Chapter 487: Suggestion to Qian Renxue: The "Edict of Grace"

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Why does Bibi Dong hold such a low opinion of the new Tian Dou Federation?

The reason is simple.

The federation split from the Tian Dou Empire, and in a sense, it was like carving a piece of flesh from her daughter. Despite her complicated feelings toward her daughter, the bond of blood still exists, causing her to instinctively dislike Xue Beng.

Moreover, the new Tian Dou Federation was formed from several kingdoms within the former Tian Dou territory. Xue Beng was merely chosen to lead, but he holds no real power.

Although the federation's military strength isn't weak, it only rivals the other three major powers in numbers. In other aspects, whether it's the unity of the army or the strength of individual experts, it falls behind.

They do have a titled Douluo: Dugu Bo.

However, Dugu Bo doesn't fully belong to the Tian Dou Federation. He only protects Xue Xing's safety and doesn't take orders from Xue Beng.

As a result, among those present, Xue Beng's opinions were the least significant.

After the detailed rules for the preliminary matches were established, Emperor Xingluo and Xue Beng left in succession, leaving only Bibi Dong, Emperor Qinghe, and Tang San in the Pope's Palace.

Xue Qinghe glanced at Tang San, then at Bibi Dong, and asked, "Is Tang San not leaving?"

"He's one of us," Bibi Dong replied with a faint smile. She then said coldly, "You're truly incompetent to let Xue Beng split Heaven Dou!"

"Hmph! I didn't expect the rulers of those kingdoms to be so decisive!" Xue Qinghe's voice suddenly turned into a clear female tone. The golden short hair beneath the crown quietly lengthened, cascading down her back, and her figure became more graceful. "The situation in Tian Dou is different from Xingluo. There are far too many kingdoms under its rule. On the surface, they appear loyal to Heaven Dou, but secretly, they possess considerable autonomy."

"Change won't happen overnight. You're rushing it," Tang San suddenly interjected. "The imperial examination idea is good, but it's too ahead of its time. The intricate network of interests among the nobles alone will leave you overwhelmed. You're only able to push forward because of Tian Dou's strong foundation."

In truth, if this were a world without extraordinary powers, Qian Renxue's sudden attempt to replace the recommendation system with an imperial examination could have easily led to her demise during a leisurely boat trip within the same year.

But this is the Douluo Continent, where extraordinary powers exist and soul power is extremely formidable. Without that, the Tian Dou Empire wouldn't have just split; Xue Beng would've been deposed by the lords of those small kingdoms, leading a group of ministers to force Xue Qinghe off the throne.

"Tang San, tell me, what should I do?" Qian Renxue didn't mind Tang San knowing her identity. After all, in a moment of carelessness, she'd revealed her female identity to him before, due to the connection between their martial souls. Since Bibi Dong had said Tang San was 'one of them,' she felt she could trust him completely.

"You should start by dividing the power among the smaller kingdoms," Tang San said casually.

"How do I divide it?" Qian Renxue asked, intrigued.

"Before Tian Dou split, the various kingdoms within its borders followed a hereditary system, correct?" Tang San asked.

"Yes, their sons inherit the throne," Qian Renxue nodded. "What's your point?"

"So, do these rulers only have one son?"

"Of course not."

"If they have multiple sons, who inherits the throne?"

"The eldest legitimate son, naturally."

Qian Renxue answered without hesitation, then suddenly realized, "You mean I can win over those sons who can't inherit the throne? But how? They're not strong enough to win the succession in the first place, so what use would they be if I recruited them?"

Tang San said slowly, "You don't need to spend a fortune to win them over. You just need to issue one decree—the 'Edict of Grace.'"

Qian Renxue was taken aback and quickly asked, "What does 'grace' mean in this context?"

"Simply put," Tang San explained, "you tell the rulers of the kingdoms within the Tian Dou Empire that, from now on, their territories can be divided among their other children, not just the eldest. After all, those children are their flesh and blood too. They wouldn't leave them with nothing, right?" Tang San continued, making it even clearer. "When common people divide their family assets—furniture, homes, land—it's expected to be divided fairly, though usually, the eldest son gets more, while the other children get less."

Qian Renxue's mind buzzed as she quickly processed this—

With this decree, the kingdoms would inevitably break apart, and as their territories shrink, they would become easier to control.

Moreover, it was an open and obvious strategy. As long as she issued this decree and promoted it widely, even if the rulers saw through it, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Their children, even if aware of the situation, would still likely be tempted by the immediate benefits and wouldn't be willing to give them up to their siblings.

In the end, whether the kingdoms chose to have the eldest son inherit everything or divided the territories among all children, it would work to her advantage in unifying the empire.

If the eldest son inherited, the other children—unable to inherit—would naturally resent their fathers and brothers, and would side with her, Emperor Qinghe. If all the children inherited a portion, the kingdoms would fragment, making future management much easier.

The best part was that after issuing this decree, no one could speak ill of her. After all, she was doing it for the sake of familial love between the rulers and their children!

The Edict of Grace! What a brilliant plan!

The more Qian Renxue looked at Tang San, the more she admired him. Such talent—how she wished she could have him by her side.

"Excellent plan!"

"This can even be applied to the current situation in Tian Dou. After all, some smaller kingdoms and city lords are only paying lip service to me."

Bibi Dong sneered, "You've been an emperor for so long, yet you see less clearly than Tang San. Truly useless."

Qian Renxue immediately bristled. "If you hadn't acted first, I would've been the one to win over Tang San and unify the continent!"

Bibi Dong chuckled. "Tang San came to me of his own accord, and he only joined the Spirit Hall to help me conquer the continent. You can only blame yourself for not being as skilled."

Qian Renxue spat, "Shameless old woman!"

"..."

Seeing the mother and daughter suddenly start bickering, Tang San, after proposing the Edict of Grace, pretended to be mute and zoned out, until Qian Renxue woke him from his daze, asking, "Tang San, what should I do next?"

"Apologies, Your Majesty Qinghe, I don't know much about politics," Tang San replied. "Everything I said earlier was just theoretical. As a soul master researcher, my real expertise lies in research."

"..." Qian Renxue fell silent for a moment, then asked, "What level has your soul power reached? My... sister mentioned that you've already attained the rank of Titled Douluo?"

"Ninety-ninth level," Tang San answered truthfully, displaying his nine soul rings. The first eight were all golden, each with unique patterns, while the final one appeared as if it was forged from the galaxy itself, with the entire starry sky imprinted within it—dazzling, mystical, and utterly captivating.

With just one glance, Qian Renxue seemed to be mesmerized—

(End of Chapter)