He changed Tiwat

The small boat soon approached the "Pearl Pavilion" located on the sea of ​​Yunlai.

Even among the pleasure boats in Liyue, the "Pearl-Inlaid Boat" is one of the most luxurious. The boat is a hundred meters long, painted entirely in vermilion, and has wall-mounted light boxes on both sides. It is said that at night, the light boxes will light up with colorful lights, making it look like a neon rainbow from a distance.

The ship is decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, pavilions and towers, making it look nothing like a passenger ship, but rather like Feiyunpo being moved to the sea.

With a shout from the boatman Pinghai, the sailors on the "Zhudianfang" operated the mechanism, and two gaps suddenly appeared in the wooden planks of the boat, from which a ladder, like an airplane boarding stairs, descended onto the small boat.

Han Fulai climbed the steps and entered the "Pearl-Inlaid Boat".

He was greeted by a very capable-looking woman, probably in her late thirties. She was dressed in luxurious clothes and wore tortoiseshell jade bracelets on both hands, which were obviously not ordinary items. She was probably a "boss lady" type.

The woman walked up to Han Fulai, bowed gracefully, and said, "Welcome to 'Pearl Pavilion'. You must be the famous Vice Minister Han? May I ask which distinguished guest invited you here today?"

Han Fulai smiled, handed over the invitation letter Ningguang had given him, and said, "I am Han Fulai. May I ask your name?"

"Oh dear, my apologies. My name is 'Luoxia,' and I am in charge of handling many matters on the ship. Receiving distinguished guests is also my duty. Since it is Lady Ningguang's invitation, Vice Minister Han, would you like to use Lady Ningguang's private room?"

"Oh? Lady Ningguang has a private room here?" Han Fulai asked curiously.

"Of course, the ocean-view private room on the third floor on the east side was booked by Lady Ningguang for 30 million Mora every year," said the receptionist named Luoxia, leading him to look at a pavilion on the east side.

"If you have already made an appointment with Lady Ningguang, then I will arrange a private room. If you would like, I can also find a few girls to keep you company."

"No need to trouble yourself. I'm only here to see the best pleasure boat in Liyue, just a quick look around to relieve the fatigue from work." Han Fulai quickly waved his hand; he wasn't here to shamelessly use Ningguang's membership card.

"Seriously, renting a room here costs as much as a house in Liyue Harbor? The prices on this ship are a bit outrageous!" Han Fulai quietly weighed his wallet, guessing he wouldn't be able to afford many dishes on this ship.

Fortunately, he wasn't really there for entertainment. Besides, going to a pleasure boat to find girls to drink with seems inappropriate for a civil servant... although there are indeed no regulations in Liyue prohibiting civil servants from seeking pleasure...

Luo Xia smiled and nodded, saying, "That's perfect. This 'Pearl-Inlaid Boat' is a place where one can forget all worries and troubles. Please don't have any concerns; everything here is tacitly approved by the Seven Stars of Liyue. In short, you can just relax and enjoy yourself here, hehe..."

The last smile of the sunset was quite meaningful.

It seems the services offered here are not so simple.

Han Fulai pretended to look around and asked, "By the way, I have an acquaintance named Guan Hong. I heard he's here with you right now. Would it be possible to meet him?"

This was a strategy he and Uncle Tian had discussed beforehand—to create an opening for the opponent, they had to get the opponent to make a move.

Guan Hong, who is closely related to the matter of the luminous marrow, is obviously a breakthrough point.

When Han Fulai, the deputy head of Yuehaiting, suddenly went to the "Zhudianfang" to find Guan Hong, Rouran became somewhat wary. If he took any action, then Uncle Tian's decades of service as Tian Shu Star would not have been in vain.

"Mr. Guan... Yes, yes. I'll take you there right away." Luo Xia remained calm and dutifully performed her reception duties.

Han Fulai followed Luo Xia for a while, and when they reached the vicinity of the bow of the boat, they saw a man in his early thirties. This man was dressed in silk brocade, with a jade pendant hanging from his waist, and his fingers were adorned with almost twenty gold, silver, and gemstone rings, giving him the appearance of a nouveau riche.

The man was holding a wine jug and laughing loudly at the sea, though it was unclear what he was laughing about.

Luo Xia pointed to the man, "Deputy Minister Han, Mr. Guan is right over there. Please make yourself at home."

Han Fulai stepped forward, thinking about how to act like he was very familiar with Guan Hong. But as soon as he raised his hand to greet him, Guan Hong saw him and put his arm around his shoulder as if they were old friends.

"Haha, you're here to enjoy yourself too, right?"

Guan Hong's face was flushed and his steps were unsteady; he was clearly drunk.

Han Fulai didn't mind being sprayed with alcohol on his face and struck up a conversation with him familiarly: "Old Guan, what's got you so happy?"

"What's there to be happy about? Hehe, of course it's enjoying life!" Guan Hong shook the wine jug in his hand. "I used to think that making money was the most important thing. I was so engrossed in it that I forgot to eat and sleep, and I'm still single at my age."

"...Until recently, when Mr. Bai Shu diagnosed me with a terminal illness, I finally understood that work, career..." He pointed to the sky above, "...are all just fleeting clouds!"

"That's right. As the saying goes, 'Drink today, for tomorrow we may die.' Whether you're happy or unhappy, it's still just one day," Han Fulai said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, yes, that's enough for a toast!"

As Guan Hong spoke, he tilted his head back and gulped down another mouthful of strong liquor from the pot.

"Luckily, I saved up enough money in the first half of my life to live a carefree life in this 'Pearl-Inlaid Boat' until I die. Thinking about it that way, it's not so bad after all, hahaha!"

"Hey Lao Guan, Lao Ke and Lao Xu asked me to ask if you still have any 'Radiant Marrow' for sale?" Han Fulai asked casually.

"Of course it's gone. Old Ke, Old Xu... hey. These guys are still eyeing the Luminous Essence, aren't they?" Guan Hong sneered. "Let me tell you, Luminous Essence is just a speculative commodity; it's hardly worth any money..."

As they were talking, Luo Xia, who had been standing at a distance, suddenly walked between them, interrupting their conversation.

“Deputy Minister Han, I apologize for disturbing you. My memory is terrible… The Rouran boss specifically instructed me that you are the most talented man in Liyue Harbor. If you come to visit, I must ask you to leave a piece of your calligraphy. The brush, ink, paper and inkstone are ready. I hope you can do so.”

"Oh?" Han Fulai smiled, thinking to himself that you really couldn't sit still after I started gathering information. He didn't say anything, and followed Luoxia for a while until they arrived at the bow of the boat.

The bow of the ship is the banquet area, where a Liyue opera troupe is performing traditional Liyue opera on the stage. Of course, it's not Mr. Yun's family's opera troupe.

Below, guests gathered in large numbers, clinking glasses and creating a lively atmosphere.

In a spot with a stunning view overlooking Liyue Harbor, there is a table, clearly intended for guests who wish to indulge in refined pursuits to compose poems and essays.

"May I ask what Lord Rouran wishes to leave behind?" Han Fulai raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Oh dear, you jest. Lord Rouran merely admires Vice Minister Han's talent; how could he possibly make any demands?" Luo Xia's smile was clearly somewhat forced. It was obvious that this so-called "leaving calligraphy" was merely an excuse she made to prevent Han Fulai from investigating.

Han Fulai didn't mince words. He pointed to the banquet area at the bow of the ship and said, "Then I'll use 'Pearl-Inlaid Boat' as the theme."

He wielded his brush with bold strokes, producing a poem titled "Five-Character Quatrain: Pearls and Jade from the Sea" in the blink of an eye.

Han Fulai wrote and read aloud:

"Jade pendants sway with golden threads, pearl ornaments ripple in a green basin."

"I wonder if, a thousand years from now, there will still be those old vermilion gates?"

The poem is indeed a good poem, but the choice of words just seems to carry a sense of mockery.

Luo Xia was used to indulging in refined pursuits with the guests on the boat and had a smattering of knowledge about poetry and literature, but when faced with Han Fulai's poem, she was momentarily at a loss for words.

Just then, someone started clapping.

"A fine poem. Young friend Han, it's been a long time."

The voice was gentle and mellow, instantly making one feel good upon hearing it.

Han Fulai looked up and saw that it was none other than Zhongli.

"Mr. Zhongli! I didn't expect to see you here!" Han Fulai was overjoyed and almost hugged him.

In this "Pearl-Inlaid Boat," he was, in a sense, in enemy territory. Suddenly seeing a familiar face, especially the most trusted confidant of Liyue, brought him a feeling of "meeting a fellow countryman, tears welling up in his eyes."

If it weren't for the many people around, Han Fulai would have almost burst into tears—Zhongli was nowhere to be seen when Ba Che came to attack Liyue Harbor, and Zhongli was also not in Liyue Harbor when he went to Qingxu Pool a while ago. He had a whole bunch of complaints to vent to Zhongli.

His mind was filled with thoughts like, "Your Majesty, are you going to do anything about this mess in Liyue? Apart from A-Qing, there's practically no one I can trust among the Seven Stars of Liyue!"

Zhongli was unaware of Han Fulai's surging desire to confide. He simply gave a gentle smile as always and said, "I just heard a familiar voice reciting poetry, and I wondered if it was you, young friend Han. I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence."

As he spoke, he turned to Luoxia and said, "Miss Luoxia, this Mr. Han is an old friend of mine, and I would like to invite him to join us."

"Ah...of course."

Luo Xia quickly agreed, bowed her head and put away Han Fulai's "calligraphy", while thinking about how to report this matter to the Rouran boss.

Zhong Li and Han Fulai walked hand in hand into the banquet hall and came to a round table.

The round table held only a pot of fragrant tea and a few teacups, which seemed somewhat out of place in this banquet setting. Three people were already seated at the table.

Upon seeing Zhongli return with people, the only woman among the three stood up and asked a question.

"Mr. Zhongli is back... Is this your friend?"

"Yes, I had the pleasure of meeting him some time ago. Han Fulai, Yue Haiting's secretary. He is knowledgeable and erudite. I felt very compatible with him." Zhongli introduced Han Fulai to the woman with a ponytail and glasses.

After introducing the guests, Zhongli introduced the three people present to Han Fulai: "This lady is Wanyan, and the two next to her are Hanxue and Yixuan. These three are all archaeologists and learned scholars."

Both sides exchanged pleasantries, expressing their admiration for each other, before taking their seats.

Upon hearing "archaeologist," Han Fulai immediately thought of the plot in Genshin Impact—the Zhongli Legend Quest: Salt Flower!

As a player, he was naturally familiar with the storyline of the Dragon King Ruotu, which required completing Zhongli's legendary quest. The moment Zhongli mentioned it, he remembered it. This storyline involved the "Salt Demon God" he had mentioned during the "Three Bowls Before Crossing the Harbor" storytelling session when he first arrived in Liyue Harbor.

So, is it time to witness a memorable scene? Han Fulai's gaze secretly swept over the three of them.

Zhongli then resumed the conversation with the three: "We were just talking about the topic of 'the Rock King Emperor in history'..."

The middle-aged man named Hanxue stroked his goatee and eagerly interjected, “We are discussing the whereabouts of the ‘first Mora in history.’ This Mr. Zhongli seems to underestimate the power of the Rock King. As a professional archaeologist, I would like to correct some of his views…”

"Uh...is it possible that Mr. Zhongli actually knows Prince Yan quite well..." Han Fulai protested weakly.

Before Hanxue could retort, Yixuan, a gaunt-faced man beside him, chimed in: "As we all know, under the guidance of the Geo Archon, the people of Liyue smelted ores and used the first goods to trade with the nations of the world. Today, Liyue holds the sole right to forge Mora on the entire continent. And the world's first Mora should have been forged by the Geo Archon himself thousands of years ago."

Wanyan then spoke up, "Based on my research... and with a bit of speculation, I believe this historically significant Mora might have been secretly passed down as a kind of 'token.' For example... before each generation of the 'Seven Stars' who govern Liyue takes office, is there some unknown ritual? Like bowing and kowtowing three times and nine times before that first Mora or something..."

"No, no..."

"It's just a formality at Yuehaiting, a mere inspection..."

The retired Rock King Emperor himself and the personnel who had just presided over the Seven Star Selection both shook their heads in denial.

Chapter 73 Do you understand Prince Yan better, or do I? [4k]

Besides Zhongli and Han Fulai, there was another person who also shook his head and denied Wanyan's statement.

“No, no, no, according to my research, the status of this ‘first Mora’ is not that simple. As we all know, Mora is a catalyst. Even today, there are still stories of using Mora’s mystical properties to enhance weapons,” Han Xue said.

"Why don't you just say 'Mora can be used as an alchemical catalyst'? Don't habitually pad your writing with academic papers when you're just chatting!" Han Fulai thought to himself.

"The world's first Mora must contain the strongest power. Therefore, my next historical work will boldly demonstrate the latest results of my ten years of dedicated research!" Han Xue leaned forward, looking mysterious, and all eyes were on him.

"That is—the Geo Archon used this Mora as a catalyst to enhance both his sword and his blade! Heh heh heh, you'll have to buy the book to read the full story later. Right now, I'll only reveal a small part: obtaining the sword allows you to become the Supreme Ruler of Liyue, and drawing the blade allows you to be crowned the King of Liyue..."

"You're not going to name your book 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber', are you?!" Han Fulai couldn't help but tease.

"What a vulgar name! It sounds like a third-rate martial arts novel from a bookstall." Hanxue said with a face full of disdain. "My historical work is called 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Blade'!"

"Aren't they all the same?" Han Fulai's lips twitched.

Zhongli sighed softly.

"...I disagree."

"Hmm?" Hanxue snorted and stared at Zhongli.

"Leaving aside the authenticity of these swords and artifacts... the so-called Mora, the so-called money, was originally created simply as a bargaining chip to facilitate the signing of 'contracts.'" Zhongli stroked his chin, looking serious. "The Emperor's true intention was to guide humanity to use Mora for transactions. Presumably, the 'world's first Mora' was simply spent by the Emperor as ordinary currency..."

"I never thought the Emperor would use Mora to buy things..." Han Fulai sighed softly.

Zhongli glanced at Han Fulai.

Han Fulai looked away.

"I didn't say anything, you can continue..."

Yi Xuan looked at Zhongli on the left and Hanxue on the right, as if trying to tell from their faces who was more credible. After a while, he seemed to think that a professional archaeologist should be bold enough to make a judgment: "I think Mr. Hanxue's hypothesis makes a lot of sense. But this Mr. Zhongli, without any evidence, just looks down on Prince Yan's far-reaching plans?"

Zhongli waved his hand, "No... my statement is neither praise nor criticism, but simply a statement of fact."

Hanxue snorted, raised his chin, crossed his arms, and looked arrogant.

Han Fulai suddenly spoke up: "Your next sentence is—"

"Come on, do you understand Prince Yan better than I do?"

They both spoke at the same time.

Han Xue was stunned, while Han Fulai quietly clenched his fist under the table.

It feels so good to read out the lines!

Zhongli is just a street urchin; what does he know about the Rock King Emperor? ...Unfortunately, this cannot be said.

Zhongli didn't care about the other party's attitude and remained calm: "I only have a slight understanding of historical matters, how dare I boast about it? But if there are no differences in opinion, the discussion will lose its meaning."

Yixuan frowned. "Then let me ask you, thousands of years ago, when Liyue Harbor underwent a major construction project, the Geo Archon taught the people architectural skills. The demonstration models he used were all cast using Mora, right?"

"That is indeed true." Zhongli nodded.

Hanxue, looking indignant, questioned Zhongli: "Fine, tell me, if it weren't for valuing Mora's divine power, why would Prince Yan have acted so extravagantly?"

“That’s easy to explain,” Zhongli smiled. “Because for the Emperor, Mora is the easiest material to obtain and the cheapest to produce.”

"Only you would find this easy, right? After all, you are Mora yourself, aren't you?" Han Fulai thought to himself.

"Uh... um..." Hanxue was speechless. Zhongli's statement was impossible to disprove, so he naturally had no way to refute it.

Wanyan looked at Zhongli, seemingly lost in thought.

After a moment, she stood up and said to Zhong Li, "Mr. Zhong Li! Um... I have some questions about archaeology and would like to ask you in a quieter place. I wonder if this will disturb you?"

“Oh, that’s fine. But…” Zhongli glanced at Han Fulai, “I wonder if my friend here would be willing to come along? Perhaps he can offer more help.”

Huh? Take me with you? Han Fulai hesitated for a moment.