Thales stopped talking and paused.

"Look, it's Federico again. So we're back to square one," the prince shook his head. "This isn't going to work."

Zhan En glanced at him coldly and snorted softly.

"Let me see Xi Lai, and I will persuade her to return the prisoner to you."

"Okay, as long as I find her first," Thales agreed happily, "By the way, do you want to see her alive or dead?"

"I was serious."

"Me too!"

Thales' cold refusal made Zhan couldn't help but look sideways.

"You have to understand, little Huahua, the problem now is not with me," he took a deep breath and tilted his head, "but with her, your good sister who is hindering me, threatening me, causing me trouble, and preventing the return of the Emerald City.

normal."

This time, Zhan En stared at him for a long time.

After a few seconds, he showed a disdainful smile.

"Yes, I can imagine," the South Coast Guardian Duke snorted, "When this matter spreads, the entire Emerald City will surely laugh and say that the dignified Duke of Xinghu was fooled around by a little girl, 'There is not even an incompetent prince.

Murderers can't even be caught', 'The star under the skirt becomes soft-hearted when seeing a woman' and so on..."

Thales' complexion changed slightly.

People, would they really say that?

But he didn't show it on his face, he just kept a straight face:

"You think this is funny?"

"It's a little bit..."

Zhan shook his head and quickly returned to the topic:

"Actually, I mean, it sounds terrible: the second prince acted recklessly and came back in vain. Not only was he unable to protect the country and the people at an emergency, but he also had a little Kevin Deere girl threaten you without any pretense.

, openly disobeying orders, causing you to become disgraced and lose all your prestige..."

Thales's brows furrowed more and more tightly.

Zhan En became more and more fluent as he spoke, with a strange smile:

"It is conceivable that the new ruler is incompetent and has difficulty convincing the public. From the bureaucrats and powerful people to the common people, people will be very disappointed. Their confidence in the Emerald City has further declined, and they have begun to believe that the Emerald City has indeed become worse.

And it will surely decline in chaos..."

Thales couldn't help but counterattacked:

"So it will be easier for you to manipulate me, force me to compromise with you and your sister, and release you as soon as possible to save the Emerald City?"

Zhan En glanced at him and snorted disdainfully.

"Believe me, I didn't know anything about it beforehand. It was Xilai who was eager to save people. She underestimated the impact of this move."

"But it's me who has to clean up the mess." Thales said coldly.

Jenn smiled.

"Then you should understand, Thales, your chips are getting less and less." He leaned forward, showing a vague sense of intimidation, "If you lose your wallet, you should try to find it back."

, or go back to making money in a legitimate way to make up for your losses, instead of blackmailing your good neighbor out of anger."

"Even if the person who stole my wallet was my good neighbor's sister?"

"Stop making excuses for your incompetence, Thales, do you really think your situation will get better without Xilai? Many things may seem unexpected, but they are inevitable."

Zhan En clicked his tongue and shook his head:

"It is always easier for rulers to blame others, especially the weak, than to reflect on themselves."

He narrowed his eyes:

"However, seeking the easy way out of difficulty is often the origin of tyranny."

After hearing this, Thales was silent for a long time.

Zhan refused to give in and backed away.

And what he said was right. After Xilai made such a fuss, the Emerald City was in danger.

He has no time.

Thinking of this, the prince raised his eyes.

"Let's be honest. Once Zhan Federico dies, I will lose the leverage to control you," Thales said with certainty, "That is something I cannot accept."

Zhan hummed unintelligibly.

Thales knocked on the eucalyptus table:

"Unless you let me see it now, even if you return to the position of city lord, our previous agreement will still count."

Zhan En smiled and said:

"For example, let's use the money to pay off the debt now and give you a complete Emerald City so that you can supply it to the Fuxing Palace?"

Thales said nothing.

Zhan En's smile faded and his face suddenly turned cold.

"Then I lose the leverage to control you," Duke Iris refused to give in. "You will most likely unseat me after that and put Federico in his place."

Thales frowned:

"So this is a dead end and there is no need to discuss it?"

Zhan En snorted lightly.

"Remember, Thales, you are pretending here and want to blackmail me every minute and every second. The Emerald City and even the South Coast Territory are burning, and rebuilding the burned parts will require more costs and

time."

Zhan turned his face.

"And once it is burned to rubble and completely destroyed, we will both lose," the Duke of Nan'an said. "Your father will not be satisfied."

Seeing the other party's attitude, Thales' heart sank.

He couldn't help but think of Federico's words just now:

[Consider my proposal, Your Highness, use this matter to manipulate Zhan En, maybe there will be a surprise. 】

Thales closed his eyes gently and sighed in his heart.

"Anyway, he won't be satisfied no matter what." The prince whispered.

Zhan En turned around with doubts in his eyes:

"What did you say?"

Thales opened his eyes and looked up with a tired expression.

"You know, I also advised him this way," he shook his head and said in a bitter tone, "my father."

Thales let out a long sigh.

"I advised him that his plan to conquer the Western Wilderness had so many accidents. It seemed that he had bad luck, but in fact it was all inevitable." The second prince leaned back in his chair and said with a wry smile, "It is because of his domineering behavior for many years.

Radicals deserve consequences.”

Hearing such outrageous words as "conquering the Western Wilderness", Zhan En couldn't help but frown.

"And I also advised him not to blame others, but to look for the cause within himself," Thales' eyes solidified, as if he was talking to himself, "You should solve the problem, not the person who caused the problem -

More often than not, they are just the ones who discover the problem."

Perhaps it was the first time he heard Thales talk about the king emotionally. Zhan didn't react in time and was stunned.

"Because as you said, 'Seek something easy when it is difficult, is often the origin of tyranny'," Thales said with emotion, "It comes from "The Political Strategy of a Wise King," right?"

"oh?"

Zhan En's eyes moved and he was slightly surprised:

"I thought you had only read books written by people from the North, or the mysterious author Hegel who couldn't be found in the collection of books."

Thales shook his head and didn't explain much:

"But even though I forced the palace with my sword and was exiled from the royal capital, he still refused to listen to the advice. He still insisted on going his own way, insisting on using the fastest speed and the most force to capture the Emerald City at any cost."

Zhan's breath hitched.

"That's why I asked myself to come, because I know that if he is allowed to do this," the prince's eyes were sad, with a bit of despair, "it will only be a matter of time before not only the Emerald City, but also the kingdom will collapse."

He thought of the confrontation with King Kessel in the Balad Chamber, and felt tired.

Zhan En rolled his eyes:

"Then you shouldn't follow me..."
To be continued...