Kingdom’s Bloodline

Since early in the morning, people have been coming and going in Kongming Palace.

In addition to the various ministries and offices working in Diomao as usual, the guests who came from the city and outside the city and from far and near also included local nobles and foreign businessmen, industrial owners and workshop owners, agents of business groups and officials at all levels. , and even representatives of the Coachmen's Guild and Dockworkers, etc., covering most of the livelihood circles accessible to the Emerald City.

The entrance to the palace was crowded and noisy because of this. The open space was crowded with carriages, sedans, and attendants. From time to time, people quarreled and even fought over the parking spaces and order.

Of course, more of them were residents watching the excitement. They came after hearing the news and did not even go to the celebrations in various parts of the city. They just stood in black crows outside the cordon drawn by the sergeants and guards. Rao Pointing at the bustling spectacle at the palace gate with interest, commenting on the guests entering and leaving the palace, making speculations about the serious attitude of the Emerald Legion, and relishing the anecdote (I don’t know when it was spread) about Miss Hilley playing tricks on the prince. Ledao, talking about the turbulent situation in the city, sighing about where the Emerald City will go after the sky falls, and lamenting that the Kingdom of Stars has fallen to this point...

Some people in the crowd who were watching the excitement couldn't restrain themselves. They stopped the guests and asked, only to find out that they had received a temporary invitation from His Highness Thales and then hurriedly came to the palace to see him.

As for the purpose, no one, including the invitees, knew, and it was not stated on the invitation, only the words "The Duke of Xinghu sincerely invites you to meet."

 But this makes people even more nervous and curious.

Why, after experiencing a series of governance failures, this frustrated prince finally had no other choice. He couldn't help but reveal his true face as a barbarian from the North, sharpening his sword and going on a killing spree, and forged his regency with blood. Can you vindicate the humiliation he suffered from a woman?

 Hmph, that’s really ridiculous!

 Then it’s time to teach this yellow-mouthed kid that wherever there is oppression, there is resistance!

We Nan'an people are also unyielding and strong men. We are not vegetarians, and we are not like those cowards in the capital who are afraid of power. Wife, don't you often say that married life is not romantic? In this way, I will exchange the bank check. , you put away all the things at home, how about we take the children and the cat and go traveling for three months? Oh, for no other reason than that you have been taking care of your children for so many years and are so virtuous and kind. My conscience found out and I want to make it up to you...

Compared to the bustle outside the palace gate, the scene in the main palace is not far behind.

There was a steady stream of guests entering the palace waiting to be received, from being in twos and threes at first to being bustling later, from gradually filling the lounge to standing in the three large halls. Finally, the royal guards and the guards of Kongming Palace had to reorganize order and let the guests They lined up in a long S-shaped queue and squeezed into the corridor all the way.

Regardless of being of noble birth or wealthy, every guest in the queue was uneasy, staring intently at the door, looking blank and saying nothing, arranging their appearance nervously while waiting for the etiquette officer to roll call, or pretending to be relaxed and chatting with people they knew well. Chatting and communicating, discussing who went in again and who came out again, who was able to go in as soon as he came, who went in and never came out again, who came out with a sad face, who left the palace with a smile on his face, you said the one with a ferocious face It seems to be the pirate Tanganga. I said that the people surrounding him over there should be the special envoys of the Tyran State. You openly emphasized that His Highness Thales is wise, prodigious and courageous, so I loudly praised the Duke of Star Lake for his talent and talent...

But only Tails himself knows who is the most tired person in the Emerald City today.

Throughout the day, he was meeting all kinds of people non-stop, from high-ranking nobles to wealthy businessmen, from foreign envoys to local bureaucrats, and his attitude towards different people was not the same. He might be gentle and comforting, or speak harshly, or talk and laugh happily. Or cold and solemn, some people have to sit with him for a full hour, some people send him off in just two sentences, some people need to be received alone to show their respect, and some people are accompanied by guards and swords and axes...

These guests from all walks of life were either humble or arrogant towards him, or they were hypocritical, or they were hypocritical, and they talked nonsense, or they were trembling, humble and fearful, but everyone had one thing in common: they all turned a blind eye to the bruises on Thales' face. , we take it for granted, as if everyone should be born with a bruise on their face.

There was only one younger herbal medicine dealer who couldn't help mentioning that his secret concealer was very effective at the end of the interview. However, he was quietly stepped on by his fellow seniors who became pale after hearing this. After being pushed and half-pushed away, Thales could hear the scoldings of his fathers through the door:

"You bastard! That's not a wound. It's the Emerald City's humiliation to him, the contempt for the prince of a kingdom. It's just a slap on the face!"

“My dear nephew, you dare to mention this matter in front of him, I’m going to kill you!”

"Kevin Dill can slap him, but he can't bear it, let alone others. If he does, he will see blood!"

“He may not be able to take iris flowers, but he can take our heads easily!”

 “Prepare some generous gifts later and give them every day. Don’t let him hold a grudge...”

"It's too late. I heard that His Highness is very stingy and very vindictive..."

 “He was frustrated by Kevin Deere’s anger and was worried that he had nowhere to get angry...”

“But he had a good attitude and assured us that the industry’s rules and regulations remain as usual…”

“You’re stupid! Which butcher flashes his knife before taking the pig to the slaughterhouse? Isn’t it delicious and delicious?”

“Don’t look at his smiling face now, this His Highness came back from Exeter. It is said that many people were killed on the way back home..."

“I heard that the born king forced him to drink wine he didn’t like. Hey, you all saw what happened next..."

 “Now I have offended him, oh, what should I do...”

“Duke Jenn just doesn’t want to marry his sister to him. Look, where is the Duke now?”

“Don’t be too naive. He was completely defeated in the Emerald City. Regardless of whether this happened or not, he is going to find someone to do the surgery to get him back..."

 “I heard that he is short of money, big money...”

Thales, who had long been used to it, looked numb and unfazed.

In addition, there are many guests who either have a humble attitude or make generous speeches during the meeting, but they all point out in their words, overtly or covertly:

Duke Jenn's sister has been frail and sick since she was a child. She was raised in a boudoir and rarely saw the world. In addition, the old Duke and his wife showed pity and pampering, were a little forgiving and neglected to teach her. This was even more so after the new Duke succeeded to the throne. They pampered and indulged her, and intensified their efforts, so they developed the character of Xi. Ms. Lai’s current personality…

Of course, who is His Highness Thales? He is a nobleman from Tianhuang, a wise prince with a broad mind, and has a good reputation of being tolerant and kind, and loving the people like a son. He is a wise king in the next generation!

He will never make others angry at the expense of small things...Look at me, I am a verbose person. How could His Highness not know these things...

What's more, the affairs of Emerald City are now complicated, and His Highness still needs to take care of them and manage them carefully. This is a huge matter...

So that, that, there is a saying in Yuanguo, Da Tongwan’s belly can support a boat, right?

As if they didn't say this, Thales would be furious the next moment and slap the Emerald City to death.

 Most of the time, Thales responded with a smile.

 But for some people, this is not the case.

"Last night at the North Gate Bridge, the operation to arrest Lausanne II was carried out secretly. Many participants did not know the news until the last moment." Facing this group of new guests, Thales spoke softly, "Because it concerns Zhan En The case with Federico was so involved that I had no choice but to bypass the personnel of Kongming Palace. Even the specific operations were handled by the female boss of the Blood Bottle Gang..."

He raised his head and looked at the officials from Emerald City who were standing around the room and who had just rushed from their respective offices.

“But tell me, Shilai Kelvindir, how on earth did she know about my actions? And where did she know it?”

 The officials held their breath when they heard this, surprised and nervous.

"No, she not only knew it, she also accurately found the address, timed it exactly, broke out halfway, and kidnapped the prisoner exactly," Thales thought of last night and said in a daze, "It's as if... it's like she specializes in Stay there, waiting for me to come to you, so that you can seize the opportunity at the most critical moment and slap me hard in the face."

 Speaking of this, Thales gently patted the uninjured half of his face:

 “If I fail to arrest him, he will become the laughing stock of the whole city and his prestige will be ruined.”

The officials looked at each other in shock and broke out in cold sweat.

Especially when there were royal guards standing around them, staring at them with unkind expressions.

A senior political officer swallowed his saliva and stepped forward to speak out under the urging eyes of his colleagues: "Your Highness is saying..."

 “Your Highness is saying it!”

 The political officer's words were interrupted.

"Someone has betrayed us," the aide-de-camp Wyatt Castle stood near the prince and added coldly, "in the Kongming Palace, in various government offices that may know the inside story, or even standing in this room right now. Among the gentlemen, someone leaked the news in advance and tipped off Miss Hilley."

As soon as these words came out, the officials’ expressions all changed.

When they reacted, they all denied continuously, shouted injustice, fear and grievance.

Amidst the noise, Thales closed his eyes to rest and said nothing.

"Although we kept a low profile throughout the whole process, our departure from the palace could not be hidden from the palace guards, or even the eyes and ears of the police department everywhere. It is very likely that you got the news halfway," the person who spoke was still Huaiya, and only the attendants could be seen The officer turned to a group of officials and asked sternly, "right?"

 The faces of the city guard and several security chiefs changed drastically, and they strongly denied it.

"Your Highness Mingjian, we have worked hard these days and are exhausted. How can we still control the garbage dump at Beimen Bridge? Uh, I mean, security incidents there are generally handled according to normal procedures. We are definitely not doing anything special. Pay attention, let alone report anything..."

“It is normal for His Highness to go out to inspect the palace. Why do we ask so many questions...”

"We support His Highness wholeheartedly, how could we do this..."

“I’ll go back and check on those temporary workers, and I’ll tell them there must be something wrong with them…”

“It’s because my subordinates failed to take good care of themselves. Let’s go down and vigorously carry out a rectification campaign, conduct strict investigations and punishments in the department, and strengthen prevention in every corner of the Emerald City to guard against treacherous villains with ulterior motives, especially those hiding among the masses...”

Huaiya looked at their pitiful and ridiculous self-defense. He didn't say much, he just turned to the other side.

"For last night's operation, His Highness has specially approved a budget," the prince's attendant said with cold eyes and sharp words. "The Finance Secretary should know about this large expenditure, right? Although he didn't say it, he must have noticed the clues long ago. , do you know we have a big operation at Beimen Bridge?"

On the other side of the room, a group of finance and taxation officials, led by Chief Mailahovich, who had nothing to do with themselves and were lying down pretending to be dead, woke up from the petrified state of looking at their noses, noses, and hearts.

They all changed their expressions and rushed to defend themselves:

 “Your Majesty, the Attendant, is wrong in what you say...”

“Yes, but all official documents are sealed with confidentiality! We will never leak secrets..."

“Where, where, the old man is so dim-sighted that he can’t even understand what kind of money His Highness has approved and what he is using it for…”

“How can we be so diligent in checking our accounts? We report it once every half year... Recently we have let it go. How could we find out... Well, we will definitely vigorously rectify it after we return, and strive to improve the department’s work capacity and verification frequency..."

“Actually, each department has its own small treasury, and those of us responsible for approval may not be aware of it... Of course, the small treasury is wrong!”

"If the prince wants money, then he needs to approve a note. How dare we ask more about whether he wants the official title? I mean, what is the budget expenditure of the superior leadership department, under what name is the project established, and for what purpose, we They have no right to review, just like they cannot report or supervise beyond the level..."

“We spent a little more on security this week, but we don’t know what it was used for, let alone the Beimen Bridge...”

Huaiya's face was cold. After listening to their defense for a while, he didn't say much and just turned to another group of officials with strong temperament and uniforms.

"Captain Seychelles," Huaiya said to the knights of the extreme realm who were standing quietly aside, with doubts in his words, "Last night, His Highness the Prince also invited you to go to the North Gate Bridge to help out?"

 Seychelles slowly raised its head.

 The royal guards in the room all became nervous.

Although he was unarmed and unarmed when he entered the door, his every move still had the oppressive feeling of an extreme master.

 Only Huaiya's expression did not change, staring condescendingly at the Seychelles knight.

 Just listen to the latter say slowly: "I was invited to take action in order to catch the criminal, prove the Duke's innocence, and end this farce as soon as possible..."

 But Huaiya interrupted him rudely:

“But you didn’t stop Miss Hilley when she took Lausanne II away.”

 Seychelles frowned slightly and glanced at Thales:

"yes."

 “And Miss Hilley is Duke Jenn, your master’s sister.”

“Yes, but the circumstances were special at that time, and His Highness the Prince did not dare to act lightly…”

This time, Huaiya interrupted him faster than before, with a cold and stern tone that contained rebuke:

"What did you say? What does your Highness dare not do?"

 Seychelles' expression moved slightly. He looked at Thales, but the latter still leaned on the back of his chair and closed his eyes silently.

It seemed like I didn’t hear it at all.

Facing the eyes of the whole room, Seychelles hesitated for a moment.

"I, I took action at the beginning and tried to stop it," Seychelles defended, "but Miss Hilley has Cassian beside her. He is also a dignified extreme knight. His skills are learned from the Terminator Tower. I'm not completely sure I can win him..."

"So you let Miss Hilley, the sister of Duke Zhan, who happened to appear, take away the criminal who may have a key role in the Duke's case." Wyatt said softly.

Seychelles pursed his lips: "I'm not the only one present, there is also..."

 But Huaiya was uncharacteristically uncharacteristic and did not allow him to defend himself:

"As far as I know, you and Lord Cassian - what a coincidence, he is also an official knight of the Emerald City - are old friends?"

Facing the suspicion of malicious intentions, Seychelles looked stunned, and his words were a little more firm:

 “It used to be. But please believe me, Your Highness, I will not let personal feelings affect...”

"But unlike him, Seychelles, before you were canonized as a knight, you were a mercenary in the East China, commonly known as a 'sword seller'?"

The back and forth between Waiya and Seychelles was so hostile that other people in the room were cautious and did not dare to speak out loud.

 Seychelles, who was interrupted several times, took a deep breath and suppressed his anger:

"Yes. But from then on, I have abided by every work contract and tried my best to perform my duties..."

Huaiya snorted coldly:

“Since it is a contract and a market behavior, does it mean that the one with the highest price will win regardless of the position?”

Seychelles couldn't bear it any longer. He spoke suddenly and glared at Waiya:

boom!

 A muffled sound interrupted the quarrel in the room.

"enough!"

Everyone was shocked, and then they realized that the speaker was Prince Thales, who had been dozing. The latter stood up with a stern look on his face:

"all of you."

Huaiya turned around solemnly and saluted respectfully:

 “Your Highness.”

Officials reacted and bowed after the prince's attendants, including Seychelles, who looked sulky and unconvinced.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to hold you accountable.”

Thales looked around, took a deep breath, relaxed his expression, and spoke calmly:

“I don’t want to force you to pay for the mistakes I made.”

The officials looked at each other, but a smart person had already taken over:

“Where, where, His Highness is doing his best to govern the Emerald City…”

“There are some minor setbacks, but they are normal things in governing the country, so why should we make mistakes...”

“The more polished a gemstone is, the brighter it becomes…”

“Your Highness is really open-minded and a person who can do great things...”

Tales raised his hand and spoke in a gentle tone, signaling everyone to calm down.

"I invite you here today because of this letter." He took out a letter from the drawer and handed it to Huaiya, who respectfully passed it to the officials below. "I need you to sign together. Send it secretly to the royal capital."

 The senior officials in the first row gathered together to read the letter. The more they read, the more confused they became and looked at each other.

Others couldn’t wait any longer and looked wary after hearing the “joint signature”:

 “Co-sign?”

"for what?"

 “What letter?”

 “Statement of waiving unpaid wages?”

 “But don’t…”

Taylors sighed.

"A letter from me to His Majesty, requesting him to dismiss a motion."

 Everyone was startled.

 “What motion?”

Thales sat down slowly with a solemn expression:

 “Emerald City Emergency Control Order.”

What?

 Everyone was stunned again, not knowing why.

　　咚.

Everyone turned around and saw among the ranks of the inquisitors, Ibonin, the student of the late Inquisitor Brennan and the acting Grand Inquisitor of the Emerald City, looked pale, and the official scrolls in his hands were scattered on the ground.

 “Emergency...control?” He murmured, and the fellow inquisitors behind him had something in mind. They looked shocked as they leaned over to pick up the scroll.

 The letter was passed between a pair of hands, and Thales was silent for a long time.

"As you know, Duke Iris is suspected of killing his father to seize the throne, paying for murders, and covering up the truth... Regardless of whether it is true or not, the Kevin Dill family is currently in civil strife, the political situation on the south coast is in turmoil, and the Emerald City... is becoming increasingly depressed and filled with public dissatisfaction. "

The eyes of everyone present jumped when they heard this.

Tales spoke slowly:

“Therefore, the emperor believes that the Emerald City needs urgent control at this moment to stabilize order and avoid disaster.”

As soon as these words came out, there was an explosion in the study room.

"What?"

 “What kind of emergency law?”

 “How to control it?”

 Thales closed his eyes and spoke in a low tone:

“As a guarantee, someone suggested that Baron Alaka Mu be recommended to lead a thousand royal standing troops to the Emerald City for temporary garrison to stabilize the overall situation.”

 Officials became more and more surprised:

 “King, the wrath of the kingdom?”

 “Why an army? A standing army?”

“Who pays for the garrison expenses?”

“What about the Emerald Legion? Where to put them?”

"when will you arrive?"

“We don’t have bandits here, so why do we need stability?”

"It's not just about garrisoning," the young and powerful Judge Ibonin thought of something, with a serious expression, "Just like in the Western Wilderness back then, this is to temporarily replace the rule of local lords with the temporary control power of the central kingdom during the emergency period. right."

 The study suddenly became quiet.

Tales also remained silent.

Finance Controller, Mr. Melakhovich’s eyes widened in disbelief:

 “No, it can’t be?”

"How can this be?"

 “Let those soldiers rule?”

 “It was brought from the central government...”

 “The Emerald City will be destroyed!”

Thales sighed softly, and the noise in the study gradually disappeared as he spoke:

"Not long ago, the Blade Tooth Camp learned from the past. The Royal Council lost confidence in the local lords, so they made this motion. Of course, they also know that this matter is extremely controversial, so the official will not acknowledge it until it is officially issued and written." "No!"

Controller Melakhovich was startled and said:

 “You can’t let this happen!”

 Other adults were surprised and nodded:

 “We are fine here, there is no chaos, and there is no need to garrison!”

 Captain Seychelles also frowned:

“The Emerald Legion has guarded the Emerald City for generations, and everyone’s contract is written in black and white…”

“This is legally untenable,” Judge Ibonin gritted his teeth. “Such a big matter requires at least a motion from the National Council, or at least the High Council of Nobles. The Royal Council cannot...”

 Thales nodded:

"Indeed. But no matter what the process is, I believe that as we speak, Baron Mu has received the order to start mobilizing manpower."

 The study was quiet again.

"But, even if he brings people here," a political officer thought of something, with a little hope in his words, "You, Your Highness Thales, you will still be the regent, right? Temporarily photograph Kongming palace?"

Thales smiled. He looked tired after receiving guests all morning:

"I hope it will be."

"You must be," Judge Ibonin affirmed. "Except for His Majesty himself, there is no nobler or more qualified person in the entire kingdom than you. And if you are allowed to step down at this time, it will be equivalent to telling the world that you are the regent." Emerald City has failed, and Fuxing Palace no longer trusts you..."

 He thought of something when he said this, his words stopped for a moment, and he looked at Thales in shock.

 The surroundings were silent again.

This topic is too sensitive and dangerous.

 No one dared to say anything at this time.

Taylors smiled bitterly.

"Alaka Mu saved my life, and he has a stubborn character, special status, and outstanding achievements." He avoided talking about the topic just now. "I may not be able to manipulate him."

 The study was still silent.

 No one dared to speak.

 Thales looked around and had to continue:

 “So once he comes…”

"No, the wrath of the kingdom cannot come." Ibonin, with a pale face, interrupted the prince.

 His words quickly gained support.

"right!"

 “We are fine, there is no problem at all!”

 “No need for regulation!”

“The Imperial Council needs to think twice. The current problems in the Emerald City cannot be solved by martial law..."

“The Emerald City has prospered due to the passing of merchants and travelers, but that may not be the case when the army comes…”

 “Someone needs to remind His Majesty…”

“That’s what I said too,” Thales agreed gently, “that’s why I have this letter.”

Everyone turned their heads: the letter was just passed into the hands of Captain Seychelles. In front of everyone's eyes, he frowned and handed the letter back to the cold-faced Wyatt.

"I want to write to His Majesty before the Imperial Council puts forward the formal motion, and reject it with all my strength," Thales said with a solemn expression. "Of course I can't say it explicitly, as that will only be counterproductive. I can only emphasize it from line to line in addition to caring about His Majesty's health. : The overall situation of the Emerald City has been decided, and the order is as stable as the Sighing Mountain. There is no need to waste more energy, waste troops and money."

 Everyone in the room seemed to be waking up from a dream, and they all said:

 “Exactly!”

 “Send the message quickly!”

 “There must be no delay, and the public officials in the court shall not be troubled…”

“His Royal Highness Thales has a reputation as a virtuous man and will surely be able to persuade His Majesty…”

“We are in a remote place, and we don’t want to disturb the Fuxing Palace and worry about the wrath of the famous kingdom..."

“The Kingdom of Stars is undergoing a revival. Wherever there is no need for money and troops, why waste time and energy here?”

“National affairs in the center of the kingdom are more important... It’s no big deal if we, the people of Emerald City, suffer a little longer..."

 “That’s right…”

　Until Thales let out a heavy sigh, everyone's hearts began to rise again.

"It's a pity that everyone has seen my experience and 'political achievements' these days," Thales said with a heavy expression and laughed at himself repeatedly, "Not to mention last night, I couldn't even catch a criminal, and Kai Miss Wendil... her prestige has been ruined, she is a laughingstock, and she has disgraced the royal family."

 Officials could not hold back and spoke out their encouragement:

 “But it’s not your fault!”

"Your Highness, this is a last resort..."

“Especially yesterday, it was not Your Highness’s fault!”

“Is it because we have a mole?” an official added cautiously.

“Not only did you not lose face, but you also brought glory to the royal family and showed your tolerance and generosity, and you don’t care about villainous women!”

“Alas, Miss Heeley is too willful. She is eager to save her brother, appeals and protests, but she also needs to find the right way..."

But Thales ignored these remarks. He just looked defeated and shook his head in thought:

“When the news reaches the royal capital, the Royal Council will know that after Zhan En’s resignation, my virtue and talent are not worthy of me, and I will ultimately fail to govern the Emerald City…”

These words made everyone quite intolerable:

 “Your Highness…”

“You have just taken office, so you may have made some omissions...”

 “Yes, you have been working hard to solve the problem, and we all see it...”

"We all understand these days, who dares to say that you haven't worked hard and tried your best?"

Thales gave a wry smile and waved his hand to interrupt everyone's chatter:

“In short, this letter is not convincing enough with just my signature.”

 At this point, he took a deep breath, raised his head, and looked at each official:

“I need you, more officials from Emerald City, and pillars of Kongming Palace to sign this together.”

 The officials looked solemn.

“To prove to my father that the Emerald City is as stable as ever.”

Thales’ eyes were firm and decisive:

 “Motion to dismiss.”

After the words fell, the officials looked at each other in confusion.

"I see."

Judge Ibonin was the first to react. He sighed, stepped forward, and stretched out his hand to Huaiya:

 “Where is the signature?”

 Thales breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at the acting Grand Inquisitor and smiled.

"This city is the hard work and pride of Teacher Brennan. He will not be willing to see it fall into the war." Ibonin decisively reached out to write and signed his name at the bottom of the letter, "Your Highness also asks you to take care of the thousands of people." , argue with reason."

Tales looked at him seriously and nodded heavily.

 All the officials came to their senses, nodded one after another, and stepped forward to express their agreement to sign the petition.

Huaiya had to stand up and take charge of the order, asking them to sign in an orderly manner.

"Of course, in order to prove to His Majesty that there is no need for military control here," Judge Ibonin said seriously, "the trial hall will work hard to catch up on the cases that have been backlogged in the past few days and complete the trials as soon as possible."

His statement also inspired officials from other departments.

“Yes, yes, we might as well work overtime these days…”

 “I’ll go find Miss Hilley right now. If I can find her, I’ll try to persuade her...”

“Then our Financial Secretary will go back and study how to save some expenses...”

 “It doesn’t have to be like this.”

Tales suddenly spoke, interrupting the financial controller.

The prince opened the drawer and handed a redemption note to the finance and taxation officials:

"Here are more than 30,000 gold coins. Let's make up for the arrears of wages from the various ministries to the Emerald Legion. Just make up as much as you can. If there is any leftover, it will be treated as overtime bonus according to the system."

As soon as these words came out, maybe because there was a lot of money, maybe because it was about wages, all the officials in the room turned their heads and stared intently at the check in Thales' hand.

Looking at this amount of money, Manager Melahovich couldn't help but be surprised, but he was used to seeing huge sums of money, but he still tightened his collar and pretended to be calm and took the cashed note:

“Actually, my salary is only the second priority. It’s better to use it to solve our urgent needs and pay off Emerald City’s debts..."

 The officials' eyes darkened.

“Eat your own food first, then you can have the strength to pay others back.” Thales said with a smile.

 The officials’ eyes were bright again.

Meilakhovich’s eyelids twitched and he was flattered:

"Yes, Your Highness, you...you spend so much money, it really makes us..."

"No need to thank me. This is the amount the Popon family owes Kongming Palace," Thales shook his finger. "The extra part is proof of their enthusiastic participation in city affairs and their hope that the Emerald City will return to order." Sincerely, it’s also because they are willing to support me as regent.”

As soon as these words came out, everyone's thoughts changed and they looked at each other.

“When it comes to year-end commendations, remember to give the Good Citizen Award to Mrs. Turelle.”

Tales sat back in his seat, but he thought of something and raised his finger again.

"Also, Envoy Hasha of Tyron State promised me to take the lead in connecting with several foreign business groups to forgive - or at least postpone - several debts of Emerald City. It seems that the amount is quite large," he pointed casually, "It's here Recently, Mr. General Manager, please send someone to implement it."

If the 30,000 gold coins just now were just strange, this time Melahovich was solidly surprised, and then he was overjoyed:

 “Yes, yes, Your Highness!”

Thales snorted softly and looked at the financial manager of Kongming Palace seriously:

“Remember, pay attention to every copper coin—this money is not mine, nor does it belong to everyone here, but was created by the residents of the Emerald City, and it is just entrusted to us by the Sunset Goddess to take care of it temporarily.”

After hearing this, the officials became even more motivated. Their eyes looking at Thales became more admiring and eager, and their words became more flattering and flattering.

 “Your Highness is right...”

 “What a wise saying…”

“It is time to erect a monument and inscribe it to teach all peoples…”

“If everyone has this awareness, why worry about the failure of the kingdom?”

“The big ship of stars, in the hands of such a wise helmsman, is bound to ride the wind and waves!”

But Thales turned a deaf ear and ignored it.

"I know that there are many industries in the Emerald City that are inextricably linked to the local nobles. Without their cooperation, even if you want to do things, you will get twice the result with half the effort." Thales waved his hand, "Don't worry, I have talked with them. After negotiating some terms, they will not be an obstacle, but will help you clear the obstacles."

“Some business groups that have hoarded goods and affected the market should resume normal operations soon. Of course, it will take some time for market confidence to recover..."

 Thales continued to talk one by one, methodically and with a clear plan in mind:

“By the way, the robbery incident on the maritime territory has been proven to be a misunderstanding. There are no pirates in the South Coast Territory, and the shipping lanes will be unblocked soon—relevant departments will follow up.”

“Also, the misunderstandings between me and many local nobles have been resolved. Their protests against my administration should subside somewhat, and the properties and taxes on their land estates will also be normal..."

"The order on the streets will be restored slowly in the next few days. Both the Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood promised to give me some thin noodles - of course, when arresting Lausanne II, the former failed in his job and the latter missed the trap. They are now Don’t you dare not give me face.”

 “And the aftermath of the fire…”

 Every time Thales finished a sentence, he solved one thing. Officials from the relevant departments reacted with surprise, joy, and praise.

The royal guards in the room, including Huaiya, were stunned for a moment after hearing this, and looked at Thales with even more astonishment.

By the time Thales finished speaking, the officials who were queuing up to sign the petition had finally signed the last name.

The prince took out a breath and felt that the weight was lifted off his shoulders, making him feel much lighter.

In response, the officials of the Emerald City, who suddenly became loyal and had high morale due to various reasons, patted their chests and expressed that they would do their best to repay and live up to His Highness the Prince's hard work and expectations.

“We’ve been delayed here for too long. Let’s go back to our official duties and speed up our efficiency...”

“The repair and aftermath of the market fire is accelerating. We decided to take a closer look and come up with a better plan..."

“The patrols of the Police Department will resume three times a day, so that citizens can live and work in peace and contentment, and travelers feel at home..."

“The efficiency of the trial hall has declined after Lord Brennan’s death, and there is a backlog of dispute cases. We will go back and try to catch up..."

“The prison has discussed internally to optimize the processes and systems, and one-third of the cells can be cleared to hold prisoners waiting to be detained, so that there is no need to tolerate misdemeanor criminals..."

“The Discipline Inspection Commission has thought about it and decided that we should keep our feet on the ground. Erecting a monument and engraving a sentence is too ridiculous and unrealistic... By the way, we need to change our focus and focus on bullying and financial fraud. It is urgent for the people..."

“The entertainment activities in Iris District these days have been relatively simple. We can be active, stir up the atmosphere, and win back everyone’s confidence..."

“Let’s study the market’s preferential measures to see if we can stimulate the economy and restore confidence...”

“Regarding the recent maritime crimes that people are worried about, we will dispatch police ships to patrol so that we can be alert at all times, feel at ease every step of the way, and everyone can feel at ease..."

Thales gradually smiled as he listened to the many ambitious words of goal-setting, loyalty, and determination. However, as the adults' words became more and more fervent, his smile slowly disappeared.

 “Everyone.”

Thales spoke softly, and the study quickly became quiet:

“After the great changes in Kongming Palace, no matter why you are sitting in this position, you have given up and surrendered because of interests, ideals, responsibilities, salary, positions, traditions, habits, or anything else..."

 Thales thought of a series of things that happened after Zhan stepped down:

"And why did I get rid of my serious illness and become as enthusiastic, motivated, selfless, and diligent as I am now? No matter how long this situation will last or how long it will take effect, let alone what you think of me, there are What’s your opinion…”

 The prince took a deep breath.

“Please remember that the rise and fall of this place, the livelihood of thousands of citizens, including your own life and destiny, are all in your hands.”

 He scanned every official with great seriousness:

"You are not working for the Emerald City, let alone Zhan, or Iris."

Thales’ eyes were sharp and he tapped his chest:

 “For oneself.”

 “It’s more about saving yourself.”

"Because if you don't do this," Thales said sincerely, "believe me, there are things in this world that are far more terrifying than the wrath of the kingdom."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was in awe.

At this moment, the Seychelles knight who was silent in the team suddenly strode forward and came out of the crowd!

 The royal guards were so frightened that they stepped forward one after another until they were stopped by Huaiya.

 “Please rest assured, Your Highness.”

 I saw the Seychelles knight gnashing his teeth and looking angry:

“My subordinates are going to mobilize their manpower now and dig three feet into the ground to find the vampire killer, including Miss Hilley…”

 Thales was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"Then what?"

He interrupted Seychelles:

“When we are digging three feet into the ground, let people laugh one more time, saying that Miss Heeley has captured the prince’s prisoner, and am I going to mobilize all the troops in the city to get him back?”

Seychelles was a little embarrassed after hearing this.

“Forget about that killer, there’s no need to go to Xi Lai,” Thales stood up and lamented, “In the past few days, my experience in Emerald City has taught me one thing.”

He walked to the window and looked at the bustling streets of Emerald City below in trance.

“There is no shortcut in governing a country.”

Thales spoke quietly without any scruples.

"Can I secure my position as city lord? What personal grudges do I have with Kevin Dill? How many slaps did Shilai give me? Even whether Zhan killed his father many years ago? Or how much the Kingdom wants Kongming?" The palace’s wealth, these are all trivial details.”

The words he spoke were more sensitive than the others, causing others to change their expressions. They could only look at each other, hold their breath and pretend not to hear.

Only Huaiya, holding a small notebook and taking shorthand, listened thoughtfully.

 I saw Thales looking at the Emerald City, in a trance:

“The most important thing is to manage the Emerald City well so that everyone can have food to eat—no, let everyone have hope.”

Everyone was confused, but Thales took a deep breath and turned around.

"This is far better than me relying on manipulating, co-opting and suppressing, diverting conflicts, engaging in positional struggles, convicting political opponents, and using various seemingly shrewd, powerful and admirable means to keep my position and maintain my authority. , it is much more useful and practical to stabilize one's own job."

 He said softly:

“In fact, this is what I, Zhan, and the nobles and scum among the people sitting in this seat should really do.” (End of Chapter)