Kingdom’s Bloodline Chapter 168: Butterfly

"Ah, so it's His Royal Highness Thales and Miss Hilley..."

In the well-known old theater "Sea Tide Theater" in the Iris District, a luxuriously dressed theatergoer came to the box on the second floor in surprise, but was stopped by police officers Huaiya and Kaguilei, and he could only turn up the volume as much as possible , attracting the attention of the two distinguished guests in the box.

"It's too far away, I'm sorry I didn't see it, but from a distance, ah, what a couple!"

It's my fault if I didn't see it. Thales, whose conversation was interrupted, responded politely on the face, but secretly sighed listlessly throughout the whole theater. ?

Soon, the bold guest was politely invited out of the box by Mallos. He returned to the ordinary seats on the first floor, and while watching the drama, he narrated the story of "the prince and I talk and laugh happily" extraordinary experience.

In contrast, Hilley was undisturbed, watched a play with relish, and responded with applause or laughter from time to time, which gave the theater owner enough face.

On the third day of the Emerald Festival, one of the traditional activities of the Kongming Palace is the "Parade of Your Lord":

It is said that after the wedding of 'Southernman' Heyman and Miss Regina, King Eight Fingers and the Duke of Cork stayed in the court to entertain guests from all over the world, but the bride and groom went out for a parade, inspecting the people and rewarding them wherever they went. Punish the good and punish the evil, help the poor and help the needy.

So on this day, Duke Iris will reproduce the glorious allusions of the two ancient lords as usual, inspect the entire Emerald City, have fun with the people, and spend a whole day busy. The reason why Shirae went out to watch the drama.

"Of course, whether it's a noble lord or an official or common people, people will fight for a seat next to the Duke of South Bank in the parade." Xi Lai said disdainfully.

"Wow, you really know a lot." Thales looked at him with admiration.

Heilei focused on the performance on the stage, and held up a piece of paper:

"Here, Ashford gave me the cheat sheet."

"Cheat sheet?" Thales was stunned.

"In order to be worthy of the 'wisdom and knowledge of Mrs. Kevin Dill'."

Oh.

"Isn't it appropriate for Jen En to go on a parade?" Thales frowned, "Should we also go along?"

"Why?"

"You know, Prince Hayman and Miss Regina, Canxing and Kevin Dill..."

"You and me?"

Thales' complexion changed: "Oh, sorry, I, I swear I'm not, I'm really not implying you anything..."

Healy glanced at him:

"Yes, there wasn't."

Thales had no choice but to shut up.

Soon, the heroine on stage disappeared behind the scenes, this section ended, and the drama changed.

"So Jen really said that? That wool merchant is in charge of secret accounts?"

Xi Lai applauded while returning to the topic before being interrupted by the guest.

"Yes," Thales nodded, "so Jen 'dealt' him in advance, in case the kingdom's secret department finds out his abnormal account entries and damages the foundation of the rule."

Shirley frowned.

"That's not right, he admitted it too happily."

"It's not quite right," Thales exhaled, "but we will know the truth."

Miss Kevin Dill thought for a while, her complexion changed slightly:

"Wait, so instead of giving up, you sent more people to track down that Diop?"

Thales, who was seen through, forced a smile:

"In a more low-key, stealthy way."

Recalling Mallos' report, Thales thought to himself that he hoped that the zombies and Rolf could find out something.

"In what way? Are you sure Jen will not know?"

Thales frowned and looked at Xi Lai.

Heilei raised his eyebrows and raised his gloved hands:

"Okay, I won't ask."

Thales breathed a sigh of relief:

"Thank you for understanding."

"But if you continue to investigate, you won't be afraid of being self-defeating like last time. You were caught by Zhan En at the scene of the murder and driven out of the Emerald City by him?"

Thales was silent for a moment.

"I know, but thanks to you, Zhan En and I have not completely turned our faces, at least we still maintain some tacit understanding."

Hile's eyes moved: "A tacit understanding?"

"The next time there is a similar incident, he will inform me in advance to prevent my subordinates from being caught 'entering and murdering'."

"And you believe him?"

Thales sighed:

"At least a gesture."

Healy was thoughtful.

The curtain on the stage was reopened, and the next section began. The male protagonist wore funny clothes that didn’t fit and swayed onto the stage. ("What did you say? Is this your mistress' dress?").

Healy spoke again:

"When I was young, I once broke a vase left by Queen Bella in order to blame a cousin who looked down on me, but when my mother got angry, Jen stood up and admitted that he did it, On the other hand, he secretly played tricks to let everyone know that I broke the vase."

I saw the girl from Kevin Dill's family sneer:

"After this incident, I was blamed. Zhan En was praised by his parents, praised as a "responsible brother" in the family, and thanked by a cousin."

Thales was attracted and looked back at Hille.

"What do you want to say?"

Hile shook his head:

"Zhan En has known how to put on airs since he was a child, and use a good-looking posture to grab the greatest benefit."

As she admired the performance on stage, her eyes slowly focused:

"Even if it's his sister, I knew from a young age that you can't trust Zhan En, at least not all of it."

"The setting sun is above," Thales frowned amidst the laughter, "Living in your house is tiring."

"The people from the Canxing family also say the same?"

Thales paused:

"Let's get back to business."

The prince sighed:

"I know very well that Jann's guarantee is just a good-looking gesture: just like Diop's murder case, when he 'informed' me, he must have already cleaned up the mess, without any clues or loopholes. Will stay with me. But I can at least be sure of one thing: Zhan En has already handed over the secret department of the Kingdom. Now he has no leisure to deal with me, and even keeps me in the Emerald City on some levels It's good for him."

"Benefits?"

Thales nodded.

"From Moss to Diop, Kingdom Secrets tried every means to bring them into my field of vision, counting on the impulsive Prince Thales to dig out the secrets and expose the inside story," Thales said in a deep voice, "Jen En According to my actions, I will kill them before I do and bury them deeply, so as to dissolve the conspiracy and suppress it invisible."

Healy pursed her lips.

"It sounds like you are a **** in the game between the two of them, and everyone can pinch and fiddle with it?"

Thales looked at her unhappily.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should be more tactful," Hilley turned her head expressionlessly, "After all, the truth hurts the most."

It's really euphemistic.

"No, I'm at most a chessboard, a battlefield," Thales was silent for a while, sighed magically, "In the Emerald City, those who were involved and even died for it, they are the A chess piece that really drifts with the flow and cannot help itself.”

Heilei didn't speak, just stared at him silently.

"Now, three lives have been lost, and there may be more, and we are still kept in the dark about the battle situation," Thales said quietly, "I don't like this."

"But what if this is what the Secret Division wants?"

Healy spoke softly:

"Keep you in the dark, and let you instinctively throw punches indiscriminately? If this is in line with their calculations?"

Thales frowned.

Then let them eat shit.

He said silently.

While speaking, another guest came to the second floor inexplicably and surprised to 'encounter' the prince and the lady. He was politely asked by Mallos and others to leave, and Thales and Xilai had to remain silent for a while. Turn your attention back to the stage.

The theater is performing this year's very popular new play "Hua Die Jing Chang Lu", which tells the story of Origi, an illiterate but warm-hearted fool during the tyranny of the Red King:

Origi saved the prime minister's niece in a coincidence, but when the prime minister rewarded him, he said something wrong ("I want a good job that doesn't have to be in the sun/shade"), so it was misrepresented Entered the kingdom's secret department. In the secret department, this simple and straightforward new detective made all kinds of jokes, but also by chance and coincidence, he solved countless problems through blind play and recklessness. The Three Kingdoms of the Sea saved the kingdom from fire and water, won the trust of the king, and also won the heart of the prime minister's niece by the way.

In a mission, Origi accidentally discovered that what he had done in the name of the king was actually countless unjust, false and wrong cases, which would kill hundreds of innocent people. However, under the instigation of the head of the secret department, in order to be worthy of his sweetheart and stay with her forever, Origi avoided the torture of pain and guilt, and chose numbness and escape. Gradually, Origi grew up and matured, learned vanity, hypocrisy, and understanding of human feelings. A simple caterpillar, transformed into a numb and struggling chrysalis, and then transformed into a beautiful but poisonous butterfly.

At the end of the story, on the eve of the coronation of the virtuous king and the end of tyranny, the powerful Origi was involved in a political conspiracy to frame the prime minister. Wake up and die with tears.

To be honest, whether it is the script or the actors, in terms of quality, it is indeed much better than Wangdu's.

Thales scratched his head, well, if in the royal capital, this kind of play that smears and satirizes the kingdom's secret science and promotes "improper values" must not be able to be staged. Should it be vigorously criticized and deeply reflected, or should it be "objectively and rationally viewed in multiple ways", should it be "historical conclusions cannot be distorted", or should it be avoided to discuss "sensitive topics"?

In short, he doesn't know if it can be staged.

"Can I give you some advice?"

Thales came back to his senses in shock, and found that it was Xi Lai who spoke.

"Of course, all ears."

I saw Xi Lai's eyes burning: "If you want to start from the streets, such as from the blood bottle gang to track down clues, be careful."

The blood bottle gang?

Thales' complexion changed slightly:

"You"

"How did I know you were going to start with the Blood Bottle Gang?"

Heilei turned her head and smiled slightly: "Same as you."

Under Thales' suspicious gaze, Xi Lai picked up the tea indifferently:

"If Diop is really a shady secret accountant, then when Jen 'deals' him, he must not use official resources on the bright side, such as the Police Department and the Emerald Legion."

Thales remembered the killer that D.D and Glover had mentioned.

"My brother must use another set of people to go through channels that cannot be shown in writing and on the surface. And when Diop usually handles secret accounts, he must use similar people. Coincidentally, in Emerald City, With such a channel, people who do this job and eat this bowl of rice can get involved with a big gang more or less..."

"Blood Bottle Gang." Thales sighed.

Healy nodded happily.

"Your direction and ideas are correct. Most powerful families have gloves to do dirty work for themselves," Miss Kevin Dill looked at the stage. Finally confronted, "Compared to the airtight Kongming Palace, these gloves are of course relatively easier to break through."

Thales sighed.

"Except for one thing." Hilley changed the subject, causing Thales' eyes to move slightly.

I saw Xi Lai raised the corner of her mouth:

"It is said that a long time ago, there were dozens of street gangs and gangs in Emerald City, from shoe repairers to street sweepers, from excrement collectors to masons, and they were not affiliated with each other. Like most cities in the world, It couldn't be more normal."

Thales was a little confused: "Until?"

Hile's expression gradually became serious:

"Until a few decades ago, a certain duke of the Calvin Dill family, the 'Gorgon' Cork, had a whim, and changed his old aristocratic style, stretching out his noble hands that did not stick to the mud in the bustling palace. , Probe to the bottom, sink to the people, incorporate and even invest in non-traditional forces 'outside the chessboard', bringing a turning point on the streets of Emerald City."

Non-traditional forces outside the chessboard.

Kork the horned male.

Thales raised his eyebrows.

"Turning point, you mean..."

Hile looked at Thales seriously:

"A non-local gang formed by veterans from the Western Wilderness, who started out by smuggling and banning alcohol, entered the Emerald City at that time. It received tacit approval and even support, quickly broke the balance, and swept away The streets and underground world of the Emerald City.”

What Thales understood:

"The Kevin Dill family, was it at that time that they colluded with the Blood Bottle Gang?"

"More than that."

Shiley said: "Arsenals, prostitution, drugs, population, street intelligence, rural influence, market monopoly...starting from the streets of Emerald City, with the support of the Kevin Dill family, the 'business of the Blood Bottle Gang 'No longer limited to smuggling and prohibition of alcohol, they changed their approach, transformed, expanded, expanded, and entered unfamiliar areas in the past, extending their tentacles to towns and countryside across the country, to corners that the army and guards can't reach, and many Many officials and even one lord have a relationship, reached a cooperation, provided 'services', and helped 'governance'."

"Service," Thales frowned, "governance?"

Hile ignored him:

"In this way, the power and money of the Iris, the violence and organization of the Blood Bottle Gang, official and unofficial forces, they complement each other and merge into one."

Two into one.

Thales thought of the Saber Dune camp in Western Wilderness, and thought of the tacit understanding between Legendary Wing and the mercenary leaders, perhaps with a little threat and cooperation.

"You mean, the Kevin Dill family is the backing of the Blood Bottle Gang, and they belong to each other?"

Hile shook his head:

"I won't say that. After all, the Blood Bottle Gang is neither an army nor a loyal dog. The Duke of Iris can't do anything with them, and the huge gap cannot be ignored. Disagreement."

But she changed the subject:

"But it is true that the relationship between the Kevin Dill family and the Blood Bottle Gang is closer than that of ordinary lords and gangsters. Mutual benefit has long been a tradition, and mutual compatibility has become a habit. The relationship is more complicated than you imagined. Every generation of Duke Iris is also accustomed to using such unconventional chess pieces to monitor and even control the streets and the underground world.”

Thales exhaled:

"No wonder, no wonder in Emerald City, Zhan En can so easily spread rumors about me according to his will."

"So, if you put the breach in a place like this," Hilley finished herself, "be careful."

Thales was silent for a long time. He watched Origi on the stage weeping in pain, and expressed his heart under the moon.

It was only then that he realized that with the progress of the plot of "Transformation of Butterflies", the audience hadn't laughed for a long time.

"These things, street gangs, the underground world and so on," Thales said in a deep voice, "As a noble lady, how do you know?"

"Ha, I knew you would say that," Xi Lai's expression darkened ~IndoMTL.com~ with sarcasm, "Forgive me to remind you kindly, Duke Thales, the young lady in front of you, The surname is Kevin Dill."

Thales' expression changed.

"Sorry, I have no other meaning. You are right, you are Kevin Dill," he sighed, "It is better to be friends than enemies."

Shirley was silent for a moment.

"When I was young, there was a time when I was lied to, and there was a lot of discussion on the street."

Thales raised his gaze.

Hey Lai talked about the past, sullenly: "Father did not appeal to the duke's authority to curb rumors, he knew that would only be self-defeating. On the contrary, he used the Blood Bottle Gang to fight rumors with rumors, and finally saved my reputation."

Thales frowned: "Your reputation?"

"Yes, my reputation," Xi Lai said with sarcasm, "is related to my reputation whether I can get married or not."

(End of this chapter)