Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

"Before you leave, I want to give you a gift." Lei Yingdong stroked the boy's head, feeling the boy's damp, cool body. Thinking about the plan he had been preparing for a long time, he couldn't help but bite his lip gently, feeling a little weak.

Please have mercy on me, sister.

Lei thought to himself.

Then she suppressed the slight tremor she felt from her fantasy, regained her usual aloofness, and said without looking up, "Come in."

Shen Liang wanted to get up quickly to greet her good friend, but Lei Yingdian pressed her down again. She could only turn her head over Lei Yingdian's white-stockinged thighs and wave, "Big Cannon~"

Lei Dian Guo Beng walked into the courtyard expressionlessly, without even glancing at Shen Liang, and bowed to Lei Yingdian with both hands.

"He's clearly a quiet type, but he tries to act cool in front of me." Shen Liang stuck out his tongue.

Lei Dian Guo Beng's eye twitched, and Shen Liang immediately glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

Normally, Lei Dapao would retaliate with annoyance and sarcasm after being exposed, or he would remain silent in front of Lei Shen, not daring to be presumptuous. But today, Shen Liang noticed that his attitude was neither of those. He still didn't look at Shen Liang, his expression remaining gloomy. Shen Liang, feeling awkward, curled his lip and ignored him.

The moment his gaze left, Lei Dian Guo Beng glanced at him with a complicated expression.

Looking at the white-haired beauty lazily dozing on Lei Dian's lap, Lei Dian Guo Beng didn't know what expression to use. In the end, he clenched his fist and forced himself to stop thinking about this: "General, the itinerary for His Highness Liang has been arranged. These are three plans put forward by Yuan Guo Feng Xing. Please take a look."

Raiden Kunikaku was also one of the shogunate's side servants. He was a puppet used by Raiden Kōsei for practice. Because he was a creation of the gods, he also had to take on the position of "side servant" who was very close to the gods.

To put it bluntly, a side servant is just a messenger that anyone can take on. There are more than thirty side servants in the castle tower alone. Sometimes a position is not needed for you, but rather you are given a task so that you are not idle.

Chapter Fifteen Liang'er: I Want to Sail a Big Ship!

Lei Film took the proposal and glanced at it briefly.

Although she doesn't usually handle administrative affairs, she has been following up on Shen Liang's matter. The plan adopted by the distant country only confirmed the route and time, as well as the negotiating units. The three plans are not much different; they are simply arriving by sea and land, by sea first and then by land, and by air.

"The Yuan Kingdom Envoy believes that we can draw troops from the Shogunate army to serve as Prince Ryo's guard. The current plan is to have one hundred people. After arriving in Liyue, they will live with Prince Ryo in the embassy. According to the 'International Land Agreement,' diplomatic embassies are an extension of territorial rights, and keeping troops in diplomatic embassies does not violate Liyue's laws," said Raiden Guobeng. "But it would be inconvenient if there were more people."

"Guardian? Guardian of the Demon God?" Lei Yingdong put down the plan, neither confirming nor denying. "What does Liang'er think?"

Shen Liang lazily lay on Lei Yingdian's lap and looked through the plan. "What's the point of having so many people? Aren't I going to study abroad? I'm not going to be a diplomat or a hostage. Where would I put so many people? Staying in the embassy is too troublesome and uncomfortable."

“Living in the embassy is essentially still living in Inazuma, and it doesn’t really help you see the new world,” Lei said seriously. “But I sincerely hope that you, Liang’er, can fully enjoy your youth in the unfamiliar Liyue Academy.”

This sentence startled Shen Liang, and Lei Dian Guo Beng looked at her incredulously, clearly puzzled by Lei Dian Guo Beng's abrupt statement.

“There’s no need to doubt it. Unlike my sister’s desire to train you, my wish has always been for you, Liang’er, to break free from Daoqi’s constraints and pursue the youthful spirit of a young person,” Lei Yingdong said calmly. “My strategy for raising you is different from Zhen’s. She wants you to be kind and wise, but I believe that is your future responsibility. At your current age, let alone an immortal demon god, even a human is just a child who has just entered adolescence. The tender spirit of a young man is what you should have.”

Shen Liang nodded indifferently. Ever since his identity was revealed, he had been constantly running outside the castle tower, trying out various things at the shops on Hanamizaka every day. He was already tired of the repetitive scenes in the deep palace that had been the same for over a decade. If Raiden or someone else were with him, it would be fine, but most of the time everyone had their own things to do, so Shen Liang could only idly soak in the hot springs of the castle tower, only to be mocked by Torachiyo for being such a refined young lady.

Isn't he a proper young lady? Even the noble girls of Inazuma aren't as sheltered from the world as he is. When the adults aren't around, he either soaks in hot springs, practices his naginata, or reads random books that come in by lamplight. Raiden seems to really want to raise him into some kind of pure and noble crown prince, but she's never raised a child before. Shen Liang feels that if he continues to be raised like this, he'll turn into a traditional, excellent woman from Inazuma—a quiet, reserved, and well-educated Yamato Nadeshiko.

So Lei Movie is right, I want to go out and have fun!

"Just like I've always encouraged you to spend more time with Torachiyo, and learn from her horseback riding, archery, wrestling, and other activities that young people would be interested in. I also encourage you, Ryo, to have your own love life. If I weren't so strict about keeping you out of the house and preventing the daughters of nobles from entering the castle tower, I would even have considered choosing your concubines first, cultivating childhood sweethearts from a young age. That way, when you reach puberty, I could send a few new girls, and we could have a more decent childhood sweetheart storyline, a sudden arrival storyline, or a storyline where the arrival of a girl fights with a childhood sweetheart. Hmm... although those didn't work out, the transfer student storyline that follows is quite good." Lei Yingdian said with great seriousness.

Lei Dian Guo Beng looked at Lei Yingdian, who he had always remembered as calm and dignified, and his expression became even more distorted.

Is this the Thor I know? Is this the kind of "decent" teenage life you imagine? You've even had your hands full of wild fantasies, like choosing concubines? You're really that interested in him? You're... Thor!

Raiden Kokubun then looked at Shen Liang, who was comfortably dozing. Shen Liang was draped in Raiden's cloak, his body still damp as if he had just emerged from the pool and was naked. Shen Liang did indeed have a habit of bathing frequently, and Raiden Kokubun knew he had an almost unimaginable obsession with cleanliness. But to have Raiden drape him in his clothes and hold him warmly in his arms right after a bath, even as the Shogun Inazuma no Kami, he didn't hesitate to hold the naked boy, fresh from his bath, in front of others...

Such composure without any hesitation...such deep parental love.

He let out a barely perceptible sneer.

“So there’s no need to bring too many people. Escorting Liang’er to Liyue is enough. Liyue is a more powerful country than Inazuma. It would be too incompetent to need the Shogunate army for protection in Liyue. Liang’er, are you such an incompetent person?” Lei Yingdian continued to play with Shen Liang’s face with her fingers covered by black veils, until Shen Liang turned her face away unhappily and buried it in her cloak. She looked back at Lei Dian Guo Pang, “Is there anything else to report?”

The subtext of this sentence is "Why aren't you leaving yet?"

—Am I disturbing your closeness here?

Raiden Kokubun said in a low voice, "General, I'm sorry to bother you. I'm planning to leave Inazuma temporarily. If Your Highness wishes to experience the full spectrum of human life, I would also like to... try living away from Inazuma."

Lei was taken aback.

"No."

"Please enlighten me, General, why is it not permitted?" the purple-haired puppet boy said softly. "As your discarded creation, I cannot contribute much by staying in Inazuma. Let me leave to find the meaning of life. Wouldn't it be better for the shogunate to have one less high-ranking official who occupies a position without doing his job?"

“No means no.” Lei Yingdong frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then waved his hand. “Step down. This matter must not be mentioned again. You are born fragile and easily hurt. You are not allowed to leave Daoqie before you grow up.”

—Are human beings created by God and inherently fragile?

Lei Dian Guo Beng almost laughed. As a puppet created by Lei Dian Ying, he was invulnerable to swords and spears, and could ward off evil spirits. His strength was almost on par with those great monsters! Was he weak?

He knew that his abrupt request would obviously not be approved. How could Lei Yingdong allow him to leave Inazuma? Even if he was worthless, he was still a fighting force. How could Lei Yingdong allow a fighting force of the level of a great demon to leave the shogunate? So he kept him, gave him an insignificant sinecure, and regarded him as a useful subject, or rather, a useful pawn.

—This woman…

—If I were truly a subject, things would be better. With the collapse of the Thunder Kingdom, I could freely choose my own life. But Thunder Movie is his creator, wielding the power of life and death over him. So, if she says no, she means no, as if she were a mother… But you've never treated me like a child, so why do you expect me to submit to your commands!

Thunder God dared not raise his head, fearing that if he did, the god before him would see the resentment in his eyes. He simply whispered, "Haven't I grown up...? I... dare to ask, General, Prince Liang is not mature either, yet he was able to travel to Liyue under your blessing. Why am I immature, yet I can only stay behind in Inazuma?"

“How can you and Liang’er be the same?” Lei Yingdian thought it was a very boring question. She casually glanced at Lei Dian Guobeng with her beautiful eyes and waved her hand. “Liang’er will be the crown prince in the future. You are Guobeng. Your definitions of ‘maturity’ are not on the same level.”

--Oh……

Lei Dian Guo Beng bowed and calmly took his leave.

Only after the Thunder Kingdom collapsed and left did Shen Liang finally escape from her master's torment. Wearing her cloak, she glared at her with dissatisfaction: "Sister Ying, do you have to humiliate me in front of my friends?"

"How is that humiliating?" Lei Yingdian blinked and couldn't help but laugh. "Or are you worried that the country will see you naked? It can't be that bad, you're all boys, what are you afraid of?"

"I'm scared because Dapao is a boy..." Shen Liang muttered, "Sister Ying, you don't know, he sometimes blushes when he looks at me, so I never shower with him. With his fighting prowess, I'm really worried that one day he'll have some wicked thoughts and I won't even be able to scream for help..."

"Then I see you didn't refuse when the country collapsed and asked you to play."

“He’ll bring me books from outside, novels from Liyue, and sometimes oden, pork bone ramen, and the like. I can’t leave the castle tower, and Da Pao is really nice to me, so I don’t care if he looks at me like I’m a girl…” Shen Liang watched the boy, who was about the same height as his commander, carrying a straw hat and walking down the mountain, his red eyes flashing. “I don’t have many friends, and Da Pao is one of my few good friends.”

“That’s good, you two get along well.” Lei Yingdong, having rested enough, picked up another razor and tossed it to him. “I was worried you two wouldn’t get along.”

"Ok?"

"Kokuban... he's withdrawn and reclusive, which is an immature personality. It only gradually improved after you, Ryo'er, were born. How should I put it? It's like he had a younger brother... a friend. But he's still not mature enough, and his actions still clash with others. He seems resolute but is actually fragile. He needs to slowly improve himself. Ryo'er, you're carefree yet optimistic, the darling of Inazuma's sunshine. You need to gradually teach him to be cheerful. Of course, you also need to learn Kokuban's majesty." Lei Yingdian laughed, "You're lazy and unserious all day long. Look at Kokuban, even without your status, he still commands fear throughout the shogunate. How come you're privately called the Princess by all the officials?"

Shen Liang's white hair, which had been sticking up on her head, drooped down. She looked away unhappily and scoffed.

"Sister Ying seems to value the collapse of the nation quite a bit."

“Of course I value him. He’s still young, but he’s growing just like you,” Lei Yingdong said softly. “You both need to grow until you become towering trees. I have the same expectations for you and him. Liang’er, you are the crown prince of Inazuma, while he is the king of Inazuma. You represent the supreme nobility of Inazuma, and he will represent the supreme authority of Inazuma. He is your friend, and in the future, he will be your trusted advisor, just like Fox Palace and Torachiyo are to me.”

"Why didn't you leave Aunt Zhaigong and Aunt Chiyo to me..." Shen Liang pouted. "Okay, okay, but I thought you just randomly named him 'Kokubun' (meaning 'collapse of the country'), with names like 'Cannon' and stuff. I didn't expect that."

"The name 'Kokubun' (meaning 'Nation Collapse') comes from the first stone arrow created by the people who worshipped their sister during the Demon God War. It signifies that the fragile and ordinary Inatsume people took up weapons powerful enough to protect their homeland for the first time." Lei Yingdong smiled faintly. "Who would name their child so casually?"

"I'm the child!" Shen Liang said loudly. "Sister Ying only needs me! No one else is allowed!"

"Jealous already? Guo Pang is a puppet I created myself, you could even call him my child... Your possessiveness is really something..." Lei Yingdong looked troubled but couldn't help laughing, "Alright, alright, it's only you, only you, why are you being so domineering at a time like this..."

But a strange sense of pleasure welled up inside her; the feeling of being loudly declared ownership by the boy was indeed a little... odd. Sure enough, her sister had raised him very well. No matter how weak and vulnerable he appeared, like a little girl who occasionally liked to act cute, his true nature as a "king" was already beginning to emerge.

That possessiveness, which even considers the gods as his own—only someone with the ambition of an emperor in their heart dares to be so arrogant. Or rather, why is he always so carefree, so unrestrained and free? But no one can truly be free. Being carefree may seem like an ordinary personality trait, but what's actually needed is to be indifferent to all grudges and entanglements—and only a monarch can be so disdainful of everything.

----------

The mainstream of modern merchant ships is Liyue. The largest cargo ships in Liyue can be over 40 zhang long, which is more than 100 meters long, and have a displacement of over 10,000 tons. Apart from Liyue Harbor, a city that attracts people from all over the world, there are not many countries in the world with this demand for shipbuilding, including Inazuma.

A little-known fact is that a nation's maritime power has little to do with its ability to build ships; it mainly depends on its ports. While Inazuma relies on ships even for domestic travel, it lacks the need for ports, which is why it can't build large ships like those in Liyue.

In addition, large ships require a large number of workers and sailors, and the larger the ship, the more routine maintenance is needed. A typical small merchant ship may only have a few staff members and follow a fixed route, while large ships, due to their draft, may even need to plan their routes on the move. Routes vary greatly depending on the season, and there is also a significant turnover of personnel on board. Therefore, the cost of a large ship is several times that of a small ship with the same transport capacity.

As for naval forces in this era, their primary tasks are dealing with pirates entrenched on overseas islands and protecting merchant caravans. There is no need for large-scale battles, and therefore no need for large ships.

"I want to sail a big ship!" Shen Liang stubbornly shook Lei Dianzhen's arm.

"Only by sailing a large ship to Liyue can we truly showcase the prestige of Inazuma! The harbor in Liyue is filled with ships that are dozens of meters long. If we Inazuma were to sail a small sampan, it wouldn't be grand enough! Hey, Mother, I'm going on behalf of the Inazuma Shogunate, as His Highness! What if the people of Liyue look down on me?!"

"The people of Liyue won't look down on Inazuma because of this, they'll only look down on you," Raiden Shin said with a smile.

"I'm not tall to begin with, Mom!"

"Ok?"

"Mother~" Shen Liang continued to spin around, massaging Raiden's fair shoulder exposed by half of his kimono, and said coquettishly, "Didn't we agree that we would take this study abroad mission very seriously? Give me a big ship, I don't want to fly there."

"Yeah, if you really want me to say it, why not send Liang'er a whole ship full of beautiful girls along with him, so he won't be bored in Liyue. Look at me, I may be a bit older, but I'm still very young..." Before Tiger Chiyo could finish speaking, she was silenced by Raiden's cold gaze.

"You want a big ship? You think you can skip school in Liyue and just sail around all day, right?" Raiden Zhen knew exactly what his son was thinking. "Once you get to Liyue, the sky's the limit. I don't think you'll want to stay in Jigsaw Palace. All you can think about is sailing a big ship in the Liyue Islands."

Chapter Sixteen: Departure! Little Thunder General!

Torachiyo stuck out her tongue.

At this moment, Raiden Shin said, "Just now, the Engoku Magistrate has granted a special ceasefire period to Umijima and the surrounding islands. For the next five years, no war will be allowed between Inazuma and the surrounding island nations. This protection agreement has been unanimously agreed upon by the seven continental nations. Similar to us, other countries on the continent have also entered a special ceasefire period, rejecting all forms of possible international war."

When Shen Liang heard that his mother had gotten down to business, he had no choice but to give up his idea of ​​continuing to ask for the big ship. He leaned back against the coffin and listened in.

“Some people here don’t know what a special ceasefire period is, so let me explain it to you, sister.” Lei Yingdian glanced at Shen Liang.

“Generally speaking, requesting a special ceasefire means that a country is facing a very serious situation, one that is more significant than a conflict of interest between nations. Usually, it concerns the entire continent,” said Raiden. “This time is no exception. Some foolish things are about to happen on our Teyvat continent again. A country is exploring some secrets it shouldn’t be exploring, and the consequence is that it will bring war from outside the world. To prevent such a horror from being born, all nations on the Teyvat continent must take this seriously, put aside all differences for the time being, and be wary of that country becoming our enemy.”

"Kanria?" Shen Liang knew the name of that country.

"The only thing to be thankful for is that this catastrophe won't truly affect the progress of civilization. It's conceivable that no matter how bad things get in Kanria, it won't threaten the survival of civilization on this continent. After the catastrophe, Inazuma will still be Inazuma. There may be some deaths, but there won't be too much pain," Raiden Shin said with a smile. "For example, our Inazuma, the next generation is almost ready. Even if something happens to us one day, we don't have to worry about Inazuma falling apart."

"What problem will the Empress Dowager have?" Shen Liang frowned. "I don't like this joke."

Raiden gazed tenderly at her son, a resolute look appearing on her beautiful face. "Of course, it was just a joke. Compared to the Demon God War that your mother experienced, Kanria's schemes are insignificant. Liang'er, go to Liyue and study hard. If you come back in the future and haven't learned anything, I'll let Aying spank you in front of all the civil and military officials."