He changed Tiwat

Yelan smiled, left a few Mora on the table, and stood up.

"No need, Lord Gan Yu's words are enough for me to report back. Consider this cup of tea my treat to Lord Gan Yu."

Gan Yu nodded and let Ye Lan leave.

Gan Yu watched the two people dining at "Qingce Farmhouse Cuisine," then picked up her teacup and took a sip. She was waiting for Yan Fei and Han Fulai to leave.

She had heard about Han Fulai's performance in the Liyue Civil Service Exam and believed that passing the exam would not be a problem.

As long as his exam results are satisfactory, it's only a matter of time before Han Fulai can enter Yuehaiting openly and legitimately. Of course, even if there are problems with his exam results, Gan Yu has already prepared a backup plan; it's just a matter of whether or not it's necessary to use it.

Gan Yu knew that the false identity she had created for Han Fulai wouldn't fool Ningguang. If the Liyue Septim and the Liyue Asuras were willing to investigate, Han Fulai's file as a child returning from Fontainebleau wouldn't stand up to scrutiny. However, she hadn't intended to fool so many people with this hastily fabricated file; in fact, the more fake the file, the better.

The important thing is not the authenticity of the file, nor Han Fulai's identity. What matters is Gan Yu's attitude.

Loyal to the Emperor's contract and serving Liyue for three thousand years, Gan Yu, the Moonsea Pavilion's executive secretary known as "Liyue's only eternal Mora and Moonsea Pavilion," personally forged a file for someone else—that's what's important.

No matter how much the various forces investigate, they can only reach the same conclusion—Han Fulai is Gan Yu's man.

Gan Yu is a person of the Rock King Emperor.

The Geo Archon has ruled Liyue for over three thousand years, always appearing elusive and only showing up once a year at the Summoning Ceremony. Yet, this same Geo Archon is remarkably knowledgeable about all matters in Liyue, both big and small, and can provide correct guidance for the future development of Liyue.

Gan Yu knew very well that, compared to Ningguang, who was known by the people of Liyue Harbor as "knowing everything," the one who truly deserved the title of "knowing everything" was the Emperor.

The fact that the Emperor did not give any instructions to Gan Yu regarding Han Fulai's matter is itself a statement, symbolizing the Emperor's tacit approval.

that's enough.

Gan Yu picked up the teacup again and drank the tea.

"It's a bit bitter. But that's how it's supposed to taste."

Chapter Thirty-Four: No Name on the List

On the day the results of the Liyue civil service exam were released, Han Fulai got up very early.

It's not that he has a habit of going to bed early and waking up early.

In fact, after dinner with Yan Fei, Han Fulai spent the next two days basically holed up in Yan Fei's office—or more accurately, in Yan Fei's library.

For the past two days, Han Fulai, being unemployed and penniless, couldn't very well idly wander the streets of Liyue, since shopping is expensive. So he found something suitable for him to do—helping Yanfei organize her library, without pay, of course. Yanfei's reward for him was that he could freely read the books in the library.

Since the spy case at the winter, Yan Fei and Han Fulai have become closer. Han Fulai offered to help Yan Fei organize her book collection, and Yan Fei readily agreed.

Although Han Fulai wasn't particularly fond of books back in China, he had spent a lot of time in the library to prepare for exams. Moreover, he had only recently transmigrated to Teyvat, and reading more about the continent and its customs would undoubtedly be helpful for his future life.

Of course, besides that thought, he was also very curious about Yan Fei's library. Yan Fei was known for reading all kinds of books, and he had long wanted to see it.

Yan Fei's library almost fills the entire floor except for her study. According to Yan Fei, even the study was only created after she started working as a legal consultant; it was previously part of the library. According to Yan Fei's own count, her collection now exceeds 20,000 books, almost matching the collection of the wealthy collector Chang Jiuye back in the day.

In Han Fu's view, Yan Fei's library could be used as a complete library, as it was incredibly comprehensive. In addition to classics from all walks of life and literary works from various countries on the Teyvat continent, he even discovered a fan fiction book from Inazuma hidden in a crevice of a bookshelf—the kind that could only be read by those over 18.

Having many books certainly brings its own set of problems. You have to protect them from fire, moisture, and insects, and regularly take them out to the balcony to air them in the sun. Climbing up and down the various bookshelves, repeatedly organizing and moving the books to the balcony to dry in the sun, requires considerable physical strength.

Of course, Han Fulai also took this opportunity to learn a lot of Teyvat knowledge that he had never paid attention to or been mentioned in the game before. What he was particularly interested in was that Yanfei's library contained collections of poems by Mondstadt bards and collections of waka poems by Inazuma, but very few collections of ancient poems by Liyue. Of course, there were quite a few modern poems. He even found a copy of "Daily Necessities" that looked like a handwritten copy, signed "Alleyway Dark Poet".

Reading is a very time-consuming activity, which is why Han Fulai has been going to bed late at night and getting up late at night these past two days.

Han Fulai had studied all night and hadn't planned to get up too early today. After all, he wasn't responsible for grading the exams, so studying early or late wouldn't affect the results. However, perhaps the dormant test-taking spirit within him had awakened. When the results were released, Han Fulai suddenly woke up and couldn't fall back asleep no matter what he tried.

Han Fulai had no choice but to get up and go to the living room, only to find that Yan Fei had already gone out on a field mission, but she had left him a cold tofu salad for breakfast. Han Fulai washed up, ate breakfast, changed into the Liyue casual clothes that Yan Fei had given him, and went out to the General Affairs Department.

The entrance to the General Affairs Office was already packed with people, mostly examinees or their relatives and friends. Two Qianyan soldiers were struggling to maintain order. Just as Han Fulai reached the notice board in front of the General Affairs Office, a Qianyan soldier emerged from the main gate, holding a red notice board.

The candidates stirred, and then the Thousand Rock Army soldier raised his hand and posted the red list on the bulletin board.

The red list, from left to right, displays the ranking, name, and scores of the two subjects of the admitted students.

"Great news, Dad! I passed the exam!" A young girl wearing glasses excitedly rushed to the middle-aged man dressed in miner's clothes next to her.

"Hey, she's just as good as my Nannan!" Miner Qi Ding patted his daughter's back with satisfaction.

Han Fulai noticed that the 100th place at the top was Qi Nan's name, with a score of 65/75.

This means that the minimum passing score is 140 points, and the ranking is based on the score of the civil service exam.

Although Han Fulai was very confident in himself, everything was still unknown until the results were announced. According to his own estimation, he should easily score 140 points, with a likely good score on the quantitative reasoning section, and although the essay section consisted of subjective questions, his answers shouldn't be low-scoring. Han Fulai estimated his overall score to be around 80 points, for a total of 160 points.

"I'm here, look, I'm here!"

"Sigh, I'll come again next year, I'll come again next year..."

Joyful shouts and sighs of disappointment could be heard from time to time. The crowd began to loosen, and those who found their names went to the General Affairs Office to collect their identification cards, while those who did not make the list and knew that their estimated scores were insufficient began to head home.

Han Fulai looked around but didn't see his name. However, the paper only listed the scores from 100 to 50, and the total score for 50th place was only 150. Han Fulai was not anxious or impatient, confident that he would definitely be on the list of those with higher scores next.

Soon, the second red paper was posted. A crowd of people in front of Han Fulai blocked his view. Han Fulai had no choice but to shout, "Excuse me! Excuse me!" as he pushed his way forward.

The candidate in front of him was clapping and laughing, "Hee! Good! I passed!" Han Fulai couldn't push him for a moment, and after calling him a few times without getting a response, he had no choice but to slap the candidate in front of him hard on the shoulder.

"Brother, whatever evil spirit you're possessed by, please make way..."

The examinee turned around, still laughing loudly; "Do you know what I got? Seventh place!"

Taking advantage of his turn to turn around, Han Fulai finally squeezed forward a step, glanced at the red paper, and saw that the 49th to 6th place candidates were listed. The 7th place candidate was named Fan Tui, with a score of 80/79 and a total score of 159.

Han Fulai glanced at the 6th place and realized it was a name he didn't recognize. The score was 81/79, out of a total of 160, which was about what he had estimated. He quickly looked through the honor roll, but still didn't see his name.

Fan Tui continued to ramble on, grabbing Han Fulai: "Do you know what seventh place means? You can choose any of the eight gates and halls! If there are any vacancies ahead of you, you can even get into the Moon Sea Pavilion!"

"Hmm?" Han Fulai blinked in confusion. "Isn't the exam room assigned according to the department you applied for?"

"What do you know? Choosing a major is just a priority. Getting into Yuehaiting is extremely difficult. In previous years, only the top three candidates were admitted, and this year the number has been reduced by one. Only the top two are eligible to enter Yuehaiting. Of course, if either of the top two gives up their spot, the remaining candidates can take their place!" Fan Tui looked at Han Fulai with disdain and asked, "Where did you rank?"

"Um..." Han Fulai smiled awkwardly, "Well... for now, I'm not on the list."

Just then, a nearby examinee overheard their conversation and exclaimed, "Look, it's that boastful guy who said, 'I know all the answers and got them all right!'"

Chapter Thirty-Five: One point less, lest you become arrogant.

Han Fulai was already well-known among the candidates, and his shout immediately drew the attention of many people, who focused their gazes on him.

"Who is he?"

"It's the one who handed in their paper early in the exam room."

"He's quite the braggart. What's his name?"

"I think his surname was Han, but what was his real name?"

"Han Fulai?"

"Yes, yes, let's see if his name is on the list!"

"I've checked, it's not there!"

Fan Tui had obviously heard of Han Fulai's exploits, and immediately sneered: "Are you trying to say that you ranked in the top five?"

In truth, Han Fulai dared not claim to be in the top five. Although he was confident in his abilities, he submitted his paper early to test the mentality of his fellow test-takers. Submitting early meant he didn't have time to check his work, and there was no guarantee he wouldn't miss some mistakes. Furthermore, the essay section is a highly subjective exam, making it virtually impossible to accurately predict the score.

Han Fulai had answered the policy questions based on his memories of China and hadn't thought there was anything wrong with them. But when someone asked him about it, he broke out in a cold sweat. He had written down "the three driving forces," "rural cooperatives," "five-year plan," and "the three rural issues" on the exam paper. Was he going to fail because of this?

Teyvat is still a relatively underdeveloped world in terms of productivity. If he were to use a Chinese essay template to write a policy essay for Liyue, wouldn't that be going beyond the scope of the curriculum?

If Han Fulai were the only one present, he would probably have regretted it so much that he wanted to bang his head against the wall. But now, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Han Fulai's test-taking spirit was burning brightly, showing that he would not lose face even if he lost the game!

"I dare not say what rank I will get, but I can definitely get over 160 points." Han Fulai said loudly to Fan Tui on purpose, implying that although he did not know the exact score, he would definitely get a higher score than Fan Tui.

Fan Tui couldn't find a rebuttal, so he had to grit his teeth and bear it. Just then, he saw two more soldiers come out of the General Affairs Department. One was holding a red notice, and the other was holding a red piece of paper with gold trim. Behind them was a very mature-looking man, who was the proctor of Han Fulai's exam.

The candidates' attention was immediately drawn to the two soldiers. As is customary, the top three candidates in the Liyue Civil Service Examination were listed on red paper with gold borders, known as the "Golden List," and an official from the General Affairs Department would announce the rankings in public to signify their honor.

The lists of fifth and fourth place have been posted. Han Fulai's name is not on the list, but the fourth place has a total score of 168 points.

Whispers broke out among the onlookers, with many looking at Han Fulai with mocking expressions.

Han Fulai, on the contrary, remained calm, even smiling with an air of composure, his eyes fixed on the golden list in the hands of another Thousand Rock Army soldier. He had already put on a show and made his promise; it was too late to run away now. He might as well look forward to passing the imperial examination.

The general affairs officer took a breath and announced loudly:

"Third place, Sun Shan, 171 points, volunteer Yuehaiting."

A man in a long robe and holding a folding fan stepped out from the crowd. He deliberately took a few steps past Han Fulai and asked in a low but still audible voice, "I heard you scored over 160 points?"

Sun Shan waved his folding fan and recited two lines: "The end of the list is Sun Shan, and the next one is even beyond Sun Shan." He then strolled into the General Affairs Department.

Han Fulai watched expressionlessly as the Qianyan Army soldiers posted the list of successful candidates.

"Second place, Yun Huixin, 175 points, volunteer Yuehaiting."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

"Look, it's the eldest daughter of the Yun family in Tian Shu!"

"I never expected that the Seven Stars' daughter would be taking the exam with us."

"I heard her mother is the deputy secretary-general of Yuehai Pavilion, this is probably..."

"What nonsense are you talking about? He's richer than you and works harder than you!"

"Tsk tsk, why don't you just tell me this is called having zero capital beyond ability?"

Huixin pursed her lips. In order to prove her ability, she insisted on refusing her parents' well-intentioned arrangements and prepared hard for more than a year, all for the sake of passing this civil service exam with dignity.

Her family even hired a renowned tutor for the civil service exam for her. With the influence of her father's family learning and her mother's teachings, her goal was to get first place in this exam. If it weren't for Han Fulai handing in his paper early and spouting nonsense in the exam room, which affected her mindset, first place would have been rightfully hers.

How hateful! Thinking this, she glared fiercely at the innocent-looking Han Fulai, then swept her cold gaze across the whispering crowd. The crowd immediately fell silent. Huixin walked past them, remaining completely silent throughout.

Just as everyone was anticipating the announcement of the first place winner, the General Affairs Officer turned around and left.

The list of winners posted on the bulletin board only had the names of the third and second place winners; the first place column was empty.

This was unheard of before. One of the candidates shouted, "Sir, please wait, the first place winner hasn't been announced yet!"

The general affairs official replied without turning his head, "Don't ask, I don't know either."

How could the officials in the General Affairs Department not know who the first place was? The candidates immediately erupted in uproar, saying all sorts of things. Some of the candidates who failed the exam were already shouting that there must have been something fishy about the exam and demanding a retake!

Han Fulai went from being the center of attention to being forgotten by everyone, and for a moment he felt lost.

Just then, a voice rang out from behind everyone: "I know who the first place is!"

Despite the cacophony of noise from the examinees, that voice was clear and melodious, like listening to celestial music, yet it effortlessly drowned out all the other sounds.

A sharp-eyed candidate exclaimed, "It's Lady Ningguang!"

Han Fulai turned around upon hearing this and saw Ningguang walking towards him. Her long white hair and red pupils gave her an ethereal and otherworldly beauty. Her cheongsam swayed, revealing glimpses of her beautiful, shapely, and slender legs, yet they did not inspire any impure thoughts, but rather exuded an elegant charm.

Yes, elegant.

Ningguang's walk was almost like a dance; her legs, though taut and straight, possessed a surprising suppleness. As her hands traced an arc, her waist swayed gently like a willow branch. Seemingly delicate, yet containing boundless charm.

Han Fulai had seen and used this word countless times before, but he didn't fully understand its meaning. Seeing Ningguang this time, he realized that elegance is actually the perfect combination of a supple body and restrained movements—a beauty of inner strength. This beauty, when revealed outwardly, is called elegance.

It is precisely because of her elegance that Ningguang possesses a powerful aura, and anyone who is around her will be enveloped in this elegant aura.

The candidates immediately fell silent, as if Moses parted the Red Sea to make way for Ningguang.

In the middle of the road, only Han Fulai remained standing there, looking foolish.

Ningguang walked up to Han Fulai and stopped.

"His name precedes him. In two examinations, he made a stunning first impression. His knowledge in the civil service exam was vast and his arguments were flawless; his essays were insightful and profound, every word a gem. He is already unparalleled in history, and it remains to be seen whether future generations will be able to surpass him?"

After Ningguang finished speaking, she waved her hands, and a surge of elemental power burst forth, instantly condensing into a Xuanji Screen made of gold and obsidian in front of the bulletin board!

Several exam papers were pasted on the Xuanji Screen; they were Han Fulai's answer sheets.

The candidates gathered around, and Fan Tui, who had previously exchanged several verbal sparring sessions with Han Fulai, suddenly gasped and fell backward. Han Fulai's answer sheet showed a perfect score on the administrative aptitude test, a score of 99 on the policy essay, and a total score of 199, just one point short of a perfect score!

The way the candidates looked at Han Fulai changed immediately. Some admired and envied him, while others were jealous and resentful. But in the end, no one dared to look down on or ridicule him anymore.

"Mr. Han is a man of exceptional talent, whose brilliance shines in selecting talents for the nation. We cordially invite Mr. Han to the Qunyu Pavilion for a discussion."

Before Han Fulai could answer, Ningguang took a few more steps closer to him. Still in a daze, Han Fulai felt a fragrant breeze approach, and when he came to his senses, he was already within earshot of Ningguang's breath.

"Too close!" Han Fulai instinctively wanted to back away, but then he saw Ningguang give him a mischievous smile from an angle only he could see, and whisper:

"I'm sorry, I only gave you 99 points for the strategy essay. I didn't give you one point because I was afraid you'd get arrogant."

Chapter Thirty-Six: Ningguang's Invitation

Standing in front of the Yiyan Hall of Yujing Terrace, Han Fulai felt somewhat dazed, as if he were in a dream.

An hour ago, he was an unknown and penniless unemployed youth, but now he is a renowned scholar in Liyue Harbor, treated with the respect due to a national hero by Ningguang, who personally deigned to welcome him to the Jade Pavilion.

From Scarlet Cloud Slope to Jade Capital Terrace, Han Fulai chatted and laughed with Tianquan Star, the most esteemed of the seven stars of Liyue, enjoying the spotlight as if he were a top scorer in the college entrance examination in China riding a horse through the streets.