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If Glass had set Mengshan County town abuzz, then the imperial decree sent it boiling like a cauldron of water.

On the day the decree was received, County Magistrate Shen Yi led the yamen clerks, joining Rong Xi, Hu Yulin, and Jiang Weiping to hear it read. The occasion was immensely grand.

From the gray-haired elderly to children with hair still hanging in braids, everyone in Mengshan County town knew Rong Xi's name.

In the decree, the Emperor lavishly praised the Rong Clan's son and bestowed quantities of gold and silk upon him. Never mind the amount of money and cloth—receiving praise from the Emperor's own golden mouth was already an immense honor.

Linxi had produced a Minister Rong, and now Minister Rong's legitimate son was outstanding as well!

What did it matter if he was a commoner? What did it matter if he was an artisan? The Rong Clan's son, along with Hu and Jiang, had all received His Majesty's commendation. What glory was this?

Hu Yunde knelt amid the crowd, tears of excitement streaming down his face. Though his son could not enter office through the imperial examinations, when one path darkened, another brightened. Even as a merchant, he could receive a reward from the Son of Heaven.

To achieve this much was already the very pinnacle. All of it was thanks to Eldest Brother Rong!

Rong Xi accepted the imperial decree with remarkable calm. Though his proposal had not been approved, if this matter spread across the land, there would surely be capable people and extraordinary talents who devoted themselves to invention for the sake of glory.

Moreover, with Qin Ke's help in securing the Emperor's approval, the Qingzhou Military Iron Bureau could grant him broader authority and increase the amount of iron ore he could purchase.