Judge Brennan had to slam his crystal gavel once again.

"My clients did not turn over their grain crops, but this does not mean that they are in arrears with taxes. In fact, they have paid sufficient money. As for the method of paying taxes, it was as early as when the Duke of Leinster may his wisdom rest in peace.

It has been expanded: in addition to paying the quota of crops in the field, it can also be replaced by sufficient labor or money." Defender Slimani was polite, in perfect contrast to the baron, "If you have any questions,

I will be happy to point you to the relevant code provisions, if you care, of course."

"Full amount?"

Baron Trent was furious: "If the tax money they gave me was used to buy food at market prices, it would only be 60% of what it was during the same period in previous years! I don't even have enough food to maintain the guards!"

During the back-and-forth debate, Thales and Zhan were having another conversation in the box upstairs.

"I trust you."

"What do you believe?" Thales frowned.

"After listening to what you just said, I believe that you and your father are not the same kind of people."

"Thank God," Thales deliberately exaggerated, "so we can let go of the past and start over?"

"Before that, let me clarify something."

Thales said he was all ears.

"I know," the Duke of Nan'an said softly: "I have known for a long time that it was not you who took the initiative to write a letter to discuss marriage with my sister, nor did you take the initiative to take revenge on me. I know that it was just your father's wish. In fact, since then You will know before you return home."

"Very good, then it seems that at least your sister's matter has not affected your sanity. If you thought this had nothing to do with me from the beginning, then why did you want to retaliate against me at the royal banquet?" Thales asked doubtfully.

"Believe it or not," Zhan's expression remained unchanged, "I gave Bailar the sword at the royal banquet, not because it was something I had to do because of my personal grudge with you."

"It has to be done," Thales frowned, "Explain it?"

"Only by detonating the conflict between Xihuang and Fuxing Palace," Zhan En calmly looked at the two quarreling parties below, "can your father have no time to care about other things and reach out to the south bank."

"What?"

Duke Iris looked at him:

"What your father wants to do is no secret to every guardian duke."

Zhan En said solemnly:

“At the State Council meeting seven years ago, ‘Xinxing’s’ plan to force the emperor to convict had already made His Majesty very dissatisfied with me, although the territories and limestone mines I ceded afterwards made up for it...”

"Those compensations? You mean, the compensation for instigating the vampires to murder me?" Thales snorted.

"But that didn't feed your father," Zhan didn't deny it, nor did he apologize to Thales. "On the contrary, it expanded his appetite and allowed him to see the wealth and prosperity of the South Bank."

The wealth and prosperity of the South Shore...

Thales touched the precious leather of the chair under him and sighed:

"I don't want to say this, but the last time I went to the palace, my father was actually reading the port tax report from Nan'an, and heard Manager Qiu Ke yelling at you for your accounting skills."

Zhan was silent for a long time, and he looked at Judge Brennan who was banging the gavel again.

"I know. I originally hoped that after Val Arend was imprisoned, the internal and external troubles in the north would become your father's biggest constraint, which would take him a long time to digest, and he would not have time to take care of the South Coast Territory and Kongming Palace."

"but?"

Zhan En's eyes showed vigilance, as if facing a formidable enemy:

"But your father's courage and ability, whether he dared to sacrifice his son as a hostage, or whether Charmaine Lombard strangely squeezed out Nunn and was crowned king, made such expectations come true: you kept Longxiao City as a hostage, Lombard withdrew his troops from the fortress, and Ai

Buster's threat evaporated overnight."

Your father's courage and ability...

Thales looked strange.

The owner of Iris continued: "There is no duke in the north, and there is no foreign invasion. It is a golden opportunity. Your father's hand reached into the cold castle, and in just a few years he swallowed the vacuum left by Arend."

Thales hesitated for a while:

"In fact, the fact that Charmaine squeezed out Nunn and was crowned king is... Oh, forget it, it's not important."

"You are right, your father will not spend too much on things like father-son love," Zhan En did not pay attention to his words and said to himself: "So when I learned that the royal standing army went to the Western Wilderness to rescue

When he saw you, he realized that something was fishy. With the power of the kingdom's secret science, he had ten thousand efficient ways to rescue his son, but he chose to use the army, which cost the most and caused the most trouble."

Thales couldn't help but frown.

"Then, I received the news that the Blade Fang camp was attacked and the Legend Wings returned to rescue them."

Zhan En raised his head with heavy eyes:

"At that time, I roughly understood what your father wanted to do."

Thales couldn't help but said:

"real?"

Zhan En snorted softly:

"It's not difficult to guess, especially when you know the history of the establishment of the Emerald Legion."

Damn it.

He really guessed it.

Thales frowned and thought.

"But then, you returned to the country," Zhan En's eyes were glaring, "You were sent back to the capital by gifts from the three major families in the Western Wilderness. I heard that the four-eyed skull and the family heirloom sword were given to you?"

Thales hesitated and wanted to defend himself but finally gave up:

"In fact, Falkenholz wasn't...well, forget it, it doesn't matter."

Zhan was a little strange, but he still nodded:

"From then on I knew something was wrong: Things in Xihuang must not have gone as your father wished. According to Your Majesty's temperament, even if you cannot make back the losses you suffered this time, you will definitely make up for it elsewhere."

Hearing this, Thales hesitated to speak again:

"Actually, the reason why he didn't get what he wanted in Xihuang is... well, forget it, it's not important."

Zhan En is worried:

"The next step is for me to receive a letter from the Fuxing Palace: it is signed to you, and it also carries an ugly portrait, asking about the possible marriage between Prince Thales and Shilai."

Thales frowned:

"Is the portrait ugly?"

Zhan En didn't answer. He sighed:

"Your father, after all, he set his sights on Nan'an, and that's when he started."

Thales held it in for a long time.

"Maybe... think on the bright side?" The prince said cautiously, "You are not the only family that has received a letter."

"But we are definitely up front and it's not about Shealy, it's just about Kevin Deere."

Zhan En sneered and shook his head with a cold look:

"I later figured out that this would happen sooner or later: if you are a girl and a princess, then I have no doubt that your majesty's marriage target is me."

Thales was stunned after hearing this.
Chapter completed!