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In this Spirit Hall, Wang Chen encountered the last person he ever wanted to see. He had anticipated it and prepared himself, yet when the moment came, he still couldn't accept it.
Damn it!
You've already got a harem, and now you're trying to take away the one he holds dearest in his heart? Is there no justice, no law left in this world?
"Your Majesty, you've returned." Calming his emotions, Wang Chen respectfully greeted.
"Shall we go inside for a chat, Tang Brother? It's been a long time since we last met. We should catch up." Xue Qinghe completely ignored Wang Chen's hopeful expression and instead extended an invitation to Tang San.
"I am the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall and also the Silver-Blue Earl of the Tian Dou Empire. With such an invitation from Your Majesty, it would be inappropriate to refuse." Given the presence of others, Tang San addressed Xue Qinghe with more formality.
Xue Qinghe nodded slightly and instructed Wang Chen, "Prepare some late-night snacks. I plan to have a candlelit conversation with Tang Brother until dawn and seek his wisdom."
"Wisdom?"
Wang Chen's thoughts immediately veered off course, but he still obeyed respectfully. He believed that with his sincerity, he could definitely win over Qian Renxue and make her understand his feelings.
As the saying goes, with utmost sincerity, even gold and stone will yield.
Tang San, on the other hand, was nothing but a womanizer.
Whereas he, Wang Chen, was loyal—out of the vast ocean, he sought only one drop of water. He was the epitome of devotion.
Watching their departing figures, Tang San couldn't help but think of a certain upright, dark-skinned goat...
"Tang Brother, how should I bring the New Tian Dou Federation under control?" In the room, Xue Qinghe personally poured tea for Tang San and Gu Yuena, broaching the subject.
"You know that I don't get involved in conflicts between the nations of the continent. Besides, for you, this should be a personal matter." Tang San tactfully declined. "Even when I proposed the Enfeoffment Decree, it was just theory on paper. The actual execution is up to you."
"What I need is precisely your theoretical guidance." Xue Qinghe's eyes gleamed with intensity, like a woman ogling a handsome man.
Tang San asked, "Couldn't Wang Chen provide you with this advice as well?"
"Him?" Xue Qinghe sneered. "When he was younger, his head was full of clever ideas, but none of them were of any use to me at the time... Now, to borrow your words, his thinking has become rigid, and his brain is filled with mush."
The environment truly shapes a person. Raised from childhood by Xue Qinghe using methods akin to "breaking a hawk," no matter how talented a transmigrator might be, they'd eventually forget their gifts during that period of growth.
Such was the case with Wang Chen. After enduring countless setbacks, no matter how much resentment he held inside, he had developed a passive reflex, much like the forgotten talent of Fang Zhongyong.
"That's not entirely fair," Tang San mused. "Considering what Wang Chen has managed to accomplish, it's not bad at all. Haven't other transmigrators met their end much earlier?"
However—
"It's actually quite simple to take down the New Tian Dou Federation."
"The Federation was formed because you aimed to eliminate the old noble forces within the empire, causing the nobility from various kingdoms to band together. However, this alliance is not truly stable."
"They can't achieve real unity. During the siege of Haohai City against the Sun and Moon Empire's army, although Xue Beng's forces were the largest in number, they were also the most poorly coordinated."
"If you launched a direct attack, the Tian Dou Empire could easily crush the New Tian Dou Federation. However, doing so would cause significant internal damage and might give the Star Luo Empire an opportunity to strike, right?"
Xue Qinghe nodded. To her, the New Tian Dou Federation wasn't much of a threat; the only issue was that the Star Luo Empire might seize the opportunity to mobilize.
In addition to that, the entrance of the Sun and Moon Empire into the fray forced her to consider external factors.
Then there was the matter of soul tools research, now out in the open. All the nations were developing them, making it so that no one dared act recklessly. Instead, they sent spies to conduct deeper investigations.
At this point, the Tian Dou, New Tian Dou, Star Luo, and Spirit Hall all had spies infiltrating one another. The only advantage Spirit Hall had was that their spies were easier to root out.
Thanks to the Blue Silver Domain, any activity conducted by these spies was essentially happening right under Tang San's watchful eye.
"The reason those kingdoms rallied behind Xue Beng is because he's a direct descendant of Emperor Xue Ye. The legitimacy of his bloodline is something they care about deeply."
"If they were to elect their own king to lead the Federation, that would be outright rebellion."
"Reputation is crucial—especially in this era where information spreads quickly."
In the past, when there was turmoil in the royal family, commoners didn't know, and thus didn't care.
But now, with the rise of public opinion and easily spread propaganda, it's easy to stir emotions. People's natural inclination to spectate can drive large groups to promote their own idea of 'justice.'
Although true "keyboard warriors" hadn't yet appeared on the Douluo Continent, the development of soul tools, the reduced cost of newspapers, soul tool photography, and the establishment of Spirit Hall's enlightenment academies across villages and towns—all these factors had contributed to spreading new ideas and higher-yield crops, allowing the populace not only to fill their bellies but also to cultivate a thirst for literacy. This enabled them to learn things they otherwise wouldn't know, and then openly or secretly express their opinions.
Even though the New Tian Dou Federation had now "closed off" its borders, restricting the movement of its citizens, there were still many insightful individuals within spreading news from the outside world.
"So you're saying that we should ruin their reputation, to the point where the people across the entire continent reach a consensus, right?"
Xue Qinghe's eyes lit up. "Those nobles already have a poor reputation, and their alliance is far from solid. A little bit of manipulation could cause them to fall apart."
"But how exactly should we go about it?"
Tang San stretched lazily and said slowly, "That, I don't know. All I can say is that they've united to resist your reforms and to preserve their hereditary privileges, honors, and wealth."
With that hint, Xue Qinghe naturally understood what to do—find a few key kings, promise them hereditary rights, and perhaps approach each king individually. Surely, there would be at least one fool who would believe the offer.
She didn't expect them to collapse immediately, but once conflict arose, it could easily be magnified. Even if they realized it was a ruse, once a seed of doubt was planted, even if uprooted, it would leave a hole that could never be fully repaired.
Gu Yuena quietly watched Tang San and Xue Qinghe, smiling to herself. She pursed her lips in disdain, thinking, Humans are truly wicked, resorting to so many schemes... The relationships between them are so complicated, I feel like I'm being assimilated. If I return to my true form in the future, I'd certainly never want to live deep in the mountains again.
"But for now, considering my connection with Tang San, if I wanted to let things slide and help the soul beasts relocate, it wouldn't be impossible."
"Too bad, neither Tang San nor I would allow such a thing..."
(End of Chapter)