Strictly speaking, the Danshu Tiejuan (Iron Scroll of Imperial Pardon) was not as potent as people often imagined, as if possessing one granted license to commit villainy without consequence. In reality, the Danshu Tiejuan was quite common in ancient times; after the Sui and Tang dynasties, issuing iron scrolls became standard practice.

Meritorious founding officials, ministers who aided in the restoration of the dynasty, and leaders of ethnic minorities were all bestowed with them, as were favored eunuchs. During the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the bestowal of these iron scrolls became increasingly standardized.

In summary, the Danshu Tiejuan was merely an award and token bestowed by the emperor upon his subordinates. While it might confer certain privileges, it did not extend beyond the scope of demonstrating virtue and righteousness, guiding public morality—its meaning was fundamentally similar to modern medals or decorations.

Of course, there were exceedingly rare Danshu Tiejuan that promised immunity from death or criminal punishment. From the Han Dynasty right up to the Qing, the number of people holding such pardoning scrolls could be counted on one's fingers.

Furthermore, the extent of immunity from death or prosecution was strictly limited; it was absolutely not as rampant as commonly imagined. For instance, King Qian Liu of Wuyue during the late Tang period, before establishing his kingdom, was granted a Danshu Tiejuan for meritorious service in helping the imperial court suppress rebels—a pardon for nine deaths for himself and three for his descendants.

However, considering the waning influence of the late Tang court, this particular scroll was likely more symbolic than substantive. It is worth noting that initially, the iron scrolls were kept separately.

A piece of cylindrical tile-shaped iron was inscribed with gold characters and then split down the middle; the left portion (Zuoquan) was given to the recipient for safekeeping, while the right portion (Youquan) was stored in the imperial archives or ancestral temples. In extraordinary circumstances, the two halves were brought together to verify authenticity and prevent forgery.

By the late Tang Dynasty, however, the practice of separating the scrolls had changed; the cylindrical tile shape evolved into an overlapping tile shape, and they were no longer stored separately. Therefore, it could be determined that the half Danshu Tiejuan in Wang Guan's possession might predate the Tang era.

"A pity it's only half," Wang Guan admired it for a moment, then couldn't help shaking his head with a sigh. Human nature dictated a desire for more—the snake swallowing the elephant, wishing for the land beyond Longxi.

Moreover, it was a natural, unavoidable reaction to want to complete something that was inherently incomplete. "Next time that person comes, subtly probe him to see if he has the other half," After sighing, Wang Guan composed himself and said casually, "It would be wonderful if he does, but if not, we can't force it.

These characters are somewhat peculiar; I'll take it back to consult with Old Qian." Cao Xiang readily agreed and quickly fetched a box to carefully place the half Danshu Tiejuan inside. Wang Guan then stayed at the shop for another half hour, chatting with Cao Xiang about recent trends in the antiques market and general business conditions before driving away.

Shortly after, Wang Guan returned to the grand residence, where Old Qian was having tea and a chat with Gao Dequan. "You're back," Seeing Wang Guan, Old Qian immediately waved and smiled, "The results of the traveling exhibition negotiations are in; you should hear about it." "So fast?" Wang Guan sounded surprised.

"Didn't they just start discussions yesterday? You have results already?" "They wanted to strike while the iron was hot, so they certainly wouldn't delay," Gao Dequan chuckled.

"Besides, the initiative was in our hands, and our conditions weren't overly harsh; they had no reason to refuse." Wang Guan realized the logic immediately. After all, the primary goal of the traveling exhibition of cultural treasures was not profit—at least not for Wang Guan and his associates, so they hadn't haggled over details.

Seeing such lenient terms, those people didn't intend to drag their feet. Modern society moves at an alarming pace, and no one knew how long the excitement surrounding the treasures would last; the sooner the exhibition started, the better.

Otherwise, if some major event diverted public attention, it would undermine the plan to "promote the culture of national treasures." Wang Guan offered no specific opinion on this. Once he decided to display the numerous treasures publicly, he knew it was inevitable that they would become swept up in the tide of popular culture, much like the Jiaowei Qin (Pitched-Tail Zither), which was currently on display abroad and had not yet returned to his possession.

This batch of treasures would likely follow a similar path, requiring a long period of exhibitions before they could be returned to the museum. Furthermore, Wang Guan soon lost interest in these commercial details after listening for a couple of minutes.

He casually opened the brocade box he had brought back and continued studying the half Danshu Tiejuan, which immediately drew the attention of both Old Qian and Gao Dequan. "What is this?" Old Qian squinted slightly, and after a brief examination, he exclaimed in surprise, "A Danshu Tiejuan?" The half scroll had been carefully wiped clean, leaving only faint mottled traces on the surface, allowing Old Qian to easily identify the object.

After one look, Old Qian became intrigued. "Did you acquire this from the shop?" Knowing where Wang Guan had been, it was easy to guess the item's origin.

But the method of acquisition was less important than the provenance of the Danshu Tiejuan itself. "Please take a look, Elder Qian." Wang Guan handed the object over, adding with regret, "It's only half..." "Having half is quite good," Gao Dequan leaned in to examine it, chuckling at the remark.

"You must realize that although many such items existed in antiquity, few have survived. Moreover, having only half suggests it is quite ancient..." "Age isn't the key point; the content written on the scroll is," Wang Guan frowned.

"The characters on the surface have faded too severely; they are too vague to discern the content." "There’s no helping that," Gao Dequan explained. "The characters were filled with gold powder, not inlaid with gold, so they are bound to flake off easily." "So much for being a 'Danshu Tiejuan'; they were actually quite stingy..." Wang Guan expressed his disdain.

"Heh heh, this is a Danshu Tiejuan, not the death-exemption token from novels and historical dramas," Gao Dequan laughed. "Just having the characters gilded is pretty good; some dynasties even used silver." This was understandable; during times of chaos, smaller regimes clinging to power often lacked the strength to do more than apply silver lettering to their scrolls.

However, because the dynasty itself was weak, it was often extinguished within a few years, rendering those scrolls useless. Regardless of the reason, the nature of the Danshu Tiejuan dictated that it would perish with the nation.

The emperor’s original intention in bestowing them was threefold: first, to reward meritorious officials and stabilize the populace; second, to establish role models encouraging others to strive for similar achievements; and third, to ensure that the honored recipients of privilege would step forward when the state faced a crisis... The first two points were plausible enough, but as for the third...

it seemed that when the nation was in peril, the first to retreat were often the nobility. It couldn't be helped; this was true in all eras.

Privilege breeds corruption. Those accustomed to enjoying benefits often become societal parasites, incapable of taking meaningful action.

"The flaking gold powder isn't an issue," Old Qian smiled at this juncture. "Where gold was applied, traces will always remain.

We can redraw it later, and then we'll know the content." "Then I'll have to trouble you, Elder Qian," Wang Guan seized the opportunity, saying with a smile. "The characters appear to be in Seal Script (Zhuanshu); my Seal Script isn't strong enough, and I fear I might misinterpret the tracing." "I suspect it's not your Seal Script that's lacking, but your diligence," Gao Dequan teased.

"The museum matter is settled; you should be free now and ought to find something to occupy yourself with..." "Who says I'm idle?" Wang Guan quickly defended himself. "I've been making preparations all along." "What preparations?" Gao Dequan asked curiously.

"Preparations for the Taiwan trip," Wang Guan stated seriously, as he had not forgotten about the matter concerning Mr. Zhu.

"Elder Qian, after more than a month of investigation, are there any leads?" "...I have a vague idea," Old Qian hesitated before nodding lightly. "There is a general target, but I dare not confirm it, for fear of alerting the snake." "Really?" Wang Guan was a mixture of surprise and excitement.

"It's hard to say; I'm worried I might be wrong," Old Qian shook his head. "I originally planned for you to go over and investigate, but then I thought your profile was too high, so I had to instruct the people there to investigate indirectly, which slowed down the progress." "My profile is too high?" Wang Guan paused in confusion, then realized the implications.

It made sense; Mr. Zhu was no fool.

Since Wang Guan had repeatedly thwarted his schemes, Mr. Zhu must have noticed him by now.

Otherwise, there wouldn't have been that unexpected warning attack in Jiuquan. If Wang Guan traveled to Taiwan, given Mr.

Zhu's shrewdness, he would certainly disappear. Thinking this through, Wang Guan agreed with Old Qian's assessment.

He understood now that without realizing it, he had become an object of apprehension in others' eyes. He wasn't sure if he should feel honored or more honored—but surely, it must be an honor!

"Don't worry about this matter for now," Old Qian advised. "Do what you need to do, so they let their guard down..." "Understood." Wang Guan suddenly grasped the deeper meaning behind Old Qian starting the museum and even making the treasure exhibition a huge sensation.

Indeed, old ginger is the spiciest; it served multiple purposes brilliantly! "Also, don't hide behind the scenes anymore," At this point, Old Qian deliberated.

"Not everyone knows those treasures are your collection, so you don't need to be secretive. As the museum's vice director, you should openly participate in the exhibition activities.

It’s fine to let the reporters take a few photos. Setting aside other considerations, interacting more with peers in this field will benefit you." "Understood," Wang Guan considered it and immediately nodded.

"In that case, I will act as the representative of the Xiyi Museum and directly involve myself in the security arrangements for the traveling exhibition." "That's the best course of action," Gao Dequan immediately concurred. "After the Palace Museum, the next stop for the traveling exhibition is the provincial capital of Lu Province.

Since you are free now, why not take some people there tomorrow to check on their preparations?" "Agreed," Wang Guan accepted readily and, the very next morning, led his team directly to the land of Qi and Lu. As the fiefdoms of Jiang Ziya and the Duke of Zhou, and the hometown of Confucius, the cultural atmosphere here was undoubtedly profound...

This was stating the obvious, because in places rich in cultural and historical ambiance, there would naturally be many people interested in treasures. This was indeed the case; upon hearing that the next exhibition stop was here, advance tickets had already sold out.