He changed Tiwat

Shang Hua shook his head: "No, according to Wu Pei, he was much more relaxed than usual. It should be said to be instinct; he was very sensitive to the gazes of those around him."

"Don't blame yourself. After all, he was personally trained by Tian Shu Xing, so it's not surprising that he has such abilities. Just like when I sent you to follow Uncle Tian, ​​you would have been completely disoriented by him." Ye Lan comforted her subordinates and then asked, "Did you see where Zhi Yi went in the end?"

“Xinyuexuan,” Shang Hua replied. “He was only inside for a short time. Wu Pei and I kept watch outside. Not long after, a person dressed completely differently from him came out. Wu Pei felt that the person’s aura was somewhat similar to Zhi Yi’s, but if we went up to confirm, he would definitely notice us. I think that once we are discovered, today’s operation will be meaningless. Even if we arrest him on the spot, it will be useless because we have no evidence.”

Shang Hua pointed to the New Moon Pavilion behind him, "Now that big guy Wu Pei has gone into the New Moon Pavilion to inquire about information, we should have news soon."

Ye Lan nodded and said, "Well done. It doesn't matter if the fish doesn't bite the bait; as long as it's still in the water, there's always a way to catch it. The key is to figure out what it's trying to do..."

She paused here because Han Fulai and his group had also arrived.

Ye Lan's eyes showed a hint of surprise. She and Han Fulai had only been separated for less than an hour, yet two people who shouldn't have been there had appeared beside Han Fulai.

"Lord Yuhengxing, and Miss Shenhe..." After Ye Lan greeted the two, she asked Han Fulai, "Vice Minister Han, why are these two here?"

Han Fulai smiled and replied, "While Lord Keqing and Shen He were discussing matters with me, Wen Yuan happened to send word. I guessed that Miss Yelan was about to close the net, so I brought Shen He along to help. When Lord Keqing heard that this matter was related to the Fools, she immediately decided to personally go and capture the Fools' spies. With the two of them here, we are more confident in capturing the Fools' spies."

Shen He is nominally Han Fulai's direct assistant and has a close relationship with him, so it's only natural that he would come to help. Ke Qing is not only Han Fulai's superior, but also a ruthless politician who once expelled seventy-six diplomats from the Fool Clan. She also made new enemies with the Fool Clan during the Lantern Festival, so it's perfectly normal for her to participate in the capture of Fool Clan spies.

The sudden involvement of these two made Ye Lan hesitate, but she really had no reason to refuse their cooperation. After thinking for a moment, she decided to accept their participation: "Then thank you both for your help. My men were already keeping an eye on Zhi Yi. When we sent someone to inform Vice Minister Han just now, we thought he would meet with the Fool's Clan at New Moon Pavilion. We didn't expect him to use New Moon Pavilion to shake off our pursuit..."

Ye Lan briefly recounted what had just happened to the group. Just then, Wu Pei walked out of Xinyue Pavilion, cursing and swearing. As soon as he saw Ye Lan, he loudly protested his injustice.

"The waiter at Xinyue Pavilion is so irresponsible! A grown man changed clothes and left right under his nose, and he didn't even ask a question. He even said it was the customer's freedom and he had no right to interfere. Lord Yelan, let's file a complaint against Xinyue Pavilion. Their management is seriously negligent!"

Wu Pei looked exactly like a primary school student tattling to the homeroom teacher.

Seeing that this clown had started again, Ye Lan waved her hand helplessly to stop Wu Pei's complaints: "Alright, alright, get to the point. What else did Zhiyi do in Xinyue Pavilion besides changing clothes?"

"The people at Crescent Moon Pavilion said that Zhiyi went in to pick up a bottle of wine that had been reserved a long time ago. It was a strong, spicy, and mellow liquor that Liyue's guests usually don't order."

“Strong liquor… drinking utensils… I see.” Ye Lan stroked her chin and said, “Zhi Yi is not an alcoholic, and in fact, because of his alcoholic father, he dislikes alcohol to some extent. If he were drinking it himself, he wouldn’t choose this kind of strong liquor. As far as I know, the spicy and mellow liquor that Zhi Yi ordered has a brewing recipe that is very close to the ‘fire water liquor’ popular in Zhi Dong Kingdom.”

Unlike most women, Ye Lan doesn't like sweets; instead, she craves spicy food. In her words, "The mundane is numbness, the intense is clarity."

The spicy liquor at Xinyuexuan was just to her liking. She had actually ordered some herself, so she knew the taste and recipe of the liquor very well.

Han Fulai interjected, "Zhiyi went to Xiguju to order wine sets in order to celebrate with the mastermind behind the scenes of Zhidong Kingdom. That mastermind loves to show off his refined tastes and his usual life must be quite extravagant. Only antique wine sets can match his status and position."

Yelan quickly went through the list of people who fit the criteria in her mind and said, "Among the Winter Fools currently staying in Liyue, there aren't many who fit this profile. They're either managers of the Northern Bank or high-ranking officials at the Winter Fools' embassy. We can secretly monitor the Northern Bank and the Winter Fools' embassy. Just because Zhiyi is vigilant doesn't mean that the people drinking with him are also vigilant."

“But Lord Yelan, if this is discovered, it could escalate into a diplomatic incident…” Shang Hua hesitated.

“I know. But Zhiyi has staked everything on this. To catch him red-handed, we have to take a certain risk. Besides, Lord Yuhengxing is now acting with us as well…” Yelan said, glancing meaningfully at Keqing.

Ke Qing nodded expressionlessly. If necessary, she wouldn't mind leading the Thousand Rock Army to storm the Northern Bank for investigation under the identity of Yuheng Star.

"Of course, we need to be prepared for several contingencies and monitor everyone Zhiyi might come into contact with..."

Ye Lan was about to continue setting up the surveillance network when Han Fulai spoke up.

“Miss Yelan, there are a few more people. No need to bother. I know where Zhiyi and the Fools will meet.”

"...You know?" Ye Lan's face showed undisguised surprise.

During the three days she spent working with Han Fulai to examine Zhiyi, this was the first time she had truly witnessed Han Fulai display his brilliance.

“Qingxupu.” Han Fulai smiled and tapped his temple. “I’d bet my life that the meeting place between Zhiyi and the Fools must be within the ruins of Qingxupu.”

Chapter Twenty-Six: Entering a Game Through a Strategist's Game

"So, Vice Minister Han, can you tell us now? How are you so sure that Zhiyi and the Fools will meet at the Qingxupu Ruins?"

Ye Lan squinted, staring at Han Fulai. Even on the bumpy carriage, her posture remained upright, and the swaying of the carriage did not shake her in the slightest.

The journey from Liyue Harbor to Qingxu Pool takes nearly twenty hours, even by carriage. Following Han Fulai's suggestion, the group boarded Keqing's private carriage and departed ahead of time, while Yelan's subordinates and the Thousand Rock Army from the General Affairs Department would arrive later.

With their combined strength, they could easily ignore any ambushes or traps the Fools might have, infiltrate the ruins, and wait for Zhiyi to meet the Fools, catching him red-handed. Meanwhile, the Thousand Rock Army that followed could surround the scene and wipe out Zhiyi and the Fools in one fell swoop.

The strategy was perfect; the only problem was whether the opponent would fall into it. If Zhiyi hadn't appeared at Qingxupu, it would all be for naught. But for Han Fulai, there were no "ifs," only inevitabilities.

Upon hearing Ye Lan's question, Han Fulai put on a smug smile—the kind of "I'm stronger now" expression that Ke Qing had seen many times before.

"Miss Yelan, do you remember when you were at Black Rock Factory, you commented on those three 'new miners,' saying, 'This is the benefit of planning ahead'?"

"I remember." Ye Lan nodded.

"So, Miss Ye Lan, when do you think the other side's plan started? Was it when Zhi Yi learned that he had been included in the Tian Shu Star candidate list? Or was it when they arranged for three miners to infiltrate the Black Rock Factory more than two months ago?" Han Fulai's smile remained unchanged.

Ye Lan's eyes flickered, and then she smiled and shook her head gently: "No, the plan started with the Fools discovering the secret of the Qingxupu treasure."

Han Fulai nodded.

"Yes. Actually, the sequence of events is very clear. If we work backward, we'll understand everything. The Fools helped Zhiyi build momentum, wanting him to become the leader of Tian Shu Star, all for the sake of the 'Qingxupu Redevelopment Plan.' And Zhiyi proposed the 'Qingxupu Redevelopment Plan' in the planning document, with the aim of getting Black Rock Factory to obtain priority development rights for the Qingxupu ruins..."

"...The end of the Qingxupu Ruins is blocked by rocks, making it difficult to enter without the use of Black Rock Factory's special explosives. In order to complete the exploration of the ruins without leaving a trace during the development of Qingxupu, the Fools arranged for their own people to join Black Rock Factory as technical backbones in advance," Yelan interjected.

"And the root of all this is that the Fools want to obtain the treasure, or rather the secret, buried in the Qingxupu Ruins. Whether it's Zhiyi or the undercover agent in the Black Rock Factory, they are just pawns, tools to serve in achieving this goal. The value of a tool is not the tool itself, but the work it can help people accomplish," Han Fulai continued.

“A small wrench can’t tighten a large screw, and a large tenon can’t fit into a small socket. Tools are meant to help people solve problems, so problems come first, then tools,” Ke Qing interjected. These were the same words Han Fulai had said to her when explaining the plan at the Moon Sea Pavilion.

“Therefore, the Fools must have already thoroughly investigated the internal structure of the Qingxupu Ruins before they conceived of their subsequent plans. Their first step was to investigate the Qingxupu Ruins,” Yelan said.

“Qingxupu is far from Liyue Harbor. It takes more than forty hours to travel there and back by carriage. Investigating ancient ruins is not something that can be done in a day or two. The Fatui can’t spend all their time commuting to work, just like I can’t rent a house in Qingce Village because I work in Yujingtai, right? So they must have already established a base in Qingxupu to investigate nearby,” Han Fulai said with a smile.

“Since Zhiyi has already discovered that we are tailing him, it is naturally impossible for him to meet with the Fatui in a place like Liyue Harbor where there are many informants. For Zhiyi and the Fatui, the Qingxu Ruins, their long-established stronghold, is the most unknown and safest place. It is the most appropriate place to meet.”

Apart from Shen He, who was completely out of the loop, the others quickly and clearly understood the logic behind Zhiyi and the foolish crowd's actions.

Of course, Shen He didn't need to care what the fools or Zhiyi were plotting. She would sit here with only one task—whoever her brother Han told her to beat up, she would beat up.

Ye Lan sighed, "It seems that during Zhiyi's studies abroad, he made contact with the Fools at Qingxupu. No wonder our background investigation yielded nothing, because everyone thought Qingxupu was a desolate ancient ruin... Alas, if only I had thought of that earlier, I could have laid the groundwork at Qingxupu in advance..."

Then she turned to Han Fulai, her face full of admiration: "Deputy Minister Han truly lives up to Ningguang's high regard for him."

"Likewise." Han Fulai cupped his hands to Ye Lan, almost saying, "Thank you for your kind words."

"Mr. Han is my personal secretary on Yuheng Star," Ke Qing said with pride.

“Yes, Brother Han is very capable.” Shen He was equally unwilling to be outdone.

"Oh~" Ye Lan looked at Shen He, then at Ke Qing, a playful smile on her face.

Han Fulai coughed awkwardly a few times and changed the subject.

The carriage traveled day and night, arriving near Qingxupu on the morning of the second day. The group disembarked and discovered several fresh cart tracks at the intersection.

Clearly, not long ago, the carriage carrying Zhiyi had passed through this intersection.

To avoid revealing our presence, we should start walking from here.

"This is Qingxupu. It's full of ruins and teeming with monsters, which is why it's rarely visited by people. Passersby often take detours. Meeting here certainly means you don't have to worry about being seen by others—but you have to be careful not to be seen by monsters." Yelan reminded everyone to stay alert while examining the marks on the ground.

"Don't worry." It was Shen He who spoke at this moment.

Everyone looked at Shen He, who calmly explained, "When I passed by Qingxupu before, I cleared out the monsters around here. There are no monsters on this road anymore—unless they moved here from somewhere else."

"...So all you Liyue immortals and your disciples have a hobby of digging up the earth, huh? Monsters in the real world don't respawn at midnight, so why don't you leave some material for the Traveler!" Han Fulai complained loudly in his mind. If the Traveler in Mondstadt knew that someone was worried about her material, she would be very touched.

With no monsters to bother them, the four of them immediately set off at full speed under Yelan's leadership.

These people were either holders of the Eye of God or possessed immortal power, and their speed far exceeded that of ordinary people. Before long, they could see the gate of the Qingxupu Ruins in the distance.

“I’ve investigated this place before, and I vaguely remember the entrance that was developed last time.”

Ye Lan made a gesture, instructing everyone to conceal themselves using the nearby rocks. She then used her stealth technique to investigate the entrance and, after confirming it was safe, revealed herself and beckoned everyone over.

"Let's go." Han Fulai exchanged a glance with Shen He and Ke Qing, and started walking.

His plan is about to unfold.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The More the Merrier

According to Gan Yu, decades ago, with the permission of the Liyue Seven Stars, an attempt was made to develop the Qingxu Pool ruins, and the mining team explored deep into the ruins. However, due to technological limitations, they were unable to break through the giant rocks at the bottom of the ruins, and the development plan was shelved and never mentioned again.

The entrance to the ruins they are in now is a dug tunnel. The supporting beams used by the mining team when they dug the tunnel still remain inside. Even after decades, they have not decayed, which shows that the mining team put in a lot of hard work and was indeed exploring for long-term development.

"There's no one guarding the outside, so their stronghold must be inside the ruins. Although this place has been developed before, the internal structure is intricate and complex, so absolute safety underground cannot be guaranteed."

Ye Lan solemnly reminded everyone that although everyone present, except for Han Fulai who took the melee mage route, was quite skilled, the unknown environment was still full of dangers.

"The construction team left a safety passage, which would make our journey much easier if we could find it. However... we still need to be prepared for a fight. We need to be precise and quick, and not make too much noise."

As Yelan said, the ruins have a complex internal structure, and the exploration back then was incomplete; there might be other entrances and exits. Moreover, having been unmanaged for decades, it's easy for monsters to inhabit the area. In addition, as a base for the Fatui, this place could very well contain ambushes or traps set by the Fatui.

As the only professional intelligence operative present, Ye Lan effectively took on the role of on-site commander. Although Han Fulai and Ke Qing were of higher administrative rank than her, they both chose to respect the expert's opinion under these circumstances.

After discussing their options, the group formed an exploration formation. Ye Lan would lead the way to explore the path and observe the enemy situation; Ke Qing would follow a few steps behind to provide support and assistance; Shen He, due to his excessive destructive power, was assigned to the rearguard and would not be allowed to act unless absolutely necessary. As for Han Fulai, he gladly accepted the third "support" role, nominally a main damage dealer but actually a passive player, and followed the group into the ruins.

After entering the ruins tunnel and turning a corner, the group was immediately plunged into darkness. This was to be expected; it would be strange if someone were maintaining the lighting equipment in a tunnel that had been abandoned for decades.

Fortunately, both Yelan and Keqing have rich adventure experience. Yelan took out a windproof lantern from the Eye of God, while Keqing took out an cute little night light shaped like a cat, which was lit with lightning elemental power and only required a little elemental power to provide light for a long time.

Han Fulai took out a tinderbox from his satchel. Since he couldn't freely use his immortal power, the acrobatic tricks of the Guhua School were still his best way to protect himself. As for Shen He, enhancing his eyesight with immortal techniques was equivalent to having built-in night vision goggles.

The group walked for a while in the darkness before Yelan stopped, for the tunnel had come to an end. Ahead lay a stone wall that fit seamlessly into the cave, covered with strange, square patterns that appeared to be some kind of symbol.

Ye Lan fumbled around on the stone wall for a while, seemingly pressing some mechanism. The stone wall then smoothly retreated into the adjacent mountain wall along the groove in the ground, without making much noise except for some dust falling off.

“This is the true entrance to the ruins. Please be on your guard. Now, turn off the lights.” Ye Lan said, putting away her lantern. The people behind her followed suit and put away their lighting equipment.

The group followed Ye Lan, feeling their way along the mountain wall. After walking for a while, they saw a flickering firelight shining from the exit ahead, along with strange sounds that sounded like songs.

"Just as expected, but this trouble isn't too difficult to handle—it's Hilichurls." Yelan, who was in charge of reconnaissance, lowered her voice and said to the people behind her, "Lady Keqing, let's work together to deal with them, and we need to be quick. Half a minute later, Vice Minister Han and Miss Shenhe will follow."

After Ye Lan finished speaking, the "Life-Binding Silk" was already in her hand. She transformed into a phantom and silently rushed out of the tunnel. Ke Qing also drew the Dragon's Roar from the box without hesitation, threw her hairpin, and disappeared from the spot.

Half a minute later, when Han Fulai and Shen He, who were covering the rear, came out, all that was left on the ground was the bonfire and the corpses of the Hilichurls.

As far as the eye could see, there was a place resembling a balcony. Their current location seemed to be higher than the ground level of the ruins. The ruins appeared to be divided into several floors, all of which were brick and stone structures connected by stairs. Every few tens of meters along the stone walls of each floor, there was a constantly burning miner's lamp. It was unclear whether these were originally part of the ruins or were installed later by the Fools.

Meanwhile, Ye Lan and Ke Qing were crouching behind the railing of the "balcony," concealing themselves. When they saw Han Fulai and Shen He emerge, Ye Lan gestured to them. The two understood and, like Ye Lan, crouched down and slowly moved behind the railing.

At their feet, a gray-haired man dressed in winter clothes swaggered past, crossed several irrigation ditches, and entered an archway. A few seconds later, a rumble sounded as an iron gate slammed down from the top of the archway.

Only after confirming that the other party had left did Yelan speak, "That was Yusupov, the ambassador sent by the Fools of Winter to Liyue. He must have been the one who came to meet Zhiyi. Once we make our move, we need to finish things off before the embassy can react..."

Although Ye Lan didn't finish her sentence, Han Fulai and Ke Qing instantly understood the meaning behind her words.

Diplomats of Winterborn enjoy diplomatic immunity. Ordinary Fatui soldiers, like the Thunderfly mage involved in the Stonepea incident, can be arrested and investigated without much trouble; at worst, they can argue with the Winterborn embassy. However, when dealing with ambassadors, the diplomatic implications must be carefully considered. Even if they commit crimes, pressure on Winterborn can only be exerted through diplomatic channels. This is especially true given that Liyue is weaker than Winterborn.

Even if Ningguang and Keqing take a tough stance, the most they can do is target the Northern Bank with this. For diplomats, "expulsion" is already the maximum penalty.

Because of this relationship, they now not only need to find evidence of Zhiyi's conspiracy with Yusupov, but also need to be careful not to let Ambassador Zhidong become Zhiyi's protector. Simply put, after they obtain the evidence, they must control the situation as quickly as possible and secretly detain both Zhiyi and Yusupov, so as not to give the embassy of Zhidong the opportunity to get the news and send people to rescue them.

If the news doesn't leak out, Yusupov will simply be missing, and Ningguang will have plenty of ways to deflect the issue; but if the news does leak out, it will become a diplomatic problem involving the detention of Ambassador Zhidong, which could potentially lead to war.

But the intelligence on an ambassador is far more important than Zhiyi himself. Yelan's operation has caught a big fish!

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Swaying Gu, the Jade Tablets and Medicine Dice

Although Ambassador Yusupov of the Kingdom of Zhidong was not as good at counter-surveillance as Zhiyi, he still had a good habit of closing doors after he was a child.

Han Fulai and the others were now blocked by the iron gate. Of course, these people were all highly skilled, and a mere iron gate could not stop them. For example, Shen He had already started to throw punches—Han Fulai quickly pulled her back.

After inspecting the iron gate, Ye Lan shook her head: "This gate can only be opened from the inside using a mechanism. Forcing our way in would be too noisy. We need to find another way."

"I remember Miss Yelan said there was a safety passage left by the construction team here?" Han Fulai recalled what Yelan had said when she introduced the situation to them before.

"This is the emergency exit." Ye Lan shrugged.

"Are there any other routes?" Han Fulai stroked his chin. "We don't have much time left."

"Yusupov just arrived, why do you say there's not much time left?" Keqing asked instinctively.

Han Fulai explained, “This is the only safe passage, and Yusupov has closed the door, which can only be opened from the inside. This door will not only block us, but also Zhiyi—which means that Zhiyi is already inside waiting for Yusupov. For us, it's not only about finding evidence of the conspiracy between Zhiyi and Yusupov, but more importantly, about obtaining intelligence from their conversations…”

“If we arrive too late and miss important intelligence and evidence, they can easily find all sorts of excuses to collude or even turn the tables on us,” Ye Lan interjected.

Even if Zhiyi were caught drinking with Yusupov, it wouldn't prove anything. Traveling twenty hours specifically to drink with Ambassador Zhidong in Qingxupu is certainly suspicious. However, without evidence, even if Zhiyi claimed he came to Qingxupu to learn a foreign language from Yusupov, there's not much anyone can do about it.

The fact that Zhiyi is suspected of being a spy can indeed disqualify him from becoming the successor of Tian Shu Star, but that's all—for Yelan, the intelligence in Yusupov's mind is the key to today's operation!

Although time was of the essence, Ye Lan remained calm. As a professional intelligence operative, Ye Lan had explored many dangerous secret realms due to various missions, and was experienced in the mechanisms and traps within ruins. The Qingxupu Ruins were just one of them for her.

The water channels on the ground were the best clue for her—many ruins contain water-powered mechanisms. Moreover, the Qingxupu ruins are surrounded by water, making it easy to use water-powered devices.

Yelan searched the area and quickly found two seemingly decorative stone lanterns. She activated them with her elemental power, and a stream of water, which hadn't been there before, suddenly flowed from a hidden drain, filling the ground channel. As the channel overflowed, a section of the stone wall behind them suddenly split open, revealing a passageway.

This dark passage is narrow and cramped, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and it is pitch black inside, making it impossible to know if there are any hidden dangers.

But Ye Lan entered the secret passage first without hesitation.

"This way, move quickly."

With Ye Lan leading the way, Han Fulai and the others didn't hesitate and followed her inside. Fortunately, they encountered no danger in the secret passage. After navigating the winding tunnel, they arrived at a relatively open area. The exit of the passage seemed to be blocked by cargo boxes or something similar, leaving only a few gaps through which light shone.

"Shh..." Ye Lan gestured for everyone to be quiet, pointed to the gaps with her finger, and took out a delicate conch shell and placed it on the cargo box.