Kingdom’s Bloodline

Chapter 711 Purpose

"One million one hundred and seventy thousand?"

The Duke of Star Lake, and - although he must not say it in public - the current regent of the Emerald City, Thales Brightstar was shocked. He uncontrollably turned up the volume, scaring everyone in the study to tremble. .

The Duke's voice fell, and the study became silent and depressing.

After a moment, Thales finally recovered from the blankness. He closed his mouth, put down the account book with difficulty, and looked at the two rows of people in front of the desk in disbelief:

On the left are the three high-ranking guards, Marius, Strauss and Hugo. They have calm expressions and serious eyes.

On the right stood six serving officials of the Emerald City's Finance and Taxation Department. They lowered their heads deeply and were nervous. From time to time, they secretly glanced up at the Duke, and then quickly looked down at the ground.

"His Royal Highness Thales, to be precise," the financial controller standing in the front row - Lord Melahovich, who came from Ligur State and has settled in the Emerald City for many years, but whose East China accent is still hard to change, sniffed. , as if on the verge of execution, "It's 1,178,653 Tormund gold coins."

Thales' expression remained unchanged, dull and numb.

"And only part of it, Your Highness," a financial officer couldn't help but remind him, "is the biggest among them."

"Also, this is an advance repayment," another humble assistant financial officer added in a low voice, "it is an initial amount with a guaranteed nature."

"Yes, if we count the total, it's close to..." A younger review officer was held down by his colleagues before he could finish his words, begging him to shut up with his eyes.

Thales was stunned for a few seconds, then silently let go of the account book in his hand.

If, just if...

If he sold the entire Xinghu Castle, all the land, property, and belongings, including the pile of cats and dogs, would he be able to collect 1.17 million gold coins?

"Tell me, my lords," Thales' eyes were dull and his voice was hollow, "How did you manage to make the Queen's City, which is prosperous and prosperous, owe so much debt, turn it into a pile of bad debts and a mountain of debt? A bottomless black hole?”

Compared with this, the tens of thousands of foreign debts owed by Anke Bailar, the Western Wilderness assassin, and his father to the Doyle family are nothing, nothing! Just sprinkle it with water, okay? Why is there any need to go to the royal banquet to find Thales to kill people and scream loudly like the sky is falling?

You know, a certain South Coast Guardian Duke who owed several million or even tens of millions of gold coins to different creditors and business groups was running around and spending money like water every day, making everyone in the kingdom think that he had something in his family. Youyoumin will cause endless harm in your lifetime!

The officials looked at each other, worried.

Under the prince's questioning and Marius's threatening eyes, the officials present were afraid to speak.

After a long while, under the eyes of Chief Melakhovich, an old accountant stood up and told Duke Thales tremblingly and heartbrokenly:

It turns out that the Queen's City is one of the few kingdoms that has no foreign debt, is a model of healthy finance, has a balanced balance of payments, and is extremely wealthy.

Until around the time of the Bloody Year, the situation in the kingdom suddenly changed, and the situation took a turn for the worse. Rebels were sprouting like wildfire, and foreign enemies were also eyeing them.

In order to support the kingdom's war and for the safety of the territory itself, the old Duke Leinster Kelvindir urgently needed a large amount of funds to prepare for the war. To this end, he raised funds from various sources, borrowed foreign debts, and even re-established the Emerald City and surrounding areas. The overall budget of the fiefdom.

"But that was more than 20 years ago," Logistics Officer Straw said in disbelief, "Don't tell me, you borrowed debt for 20 years in one go?"

"Of course not," Melahovich said righteously. "Since the coronation of the noble and great His Majesty Kessel, the kingdom has ushered in peace and prosperity. We also quickly paid off our debts until - the Desert War."

Another financial officer in his prime took over the conversation and talked eloquently. At that time, His Majesty Kessel asked the vassals across the country to contribute to the war on the western front, but the old Duke was kind-hearted and unwilling to conquer. The army had to raise taxes, so they had to borrow money again, most of which was invested in the form of military funds to support the kingdom's war, and the rest was used for the construction and order maintenance of facilities in Emerald City and the South Coast Territory.

"But even the Desert War happened more than ten years ago." Flag Officer Hugo pointed out this with a frown.

"Yes, the debt from the Desert War would have been paid off soon," Melakhovich rubbed his forehead, "If there hadn't been an emergency..."

The finance and taxation officials burst into tears immediately. They spoke to each other. First, there was the assassination of the old Duke, the internal strife in Iris, the collapse of the South Bank Territory, the people in the Emerald City were panicked, the war was in chaos, the military and police were rampant, and the merchants were trying to change things. After the war, the people who once regained their strength South Shore towns are also becoming increasingly depressed.

Therefore, after Duke Jenn succeeded to the throne and put down the rebellion, he had to borrow money again to reorganize the market, maintain order, and win back confidence and business for the Emerald City.

However, the good times did not last long. Not long after Lord Zhan's rule, various measures began to show some improvement. The hard-working and hospitable citizens of Emerald City were waiting for a new round of bolts from the blue - the shocking general edict of the Kingdom of Stars. , came urgently from the royal capital, blowing the horn of war again:

The Exter mission was killed on the way, the Northland army marched on the border, Broken Dragon Fortress was in danger day and night, and the power of the Star Kingdom was on the verge of collapse.

Seeing that the war between the two countries was about to break out, and the tragic Year of Blood was about to repeat itself, and everyone in the South Bank was panicking, the courageous Duke Zhan made a decisive order before going to the royal capital to participate in politics, urging everyone in the Emerald City to immediately raise funds and prepare for the war, in order to serve His Majesty, As for the method of raising funds, the benevolent Duke thought of his father and was unwilling to increase taxes on the people, so naturally he would just borrow——

"As far as I know," Thales interrupted, "that battle didn't happen."

"Yes, it's all thanks to His Highness..." Melahovich said with a smile on his face, "But the financial budget has been made, the loan contract and the IOU have been signed, and the subsequent financial and economic crisis has proved that the Duke is far-sighted... "

"crisis?"

Finance and tax officials spoke out again:

Shortly after Exeter's withdrawal, in order to celebrate the establishment of the kingdom's heir, Duke Jenn donated large areas of mineral deposits, fields and corresponding industries to the royal family. It was a considerable source of income and seriously affected the financial health of the South Coast Territory, and the timing of the donation Probably around——

"After I went to Exeter," the prince said with an ugly face, "Believe me, Zhan gave the land to the royal family not just for congratulations."

Melahovich told him with an embarrassed look, so they had to borrow again to fill the deficit. In the past thirty years, after experiencing the above numerous crises and disasters, the Emerald City's debts have been continuously renewed and increased day by day, until today , with interest...

Thales glanced at the number and felt dizzy.

"So everyone, what are the schedule and arrangements for repaying the debt?" Mallos asked softly.

The officials looked at each other.

"Such a large debt," Mallos said with unquestionable firmness, "You must have made arrangements for repayment early on, right? Instead of waiting until the last day to urgently raise money to repay?"

Thales reacted and his eyes lit up.

"Of course, of course it is. In fact, Duke Zhan was busy with this matter before the celebration, planning to solve it one by one..." Lord Melahovich said hurriedly, "And now with Your Highness sitting in the center, If we look at things wisely and pay off our debts, we will naturally be more confident!"

Thales took a deep breath and reminded himself that life was still beautiful and that he could not be defeated by reality.

"Well, gentlemen," Thales raised his head, crossed his hands, and calmed his voice, looking very professional and knowledgeable, with a treasure worth tens of thousands of gold in his chest, "Currently, the Emerald City's treasury reserves, How much money can be used to pay off the debt?”

"A lot, Your Highness, a lot," an auditor raised his chest and raised his head, "You must remember that Emerald City is the capital of a party. The family has a strong financial background and a lot of income..."

Thales nodded with satisfaction.

"Compared to debt?" Shi Tuo said sadly.

The financial officer immediately retracted his head.

"Not enough, Your Highness, not enough," the accountant who looked dim-sighted said tremblingly, "Please note that the Emerald City is the capital of a party, with complicated expenses and high expenditures..."

Thales' smile solidified slightly.

Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Manager Melahovich quickly spoke:

"In fact, we still have a variety of means to raise enough funds, such as flexible changes in the budget, advance payments or even diversion of other less urgent accounts, such as urban construction, disaster relief and relief fund reserves, or delaying the release of certain temporary external staff. The salary subsidy for officials will be supplemented later when the turnover is sufficient..."

“We will further downsize some redundant and unnecessary urban positions,” the assistant financial officer quickly added. “Of course, positions above a certain level, such as financial and tax collection staff positions, are related to the operation of the city and cannot be lightly touched. of."

"We can find an excuse - such as celebrating the prince's visit - to collect this quarter's transaction tax and property tax in advance." A tax official also joined in.

"Just use each merchant's income record in the previous year as the standard, increase it by 10 to 20% on this basis, and collect taxes in advance?" Another tax official whispered, "After all, people's lives are getting better and better. Prices are rising steadily.”

"A disaster response fund was allocated a few days ago. We can suspend the execution and let the farmers wait..."

"Save the expenses on various public banquets during the Jade Celebration..."

"There is also the Emerald Legion's equipment ordering plan, which can be pushed to next year, although I think those guys copied by the cuckolds can still be used for a few more years to wrap up the rusty areas..."

"Of course, we can still discuss with the creditors and reach an agreement on certain debt extensions, but we will have to pay more interest."

"Northeast of Shuori Town, there is a piece of wasteland that has just been recovered from a bankrupt lord. There are already buyers asking about it. We might as well urge it and speed up the progress procedures..."

"Including the sale of concessions in certain industries, as well as the exploration and mining rights of the newly discovered Lectan mineral deposits, and the fishing rights of the oceanic eternal whales. Of course, there are some border areas where taxes are difficult to collect, so you might as well outsource them all... "

The finance and taxation officials were busy discussing ways to raise money to repay debts. Thales' head was as big as a bucket, and Mallos and the other two frowned.

But Thales soon thought of something.

"Okay, okay, gentlemen, let me put it this way," the prince interrupted them and asked tentatively, "Well, using all the means you mentioned - no matter how many bad ideas there are in it - we are showing off our magical power to raise money. Funds, after repaying the 1.17 million..."

"One hundred, one hundred and seventy-eight thousand six hundred and fifty-three, Your Highness."

Thales frowned and changed his words:

"Very good, then after we repay this debt totaling 1,178,653..."

"Part of the debt, Your Highness," one of the treasurers reminded, "is only the largest part of it."

Thales took a deep breath and spoke again:

"Then, after we repay this part, the total debt will be 1,178,653..."

"And it's just the upfront debt..."

"If you count the total..."

"boom!"

Unable to bear it, Thales slapped the table hard, startling everyone.

"That's enough," His Highness the Prince gritted his teeth, and the officials lowered their heads, "Just tell me directly, how much money will be left in the Emerald City after that?"

The officials exchanged glances with each other, looking left and right, as if doubtful.

Marius and Straw also looked at each other.

Until an old accounting officer trembled:

"In fact, Your Highness, we have no left-"

Mailakhovich observed what was happening and quickly stopped his subordinates: "I wonder how much do you want to have left, Your Highness?"

Thales breathed out.

Well, there are still people who know the ropes.

He scratched his chin and sniffed his nose like a cat smelling a fishy smell:

"If, just if, if the kingdom is going to war, and the Emerald City wants to show its heart to serve the country, for example, update the Fury Guard of Kingdom's Wrath, repair the equipment, change the horses, and buy him a pair to increase his height. Boots, or equip the Broken Dragon Fortress with twenty magic guns to reinforce the city walls, or get a batch of imported tobacco for the Flower of the Fortress..."

Or help a certain king who loves his people like his son and his country like his family to gather a new standing army that can conquer and fight well?

Including Mailahovich, the expressions of the finance and taxation officials changed, and they all shrank back, not daring to look up or reply.

Thales looked hopeful at first, but gradually, his smile became stiffer and awkward.

Isn't it?

"Your Highness," Melahovich finally said cautiously, "I wonder what kind of tobacco Lady Sonia of Broken Dragon Fortress likes?"

Looking at his appearance, Thales understood.

"I understand……"

Thales took a deep breath and stared at the accounting report on the table with a bad expression.

Therefore, the Emerald City can still barely operate and support itself, which is pretty good...

If the debts still need to be repaid, then Kongming Palace will not be able to dig out extra money to give to a certain supreme king with great talents and strategies.

But unfortunately, one of the conditions he used to convince King Kessel V to let him participate in the chess game was...

Thales swallowed.

Not good.

Pretty bad.

unless……

Thales said quietly:

"You said that the royal family should not have any saying that 'the Canxing family must repay its debts', right?"

Mallos frowned:

"What?"

Thales reacted and smiled again:

"It's nothing, don't worry about it, it's just slang from the North Country."

He quickly cheered up and tried:

"So, if, gentlemen, or what if, if we don't pay back the 1.17 million due to various force majeure reasons, what will happen?"

As soon as the words came out, the officials were all stunned and looked at each other.

Steward Melakhovich coughed:

"Your Highness, the creditors of most of the debts are prominent figures inside and outside the Nan'an territory who can influence the Emerald City: industrial owners of several major guilds, big businessmen, several vassal families with a long history, and big foreign donors. Oh, yes, even Wangjia Bank..."

"Of course, of course, they are all big shots and rich men, but," Thales waved his hand, "But what if I tell them 'more grace'? They can't force me to repay the debt, right? For example, they can send an army to attack me. 'The creditor will not die as the old man'?"

The financial officials were speechless. They looked at each other again, as if they were encountering such a ruler for the first time.

"They, they...but our credit..." Chief Mailahovich was a little unable to react.

Seeing the other party's reaction, Thales rolled his eyes.

"They can't force you, Your Highness," Mallos coughed, interrupting the conversation. "After all, they have no army and no authority. They can't do anything about your breach of contract. And I remember that in the history of the kingdom, it is not without exception. Such a precedent..."

Thales' momentum changed and he nodded solemnly: "Then we might as well study it-"

Hugo Fubi, the flag-bearer, interjected coldly:

"The last person to do this was Red King John."

Thales' expression froze on his face.

"Yes, he borrowed money to raise the army to launch a coup. After he successfully came to power, he sent all the creditors to prison as a king and threatened them to postpone, reduce or even cancel their debts," Mallos added softly, "Those who don't want to, just Let Mi Keluo Zhi be accused of being a traitor, his house confiscated and beheaded. In this way, the debts of the Red King will naturally be written off. "

The financial and taxation officials' expressions tightened and they hesitated to speak.

Thales frowned tightly.

Mallos picked up the tea cup and took a calm sip of tea.

"Why don't you continue to ask questions?"

Mallos turned his head in surprise: "Your Highness?"

"Go on, according to your usual habit, you should ask me," Thales said with an unhappy face, "'Guess, Your Highness Thales, what happened to the Red King after that?'"

Mallos froze.

After a few seconds, he gently raised the tea cup towards the prince and smiled apologetically.

"Okay, I understand what you mean," Thales didn't wait for him to answer. He covered his face with his hands and raised his head and sighed, "The iron bank cannot afford to default."

Everyone present looked at each other, confused.

"It's nothing, it's just a folk saying in the Western Wilderness... So now, yes, pay back the money..." Thales came back to his senses, looked at the numbers on the account, and felt uncomfortable all over.

"Actually, Your Highness," Chief Mailahovich reminded worriedly, "If it becomes a fact that we default on the contract after the deadline, there is no need to worry. We still have other solutions, and we don't have to go to the step of... the Red King."

"Oh?" Thales perked up upon hearing this.

The manager nodded:

"According to the loan contract and following the old practices left from the era of the Xianjun, when we borrowed the loan, we mortgaged the future tax revenue from the Emerald City and even the South Bank..."

“Future taxes?”

Thales was stunned: "What ones are there?"

"There are many kinds, Your Highness," another tax official mused, "In addition to the traditional land rent of the fiefdom directly under the Emerald City, as well as the territorial tax, agricultural and forestry land tax, and servant tax paid by the vassals, we What is levied also includes transaction tax, real estate tax, property tax, public security tax, water and land toll tax, customs duty, franchise tax, deed tax, notary fee, recognition fee...a total of thirteen major taxes, which are divided into different categories. There are forty-four sub-tax items, and each tax item is divided into detailed categories..."

"Enough, enough!" Thales' ears hurt when he heard it, "Oh my god, I will never understand finance."

But when he reacted, his expression changed again!

"Wait a minute, are you saying that if we breach the contract, we will have to hand over the income of the whole territory of Nan'an Territory for the next few quarters or even years in the future?"

"Not all, Your Highness, no," the old accountant said tremblingly, "Based on the amount of the debt principal, the degree of default and late payment, and the penalty of each debt contract, the mortgage tax also has a rough proportion. …”

"Approximate proportion? How much?"

"Not much, Your Highness, after all, the Emerald City is the capital of a country..." The Financial Controller looked heroic and waved his hand.

Thales thought about it again: "What if, or what if, if the Western Front needs money -"

"Not enough, Your Highness," the tax official replied quickly, cutting off Thales' last chance. "After all, the Emerald City is the capital of a party."

Thales's smile disappeared and the study became quiet.

"Well, to put it simply, it's because of this damn part of the upfront debt," Thales tried not to think more. "Emerald City is now burdened with debt and short of cash. It cannot withdraw a large amount of funds in the short term. Support the cause of national construction and rejuvenation?”

The officials quickly turned their heads and looked away.

"And if I can't pay off my debts, it will be even worse," Thales said, his expression getting uglier and uglier, "because the income of the South Coast Territory cannot be guaranteed for several consecutive years, let alone being free to serve the kingdom in the future? "

After the words fell, the officials bowed their heads deeply and did not dare to speak out loud.

Thales stared at the heads or hats of each of them and waited for several seconds without even waiting for an answer.

Thales held his heart, took a deep breath, and then let it out.

"Then I-"

Thales tried hard to suppress his annoyance and what he was about to say:

What the hell am I going to do sitting here?

"Huh, I'm sorry, the Finance and Taxation Department is incompetent and I have let you down, Your Highness." Manager Melakhovich looked ashamed.

"disappointment?"

Thales suppressed his temper and squeezed out the curve of his mouth:

"No, no, no, how could I be disappointed? Someone else should be disappointed..."

The prince's smile gradually disappeared, and he numbly looked at the account report in front of him:

"Haha, haha, as for me..."

I am doomed.

Seeing the Duke sitting in his seat, looking ugly and saying nothing, the atmosphere in the study became more and more gloomy and depressing.

until--

"Wait a minute," Thales thought of something and woke up. "These debts were all borrowed in the name of the Kevin Deere family with Jen's signature and approval, right?"

The officials were all stunned.

Lord Melahovich rolled his eyes:

"Well, Duke Zhan himself did guarantee the repayment of the debt when it was due..."

"Thank God!" Thales shook his fist fiercely at first, and then realized that he had gone too far. He quickly sat upright, "I mean, even if he defaults on the debt, it will also damage Kevin Deere's credit, right?" If Wen Dier is in debt, he will become a prostitute?"

Everyone was stunned again.

Looking at everyone's expressions, Thales put away his sly smile and coughed.

"Don't be nervous, I'm just kidding, the debt still has to be repaid, but... how much wealth does Kevin Deere have?"

"Your Highness?" Melahovich wanted to understand something, his expression was horrified.

Mallos also had a cold look in his eyes.

"If, I mean if," Thales scratched his chin, "From the inventory of Kongming Palace, to the property under the name of Iris, or the private money of Xiaohuahua, how much are these various things worth in total? "

The expression of the old accountant changed drastically: "Your Highness, you are going to confiscate the Kevin Dill family..."

The officials all changed their expressions!

Thales shrugged:

"Why, I used his money to repay the mess he left and the debt he signed, and I also helped him stabilize the financial situation of Emerald City. Isn't this natural and natural? Thank God?"

The Financial Controller trembled and said:

"But Master Zhan..."

Thales waved his hand:

"I believe that he is loyal to the country and has the overall interests in mind, so he will not object."

Bar?

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire study fell silent.

Both the Finance and Taxation Department officials and Mallos looked at him with strange expressions.

Thales' smile froze on his face.

"Okay, it's just a joke. I have no intention of raiding Kongming Palace's house." The prince coughed and waved his hands repeatedly, as if he wanted to drag time back. "I have written a letter to Your Majesty. Don't worry, Fuxing Palace will reply soon." , decide on relevant matters..."

At that time, whether it is to sell off the ancestral property or repay the mortgage, it will not be Zhan's or his own turn to make the decision.

Thinking of this, Thales' expression darkened.

At that time, it was time for him to truly turn around and face King Kessel.

He rolled his eyes:

"But, of course, it is also necessary to find out how much money is in the private ledger of Kevin Deere's family, whether it is for arbitration or financial reasons, right?"

The study was quiet, and no one dared to answer him.

Thales had no choice but to put away his smile and waved his hands:

"Go and go about your business, daily affairs, raising money to pay off debts, and..."

Looking at the fiscal and taxation officials in front of him who were docile and did not dare to say anything, Thales sighed:

"So be it."

At the prince's urging, Strauss and Hugo sent all the officials away and sent them back to work, the sooner the better.

After all, there were still many things to worry about.

As soon as the door closed, Thales collapsed on the chair:

"What the fuck is this mess."

Mallos, who stayed behind, was thoughtful, and he walked slowly with a bandage on his arm.

"With a single order, a feudal duke will be deprived of his title and his property will be confiscated," the watchman said quietly, "Do you know who was the last person to do this?"

"Ha, let me guess," Thales picked up the tea cup and sarcastically said listlessly, "Is he a king? The kind who died miserably? So you can compare him with me?"

"No, not the king."

"Thank God, there's nothing like it."

"He is an emperor," Mallos said softly, "the last emperor in the world."

Thales' hand holding the tea cup froze.

"Hey Thor, how's your injury?"

A second later, Thales smiled and changed the subject in time before the other party told him about the tragic end of Sebastian IX, the Last Emperor.

Mallos looked at the bandages on his body.

"It's okay. Thank you for your concern, His Highness. Congratulations to you for successfully taking charge of Kongming Palace without spending a single soldier."

"It's nothing. It's not my fault anyway," Thales closed the account report on the table with a headache. "And I just took advantage of the situation and made a temporary transition to guard the Kongming Palace."

Damn improvisation.

He remembered something, raised his head and said:

"By the way, thank you, Thor. If you hadn't arrived at the arena in time, Zhan would have..."

"He won't."

Thales raised his head in confusion.

I saw Mallos’ eyes determined:

"Even if I don't carry that flag to the scene, Duke Zhan will still give in. At most, the process will be difficult and the method will be embarrassing, but you will still sit in this position safely and smoothly and take charge of Kongming Palace."

Thales' expression condensed.

"how do you know?"

Mallos glanced at the ledger on the table.

Thales frowned and fell silent.

"If, I mean if," Thales hummed after a while, "if I hang those useless financial officials just now..."

He raised his head:

"Then do you think the remaining people in the Financial Secretary will work harder to help me solve my debts and bring in income?"

Mallos frowned slightly.

"Guess, Your Highness," he said quietly after a few seconds, "What happened to the Red King after that?"

Thales stared at him for several seconds and snorted coldly.

"All right!"

Thales no longer dwelled on this topic, he opened his hands:

"You know, what surprises me more than this is the Finance and Taxation Department of Emerald City. Their size and manpower are more than three times that of the Kingdom's Finance and Taxation Department."

he mused.

Looking at that Melakhovich and his men, it's no wonder that Chief Zuko and his accountants and tax collectors can't deal with them.

"Not only this, but also city officials, trading officers, judges, vigilance officers..." Thales murmured in a daze.

"It's true," Mallos looked at the accounting report on the table: "It's amazing."

"Tell you, Thor, from administration to security to market to finance, I held four meetings in one morning alone." Thales came back to his senses and felt bored when he looked at it. "Most of the time I can only smile. Nodding, watching the officials coming in and out respectfully, saying correct but useless nonsense..."

"Thank you," Mallos replied respectfully, "I don't know how many meetings Duke Zhan had in the past."

Taylor was speechless for a moment.

After a few seconds, he sighed deeply.

"Waiya will come over later. Thor, I want to write another letter to the person in Fuxing Palace to remind him."

"You mean to write a letter asking for money to pay off a debt?"

Thales' fingers froze.

How can it be.

Even if I want money, I can only ask for it in the next letter.

Mallos narrowed his eyes:

"I'm afraid His Majesty will not be too satisfied."

Thales turned to Mallos and sighed helplessly.

"Yes. But he will not be satisfied in any way, Thor, at least not with this account book," the prince patted the table and explained to the watchman and himself, "But if he thinks this place is the same as the North, , he can easily take over by just sending a team of supervisors and royal envoys, and take the money happily, then he is wrong, very wrong, very wrong..."

"uh-huh."

"What's worse is that he is not a person who can face his own mistakes calmly and tolerantly," Thales said to himself in a trance. "On the contrary, as a ruler, he will only be stubborn and persevere until he loses himself. The fault becomes the world’s.”

As for the price, everyone must bear it with him.

"Because that won't show that he was wrong?"

Thales raised his head and glanced at Mallos unexpectedly.

He really didn't expect that the other party would answer the call, and the words would be so... undignified.

"Yes, if the cow doesn't drink water, he won't force his head down," Thales chuckled, "but dig down the dam until the flood surges, and then point to the cow sinking to the bottom, 'Look, it doesn't Just drink water’.”

"And I'm full." Mallos said softly.

Thales looked at him and smiled softly.

"Exactly."

"So, Your Highness," Mallos said in a different tone, "Have you figured out how to arbitrate between the two 'home away from home' Kevin Dill?"

Thales' expression darkened.

"No."

"But now that the matter has come to this, I'm afraid it's not up to me to decide," Thales pointed to the top of his head, "At least there's nothing we can do until the Fuxing Palace replies."

At that time, his battle truly began.

"But they do," Mallos said, "so I suggest you better get ready and do something first."

Thales frowned.

"You mean..."

"Finding the truth about the assassination of the Duke of Leinster," Mallos said, "This is the key to arbitrating this case."

Mallos looked at the accounting report on the table:

"Maybe it's not just this case."

Thales' expression darkened when he heard this, and he was silent for a long time.

"Thor, do you really think that Zhan killed his father to seize the throne and put the blame on his uncle?"

"I'm not sure, Your Highness."

"So Federico framed him to avenge his father?"

"I am also not certain."

"Then would you rather the truth be the former or the latter?" Thales asked softly.

Marius noticed something was wrong: "Your Highness?"

"Anyway, we've been checking over and over again, and it's just these two results," Thales said in a daze, "Federico wants the former, and Zhan wants the latter."

Mallos frowned:

"They all only want results that are beneficial to themselves, Your Highness, this is human nature."

Thales sneered.

"In this case, what does it matter to find out the truth about that year, whether it is true or a false accusation? What is the point? You only need to know that many years ago, Zhan En became the leader because of this matter, and many years later, Federico Isn’t it enough to use this matter to overthrow him?”

The prince thought about everything that had happened in the past few days, from the murder case to the incident in the arena, and he felt extremely bored and nauseated:

"The truth, Thor, to some is nothing."

The study became quiet.

"But you are not 'someone,' Your Highness," Mallos said softly. "To you, the truth means everything."

Thales moved slightly.

"No matter what the outcome is, only those who know the truth can truly take the initiative."

This time, Thales was silent for a long time.

"Okay, Thor, send someone to investigate the old cases and find out the truth," Thales sighed, "especially the grudge between the old Duke of Leinster and his brother, the Viscount Sonar, although I highly I doubt how many clues and evidence Zhan will have left for us after so many years.”

"As you command, Your Highness," Mallos bowed slightly, "In fact, I have already sent someone to start this matter."

Thales was stunned for a moment, then said angrily:

"Hmph, I knew it."

Mallos looked expressionless and turned to leave.

"But, Thor," Thales suddenly said just before Mallos walked out of the study, "you and I both know what kind of result the person in Fuxing Palace wants."

Mallos looked serious.

"You know, even if we find out the truth, it won't be worth a letter or a decree from Fuxing Palace."

Thales said in a daze:

"That's really the hardest battle that we, no, I have to face."

Mallos was silent for a while:

"Do you really think so? We should worry about Fuxing Palace?"

Thales laughed when he heard this:

"if not?"

Mallos turned around and said solemnly: "Where are you, Your Highness?"

Thales was stunned and looked around:

"Um, VIP study room? The study room that Xianjun used more than a hundred years ago?"

"No," Mallos shook his head and said word by word, "What I'm asking is: where are you at this moment?"

Thales was stunned.

"Kongming Palace," he pondered for a long time, and finally understood: "I am in Kongming Palace--the palace where Iris Kevin Deere's family lives."

Mallos nodded:

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

Thales looked at his expression and became nervous unconsciously.

"which one?"

The prince said solemnly:

"In this palace, Thor, which Kevin Dill are you really worried about?"

Maurus did not answer, he just asked back:

"Which one is not Kevin Dill?"

Thales was stunned for a moment.

But they were soon interrupted. Wyya and several guards came to the study and excitedly and respectfully informed the Duke of Xinghu:

From yesterday evening to now, after several of the fastest military intelligence crows flying day and night, the reply letter sent by Renaissance Palace to His Highness Thales was finally delivered.

With a heavy heart and the mood of welcoming the battle, Thales took the letter tube that Wyya protected like his life, took out the letter with the will of the Supreme King, and slowly unfolded it.

But this time, the king did not write him a long and complicated guide to seize power, nor did he send a long list of officials to take over the Emerald City, nor did he even have any opinions on how to deal with Zhan En himself and the old case of that year, nor even a harsh and harsh accusation and lesson (as Thales is used to).

Under the expectation of the Star Lake Guards and Thales' wide-eyed gaze, the king's surprisingly short reply contained only a few words - not even as wide as the nine-pointed star printed on the outside: [You decide. ]