"The hearts of the people in this world... have ultimately been marinated in that vat."

---

The atmosphere in the main hall of the General's Mansion was as solemn as the silence before a storm. The air still lingered with the pungent smell of cheap incense from Mrs. Wang's house across the street, and the shocking news of the Palace Guards' absurd report about the entire imperial city and even the prefectures and counties being gripped by a "pickle jar frenzy" had left a lasting impression.

Su Li rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling his head buzzing. "This is crazy...this is all crazy! The rice jar was smashed to provide for the pickle jar? The county magistrate placed the official seal in front of the pickle jar to work? This...how can we live like this?!"

Xiao Jue sat upright at the head of the table, Gui Hong ruler resting flat on his knees, the ruler's body cool, trying to suppress the equally turbulent silence within him. Ling Bao was held against his chest with a soft sling. The little girl seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere in the hall and fell silent for a rare moment. She simply stared around curiously with her big, dark eyes, her little mouth unconsciously sucking on her thumb.

Chenbao Su Chen sat on a specially designed high chair, clutching his abacus. His face was tense, and the beads clashed silently at an almost frantic pace, a golden light swirling around him. He was clearly engaged in extremely intense calculations. He was building a model, an emergency model of "resource misallocation and social disorder caused by irrational worship."

Second child Su Heng sat in his own padded "President's Throne" (an oversized high chair), clutching his beloved gold pacifier, his face puffed up. He'd just learned that because he'd used the pacifier to test those "fake auspicious signs" yesterday, many people were now asking the "Pacifier President" to do an "orderliness certification" for their pickle jars! His pacifier was for drinking milk and maintaining order in the gold bank! Not for testing the jars! Bad guys! All bad guys! He angrily sucked hard on the pacifier, making a loud "smacking" sound.

Third Treasure Su Yu squatted in the corner of the hall, watching over his cloud boat model, which had been urgently dried by Luo, but the rainbow light was still a little dim. His mouth was pouting, his eyes were red, and he was still aggrieved about his "shipwreck." Luo coaxed him softly, promising to make him some new rainbow cookies.

"We must stop it! Now! Immediately!" Su Li said decisively, slamming his palm on the table, causing the teacup to jump. "If we continue like this, the fields will become barren, the shops will close, and the government will cease to function! We won't have to wait for the four countries to attack us; we'll be pickled in the pickle jar ourselves!"

"How do we contain it?" Xiao Jue's voice was calm, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Send troops to confiscate it? Seal off the shrine? Force the people to smash the jar?" He shook his head slowly. "Public sentiment flows like water; it's better to channel it than to block it. Forcible suppression will only reinforce the 'divinity' of the 'Auspicious Jar', triggering a greater backlash and even allowing those with ulterior motives to incite unrest."

The hall fell silent. This was indeed a dead end. Once faith (even an absurd one) was formed, its power often surpassed that of weapons.

At this moment, the abacus beads in Chenbao Su Chen's arms, which had been jumping wildly, suddenly stopped! All the golden light converged and gathered on the beads in the center, forming a small, stable golden light point.

"Got it!" Chen Bao's clear voice broke the silence, with the certainty of a completed calculation, "It's better to open up than to block. Turn disorder into order! Establish an official certification and management system!"

Swish! Everyone's eyes instantly focused on this little guy.

"Go on!" Su Li's eyes lit up.

Chen Bao's little hand gently moved on the abacus, and a soft golden light was projected into the air, forming a clear frame picture:

**[Draft Regulations on the Special Protection and Management of Pickled Vegetable Jars at the General's Mansion and the Establishment Plan of the 'Pickled Vegetable Jar Protection Association']**

**Core Principles:** While the existence of pickle jars is legitimate (after all, they still need to be pickled), their "divinity" must be stripped away and brought under standardized management. Transform frenzy into order, and burden into (potential) benefit.

**Article 1: Definition and Classification.** All pickle jars will be strictly registered and classified according to their use, material, age, and origin (whether or not they are related to the General's Mansion's C-shaped jar, No. 7). Categories will be established, such as "Civilian Pickle Jar," "Craft Collection Jar," and "Vars Suspected of Auspicious Auspiciousness (Special Approval Required)." Any jar claiming or implying supernatural powers such as "prophecy" or "blessing" is strictly prohibited! Violators will have their jar registration revoked and be forced to return to the furnace.

**Article 2: Official Certification. **The "Pickled Vegetable Jar Protection Association" is established, affiliated with the Pacifier Gold Shop (because His Majesty Erbao possesses the only legal "Order Vitality" testing capability). The Association's sole function: to test and certify pickled vegetable jars claimed by the public to possess "special energies" or "auspicious signs." **The only designated testing tool: His Majesty Hengbao's golden pacifier (Order Vitality Testing Mode)! **The test results (orderliness, energy properties, and auspicious relevance) are generated and notarized by the Chenbao Abacus and are authoritative. **Certification fee: One hundred rainbow candies (or equivalent) per certification. **

Su Li and Xiao Juejue glanced at each other, their eyes flashing with admiration. Brilliant! Truly brilliant! Cutting the cauldron's fire! Don't you admire it? Don't you want to test it? Fine! We'll officially test it for you! For a fee! Let the data speak for itself! Completely de-mythologize "miracles" and turn them into a clearly priced testing service! And it'll even generate revenue for the Pacifier Gold Shop!

When Su Heng, the second child, heard that his pacifier had become the "only designated tool" and that he had to collect candies, his little ears immediately perked up, his eyes sparkled, and all the grievances he had just felt disappeared. He nodded vigorously: "Yes! Test the tank! Collect candies!" It was as if he saw a small mountain of rainbow candies.

Chen Bao continued to explain:

Article 3: Circulation and Restrictions. A "pickled vegetable jar trading permit" system will be established. All transfers, sales, and leases of jar registrations (such as those at Liuji Rice Shop) must be reported to the association and subject to a transaction tax (5% of the transaction value, payable in Rainbow Candy). Speculation and price gouging of "auspicious jars" is strictly prohibited! Violators will be severely punished (confiscation of the jar and a fine of ten times the transaction value in Rainbow Candy).

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