He changed Tiwat

“But this is a task that Sister Ganyu gave you, isn’t it?” Uncle Tian said with a smile.

"Sigh." Han Fulai sighed and looked up at Huixin, who was standing beside Uncle Tian. "Lord Ganyu told me about the Yun family's strategy of using one enemy to devour another, and I have witnessed it firsthand today. By offering up the position of heir to Tian Shu Star, they have attracted the covetousness of various forces. Even though I have no interest in this, I have no choice but to stand in Lord Ganyu's shoes and help you choose the most outstanding heir."

"You've not only pitted the three candidates against each other, but you've also introduced Yelan as a check and balance, and then introduced me as a check and balance against Yelan. No matter how much we, the snipe and the clam, fight, the one who ultimately benefits is you, the fisherman."

Uncle Tian stroked his white beard and glanced at his daughter: "Huixin, I've always told you to learn from your Uncle Han. If you had even half the insight of your Uncle Han now, you would be the examiner I applied for with Yue Haiting, understand?"

"Understood." Huixin lowered her eyes and looked obedient.

Han Fulai continued, "Since you said there are three candidates and made it clear that it's a competition among three people, it means that in your opinion, the third candidate you chose is no less than me or Miss Ye Lan, is that right?"

Uncle Tian smiled and said, "Those three candidates all studied with me for a period of time, so they can be considered my disciples. I have some confidence in the judgment I've accumulated over the past few decades."

Uncle Tian meant that his chosen candidate could hold his own against Han Fulai and Ye Lan, two powerful examiners with immense influence and oversight. Uncle Tian didn't even care if he and Ye Lan truly coveted the position of Tian Shu and used any means to eliminate his disciple—or rather, he believed that even Han Fulai and Ye Lan couldn't find fault with this disciple.

That's really interesting.

Han Fulai smiled and nodded, "Then I'll say it again: I will do my best and live up to Uncle Tian's expectations."

"In that case, I'll leave it to Brother Han." Uncle Tian drank the tea in one gulp instead of wine.

Han Fulai also picked up his teacup and drank the "rock bone" in it.

Ye Lan had been leaning against the stairs on the first floor of the Yan Shang Tea House, so she must have been waiting for quite some time.

Seeing Han Fulai come downstairs, Ye Lan straightened up and greeted him: "Finished talking?"

"Yes, I know everything I need to know," Han Fu replied.

"Oh?" Ye Lan smiled, still looking quite interested.

Han Fulai extended his hand to Ye Lan, "Let's get to know each other again. As your partner and competitor, I am Han Fulai, Deputy Director of the Office of Yuehaiting, Executive Deputy Secretary-General, Chief Private Secretary of Secretary-General Gan Yu, and Exclusive Secretary of Yuheng Star. Also, I privately call Lady Ningguang 'elder sister.' May I ask how you address Lady Ye Lan and Lady Ningguang?"

Ye Lan grasped Han Fulai's hand, "It's probably because she privately curses her as 'Ningguang, you bastard.'"

Chapter Nine: The Seven Stars Selection (Part Four)

Han Fulai found it hard to imagine Ningguang being scolded, but it also showed that the relationship between Yelan and Ningguang was probably not a simple superior-subordinate one.

"This must be the first time Vice Minister Han has met me today, right? Did Uncle Tian tell you about my relationship with Ningguang?" Ye Lan blinked, looking very curious.

Han Fulai waved his hand, "Uncle Tian and Miss Yelan have given me enough information during their conversation. If I still can't figure it out, Uncle Tian wouldn't need to ask me to be this inspector."

"Oh? I'd like to hear more." Ye Lan looked at Han Fulai.

Han Fulai smiled and said, "Tian Shu Star is an oversight position that is separate from the other seven stars of Liyue. Therefore, the background of the successor that Uncle Tian can choose is actually quite limited. There are only two kinds of backgrounds: one is no background at all, and the other is a background that has formed its own power."

"As we all know, the position of the Seven Stars of Liyue has been almost hereditary for thousands of years, with several major families taking turns to compete for it. They are all intertwined and deeply rooted. To be able to hold onto this position of the Celestial Pivot Star, one must either have enough power or be able to navigate between the various major powers."

"Uncle Tian himself is not only shrewd and mature, but also highly respected. He also has the support of the Liyue Yun Clan. He is a powerful figure who can win over both sides, which is why he has been able to sit on the sidelines for decades."

"The fact that he did not pass on the position of Tian Shu Star to his descendants of the Li Yue Yun Clan, such as his daughter, Miss Hui Xin, shows that he was indeed acting with impartiality and searching for the most capable and qualified successor. The candidates he chose were his three disciples, as well as you and me."

"His three disciples probably don't have much of a background, so they can inherit the influence of the Yun Clan. The Yun Clan owns the Flying Cloud Merchant Guild, Blackrock Depths, and various industries in Liyue, such as silk and fishing. It is a behemoth that has been operating for thousands of years. By having this heir marry into the Yun Clan and gain their support, he can naturally secure his position."

"I represent the power of the Liyue civil service system led by Lord Ganyu and the influence of the Liyue Ascetics. I humbly say that I am able to rival the power of the Seven Stars, and I believe no one would object."

"So the only remaining force that can rival the Liyue Yun Clan or our Moonsea Pavilion, and is relatively independent and not easily manipulated, is Ningguang, the master of the Qunyu Pavilion and the richest man in Teyvat who rose from humble beginnings, who controls the Liyue legal system and intelligence network. Only Ningguang, who has led Liyue to victory against Oser and Bach and whose reputation is at its zenith, is qualified to make Uncle Tian waver between the Yun Clan and the Moonsea Pavilion."

"Then, Miss Yelan, whose side are you on? It's obvious without even asking."

“Oh? Since I’m familiar with Uncle Tian, ​​why can’t I be a member of the Liyue Yun Clan? Do I not look like one?” Ye Lan raised an eyebrow.

Actually, you really do look quite like Xingqiu, the second young master of the Yun family, but the problem is that the second young master of the Yun family said that you are not family, plus what Xingqiu said before about "one person with a thousand faces"... Han Fulai complained in his heart, but remained calm on the surface.

"Of course, there are other pieces of evidence. For example, Miss Yelan said that she is used to operating in the shadows, which fits the role of an intelligence agent under Lord Ningguang. Besides that, there is the lie that Miss Yelan told me in front of me."

"I didn't lie," Ye Lan shook her head in denial.

Han Fulai smiled.

"As I just said, I am both the Deputy Director of Yuehai Pavilion and Lord Keqing's personal secretary. I not only have a list of the staff in Yuehai Pavilion, but also a list of all civil servants in the General Affairs Department. During the Lantern Festival and the Fireworks Festival, I mobilized a lot of manpower from the General Affairs Department. If there is a person in the General Affairs Department as capable as Miss Yelan, who is invited by Tian Shu Star, how could I not know about her?"

"Being able to fabricate a false identity in front of me, the Vice-Commander of Civil Servants in Liyue, without batting an eye, and without fear of being investigated, shows that you are extremely confident in this identity. I guess if I really went to the General Affairs Department to investigate, the General Affairs Department would have an extra file on civil servant Yelan, right? The only one who can do this... is Lady Ningguang."

What Han Fulai didn't say aloud was, of course, the fact that Gan Yu had also fabricated a fake file for him, allowing him to participate in the Liyue civil service exam. Speaking of which, his superior Gan Yu and that Ningguang, as guardians of Liyue's rules, seemed to be most adept at manipulating the rules.

"Yes, I am indeed an intelligence officer directly under Ningguang. When needed, I can also be a civil servant in the General Affairs Department, so it can't be considered lying to you, right?"

Ye Lan smiled nonchalantly. In fact, she had never intended to deliberately hide her identity from Han Fulai. If Han Fulai really wanted to investigate her, he would certainly have a way to find out. A fake identity was more like a professional habit.

They are now colleagues and competitors, and their verbal probing is the same as greeting each other when they meet, simply to confirm the level of their opponent—or rather, the person they are evaluating.

Yelan turned around and got down to business: "Uncle Tian recommended three candidates in total: Qianwei, Mingbo, and Zhiyi. Qianwei comes from a wealthy family, Mingbo works in the Liyue General Affairs Department, and Zhiyi is currently studying and traveling. We will inspect them at the Moonlit Pavilion later."

Of the three names, Han Fulai was somewhat familiar with Mingbo from the General Affairs Department, and he also felt that he had a vague impression of the name Zhiyi. Only Qianwei was a name he had never heard of.

"What is the subject of the investigation?" Han Fulai asked.

"You'll see when you get to Yuehai Pavilion."

Ye Lan smiled mysteriously and walked towards Yujingtai. Han Fulai had no choice but to follow.

"By the way, Vice Minister Han, how do you feel about Uncle Tian's health?" Ye Lan asked casually as they walked.

Han Fulai thought for a moment and replied, "Although there are no obvious signs of illness, he does seem to be in poor spirits."

Ye Lan nodded in agreement, "Yes... It may sound cruel, but given Uncle Tian's current mental state, he is indeed no longer suited to take on such heavy work."

"So Miss Yelan means that she wants to succeed Uncle Tian as the head of Tian Shu Star?"

"Actually, if Vice Minister Han is willing to grant me one condition, the position of Tian Shu Star will be yours," Ye Lan said with a smile.

"Oh? What are the conditions?" Han Fulai asked curiously.

Ye Lan suddenly turned her head, leaned close to Han Fulai's face, and pointed to her lips with her finger, "Hmm, just call me 'Sister Ye Lan'."

Without a second thought, Han Fulai immediately replied, "Thank you, Sister Yelan!"

Ye Lan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "I have to tell Ning Guang how shameless her younger brother is."

"Oh dear, Miss Yelan was lying to me all along?" Han Fulai feigned grievance.

"Yes, yes, I was just kidding." Ye Lan smiled, but there was no smile in her eyes. "You know, 'the prettier the woman, the more likely she is to lie.'"

This time, it was Han Fulai who was stunned.

Chapter Ten: The Seven Stars Selection (Part Five)

When Han Fulai and Ye Lan arrived at Yuehai Pavilion, they saw three very distinctive young people standing on the open ground in front of the pavilion.

A man dressed in a light blue satin robe, sporting a rather trendy side-swept fringe in Liyue, had an arrogant expression and a chin that seemed to be pointing to the sky; he was clearly a young master who was not to be trifled with. According to Ye Lan's previous statement, Qian Wei came from a wealthy merchant family, so this must be him.

At this moment, the young master was still grumbling to himself, his voice quite loud: "My legs are numb from standing... I really don't know what that inspector was thinking. Such an important occasion, and there isn't even a chair. I've dealt with all sorts of people, but this is the first time I've ever stood and waited for someone!"

"Ah, I... think it's alright..."

The man standing opposite the young master spoke slowly, wore round-framed glasses, and had an honest and simple face. He was dressed in the uniform of the General Affairs Department, clearly Mingbo, who worked there. However, the uniform couldn't contain his round waist, as if it might burst at any moment.

Everyone's first impression of Mingbo would probably be the same—a fat man. But Han Fulai knew Mingbo a little better, so he had a second impression of him—he was hardworking and could easily go out and trek through mountains and rivers, so he was a nimble fat man.

Qianwei was clearly very dissatisfied with Mingbo: "You're just used to it. If you always accept the status quo like this, you won't be able to change anything in the future."

Mingbo was clearly displeased, but even so, he still spoke slowly: "How can you be so... unreasonable..."

At this moment, a gentle and polite voice joined the conversation: "Alright, you two, it's not worth arguing over such a small matter."

The person was quite tall, and standing between Qianwei and Mingbo, he conveniently blocked their line of sight. From Han Fulai's angle, he could only see the person's back. The person wore a white sun hat, had his hair pulled back in a ponytail, and was dressed in a vest very popular among Liyue students; he must be Zhiyi, who was still studying abroad. However, judging from his appearance, he looked more like an artist than a student.

Zhiyi stopped the two from arguing and tried to smooth things over: "Qianwei, what you just said was a bit harsh. Mingbo, don't take it too seriously... We've been standing here for so long, everyone's getting a little impatient. I think we could do this: since there's no rule that we have to stand and wait, why don't we go to the main hall of Yuehai Pavilion and borrow a few chairs?"

Mingbo naturally agreed. Qianwei glanced at Zhiyi, pursed his lips, and said, "Alright, although those chairs are made of ordinary materials, they can be used in times of emergency."

Since everyone agreed with Zhiyi's suggestion, Zhiyi turned around and walked towards Yuehai Pavilion. Only then did Han Fulai see Zhiyi's face. Zhiyi had a handsome face, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had a jade pendant hanging from his waist, looking quite refined.

Zhiyi glanced around casually, as if checking the surroundings, but Han Fulai found that he made eye contact with Zhiyi for a moment.

"It seems all three candidates have arrived," Ye Lan said at this moment.

"Those three must be the ones." Han Fulai turned his head to look at Ye Lan.

“Yes, we’ll be meeting them officially soon. Before that, let me explain the process of this investigation to you. I’ve divided this investigation into two parts: ‘Current Affairs Strategy’ and ‘On-site Q&A’,” Ye Lan said.

"The first step is to have them submit their Liyue development plan, and the second step is for us to conduct on-site inquiries. Because writing the Liyue development plan takes time, I have already made arrangements in advance. Their submitted reports are in the Moonlit Pavilion."

"Isn't this just the essay and interview sections of the Liyue civil service exam?!" Han Fulai almost blurted out.

As the legendary top scorer in the Liyue Civil Service Examination, and the "Exam God" worshipped by Liyue students for generations to come, Han Fulai has vivid memories of this process. Speaking of which, he was personally interviewed by Gan Yu, the Executive Secretary of the Moonlit Pavilion, and Ningguang, the Tianquan Star, personally invited him to the Jade Pavilion—that's real prestige!

Of course, that's not the point.

Han Fulai smiled and said, "So the 'Q&A session' actually started a long time ago, right? You deliberately kept them waiting for so long because you wanted to observe their true reactions in their daily lives."

“That’s right.” Ye Lan nodded.

“But I doubt whether this will truly reveal their true nature.” Han Fulai gestured for Ye Lan to look in the direction of Yuehai Pavilion. “That Zhiyi has clearly already discovered that someone is observing them.”

“Yes, and he waited for us to arrive before deliberately stopping his companions from arguing and offering a solution, demonstrating his adaptability,” Ye Lan added.

"This person has keen senses and a deep mind, and has quietly widened the gap with the other two competitors. What's even more remarkable is that his actions are very natural and leave no trace," Han Fulai commented.

“However, as a candidate for Tian Shu Star, this is merely the foundation,” Ye Lan replied.

Although Zhiyi's behavior may seem somewhat pretentious, from the perspective of the examiners, they are not here to select "honest and good young people of Liyue".

After getting a preliminary impression of the three candidates, Han Fulai and Ye Lan entered Yuehai Pavilion and went to a small conference room.

A large square table was set up in the conference room, where a slightly plump female secretary assistant, Yue Haiting, was arranging chairs for the interviews. Clearly, this was the interview venue Ye Lan had chosen.

Three stacks of manuscript paper were neatly piled on the square table, one of which was thicker than the other two stacked together.

"Is this the report they submitted?" Han Fulai pointed to the draft papers on the table.

“Yes, you can take a look first.” Ye Lan nodded. “By the way, I made a request to them: whoever becomes Tian Shu Star must implement all the contents of their plan. Unless there is any major change, the contents of the plan cannot be changed. So these three stacks of documents actually represent the ‘stances’ of the three of them.”

Han Fulai's expression turned serious. Ye Lan's test question was far more challenging than any policy essay question he had ever encountered.

This question not only tests the candidates' knowledge and abilities, but more importantly, it involves the condition that the plan must be fulfilled. As a time traveler, Han Fulai clearly understands what this condition means—it is a politician's promise to voters. The three stacks of papers in front of him are the politician's campaign slogan, "Make Liyue Great Brilliantly."

This is an assessment of the political resources possessed by the three candidates! For the Liyue Septs, no one is lacking in knowledge and ability, but ordinary civil servants also have excellent knowledge and ability, and possess sufficient resources to accomplish what they want to do and promote the policies they want to implement. That is the difference between the Liyue Septs and ordinary civil servants.

Unlike the President of the United States, who changes office every four years and no longer cares about promises once he steps down, the Liyue Seven Stars are basically all on a lifetime basis.

That's why Ye Lan said these reports represent the "stances" of the three candidates—where their political resources come from, what resources they can use, and to what extent they can achieve them—all of this will be clearly stated in these reports. This is what is meant by "stance," "political stance"!

Chapter Eleven: The Seven Stars Selection (Part Six)

Han Fulai followed the instructions and went to the table to look through the three stacks of reports.

The first one was from Mingbo. This plan covered all aspects of domestic affairs and people's livelihood, and put forward the concept of "the great way prevails, and the world belongs to all".

Overall, this plan covers mostly administrative details, such as facilities that benefit the public, administrative discipline for civil servants, and revisions and feedback on laws at the practical level. It is clearly based on the experience accumulated during Myungbak's career in General Affairs.

Han Fu was quite impressed after reading Mingbo's plan. If he had passed the civil service exam in China and worked for a few years, he would probably have submitted a similar plan to Mingbo's. Of course, Mingbo was much more experienced as a civil servant, and his plan was more detailed and feasible, with corresponding contingency plans for the details of the implementation process.

But that's about it.

Mingbo's self-positioning in the planning document is not that of a powerful figure like one of the Liyue Seven Stars, but rather more like the head of the General Affairs Department. The resources he uses in the planning are all from the General Affairs Department's network. He doesn't even dare to use the resources of his teacher, the Celestial Nebula family, let alone involve the related industries of other Seven Stars.

Mingbo's mindset is still that of a "clerk" like a civil servant in the General Affairs Department, rather than an "official" like Qixing.

In short—Mingbo is far too honest. He could be a good civil servant, a competent clerk, a suitable secretary and advisor, but he is definitely not a qualified Tian Shu Xing.

Han Fulai then opened Qian Wei's planning document.

Qianwei's business plan discussed many business issues, demonstrating unique insights into various industries, including a profound understanding of the recently promoted Liyue currency. It's clear that Qianwei has considerable financial acumen, with many insightful observations. His core principle is that "rules and interests are indispensable."

According to Han Fulai, Qian Wei can be considered a business prodigy who knows very well how to maximize business profits by utilizing existing rules.

In his plan, he not only unscrupulously incorporated the influence of the Yun clan, but also proposed a cooperative project with the major clans of Liyue. Moreover, it's hard to say whether this project was a testament to his genius, his immense ambition, or his complete disregard for the consequences. In any case, the plan proposed by Qianwei, to use a term familiar to Han Fulai, was dumping.

Qianwei plans to unite with the Yun clan's silk industry, the porcelain industry under the Tianji star Rouran, and other famous Liyue products to dump goods on the other five countries except for the closed-off Inazuma! Qianwei's ultimate goal seems to be to fill the entire Teyvat continent with "Made in Liyue".

If Qianwei had made this suggestion as a business leader like the Yun family, Han Fulai would likely have greatly appreciated his idea and used it to promote business cooperation within Liyue, thus accelerating Liyue's industrialization. After all, compared to handicrafts like silk and porcelain, industrial goods that can be mass-produced at low cost are the most suitable commodities for dumping.

However, as the ruler of Liyue, Tian Shu, proposing such a plan, Han Fulai could only say that the ideal was lofty, but the reality was harsh. Liyue doesn't even have a mature, streamlined industrial production line yet. It's already a great favor that Zhi Dong and Fontaine haven't dumped industrial products on Liyue. Before Liyue has sufficient strength, it's best not to provoke them.

Qianwei's ideas were the complete opposite of Mingbo's. If Mingbo was cautious and prudent, Qianwei was reckless and audacious.

Han Fulai's gaze finally settled on Zhiyi's thick stack of planning documents.

Zhiyi's planning document focuses on "problem-solving," offering concise and clear solutions to various issues. Due to the sheer volume of content, Han Fulai couldn't read it all in a short time, only skimming the first part. Even so, he was pleasantly surprised, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Because this was a planning document that he couldn't approach from a superior position as an inspector.

Zhiyi's planning document covers various aspects such as domestic and foreign affairs. It is detailed, accurate, and logically rigorous. The plan also includes feasibility assessments and contingency plans. Many things can be put into practice directly according to Zhiyi's planning document.

If you were to combine Qianwei and Mingbo, giving one of them Qianwei's insight, talent, and connections, and Mingbo's decade-plus of frontline work experience, it would be possible to write such a business plan. The problem is, Zhiyi is just a student around the same age as Han Fulai, with no special background whatsoever!