Kingdom’s Bloodline

The moonlight was cold, and the funeral song in her ears stopped, replaced by another laugh from Fortress Flower and shouts from her soldiers.

"Depose the Duke and destroy Jann?"

In the lounge, Thales repeated the king's words and took a deep breath:

"Let me guess, Your Majesty, you will gather all the power of the whole country to give me an unstoppable royal standing army of more than 30,000 soldiers, equip it with the best equipment, provide the most sufficient logistics, and then give me the left hand Send a wrath of the kingdom, put a legendary wing on the right hand, and then, under my correct leadership, they rushed into the Emerald City in a simple, rough but unstoppable manner, broke the Kongming Palace, and then dragged Jann Cavendir from Scratched from his ducal throne, stuffed upside down in a toilet and flushed into the moat?"

King Kessel was silent for a while.

"No."

Thales sneered "as expected", with sarcasm in his words:

"Then, you must have planned a perfect plan that can get rid of Zhan En in a safe and low-key way, without forcing the princes of the four directions, and teaching Xingchen to destroy the country in the civil war, so that you have the confidence to order me to run errands? After all, we all Should I learn something from the Sand King incident last time and maybe my little protest?"

The Iron Fist King glanced at him, then turned to look at the desk.

"Open it."

It took Thales a few seconds 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 went 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... The Duke of Thales is famous far and wide... We had a very happy conversation... It's been a long time since we parted, and I miss you a lot..."

Thales read the content of the letter one after another, mostly polite nonsense.

"Although the Emerald City is small, and the Kongming Palace is ugly...the two families have a long history...I and the sages on the south bank...every grand meeting...I look forward to it..."

Thales finished reading the scroll, and when he was at a loss, he saw something on the desk under the scroll.

He picked up the plate frame that he thought was a scroll at first, and his expression changed immediately.

"What is this?" Thales raised his head and looked at His Majesty the King in disbelief.

"As you can see, it's the reply letter from Duke Kevin Deere." King Kessel V was still looking at the sparkling Star Lake. "He welcomes his best friend, the Duke of Star Lake, to Emerald City to stay in Kongming Palace. Participate in the Emerald Ceremony, enjoy the joy with the subjects of the South Bank, and commemorate the deep friendship between the nine-pointed star and the iris, and the loyal bond between the Fuxing Palace and the Kongming Palace."

"No no no, I mean..."

Thales put down the scroll, raised the square frame which was actually a small portrait facing the king, raised his voice, and spoke indecently:

"What the fuck is this?"

King Kessel turned his head.

Under Thales' surprised and angry expression, in the picture frame on his chest, a teenage girl with a round face turned her head among the flowers and smiled at the king with a sweet and innocent smile.

And on her tailored skirt, the emblem of the iris flower is looming.

"It should be that the artist has changed, it's not as good as the last painting."

The king only glanced at it, and gave a soft snort indifferently.

"Don't worry, according to the usual practice, your portrait has also been sent, which is fair."

fair……

Thales only felt that his forehead was full of blood, which would soon burst out of his veins. He took a deep breath and exhausted all his strength to ensure that the volume would not break the window:

"I repeat for the last time: fuck, this, fuck, yes, fuck, what?"

Every time the prince swears, the frame shakes with his fingers.

The room was silent for a few seconds.

"It's nothing," King Kessel said lightly. "You need a reason to go to the Emerald City. For example, you are going to greet and see one of your fiancée candidates, the noble and virtuous Shilei Cavendy, the younger sister of the Duke of Jain. Miss Er."

The king glanced at him like a fool:

"Is there a problem?"

have.

Great question!

Nobody told me!

Thales turned over the portrait and stared dumbfounded at the round-faced girl above.

Shirley Kevin Dill.

Jane's sister.

Thinking of the cold and sharp threat of Duke Iris, Thales felt a chill in his hand holding the picture frame.

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 his best to adjust his emotions and forget the anger of being fooled.

"The letter won't be too straightforward. But, yes, young men and women of important families have reached the age of marriage. Before making an appointment to marry, they will look at each other, get to know each other, and it is best to cultivate friendship. This is the practice of the kingdom for many years."

The king's tone was normal, as if no one should be surprised by this at all.

Thales stared blankly at the girl in the painting, and it took a long while before he put Miss Hilley down and returned to the conversation with the king.

"Well, I know it's very unlikely with your temper, but I still want to ask." Thales swallowed hard, and suddenly remembered the ultimate goal of his trip, "Do you want me to Make a marriage contract with that lady, and then let Zhan En suddenly die suddenly, we can take advantage of that lady's inheritance, enjoy the benefits, and take Nan'an into the bag?"

King Kessel snorted, the meaning was unknown, which made Thales feel a sting.

"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 the words, but there was no sign of regret on his face, "It seems that the noble and pure Miss Hilley and I can only end up here gone."

The king didn't speak, but narrowed his eyes and looked at him from afar.

"You know, after the last royal banquet, Zhan En and I have new and old grudges, and we can't stand each other."

Thales sneered:

"And now I actually want to go to Emerald City to ask for a marriage, well, at least visit 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 Xiaohuahua's small belly and guts, it's only strange if she doesn't go crazy and mess with me"

Thales remembered something when he said this, his expression froze, and his words froze.

Eh?

Provoked by his sister...

fuck me like crazy...

"etc."

Thales' complexion changed slightly, and he picked up the scroll again.

"This, this is just a reply letter from Kevin Dill, so..."

The Duke of Xinghu stared wide-eyed, looking 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 the mess between me and his sister?"

"When it is confirmed that you escaped from the Northland and are about to return to the capital," King Kessel no longer looked at him, and his tone was also casual, "The Council of Noble Affairs selected a list, including dozens of suitable nobles. Women, inspect them one by one, and convey the intention of marriage to their families, which naturally includes Iris."

"What?"

Escaping from the Northland, when returning to the capital...

Taylor's heart skipped a beat.

That is to say, that is to say...

"As far as I know, the girl from the Calvin Dill family lives in seclusion, and her personality and behavior need to be observed. Therefore, her original position on that list is not high, but now, it just happens to be useful."

"Wait!" Thales crossed his hands and stopped the king with a horrified expression.

"Wait, so, before the royal banquet, even before I went back to China, you told Zhan En: Fuxing Palace is interested in his sister?"

Thales stared at King Kessel.

The king looked back at him with deep blue eyes.

"It's not me, but you told him. Don't forget, Prince Thales is the rightful owner of the marriage, so you can show your sincerity."

sincerity...

Thales became more and more dazed the more he listened.

He looked at Miss Hilley at the desk.

The king seemed to think Thales was not annoying enough: "And it's not a simple notification, this is an official note between the big families, especially the marriage between Canxing and the Kevin Dill family has a long history, this is a very serious and sacred thing , without the slightest joking and disrespect."

No, no, no.

"Fuck, see, hell."

The boy figured something out, turned around, and leaned weakly against the desk.

"I, I see..."

The king seemed not surprised, he looked at his son calmly.

Thales' breathing accelerated.

After suddenly realizing it, he said with an expression of disbelief:

"I understand. At the royal banquet, the reason why Jann wanted to facilitate Anke Bailar's kidnapping and assassination..."

At the royal banquet, the words of Jen En's last private confrontation with him rang in Thales' ears again:

This is a warning. I came here on purpose, Thales, to give you one last chance.

last chance.

"It is better to die because of friends than to die because of enemies."

Thales clenched his fist and gritted his teeth:

"That night, the reason why Zhan En wanted to be the chess player who disrupted the game, the reason why he wanted to add fuel to the flames, and the reason why he was so eager to trouble me, drag me into the water, see me make a fool of myself, and ruin my reputation..."

I want you to know, Thales, I want to teach you to know: this is my response.

Thales rubbed his forehead in pain:

"And the reason why he still hates me so much after I return to China, the reason why he is uncharacteristically biting me like a mad dog..."

In response to your offending me, rejecting me, and even threatening me six years later.

"All these, these unreasonable attacks and frame-ups in my opinion, are not because he is out of his mind, nor is it because he is some domineering boss, or even because he doesn't like me..."

Thales patted his thigh remorsefully:

"It's because, from Zhan En's point of view, I was the one who impatiently sent him a marriage letter as soon as I returned home, to get revenge on him for threatening him, to provoke him to offend him, and to covet his sister!"

Watch your hands, my lord.

Ah ah ah ah ah!

Thales, who had figured out the truth, thumped the table angrily:

"Hold!"

The annoyed voice of the Duke of Xinghu finally dispersed in the lounge.

The figure of the king was still standing by the window, motionless.

"Wait, you already know these things, right?"

Thales remembered something, and stared at King Kessel:

"Jane bit me as soon as we met at the royal banquet, and the cause of my bloody misfortune in the end was that you found me, this damned marriage partner?" The prince's questioning voice wafted in the lounge.

"Parents arrange marriages for their children," King Kessel said calmly, without apology, "it's only right and proper."

Yes, like children attending funerals for their parents.

Hearing the other party's light response, Thales was furious:

"Then I really am, thank you eight generations of ancestors!"

The displeased young man swears without any scruples, without the bearing and etiquette that a duke should have.

The king looked at him quietly:

"Is that how you thank your father for his kindness?"

Thales spent several seconds, trying his best to expel the anger out of his chest.

He squeezed out a smile:

"Of course not, I was too excited, yes, I should have another way to thank you. Let me think, yes, there is: as it happens, the toilet brush in my bathroom is broken, father."

The young man's smile became more and more exaggerated and dazzling: "He is considerate and thoughtful, his head is as hard as you, do you intend to replace it's work? It's very simple, you just need to get into the toilet with your head down and turn it up and down, left and right! "

The king made a humming sound, and he didn't know whether it was to express his dissatisfaction with the Duke's attitude, or to really applaud his humor.

After figuring out the cause and effect, the resentful Thales sighed 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 to the country and handed you the list of finalists," the king said calmly, "Didn't he?"

Thales sneered, and waved his hand without thinking:

"Nonsense, if he said it, I can still do this"

Fourteen years old, according to the standards of the empire era, you are already a real adult, you can fight with a sword, marry a wife and have children...

Gilbert, on this, as times change and society progresses, I believe we have debates,

Thales thought of something and paused.

So, Your Highness, you have reached the age of this year... You must know that you are obliged to continue the blood of the great kingdom...

cough! cough cough cough

"Damn, I remembered, he was trying to talk."

Thales said blankly:

"From the first day to the day of the banquet, at least three times, but every time I said it, I was interrupted, refused, and changed the subject..."

The king was silent.

"Even on the day I fell out with you, the reason he used to tease me was marriage," Thales tore his hair in pain, "Damn it, damn it, I should have thought of it earlier! That's 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 being annoying and nagging, or at least finish nagging!

The king snorted softly, and his tone was thought-provoking:

"Then I guess, you have nothing to complain about, and you can only fill the gap in the toilet brush yourself?"

Thales let go of his hair, glared at him fiercely, and then thought of another person unhappily:

"Damn Jann Kevin Dill, what did you warn and what did you respond to? He turned around, he is a duke after all, why can't he speak clearly?"

Thales gritted his teeth.

Hey Thales, why are you writing to marry my sister? Is it a threat?

No Jen, I didn't, I wasn't, you're talking nonsense!

Oh, it's okay, you can eat, I will send the brother who broke the feast with a sword.

Isn't this the end? ? ? All the best!

The depression and silence in the lounge lasted for a while.

In the end, Prince Thales let out a weak breath.

"So, Your Majesty, are you sure?"

He said listlessly to the king:

"The one you want to depose is one of the six guardian dukes of the kingdom, the richest, youngest and most popular one. If something goes wrong in the middle, for the sake of the setting sun, even to Exter and Kang The Mars Alliance declared war at the same time, which seems more sensible than this."

King Kessel didn't even look back:

"I thought you hated him and was happy to see Jann Cavendir's downfall."

hate him.

Thales snorted ironically:

"Trust me, on another occasion, I would be happy to replace the toilet brush in my castle with Xiaohuahua. But, to destroy him? Jen is not a soft persimmon, and he is very wary of us, not to mention he hates me , if this step is a little careless, I will be trapped in the Emerald City."

"Thals star."

The king called out his full name with a cold tone, which made the teenager nervous.

"Do I need to remind you of our covenant?"

At that moment, Thales seemed to be poured cold water over his head.

Thales stood up straight, only feeling that the joints all over his body were extremely stiff.

On his front, a certain bone ring became heavier and heavier.

Guertaxa.

"I will help you push the kingdom forward, remove obstacles, and break the shackles," Thales said bitterly, "For this, I will spare no effort."

No matter what.

"Very well, that's just like what we talked about, child, be my sword, and go to fight through thorns and thorns until the kingdom is clean."

The king reveals his face from the moonlight at the window:

"Unless you repent."

repent.

Thales swallowed, only to feel that the front was a little heavier.

"So, Your Majesty, you want me to visit a prominent noble lady in the same way I would treat a fiancée candidate, but secretly racking my brains to plan to depose or even kill her brother. It's great, nothing could be worse than this." It's a bloody love script."

He tried to keep his tone light-hearted.

"Thales."

But His Majesty's tone made the ease he tried to pretend go in vain:

"From the moment you return to China, this matter has been doomed and must be done."

"It's inevitable."

Thales opened his mouth, but said nothing.

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, pure and happy, as if there is no danger in her world.

It wasn't until a cat meowed in the castle, which aroused the cats' ensemble one after another, and also brought a lot of dogs barking, that Thales' thoughts were brought back to reality.

"What about the specific plan?"

Thales exhaled, his tone became serious, and he lost some of the previous banter.

"What is the secret department of the kingdom planning? Threats, lures, assassinations, poisoning, or just meeting with each other and swinging an axe? Who am I going to cooperate with, and what should I do? I have a word first, even if it is acting, I will never kiss it." Jen's ass."

But the king just watched him silently.

"You'll see when you get there."

Thales frowned at Iron Fist King's answer.

"This answer is not feasible. Our covenant has words first: you will respect my wishes, listen to my opinions, and treat them sincerely, without reservation, without any deception."

The teenager repeatedly emphasized:

"any."

The king was silent for a few seconds, then sneered.

"Son, 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' sarcasm. He came to Thales and stared into the boy's eyes:

"Our covenant is destined to be a top secret that can't be kept for outsiders, even for the secret department of the kingdom."

Even for Kingdom Secrets.

Taylor's eyes moved:

"That is to say, Your Majesty, in their eyes, we are still a pair of father and son who have different opinions and have a bad relationship? But this is not the reason for you to hide your plan from me and keep silent."

But the king shook his head:

"The plan of our oath is to gradually turn against each other and win based on this. You and I should distance ourselves from each other instead of knowing the bottom line. If you know the details of all the actions, then your performance in the Emerald City will be different. It is hard to guarantee that you will not. Being discovered, as you said, Zhan En was already extremely wary of us."

Thales frowned:

"That is to say, I am the same as before. I can't command or cooperate with the secret department, and I don't know their actions? Then how do I complete the task?"

King Kessel turned around.

"Don't worry, you don't need to be the protagonist in this action. All you need to do is to be a third party in Emerald City, an unbiased weight in the center of the balance, to listen, to watch, to witness, and to follow the trend. OK."

He just needs to listen, watch, witness, and follow the trend?

Thales frowned: And this means a lot.

It should be noted that, as the guardian duke, Zhan En has been rooted in the South Bank Territory for many years, and his power is unfathomable, but Thales, he doesn't have to do anything?

The king curled his lips slightly, and said in a low tone:

"The rest will be done by others."

Others.

Was he referring to the Kingdom Secret Division, or something else...

Thales' expression remained unchanged:

"But what if I, like before, did not help, got in their way, and messed up your situation instead?"

The king's expression moved and he glanced at him.

"That's why I'm here, and I'm here to tell you what the ultimate goal is: just get it done, I don't care what you do, I don't care if you satisfy the Secret Division or they satisfy you."

What?

Thales was a little confused.

Don't care what I do, don't care if I satisfy the secret department...

"But such words"

"And isn't this exactly what you want, and what you fought for last time when you broke into the palace?"

The Iron Fist King didn't give him a chance to ask questions. He bent down and pressed Thales' shoulder with his palm, with a strange meaning in his words: "I didn't give you specific plans and rules, so I gave you a plan outside the framework. , the power of discretion and improvisation."

discretion.

Make an impromptu decision.

Thales was stunned.

real?

The troublesome prince who has always been accused of "ruining my good deeds" and "sabotaging the plan" is not used to it for a while.

The sound of the banquet from the corridor outside the door gradually died down, Thales guessed that it was probably the flowers of the fortress that drank everyone down.

The king obviously didn't want to procrastinate any longer, he held up the helmet of the royal guard, and buttoned his head meticulously.

Like a real guard.

"You can do this according to your preferences and standards. Just like you don't like the brutality of Shawang's actions, then influence it and reverse it. You don't have to think about who's going to do it and who's going to ruin it. ..."

Having said that, King Kessel V paused for a moment.

Thales took a deep breath and took over his words:

"Just complete your goal: Dethrone Jen?"

The king let go of his helmet and nodded:

"And don't expose yourself."

He asked me to go to the Emerald City, told me the ultimate goal, but didn't tell me the plan and details of the secret department, just let me adapt to the situation and follow the trend?

That……

"Then lend me the yordle."

"For such a big matter, I will use him," Thales said calmly, looking into the eyes behind the king's helmet, "Anyway, Ada has returned, and she can protect you."

Yodel.

King Kessel was silent for a few seconds, shaking his head and chuckling.

"It's just the first time, boy, the first waters of our covenant, and I haven't seen it work yet."

Thales gritted his teeth.

"Cooperation requires trust, and trust needs to be earned."

King Kessel refused him outright, turned and left without hesitation.

From gait to posture, in an instant, he completed the transformation from king to guard.

Even the closest people may not be able to recognize them.

Thales stroked his chaotic thoughts, and subconsciously called Kessel:

"That's it? Nothing else?"

The king paused in his steps.

"Let me think, oh yeah."

Kessel turned around, his face hidden behind his helmet:

"Remember, when you get along with that girl, remember to show your gentleness, politeness, respect, sincerity, and thoughtfulness like a real man."

In the next second, the temperature of the king's words dropped sharply:

"To comfort her..."

"The pain of losing a brother."

King Kessel pushed open the door and stepped into the corridor.

Thales was left alone, staring blankly at his back disappearing.

Mallos came in from the door, turning a blind eye to the strange guard who had just walked out of the room.

"Your Highness, if you are unwell," the watchman said calmly, "We can end the banquet early."

Thales came back to his senses.

He touched his front pocket and glanced at the girl in the painting.

"No, no need," the prince said calmly, but there seemed to be worry on his brows, "No, it's just the beginning."

It was already night, and Sonia's hearty laughter sounded again outside the corridor, mixed with the endless meowing inside and outside the castle.

The former is content.

The latter is eerie and desolate.