Chapter 714: black eye

   "It seems that you treated yourself well."
  With mixed feelings, Thales came across to Jann and pulled out a precious armchair.
   "Each to each other," the Duke of South Bank didn't even look at him, he opened the pot of wine produced by Duke Sera on the coffee table, "Be careful, Your Highness, that chair is not easy to sit on."
  Tell paused.
  He patted the armchair, his face turned cold, and he sat on it without hesitation.
   "How can such an expensive chair be difficult to sit on?"
   "Because of this," Zhan En poured two glasses of wine, watching him sit on the chair with intriguing eyes, "Precious things are often uncomfortable to use."
   "Since that's the case," Thales rubbed the smooth and warm armrest, felt the leather material, and said, "I didn't see you throwing it away?"
  Jen picked up a glass of wine and gestured to Terstor.
   "As you said."
  The Duke chuckled, pushed another glass of wine to Thales, and stretched out his hand to signal, with a deep tone:
   "It's expensive."
  Thales didn't reply right away, he stared at the other party for a long time.
   "You really have to be careful," Thales leaned over to the coffee table, and pushed the glass of wine back lightly but unquestionably. "Otherwise, the chair is broken by me, and it won't be easy to repair."
  Jan En watched Thales's movement of rejecting the wine, his eyes froze slightly.
   "It's not impossible to repair." He smiled slightly, retracted his palm, raised his wine glass indifferently, and took a deep breath, "Just find the right craftsman."
  Thales leaned back, silently watching Zhan En enjoying the mellow aroma of the wine, and hummed softly:
   "Since it is such an expensive chair, no matter who the master is, it will cost a lot of money to repair it?"
  Jen En shook the wine glass, took a sip of the wine, and sighed in admiration:
   "It's cheaper than the chair itself."
   "So would you rather pay to fix it, or keep it intact?"
  Jane stared.
   "It depends on where the chair is placed," Duke Iris said quietly, "Whether it is placed in the hall for others to see, or in the bedroom to sit on."
  Thales was silent, and Zhan En didn't speak, and the two of them just faced each other quietly in the bedroom.
  After a long while, Zhan En put down his glass and spoke first.
   "So, the current regent of Emerald City came to find me, a prisoner, but he refused to drink my wine." He stared at Thales' face, implying, "But the rule is not going well?"
  Thales snorted lightly.
   "As a prisoner who doesn't leave home, how do you know that my 'government is not going well'?"
  Jen smiled, and he turned to the direction of the balcony.
   "Please, there is such a big smoke column and flames in the Glory District, even the most deeply hidden mouse in the Kongming Palace can smell it."
  Thales frowned.
   And Zhan En closed his eyes with an expression of enjoyment, as if he was still savoring the aroma of the wine just now.
   "You know, there was a rat problem in Star Lake Castle for a while," Thales stared at the flagon on the table, "until I cleaned up all the rats, and there was not one left."
  After speaking, he stared at Zhan En.
  Jen was silent for a while.
   "Is there not one left?"
  Duke Iris nodded:
   "It will take a lot of mousecats, not a lot."
   "There are indeed quite a few," Thales said not to be outdone, "but I later discovered that there is actually only one cat that is really useful."
  Jen En sneered:
   "Oh, which one?"
  Thales and Jann looked at each other for a while.
  The next moment, Thales suddenly put on a smile:
   "You misunderstood just now, Your Excellency the Duke."
  Thales leaned forward and picked up the glass of wine that belonged to him.
  This time it was Zhan En who frowned slightly.
"The rule of the Emerald City is going smoothly, without waves and waves, the citizens live and work in peace and contentment, and the officers and soldiers are dedicated to their duties." Thales swung his glass freely and greeted Zhan En, "Like the fire accident on Luhsan Street, I don't need it at all." Don’t worry, officials at all levels will take care of it themselves.

  Jen En's eyes froze.
"I think so," he leaned back, instantly becoming indifferent and repulsive, "otherwise, you would have been too busy, why would you have the time to come to me for a drink and talk about chairs and mice .

   "Is your father in pain?" Thales still smiled, but changed the subject abruptly, "When he died?"
  Jen En's expression changed.
  Thales continued calmly:
   "Especially when you know that you have been betrayed, and know that the murderer who killed you is a blood relative you can't trust?"
  Jen stared blankly at Thales' wine glass, but just when Thales thought he was going to change his face after all, Jen raised his head without changing his face:
"please forgive?"
  Thales looked at the other party and hummed softly:
"As I said, the Emerald City is peaceful, it should be said that it is too peaceful. Because of this, I have nothing to do all day, so I have time to do this-arbitrating the dispute between you and Federico, and The late Old Duke of Leinster and Viscount Sona, find out the truth and return justice."
  His Royal Highness specially re-read the last few words, narrowing his eyes:
   "What, is there a problem?"
   For several seconds, Jen remained motionless, like a statue.
   Until he let out a breath and refilled himself.
   "You just said that this is the only mousetrap cat that needs to be used?"
  Zhan En poured the wine calmly as usual, nothing wrong with it:
   "It's a bit too monotonous and lacks new ideas."
   "However, when the mice were cornered and had nowhere to go," Thales shook his wine glass, keeping his eyes on Zhan En's face, "That's really the way to go."
  Zhan En put down the flagon heavily.
   "But are you sure the only ones to be cleaned up are rats?"
  The duke raised his glass and carefully observed the color of the wine under the light:
   "If there are more ferocious beasts hidden in the castle, a mousetrap alone is far from enough to see."
  On Jann's wine glass, Thales' face was reflected in the wine, appearing crimson and distorted.
   "Actually, my cat's claws are ruthless, but it's ferocious," Thales also raised his glass to him, "Enough."
  Jane's expression turned cold.
  He looked down at Thales' wine glass:
   "The wine is almost spilled by you, do you really not drink at all?"
   "The glass is in my hand," Thales said coldly, continuing to shake the glass, "I can drink it whenever I want."
  Jen was silent.
   A few seconds later, he held his wine glass and walked slowly to the window.
   "Of course, then you can drink it whenever you want, and drink it whenever you want," Zhan En looked out the window with a cold attitude, "but the wine has been opened, and I don't know how long it can be kept."
  In front of his eyes, the lights of thousands of families in the Emerald City were dotted like stars.
  The two were silent for a while, each thinking.
   "I should have thought of it earlier." Thales said suddenly after a while.
   "What comes to mind?"
"You elected me to be the regent, but you strongly opposed Xi Lai's participation in the rule, not only because you love my sister," Thales narrowed his eyes, "but also because you are still in the chess game, and the vacant seat of the city lord is just Another piece of yours, the goal is to eat whoever sits on it."
  Jane never looked back:
   "It is not in line with your usual image to attribute the insufficiency and failure of the rule to a prisoner."
  Thales snorted coldly.
   "The letter."
   "What letter?"
  Thales raised his gaze.
   "Not long ago, the "Petition for Substitutes" you gave to my father said that paying taxes and reducing the number of soldiers, it seemed to be obedient and obedient, but in fact it was full of hidden secrets and traps."
   "You said it in the arena," Zhan En said coldly, "You tore up that letter."
"Yes. But if you are 'not to die with the enemy', you dare to obey even the letter of peace to the Supreme Iron Fist King, and be careful. Then when you face me, you will be forced to step down from the position of the city lord and lead the south bank of the Emerald City. When he handed over," Thales questioned harshly and disdainfully, "how could it be possible not to hide the backhand, not to lay traps, not to leave the vacant seat full of thorns for the successor?"
   The room was quiet for a while, only the breathing of the two could be heard for a while.
   "Then have you ever thought about it," Zhan En looked at the night scene of the city that once belonged to him, with sharp and deep eyes, "Maybe, if you want to sit firmly on that chair, you should have to overcome obstacles?"
   "Should it be?"
  Thales said disdainfully, and put down his glass heavily.
   "My people spent a whole day, and they kindly persuaded many finance officials to work overtime, and only then did they sort out the accounts of Emerald City, especially the pile of debts."
   "Congratulations." Jen was not without sarcasm.
  Thales leaned back in the chair and folded his arms:
   "In fact, the huge public debt is not a bad thing for the Emerald City, but it has been commonplace for many years, and it is also a means of drawing future development and governance."
   "I really hope that all the financial officers under me have your vision." Zhan En still seemed to be sarcastic.
   But Thales moved his eyes:
"But the strange thing is that Emerald City has been sorting out and reorganizing its debts since seven or eight years ago. Some have been rescheduled, some have been split, some have been merged, some have been revised, and some have even increased borrowings in large sums. In the end, All kinds of debts have been concentrated into three batches: the first batch alone includes millions of advance debts, which have to be paid off within two years from now."
  Prince said coldly:
   "The debt repayment period for the second batch is around ten years, and for the third batch, around fifteen years."
  Jen didn't speak, but he finally shifted his focus from the window, slowly turned around, and faced Thales.
   "As you said before, you had long expected that the Fuxing Palace would attack Iris, but you didn't know when and how they would come, so you simply prepared for the battle early and planned ahead."
  Thales continued calmly:
"The three batches of huge debts are actually the triple insurance you left for yourself by using the finances of the Emerald City—in the past fifteen years or even longer, no matter who overthrows your rule in any way and seizes the Emerald City , have to face the sinister debt trap..."
   "It's just a matter of money," Zhan En interrupted him, turning the wine in his hand into a scarlet swirl, "The Canxing royal family is rich in the world, you must have a solution, right?"
  Thales frowned.
   "A money problem?" The prince snorted coldly, "The Emerald City has changed hands. It is already experiencing political turmoil. Merchants who are accustomed to the trading order of the Emerald City began to sell in panic, resulting in unstable prices and market chaos..."
  Plus all kinds of rumors such as 'the prince wants to drain the Emerald City', 'the prince wants to raise taxes to collect money' or 'the prince wants to clean up the house'...
   he thought not without worry.
"And when I started tearing down the east wall to make up for the west wall, and trying to find ways to increase income and reduce expenditure to pay off debts, more troubles came," Thales said coldly, "I have a lot of ideas about reducing expenses and moving the budget. Efficiency dropped visibly to the naked eye, and the Seychelles Knight—regardless of whether he had your instruction or not—even quietly threatened our army to go on strike. The accident on Ruhsan Avenue, let’s regard it as an accident, it is these reasons and The inefficiency of the security officers and the chaos and turmoil of the Blood Bottle Gang are jointly caused."
  Jen listened quietly, staring at him with palpitating eyes, without a gloating smile.
"Then there is panic, people lose trust in the future of Emerald City, people with some family backgrounds flee one after another, and there are frequent security cases in the market." Thales stared at the other party closely, "If you don't do anything, the once prosperous The splendid Emerald City is probably about to begin to decline."
  Jen didn't show any more expressions, he just took a deep breath and slowly raised his glass:
"drink wine?"
  Thales frowned deeply, but he ignored the other party and continued:
   "I originally planned to summon the powerful vassals and big businessmen of the South Shore Territory, and even foreign business tycoons, to intimidate them and ask them to lend money to help Emerald City fill the shortfall and temporarily bail out..."
  Jen En snorted, meaning unknown.
   "But before that, I received a ledger from the Ashford housekeeper, which was about the status of the Kevin Dill family's private property."
  Jen En's eyes moved:
   "Sure enough, you put your mind on Kevin Dill."
  Thales sighed.
"My people have just figured it out. The Iris family is indeed wealthy. Just in the field of asphalt mining, your assets are valued at millions of dollars, and your energy is endless. The living assets of the money-making tree that generate money, not counting smelting and trading," the prince said sullenly, "Even if only half of it is squeezed out, it will be enough for Emerald City to tide over the difficulties for the time being."
  Jane didn't answer, but just stared at him intriguingly.
   "But therein lies the problem."
  Thales left the back of the chair and stared at the other party.
   "I rummaged through the ledgers, searched all over Kongming Palace, and found that the Calvin Dill family has very little cash, which adds up to less than 50,000."
  Jen raised the corners of his mouth.
"Because you started operations as early as seven or eight years ago, and invested most of the family's cash in major industries—such as the Emerald City Cotton Wool Chamber of Commerce, which has 20% of your shares, and many asphalt mines in the north are Kevin Dill and the Lasia family invested in a joint venture. Half of the business groups in the Yongshi Oil Industry in Gonghai City have signed a contract with Iris, and these are only available. Businessmen like Dagori Moss may still There are quite a few, and everyone is your asset white glove, covering all walks of life in the south bank of Emerald City, and even Star Kingdom."
  Thales became more serious as he spoke, gritting his teeth:
"So, if I want to use Kevin Deere's money, the first thing I have to do is to transfer and sell the assets from the dozens of rich industries led by the South Bank, and once I do this, for example, sell the money you left at a low price. In the textile industry, there are dozens of workshops, dozens of warehouses of raw materials, hundreds of shops, and thousands of looms all over the South Bank..."
"Take the bottom of the pot and get rid of the source," Zhan En took his words, looking relaxed, "The already unstable industry order and economic situation will only become more panic, more chaotic, and more turbulent in the short term, and it's solid." The Prince is going to drain the Emerald City' rumors."
  Thales took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions.
   Where did he know this?
   Forget it, it's not important anymore.
"What's worse," Thales continued with difficulty, "if I overcome the difficulties by selling your family's assets at a low price, which leads to economic turmoil and industry crisis, then those who collude with you and occupy the upper and lower reaches of the industry Countless big business groups, rich men, aristocratic forces, and vassal families, such as the Karabyan family who have invested in the textile industry with you, and these giants all over the South Bank Territory, their interests will also be damaged."
  Thales clenched his fist.
  
So, I canceled my meeting with these people, and I canceled my plan to borrow money from them.

  Jen En silently took a sip of wine:
"why?"
   "Why? Because they have long been in the economy and industry, and they are closely tied to you and the Iris family, and they cannot be separated," Thales said disdainfully, "Why should I make enemies for no reason and ask for trouble?"
  Jen didn't speak.
   "Anyway, after this round, finances, debts, taxation, business, public security, people's livelihood..."
  Thales suppressed his anger:
   "From beginning to end, no matter where I start, I will be blamed. No matter who gains and who loses in essence, no matter how complicated the process is, the final price and infamy will be borne by me who came to power."
  Thales took a deep breath and calmed down.
   "But I guess these people, if you asked, they would be willing to lend, right?"
  He looked at Zhan En with sharp eyes:
   "Why? Because you have a cooperative operation with them, and the interests are intertwined?"
  Jen En sneered.
"I think you can call it trust," the Duke of South Bank shook his head, "but it is based on institutions and habits: they believe in me and Iris, not only by faith and loyalty, habits and obligations, but also by position and interests. Rely on institutions and systems.

  Jen En's eyes moved:
   "So that once they leave us, they will inevitably lose their trust in this city."
  Thales snorted disdainfully.
  Jane raises the volume:
   "And these 'trusts', Thales, can't be exchanged no matter how many times you repeat 'Imperial Blood' or 'Revival of the Kingdom'."
  Thales' eyes became colder and colder.
   "So, it's not just the city lord, you, you turned the entire Emerald City into a trap."
  Prince said coldly:
   "Anyone who grabs it by unconventional means will trigger a chain reaction of a whole chain and bear the price behind it."
  Jen was silent, and Thales did not continue.
  The two faced each other silently for a full minute.
   Until sporadic fireworks exploded in the night sky, casting light into the room, celebrating Queen's Day feebly.
  Finally, Zhan En walked back to the sofa and sat down slowly.
  He knocked on the jug, and looked at Thales meaningfully:
   "So, it's all up to now, are you still refusing to drink my wine?"
  Thales took a deep breath.
  He looked at the wine glass on the coffee table and thought for a long time.
  Finally, the Duke of Xinghu stretched out his hand gently, and took his own wine glass.
  Jane smiled.
  Thales raised his glass and smelled the aroma of the wine.
  The next second, he raised his head with stern eyes.
"The result of this arbitration, Jen, is that you will get away safely, clean and untainted, and Kevin Dill will continue to rule, and you will get back the title of duke and city lord, and continue to be your lord of the iris .

  Zhan En's eyes lit up, his eyes approving.
   "Fine," he picked up the flagon, "but?"
   "But Federico will be pardoned. Not only is he innocent, he will also regain his property rights and inheritance rights as the son of Sona, and become the new Viscount of Gonghai City—don't worry, he is an honorary Viscount."
  Boom.
  Jen En's flagon was heavy.
  The Duke of South Bank raised his head, his eyes were cold: "Then why don't you just say 'I'm going to put a nail in your ass'?"
   "I'm not done yet."
  Thales said indifferently:
"The Emerald Legion will be crowned with the name of the 'Royal Family', and the number and cost will remain the same, but the maintenance costs will first be turned over to the Fuxing Palace in the form of taxes, and then issued in the name of the kingdom, forming a military and national defense routine. Officers at all levels must be informed by the Kingdom Military Affairs Department in advance..."
  The more Zhan En listened, the more ugly his expression became.
   "Let's forget about the past and this year, but starting next year, all villages, manors, and towns in the South Shore Territory will have to recalculate their tax revenue every year. If you understand what I mean, the Fuxing Palace will have full authority..."
   "Do you still want to drink!"
  Jen suddenly made a sound and interrupted Thales.
  He has a grim expression and a dangerous gaze.
   "And I haven't talked about ports, trade and tariffs yet." Thales was expressionless.
   "Then you don't need to talk about it," Zhan En said coldly, "It saves time and effort, and saves me a pot of good wine."
   "But I have to say! And you too!" Thales suddenly raised the volume.
  Jen frowned.
  Thales adjusted his breathing and tried his best to speak sincerely
   "I believe, Jen, you left a trap for your successor early, or a difficult problem—a difficult problem that only Kevin Dill can solve. The purpose is definitely not to kill the fish."
  Jane's eyes moved slightly.
   "It's about creating leverage so we can negotiate," Thales stared at him, "and that's exactly what we're doing."
  Thales sighed:
   "Please, even for the sake of the Emerald City—I believe that it was never your intention to let it decline."
  Zhan En stared at him fixedly, and was silent for a while.
   "Those conditions, are your father's intentions?"
  Thales' mood tensed.
   "As long as you agree," the prince said in a deep voice, "I'll take care of the Fuxing Palace."
  Jen snorted and laughed.
  Thales frowned:
   "I'm serious, the specific terms and conditions can be discussed again, but I can take full responsibility for—"
  Jane suddenly interrupted him:
   "Why did you come to me?"
   Thales paused.
  Jen approached him with aggressive eyes:
"Tell me, Thales, from debt to taxation, from market to law and order, you sat in that seat, encountered so many things back and forth, and even checked Kevin Dill's family property, and found out about the emerald How does the industry in the city work, but the conditions you gave are still the same?"
   "And you even think that all the problems can be solved as long as you threaten me with arbitration and borrow enough money?"
  Thales frowned:
"What do you mean?"
"What's the meaning?"
  Jen shook his head and laughed.
   "You are the Duke of Xinghu Castle, Thales, you should know the architectural structure of the kingdom's rule: the monarch, princes and princes, officials, officers, civilians of all walks of life, from top to bottom..."
  Thales looked puzzled.
  Jane leans back and spreads his arms across the room:
"But here, in Emerald City, you can see something different: merchants' transactions and status are guaranteed, farmers are exempted from service and heavy tax burdens, craftsmen from all walks of life form their own guilds to speak out , bureaucrats at all levels work hard and step by step, even foreigners will be respected here, and no matter how big the vassal or the noble noble step into the city gate, he must admit all the above rules: he must understand why he is here. A lowly peasant can shout at the lords in the courtroom with impunity."
  Thales' eyes moved, thinking deeply.
  Jen En patted his chest:
"Because, because all the power these people have is guaranteed by us, the Iris Family, and the Guardian Duke. Shouting to set a tax quota, or the artisans uniting to ask the city lord to severely punish the deduction of wages, we allocated, bestowed, and shared from the authority of the duke.
"Under such a new order, the nobles are sealed off their desire to exploit layer by layer, officials have the power to formulate rules, merchants show generosity out of greed, farmers rise up to work hard for themselves, and people inside and outside the country All the money comes and is for my use.
"But it is also under this new order that we, the noble duke family, made an unprecedented compromise. From top to bottom, we stepped out of the Kongming Palace and stepped down from the supreme throne, setting an example, restraining the vassals, To do things that most rulers can't understand - we not only undertake security and defense, but also worry about market order, residents' welfare, business operations, and law enforcement. For this reason, we will not hesitate to borrow debts that cannot be paid off for generations, and we will not hesitate to end it ourselves Participating in stock management, not hesitating to invest in and promote all kinds of businesses that cost money but not heard of, not hesitating to set rules that even a country baron would find humiliating and embarrassing, and I have to be the first to bow my head to abide by!"
  Thales recalled every detail of what he saw and heard after arriving in Emerald City, his complexion changed slightly.
  Jen En's eyes flickered:
"Imagine it: the Supreme King has unlimited power in Yongxing City, everyone fears the King of Exeter, the supreme councilors of Commas are strict and corrupt, and the dignitaries from all over the world are the highest in their rule. Yihuan, domineering on his own land!
"But we, the Dukes of Kevin Deere, have to be careful not to step on even one of the stalls when we walk in our own city. If we do something bad, we have to spend money to hire the blood bottle gang. A farmer picked his nose and scolded face to face We did a poor job, and we had to smile and wave our hands and say sorry, a businessman was robbed five miles outside the city, we had to spend huge sums of money to mobilize the army, and chase the criminal to the ends of the earth at any cost to bring the criminal to justice. Sweep hundreds of miles back and forth for three months and patrol for a whole year to restore the lost trust!
"This is what makes the Emerald City and even the South Bank different. Starting from the "Parrot" more than a hundred years ago, my ancestors followed the example of the wise king, but after several generations, they have gone further than Mindis: we give up power and give up benefits. By sacrificing status, what we establish is not only rules for the people and outsiders to abide by, but also cages and barriers that bind ourselves, chains that we dare not even touch, let alone break!"
  Hearing this, Thales couldn't help being moved.
  He suddenly understood why Jann Cavendir was the most famous, best-looking, and most "approachable" guardian duke in the kingdom.
  The logic, conditions, and principles behind this, as well as the inevitability and inevitability embedded in history and the environment, cannot be simply explained by simply saying "Zhan En is a man of hypocrisy and sanctimoniousness".
As a ruler, King Nunn can be domineering, King Charman can be ruthless, King Kessel can be ruthless, even Prime Minister Cullen can be old-fashioned, Cyril Falkenhauser can be a rascal, and the one-eyed dragon Kost can be arrogant , the Duke of Vaal in the north can be extremely extreme...
   But not Jen.
  The reason why Zhan En is like this is not because he likes it, but because he likes it.
   Rather he had to.
   is the case of the Emerald City.
  Just like ancient swords, they cannot escape their sheaths.
   "As for these things, your father, the iron-handed king who said that one thing is unquestionable and only knows how to ask but not give, can he do it?" Zhan En said softly.
  Thales raised his head with a solemn expression.
"So, as the highest link in the ruling chain," the prince couldn't help but sigh, "The Iris family used the authority of the duke to guarantee this city and the entire South Bank: you establish order, formulate rules, form a system, abide by law, even at the expense of authority..."
  Jen En smiled, and he nodded slightly:
   "To be precise, we cast ourselves as the cornerstone of order, from the highest link of the old building, willingly, to the bottom link of the new chain."
  Old building, new chain…
  Thales sighed long:
   "So the new chain has been running since then: ensuring security, attracting commerce, leveraging the economy, liberating labor, encouraging production, driving the people, affecting the land, changing the way of life of the vassals, and then reversing the nature of their positions..."
  Real information about the Emerald City, military, economic, political, class, history... They turned into abstract pictures and shapes one by one, circulating and piled up before his eyes.
  Thales became more and more fascinated as he talked:
"So this chain goes up layer by layer, one link after another, and one link spawns another link. After a hundred years in such a hurry, the Emerald City quietly rises: it feeds back the Iris family, and everyone who lives and benefits from it, whether it is a prince Nobles or ordinary people, they all believed in the guarantee of the Duke of South Bank, got used to the rules of the emerald city lord, and followed the order of Kevin Dill.
   "In this way, the Kevin Dill family has returned from the bottom link to the highest link: the chain turns, forming a loop, revitalizing the overall situation, and completing the order change from old to new."
  Thales took a deep breath and became more serious:
"More importantly, after more than a century, Iris has donated part of the Emerald City to all kinds of people in government, agriculture, business and industry, so that they can truly become a part of the Emerald City, and in turn, you use this to make your own It is firmly bound to every part of the Emerald City: it is both the guarantor and the beneficiary, both the leader and the escort, both the cornerstone of the base and the top of the pinnacle, it is an indispensable link."
  Thales gritted his teeth:
   "And if one day, this link is broken..."
  Hearing this, Zhan En, who had been silent all the time, sneered and said:
"It's just like what you experienced on this chair. This set of chains will be disconnected from this link, and the layers will be disjointed, and they will collapse one after another, because what is pulled away is not only the top, but also the cornerstone: the source of power, The formulation of rules, the enforcement of laws, the guarantee of order, the choice of commerce, the flow of money, the form of economy, the content of production, the life of the people, the rule of vassals, and finally the prosperity and stability of the Emerald City - they will come one after another A chain reaction, a vicious circle, shattered inch by inch."
  Thales frowned deeply:
   "If I don't want to break, but just replace this link—"
   "Then you also have to dismantle it first, dismantle this set of chains," Zhan En interrupted him unceremoniously, "then copy our history, and use the same or even more efforts to run another set of chains."
"Because this is a set of chains, not an old-style building—the lord of the manor has changed his surname, and the farmers in the field don't feel the difference. Anyway, the whip on his head is still vicious. Changing the master is like taking it from the roof. A brick," Zhan En sneered, "but here, the 'farmers' in the Emerald City will worry about how to ensure safety, who will enforce the rules, whether the industry will change, and whether the new lords will share their interests. , share the pain—for you take not a brick from the roof, but a link from a taut chain."
  At that moment, Thales breathed up and down. He stared at Zhan En in front of him, but felt that he was not facing a person.
   but a city.
   "Then I will rebuild this chain, win back trust, and even let the royal family invest, set rules, and build an order that everyone can trust, to prove that Kevin Dill is not irreplaceable..." He gritted his teeth.
   Just, if that's the case...
"how long?"
  Jen En said coldly:
"Even if you are a genius, you can act well, even if you have learned the experience of the previous two hundred years, and you have hindsight, even if you are a comer, the price and sacrifice you pay is far less than Kevin Dill's six-year plan. How great it is to pay for generations... But how long will it take? After the decline of the Emerald City, how long will it take you to use the Canxing Royal Family as the foundation, rebuild trust, rebuild the chain, and then today's South Bank Territory?"
  The Duke of South Bank sneered endlessly:
   "Five years? Ten years? Twenty years? Thirty years?"
  Thales hesitated to speak.
"And the premise is that you and the royal family restrain yourself and your vassals, don't blood from the Emerald City, don't take needles and thread, don't repeat the bad habit of nobles' exploitation, and wait patiently, so that it can finally prosper and feed back the power of the ruler. one day."
  Jen En said with a smile:
   "Actually, I have quite a lot of confidence in you - thirty years or so?"
  Jen narrowed his eyes: "But how long do you have left?"
   "I mean, how long did he give you?"
  Thales' breath stagnated.
   "Now, do you understand?"
  Jen stared at him, but Thales felt like a city was oppressing him.
   "As for the conditions you just sat here and proposed to me: taxation, army, trade, industry, almost every link in the chain."
  The Duke of South Bank shook his head:
   "I know your father is jealous of this, but does he really know what we exchanged for our wealth? Do you really think I can give what he asks for?"
  Thales turned his head with difficulty.
"And as a monarch who is high above and doesn't know what respect is, he wants to have the efforts of six generations and seven dukes of the Kevin Dill family, from the highest ring to the bottom ring, and then back from the bottom ring To the highest level, the reward for the hard work..."
   "Kessel Canxing V," the Duke said coldly as he looked at the lights of thousands of houses, "Is he qualified?"
  Thales was silent for a long time, not knowing what to think.
  Jen En remained silent, sat back in his seat, and drank silently.
"I see."
  Jane turned his head.
   "The Emerald City wasn't built overnight, Jann," Thales looked at the Duke with sincere eyes, "Then it shouldn't be destroyed overnight, no."
  Jen En frowned first, then sneered disdainfully.
   "Threat? Really? You?"
  Thales shook his head with a sad face.
   "Did you know you're lucky?"
   "What?" Jen En asked puzzled.
"Imagine, if it was my father, if he discovered these...situations in Emerald City after he succeeded," Thales looked at the furnishings in the room and sighed, "then maybe I should do it for you, for you The city prayed."
   "So now, you are so lucky to meet me first."
  Jen En's eyes moved.
  He stared at Thales for a long time.
   "I've made it very clear," finally, the Guardian Duke of the South Bank snorted, "Believe it or not—"
   "Then you will allow the Emerald City to decline, or even be destroyed?" Thales raised his head sharply and raised his voice.
   There was a moment of silence in the prisoner's room.
   "It's not me, it's you," Jen En looked at Thales with hatred in his eyes, "You."
  Thales frowned.
"I know you are upset, Zhan En, because this is your city," he said earnestly, "but because of this, because this is your Emerald City, your people, not Star Lake Fort, let alone Eternal Star City! "
  Jane's expression gradually froze.
  Thales took a deep breath.
   "I swear, I will get the best for you, but only if..."
   "You know, when I just looked out the window and saw the lights of thousands of households in the Emerald City, what did I think of?" Zhan En interrupted him softly.
  Thales frowned.
  Jen En raised his head and hummed softly.
   "It is said that six hundred years ago, King John I insisted on going his own way and decided to march north to Exeter, 'to complete what his father had not accomplished'."
  Thales remembered something, and his expression changed:
   "Jane..."
   "At that time, the stars were martial arts, and the whole country was jubilant. Only the old "Wisdom Minister" Halwa got up from his sick bed, caught up with the king's team overnight, and vowed to die."
  Jane's voice is very soft:
   "'If you don't see it, there are thousands of lights, and the living beings have no calculations. Why do you have to waste money?'"
  Thales looked at him with an increasingly sad expression.
   "And the majestic and powerful King John, who conquered countless people, rode on his horse and looked up at the lights of thousands of families in front of him."
  Jen En's eyes wandered, as if he really saw that scene:
   "'All I see is darkness.'"
  Thales closed his eyes.
   "That's right, these are the exact words of 'Black Eyed' John."
  Jane paused for a moment, then looked at Thales faintly, with complicated emotions:
   "Your ancestors."
  No one spoke, and the room was silent for a full minute.
  Until Thales stood up abruptly and walked towards the door.
   "Where are you going?" Jen looked at his wine glass, "Stop drinking?"
  Thales paused.
   "You forgot something."
  Prince sighed:
   "That's right, Jen, what you use as a bargaining chip to protect yourself is the foundation laid by the Kevin Dill family for generations."
   He turned around.
   "But don't forget," Thales said coldly, "in this palace, who is not Kevin Dill?"
  Zhan En heard the words, his expression changed slightly.
   "D.D!"
  The door of the room was slammed open.
   "Your Highness!"
  Officer Doyle, with his head covered in bandages, rushed into the room in an instant, with a loyal look on call:
   "The guard wing has been assembled, I don't know what you want—"
   "Open Federico's room door," Thales interrupted D.D without any nonsense, "I want to see him, now."
   "Um, yes!"
  Jen frowned.
  Thales was about to go out when Jann spoke:
"You will regret this."
  Thales turned around.
   "Because I went to find another Kevin Dill?"
   "No," Zhan En narrowed his eyes, with a dangerous light in his eyes, "because the other person you went to find..."
  He turned his head:
   "Kevin Dill too."
  Thales' complexion sank.
   Next second.
   "Danny Doyle First Class Security Officer!"
D.D was majestic at first, and walked past a group of guards, thinking about how to open the opposite door with a majestic posture, when he heard the prince rarely calling his full name, he suddenly slipped in fright, but he didn't care about being embarrassed, He scrambled and rushed back.
   "His Highness, Your Highness?"
"From now on, you will send in and out all of Jann Cavendir's food expenses and external communications. You will be responsible for checking carefully," Thales ordered blankly, "I don't want to see it anymore If there is anyone, pass him any news outside this room."
  Jan En paused with the hand holding the wine glass.
   "Yes, as I ordered—ah, me, me?" D.D was flattered at first, then became uneasy, "But Your Highness, I'm worried that I can't do it..."
   "Remember the assassin at the royal banquet?"
  D.D was taken aback when he heard this.
  Jen En's complexion changed slightly.
   "The one who held your father hostage with a sword and forced you to a duel, almost ruining your family?"
   Thales turned his head to the side, glanced coldly at Zhan En, and pouted his chin:
   "He sent it."
   Doyle shuddered.
  He turned his head in disbelief and looked at Zhan En, who was frowning deeply.
  The next second, Thales stepped out of the room without looking back.
   Only Jen was left with a long sigh.
   and D.D, who was staring at him with an ugly expression.