Kingdom’s Bloodline

Chapter 713 Twenty-Eight Hours

"So we failed."

Jennard, who was holding Jenny's hand, suddenly spoke up, which made many people look at him.

"In the bloody year, our Star Legion rushed to the rescue of the Blade Leader," Genard raised his head and looked at the sky with emotion, "but we were beaten to pieces and lost our armor along the way."

Morgan touched the handle of his knife and frowned.

"Duke John doesn't understand why every time he raises the nine-pointed star flag, the enemy on the opposite side becomes morale-boosted, becomes furious, and is as brave as the Northlanders. Now I understand. We who think we are going to liberate the Blade Territory , Those who go to 'defend the enemy' are the real foreign forces."

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the Star Lake Guard fell silent.

Thales sat in the carriage, silent and with an ugly expression.

Under the unfamiliar eyes of the surrounding people, the group of them walked on the unfamiliar streets of the Emerald City, their spirits low and the atmosphere depressing.

But Thales soon realized that the Ruhsan Street incident had far-reaching consequences, and that the challenges he had to face during his administration went far beyond that.

"This is certainly not a coincidence."

A few hours later, Glover and Miranda came back from outside and brought Thales the first-hand, most direct truth that was not covered up by any official influence:

"It's inevitable."

It turned out that the two groups of people who were in conflict were not gangsters. On the contrary, they were ordinary people. On one side were the coachmen from the Carriage and Horse Guild, most of whom were natives of the South Bank. They drove horses and carts on the streets of Emerald City, delivering goods and soliciting customers. On the one hand, immigrants are mainly from other places, many of whom are porters and laborers at docks and warehouses, and even sweepers and dung haulers, selling their pure labor to make a living.

The two groups of people are of different classes and origins, but they have intersected due to business activities, resulting in rifts and frictions in the past. However, under the strict laws of the Emerald City, both parties are extremely restrained, and at most they will try to stumbling upon each other. Never dare to cross the bottom line, let alone fight in the most prosperous street, until...

"When they had conflicts before, their respective leaders would sit down and negotiate," Miranda said solemnly, "But it is said that the leader of the group pulling the cart disappeared recently. As for the other group of porters, they all Temporary livelihood comes and goes, and there is no leader. Only the leader of the dung collector can speak in that group. "

Glover nodded and said in a heavy voice:

"That guy's name is Roger, nicknamed 'Shit Dan'..."

"One of the leaders of the Blood Bottle Gang," Thales frowned, "The one who died in the internal strife?"

Glover nodded slightly.

"As for today's incident, we have no concrete evidence yet to prove whether the two parties really expanded the conflict due to an accident, or whether there were unknown forces behind it to instigate it, but..." Miranda added.

"There is no difference," Glover shook his head, "I know these people. After the Blood Bottle Gang happened, both sides had no leaders and no one who could speak to them, let alone anyone who could coordinate in the middle. Then sooner or later a fight would break out. It's just something I didn't expect to cause such a big fuss..."

Thales fell silent.

He suddenly understood:

The internal strife of the Blood Bottle Gang witnessed by Glover and Rolf, which ousted the boss of Kathleen, was not just about seizing power or revenge.

"So whether it's a coincidence or intentional, this incident ultimately happened because of me - ever since the Blood Bottle Gang was in chaos, it was doomed."

Glover and Miranda looked at each other and hesitated to speak.

Thales took a deep breath and smiled at them, telling them not to worry.

In the following time, His Royal Highness the Prince went back and forth non-stop between the study, conference hall, reception room and several official offices in the outer palace of Kongming Palace, visiting to express condolences, meeting with officials, appeasing people and issuing orders, and every time When he finally sat down and thought he could rest for a while, a large pile of documents and letters would always appear on his desk, requiring him to read through them all the time, write and approve, sign and stamp, and write and reply, leaving him to eat quietly. Not enough time for lunch.

Just like this, there are always new unexpected events - such as the tragedy on Ruhsan Street just now - suddenly popping up and forcibly inserted into his schedule that already has little space:

The exhausted Thales couldn't help gritting his teeth and thinking:

As a city lord and a duke, was Zhan so busy before?

However, misfortunes never come singly. Only a few hours before the prince returned to the palace, several officials hurriedly came to report:

Prices in the Emerald City vary and market conditions change.

The matter was first discovered by a tax collector when he was collecting vendor fees. The objects of his charges were merchants, whether they were traveling merchants who came from surrounding towns or further afield to bring goods to be sold at the celebration, or Large shops and small vendors who stocked local goods with the intention of making a small fortune from tourists began to compete with each other in vicious price cuts:

We are also selling fabrics. If you lower the price by two coppers, I will lower the price by three coppers. If you sell two pieces together at a discount, I will put three pieces...

At first, such incidents only happened sporadically, limited to the circle of four or five competitors in the same market, but after the tragedy on Ruhsan Street, similar situations occurred in markets in several urban districts.

Thales, who had been busy for most of the day, had to endure his fatigue and listened to the marketing officer's report, his expression becoming more solemn:

Soon, no matter whether they were merchants, workshops, or even many large business groups, everyone followed suit and began to sell goods in bulk. From grains, meats, and vegetables to spices and powders, from local specialties to ocean goods, almost everything in the Emerald City was selling goods. Prices of commodities, textiles, handicrafts, luxury goods, and necessities are all falling...

It wasn’t until several market supervision officials noticed something was wrong and pursued and inquired all the way that they realized something was wrong:

I don’t know when, rumors began to spread in the city, saying that the incident on Ruhsang Street was just a precursor, and with Duke Xinghu’s temperament of not even drinking, the political turmoil in the Emerald City may soon affect the market...

As a result, many merchants are rushing to sell goods and clear their inventory. They do not hesitate to cut prices and would rather sell at a loss to exchange for cash. There was even a merchant ship coming to Emerald City on the sea, loaded with luxury goods. After hearing about the changes in Emerald City, the owner of the ship was very anxious and hurriedly sent a messenger to inform the warehouse that he wanted to sell the goods on the ship in advance at half price or even lower price. To prevent unsalable losses after docking at the port.

"I heard that at the pier, there are even merchants who throw unsold goods on the street and let people pick them up, or even throw them directly into the water." Miranda came back from asking around with a pale face.

"These are panic selling. They are worried about political unrest and are bearish about future market conditions, so they make sure they have sufficient cash in hand first."

A few quarters of an hour later, the financial controller Melakhovich, who came over after receiving the news, was calculating the accounts in the meeting hall and frowning:

"But Your Highness, if this continues, Emerald City's credibility and reputation on the trade road will only get worse and worse, and the market will only get worse. Emerald City is so prosperous because of the inputs it relies on - transaction taxes and property taxes. , tariffs, I’m afraid they will all be cut in half.”

"If Emerald City's revenue drops, there is no guarantee that next quarter's revenue will exceed, or at least be equal to, this quarter's revenue..." The tax officer gritted his teeth, "Damn it, we still expect to repay the debt!"

Thales' head was pounding after hearing this.

"Everyone, this is just the lightest consequence," another experienced market officer was sweating profusely. "Listen to me, if this continues for a few days, the news will get out and the merchants will lose their profits. The Emerald City has become more motivated to do business. When the goods in the city are almost sold out and there is no more flow of goods, the market will begin to be depressed, followed by shortages of materials..."

"Then what should we do?" Huaiya said with a headache.

"Allocate funds to stabilize prices first and maintain market stability," Manager Mylahovich gritted his teeth. "Money problems can only be solved with money."

"What about our debts..."

"Don't think about repaying your debts now, let's get through the present!"

"If it doesn't work out, just borrow it again and pay off the old debt with a new model..."

"The debt will get bigger and bigger..."

"First ensure a stable annual income. As long as the rule of Emerald City is stable, there will always be a way to resolve the debt..."

"Your Majesty, I don't know if His Majesty has sent an order or has you given any instructions on how to deal with it?"

"Can Yongxing City support our finances?"

"If it really doesn't work, can we waive some of the taxes that need to be paid to the kingdom..."

There was a quarrel going back and forth in the meeting hall, and Thales, who was troubled by countless problems, became more and more unbearable. He rarely became angry and asked Marius to kick out all these officials.

"From finance to taxation, from the market to public security, I can see that they are not trying their best. They are all doing their best, procrastinating, and doing half-hearted work." Paul closed the door of the conference hall with a serious expression. "They are even waiting to see our jokes. ”

"After all, the original Duke stepped down just yesterday, and the way was not very good-looking," Miranda sighed, "It's understandable."

"They are not doing their job well, so can we scare the monkeys and punish them?" Morgan snorted coldly.

"They did not openly disobey orders, nor did they say anything rude," D.D shook his head. "At most, they were doing things perfunctorily and carelessly. This is far from a crime."

"Of course not for ordinary people," Morgan made a fierce gesture, "but for these officials... huh."

"Be careful, everyone," Huaiya held the notebook. "When encountering setbacks and disasters, it is often easiest to blame others, especially the weak who are under us and have no power to resist."

He gave everyone a warning look:

“There is a saying in “The Policy of a Wise King”: Giving up difficulty and seeking ease is often the origin of tyranny.”

"Ah, isn't it another reference book for the royal guard's entrance test?" D.D dug his ears.

"Um, no, this is my own extracurricular reading."

"What about extracurricular readings?"

Thales, who was sitting in the main seat, rubbed his forehead and lamented the little energy he had left. Hearing their conversation, he smiled rarely.

But before Huaiya finished speaking, he was interrupted again.

This time, the person who came was the commander of the Emerald Legion, a Seychelles knight and captain.

The Star Lake Guards immediately became nervous and prepared for the attack.

But fortunately, the Seychelles knight who entered the hall just glanced at everyone with disdain, followed the rules and took off his weapons and handed them to old Jeannard. Then he saluted in a decent manner and reported to Duke Thales:

The Emerald Legion found at various outposts throughout the city that the travelers, guests, and businessmen attending the Emerald Celebration... were packing large and small bags one after another, scrambling to pack up their belongings and prepare to leave the city. To this end, the Emerald City's ports and land fortresses The road was crowded with people and blocked.

Thales sighed.

Bad news again.

Everyone has eyes, and such a move spreads from ten to ten, and the crowds rushing to leave the city soon spread rumors in the city, saying that the imprisonment of Duke Jenn and the tragedy on Ruhsan Street were just precursors, and soon The Kongming Palace will enact more measures to strictly investigate the murder case of the young duke and the murder of the old duke. By then, the entire Emerald City will be in turmoil, and Prince Thales's anger will surely burn brightly.

The more Thales listened, the more he frowned.

Under this situation, more and more people are vying to leave the city. Boat owners and car owners who own boats and carriages have become a hot commodity. The prices of boat tickets and parking spaces out of the city are getting higher and higher, such as selling tickets to cheat and taking advantage of the opportunity. Price hikes and other incidents occurred frequently, which put the Emerald City under increasing pressure on public security. The Police Department and the Emerald Legion complained endlessly.

Oops, Thales thought, if this continues, the depression and decline of the Emerald City - in his hands - will only become faster and faster, and it is inevitable.

Damn it!

"Not just foreign travelers and guests, I heard that many locals and even many nobles are packing their bags and planning to leave the Emerald City for a while to avoid disaster." Conmuto added in a low voice.

"Disaster? What disaster? Disaster?" Thales said helplessly.

"People are worried lest the situation in the Emerald City become unstable in the coming days," the Seychelles Knight stared at him, "especially after the coup."

Yeah, like I'm not worried.

"But that's not a coup, it's just..." Thales explained palely.

"I know, it's just a temporary personnel change in the administrative leadership of Emerald City, right?" Seychelles said coldly.

Thales sighed.

Why didn't he become a political officer?

"Okay, then the people are panicking and rushing to leave the city. How do we solve this matter..."

Seychelles nodded:

"We can restrict the movement of people, such as setting up cards at the entrances and exits to prevent them from leaving the city..."

"No!" Thales and Mallos stopped him in unison.

The prince and the watchman looked at each other.

"But we really can't go on like this, panic will spread." Mallos said calmly.

Thales nodded:

"We have to do something to stabilize people's hearts and dispel their doubts."

The prince sighed, his headache getting worse:

"Huaiya, take my warrant and go to the city hall and urge them to post notices and release the news: starting from tomorrow, the Emerald Celebration will continue and everything will be business as usual. What is the next step?"

"Night-night banquet," Wyatt opened the notebook, "the main activities are in the evening. The Emerald City will light up the corridors of lights all over the city, and the citizens will parade all night to commemorate the month of Heyman and Regina in the chaos of war. Meet next.”

"Damn it, we're all in chaos, and we meet under the moon," Thales, who was full of trouble, cursed in an unseemly manner, "It's so romantic."

No one dared to reply.

"Also, summon the important vassals who are currently in Emerald City, as well as the leaders of guilds and business groups. Their power is spread all over the south coast. I have to hold a fifth meeting with them to stabilize the market. It is best to get a commitment …Seychelles Knight, are you still here?”

Thales raised his head in confusion.

In the eyes of everyone, the Seychelles knight nodded slightly, his eyes like swords:

"I heard that your Highness, you plan to disband the Emerald Legion?"

Thales was stunned.

"Where did the news come from? How is it possible..."

"Then why did the Financial Secretary misappropriate our expenses and even promised overtime rewards during the celebration?" The Seychelles Knight raised his voice.

The guards in the chamber became nervous.

Thales paused after hearing this.

"I assure you, Seychelles Knight, I don't know about this," Thales took a deep breath, "But I think..."

"It seems the news is true," Seychelles interrupted him and snorted coldly, "After Duke Zhan lost power, Your Highness, you will embezzle funds from Emerald City to support Yongxing City."

Thales frowned.

Oops.

"And those of us who hold swords, write pens, and do business...are the price?" The Seychelles knight stepped forward slowly.

Mallos took a step forward and said lightly:

"Captain Seychelles, what are you going to do?"

The surrounding Star Lake guards looked unkind and stood in formation with their hands on their weapons.

Seychelles glanced at Mallos and narrowed his eyes.

"Knight of the Seychelles, I swear to you, I didn't mean this," Thales said as sincerely as he could to calm down the tense atmosphere, "After all, the long-term stability of the Emerald City and even the South Coast Territory also depends on the protection of the Emerald Legion. "

Seychelles was silent for a moment.

"In this case, Your Highness, please show your sincerity and pay us last month's salary to ensure that my sergeants will not listen to rumors and think that they are about to lose their jobs," Seychelles said coldly, "And my men are in Jade Work extra hard during the celebration, and it would be better if you could get an advance of this month’s salary as an incentive.”

"Hey! What are you talking about-" Niexi spoke angrily, but was held down by Paul.

"Although the brothers in my legion shed blood and sacrificed their lives, they all deserve a better life." Seychelles ignored him at all, but turned around, walked towards the door, and took it back from Jenard's hand. own weapons, "Otherwise, Your Highness, you can find someone else to keep the peace."

After saying this, he walked out of the meeting hall without any politeness or nostalgia, leaving the door slammed shut.

"Thor, please take my letter and go to the Finance Department of the Outer Palace in person," Thales rubbed his brow painfully, "In addition to the previous problems, tell them that no matter how much they rob Peter to pay Paul, the expenses for the Emerald Army cannot be reduced."

Maurus nodded slightly.

The people in the meeting room looked at each other, and D.D. heard the injustice:

"Your Highness, don't be afraid of him. Besides, those shitty officials in the Finance Department can't even calculate the accounts, and they are still worried about how to raise funds to stabilize prices..."

"The root cause is not the price," Thales shook his head tiredly, feeling that everything that is happening now is against him, "No matter how much money is spent to stabilize it, it's useless."

"Whether we believe it or not, from finance to taxation, to the market, to the public security issue just now," Mallos nodded, "If the Emerald Army has any more changes, such as no longer obeying orders, or turning a blind eye when dealing with public security issues..."

Everyone was shocked. "I understand these officials now, and why they are perfunctory and inefficient," Thales sighed helplessly, and had to write a letter again, "If you feel that your future is uncertain and your job is not secure, who the hell still has the heart to work?" Seeing His Highness like this, Huai Ya was very worried, but he had no good solution, so he could only slap his thigh: "Damn it, why is everything going wrong today?" "Because we are so tall that we attract the wind?" D.D shrugged. "Because they did it on purpose." Paul's eyes were deep. "Because here," Miranda suddenly said, "We are all Exter people." Everyone was stunned for a moment, and Thales' pen tip also paused slightly. "Jenard," Thales remembered something and asked softly, "How did you win?" Jenard, who was scolding Willow at the door of the meeting room, was startled when he heard the words, and came forward: "Prince Thales?" "You said today that the Starlight Army was defeated when it first arrived at the Blade Territory," Thales put down the paper and pen, "Then how did John turn defeat into victory later?" Jenard hesitated. "Run."

Everyone looked at him sideways.

Jenard took a deep breath:

"We retreat, Your Highness, and flee all the way, leading the rebels to chase us: from Blade Territory to Central Territory, and then to South Coast Territory. After a few months, we have mastered the skills of running and hiding. We were still cooking soup one moment, and we could pick up the pot and jog the next moment. Haha, we can even cook soup while running..."

"And the enemy, the enemy spread like wildfire, and the momentum became more and more powerful. The number of people increased day by day, and the ambition gradually expanded. The leader even wanted to establish a country and become the king in Sodala City."

Jenard gradually lost himself:

"When these rebels leave their homes, they are no longer the "rebels" sympathized by everyone, but the "invaders" hated by everyone, and they are the real "foreign forces". It's time for us to fight back."

Thales' eyes moved.

Jenard lowered his head, and the nostalgia in his eyes turned into loneliness:

"So, we won."

The meeting room was quiet.

Nexi was confused, but Miranda's eyes lit up:

"Yes, Lady Sonya mentioned it to me. She is worthy of being the Star War God."

"Oh, no," Gennard came back to his senses and corrected, "This strategy was not originally proposed by John, but by a great noble adviser under his command, who came from the south bank, named Karabiyan."

Thales was stunned when he heard this.

"But this method," Huai Ya couldn't help but say, "giving up land and luring the enemy deep... Along the way, many people will die."

"Yes, many people."

At that moment, the high spirits in Gennard's words disappeared without a trace:

"Many people."

Thales pursed his lips, and his eyes were unclear.

An hour later, in the doubtful eyes of the Star Lake Guards, Thales stood in the corridor, watching the heavily guarded guards make way for him and open a door.

Thales took a deep breath.

He waved to his subordinates and stepped into this unusual room solemnly.

The door behind him slammed shut.

In the room, a man sat calmly on a luxurious sofa, with his back to him, pouring wine by himself.

"Twenty-eight hours."

Thales was stunned:

"What?"

The man smiled softly.

"I mean, you held on until now to find me..."

The Duke of South Shore, who was caught in the whirlpool, Jan Kevindill, raised a glass of famous wine and looked back leisurely.

"Yes, you held on for four hours longer than I expected."