Chapter 85: Qian Renxue’s Relief!

As soon as Dan Heng returned home and discussed his work with Gu Yuena, there was a knock at the door.

Turning around, he saw Zhu Zhuqing walking over to answer it.

Outside stood "Xue Qinghe," carrying some ingredients and a slab of pork ribs.

"Mr. Dan Heng, I came uninvited. I hope I'm not intruding..."

"Xue Qinghe" gave an embarrassed smile.

Here, she could taste the flavors of her mother's cooking and truly relax, both in body and mind.

Ever since leaving the palace, her mind had been filled with thoughts of this place.

And so, as if compelled by some unseen force, she had come.

Dan Heng nodded slightly. Since she had already arrived, bringing ingredients no less, there was no reason to turn her away.

Zi Ji quickly approached "Xue Qinghe," snatched away the pork ribs, licked her lips, and eagerly looked at Dan Heng.

"Brother-in-law, let's have pork ribs tonight!"

Dan Heng nodded slightly. Since the ingredients were here, it would make for a good meal.

Even though the household was full of women besides himself, Gu Yuena and Zi Ji had enormous appetites.

Even four or five ordinary men might not be able to out-eat the two of them.

"I'll help you, Brother-in-law!" Zi Ji grinned.

Ever since experiencing that so-called "feast" in Star Luo City, she had come to appreciate Dan Heng's cooking even more.

Dan Heng gave a small "hmm" in acknowledgment and led her to the kitchen.

"Xue Qinghe" was about to follow when Gu Yuena spoke up:

"Your Highness has a noble status; perhaps it would be best not to step into the kitchen."

"Xue Qinghe" raised a hand to object, but a single glance from Gu Yuena extinguished that thought.

As she looked at Gu Yuena's breathtaking beauty, "Xue Qinghe" felt a strange sense of threat rise in her heart.

She was utterly confused—why would such a stunning woman make her feel this way?

Without fully understanding why, she followed Gu Yuena to the main hall.

Now, only the two of them remained.

Gu Yuena scrutinized "Xue Qinghe" from head to toe. She knew the other was a woman, and given various clues, she strongly suspected she was from the Spirit Hall.

But she hadn't yet decided how to use this secret to her advantage.

"Your Highness, my husband has a reserved nature. He dislikes drawing attention and is often taken advantage of, with his achievements being stolen by others… He may not care about such things, but as his wife, I cannot stand by and let him be treated this way."

"Your Highness, do you understand a wife's concerns?" Gu Yuena sighed.

"Xue Qinghe" was momentarily taken aback.

She had assumed that Dan Heng and his household were indifferent to fame and fortune.

But now, it seemed Gu Yuena was unwilling to let Dan Heng simply be an anonymous figure.

She nodded solemnly.

"I will always remember Mr. Dan Heng's contributions. If he ever wishes to enter government service, I will do my best to recommend him…"

Gu Yuena nodded slightly and continued speaking with her for a while longer.

Before long, she reminded "Xue Qinghe" not to mention any of this to Dan Heng.

Not long after, dinner was ready, and the dishes were brought to the table.

The steaming, aromatic feast was laid out before them.

Gu Yuena and Zi Ji moved swiftly, their chopsticks flashing like afterimages.

"Mr. Dan Heng, how do you think the Heaven Dou Empire should handle this situation?"

"Xue Qinghe" asked while gnawing on a rib, her words slightly muffled.

Although she doubted there was a better way, she figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Dan Heng thought for a moment and quickly came up with an idea.

But if he voiced it, would that draw unwanted attention to himself?

With this in mind, he decided to keep quiet.

"Xue Qinghe" had been closely watching Dan Heng's expression and immediately noticed his hesitation.

"Mr. Dan Heng, don't worry. Speak freely. At the very least, in exchange for these ribs, I promise I won't reveal your ideas. To be honest… I was actually hoping to take credit for your achievements myself."

"Xue Qinghe" laughed awkwardly.

In reality, she and Prince Xue Xing had already been doing just that.

Now, she was even coming to his home for free meals—she couldn't help feeling a little guilty.

Dan Heng nodded slightly.

"In that case, go ahead and take credit. Don't mention me at all. If you do that, I can provide you with some advice…"

"Xue Qinghe" quickly nodded.

"Rest assured, Mr. Dan Heng! I'll definitely keep my word! So, what insights do you have?"

She had spent all of last night racking her brain for a solution, but every idea she came up with had flaws.

She needed to strike the perfect balance—fulfilling the Heaven Dou Empire's goals without overly damaging the Spirit Hall's interests.

Unfortunately, she had yet to find a way to do both.

Dan Heng fell silent for a moment before speaking:

"The Heaven Dou Empire doesn't want to completely break with the Spirit Hall, nor does it want to provoke a backlash from the nobility… So, address the problem at its root. Wrap your intentions in the guise of generosity… The 'Tui En Ling' decree."

"Instead of having noble families' territories pass solely to their eldest sons, decree that they be divided among all the noble heirs—the eldest, the second, and even the third sons."

"As the lands are divided further and further, the empire will have more opportunities to intervene and influence them."

Dan Heng spoke in a casual tone, as if the plan required no thought at all.

At first, "Xue Qinghe" didn't understand why he suggested such a policy.

But soon, she realized the terrifying implications of this scheme!

When nobles only had control over a single county—or even just a single village—wouldn't they be at the empire's mercy?

At that point, through coercion or persuasion, those small lords would willingly surrender their lands.

And throughout the process, the Heaven Dou Empire—acting as an arbitrator—could gradually reduce the influence of the Spirit Hall!

She abruptly stood up, staring at Dan Heng in disbelief.

"Mr. Dan Heng… You… You are truly a genius!"

The more she thought about it, the more she realized how terrifyingly effective this plan was.

It was an open stratagem—one that avoided the minefields of all three factions while perfectly achieving the Heaven Dou Empire's goals.

By the end of it all, the empire might reclaim all of its lost lands!

Shocked beyond words, "Xue Qinghe" even lost her appetite.

After finishing a single bowl of rice, she hurriedly excused herself and left.

That night, atop the walls of Heaven Dou City.

Two figures suddenly appeared, one clad in yellow, the other in black.

They were Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, dispatched from Spirit City to assassinate Dan Heng.

"Old Ghost, the people in that small town all say Dan Heng left with someone. If my guess is right, it must have been the Heaven Dou Crown Prince. That's going to be a tricky situation—we can't just reveal ourselves…"

Chrysanthemum Douluo glanced at Ghost Douluo meaningfully.

Ghost Douluo, shrouded in black mist, was completely unrecognizable.

A hoarse voice emerged from the darkness.

"I understand. I'll track him…"

"Then I'll leave it to you. Hahaha! In the meantime, I'd like to go admire some lovely flowers."

Chrysanthemum Douluo's eerie laughter echoed through the night as he spoke of flowers with an almost obsessive fondness.

He hardly seemed human—more like some deranged fanatic.

Neither of them knew "Xue Qinghe's" true identity.

[T/N: Shouldn't they know about it]

With a flicker of movement, they split off in different directions, vanishing into the night.

(End of Chapter)