said became louder and louder:

[But haven't you noticed? Compared to six years ago...whether it is the father or the current princes, the actions of both sides are too violent...]

[The irony is, do they really think that through such a so-called victory, they can wipe out their opponent's ambition and hostility? 】

Suduo's words resounded in reality, and Falkenhauser's words were in harmony with each other:

"Even if it's for the sake of our descendants, sooner or later we will have to disband those so-called local conscripts who seem to be large-scale, but are actually eating vegetarian meals and are even more deadly at critical moments!"

Thales gently closed his eyes.

【No, they will only push each other further and further until the final step... either now or later. 】

Suoduo looked around the audience, gritted his teeth and said:

"Those antiques that are bound to be eliminated."

On the other side, Qiu Ke finally got tired of arguing with him, and looked impatient:

"Then go tell them!"

The chief financial officer slapped the table hard, making Gilbert and the others frown:

"Master Cullen is sitting here, you tell him face to face, tell the Canxing Seven Attendants, the six giants, the thirteen prominent families, and countless lords, tell them that the kingdom will abolish their conscription system and remove their conscripting power !"

"My nephew and nephew don't need to take martial arts lessons anymore, and they don't need to train knights according to the tradition. We all concentrate on farming, and we don't need to be soldiers anymore—all the money and taxes originally used for conscription will be handed over to the Finance and Taxation Department to support the royal family for us. standing army?"

Suo Duo seems to have long been used to the verbal confrontation with Qiu Ke in the imperial meeting:

"I don't think you understand basic cause and effect, Purse."

The military adviser replied coldly:

"It's not because they pay enough taxes that we can afford a standing army."

"And they pay enough taxes precisely because we have a standing army!"

As soon as this remark came out, perhaps something had been exposed, and many people had strange expressions.

Especially the Duke of Cullen, who was cited by Qiu Ke as an example.

"Hahaha!"

The chief financial officer laughed three times sarcastically, and said sullenly:

"You know, thanks to you, Soldier, when people out there are outraged 'Oh, the traitors of the royalist party, who deceived the king and persecuted Zhongliang in the small black room', I would think: Maybe we are not so innocent .”

"Then maybe you, the innocent, and the accountants under you should join the 'Zhongliang' camp." The military chief retorted.

Thales scratched his head:

He suddenly discovered that the Stars Imperial Conference with fewer people was not necessarily clearer and simpler than the large-scale State Council and the rough and unrestrained hearing days in Dragon Clouds City.

"Be careful, Sodor."

Prime Minister Cullen sighed, and before Qiu Ke could find new words to fight back, he helplessly interrupted the quarrel between the two:

"Some words come out..."

"There is a price."

Soduo turned his murderous eyes away from Qiao Ke, and responded to Cullen:

"So are you saying this as the prime minister, or as the guardian duke of the East China Sea Territory?"

After the words fell, Prime Minister Cullen looked ugly.

"Sodo!"

Gilbert sternly interrupts the aggressive old friend:

"enough!"

The foreign minister obviously held a lot of weight in front of the imperial court, and his words stopped the quarrel among his colleagues in time, so that it would not turn into a quarrel.

The meeting room was quiet for a while.

A few seconds later, Cullen let out a sigh of relief, quite emotional.

"I didn't expect to say that here, but please understand, my lord advisor..."

The potbellied City Lord Huigang leaned on the table with a sincere expression:

"At the imperial meeting, I was also the prime minister of the kingdom and the guardian duke..."

"At this moment, the significance of this to the Kingdom of Stars is far more important than me being one of them."

This made all the subjects present, including Suoduo, startled.

Even Thales couldn't help raising his head, and looked at the Duke, who was usually very old-fashioned.

"Although you came from a humble background, you are now in an important position, Mr. Thordor Reid," the prime minister of the kingdom, Bob Cullen, looked directly at Thordor:

"Should understand this better than anyone."

Soto was silent for a while.

A few seconds later, he unexpectedly bowed to Duke Cullen:

"My fault, Mr Prime Minister."

"I understand your difficulty."

This actually made Thales feel a lot better about him.

Finally, an uncontrollably stern voice sounded in the Ballard room.

"What Bob said is not unreasonable."

Everyone looked solemnly and looked towards the end of the long table.

I saw King Kessel raised his head, showing a side face in the light, with a bit of sternness:

"It is not wise to rashly intervene in the vassal's armed rights."

"Rumba is a lesson from the past."

As soon as these words came out, it seemed to set the tone for the quarrel just now.

Prime Minister Cullen exhaled in relief:

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

As if there was a tacit understanding, the subjects were relieved.

"All right."

"Since you said so," Soduo looked hesitant, looking reluctant, but he still subdued and said:

"I withdraw the proposal to reduce the national draft."

Prime Minister Cullen curled the corners of his mouth and turned back to the smiling Duke of Donghai:

"Thank you for your understanding."

The treasurer also leaned back in his chair, with a look of great difficulty:

"Thank goodness."

Gilbert pursed his lips and smiled at his colleagues.

At that moment, Thales looked at the king at the end of the long table and suddenly realized:

The imperial meeting is still different.

At least, at the state council, it was impossible for King Kessel to overwhelm the six giants and thirteen prominent families with a single word.

And on the days of listening to politics, even when facing her own vassals, the Grand Duchess must be careful.

Only here, in the Ballard room, no matter how much the courtiers quarreled . . .

The iron-fisted king always sits at the end of the long table.

"But Your Majesty," Sodor's words interrupted Thales' thoughts:

"You first try it out in Eternal Star City, set an example, and reduce the number of Canxing private soldiers who serve on a regular basis. After all, it can still be done, right?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Kessel thought seriously for a few seconds, then said slowly:

"If it doesn't involve other regions..."

"Maybe there won't be much opposition."

The military adviser's eyes brightened:

"very good."

"And we can select the best among the disbanded Canxing private soldiers to take advantage of the trend and expand the royal standing army..."

The king pondered for a while.

A few seconds later, King Kessel spoke again, with an undeniable taste:

"Okay, Sodor, Joke, and Clapham, you agree on the details."

"Start with Canxing's private soldiers, start to reduce the conscription period, and carefully replenish the royal standing army."

"Look at the effect."

Except for Qiu Ke's complexion changed drastically, the others present hesitated for a while, but they didn't intervene after all.

The military adviser looked happy:

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The next second, Joke Man hurriedly spoke out!

"Wait—wait a minute!"

The chief financial officer with a relieved face jumped forward from the back of the chair, and pointed at Soduo in disbelief:

"Extension—why did it come back?"

The military adviser's eyebrows moved slightly, but he didn't speak.

The treasurer looked at the king, then at Sodor, his expression fluctuating.

"I see, soldier, you did it on purpose!"

He was shocked:

"Reducing the troops of the princes is all a pretense - you made up your mind from the beginning, asking for prices, and paying back the money!"

Qiu Ke pointed at Sodor incredulously, his fingers kept shaking:

"It's basically for making money and expanding the army!"

Su Duo got what he wanted, with a calm face:

"I have already made concessions, His Majesty has also agreed, and the others have no objections,"

Qiu Ke looked around, and was surprised to find that Cullen's expression was silent, and Gilbert was silent - no one objected as before:

"You see that I'm easy to bully, don't you!"

Sodo snorted softly:

"After the expansion is completed, the Military Affairs Department will give you a new list of personnel salaries and material procurement."

"Money bag."

Now it's Joke Man's turn to fry the pot.

"Dog day's 'big soldier'!"

The treasurer put on a fierce expression like a dog protecting food, and said every word:

"Let me tell you again with great mercy—just like I said countless times on countless occasions last year—the cost of maintaining the royal standing army has been severely, seriously, exceeded, and spent!"

"I strongly recommend that you take a good look at the financial statements of the previous year. If your brain is not enough, at least look at the last quarter!"

"If after that, you still insist on expanding the standing army, then I suggest that you find your own sources of income—by the way, Red Square Street is a popular business for rich ladies, and your strong six-pack abs They are all in high demand!"

Solon frowned slightly:

"How do you know?"

Master Joke Man blushed and coughed:

"Managing finances, coordinating taxes, and formulating economic policies, it is natural to be proficient in that, that... all walks of life."

In embarrassment, a trembling voice sounded:

"Can I interject?"

Everyone turned their eyes and saw Lord Clapham, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, smiling carefully:

"My lords, last year I read Master Suoduo's request for military expansion. Although our grain and goods are on the rise, but..."

"All over the country, the farmland, grazing land, minerals, forests, and towns that have been reclaimed in the past ten years are far behind the speed of military expansion and knighthood..."

He smiled obsequiously, and said tentatively:

"Guys, do you know what this means?"

Joke Man seemed to be encouraged, he shook his shoulders and raised his arms:

"Look! Soldiers!"

But the person who replied immediately was not Suo Duo.

"This means that we can't just reduce expenditure, but also need to open source."

Qiu Ke turned her head and saw the speaker clearly:

"Viscount Coney?"

The well-educated Minister of Commerce and Trade, Viscount Coney gave him a slight salute:

"Extreme's internal strife and decline will inevitably lead to turmoil in the surrounding area, but they have a vast territory. Nearly one-third of the commercial routes in the entire western continent will be blocked. Merchants and money will have to find another way out, and even affect the east and west. transoceanic trade."

The newly promoted imperial minister observed the expressions around him, trying to seize the hard-won opportunity to speak:

"If we can seize the opportunity and take advantage of the fact that the Yankees are too busy to take care of themselves, we can deploy troops to attack aggressively, such as controlling the three major trade routes in the Great Desert, retaking the Corridor of the Lost Sea, and even further affecting the countries of the Dragon's Kiss and the Long Corridor Sea Route... Striving for more interests outside?"

Gilbert frowned, Prime Minister Cullen bared his teeth.

Even the king rolled his eyes.

"Did I hear you right, sharp-faced Connie," Joke Man said in disbelief, "It's fine if Suduo wants to ask for money to expand the army..."

"You fucking want to go abroad to fight?"

Viscount Connie showed a friendly smile, but unfortunately it didn't work well on that pointed face:

"Director Qiu Ke, what we are talking about is the absolute control of key business routes, strategic locations, resource-rich lands, and huge transoceanic trade. That is a 'big' sum of money—if it succeeds, I guarantee you will never have to worry about it again. financial resources."

But the treasurer only heard one key word, and he was full of doubts:

"if?"

Viscount Connie smiled unabated:

"To do this, perhaps, I mean perhaps, the standing army may indeed be temporarily increased in size and armament..."

Qiu Ke gritted his teeth:

"Maybe?"

Connie coughed:

"Yes, but there is no doubt that the kingdom is gradually recovering, and returning to prosperous commercial trade requires commercial routes, markets, gold and silver, exchanges, and more opportunities, which in turn provide considerable tax revenue for the country. It's going to be a virtuous cycle that continues..."

Qiu Ke's face was distorted, and his complexion became worse and worse:

"continued?"

Viscount Coney shrugged:

"In short, consultant Soduo, manager Qiu Ke, think about it for the next expedition?"

Joke Man understood what the other party meant, and his eyes kept going back and forth between the Minister of Commerce and Trade and the military adviser.

Su Duo pondered for a moment:

"It's not impossible, then we should find time to look at the map and look for possible targets. The royal standing army needs training..."

at this moment.

"Go to yourselves!"

The ministers were startled and turned their heads one after another.

I saw Qiu Ke standing up at some point, shaking his lips, furious:

"You prodigal sons, lose money!"

The stingy overseer was not stingy about his stinginess:

"Anyway, don't expect to get a dime from me!"

"One! One! One! One! One!"

In front of everyone's astonished eyes, Mr. Qiandaizi spat angrily:

"It's easy for you to say, why don't you go to the Royal Bank by yourself, flatter and humble invite all the rich and rich to Hongfang Street, give them whatever you want, good wine and good food, humiliate them like a prostitute, toast and laugh, smug, and soft Hard bubble, just for them to extend the debt repayment date, and then lend us more money to make up for the financial shortfall?"

Gilbert coughed lightly, wanting to remind Qiao Ke to pay attention to his words.

But Qiu Ke didn't seem to notice at all, and continued to grin his teeth:

"Then go back to the official office and wait for vampires like you and Da Bing to chase after their buttocks like children who don't have enough milk, snot and tears, crying and begging for money, and finally look beautiful The financial statement has once again turned into a bottomless pit of darkness?"

Qiu Ke chattered on and on, getting angrier as she talked, with a taste of broken jars:

"The treasurer of the kingdom? Pooh!"

Perhaps speaking of sadness, Qiu Ke slapped the table with a slap:

"I'm a fucking male prostitute with a shy face! I lie on the bed and forcefully smile and get fucked by the client. Before the money in my ass is warmed up, I'm going to get up and give it to the bustard! The money for lubricating oil You have to do it yourself!"

Joke Man closed his eyes, frantically waved his fists in front of his chest, and said every word:

"Every damn year!"

"every year!"

"every year!"

Thales was shocked and inexplicable.

Even the king looked strange.

A few seconds later, Gilbert coughed heavily:

"Juke, occasion!"

The treasurer took a few breaths, and then he came back to his senses, and was suddenly shocked.

"Ahem, that," he bowed to the king, embarrassed:

"I, I was just making an analogy, rhetoric, rhetoric..."

The imperial meeting was silent for a moment.

"I know it's hard, Joke," finally, the king could not speak comfortingly:

"So I need you to sit in this position, more than anyone else."

King Kessel stared at Qiu Ke from a distance:

"This is a job no matter how noble the big man is, he can't do it."

The treasurer trembled slightly, and his expression instantly became inexplicably moved.

"Of course, Your Majesty, of course."

With the king's encouragement and approval, Joke Man expressed gratitude:

"It is my honor to serve you..."

"It's coming again," the military advisor Soduo said angrily:

"How many budgets have been neglected by him..."

And Qiu Ke just looked at the king loyally, as if he was unknown.

King Kessel raised his hand and rubbed his forehead:

"Enough, rest."

"The meeting will be held in the afternoon to discuss how to help Qiu Ke solve the budget problem."

As soon as this remark came out, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, as if the bell rang for the end of get out of class.

Only Suo Duo and Qiu Ke, who were at the center of the topic, glanced at each other and turned their heads away in disdain.

Cullen, Clapham, Styrianides, the scar-faced man from the Secret Department...all of them bowed respectfully and got up to leave their seats.

Thales also breathed a sigh of relief, followed Gilbert to stand up, and helped him organize his notes.

until--

"You stay."

Thales froze.

The king didn't even open his eyes.

But everyone knew who he was talking about.

The prince sighed inwardly, and sat down again.

All right.

What should come, still will come.

The ministers all looked at him with different expressions.

"Relax," Gilbert patted him on the shoulder and said softly:

"Just answer truthfully."

Soduo deliberately passed Thales and saluted the Duke of Xinghu:

"I hope you have not been frightened, Your Highness."

"It's a pity, if the war in Xihuang can continue," the military adviser sighed: "It will further prove that the private soldiers of the lords are useless, and there are deep hidden dangers."

"The proposal to gradually reform the conscripted army into a standing army is more convincing."

He glanced at Thales regretfully:

"Your Highness, if you stay in the desert, it will be fine..."

a little longer.

Thales froze for several seconds.

Why do these words sound weird?

A few minutes later, as the stone gate closed, only he and the king were left in the imperial meeting.

The cramped Ballard Room was far more empty.

However, the atmosphere became tense.

Thales sat in his original position, trying to suppress his anxiety, watching King Kessel rubbing his forehead.

suddenly.

"Do you love her?"

Thales was puzzled for a while:

"What? Love what?"

But the king didn't ask him at all.

"Whenever you mention that girl."

King Kessel put down his hands, revealing a pair of cold eyes from the darkness:

"You're like an old hen guarding her cubs."

Thales was shocked and tried his best to keep his face normal.

After the accident last night, he imagined why King Kessel wanted him: assassination, duel, bet, self-assessment...

but this...

"I have a good relationship with her."

Thales frowned and said:

"but not."

The Duke of Xinghu snorted and shook his head:

"She is the Grand Duchess of Dragon Clouds City."

"I don't love her."

"It's impossible to love her either."

After these words, King Kessel looked at him for a long time.

Thales felt chills in his heart.

"Then why, at the banquet last night."

The king spoke softly, and every word was powerful:

"Gilbert, East China Sea Territory, Yadi Territory, Elk City, Rebuild Tower, you cry for help from everyone you can find, begging for mercy..."

"Just to help her?"

What?

At that moment, Thales' heart skipped a beat.

how did he...

No.

Thales frowned hard, trying to justify:

"I don't understand, I saw a lot of people last night, but..."

But the king used an affirmative sentence, which did not allow him to argue.

"You were terrible last night."

The Iron Fist King leaned back, sinking into the darkness of Ballard's chamber. There is a touch of contempt in the tone:

"Master Polaris."

north star.

For some reason, the title this northerner gave Thales made him feel chilly at this moment.

"So, the heir to the throne of the Star Kingdom fell in love with a Northland girl from the Walton family."

At that moment, his father, his supreme king, said coldly:

"Still madly in love."

"I can't help myself."

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