When night fell, Tails and Zhan stepped into the splendid banquet hall. The competition banquet had only started for an hour, but the guests were already drinking and chatting enthusiastically. Some people were even drunk and staggering around, and there were even a few more unrestrained foreign guests.

, swaying wildly in the iris garden, singing and dancing, crying like ghosts and howling like wolves.

This actually gave Thales a new impression of South Bank's banquet habits: food and wine are non-stop, minstrel music is intermittent, and guests can start a night-long carnival by themselves without waiting for the host to arrive.

"Our...guests, they come from all over the world," this was the pale explanation of Zhan En, who was ashen-faced, especially when he saw two drunk Ligudan guests wrestling in his garden to add to the fun.

When countless people came trampling on the lawn, "This, um, demonstrates the inclusiveness of the Emerald City."

Duke Thales cautiously expressed his appreciation for this.

After all, people from the North just eat, drink and play.

But precisely because of this, when the two dukes entered the table, Thales neither encountered the roaring mountains and tsunami at the royal banquet, nor the feeling of being surrounded by wolves in the Longxiao City banquet hall. Along the way, he recognized

Their guests naturally smiled respectfully and saluted, while those who did not recognize them were immersed in the festive atmosphere of the banquet, which made the young man feel a long-lost sense of relaxation.

"Thanks to you," Zhan said with a bad look on his face, "This year there are more guests than in previous years, and the level is also higher. Look at this banquet. Many people I didn't expect are here. Everyone thinks they can take advantage of it."

Thales' eyes lit up: "And this means..."

Zhan nodded with a solemn expression:

"If your father wants to take action, tonight would be a good time to do it in front of these distinguished guests. I have too many constraints and little room for change."

The atmosphere between the two suddenly cooled down.

"Have you discovered anything in the Emerald City these days?"

Zhan glanced at Thales:

"Of course there are: commercial disputes in the Midas District, drunkards making trouble in the Canal District, playwrights in the Goddess District reporting each other, the Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood taking advantage of the celebration to cover smuggling, but they are all things that happen every year, and none of them involve

To Kongming Palace."

Thales' eyes moved slightly: "This is interesting. Where will he, or the Kingdom's secret department, start?"

Zhan's eyes became sharp, and he looked at the guests at the banquet:

"We'll find out."

"Ah, Lord Zhan! Hahaha!"

A rough voice sounded, interrupting the two of them.

"I originally wanted to talk to you about which chambers of commerce will be issued licenses next quarter," a vicious man smelling of alcohol came to Zhan En with his arms around a coquettish exotic beauty, "But if

As you can see, unfortunately tonight, my eager new female companion can’t wait any longer!”

"Don't worry, Captain Tanganga, after all, there are still six days left for the celebration." Zhan En smiled slightly.

Tanganga laughed, the scars on his face distorted:

"Well said, there are still six days left! Haha! We have to find a room quickly, don't wait for your husband to sober up and come to his senses... The party is too short, and time does not wait for us!"

Thales narrowed his eyes, watching Tanganga and his new female companion leave in a hurry, and then looked back at Zhan.

"Don't look at me," Zhan said without any surprise, "'Sea Wolf' Tanganga is a Kasai, this is the style of a girl's son."

"Kasai? Son of a girl? But that's not..."

"Pirates," Zhan confirmed, "yes, at least his grandfather and mother were."

Thales frowned.

"Their tribe was once famous in the End Sea, running rampant, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of evil," the Duke of South Bank snorted coldly, "but in the Battle of Glorious Bay decades ago, they were beaten to a pulp by the Glorious Harbor Navy and suffered countless casualties.

During Tanganga's generation, his mind became more vivid."

"Lively?"

Zhan nodded and said disdainfully:

"Now, they are no longer pirates, but the 'Sea Wolf Ship Group'. Their business scope includes legal and compliant transportation, escort, patrol, reconnaissance and peacekeeping at sea, as well as legal and compliant operations to the contrary."

Legal and compliant?

"The opposite business..." Thales looked strange, "You mean robbery, robbery, robbery, robbery and... robbery?"

"No, then you underestimate them."

Zhan shook his head in denial and lowered his voice:

"You know, Tanganga also engages in kidnapping and extortion."

Thales was startled:

"And you work with someone like that?"

"Cooperation?" Zhan En just thought it was ridiculous, "This means you underestimate me. Who do you think gave them the motivation to re-employ legally?"

With complicated emotions, the two of them sat down together.

"I'm wondering," Thales looked at the guests, "will the secret department start with these foreign guests? For example, will Tanganga betray you just now?"

Zhan En smiled contemptuously:

"He's not qualified yet."

As the host of the banquet and the Duke of South Bank, Zhan En was very busy this night and had to get up from time to time to socialize or be interviewed during the banquet:

In addition to the Kasai shipowner Tanganga, the son of the leader of the Ligudan state brought greetings from across the ocean to the two dukes and hinted that he might be the next leader. He was waiting for the two of them with great expectations.

reaction, but the two dukes were obviously too preoccupied to pay attention to him, and the guest finally turned around angrily and left in disappointment;

Several noble ladies from the Tuoluo Kingdom boldly asked Master Zhan to dance with him. After being declined, they turned to Thales with sad faces, but just when Thales was about to smile and decline, they made some gestures to the prince.

They left disappointed after their height, saying that customs did not allow them to dance with men shorter than themselves;

(The prince angrily eats the next plate of food, and Duke Jenn cheerfully and kindly reminds him that he might as well add two more plates.)

The two guests from the Eastern Land belong to two families among the seven surnames of the Hamble Dynasty, representing Diyeba and Doro Zhicheng Hamble of Riordan, and Talal and Dusuan Hamble of Congzhong City.

Lisheng Godalan came to extend his blessings to Duke Zhan and Prince Thales.

"Remember, Humble is not only their royal surname, but also the name of the dynasty. Although when the 'Great Kadir' Amma Mimo Humble founded the country, he had a hodgepodge of ethnic groups under his command, including Nieda people, Barren Mountain people, and Red Earth people.

People from the Salt Land, People from the Flame Sea..." Zhan accepted the greetings from the guests while whispering in Thales' ear, "But to this day, we are used to calling them Humble people, just like they call us Star People.

, not the Ludol people.”

"I know." Thales replied quietly, calmly.

"There are seven surnames in the Hanbul palace, and they are responsible for seven powers: Tuba'er chants sutras, Azade holds the sword, Guodalan holds the lamp, Ukhraya holds the whip, Mailiya holds the plate, and Taqambu is the emperor.

Horse, Nefat Siheng. Now the seven major surnames have also absorbed new blood and included people with foreign surnames, which is equivalent to becoming seven major powerful groups, co-ruling the dynasty with the Hamble royal family living in Xiwang City, that is, the leader's house where Kadir is located.

"

"I know!"

"In addition to honoring the monarch as Qadir, the Hambo people also call the prince and the duke Diyeba, and the chiefs of each city call Talal. Don't call him a fool later, otherwise he will be unlucky or you will be unlucky.

, or I’m unlucky.”

"I know it's true, you will be unlucky?"

"Such an incident happened in history. It was called the 'mistaken cousins'. The result was that the seven major surnames were killed in a river of blood. They replaced the Patriarch of the Temple of the Sun and a Kadir. Another time, Su Ye

The dynasty gave them the wrong title in their credentials. The war between the two countries has lasted for a full twenty years. For the sake of world peace, you should shut up for a while."

As time went by, the atmosphere of the competition banquet became more and more lively, and Thales, who was distracted, soon discovered a familiar figure:

Doyle held up a glass of wine, arm-in-arms with several local young men, laughed unbridled, and sang an extremely unpleasant song together; Glover sat alone in the corner, chatting with Rolle in the opposite corner.

Husband, you look at me, and I look at you; Marius chatted politely with several elderly guests, and from time to time sent sharp death glances to his subordinates around him; Paul stood on the edge of the observation deck, watching the scenery, and followed

A few nobles with calm demeanor, who could tell by looking at their family crests that they were well-established, got along harmoniously; Nixi mingled with a group of energetic people, cheering wildly around a troupe that was performing acrobatics; Huaiya was dragged by Conmuto

, surrounded by guests who looked like civil servants, showing polite smiles; Straw and Piroga from the logistics wing walked past the table full of food, pointing and arguing about what they were talking about and how many poultry were on the table.

?

Chickens, ducks, geese, skylarks, quails, pigeons, partridges, peacocks, turtledoves, ostriches, woodcocks... Among the poultry meals on the table, the bored Thales was interrupted when he only counted the twelfth one.

, because the musicians at the other end of the hall are about to start playing.

Really luxurious.

Thales thought angrily.

The extravagance and waste of banquets among the nobles on the south coast can be seen, especially those with a certain kind of flower decorated with three colors as their emblem. Those who are above the earl and below the king have one of the best towns in a certain kingdom as their main city. The head of the family is quite young.

A noble and wealthy family (in order to avoid unnecessary disputes, Duke Thales has withheld his name here).

In retaliation, Tails continued to devour their food.

"The guy with no eyebrows just now is the special envoy of the leader of the Tyron Trading State, Harsha." Zhan, who had gone out to socialize again, returned to his seat and immediately turned cold, no longer as approachable as before, "He actually dared to talk to

I raised tariffs and also hinted at his relationship with several royal franchisees... Did he think he could threaten me with this, or did he think the Bright Star royal family was a good thing?"

"Uh... I'm just sitting here?" Thales reminded him with a frown.

"I know," Zhan said unhappily, "otherwise, how would it show that our relationship is cold and hostile to each other?"

"Well, it seems," Thales was speechless for a moment, "does it make sense?"

But Zhan En’s eyes moved:

"Actually, I'm thinking about something," the Duke of South Bank turned to Thales, "That wine merchant, Moss, how do you know for sure that he was bribed by the Secret Service?"

I saw it with my own eyes in the secret department.

"Supposedly," Thales put down the tableware and looked as usual, "What's wrong?"

Zhan stared at him for a while, then nodded.

"When it comes to making money, Moss is very good at it, but when it comes to being a spy...why did the Kingdom Secret Service find this guy who is full of flaws and showed his flaws on the first day?"
To be continued...