He changed Tiwat

"Is there anything to report today?" Han Fulai asked Huixin as usual.

"There is one thing. Before the Immortal Invitation Ceremony began, Sheng Jinyong sent someone to find you, saying that he had reserved a private room at Liuli Pavilion tonight and wanted to apologize to you for the previous misunderstanding, and earnestly requested that you do him the honor of attending the banquet."

The Summoning Ceremony is equivalent to New Year's Day in Liyue. Besides inviting the Geo Archon and the Geo Elder to descend and issue divine pronouncements, it is also an annual festival. Even though Han Fulai had been busy working with Gan Yu before coming here and hadn't had time to leave the Moonsea Pavilion, he should have been given a day off on the day of the Summoning Ceremony. In fact, if it weren't for the incident of the Geo Elder's murder, Gan Yu was indeed planning to give him the day off this afternoon.

Han Fulai knew that the sign of someone getting by in society was starting to offend people, the sign of someone doing well was surviving even after offending people, and the sign of someone doing extremely well was that the people they offended still fawned over them. By this logic, Han Fulai was now doing quite well in Liyue.

In the last false accusation case, Huixin became his subordinate and even recognized him as her uncle.

Xu Cheng is being held in a cell at the General Affairs Department's Security Bureau, awaiting his sentence. It's said he received a rather heavy sentence, and his family's imported clothing business has suddenly gone badly, being taken over by the merchant guild under Lord Ningguang's command.

The young master Sheng tried to contact him several times, but he declined each time, citing his busy schedule.

Sheng Jinyong's choice to invite him to a banquet today was indeed thoughtful; if it were an ordinary holiday, he probably wouldn't have been able to refuse. But today was different.

Han Fulai's face turned solemn, and he spoke with righteous indignation: "Today, during the Ascension Ceremony, the Rock King was murdered! Moreover, a masked assassin escaped from Liyue Harbor! At this critical moment for Liyue, how could Sheng Jinyong still have the mind to seek pleasure? He even went to the Glass Pavilion for a banquet? What is he celebrating? Is he celebrating the assassination of the Rock King?"

The Rock King Emperor was assassinated? Huixin's body stiffened, and the document in her hand fell to the ground without her noticing.

Huixin, who is not yet qualified to enter the viewing area of ​​Yujing Terrace, stayed in the Moonlit Pavilion office this morning. The assassination attempt on the Emperor just happened, and Ningguang deliberately kept the news under wraps for a while, so most people in Liyue Harbor are still unaware of this major event.

“Go tell him that I am currently in charge of Yuehaiting and am too busy with official duties to deal with him,” Han Fulai said.

"Huh?" Huixin noticed something was wrong. "Could it be... that Aunt Ganyu was also assassinated?"

"Don't worry, your Aunt Gan Yu is fine. She just has to go out for a few days. While the Executive Director of Yuehaiting is away, I, as the Executive Deputy Director, will naturally take charge of Yuehaiting," Han Fulai explained to Huixin.

"Gan Yu... It's good that Senior Gan Yu is alright." Hui Xin was also slightly relieved. To her, Gan Yu was an elder she had known since childhood, so it was only natural to worry about her elder's safety. In the Moon Sea Pavilion, Hui Xin always addressed Gan Yu as "senior," only reverting to the childhood address when they were in private.

"I will draft two documents in a moment. One is an announcement of the Emperor's assassination attempt, and the other is a warrant for the capture of the masked assassin. I will go out after I finish writing the documents. Remember to take these two documents to the General Affairs Department for distribution," Han Fulai instructed Huixin.

"Huh? Are you going out?" Huixin was taken aback.

Logically speaking, Han Fulai was already very busy managing the affairs of Yuehaiting, and then the major event of the Emperor's assassination occurred. She was prepared to accompany Han Fulai to work overtime tonight, so it was quite unexpected to suddenly hear that Han Fulai was going out.

"Okay. If you need to see me on urgent business, go to Liuli Pavilion. I have a banquet to attend," Han Fulai said without looking up. After speaking, he grabbed some official paper from the table and began to write furiously, drafting the two documents.

"Huh?" Huixin was stunned for a moment. This Han Fulai had just righteously denounced Sheng Jinyong for going to the Liuli Pavilion to enjoy himself when the Emperor was assassinated, but then he turned around and wanted to go to the Liuli Pavilion for a banquet.

Seeing that Han Fulai did not react, Huixin had no choice but to take her leave.

As she stepped out of the office, Huixin muttered "shameless" under her breath.

If Han Fulai heard Huixin scolding him, he would definitely cry foul.

In all honesty, his trip to the Crystal Pavilion was definitely not for the banquet, but to stabilize the situation in Liyue Harbor and to control the actions of the Fatui.

According to the game's storyline in Han Fulai's memory, this should be the time when Zhongli is preparing to hold the Sending-Off-Immortal Ceremony and meet the young master at the Liuli Pavilion.

If he doesn't seize this opportunity, it will be difficult to get in touch with both of them at the same time. If he doesn't get to know the young master under the guise of helping Zhongli organize the Sending-Off-Immortal Ceremony, it would seem too deliberate for him, the Executive Officer of the Fools Clan, to visit the young master in any other setting. He needs Zhongli to act as an intermediary and introduce him to the young master at the dinner party so that he can proceed with the next step of his plan.

Now that Han Fulai has made up his mind to become a screenwriter, how can he not go and meet the members of the production team?

Han Fulai quickly finished writing the document and got up to head to Liuliting, the most famous Licai flagship store in Feiyunpo.

The Glazed Pavilion was located opposite the General Affairs Department. When Han Fulai arrived at the Glazed Pavilion, he noticed that the Thousand Rock Army guards on duty at the General Affairs Department appeared quite tense, clearly indicating that the General Affairs Department had received the news. However, without a written announcement from the Moon Sea Pavilion, the General Affairs Department would not take any action for the time being. After a while, once Huixin delivered the document he had drafted to the General Affairs Department, it would be time for a city-wide martial law and a manhunt for the assassin.

The Liuli Pavilion was luxuriously decorated, and the waiters who greeted guests outside all stood tall and were quite arrogant. The Liuli Pavilion wouldn't even serve ordinary people. However, Han Fulai was wearing the Yuehai Pavilion uniform, which made the waiters dare not treat him lightly. After learning the purpose of Han Fulai's visit, the waiter led him to the private room where Zhongli was.

The young master had not yet arrived, and Zhongli was the only one in the private room.

Han Fulai took a deep breath before entering the private room to calm himself down.

As a screenwriter, convincing the director to use his script is the most crucial step. It's just unknown whether Zhong Li, who directed and starred in this grand production, will cooperate.

Chapter 51 Schrödinger's Rock King

When Han Fulai entered the private room, he saw Zhongli enjoying tea.

Zhongli sat upright in the main seat of the private room, gently inhaling the aroma of tea. After smelling the fragrance, Zhongli held the rim of the cup with his thumb and forefinger, supporting the bottom of the cup with his middle finger, and sipped the tea carefully in three sips.

Han Fulai did not disturb Zhongli. He stood quietly at the door and waited for Zhongli to finish his tea before speaking: "Mr. Zhongli, how have you been lately?"

Zhongli raised his face, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. He smiled and nodded, saying, "Young friend Han, it's been a long time. Please have a seat."

Han Fulai sat down as instructed, and Zhongli picked up the kettle and refilled the teapot in front of him.

Zhongli gently lifted his wrist, his expression gentle, and the clear water in the pot poured straight down, stirring the tea leaves. Han Fulai watched as the buds and leaves rose and fell in the water, like a forest of flags and spears. The tea soup, too, slowly unfolded its color with the movement of the tea leaves, turning a golden hue that was pleasing to the eye.

A rich aroma of tea immediately filled the private room.

Han Fulai clapped lightly and said, "The sound of the water is three loud and three soft, the water line is three thick and three thin, the water flow is three high and three low, and the spout of the kettle rises and falls three times. Mr. Zhongli, what a beautiful 'Phoenix Three Nods'!"

Zhongli picked up the teapot, poured a cup for Han Fulai, pushed the teacup in front of Han Fulai, and smiled, "I didn't expect that young friend Han would also know about tea. This old-fashioned tradition of the Liyue people is now rarely known."

"Miss Gan Yu always eats fine grains and drinks sweet dew. As Miss Gan Yu's personal secretary, I have to learn a bit in order to prepare 'flower milk' for her. However, compared to Mr. Zhongli's effortless skill, I am far inferior," Han Fulai said with a smile.

Zhongli smiled and said, “Congratulations to my young friend Han on winning the unified examination. Although I am just a commoner, I have heard of you. This cup of tea is my congratulatory gift. This tea is a variety I like, ‘Yan Gu’ from Tianheng Mountain. Its buds and leaves stand upright like rock spears. It is as famous as ‘Hua Ru’ from Qiaoyingzhuang. My young friend Han may wish to try it.”

"Thank you, Mr. Zhongli, for the tea."

After Han Fulai finished his tea, Zhongli spoke: "Young friend Han, you must have come today to see me about something?"

Han Fulai nodded and said, "Mr. Zhongli already knows about the assassination attempt on Emperor Yan, right?"

“Yes, rumors of the Geo Archon's fall during the Ascension Ceremony have already spread throughout Liyue. Although the Geo Archon is the progenitor of all immortals, he is still considered one of them. Looking back on Liyue's thousands of years of history, the departure of immortals is an irreversible trend. This also means that the times have changed,” Zhongli replied.

"Doesn't Mr. Zhongli care who assassinated the ancestor of all immortals during the Immortal Invocation Ceremony? I was there at the ceremony and personally witnessed a masked assassin appear," Han Fulai said.

“‘A mysterious assassination of a god’… I don’t care about such things. In previous years, there was a grand memorial ceremony when each immortal departed. This is a tradition of Liyue. But this time, even the Seven Stars couldn’t spare the time for this tradition… It’s really inappropriate,” Zhongli sighed.

"Mr. Zhongli, have you ever thought about why the Seven Stars didn't hold a 'Farewell Ceremony' for the Emperor? The Rock King Emperor is the ancestor of all immortals. Doesn't such a status warrant a grand farewell ceremony for him that is no less impressive than the Invitation Ceremony? Perhaps there are other hidden reasons behind the death of the Rock King Emperor?" Han Fulai stared intently at Zhongli.

Zhongli shook his head calmly, “This is not my duty. As a guest elder of the ‘Hall of Rebirth’, my duty is only to hold a ‘Sending Off the Immortal’ ceremony for the Rock God. Young friend Han, I have an appointment with a friend in the Daoist world to discuss the ‘Sending Off the Immortal’ ceremony. Yuehai Pavilion is busy with affairs, so I’m afraid you should go back to work.”

Zhongli was essentially telling him to get out.

Han Fulai fell silent. His silence was not only because of Zhongli's order to leave, but also because of the information revealed in Zhongli's words.

During the verbal probing just now, Han Fulai asked Zhongli about his attitude towards the assassination. If Zhongli had felt that there was room for maneuver in the death of the Rock King Emperor, he would not have been so insistent on completing the Sending-Off-Immortal Ceremony.

He had specifically mentioned two things in his words: one was that the Seven Stars of Liyue didn't hold a farewell ceremony for the Geo Archon, and the other was whether there were other hidden circumstances surrounding the Geo Archon's death. His intention was clear: to tell Zhongli that the Seven Stars of Liyue must believe the Geo Archon was not dead, otherwise there would be no reason not to hold a grand farewell ceremony for him. And if Zhongli could vaguely say, "There might be other hidden circumstances," it would mean that the Geo Archon might still be alive.

The Emperor is currently sitting before him in the guise of Zhongli, merely a guess by a guest elder of the "Hall of Rebirth." Even if Zhongli guesses that the Emperor is not dead, it is not a big deal. Not only can Zhongli guess this, but many people at the ceremony also did not believe that the Emperor was dead; there were quite a few who held this view.

But Zhongli's attitude was very firm, as if he knew better than anyone that the Rock King Emperor was dead.

If the Seven Stars of Liyue approve the holding of the Sending-Off Ceremony, it would be equivalent to the Seven Stars of Liyue confirming that the Emperor is truly dead, and putting a nail in the Emperor's coffin.

This is actually a very important thing.

Han Fulai decided that even if it would displease Zhongli, he had to confirm it again.

“Mr. Zhongli, do you really have to start organizing the ‘Sending Off the Immortal’ ceremony now? The Emperor has ruled Liyue for over 3,700 years. The people of Liyue are bound to be in a state of panic after suddenly losing their Emperor, their deity. As far as I know, the Seven Stars of Liyue are currently busy dealing with the various problems caused by the Emperor’s death. They may really not have time to attend to the ‘Sending Off the Immortal’ ceremony. Without the Seven Stars’ permission, it will be very difficult to apply for a venue at Jade Capital Terrace.”

“It’s alright. The ‘Hall of Rebirth’ still has some connections in Jade Capital Terrace,” Zhongli said. “According to Liyue’s tradition, after a Celestial’s death, a ceremony to send him off should be prepared immediately. This rule has never been broken in the past 3,700 years, and the Geo Archon should be no exception.”

Are you in such a hurry to eat your own feast? It won't matter if you die a little later! I only said I wanted you to delay for a few days. It's not like I'm stopping you from eating the feast! Han Fulai was internally ranting.

"Alas, among the seven kingdoms of Teyvat, Liyue is probably going to be the only one without a god. But once the gods are no longer watching over it, what will happen if Liyue encounters a disaster that is beyond human control?" Han Fulai sighed, glancing at Zhongli's expression.

Zhongli hesitated for a moment before replying, "There will always be a way then."

Han Fulai nodded; he had obtained the information he wanted.

Simply put, the Rock King Emperor is currently in a quantum superposition state of "dead, but not completely dead".

On one hand, Zhongli hopes to die quickly and cleanly, preferably with the coffin lid closed now. But on the other hand, if Liyue encounters an insurmountable obstacle, he will rise from the dead.

At first glance, it seems like nothing, and it even seems to fit the game's storyline that Han Fulai knows. In the story, Zhongli said that after he faked his death and retired, if Liyue encountered a crisis that he couldn't solve, he would have the ability to ultimately solve the problem.

But now, based on what he saw and heard in Liyue, and Zhongli's current attitude, Han Fulai has reached a conclusion:

The Geo Archon's ability to revive the dead to solve problems comes at a price—a very high price that will directly alter the system of the Liyue Seven Stars and destroy the era of rule by men.

Chapter 52 Control Variables

Han Fulai's concern about the emperor's sit-ups was not unfounded.

The news of the Emperor's murder was personally spread by Ningguang, the Tianquan star of the Liyue Septate, and it was also verified by official documents from the Moonlit Pavilion, written by Han Fulai himself. If the Liyue Septate were to agree to hold the Ascension Ceremony at this point, it would be tantamount to using the credibility of the Liyue government to endorse the Emperor's death.

This means that although the Rock King Emperor himself was sitting perfectly fine in front of Han Fulai, he was already dead, because he could no longer appear as the Rock King Emperor.

If any accident were to occur, such as a natural disaster or man-made calamity, and the Seven Stars were unable to withstand it, requiring the Geo Archon to intervene and save Liyue Harbor, it would expose the fact that the Archon is still alive. This would be a devastating blow to the Seven Stars' authority and the trust they command. Without authority and trust, the Liyue Seven Stars would no longer have the foundation for rule by man.

—The Liyue Sept not only lied openly to the public, but also falsely reported the death of the Geo Archon.

Lying is never the problem; the problem is when a lie is exposed.

The biggest problem is that Liyue is still a nation of contracts, and the Geo Archon is still a god of contracts. Such lies are jeopardizing the foundation of Liyue's nationhood.

The foundation of Liyue lies in the covenant between the gods and humans. The initial covenant between Morax, the Geo Archon, and Liyue, was for Morax to protect Liyue as the Geo Archon.

Admittedly, Han Fulai, a corporate slave who was constantly working overtime, and now a secretary at Yuehaiting who was constantly working overtime after transmigrating, completely understands Zhongli's desire to retire. However, the fact that Zhongli faked his death and retired through deception is unacceptable to the people of Liyue.

If the Geo Archon reappears after the farewell ceremony, then either he has deceived the people, or the Seven Stars have deceived them. The people of Liyue clearly trust and feel far more for the Geo Archon than for the Seven Stars, and therefore will not accept the fact that he faked his death to deceive them.

Between two evils, choose the lesser. The Seven Stars would then plot to usurp the throne, deceiving the people, yet they would lack the ability to guide Liyue through the disaster, betraying the people's trust. The Emperor, with his magnanimity, rescued Liyue from peril and restored her to her position as Geo Archon.

Then the Liyue Sept system, which has lasted for three thousand years, will no longer be able to exist. Rule by man will be considered full of deception and untrustworthy. The final result is that Zhongli, who wants to retire, will still have to go back to be his emperor, the kind of sage emperor who can't delegate tasks to the Sept and has to work overtime until he dies from overwork.

This outcome is unacceptable to neither the Geo Archon himself, nor the Seven Stars of Liyue, nor even Han Fulai, who works as a civil servant in the Seven Stars government.

Following this line of reasoning, Han Fulai discovered an even more crucial issue.

The key question – Why did Zhongli choose to fake his death and retire?

If the Rock Lord doesn't fake his death, can't he actually retire? Absolutely. Right now, the Lord himself is disguised as Zhongli, drinking tea, chatting, and slacking off in the Crystal Pavilion. For the past thousand years, apart from the annual Ascension Ceremony to announce Liyue's annual work plan, Zhongli has spent the rest of his time wandering the mortal world.

There are many legends about the Geo Archon in Liyue. These legends have been adapted into various Liyue plays and stories, performed by famous actors on stage, and sung by storytellers in teahouses.

In Liyue, the delicious snacks discovered by the Geo Archon when he got lost, the plaques inscribed by the Geo Archon himself, and the famous opera in which the Geo Archon once gave a minor role—upon closer examination, all of Liyue's local customs and traditions have been directly cared for by the gods at some point in time.

The people of Liyue have always been very proud of this history of walking alongside the gods.

From another perspective, this also proves that Zhongli has always been quite adept at balancing work and rest over the past few thousand years. Although he's slightly less adept than the legendary lazy wind god Barbatos, he still generally has time to get lost, write inscriptions, and act. In Han Fu's view, this is practically equivalent to enjoying retirement.

Even if Zhongli's actions can be considered grassroots research, understanding the people's sentiments, and working, then why would he need to risk his life to escape?

All he has to do is say at today's Summoning Ceremony, "We plan to conduct long-term grassroots research, so we don't need to hold the annual Summoning Ceremony anymore," and that'll be it. Does the Liyue Septanks dare to refuse the Geo Archon's leave?

The Geo Archon is the oldest Prime Evil on the continent of Teyvat. He is not only the War God of Liyue, but also the God of Contracts and the God of Commerce. If there is one among the Seven Archons who is the most rational, it is undoubtedly the Geo Archon.

Han Fulai believed that with Zhongli's six thousand years of accumulated experience and insight, he would not be unable to see the possible consequences of his faked death and retirement, let alone retire on a whim without careful consideration.

Therefore, Han Fulai could only arrive at the following answer to this crucial question:

The key answer is: The Rock King can only retire after he dies.

He could only assume that Zhongli had a compelling reason to do so. Moreover, from Zhongli's perspective, this was the best choice for him, one that would benefit both Liyue and himself to the greatest extent possible.

Although Han Fulai still couldn't figure out why Zhongli did this, he knew what he had to do.

He needs to write a perfect script.

In this script, the Emperor's faked death is a permanent secret, and those who know about it will keep it to themselves.

In this scenario, no matter what schemes the Fools have, or what accidents or disasters they cause, Zhongli cannot and does not need to intervene.

In this scenario, the Liyue Sept gained the trust of the people of Liyue and successfully ushered in an era of rule by men.

Only this script can achieve a perfect ending, allowing Zhongli to retire peacefully and making the Fatui's schemes a contribution to the Liyue Septate's ushering in an era of human rule.

Han Fulai had seen this script before; it was the final ending of the summoning ceremony in the game, and what Han Fulai had to do was to personally weave this ending.

If this script was Zhongli's way of testing the Seven Stars of Liyue, Han Fulai is now going to take over that test—when it comes to exams, the test-takers from our small town have never been afraid!

To achieve this perfect ending, we need to eliminate the other branching paths. The first thing to do is to control the variables.

Han Fulai must have complete control over these three variables: Ningguang, Zhongli, and Tartaglia!

Having made up his mind, Han Fulai turned to Zhongli and said in a deep voice, "Mr. Zhongli, I would like to help you complete the Sending-Off-Immortals Ceremony together."

"Oh? Didn't you keep advising me not to perform the Sending-Off-Immortals Ceremony now?" Zhongli's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"What I said to Mr. Zhongli before was what I should have said as the Deputy Minister of Yuehai Pavilion. But what I am saying to Mr. Zhongli now is what Han Fulai should say. After all, Mr. Zhongli was kind to me before, providing me with a meal and a place to stay, which I have not yet repaid. Since Mr. Zhongli wants to do this, he must have his reasons," Han Fulai said sincerely.

“As the secretary of the Moonsea Pavilion, I have a duty to provide advice to the Seven Stars. I have a good relationship with Lady Ningguang. If I go to Lady Ningguang to explain Liyue’s tradition of sending off the Ascended, and hope to hold a ceremony to send off the Ascended, Lady Ningguang will surely approve it.”

“Very well then.” Zhongli nodded, agreeing to Han Fulai’s request to stay and participate in the Sending-Off-Immortals Ceremony.

As they were talking, the door to the private room opened again, and a man with orange hair walked in. He waved and greeted Zhongli familiarly as soon as they met.

Han Fulai knew that his actors were in place.

Chapter 53 The Way of Strategic Planning: He who plans more wins.

The orange-haired man was none other than the Executor of the Fools, "Young Master" D'Artagnan.