Chapter 663 take the initiative to step back

Chapter 663 Take the initiative to retreat

Oops, did he guess?

"I didn't understand, what does this mean?"

The second prince lowered his right hand calmly and touched the JC dagger at his waist.

Jane stared at him, his eyes fixed.

"Don't you understand, Thales?"

The Duke of South Bank narrowed his eyes:

"Think about it again: do you really not understand?"

Thales's expression didn't change, but he heard his heart pounding.

calm down.

If Jen sees through me and knows that I'm just pretending to be in harmony with the king...

Then what will he do?

Turn over directly? Do it? Tell the world? Kick me out of the Emerald City?

still is……

But the next second, Jenn smiled slightly.

He turned back and picked up the water bottle to refill Thales' empty cup.

"Listen: The Kingdom Secret Service killed Moss, but that's just the beginning, the purpose is to attract your attention, provoke us to fight, and let you follow this clue all the way."

Jaen put down the kettle and gave Thales a profound look:

"Like now."

Thales raised the cup steadily: "You said that before."

Jane didn't look at him again, just poured himself a glass of clear spring:

"And they killed the wool merchant named Diop for the same purpose: to inspire you and your men to take action."

Thales frowned.

"real?"

The prince ?? tried his best to suppress the urge to hum:

"Secret Killed Diop in order to take the bait for me?"

Jane nodded: "They know your character, they know you will come forward and charge ahead."

There must be something there.

The voice in his heart told Thales: Moss, Diop, behind the deaths of these people, there must be something that Jenn can't wait to hide, so that he uses the secret department as a shield.

"Unfortunately, my people were not able to keep the killer in white from the Secret Division," Thales sighed naturally, "Otherwise we can ask something."

"I don't have anyone either," said the Duke of South Bank indifferently, "but that is the secret department of the kingdom, which is normal."

Killer in white.

Thales carefully observed Jenn's expression, but unfortunately found nothing.

No, it can’t be said that there is nothing.

After all--the inner voice muttered--you knew from the beginning that Jen couldn't believe it.

After all, the true meaning of alliance is betrayal.

Jenn paused for a moment: "But there is no doubt that the Secret Service treats you as a **** and wants you to come forward to deal with me: from Morse to Diop, maybe to the next person, and so on, until you dig out the secret. The secret weapon that Coe had prepared was to oust me and Kevin Deere from power in one fell swoop.”

"Secret weapon?"

Thales nodded:

"So, there really is something wrong with that Diop?"

Jane fell silent.

After a few seconds, he seemed to have made up his mind and nodded:

"Yes, in addition to the wool business, Diop has another identity: the secret accountant of the Kongming Palace."

"Dark account?"

"Agents like Dagory Moss will bring some inconvenient and inconvenient gray income to the Emerald City," Jenn replied calmly, "and Diop is the one who manages these dark accounts. one of the people."

"You mean, illegal income, bookkeeping and money laundering?"

Duke Iris snorted softly:

"If the Secret Service digs up his identity and his accounts, and you - as righteously filled with righteous indignation just now - issue an open and just accusation, then indeed, it will bring a lot of trouble to the Emerald City, let me It's been quite a mess with my officers."

Thales frowned.

If what Jenn said is true, then Diop is the one in charge of the Emerald City's secret accounts, which is why Moss is going to see him.

However, did Jenn confess so bluntly?

That means he was ready.

He is confident that the things behind Diop have been cleaned up, and no clues will be left to the enemy, especially the secret department of the kingdom.

Thales' mood became more and more solemn.

"Of course you won't let this happen," the prince said with no expression on his face, "that's why you hurriedly cut off the clues, and even found the scapegoat, and closed the case to make sure it wouldn't be lifted. Big waves?"

Jane nodded:

"During the Emerald Celebration, this matter cannot become the focus of the whole city, otherwise it will fall into the arms of the Secret Division."

"Like Morse?"

Jann affirmed: "Just like Morse."

Thales was silent for a few seconds.

"Then you should tell me about Diop first."

"I should," Jenn admitted without any burden, "but please understand that it involves the internal operations and finances of the Emerald City, and maybe some inconvenient illegal income, I don't want more people to know about it. , at least until I clear the threat and be safe."

Remove threats, stay safe…

I don’t want more people to know…

For some reason, looking at the owner of the Emerald City in front of him, Thales remembered the secret department of the kingdom.

"Of course, I can understand it, it makes sense, it makes sense." Thales raised the corner of his mouth.

"Trust me, Thales, the current approach is the best," Jan raised his cup, "You and I, we have skillfully maintained the balance of the situation in Emerald City under the fight on the bright side."

Thales' expression moved: "Balance?"

Zhan En took a sip of the clear spring:

"As a result, the Kingdom Secret Service failed, and the Diop case entered a normal process, silently, without causing an earthquake or causing chaos."

"Yeah, a debt dispute, Bedren's drunkenness and murder, it's totally normal." Thales whispered.

"Secondly, you didn't fall into the trap of the Secret Division and became their pawn, which caused our relationship to break down and the situation to become unbalanced."

"Thanks to you cutting off the clues in advance, I didn't let me get the secret weapon to deal with you."

"Thirdly, if I really want to trouble you, Thales," Jen put down his glass and suddenly raised his voice, "How could your men who went to track down Diop escaped the emerald army's blockade so easily? ?"

Thales frowned deeply.

After a few seconds, the prince took a deep breath.

"So, Diop's line is broken, no matter what conspiracy is behind him..." Thales said slowly, "What do you think the kingdom secret department will do next, and how should we deal with it?"

Jane raised the corners of his mouth.

"Whether it's Moss or Diop, their death means that the secret department of the kingdom wants to change things, wants to change, wants to mess things up," he scrutinized his wine glass carefully, looking at the distorted scene passing through the glass, "And we give them the opposite."

The opposite.

"You mean, there is a backwater, just like the case between Morse and Diop, one is an old grudge and the other is a debt dispute?" Thales said quietly.

Jane didn't answer, just smiled.

"Besides that, Jenn, you shouldn't do anything to hide from me, right?"

Thales stared at him fixedly:

"If there is, now is the time to confess, lest yesterday's accident happen again and damage the trust between us."

The voice of ?? fell, and Jen was silent for a long time.

"I can't make any guarantees, because even collaborators with the same interests will have reservations," said the Duke, "but I can say that if anything like yesterday happened, you would be informed in advance."

Thales looked at his expression and nodded slowly.

The two dukes had their own thoughts and did not speak.

In an instant, the dining room fell into a suffocating silence.

Until Jenn coughed: "Now, if we have nothing else..."

"But you know, Jenn."

Thales spoke suddenly.

"If your Emerald Legion, if they really caught my guard at the murder scene," the prince looked at the duke, "then I'm notorious for murder, and I can't argue with Xue Xue, so I'll probably just leave in despair. Emerald City, quit this chess game."

Jane paused: "Maybe."

"Then why not? Why don't you just kick me out of the Emerald City just like that?"

Thales looked straight at Jenn, as if to see through his heart:

"In this way, no matter what the Secret Service prepares for me, no matter what role they expect me to play in it, it will be discounted or even invalid. Once and for all, it will be done."

Jane was silent for a long time.

The atmosphere in the dining room became strange.

"Because we have an agreement and cooperation," Jenn said slowly after a long while, his voice a little tired and hoarse, "We are still on the same chariot, fighting against the most powerful people in this kingdom, aren't we?"

The Duke of South Bank raised his head and resumed his smile:

"If you leave, am I missing an ally who can fight against the king together? I think we should agree on this point, Thales."

On the same chariot, against the strongest...

Looking at the other party's appearance, Thales reached out his hand unconsciously and touched the hideous bone ring in his pocket.

"No."

Thales' answer caused Jenn to change color slightly.

"The reason you didn't kick me out of the Emerald City once and for all wasn't because we had an agreement."

Prince said earnestly, "It's because of my father."

"Because you are afraid of him, afraid of him."

Jane's smile froze for a moment.

Thales put down the cup and sighed:

"I came to Emerald City this time, whether or not the purpose is to see my fiancee, I was sent by His Majesty the King."

"No matter how disgusting I am or how much you hate me, as long as I'm still in the Emerald City for a day, you can use me to spy on the plans of the Fuxing Palace, spy on the king's actions, and always be on guard against the kingdom's secret services through me. Conspiracy: Whether it's my marriage, or my character, or the deaths of Morse and Diop."

He looked up:

"But if my clear chess is forced away, defeated by your methods, and completely left the game, who knows how the Kingdom Secret Service will react, who knows how my father will react? Who knows what they will use Other means that you don't know about? Maybe it's impossible to prevent, maybe it's worse, maybe the price is terrible?"

"And that's why I haven't been driven away by you, or the reason why you dare not drive me away," Thales said lightly, "Look, facing him, you, including me, we even overturned the chessboard. There's no right to turn around and walk away and say 'I'm not playing anymore'."

Jane's eyes slowly focused and nailed to the wine glass.

"His Royal Highness, come and mobilize for the rebellion now," the Duke said maliciously, "Isn't it too early?"

Telston for a few seconds.

"You didn't understand me," the prince said softly, "or you don't want to understand?"

Thales clenched his bone ring.

"When I was in the Western Wilderness, I asked Falkenhauser: If you knew in advance that the king had bad intentions and the other party's conspiracy, why didn't you stop him in advance?"

The Duke of Southbank did not speak.

"The Duke of Xihuang's answer was tactful and cautious. He said that the conflict was necessary, and he said that sometimes doing nothing is the best choice," the prince said, "but behind that sly and wise, I, I saw the fear - the deep fear of the Duke of Western Wilderness, Lord of the Ruins, Duke Cyril Falkenhouse. That fear may not be exaggerated and obvious, but it lurks so deeply that he even glanced at it secretly. Courage is lacking."

Jane was expressionless and didn't answer, but he held the napkin tightly in his hand.

"That's right, the meaning of my stay here, as you said, is to maintain balance," Thales said here, a little disinterested, "maintain the tacit understanding between the two sides, maintain this unseen battle, and stay still. To the extent that you can understand, accept, and deal with.”

"Because the butcher's knife on the top of the head is intimidating you and me, and everyone: even if you resist, you must be obedient and courteous, and you must be rational and peaceful, and you will not dare to make mistakes and cross the border, and dare not break the balance of this horror."

Jane still didn't answer.

But it is worth a thousand words.

The dining room was completely quiet until Thales sighed:

"So, what's the point of that?"

Jane raised his eyes: "What?"

Thales' tone was a little emotional:

"I mean, what's the point of all this—ours, yours and Fuxing Palace's, my father's and me's—fighting, cooperation, resistance, infighting, intrigue, comings and goings? After all, it's just Discord under the butcher's knife, war in a cage."

He stared at Jenn, depressed:

"Why, Jenn, why do we have to do this?"

Zhan was silent for a while, but suddenly smiled, with a desolate and tragic smile:

"Because that's who we are."

Thales came back to his senses and looked at him.

"Sorry, I was the one who made a blunder." The prince said solemnly.

But unexpectedly, Jen shook his head.

"We all have times like this."

The Duke ?? was a little lost: "And you are right, the discord under the butcher's knife."

At that moment, Thales felt for the first time: the man in front of him was in the same room as him, sitting at the same dining table.

Thales calmed his mind, removed unnecessary emotions, and took a deep breath.

"By the way, you know, things didn't get that bad, and we didn't have to get there."

"Which step?"

Tilston said: "My father, maybe, maybe he didn't mean to kill them all."

Jane narrowed his eyes.

"If I could..." Thales took a deep breath, trying to sound confident, "As long as you and Emerald City take a step back..."

But he was interrupted by Jenn.

"Take a step back?"

The Duke of South Bank looked at him with a half-smile.

Facing each other's eyes, Thales clenched the bone ring in his hand tightly, as if it would give him strength.

"I mean……"

"I know what you mean," Zhan said coldly, "I figured it out. You probably solved the matter in Xihuang a while ago: take a step back, hehe."

Thales frowned slightly.

"Take a step back, yes, the power belongs to the throne, the finances are included in the central government, the rule is subordinate to the Fuxing Palace, and resources flow into Yongxing City."

Zhan leaned back on the chair in a rare relaxed posture and said repeatedly:

"The Emerald City faded away from the halo of territorial autonomy, the queen in the city put down her freedom and pride, and Kevin Dill threw down the authority of the ruling party, willing to become the slave, servant, tool, weapon, chip and stepping stone of the supreme king, to help Influence to control other backward territories, distant frontiers, rebellious vassals, to create more of the same kind, and so on, until every inch of the country is like this, in order to realize his grand vision: from then on, the stars are integrated from top to bottom, like arms and fingers, Just like the empires of yesteryear."

Thales was in a heavy mood and was about to speak, but Jenn never stopped:

"But, why?"

The owner of the iris turned his head, his eyes sharp as a knife:

"The Emerald City system has been established by us over the years. The wealth of the people of the South Bank is accumulated by us bit by bit. The prestige and status of the Kevin Deere family here is earned through hard work."

"Why should we pay, let us contribute, let us cooperate, let us sacrifice, let us destroy our homes, let us be loyal to the country, let us hand over everything we get, what we govern, and more Taxes, to serve more servitude, to carry more debts, to raise soldiers of the royal family, to help officials in the capital, to write the history of the bright stars, to strengthen the authority of the Fuxing Palace, to achieve the glory of the nine-star crown, To realize the ambition of the supreme king, to share with the dignitaries from the central government and bear the disasters they brought, such as the Scarlet Year?"

Thales wanted to say something, but still gritted his teeth.

The duke sneered and continued: "Why, why should the people from the south bank who live the best, the best and the most prosperous in the stars take the initiative to step back and support the idlers of the whole star for no reason, so that the savages in the mountains of the cliffs, the savages in the north, The vulgar barbarians in the borders, the profiteers in the East China Sea, the unscrupulous people in the sandy land in the West Wasteland, the bandits and robbers in the Blade's Edge leadership, and the central leadership's eyes are higher than the top, they despise everything, and everyone looks like a king from a remote country. Dude, let them take everything from us, share our dividends, and drag down our lives?"

"Just because a certain person in your ancestors, who doesn't know how many generations, drank too much one day, except for peeing, he fainted and shouted 'If the stars are there'?"

Facing Jenn who looked like this, Thales took a deep breath.

"You just said, 'Everyone seems to come from the countryside', right?"

The prince ?? looked at the duke with a weak smile.

"But you, you speak as if the leader of the South Bank is a person, a fisherman living on a deserted island with no family, no support, self-reliance, as if Kevin Deere has always been isolated from the world, as if the past seven hundred years It doesn't exist, it's as if you built today's Emerald City with your own strength."

Jane frowned.

"But there are no islands in this world, Jenn, you are not outside the stars, not different from the kingdom, not alone in the world."

"If there is no communication line behind the developed territorial water system on the south bank, the population, territory, history, culture, market of the entire Star Kingdom... How do you think the trans-ocean trade that you are proud of will be realized? The resources and goods you transfer must be Where are you going? Every Queen's Day, how come there will be so many visitors from foreign countries in the Emerald Celebration, looking for business opportunities and profits?"

Thales raised his head and said decisively:

"Commercial, market, raw materials, supply, land, system, history, politics, immigration, culture, there are too many... The Nan'an collar is not only drawn in the kingdom's territory, but also deeply embedded in a huge system called stars. Interactive back and forth, seamless, indistinguishable from each other.”

Jane was silent for a while, then sneered disdainfully.

"How long have you been living in Fuxing Palace, Your Royal Highness?"

Thales was startled.

"Long enough to think that the kingdom is you, and you are the kingdom?"

Jane's words were cold:

"According to what you just said, Xingchen and Exeter have been fighting for many years, on and off, with the same history and common experience, and they have already interacted back and forth to form an indistinguishable whole - why don't you go to Heisha City, Fengqing Take the crown of nine stars and the staff of the stars, kneel on your knees and call Charman Rumba a daddy? Or cross the sea of ??end and go to Xiwangcheng to swear allegiance to 'Kadil of the Mountains and the Earth', maybe he will be merciful , let the Jinxing family become the eighth clan to serve him?"

Thales swallowed his throat.

"I don't do such sophistry, but you know what I mean," the prince shook his head, feeling exhausted. "Sometimes, for peace, for stability, for balance, maybe we have to pay a price."

"Who?"

Duke Iris asked fiercely:

"Who are 'we' when you say that, when you're constantly saying 'we have to pay'?"

"It's you? It's the king? It's the kingdom of stars? It's the central leader? It's the capital? It's the royal family of Jinxing? Someone else said?"

Thales did not answer.

Because he also has no answer.

He just clutched the "Kor Taksa" in his pocket tightly.

He knew that his answer seemed pale no matter what.

"And who is the 'price'?"

Jane said disdainfully:

"Is it me? Is it the South Shore Leader? Is it the Emerald City?

Thales snorted:

"A grasshopper?"

He shook his head feebly:

"These words should be said by the common people who are working hard, not a high-ranking fiefdom duke with a magnificent palace."

"When you face the royal family of Jinxing, which has a long history and eternal authority, and the descendants of the emperor's veins who have climbed to the top and overlooked the stars," Zhan En snorted coldly, "who can say that he is not a grass-roots citizen and is allowed to be slaughtered?"

Thales was silent.

He finally sighed:

"To be honest, what I have seen and heard in the past few days, I quite like Emerald City..."

"Does your father like it?" Jenn interrupted him unceremoniously.

Thales frowned: "So, there's really no room left?"

Jane looked at him seriously and smiled.

"When I was a kid, at a family dinner, my father once said: 'As long as someone is willing to take the initiative to step back, there will always be room.'"

Thales squeezed the bone ring "Covenant" again, feeling a glimmer of hope.

"Your father, the old duke is a wise man."

But there was a mocking look on Jenn's face:

"Until my uncle added coldly: 'This is only useful for the strong.'"

The voice of ?? fell, and Thales understood.

The two were silent for a long time.

"Your uncle, he is also very interesting." Thales said bitterly.

"Not interesting enough."

"Then do you think my father will take the initiative to back off?"

Jane sneered: "What do you think?"

Thales looked at him, his eyes flickering: "What if he was forced?"

The Duke of Southbank paused, and raised his glass, only to find that it was empty.

"In this kingdom, who can force him, the supreme king?" He said quietly.

Thales turned his head.

"Believe it or not, Jenn," the prince said earnestly, "he also has the kind of fear we face."

Jane snorted coldly:

"I don't take part in rebellion - especially one that's doomed to fail."

The two faced each other silently, not saying a word.

After a few seconds, Thales took a deep breath and stood up.

"I see. Well, good luck to us then."

But just as Thales was about to leave the dining room, Jenn suddenly stopped him.

"Tales, if, I mean if, if things really got to that point, can I trust you?"

Thales stopped and thought for a while.

"No, you can't."

Jane frowned deeply.

Thales turned around:

"You know this yourself."

But the next second, Thales smiled slightly.

"But, at least you can trust the interests," he nodded, "and now, we have the same interests."

Jane looked at him and nodded as well.

Thales turned around, opened the door and left.

But the second he stepped out of the dining room, Thales' expression turned cold.

"Have you recovered the interest you want?"

The watchman Majoros, who was following him at some point, asked him this.

Thales paused for a while.

When ?? spoke again, he cleared all his luck and weakness out of his brain, and threw them into the river of prison together with the nonsense that Jen had just made.

Because you know, Thales—the voice in his heart said coldly:

Behind you, Jenn is the same.

Even more decisive than you.

"Moss, and Diop," the Duke of Star Lake said coldly, "one is Jen's agent, and the other is an accountant who manages secret accounts for him. They must be hiding something."

Mallos raised his eyebrows.

"Dig three feet, Thor, even if you dig through the mines under the collar on the south bank, you must find their secrets."

Marios was silent for a while, with his usual tone: "But Your Highness, do you know that they are dead, and the clues are broken? And according to official records, they all died in a normal way..."

"I do not care!"

Thales raised the volume in a rare way, causing Wyah, who was waiting for them in the distance, to look sideways.

"Find a way, Thor, find a way, no matter what it is, even if it's the killer in black," the prince's eyes burned, "I have a hunch..."

Thales loosened the bone ring in his pocket.

"As long as we dig deep enough and get something..."

He looked at the garden outside the Kongming Palace, and squeezed the empty palm into a fist.

"The Emerald City is ours."

Mallos did not speak.

(end of this chapter)