Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 756 Drinking Tea
The old merchants of the South Bank often say that there are no secrets in Emerald City; all news travels fast.

Some even have more than one pair.

It is said that on the day of the Nightless Banquet, Prince Thales, who was in charge of the Kongming Palace under the name of regent, planned and deployed troops and cleverly set a trap to force the peak assassin who had been causing trouble in the city recently—committing countless serial murders, uncovering the shocking old grievance of the Iris Flower, causing Duke Jann to lose power overnight, and turning the Emerald City upside down—to a dead end. He was trapped on the North Gate Bridge, and it was clear that he was about to be captured and could not escape.

As for the true identity of these heinous criminals and who was behind them, neither the government officials dispatched that night nor the official proclamations issued afterward provided any details, leading to a great deal of speculation among the public:
Some say he is a descendant of the "fourth mercenary group" outside the Emerald Legion, who was wiped out by the Duke for refusing to accept the reforms. He returns years later to take revenge on Emerald City, intending to make the ungrateful Kevin Deer family pay the price.
Some say they are terrifying assassins adopted and trained at great expense by the successive dukes of the Iris Flower Palace. They hide overseas and return on orders to do the shady things for the Kongming Palace, such as "closing the case" of the old duke's assassination, killing to silence witnesses, and even their presence was felt during the Bloody Year.
Some say they are descendants of the former officials of Gonghai City, loyal to Viscount Sona Kevindir. After their master died unjustly in prison, they escaped capture, lay low for many years, and accumulated strength. When the time was right, they would take revenge on the participants in the old case and clear their master's name.
Some say he was a wandering knight with a chivalrous spirit who had trained at the Tower of the End. He met Federico Kevindir, the "Crimson Iris," overseas. After hearing about Kevindir's plight, he was moved to tears and vowed to stand up for a complete stranger and uphold justice, even if it meant going against the authorities, fighting against evil laws, and saying goodbye to his life.
Some even believe that the villain is the King of Water Corpses, who specializes in the evil art of immortality. He was once suppressed by the Duke with the sacred law bestowed by the Goddess of the Sunset for spreading superstition and bewitching people. He has been lurking underground in the Emerald City for many years, harboring hatred and cursing the Kevindale family day and night. When Prince Thales visits, he will launch his attack, committing murders to accumulate blood sacrifices and vengeful spirits in order to break free from suppression and destroy the world.

Of course, the most plausible explanation is that the man's identity is suspicious; he is a senior spy from Quintana, a mysterious agency of the Hamboldt dynasty, and a highly skilled disciple of the treacherous White High Priest. In the past, he orchestrated the death of the old duke, framed Viscount Sona, and intended to wreak havoc on the South Bank, overthrow the kingdom, and even today, the death of the wealthy merchant, the disappearance of the defense attorney, the murder of the guard, and the sudden death of the judge, all in an attempt to deceive and bewitch the brothers Janne and Federico, and incite internal strife... Of course, his conspiracy was ultimately thwarted in the most heroic way by the loyal nameless guards of the Kingdom's Secret Service, which led to the current situation of "Heroes of Starlake Castle capturing the villain, and the wise prince regency ushering in a new era," allowing the public to learn a little about the situation.

(As for the rest of the story, it is said that Prince Thales was furious when he heard the news. In response, he waved his hand in the Kongming Palace and shut down the maritime trade on the south coast for thirty days and seized more than three hundred ships of Hambul.)

The officials and soldiers of the Jade Legion throughout the city were filled with righteous indignation. They wrote letters to donate money and volunteered to take three months' leave without pay in order to help the prince and reduce his losses. However, His Highness refused and instead paid his salary and bonus in advance, without missing a single penny. The officials and soldiers throughout the city were moved to tears and worked even harder.

Patriotic merchants were not to be outdone. Some ship owners voluntarily stopped selling goods from Hamburg, and some even dumped their goods into the End Sea. Others set up towering fires on Ruhsan Street, burning goods in protest and smashing goods from Hamburg, declaring that they would rather starve than use Hamburg's imported goods.

On the streets, the Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood, who were originally sworn enemies, surprisingly stopped fighting upon hearing this news and surrendered to the prince with a common hatred. Many criminals rushed to turn themselves in, just wanting to fight the barbarians of Hambul. This just proves the old saying: "The righteous are often the butchers, and the patriots are often the gangsters."

The local nobles were even more outraged. It is said that the old lady of the Popon family donated all her wealth to the Kongming Palace, claiming that a commoner would not hesitate to die in battle and vowed to live and die with the stars.

When the news reached the Palace of Restoration, His Majesty the King paid no attention. Only the Black Prophet smiled slightly and, with a flick of his wrist, mobilized three thousand elite spies to massacre thirty thousand of Kuntana's spies in one night—another account says three hundred thousand, depending on whether you heard the follow-up in a rickshaw or at a banquet.

Prime Minister Kulen, who was determined to marry his granddaughter to the prince, gave an order with great ambition: all 3,333 warships of the Polar Sun Fleet—don't ask if the Kulen family actually had that many ships, is that even a question for you?—set sail from the seven ports of the East China Sea, crossed the Radiant Bay, patrolled the End Sea, and demonstrated against Hamburg for thirty days.

The Star Kingdom's determination and actions shocked the world. Under this series of combined measures, the culprit, Hambul, suffered from soaring prices, resource shortages, widespread discontent, and widespread poverty. All sectors of society suffered heavy losses, internal conflicts arose again, and rebel armies rose up one after another in vassal states!

Seeing that Hambul had been severely weakened and would not recover for at least thirty years, the vacated market share benefited the merchant groups from Suyelai. The latter then used the extra money to engage in border negotiations with the Hambul Dynasty. It is said that the wise and beautiful Queen Yao, who has a good relationship with the stars, wakes up laughing every night.

Overnight, the entire Hamboldt dynasty was thrown into chaos!

Tianhui Taral was terrified, the White High Priest was filled with regret, the seven great families shifted blame and complained, and even the high seat of Kadil Asaf, who was about to lose his position, was so frightened that he sent envoys twice—one of whom was his most precious son, and the other was Duke Jann's classmate and friend—to apologize and ask for forgiveness!

This outcome serves as a powerful warning to those hostile forces who attempt to disrupt our kingdom: the stars will not tolerate such underhanded tactics!

If any treacherous and wicked person still intends to harm the kingdom, they will have to think to themselves and weigh the weight of the following words:

As long as the stars remain, the empire will endure forever!
How glorious our empire was, how ancient our history! The schemes and tricks you mountain folk play are all things our ancestors already knew!
But among the many versions of the rumor, one point is universally acknowledged:

The mysterious villain who was forced to the North Gate Bridge was incredibly powerful and ruthless. He could easily take on a hundred enemies alone or even a thousand. Even when all eight of the top contestants from this year's selection team joined forces to surround and kill him, they were no match for him. The comical and seemingly idle wandering swordsman, known to all as a good-for-nothing, was unfortunately killed by him. Fortunately, the local philanthropist, Razanchi Fissor, the major shareholder of Brothers Pharmacy, disregarded past grievances and funded his burial. He also erected a monument for the wandering swordsman, Kongeyou, to change people's perception of him. Not to mention that the villain had countless wicked henchmen hiding inside the North Gate Bridge, secretly helping him and hindering His Highness the Prince's plan to capture the villain.

However, no matter how powerful the villain was or how many henchmen he had, how could they be a match for the unfathomable royal guards of the former Restoration Palace, or the heroes of Starlake Castle under Prince Thales?

Unfortunately, just as the murderer was about to be caught and the shocking case of the Iris Flower was about to be solved, Miss Hilla stood alone in his way.

Perhaps for the sake of Iris's reputation, perhaps for personal revenge, or perhaps for her brother who was imprisoned, the first lady of Emerald City resolutely turned against Prince Thales. Both had their own principles and refused to give an inch. It is said that the two sides were once at the brink of war, and the tearful Miss Hilley even slapped the prince in public and held a dagger to His Highness's heart!
The heroes of Starlake Fort were shocked and were about to stop him at all costs, but Prince Thales did not care about his blood-stained battle robe or the humiliation of his dignity. He made a strict order that even if he died here, he would not allow them to harm the girl in front of him in the slightest!
On the long street, before a thousand troops, a young man and woman, forced to become enemies, faced each other silently under the moonlight, separated by a dagger.

A quarter of an hour passed, and countless resentments and longings finally turned into a sorrowful smile after the end of a love affair.

So, under the moon that night, a heartbroken Miss Hillay fled with a bloodstained dagger.

The long street was filled with her tears.

The prince, covered in blood, gave a wry smile, turned away with difficulty, and let the beauty drift away.

She alone bears the blame and infamy for sacrificing for love.

"What the hell is this?"

In the Duke's study, Thales read aloud the intelligence and opinion pamphlet that the barber Balta had recently sent, slammed his hand on the table, and exclaimed in disbelief:
"Which idiot wrote this script?"

A cough came from the study.

Thales paused, then realized the occasion was inappropriate and his words were vulgar. He had to composed himself, sit up straight, and tactically take a sip of tea, only to wince at the strong smell.

He stopped reading the booklet and stopped looking at the nonsense of public opinion records such as "All walks of life are moved by the prince's benevolence and feel sorry for His Highness's heartbreak. As a result, they are working hard and dare not make any mistakes. All industries in Emerald City are gradually getting back on track." He raised his head again and looked at the two people on his left and right across from him on the desk.

Two very special guests.

"Good morning, Janne. And you, Federico—long time no see, haven't you?"

The deposed Duke of Iris sat coldly in his unfamiliar guest seat, his face as cold as ice, without uttering a word.

On the other side, Federico looked at his cousin with a half-smile, his eyes gentle as water—water about to boil.

“Not very long,” Federico said quietly, “only eleven years.”

Jann snorted coldly and did not reply.

"Very good," Thales scoffed inwardly, "just the effect you wanted, Thales."

Ignoring the tense atmosphere between them, Thales raised his teacup, savoring the aftertaste of the tea:
"Don't just sit there, have some tea?"

The Duke of South Bank stared blankly at the teacup beside him, making no move.

Fede observed the other party's reaction without making a sound.

Thales didn't seem to care; he picked up his teaspoon and began pressing down on the tea crumbs in his cup.
"This is mate tea, a rare specialty that came all the way from the Sant's Islands. It is also the special tea served to distinguished guests at Starlake Castle—unofficially, of course."

He paused, then became serious:

"We can talk business after we finish our tea."

As soon as they finished speaking, the Kevin Deer brothers looked at each other almost simultaneously!
The two pairs of eyes were filled with wariness, disgust, and even hatred.

The next second, the two, who were at odds, raised their teacups at the same time as if by unspoken agreement, and even while drinking tea, their eyes never left each other.

But the standoff ended quickly:
Federico frowned a few seconds after swallowing the tea. Without hesitation, he turned away from the cup, spat out the tea crumbs, and the bottom of the cup made an unusually sharp sound as it hit the table.

"What's that smell?"

Jann's fingers trembled slightly, but he suppressed the bitterness, held the rim of the teacup under his nose for a few seconds, quietly spat out the tea, and then slowly put the teacup down, leaving only his lips tightly pressed together.

"That's pretty aggressive, isn't it?"

Thales observed the two bewildered individuals, calmly pressing and stirring the tea leaves in the water with his teaspoon, taking small sips, his brow furrowing and relaxing intermittently.

"It's okay, you'll get used to it after drinking a lot."

The Kevin Deer brothers were both in a bit of a mess, but the tense atmosphere eased considerably.

"The guardhouse will only allow prisoners in separate trials to meet each other when they are absolutely certain of the outcome."

Jan quickly composed himself, and the true Duke of Iris finally spoke, without even glancing at the cup of tea:
"And Your Highness is now allowing us to meet... I suppose you've already taken control of the situation and resolved the crisis?"

Federico's eyes flickered as he was still processing the bitter taste.

"It's a delay, not a solution."

Thales smiled slightly and put down his teacup:

“We all know that the so-called control of the situation is only temporary. Emerald City is just temporarily complying with me and has stopped making trouble. If we want to finally resolve the crisis of Emerald City, especially the crisis of your ‘Red and Black’ faction, then I will eventually have to choose one of you, either Red or Black, to decide who will rule the Sky Palace.”

At least, many people believe this.

As soon as they finished speaking, the Kevin Deer brothers exchanged a glance.

The atmosphere is subtle.

“It’s a pity,” Jenn said with a cold smile, looking at his cousin who had caused him to end up in this predicament. “The ducal throne can’t be split in two, can it?”

“Unfortunately,” Thales replied, seemingly casually, “even the crown couldn’t be.”

Both Kevin Deer looked at Thales thoughtfully.

Federico was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled:
"Your Highness is brave and resourceful, and with the help of noble people, you can turn misfortune into good fortune. No wonder you were able to turn the tide and take control of Emerald City in the blink of an eye."

With the help of a benefactor...

Thales sensed the implication in his words and frowned slightly.

"I forgot to mention, I finally caught that assassin, Losang II."

The prince raised an eyebrow and smiled:

"He spoke up and told me everything."

Now it was Federico's turn to frown.

everything?
Where is everything?
As if hearing his thoughts, Thales absentmindedly added:
"Enough to expose the mastermind behind this."

Federico's expression changed.

Before he could reply, Jenn on the other end of the line pressed him for an answer:
"What about Hilaire? Is she here too?"

“Don’t worry, she’s safe,” Thales replied readily, “for the time being.”

Jenn frowned deeply:

"Temporarily? Thales, you promised..."

“That’s not good,” Federico interrupted the Duke at just the right moment, his tone playful. “No matter how much trouble she’s caused, our little sister still has to be protected, right, cousin?”

At that moment, Jenn's expression turned ugly.

Finally, he slowly turned his head and looked at his cousin whom he hadn't seen for many years.

“She has nothing to do with any of this, Fed.”

“In that case,” Federico met his gaze without backing down, “then you absolutely mustn’t involve her.”

Jann remained silent, but his brow furrowed even more.

"Please remember, gentlemen, that there are now three of us sitting here."

Thales sensed something was wrong and quickly steered the conversation back on track.

After all, this is the Kongming Palace.

Not everyone is qualified to be invited in for tea.

The Kevin Deer brothers looked at each other for a few more seconds before looking away and falling into thought.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Federico said softly.

Silence fell once again in the Duke's study.

Was it really wise to bring them both under one roof?

Thales couldn't help but have this thought.

Of course, it's wise.

A voice whispered in Thales' heart:
Hatred for each other clouded their reason. Attacks on each other destroyed their armor.

Their mutual distrust exposed their weaknesses.

And when they mention Hilla... at least now you know, Thales, that what really matters in this room isn't just the Duke's throne.

With that thought in mind, Thales roused himself and returned to reality.

"Kongming Palace has many fine teas, and Emerald City also has many tea sourcing channels."

Suddenly, Jann, who was deep in thought, raised his mate tea cup:
Why do you have to drink this?

Thales snapped out of his daze.

"Firstly, the shipping routes to Emerald City are being restored, and secondly..."

He grinned:
"To overcome these difficult times together, I have cut some of the expenses of Kongming Palace, including the tea fee."

Overcoming difficulties together...

Jann stared at the thick layer of tea crumbs in his teacup, his brow furrowed, lost in thought.

Thales smiled, raised his glass, and looked at the Duke of Iris:
"Come on, don't be shy, have another one?"

Jenn frowned as he looked at the murky tea in his cup:
"I'm not used to this taste."

Thales raised his eyebrows, took another sip of tea, and his face contorted in pain from the bitterness.

Ah, I feel the same way.

But what can you do when the logistics wing has a limited budget?

"His Highness didn't ask you if you were used to it."

The person who answered Jen was Federico.

The son of Kevin Deer, who had been in exile for many years, stared at his cousin and enemy, gave a cold laugh, and pressed forward aggressively:

He said: Drink, go down.

Jann frowned slightly.

I didn't say that—Thales pursed his lips:

"Never mind, Federico, everyone has their own..."

But before Thales could finish speaking, Federico gave a cold laugh, picked up his teacup, ignored the tea crumbs, gulped down a large mouthful, and then slammed the teacup down on the table!
Thales' eyes widened, and he didn't even have time to stop him.

Goodness, such a big gulp... Even Marius, who drinks mate tea like water, would probably turn pale if he saw this.

"Damn..."

Despite his face contorting and body trembling from the strong smell of tea, Federico leaned back in his chair and burst into laughter:
"It was incredibly tough, and it was incredibly tough to keep going."

He opened his eyes a crack and looked at Jann with a rather strange expression:

"But I have to say, it's better than anything I've drunk in the past eleven years."

The atmosphere was tense, and the words were sharp.

Thales could only chuckle.

Jenn, not to be outdone, scoffed dismissively:
"What, did the vampires not give you any fresh blood to drink?"

“I don’t drink blood,” Fed said, his eyes burning, “unless it’s your blood.”

“We all have the same name, Kevin Deer, and we share the same blood.”

“So it doesn’t matter whose blood it is,” Federico said meaningfully, “as long as it’s Kevin Deer.”

"It seems you've never drunk blood before."

Thales shrugged helplessly, ignoring their veiled sarcasm, and continued to look down at the last few lines of the intelligence and public opinion book:
With the wise and virtuous regency of Thales, who treated his subordinates with respect and humility, the people of Emerald City quickly regained their support, and the business environment, lifestyle, prices, public opinion, and atmosphere of the city stabilized and gradually recovered.

As for who will be the ultimate winner in the treacherous political struggle behind Kongming Palace, and who will sit on the throne and become the Duke of the South Bank, the gossip in the streets and alleys is hardly of any interest to anyone.

("It must be someone from the Kevin Deer family. Could it be me?")
On the contrary, the old case of the assassination of the Duke of Leinster eleven years ago has sparked a lot of discussion. Whether you are a dockworker, a manor doorman, a restaurant chef or a butcher, anyone over the age of eleven has begun to recall every little thing that happened eleven years ago, and how strange and bizarre they were, how illogical they were, and how there were signs all along.

("Why did I suddenly stop crying when I was in the cradle? Did I see something, hear something, or feel something? I didn't think about it at the time, but now that I think about it, oh dear, there was definitely something wrong that night. Maybe I saw the flashing swords of an assassin!")

“I knew something was wrong back then, but I was too hesitant to speak up because of various concerns. Now I finally dare to say it! Sigh, if only I had been braver and spoken up back then, perhaps the Duke wouldn't have died, and Emerald City wouldn't be in this state…”

"I can't hold it in anymore, I have to say it: I used to like my sister-in-law—she wasn't her sister-in-law back then, but eleven years ago, on the night I mustered up the courage to confess, I was at her house, about to go in after circling around three more times, when I heard a strange, loud noise coming from the Sunset Temple! I thought it was an earthquake, and rushed to help, but the guards chased me back... Waaah... When I got home the next day, I found out my brother had already confessed... Waaah... That damned political conspiracy, ruining my life's happiness..."

"For years I've been saying that there was absolutely something wrong with my youngest son failing the tax officer exam. It was due to the abuse of power to suppress innocent people, and even political infighting! And this is all based on my observation of a series of political irregularities behind the Duke's assassination, which I deduced logically and with evidence! But nobody believed me. They even called me a conspiracy theorist, a rumor-monger, or a fanatic. Well, now those people have been proven wrong, haven't they? Slap! Slap! Slap! Does it hurt? Like a boomerang, right? Swish! Swish! Swish! Does it hurt? Now the truth is out, but I'm magnanimous and don't want anything else. Just a public apology and some compensation will do!"
From nobles and wealthy merchants to commoners, everyone was engrossed in discussing the grudges, love affairs, and conflicts of interest behind the scenes. From "Kuntana's poisonous scheme to disrupt the stars" to "The Duke's dying plan to save the South Bank," from "The Royal Family's plan to seize the emerald" to "The Brothers' counter-plan to protect Kongming," or "Lenste's grand plan to conquer the world" and "Viscount Sona's clever plan to serve his country," and even the most legendary "The Blood Bottle Gang's scheme to destroy the court" and "The Brotherhood's plan to ruin the country," they spoke in detail, vividly and captivatingly.

But every story eventually comes to an end.

“I know, I know, now you all think that no matter who I choose as the duke, the other person will be accused of patricide or treason and die. Unfortunately, now you all wish the other person dead.”

Thales' thoughts returned to his study. He sighed, closed the intelligence booklet, and interrupted his two cousins' verbal sparring.

"Let me get straight to the point: No, it's possible."

He looked at the two Kevin Deer, his expression serious:

"You will all survive."

The study was silent for a few seconds. Even though the two Kevin Deer had a terrible relationship, they couldn't help but frown and look at each other.

Until Jenn scoffed and laughed:

"No wonder you invited us for tea."

Federico's eyes darted around:
What are Your Highness's thoughts?

coming.

Thales exhaled, smiled at the two men, and first looked at the current Duke of the South Bank:
"Don't worry, Jan, you will be exonerated. After all, we can't let someone who has committed patricide and is deliberately covering up the evidence continue to be the Lord of Emerald City and the Duke of South Bank."

While Jenn was still frowning in thought, Federico understood what was going on.

"Your Highness!"

He was the first to protest:
"Do you intend to reinstate him as duke?"

Thales smiled and raised his hand to comfort him:
"Take it easy, Federer."

Duke Starlake turned to Jann, his expression now changed, no longer as gentle as before:

"But Jann Kevin Deer, as a condition of your innocence and reinstatement, you will receive a reprimand from the Palace of Restoration, rebuking you for your oversight and negligence, and even for the disgrace of your family."

His Highness changed the subject:
"And you will sincerely apologize and accept criticism. To prevent the Iris family from repeating the same mistakes, you will make some improvements to the Emerald City's tax, military, trade, and even bureaucratic personnel systems, and accept guidance and assistance from Everstar City—don't worry, with me here, they won't go too far."

This time, Jenn finally changed his expression!

But he was very well-mannered, though he couldn't help clenching his fists:

"Isn't this... going too far?"

Federico sneered from the side, but Thales quickly glanced at him.

“Jane, if you agree to the conditions, Federico will not retaliate against or be hostile towards you or your sister for the rest of his life, and he will also give up pursuing the old case.”

Thales squinted and said:

"Of course, he'd better not directly or indirectly damage the economy and public order of Emerald City, shake the unity of the Iris family, or even question the legitimacy of your dukedom—after all, Emerald City and even the South Bank are kingdom territory, under the protection of the royal family."

Royal protection...

This time it was Federico's turn to find it hard to accept; he suddenly stood up:

"what?!"

Thales had anticipated this, and he calmly gestured for Federico to return to his seat.

“And you, Fede, you will stay and oversee him in achieving these conditions,” Thales said calmly. “For this, you will end your exile and officially rejoin the Iris family.”

Returning to the iris family...

This time, Jenn was incredulous again, and he suddenly stood up:

"What!?"

Thales calmly turned his finger, signaling Jenn to return to his position as well:
"Yes, Fede, you heard right: your father, the former Viscount of Gonghai City, Sona Kevindir, will be exonerated, cleared of his crimes, and restored to his honor. He is not a traitor who murdered his brother, and you are simply speaking out for your father's innocence."

Jenn sneered:
"Then how do you plan to explain the old case of my father's assassination? Was it done by the Northerners? The Humboldts? The Far East? Or the disaster that destroyed Dragon City? Or perhaps it was the assassin flower Sarridon who struck again?"

"I'm not done yet!"

Thales's words became much more serious, carrying a hint of warning.

“Similarly, if you agree to these conditions, Fede,” he turned to Fede, his tone softening, “Duke Jenn will pardon your sins. He will not pursue the actions of his cousin in the Emerald City—whether many years ago or now—including the bloodshed you caused by the assassins. Not only that, I will also recommend that he grant you the title of Viscount of Archsea, which was the title of Viscount Sona before his death, to comfort your father’s spirit in heaven.”

Federico's brow twitched!
Viscount of Gonghai City...

On the other side, Jenn, unable to bear it any longer, gritted his teeth:

"impossible!"

"Not only that!"

Thales raised his voice, ignoring and drowning out Jenn's protest:
"Your cousin will welcome you to stay on the south bank without holding a grudge, so that you can assist him in governing the country, especially by supervising the various reform measures mentioned above, monitoring their progress, identifying and addressing any shortcomings, and urging him to be more loyal to the kingdom. Of course, more importantly, he will remind His Excellency the Duke: never repeat the mistakes of today."

Thales emphasized the last few words.

Assistant minister.

Supervision.

remind.

Jenn's expression grew increasingly grim.

"So, Jenn, Federer, you two..."

Thales slowly glanced to his left and right, his demeanor softening once more, like the kind old lady next door knitting:
"Did you understand? Can you do it?"

(End of this chapter)