"Your Majesty's order has been officially issued."

Gilbert, who was sitting across from him, was all smiles. He raised his tea cup and took a sip:

"Now, the news of your return and knighthood has spread throughout Yongxing City. In a few days, the entire Central Territory and even the whole country will know about it."

In the living room, Thales - as the host rather than the guest - smiled helplessly.

With the laziness of getting up in the morning, the young man stood up and walked slowly to the window.

The morning light shines through the window screen, illuminating the low-key but neat living room.

Thales opened the window, and fresh air came to his face.

And a sudden and harsh noise.

"Yes," the newly promoted Duke of Star Lake leaned against the window and yawned, pressing his waist:

"I can feel it from here."

The Mindis Hall under the window was not peaceful.

The garden and the road outside the iron gate have long been filled with carriages of all kinds, not counting the many visitors who come on foot or on horseback, a considerable number of whom are richly dressed and have obvious badges.

Outside the iron gate, the royal guards and the private soldiers of Bright Star went all out and were very busy: explaining and discouraging at the same time.

Thales leaned close to the window, the sins of the prison river surged into his ears, and he probably caught some scattered words.

"I'm sorry, Lord, Mindis Hall will not welcome guests this month," the stiff and serious voice of Pioneer Officer Grover came from in front of the iron gate:

"Only His Majesty's special warrant can pass..."

Immediately, another slightly excited voice overwhelmed Glover.

"No, no, no, Luke, I have been classmates with you for four years but never got to know each other well, so it doesn't matter who you are... What, you just came to see the scenery? That's enough for you! Look at the scenery for two days in a row.

It’s only eight hours, do you think I’m an idiot?”

It's Doyle.

At this moment, he was standing in front of an innocent-looking nobleman, angrily waving to the Mindis Hall behind him:

"It's so noisy every day, it's so noisy every day, I don't need it... Prince, doesn't he need to rest?"

Thales couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

Another decent and gentle voice broke into his ears:

"...Then this is the honorary Viscount of Kema," this is Marius, who smiles calmly on the outside, but in reality is far away from others. He is facing another nobleman who is not easy to deal with:

"Why don't you go find the heir to the Karabyan family you mentioned and ask him what's the secret to being able to make an exception and meet with the Duke?"

"Oh, it turns out that your family is a royal merchant, and you have three beautiful daughters ranging from nine to nineteen years old, who are likely to become princes and concubines! Disrespectful, then maybe as the future prince, you will be able to

Have you received His Majesty's order? If you come to visit me then, I will definitely line up to clear the way to welcome you."

"Well, the Mallos family is very grateful for your care. It's really sad that I can't buy your goods..."

"Thank you for greeting my parents and family, although they are no longer alive..."

"Well, on behalf of all my living female relatives, I would like to thank you for the greetings from you and the organ below you..."

"Okay, Your Excellency Viscount, I will definitely take the message to my family's ancestral cemetery and let my ancestors know..."

"But before that, for the safety of Duke Xinghu, I will temporarily detain you to the security hall..."

"Why? Because I suspect that you are secretly hiding weapons and intending to do evil to the Duke... Where are the weapons? Look, the gems on your ring are too bright, which is harmful to the Duke's eyes..."

"Then I suggest you complain directly to His Majesty or Lord Adrian about my service attitude..."

"How long will it take? Don't worry, there are only two and a half months left before the Duke's welcome banquet. After that, your plan will be ineffective, and then the royal guards will formally file a case of 'assassination of the royal family' against you..."

Hearing this, Thales sighed, closed the window, and no longer listened to the frantic self-defense of the pot-bellied Viscount Kema: "I'm not talking nonsense", and no longer cared about what he said.

Face fled back to his carriage in horror.

This is the third day since he returned to the capital and entered the Mindis Hall.

From the next day onwards, the Mindis Hall was bustling with visitors.

It was so noisy that the Star Lake Guards could not rest.

"You shouldn't have met the Karabiyan heir a few days ago, even if he was your old friend," Gilbert put down the teacup and sighed:

"Now, many nobles, officials, and reputable people in the royal capital are all imitating the same example and seeking connections to get in."

"Yes, yes, I understand," Thales sat back in his seat and said in a daze:

"This is the price."

He underestimated the impact and shock of his return to China.

The prince attracted more than just visitors.

Obviously, Duke Xinghu's move in not only awakened the usually quiet Mindis Hall, but in three days, the improvement of the mansion's standards also affected the entire Yongxing City:

The city hall issued six emergency orders to redevelop green plants, install lights, and clean up all the road intersections in Duixing District (that the prince could see) and decorate them magnificently. Not a single refugee or beggar was allowed to enter.

It cannot be seen that the city appearance has been greatly improved, to some extent, it is even better than Dongcheng District where the nobles gather.

The Police Department has rescheduled its patrol schedule and manpower arrangements. The Muixing District and the three police departments in the two districts immediately adjacent to it (which were originally at odds with each other) are united and friendly, and cooperate sincerely. Countless police officers are rushing to do their best, and groups of security teams are forming.

Working back and forth and patrolling day and night, this awkward and nearly forgotten area has been transformed into a paradise on earth where no one picks up any items on the road or closes the door at night.

The chief garrison officer of Yongxing City hurriedly increased the city defense team on the city wall on the side of the Evening Star District (even though the Evening Star District is thousands of miles away from the city wall) to ensure that "no Xiaoxiao can get past us and threaten the prince." He also specifically requested

After obtaining the warrant, the standing army was transferred from outside the city and a special route was set up to clear the way for the supply and logistics transportation of Mindis Hall - according to a certain soldier, "Even the prince's poop transported out is not allowed to be defiled!"

Thales pressed his forehead listlessly.

Gilbert smiled helplessly:

"I can already imagine when I go home... I've probably never been so 'welcome' in my life."

"As His Majesty's most trusted minister, you are already very popular," Thales breathed out:

"And believe me, the Exeters will welcome you more than the Starmen."

Gilbert nodded suddenly.

In the past few days, if you didn't look at the large number of speculators who stretched their necks outside the wall, eager to try their luck to meet the prince, the days in Mindis Hall were quite peaceful.

Sleep until wake up, breakfast, free time, lunch, sleep until wake up, free time, dinner, free time, sleep until wake up.

Oh, by the way, you are basically not allowed to go outdoors for free activities because you have to avoid the paparazzi—ahem, he means to avoid those fanatical speculators who want to see the prince.

Although the pace of life is similar to that in Longxiao City, but...

There is no intrigue, no anxiety, no constant pressure, no thrill of survival, no crazy journey of thousands of miles of escape.

No one disturbs, no one interferes, no one cares.

He really has some...

Not used to it.

Thales picked up the teacup and moistened his throat with satisfaction.

Compared with six years ago when he lived here as a guest and everything had to go through Gilbert, six years later, it is still beneficial for him to become the owner of this place.

At least he can directly give orders to the people around him (such as "Give me a harder mattress"), and his words will be obeyed - at least on the surface.

This life is indeed...

Thales slowly leaned back and sincerely let out a cry (praise) (sigh) unique to a rice insect:

It's decadent.

So much so that he almost forgot about the things in Fuxing Palace...

that person.

"So, Gilbert, what are our plans for today?"

Thales pointed at the table dullly:

"Why did you bring a lot of...paper?"

Gilbert, who looked at the Duke lovingly, turned around as if he suddenly remembered, moved a stack of papers on the table to his lap, and at the same time took out a pair of glasses.

"Sorry, I'm old and my eyesight is a bit hard to use..."

The middle-aged foreign minister said sheepishly.

His glasses are very special. They are a pair of hand-held folding glasses. They have no frame, but a special handle on the right side of the frame.

"By the way, the gift you requested for the Grand Duchess was ordered from the same handmade mirror shop..."

As Gilbert spoke, he raised his glasses to cover his eyes and began to flip through the papers on his knees.

"I don't know what you think, but after all, they specialize in custom-made glasses for scholars and old men like me. The color design is neither fancy nor trendy. It probably won't please young girls. You didn't

I was thinking of sending something else..." There was something in the foreign minister's words, but Thales, who had already experienced many battles, had a normal expression and turned a deaf ear to it.

"So, first of all..."
To be continued...