Kingdom’s Bloodline

Chapter 709 Name

One night passed, and many Emerald City citizens woke up in the morning and walked out of their homes. They were surprised by the unusual silence in the streets and alleys, felt the indescribable nervousness of the patrolmen, and heard the sneaky and hesitant whispers of their neighbors and friends. In panic, they learned one after another:

The Emerald City has changed.

It is said that the Duke's cousin, who had been charged with crimes, returned desperately from the election and reached the quarterfinals with only one sword, just to speak out in front of the entire audience and appeal for his father, the long-dead Viscount Sonar. grievance;

It is said that the young master Federico told the shocking truth in public: Duke Zhan killed his father many years ago to seize the throne and unjustly killed his uncle. Now he is killing people to cover up the truth. He even wants to repeat the same trick and marry these murder cases. Woe to the visiting Prince Thales;

It is said that the upright and just His Highness the North Star would not move at all, but would unleash his thunderous power at every move. With a single word and a flick of his finger, he would send the powerful but indefensible Duke of Nan'an into the bottomless prison of crime, while all the Dukes of Nan'an who were present were He was as silent as a cicada, not daring to speak a word, and the police officers and soldiers all over the city were also timid and could not stop him.

But behind these rumors, only Thales and his subordinates knew how embarrassing their situation was and how difficult the affairs they faced were.

The first is the placement issue of Zhane and Federico.

Although the prince ordered them to be imprisoned pending trial, this was nominally a noble arbitration and was not a real case-handling and law enforcement. They were also arrested and imprisoned irregularly. If they were hastily thrown into prison and locked up with criminals or security prisoners, It's always wrong.

Secondly, Zhan En has a distinguished status, and Federico is also the queen of Iris. In this major case that is destined to shock the kingdom and spread throughout the country, the treatment Thales gives them must not be too bad or bad (and this is the case for everyone in the world) The norm in a prison), in order to avoid being accused of revenge and arousing public outrage.

Thirdly, after all, this is still the Emerald City under the rule of Kevin Deere. From the Security Hall to the prison, from the Kongming Palace to the Emerald Legion, Thales dares to say that there will be officials who are secretly colluding with Zhan, and there is no guarantee. Federico, who has returned mysteriously and whose trump card is unknown, has no secret power in the streets and maintains private relationships out of sight.

Therefore, after discussing with his subordinates (mainly Marius), Thales decided to bring Zhan En ("I really feel at home.") and Federico ("Abandoned son returns home, my wish is finally fulfilled, Your Highness is my "Thank you very much.") were placed under house arrest in two rooms in Kongming Palace, not far from Thales's residence. They were entertained with good food and wine, and each was guarded by a Star Lake guard in shifts day and night. Regular inspections are required to ensure safety.

"If, I mean if, if one of them dies under our care, what will be the consequences?" D.D asked with a curious look on his face.

Glover, who had arranged guards overnight, groaned angrily and had to tear up the original plan with a grim face and double the number of guards.

"It's useful," Morgan sneered after hearing the guard's arrangements, with a thick accent, "I said, what are you going to do when the killer named Luo Sang comes over?"

Glover gritted his teeth and tore up the original plan again, squeezing time out of the already full overtime schedule of the guards to free up manpower and arrange long-range firepower on the sentries and outer towers.

"With all due respect, our number is too small after all, and we are all injured. We can only warn you, but cannot stop us." Paul wrapped the anti-slip belt on the bow arm and squinted at his rotation arrangement. "If you want to guard the prisoners, The key is politics, not military."

Glover roared angrily and tore the Nth version of the defense plan to pieces together with the bandage on his arm.

In the end, Mallos looked at Glover who was exhausted from overwork, sighed, and decided to arrange the rooms where Zhan and Federico were under house arrest, and even opened the doors opposite each other. , in addition to the candidates for personal guarding, there are also two groups of people posted outside the foyer:

He first made a kind invitation and asked Knight Cassian ("You are a knight, you abide by the creed, and you should protect the lord--'s brother.") and the Star Lake Guard guard Zhan's door, and then used words to provoke him, forcing him to The Knight of the Seychelles ("If he has any evil deeds, the Duke will not be able to get away with it.") and his subordinates guard Federico's door. Usually everyone stands guard outside the foyer, looking at each other and supervising each other.

As Thales's residence happened to be right in the middle of them, the guards could take care of three rooms at a time, and even shift changes were carried out at the same time, which also saved them the trouble of delivering meals to multiple places.

"It's really thoughtful and well-arranged," Zhan smiled and walked into his room under the watchful eyes of the guards. He didn't forget to turn around and praise the prince. "After all, when it comes to claustrophobic house arrest, who can have more experience than His Highness himself?" ?”

Thales graciously forgave him.

After arranging these two troublesome things, there is still an even more troublesome thing waiting for the prince to deal with:

Rule the Emerald City.

Thales returned to the Kongming Palace that night, flew the military information crow overnight, and rushed to report the changes in the election to the king ("Once again, father, you gave me a surprise. Through your always terrible sense of humor, But I have to point out that if you want to ask a knight to mount a horse and fight for you, rather than let him fold his arms and watch, it is better to give him the reins and saddle as well.") and ask him for instructions on what to do next. Make a decree.

However, the water far away does not put out the fire nearby. The lives of the people from the south bank will continue. The Emerald City will continue to operate as usual the next morning. The Emerald Celebration is still going on at least in name, and he needs to stabilize the chaotic situation.

So Thales had to ask the old butler Ashford for help. He lit the lights early in the morning before dawn, and urgently summoned all the major vassals, nobles and bureaucrats at all levels into the palace, including the heads of the major guilds. He discussed the future government affairs of the Emerald City with respected property owners, for which he sacrificed a lot of sleep (although these heavyweights probably had no intention of sleeping last night).

"Why do we still need their opinions?" Niexi in the guard asked puzzledly, "How they served Kevin Dill before, they will serve you now. Isn't that the end?"

"No, we don't need their 'opinions'," Thales rubbed his forehead tiredly, "In fact, what we need is to 'solicit' their opinions."

Unfortunately, aside from the shock and fear caused by the events surrounding the election, the meeting itself was not very exciting, and the brightly lit chamber was almost noisy.

As one of the most important and vocal vassals of the South Coast Territory, the Earl of the Thirteen Noble Families, Achison Lasia of the Marshland insisted that although the Duke of Iris has been imprisoned pending arbitration, as long as he comes from the king and As soon as the verdict of the High Noble Council was reached, Zhan En was still the Lord of the Emerald City and the Guardian Duke of the South Bank of the Kingdom. His title remained and his responsibilities remained unchanged.

Therefore, during the arbitration period, all government affairs in Emerald City should be running as usual, and relevant official documents should be submitted to the Duke of Nan'an himself for approval and processing. At most, he could stay at home and keep everything simple.

This proposal was approved by many local vassals, including many Emerald City government officials. Miss Cecilia was the loudest supporter, but most people just remained silent and glanced at the throne from time to time. The gloomy prince himself.

The faint sound of approval lasted for several minutes until an assistant judge from Gonghai City, Moore Ibonin, pointed out in a low voice:

Prince Federico accuses his cousin of patricide and seizing the throne. According to the legal laws of the kingdom and the inheritance tradition of South Bank, Zhan's inheritance and possession of the Duke of South Bank and the Lord of Emerald City may not be legitimate. At least until the arbitration of His Royal Highness ends, the title he holds The legitimacy of the title and title should be suspended and remain in doubt.

If during this period, Jann Kelvindir is still regarded as a legitimate duke and city lord, and granting him the right to rule, it is equivalent to considering him innocent and having no suspicion that needs to be clarified, then the arbitration itself will be It has lost its meaning, violated the principles, and is extremely inappropriate. What's more, the power of the city lord is so great that it can affect the Emerald City in all aspects, which is extremely detrimental to the investigation and evidence collection during the arbitration and is contrary to fairness.

This Iboning judge is not very old, but he is well-reasoned and quoted from classics. His upright and brave speech made many high-ranking vassals in the hall look ugly and attracted many people (especially the secondary vassals below the Emerald City). Minister) accused and abused "traitors" and "speculators", and Thales had to stand up and control order. But more people chose to bow their heads and remain silent after seeing His Royal Highness the Prince's expression. During this process, Grand Inquisitor Brennan, who was old but still insisted on entering the palace, remained quiet throughout the process and did not say a word.

Count Noah Havia, who came from Yanbi Port in the East China Sea, stopped the argument. As a neutral guest, he was polite and well-spoken. He first agreed with the speech of Assistant Judge Ibonin amid boos, thinking that Zhan It was not suitable for him to exercise the authority of the city lord again, but he immediately proposed that the Emerald City should follow the old practice and reestablish the position of regent of the south bank (this position was briefly established during the reign of the Northern Conqueror), with ministers or officials of the Kelvindir family. , or even a highly respected bachelor or chief executive, who can temporarily act as a trustee on behalf of the duke. This can be a foolproof strategy.

As soon as this statement came out, the meeting hall fell silent instantly. The vassals looked at each other in deep thought, the bureaucrats whispered to each other, and the business leaders whispered. No one opposed or supported it-at least no one dared to support it so obviously.

But in Thales' view, everyone in the hall was fully dressed at that time. They looked at the prince expectantly, with eagerness radiating in their eyes.

However, this brings up a bigger problem:

Who will be the regent?

As you can imagine, the meeting hall was noisy again:

A brightly dressed middle-aged vassal took the lead in recommending himself. The reason is that his family is the most trusted direct vassal of Iris. They have been loyal to Kevin Dill for generations. The fiefdom is still not far from Emerald City. But he was quickly refuted by another newly promoted noble, saying that your family relied on the legacy of its ancestors to bribe and accept bribes, and it has been doing bad things for a long time. The Duke had already thought of drastic measures to eliminate the poison and clean up the damage. If you are as corrupt as you, how can you be in a big position? The two vassal colleagues are getting more and more at odds with each other. You say that I rely entirely on my parents, I say that you are embezzled and bribed, you say that my talents are insufficient, and I say that your virtue is not worthy of the position. They quarrel all the way from town official affairs to old family feuds. They were at war with each other, but they only argued and did not take action, which disappointed Morgan and others who had been eagerly preparing for a fight;

All the judges in the trial hall and the other officials spoke in unison, saying that Grand Inquisitor Brennan was well versed in legal principles, well-respected by the public, and impartial. He was the best choice for regent. However, before Brennan himself could speak out, the judges in the city hall department The mayors and town chiefs opposed it in unison, on the grounds that administration is different from judiciary, and principles are not legal principles. Judiciary may be ruthless and impartial, but administration must act flexibly according to local conditions. Only those who serve the government can get things done by communicating and coordinating relationships. Otherwise, no matter "the policies above are good, but there are problems with the implementation below" or "the policies above are harsh and unkind, making it impossible for the below to implement", There will be big troubles in the Emerald City, and the judges will stand up and yell, "Isn't this the case now? Isn't it all your fault? Can the Emerald City be worse?";

The officials of the Department of Finance and Taxation are fat and eloquent, saying that the basis of rule is money, and the prosperity of the Emerald City and the prosperity of the South Coast Territory depend on the proper use of official finances, well-organized income and expenditure, and the prosperity of market trade. In this way, in the end, The candidate who is suitable to serve as the regent of the Emerald City is about to emerge - "What a ghost! Even when the Duke was in office, you guys were inactive, looking for opportunities to exploit, and exploited at every level. I saw you twisting and turning when you spoke, and wearing gold when you went out. Yin, how can the Emerald City fare well once you become the regent?" The directors of the Security Department and the officers of the Emerald Legion roared indignantly, saying that now that the Emerald City has changed hands and is unstable, the top priority is to stabilize the overall situation and maintain order. , manage public security, and have comprehensive policies. Under this general goal, the new regent had better know the military, be familiar with public security, and all other market livelihoods, finance, taxation, law enforcement, justice, and the people will all stand aside for me: If you don’t see me, the West On a day of wild blockade and martial law, the people of the kingdom are smiling? Don’t you see, the Blade Ya camp is under military control and will be peaceful and stable for tens of millions of years?

Everyone was upright and upright, and the officials were dedicated to the public good and spoke uprightly. However, no matter how Marius and Ashford reprimanded and persuaded, the noise and chaos in the conference hall only became more and more chaotic.

Thales's head was pounding when he heard the news from the main seat. He felt that the noise and chaos were worse than the imperial meeting. He wondered how Zhan En could survive for so many years under the spit of these troublesome elements and still be able to support the Emerald City. developing steadily.

Because the city lord's position was stable at that time - a small voice said in Thales' heart - or they thought it was stable.

Everyone keeps their heads down, performs their duties, and settles into their positions. Of course, everything will be peaceful and prosperous.

But that's just an illusion, Thales.

You see, once there are loopholes in the rule, there is a vacuum in power...

The prince looked boredly at the quarrels among countless people in the hall and sighed helplessly.

But these are not your concerns.

What you need to care about, Thales, is how to fulfill your father's mission.

To take the Emerald City and even the South Coast Territory—to be precise, the people who have the ability to make money from them—to be completely under your control, to lead the way for the king and overcome all obstacles?

Thinking of this, Thales felt even more headache.

However, the argument was finally broken by an idea from the young Count Pintor. He stood up in the chaos and shouted loudly: The regent of the Emerald City should not be held by important ministers, nor by His Highness, but should be directly held by the purest and most orthodox people. The blood descendant of Kevin Deere is in charge.

Thales frowned, and everyone in the hall fell silent, except for the smug little Earl Pintor. He glanced at Thales unconvincingly, and then looked at the astonished Miss Hilley approvingly. .

Unexpectedly, this proposal, which was somewhat surprising at first, received overwhelming support in the chamber:

Earl Lacia sternly emphasized that Miss Cecilia was a descendant of the late Duke of Leinster and had an extraordinary status. It was only natural that she would temporarily take charge of the government affairs of the Emerald City. Earl Xiukadel, who came from the Sunflower family of Evergreen Island, moved out (unsurprisingly). The examples of the Duchess of Blades and even the Grand Duchess of Longxiao City in the far north ("At this time, Exeter has been classified back to the 'civilized world'." Thales sighed), expressed that they are happy to see this. After success, Count Xavier of Yanbi Port immediately applauded and stated the glorious history of "Emerald City is rich in outstanding women". After some discussion, the local vassals and bureaucrats also expressed their opinions in unison, thinking that Cecily Miss Ya is the best candidate for regent.

A few special ones were the two Miss Karabyan who represented the Wola collar. They looked at the pale Miss Hilley and discussed hurriedly, with uncertain expressions. But in the end, they hummed softly, indicating that Miss Cecilia Regency is indeed the best arrangement.

As a result, the atmosphere of fighting and back-and-forth criticism in the hall was swept away. The vassals and officials of Emerald City praised and supported each other, as if the inner court of Kongming Palace had always been happy and harmonious.

In the process, Miss Healy herself was caught off guard, her face turned livid and she said nothing.

"I didn't expect that after all this, they would still be so loyal to Kevin Dill, even if she was just a little girl raised in a boudoir and not seen for many years." Pioneer Officer Oscarson, who was born in the local area, said with a headache.

"Maybe yes. But if the person sitting on the throne today is not His Highness himself, but some other cat or dog," Miranda reminded, "will they still be so loyal to Iris?"

D.D, who was on the side, raised his voice (so that the prince could hear it) and pointed out in time: "Other cats and dogs" could not be so easy to capture the Duke of South Bank and capture the Emerald City in one fell swoop.

"In the same way," Doyle added with a smile on his face, "if the Duke's sister is not this Amao - well, a purdah girl who stays away from palace politics and does not show up all year round, even if she only shows a little talent, Wise, then I don’t think these old morons will agree so simply.”

"They don't want a master, they just want a doll." Glover answered the most directly.

But when Thales looked at the one-sided situation in the hall, he felt something was wrong.

He looked at Xi Lai at his hand, and suddenly found that the innocence and surprise on her face seemed familiar.

It was very similar to the way the magic master Wyana performed magic on the street - in front of the audience, Wyana put her hand into the hat she was preparing to perform the magic trick, but got nothing. She was suddenly shocked and panicked, and in the midst of the audience The fish was hurriedly hurriedly amidst the laughter, but in the next move, it turned out to be countless flowers and scattered them all over the sky, causing the audience to exclaim.

What followed was a round of applause.

And the surprised and innocent look on Huiana's face turned into confident and complacent.

After the memory ended, Thales returned to the reality in Kongming Palace, and Xi Lai's innocent panic at the moment was exactly the same as Huiana at that time.

"It's not an accident, right?" He reacted, approached Xi Lai, and whispered, "It's you, whether it's to show weakness or favor, or through the connections you left behind as your brother, or something else, you tried every means to deliberately Guide these officials and let them recommend you? "

Hearing this, Xi Lai froze and said nothing.

"You want to be regent? Why?"

Hilley was silent for a few seconds.

"Someone told me yesterday that only by taking control of the situation and taking the initiative can we choose to advance or retreat," she said, her face still innocent and panicked, but her tone was decisive, "Only by taking a seat at the final negotiating table."

Thales was startled:

"Hile..."

"The Emerald City is mine," Shilai said with a calm face, but his voice suddenly became colder, "If you want it - you know what to give in exchange."

Thales frowned fiercely.

At this moment, a palace guard suddenly came to report: Prince Federico, who was in custody, asked someone to deliver a letter, saying that Zhan En was no longer suitable to continue to preside over government affairs, but because of the plans of his hometown elders, the Emerald City cannot be left without an owner for a day. He therefore recommended to His Highness—albeit unexpectedly—his cousin, Cecilia Kelvindir, to serve as Lord of the City during the arbitration.

From Hille to the other vassals, everyone was puzzled and surprised by this letter. Only Thales's eyebrows furrowed more and more.

What does this Federico want to do?

Doesn't he know that Sheilai and Zhan En are biological siblings, and letting her serve as regent is just asking for trouble?

"Since His Highness and all my colleagues have no objections, then..." Count Lassia was overjoyed, but just when he was about to move forward with the matter, someone came to report that Duke Zhann, who was in custody, sent a letter to His Highness.

Thales's face darkened: Maybe next time the rules should be tightened and no one in the prison - in name - should be allowed to write letters to the outside world, even to the prince himself.

But this time, Zhan's letter was gentle and courteous, without any hint of the gloomy decadence and impulsive madness of a loser in a political struggle. Coincidentally, the things he cared about were the same as Federico's, except when it came to recommending candidates, he spoke out. The words that all the ministers in the hall dared not say:

His Highness Thales has a noble status, is well-respected by the public, and is fair and impartial. He is perfectly suitable to serve as the regent of the Emerald City. I also ask all the ministers in the palace to be understanding and to assist Prince Bi wholeheartedly until Zhan En is cleared of suspicion and returns to the Kongming Palace.

As for the Duke's sister, although she was born into a noble family, she was embarrassed by this change, was implicated in it, and was mentally and physically exhausted. As an elder brother, he could not escape the blame and felt guilty. I would like to ask all the gentlemen in the hall, especially His Highness the Prince, to be considerate and considerate of the orphans and the weak, and not to let her worry about the affairs of the Emerald City and the family again, and only increase her troubles.

What?

Obviously, the prestige of Duke Zhan is still there, and such a statement is even more unique. After Thales explained the Duke's invitation, Hilley's expression was incredible. Even the prince was surprised, and all the ministers in the hall felt strange. Mixed feelings.

"You didn't tell your brother about your plan, right?" Thales looked at Shilai's side face and sighed deeply, "But obviously, he guessed it in advance - he didn't want you to get into this muddy water. "

Even if he is under house arrest.

Xi Lai was silent. She bit her lips and said nothing.

So the theme in the hall changed again and became "Prince or Lady".

First, it was the Assistant Judge of Ibonin who stood up to sing the opposite tune:

In terms of qualifications, as a descendant of Kevin Dill, it is most legitimate for Ms. Cecilia to serve as regent. However, she happens to be the biological sister of one of the arbitrators. If she is worried that allowing Zhan to continue to be in power will affect the arbitration. Fair enough, what difference does it make if his immediate family members are regents? What is fair to the other subject?

Next is the Earl of Evergreen Island, who is a foreign guest. The head of the Chaoyanghua family smiled and said, since the advantages of Ms. Cecilia as regent are "closeness" and "closeness", then the things that His Highness deserves praise are undoubtedly "virtuous" and "far away". ":

Since His Highness Thales is responsible for arbitrating the dispute between the two nobles according to the "Covenant", it is the most neutral and fair for him to govern the Emerald City in front of him without leaning towards any party or taking any position.

Whispers resounded in the hall again, and the local vassals of South Bank looked at each other, confused between the secret intentions of the duke in prison and the prince on the throne, hesitating between the traditions of South Bank people and the powerful royal family, wondering whether to bow their heads. He gave up the Emerald City and was worried and hesitant until an old vassal stood up tremblingly with the encouragement of many colleagues and hesitantly questioned:

Is it appropriate for the kingdom to set a precedent by seizing the superiors and seizing the ministers as the master?

But the prince's subordinates who had been eager to try, especially Ms. Miranda Allende from the White Eagle family, had different views on this:

"Eight years ago, the Duke of the North, Val Arlend, was imprisoned and serving his sentence, unable to rule personally. His heir guarded the fortress and it was difficult to take care of him. The courtiers in the territory had to avoid suspicion. The descendants of the descendants were all ineffective, and the Cold Castle was left without a master or a king. Fortunately, His Majesty Kessel cares about the people in the north and understands that Cold Castle is in trouble, so he sends the royal family's wise ministers to the north to rule on his behalf until the Duke of Val is released or a new heir succeeds!"

Ms. Allende's status is extraordinary, and her words are also of great weight - especially when she is wearing armor and holding a sword in her hand, walking back and forth in front of the officials, the whole hall fell into a strange silence, and there was no trace of silence. People expressed their opinions loudly, and many people secretly glanced at His Highness the Prince, who was silent and had a calm and strange expression.

“As the daughter of the Guardian Duke of the North, I can hereby testify that all the citizens of our star should know this!

Seeing everyone bowing their heads and not daring to refute, Ms. Allende turned to His Highness Thales who was on the throne:

"Now the Emerald City is also in this predicament. As the first heir of the Bright Star Royal Family, Duke Thales is called upon by his responsibilities to serve as the temporary regent of the Emerald City and rescue the people of the South Bank. It is his duty to do so!"

After her words fell, no one dared to object, and no one immediately agreed.

"And this is what Duke Zhan approved of," Young Master Paul of the Castle of Heroes said in a deep voice, holding the nine-pointed star flag that had not been put away, "I think, even if you ask Federico, he won't know. There are opinions.”

The meeting hall fell into dead silence again.

Just when this frightening silence made Thales more and more impatient, made the attendees in the hall more nervous and hesitant, and made the Star Lake Guards think about whether to persuade them with "nice words" again...

"We can speak with full authority on behalf of our father, Count Turami Karabiyan of the Vola Territory," Kasha and Qina spoke in unison, breaking the silence, "The Vola Territory and its vassals support His Royal Highness Thales in taking office. In the Kongming Palace, the supervisors are in charge until the truth comes to light."

"That being the case, the Lacia family has no objections." The eldest son of Earl Lacia spoke on behalf of his father, very respectfully, in sharp contrast to his father who was firmly pressed on the shoulders, suppressing his anger, but did not speak in the end.

Seeing that the two prominent families on the south bank were like this, and the Kevin Deere family was trapped in the whirlpool and couldn't extricate themselves, the ministers in the hall could only obey and nodded one after another.

So the matter was settled. In the meeting hall belonging to the Kevin Deere family, amid such peaceful and eerie approval, Thales Brightstar became the first person in the history of the Emerald City not named Kevin. Regent of Dire - although His Royal Highness the Prince declined this title and refused to be called "Regent of Thales", he humbly said that he was only acting for a short period of time to guard the transition and had no intention of seeking fame or power. , and there is no intention to leave a name in history.

And Thales's first decree in the inner court of Kongming Palace was quite simple:

From daily administration to the Emerald Celebration, from food, clothing, housing and transportation to scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, everything is business as usual in the Emerald City. My subjects, how you served Kevin Dill in the past, how you serve Prince Thales now.

It is said that the vanguard officer Nate Nishi who was responsible for delivering this warrant looked strange and frowned for a long time.

Just like that, Tails solved his titular problem in the Emerald City.

But he soon discovered that when it comes to rule, name is only the simplest part of it.

After the subjects in the meeting hall left with complicated and unspeakable thoughts, Thales exhaled. He deliberately turned away the guards and servants and turned to Hillai, who was silent and thoughtful.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Xi Lai raised his head.

"Thank you for just taking a step back and not holding on."

Xi Lai snorted slightly and twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Are you saying that I'm going to take the position of regent of the Emerald City from you?"

Thales was silent for a while.

"You know you can, after all, you're Kevin Deere."

Hilley sneered again and again.

"Come on, my brother was accused by my cousin of killing his father to seize the throne, framed his uncle, and became a prisoner in his own castle and palace," she sarcastically said, "After the fall of Iris, who was the mainstay, there was no one else in the Emerald City. I dare to go against your will, but I am just a prostitute, what other choice do I have?"

"It's not me they dare to rebel against, it's the flag."

"What difference does it make? Your flag glows, and so does your blood, at least allegedly."

Thales knew that the other party had a grudge due to the incident in the arena, so he sighed.

"Sorry about yesterday."

Hilley said nothing.

"But I promise you, whether it is arbitration or regent, this is only temporary. I will correct everything before my father..."

"Then promise me something."

Thales paused:

"What's up?"

The next second, Xi Lai took a deep breath and put away his mocking tone.

"Yesterday, I thought about it all night, and finally thought of a way," she said seriously, "that can save Zhan En without offending His Majesty."

Thales was stunned:

"real?"

"real."

"And that's..."

"I will marry you."

"Yes, but only if your brother cooperates - what?"

Thales reacted mid-sentence and couldn't help but be surprised.

"You heard me," Shilai stared at Thales, her eyes changed. She moved her stool, closer to Thales, raised her gloved finger, first pointed at herself, and then at Thales. There is a pause between, "I, will, marry, you."

Looking at the round-faced girl in front of him, Thales was stunned.

"Hile?"

"I know this sounds silly, but listen to me!"

Shilai stopped the prince's words, his eyes shining.

"The reason you helped Fed yesterday was because the king would not allow you to lose, at least not to just stand by and watch," she looked at Thales in disbelief with hope, "Then we just need to give the king a reason, a reason that you won't lose even if you stand by and watch."

"You mean..." Thales' eyes widened.

In the meeting room, Xilai was very serious:

"Tell your majesty that you made a deal."

"Deal?"

She nodded:

"Thales stood by and let Federico and the secret department fail, and let Zhanen and Emerald City escape the disaster."

"The price is that the Duke's sister will be engaged to His Royal Highness, Canxing and Kevindill will become relatives again, and Emerald City and Yongxing City will form a blood alliance."

Xilai gently reached out and gently held Thales' hand:

"Our descendants, no, even in our generation alone, can connect the stars and the sea, ambition and wealth."

What?

Thales was completely stunned. He stared at the round-faced girl in front of him with an eager look on his face, and it took him several seconds to wake up.

"Is this what you want me to agree to? No, it's not that simple-"

"It's that simple!"

The next second, Xilai turned his hands over and held his hands tightly.

"After all, His Majesty the King only needs more benefits than disadvantages, right? Besides, you are here for a blind date!"

"But that's just an excuse-"

"Really, Thales! If your father has any questions, tell him. No, if necessary, I can go to the capital to meet him and tell him in person," she said eagerly, a little hysterically, "Tell him that I will love you, I will be obedient, I will cooperate, I will be your wife, your princess, and even your queen! The mother of your child!"

Tales was about to speak, but Xilai interrupted him:

"Tell him that I have unlimited political value and wealth value, not only Iris and Emerald City, far more than that, I even know the forces hidden behind the half tower... As for you personally, listen, I am very powerful, not only magic and summoning monsters, not only losing temper, I also have many skills, know a lot of knowledge, a lot of taboo knowledge, the kind that is not welcome in the temple, even better than the Blood Moon Tebak family, I know that the Canxing family has always been interested in these..."

She spoke faster and faster, like a drowning person grabbing a straw, struggling constantly. "Also, my dowry is much more than you can imagine. All the women of the Northern Cliff Blade combined cannot match it. I can make up for the annual financial deficit of Star Lake Castle tenfold or a hundredfold, and it is far more than money... If it is not enough, I can also get a piece from Zhan En. You know, my family has a tantalum mine and the fishing area of ​​the Eternal Whale..."

"Xilai!"

Thales interrupted her in disbelief.

But the girl didn't listen to him.

"Believe me, your father will be satisfied! After all, you can use this reason and identity to intervene in the Emerald City in the future, no, you can use this reason and identity now, then it doesn't matter whether you kill Zhan En or not... Think about it, if you are my fiancé or even husband, with such a title, then what reason do those old guys have to oppose you as the regent of the Emerald City?"

Xilai pointed to the empty chairs in the hall.

"And I'm different from that bitch in Longxiao City. She's in an enemy country, and her identity is sensitive. If we want to marry, there will be many people who oppose it! But for us, Nine-pointed Star and Iris, no one will oppose the family marriage in Xingchen. There will only be blessings and awe... All these benefits are within our reach, as long as, as long as we let Zhan En go, his crime..."

Xilai said with a dry mouth and a slight panting.

Thales looked at her almost fanatical, at a loss, until he heard Zhan En's name and woke up.

"Does your brother know about these things and this proposal?"

Xilai paused, his face slightly cold.

"He, he will know," she forced a smile, "He is the bride's brother, and he will have to hold my hand and send me off to marry in the future."

"No, you know very well that as long as he is still the Duke of South Bank, he will never agree to this door-"

"He will not be soon!"

Hilaire suddenly interrupted him excitedly, and then tried to suppress his emotions:

"Now, he is just a prisoner waiting to be slaughtered, and he is still waiting for me to save his life."

Thales looked at her like this and immediately understood something.

"You two are so similar." He said faintly.

"What?" Xilai was stunned.

Thales sighed.

"Have you ever thought that when you insisted on saving him-in your way-in fact, Zhan En neither needed nor wanted you to save him?"

Hilaire's eyebrows tightened:

"He had no choice."

"Just like you had no choice," Thales answered her quickly, feeling emotional and lost, "when he insisted on protecting you-in his way."

"Even if you neither needed nor wanted his protection." Thales said faintly. Xilai was stunned when he heard this.

Thales sighed:

"Do me a favor, Xilai, go your way, don't go his way, okay?"

Under Thales' earnest gaze, Cecilia was stunned for several seconds.

She let go of Thales' hand in a trance, and her eyes gradually turned red.

Thales didn't say anything either, and the two were silent for a long time.

After a few seconds, the girl figured something out, she clenched her teeth, and her breathing became more and more rapid.

Xilai came back to her senses.

"Stop talking nonsense, Thales, and you'd better not force me to beg you."

She sniffed, blinked, and stubbornly pushed back the tears:

"In one sentence: Will you marry me or not?"