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With a thought, a gentle force lifted Old Jack. "There's no need for this. This is His Majesty's grace—it has nothing to do with me."
Although Ning Tianchen was the one who acted, if he accepted the other party's gratitude, those with ulterior motives would surely use it against him later.
Using an imperial decree to win over people's hearts would undoubtedly invite accusations of treason.
Ning Tianchen wasn't worried that Xue Qinghe would cause trouble for him, but he preferred to avoid unnecessary explanations in the future.
Old Jack didn't dare hesitate and hurriedly performed three bows and nine kowtows toward the direction of Tian Dou City.
Wang Meng, however, looked at Ning Tianchen with a strange expression. Moments ago, Ning Tianchen didn't even know about Holy Spirit Village's situation—how could he now produce an imperial decree pardoning them? What kind of joke was this?
Seeing the crowd disperse, Wang Meng quickly pulled Ning Tianchen aside and whispered a warning. "Brother, have you gone mad?"
"The crime of forging an imperial decree is far more serious than what Holy Spirit Village faced through association. You should leave quickly—if someone finds out, you'll be in deep trouble."
Imperial decrees were recorded in the palace archives. If the city lord of Nuoding sent someone to verify it, wouldn't the truth come out?
Ning Tianchen shrugged. "It's a real imperial decree—why would I run?"
Seeing his confident demeanor, Wang Meng blinked.
If the decree wasn't fake, then the other party must be an official delivering it on behalf of the Tian Dou Emperor.
Immediately, Wang Meng bowed deeply. "Your humble servant greets the honored official."
Ning Tianchen casually fabricated an excuse. "We're just ordinary people. Because we invented a new military weapon for the empire, we were granted the title of Baron of Qingyang County."
"While in the palace, His Majesty entrusted me with the decree to deliver it to the city lord of Nuoding by the first day of next month. However, we arrived in Nuoding a few days early."
Qingyang City was some distance from Nuoding City, so verifying his identity would take several days round trip.
By that time, they would already be long gone.
"So you're a baron!" Wang Meng was overjoyed and hastily invited, "Baron, might we have the honor of discussing matters at my residence? My father has a few signature dishes—it would be a shame not to try them."
In the Tian Dou Empire, not all officials held noble titles, but anyone with a noble title certainly held an official position.
How could a merchant pass up the chance to befriend an official?
Ning Tianchen chuckled and lightly patted his shoulder. "No need. If you have time, come with me to visit Holy Spirit Village."
…
Ning Tianchen purchased all of Old Jack's fruits and vegetables and then accompanied him to Holy Spirit Village.
He was curious about the current state of Holy Spirit Village.
Meanwhile, the city lord received the imperial decree and, upon confirming that the seal matched the official stamp, ceased all actions targeting Holy Spirit Village.
At the same time, he learned the identities of the two esteemed guests who had entered the city.
When he rushed out to catch them, Ning Tianchen and the others had already left the city.
…
Inside the Star Luo Imperial Palace.
Following Tang San's arrangements, Dai Mubai temporarily stabilized the situation.
Now, with the duel against Dai Weisi approaching, they needed to do everything possible to ensure the match proceeded normally.
As for Tang San, the deadline for his god trial was too tight—he couldn't stay in the imperial capital any longer.
Before leaving, he gave Dai Mubai detailed instructions on many matters.
Of course, he couldn't account for every possibility, and any unforeseen circumstances would need to be handled by Dai Mubai and the others themselves.
Two days after Tang San's departure, Dai Tianfeng ended his summer retreat and returned to the palace.
With the duel between the two princes imminent, he naturally wanted to find out who had poisoned him.
If he accused the wrong person and allowed the real culprit to remain hidden by his side, he might soon meet his end.
However, this sudden return caught Dai Mubai's group completely off guard.
According to Tang San's plan, since Dai Tianfeng knew someone had secretly poisoned him, he was unlikely to return to the palace so soon. Instead, he would wait outside until the duel began.
Thus, all of Tang San's preparations before leaving were based on the assumption that Dai Tianfeng wouldn't be present.
Now that he had returned, how could they execute those subtle maneuvers?
If they mishandled things, wouldn't they be courting disaster?
Dai Mubai hurriedly gathered Yu Tianheng and the others to devise a countermeasure.
Palace politics were a matter of life and death.
Concerned for their own safety, Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin didn't dare offer reckless advice.
No one in the room spoke, and the atmosphere was tense.
Dai Mubai kept furrowing his brows. If Tang San had left two days later, wouldn't they still have options?
After a long silence, Tai Long couldn't help but say, "Mubai, if there's no other way, consult your supporters. Those old foxes in the political arena must have experience handling situations like this."
Yu Tianxin raised an objection. "But Xiao San warned us they can't be trusted. We can't determine how many of these people are loyal to you and how many are spies. Trusting the wrong person would be courting disaster."
Originally, the only person Dai Mubai could fully trust was Governor Waltz. But due to Dai Mubai's neglect, their relationship had gradually deteriorated.
Though Tang San had intervened to smooth things over, the rift made Dai Mubai unwilling to trust Governor Waltz again.
Moreover, Dai Mubai even suspected that during the time he had ignored Waltz, the latter might have colluded with Dai Weisi.
After their words, the room fell silent once again.
After a long while, Dai Mubai finally spoke. "We can't keep stalling like this. Let's follow Tai Long's suggestion."
"I think Duke Xi Lu is trustworthy. Since joining our side, he has brought me significant financial support and even covertly built momentum for me."
"If someone like him isn't a loyal subject, who is?"
In the Star Luo Empire, hereditary titles decreased in rank with each generation. For example, if the father was a duke, the son would inherit the rank of marquis, until the family's title was reduced below the rank of baron, at which point they would become commoners.
Duke Xi Lu's declining title was his greatest weakness. By promising that, upon ascending the throne, Dai Mubai would allow Duke Xi Lu's title to remain undiminished and pass down indefinitely, how could he refuse to help strategize?
Yu Tianheng hesitated. "Mubai, Duke Xi Lu is over eighty years old. Such an old fox won't be easy to deal with. Shouldn't we consider someone else?"
Dai Mubai seemed to have made up his mind. "Aside from Duke Xi Lu, my father won't show favor to anyone else."
"Tianheng, you yourself said Duke Xi Lu is advanced in age. His life experience is something no one else can replicate."
"With his help, what problems could arise?"
Unable to find a valid reason to oppose, Yu Tianheng could only reluctantly agree with Dai Mubai's plan.
Whether Duke Xi Lu would actually strategize and help Dai Mubai last until the day of the duel remained unknown.
Tang San had advised Dai Mubai not to overly rely on these supporters, fearing that some might be Dai Weisi's spies—or even double agents.
Dai Mubai had returned to the palace for only a short time and had already missed his chance. It was almost impossible to verify the loyalty of those who had recently aligned with him.
Given Dai Mubai's lack of personal competence and his risky decision to hand over decision-making power to his supporters, the consequences awaiting him were predictable.
…
Old Jack's legs weren't strong, and the journey back to Holy Spirit Village took the entire afternoon.
The current state of Holy Spirit Village was vastly different from a few years ago.
More than half of the village's houses had collapsed, and ruins of burned-down homes still hadn't been cleared.
"Old Jack, Tang San is from your village, right?" Wang Meng couldn't help but ask.
Now, the population of Holy Spirit Village had been halved, and those who remained were mostly elderly, children, or the sick and disabled.
Due to Tang San's actions, many of the village's young men had been punished as accomplices, though their crimes weren't severe enough to warrant execution—they were conscripted into labor instead.
Without able-bodied workers, much of the village's fertile land went uncultivated and gradually turned into wasteland.
Tang San's personal actions had led to Holy Spirit Village's current state, and the villagers naturally harbored deep resentment toward him.
Ning Tianchen couldn't help but glance at Old Jack, curious about his thoughts.
When Tang San was a child living in the village, aside from Old Jack, no one cared for him.
If even Old Jack resented him, then if Tang San failed in the future, he wouldn't even have the face to meet his hometown elders.
Old Jack didn't speak, only sighing repeatedly.
At the village entrance, a few elderly women from the village heard Wang Meng mention Tang San's name and immediately erupted in anger.
"That bastard Tang San—hasn't he caused us enough misery?"
"Exactly! Back then, I always thought Tang Hao had ill intentions. If it weren't for the village chief insisting on letting them stay, how could our village have faced such a calamity!"
The old women cursed Tang San with a flurry of insults, each one unique.
Of course, Tang San and his father were the primary culprits, while Old Jack was the secondary one.
Back then, if Old Jack hadn't taken in Tang Hao during his tenure as village chief and shown kindness to their family, Holy Spirit Village wouldn't have suffered such a disaster.
However, Old Jack certainly hadn't participated in the regicide plot.
When the villagers criticized him, they still exercised restraint. After all, Old Jack had genuinely contributed much to the village in his earlier years—even if not through great achievements, at least through hard work.
Having benefited from Old Jack's kindness, Wang Meng naturally stepped forward to defend him. "Aunties, please stop arguing. His Majesty has issued a special decree pardoning your Holy Spirit Village."
"The people from your village who were taken away will soon return one by one."
Wang Meng's words didn't resonate with the old women.
Over the past few years, many people from nearby villages had made similar jokes. But in the end, they waited in vain and became the laughingstock of other villages.
Old Jack quickly added, "Even if you don't believe him, you should trust this noble lord and lady beside me!"
"This noble lord came directly from Tian Dou City, carrying His Majesty's imperial decree!"
Ning Tianchen's attire and demeanor were indistinguishable from those of a noble.
The old women were first astonished, then burst into tears of joy. "My son and daughter-in-law can finally come back!"
With that, they ran back into the village to spread the news of the pardon.
Old Jack gazed at the state of the village, his eyes brimming with tears. "It's wonderful—the village we once knew is returning."
With the charge of treason lifted, the village would no longer face discrimination.
Once the villagers who had been taken away returned, the farmland could be cultivated again, and there would be no fear of it being seized by outsiders.
Ning Tianchen gently patted Old Jack's shoulder. "His Majesty's grace is vast. I hope you all live peacefully here from now on and avoid causing trouble again."
"Additionally, if Tang San or his father appears near the village, report it to the city lord's office immediately. For your safety, be discreet in your actions."
Ning Tianchen hadn't mentioned Tang Hao's death to anyone, intending to give Tang San a surprise later. Naturally, he wouldn't let it slip now.
Although Old Jack hadn't verbally cursed the father and son who had brought ruin to Holy Spirit Village, he deeply regretted his past actions.
Hearing Ning Tianchen's words, he didn't dare hesitate and quickly agreed.
Next, under Old Jack's guidance, Ning Tianchen and the others visited the blacksmith shop where Tang San and his father once lived.
Due to the treason charges, soldiers from the Tian Dou Empire had searched the place multiple times, and the villagers' resentment had turned it into a garbage dump. The blacksmith shop now reeked and lay in ruins.
Old Jack awkwardly explained, "Everyone harbors resentment toward them, so they've treated this place like a trash heap."
"If Your Lordship wishes to investigate further, I'll arrange for people to clean it up immediately."
Ning Tianchen shook his head. "No need—it's just a casual look."
With that, he and Ning Rongrong stood in front of the blacksmith shop and handed the soul-guidance camera to Wang Meng, asking him to take photos as souvenirs.
The concept of the soul-guidance camera was naturally proposed by Ning Tianchen.
However, due to limitations in technology and materials, they currently only had this one camera.
Moreover, this camera could only record images and couldn't print photos. Once they returned, an artist would need to hand-draw the scenes captured in the camera.
This journey was part of Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong's plan to document famous landmarks and places they had once visited across the continent.
After taking the photos, their trip to Nuoding City was nearing its end.
However, the two didn't rush to leave and instead stayed in Holy Spirit Village for a few more days.
Wang Meng, eager to befriend them, attended to their needs tirelessly during this time.
Soon, the first batch of conscripted villagers began returning to the village.
They weren't the main offenders and hadn't faced malicious mistreatment during their labor service.
Aside from being thinner, they hadn't developed any lasting ailments.
Through these days of observation, Ning Tianchen gradually understood Wang Meng's character.
He was an ambitious young man whose talents in commerce were constrained by his limited opportunities.
However, when managing his own business, he never complained about earning less and instead found joy in his work.
With his integrity, temperament, and abilities all passing muster, Ning Tianchen decided to give him more responsibility.
…
Before leaving Holy Spirit Village, Ning Tianchen gathered all the villagers and took a group photo.
Later, after the photo was hand-drawn, it would be gifted to Holy Spirit Village as a keepsake.
Looking at the simple smiles on the villagers' faces, Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong felt their journey had been worthwhile.
After leaving Holy Spirit Village, Wang Meng enthusiastically invited Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong to visit his home.
Ning Tianchen chuckled and teased, "We're not heading to our deaths—you'll have plenty of chances to meet us later. No need to be in such a hurry, right?"
Wang Meng scratched his head and gave an awkward smile. "It's just that my father—"
Before he could finish, Ning Tianchen handed him an envelope. "You've performed well, so I've written you a letter of recommendation. Take a look—if you want to go, you can set off anytime. If you don't wish to, I won't force you."
Receiving the letter, Wang Meng curiously opened it.
The contents: a recommendation for him to serve as vice president in either the Seven Treasures Merchants Guild or the Tianjian Merchants Guild, or even both simultaneously.
The letter was signed by Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong, along with the official seals of the two organizations.
"Could it be that Lord Ning is the young master of the sect?" Wang Meng suddenly looked up.
By then, Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong's figures had already vanished from sight.
Wang Meng smiled, glanced at the letter in his hand, and couldn't hide the joy on his face.
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