"Reporting to the Imperial Preceptor, Duke Pan Song has already committed suicide out of fear for his crimes."
"Everyone else in the residence has been brought under control. Awaiting your further instructions, Imperial Preceptor!"
In front of the Duke's mansion.
A bearded burly man was bowing to the young Ye Tian.
A crowd of onlookers stood nearby.
They were all Pan Song's neighbors.
Of course, those who could be neighbors with a duke were no ordinary commoners.
In fact, everyone living on this street was a high-ranking official of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Imperial Preceptor Ye Tian's sudden arrival with troops had caused quite a stir.
Some senior officials, relying on their seniority, even pushed past the soldiers and confronted Ye Tian directly.
Pointing at Ye Tian's nose, they scolded:
"Ye Tian! Do you not know that Elder Pan was a pillar of the state?!"
"Now, with the late Emperor newly deceased, you couldn't wait to move against Elder Pan. Do you even have the Empire in your eyes?!"
"Are you trying to ruin the late Emperor's great legacy?!"
"His Majesty must have been deceived by you to do something so absurd!"
Ye Tian tilted his head, a playful smirk on his lips, as he glanced at the white-bearded official who had barged in.
"Who are you?"
The white-bearded official flared his nostrils, placed his hands on his hips, and raised his head proudly.
"I am Count Liu Sheng! Deputy Minister of the Administrative Department!"
"Do you dare to touch me?"
Liu Sheng looked at the overly young man before him with cold eyes.
Did he think he could do whatever he wanted just because he had the Emperor's favor?
The nobles had always stood united.
Did he really think arresting Pan Song would dismantle the nobles' political alliance?
What a joke!
"Deputy Minister of the Administrative Department, you say?" Ye Tian chuckled lightly, then said calmly:
"You're not anymore."
"How dare you!" Liu Sheng's face twisted in rage as he pointed at Ye Tian's nose. "My position was appointed by the late Emperor! You can't just remove me without an order! Do you have the authority?!"
This Ye Tian didn't take him seriously at all!
An ignorant fool!
"An order?" Ye Tian smiled, then his expression suddenly turned icy. "Then I'll write one for you right now!"
He took out paper and a pen from his storage space and casually wrote a note dismissing Liu Sheng.
Slapping it into Liu Sheng's hand, he said coldly:
"Now, get lost!"
"I—" Liu Sheng wanted to argue further, but when he saw Ye Tian's expressionless face, he shuddered.
His words stuck in his throat.
But not wanting to lose face, Liu Sheng forced himself to stay composed.
"Just you wait! I'll rally the other ministers and impeach you!"
"Sorry, but His Majesty has decreed that all memorials must pass through me first."
Ye Tian's eyes were utterly calm.
He didn't want to involve the innocent.
Otherwise, Liu Sheng would have already followed Pan Song's example and committed suicide out of fear for his crimes.
"You!!!" Liu Sheng's face was filled with shock.
Then he spread his arms and cried out to the sky:
"This is a sign of Heaven Dou's downfall!"
"In a way, you're not wrong," Ye Tian muttered silently before waving his hand. "Drag this lunatic away."
"Yes!" Immediately, two soldiers stepped forward, grabbed Liu Sheng by the arms, and dragged him away.
Liu Sheng struggled a few times but to no avail.
Most of the surrounding officials witnessed this scene.
Yet none dared to step forward.
In the end.
In just one afternoon.
The Pan Song case was perfectly resolved.
Pan Song "committed suicide," his mansion was raided.
His family was exiled to the sparsely populated north.
From then on, the nobles of Heaven Dou City lost their leader, Pan Song.
...
News of Pan Song's death quickly reached Shrek Academy.
Ning Fengzhi and the others also learned the outcome of the incident from their spies.
"What are your thoughts on this matter, Prince Dai Mubai?"
Ning Fengzhi tapped the table as he looked at Dai Mubai sitting across from him.
"Xue Qinghe might be in a hurry to resolve the issue of the Four Great Kingdoms in one fell swoop."
"That's why the Pan Song case happened."
Dai Mubai lowered his head in thought.
Then he shook his head.
"Xue Qinghe's political strategy is still immature!"
"The Four Great Kingdoms have the Spirit Hall's support behind the scenes. Eliminating Pan Song doesn't solve the root problem."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi smiled bitterly. "If Xue Qinghe had even half your talent, he wouldn't have done something so foolish."
"But there's one thing I don't quite understand." Ning Fengzhi frowned slightly.
"What is it?" Dai Mubai looked up.
Ning Fengzhi rested his arms on the table, closed his eyes, and pondered. "Why didn't Ye Tian stop this?"
"Maybe Ye Tian wanted to use this to establish his authority."
"But surely he knows that with Pan Song dead, he'll have offended all the nobles of Heaven Dou."
"With Ye Tian's intelligence, he couldn't have overlooked this."
This wasn't about establishing authority.
It was practically a death sentence.
That was what Ning Fengzhi couldn't figure out.
"Could it be that Ye Tian did this on purpose?"
Ning Rongrong, carrying two cups of tea, suddenly appeared in the room and interjected casually.
"On purpose? Explain," Ning Fengzhi said with interest. He hadn't expected his daughter to analyze politics.
"Isn't it obvious?" Ning Rongrong set the tea cups beside Ning Fengzhi and Dai Mubai, then shrugged. "He's cutting off all retreat to secure survival!"
"If Ye Tian offends all the nobles, it means he can only rely on Xue Qinghe."
"Wouldn't that make prince trust him even more?"
"...That makes sense." Ning Fengzhi nodded, though not entirely convinced.
"...But the cost is still too high."
"If the Four Great Kingdoms, backed by the Spirit Hall, rise up to 'cleanse the court,' Ye Tian's position will be in grave danger."
"Right." Ning Rongrong patted her forehead as if realizing something. "Isn't Ye Tian digging his own grave?"
"I really don't understand what he's thinking."
"Should I go ask Xiao Wu for information?"
Ning Rongrong leaned forward.
"Ask Xiao Wu about Ye Tian's affairs?" Ning Fengzhi's eyelids twitched. "What could you possibly learn from her?"
"Father, you're out of touch."
Ning Rongrong chuckled, glanced around to ensure no outsiders were present, then whispered:
"Xiao Wu and Ye Tian are already together."
"Huh? Are you joking? Wasn't Xiao Wu Tang San's girlfriend?"
Ning Fengzhi straightened up in shock.
Though he hadn't seen Tang San in years, he still knew a thing or two about him.
"Father, your information is outdated. That was years ago." Ning Rongrong pouted mysteriously.
"You probably don't know that Xiao Wu brings breakfast to Ye Tian every day."
"Actually, it's Tang San's fault. He hasn't written to Xiao Wu in years."
"No wonder she was 'stolen.'"
"Does Tang San know about this?" Ning Fengzhi stroked his chin.
He couldn't help but feel Tang San's forehead was a bit green.
"Not yet." Ning Fengzhi shook his head.
Beside them, Dai Mubai sighed and waved his hand.
"We're all sworn siblings and classmates for years. Even if they can't be lovers, the bond remains."
"Let's not interfere too much in Xiao Wu and Tang San's affairs."
"As for Xiao Wu and Ye Tian's relationship, let's not exploit it. That would hurt the camaraderie."
Ning Fengzhi nodded in agreement and said to his daughter:
"There's no need to trouble Xiao Wu about Ye Tian's situation."
"You've been friends for years. Prying into her private matters will only create distance between you."
"So I'll handle the inquiries about Ye Tian and his upcoming reforms in the Heaven Dou Empire."
"As Xue Qinghe's teacher, I doubt Ye Tian will hide much from me."
"I hope so." Dai Mubai's expression was grave.
People change.
No one knew if Ye Tian, now wielding power, would still be the amiable Ye Tian of the past.
...
Ning Fengzhi acted quickly.
That very night.
He brought Sword Douluo Chen Xin to visit Ye Tian.
Upon entering the courtyard and seeing Ye Tian accompanied by a beautiful girl.
Ning Fengzhi's steps faltered.
As expected, Ye Tian had changed.
Despite being married.
He was still in a relationship with Xiao Wu.
And now, he was keeping another stunning girl hidden away.
The white-haired girl before him was undeniably a top-tier beauty.
Even Ning Fengzhi, long past the age of lust, couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.
Seeing Ning Fengzhi's arrival.
Ye Tian walked slowly through the hall and bowed slightly. "Grandmaster Ning, I wasn't expecting your late-night visit. My apologies for the poor reception."
"No need for formalities, Imperial Preceptor. Given your status as Heaven Dou's Imperial Preceptor, you outrank this outdated sect master."
Ye Tian smiled faintly.
He didn't argue.
After inviting Ning Fengzhi to sit.
Bo Saixi, standing nearby, served tea like a maid.
Ning Fengzhi feigned surprise and said with a smile, "Imperial Preceptor, you have refined tastes. A girl of such beauty is rare indeed."
Hearing this, Ye Tian froze.
Truly, ignorance was bliss. Even daring to joke about a supreme expert.
Seeing Bo Saixi smile without a word, Ye Tian didn't explain.
Instead, he changed the subject. "Grandmaster Ning, what brings you here so late?"
Ning Fengzhi assumed Ye Tian was avoiding the topic of his beautiful maid and didn't press further.
He got straight to the point. "To be frank, I came to understand your intentions."
He frowned. "Don't you realize killing Pan Song gives the Four Great Kingdoms an excuse to 'cleanse the court'?"
"Not only will you be in danger, but you'll also implicate the new Emperor."
"Grandmaster Ning, why are you so sure the Four Great Kingdoms will act?" Ye Tian countered with a smile.
Ning Fengzhi laughed dryly. "It's obvious. The Four Great Kingdoms are backed by the Spirit Hall."
"And the Spirit Hall's ambitions are no secret."
"Do you think the Spirit Hall would pass up this opportunity?"
Ye Tian smiled calmly. "While I don't know the Pope's thoughts."
"But I do know the Spirit Hall isn't beyond negotiation."
"If I send a letter to the Spirit Hall's Pope, urging her not to support the Four Great Kingdoms' rebellion, the issue will be resolved."
"Hahaha." Ning Fengzhi laughed as if he'd heard the funniest joke.
Even Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who had been silent, chuckled.
After laughing for a while, Ning Fengzhi clutched his stomach. "Can I assume you're joking?"
After all, only in jokes could the Spirit Hall be so easily swayed.
The Spirit Hall would love nothing more than for the Heaven Dou Empire to descend into chaos. Why would they listen to Ye Tian?
It was pure fantasy.
Even if Ye Tian were foolish, he wouldn't propose such a solution.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Ye Tian spread his hands earnestly.
An alliance between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Spirit Hall was something Qian Renxue would inevitably pursue.
An alliance of this scale couldn't be hidden.
So there was no point in keeping it from Ning Fengzhi.
Sometimes, the truth was harder to decipher than lies.
Sure enough.
The moment he spoke.
Ning Fengzhi's laughter froze.
He repeated blankly, "You're serious?"
"Are you planning to ally with the Spirit Hall?!"
Ning Fengzhi thought Ye Tian had lost his mind.
To even consider allying with the Spirit Hall.
That organization was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Look at the state of the spirit master world under their influence!
Once-thriving sects were now in shambles.
Factions across the continent were locked in endless vendettas.
If the Spirit Hall unified the continent, it wouldn't just be spirit masters suffering.
All citizens of Douluo Continent would live in misery.
Ning Fengzhi might not have grand ambitions, but he would never allow such a scenario.
"If it benefits the continent's stability, what's wrong with allying with the Spirit Hall?" Ye Tian said shamelessly.
"Madness! Absolute madness!"
Ning Fengzhi's face was a mix of shock and horror.
"Does His Majesty know about this?"
"Currently, it's just my idea," Ye Tian said lightly.
Since he'd decided to be the scapegoat.
He might as well go all the way.
This way, he could shield Qian Renxue from some of the backlash.
In truth, Ye Tian was already calculating.
Whether he should seek some compensation from Qian Renxue for his losses.
Once the alliance plan was set in motion.
He'd face assassinations from powerhouses like Sword Douluo.
The mental toll alone was immense.
It wouldn't be easy to recover.
"Ye Tian, you must understand what siding with the Spirit Hall means."
"I suggest you think it over tonight."
"I'll return tomorrow."
Ning Fengzhi's expression darkened as he stood and strode out without looking back.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin turned and said gravely:
"Ye Tian, we may have a good relationship, but if you choose the wrong side… that relationship will be over."
(End of Chapter)