He changed Tiwat

Han Fulai interpreted the entire text using this method—

"The foolish generals are causing chaos in the golden house."

Ningguang nodded and said, "I'm sure you've already guessed my next plan, Xiao Han."

Han Fulai smiled and said, "Of course. Next, Sister Ningguang will transport the Immortal Ancestor's Dharma Body left behind by the Rock God to the Golden House."

"And you are responsible for leaking this information to D'Artagnan discreetly."

A radiant smile.

“I want the executors of the Fools to see that there is Mora in the Golden House, Mora as large as a mountain!”

Chapter 57 Currency Wars (Fourth Update)

"So all that my sister did at the invocation ceremony today was for this moment." Han Fulai's mind raced, and he found it increasingly natural to call her "sister."

“Of course, now that I’ve received word that the Fools are after the Golden House, how could I not be prepared?” Ningguang said with a smile.

"And the first step in the preparation is to let the foolish masses know that the Emperor has faked his death during the ritual of inviting the immortals." Han Fulai clapped his hands in admiration.

"An unknown opponent's actions are unpredictable and uncontrollable variables. But if the opponent knows your plan, his actions become predictable—the art of strategic planning is to win by calculating more."

Although Han Fulai had already grasped the art of divination during this period of training, he was ultimately not as experienced as Ningguang and had overlooked one aspect of it. Without Ningguang's guidance, he might not have realized this difference for a very long time.

“And coincidentally, I am probably one of the most calculating businessmen in all of Liyue.” Ningguang smiled gently. “You once told me about the ‘killing three birds with one stone’ strategy in the Rocky Palace, but the so-called killing three birds with one stone was just a smokescreen I used to cover up my true purpose.”

"During the Immortal Invocation Ceremony, you pretended to be serious, announcing that the Emperor had been assassinated. You pretended to block the news and search for the assassin, but in reality, you were just trying to make the fools who were already preparing to invade the Golden House believe that your pretense was to cover up the fact that the Emperor was not dead."

“That’s right. Once Dadalia sees through this disguise, he will use it to his advantage, investigate the Emperor’s fake death, and use you, Xiao Han, and other channels to send me signals that he cares a lot about the Emperor’s fake death. Dadalia believes that the Seven Stars will focus on covering up the Emperor’s fake death in order to protect their authority, and will ignore the guards of the Golden House.”

Ningguang waved her hand and summoned her pipe, but did not light it; she merely toyed with it between her fingers.

Han Fulai felt that the pipe was Tadalia, which Ningguang was playing with at will in her palm.

“Then Tartaglia will take the opportunity to invade the Golden House to confirm whether it has ceased production and whether the Liyue treasury is empty. Once the cessation of Golden House production is confirmed, the Northern Bank’s years of planning will be launched with lightning speed, sweeping across Liyue’s various industries,” Ningguang continued.

"I once heard Miss Yanfei say that she debated with Sister Ningguang whether the opening of the Northern Bank was more beneficial or harmful to Liyue, and you were firmly opposed to the Northern Bank entering the Liyue market." Han Fulai recalled what Yanfei had told him.

“Miss Yanfei’s area of ​​expertise is law; everyone has their own area of ​​expertise. In terms of law, it’s Liyue’s good fortune to have such a loyal friend as Miss Yanfei to help me fill in the gaps in my knowledge. But in terms of business and politics, Miss Yanfei’s experience is still somewhat lacking,” Ningguang said. “Little Han, do you know what the purpose of opening a bank is?”

"Of course, it's about making money!" Han Fulai replied immediately.

“That’s right, all commercial banks are established for the purpose of making a profit. And what is the most profitable business for a bank?” Ningguang guided her patiently.

“Of course, it’s lending.” Han Fulai said without hesitation. Although he was not a merchant in Liyue, it did not prevent him from knowing these basic common sense. “Lending out depositors’ deposits at a higher interest rate and collecting the interest difference is the main way banks make money.”

“There used to be quite a few money shops in Liyue.” Ningguang tapped her pipe lightly with her fingers. “For example, Lord De’an. Twenty years ago, he was a wealthy merchant who spent money like water. He owned a Minghua Trading Company and a Minghua Money Shop. I remember when I was a child, it was the biggest and most magnificent shop in the Tiger Rock area.”

“But just a few years ago, De’an Gong’s money shop was acquired by someone else, and the business of his trading company declined day by day. The once wealthy merchant is now on the verge of bankruptcy. Do you know why?” Ningguang asked.

After a moment's thought, Han Fulai had his answer: "It's the Northern Bank. The Northern Bank, with its substantial capital from the Winter Kingdom, has penetrated Liyue's financial industry and squeezed out its competitors."

“You’re right, but not entirely,” Ningguang said with a smile. “Even with the substantial capital of Winterfell, the merchants of Liyue can form a guild to deal with it together. It’s not like we’re so easily acquired. However, almost all of Liyue’s money shops have been forced to close down.”

"If the Northern Bank uses the soldiers of the Fatui to pressure Liyue's banks and forcibly acquire them, you, sister, can't just sit idly by," Han Fulai said, becoming curious as well.

“Of course, it’s because the Northern Bank’s actions don’t violate Liyue’s laws. The Northern Bank… doesn’t charge interest on its loans,” Ningguang said.

"If the bank doesn't charge interest on its loans, how does it make money?" Han Fulai asked curiously.

“It doesn’t make money. Its income mainly comes from bank investments and financial services, but the amount of money that the Northern Bank lends out is much higher than its income.” Ningguang shook her head. “The rule of the Northern Bank is that loans are interest-free, but they must be repaid on time. If they are overdue, the bank will send out professional debt collectors from the Fools to collect the debt.”

"Imagine you want a loan. The Northern Bank offers interest-free loans, while the money shops in Liyue charge interest. Which one would you choose?"

"That's naturally the Northern Bank. So the Northern Bank used this method of losing money to gain publicity, squeezed out its competitors, and acquired a large number of Liyue banks?"

“Yes.” Ningguang nodded.

"With the support of the Fools' army, it means the Northern Bank won't have bad debts, but even so, lending like this will inevitably result in losses. Even if it wants to monopolize the market, as long as Sister Ningguang uses a decree to enact an anti-monopoly law..."

“They already have,” Ningguang said. “That’s why Liyue has preserved a few of the last remaining old-established money shops. But even so, the Northern Bank hasn’t stopped lending money at a loss. The law may prevent people from making too much money, but it can’t prevent people from losing money. I don’t really have any good solutions for the Northern Bank.”

"Isn't it enough to just wait for the Northern Bank to run out of reserves and collapse?" Han Fulai was about to complain when he suddenly stopped. He remembered something—the cessation of production at Golden House would cause deflation.

"The Northern Bank's goal is to own the largest amount of debt in Liyue! That's why Tartaglia wants to confirm whether Mora production in the Golden House has stopped, in order to confirm whether Liyue... and even the entire Teyvat continent, will fall into deflation!" Han Fulai connected all the clues.

“That’s right. This is the purpose of the Northern Bank’s large-scale lending without charging interest. What they want is Liyue’s debt.” Ningguang’s face showed relief. She realized that Han Fulai’s reaction speed was really astonishing.

"Mora is produced from the blood, flesh, and divine power of the Emperor. After the Golden House ceased production, even we, the Seven Stars of Liyue, will not be able to produce the same amount of Mora in a short time. Therefore, Mora will become increasingly scarce in the circulation process, causing deflation."

Han Fulai's eyes sharpened, and he said, "What the Northern Bank wants to profit from is the entire Liyue industry. Suppose the Northern Bank issues an interest-free loan of 10,000 Mora now, to be repaid after one year. After one year, due to deflation, Mora will be more valuable. Next year, 10,000 Mora may be worth more than 100,000 Mora this year. The Northern Bank's interest-free loan can yield more than ten times the return under deflationary conditions."

“What’s even more worrying is whether the various businesses in Liyue that borrowed money from the Northern Kingdom Bank will be able to repay the loans. If they can’t, then the Northern Kingdom Bank, as a creditor, has the right to use debt collectors to forcibly seize the debtors’ assets according to the law,” Ningguang said. “At that time, the actual master of Liyue may be the Winter Country.”

"No wonder my sister set up a scheme to create a false impression and give the fools the illusion that the Golden House has not stopped production." Han Fulai had completely figured out Ningguang's plan.

"Northern Bank has been operating at a loss for so long, its remaining capital will inevitably not last much longer. Now it's a contest of who can last the longest. If Northern Bank collapses first, then I will... devour Northern Bank in one bite."

Ningguang deliberately opened her mouth slightly and let out a "woof," revealing a playful expression rarely seen on others.

"However, since the Golden House has been out of production for over a month, I wonder if the reserves inside are sufficient?" Han Fulai asked with some concern.

Ningguang gently tapped Han Fulai's head with her pipe.

"Little Han, have you forgotten that Ningguang, the sister in front of you, is the richest merchant in Teyvat? I sent my Mora, which I had stored in the Jade Pavilion, to the Golden House in several batches a month ago."

"But if this happens, and the Northern Bank is on its last legs, Sister Ningguang will probably have to sacrifice a large amount of capital to save the market." For some reason, Han Fulai felt a pang of pain, as if he were the one paying the bills...

"Investment is about confidence. As long as people have confidence in the Liyue Seven Stars and in Liyue itself, Mora will definitely make it back."

Ningguang smiled casually.

"What harm would it do to smash up these Jade Pavilions and replace them with Mora?"

Chapter Fifty-Eight: With my own flesh and blood, I will bring peace to all generations.

"The price is far too high." Han Fulai sighed, recalling how the Qunyu Pavilion was actually destroyed in the story.

"Compared to what the Emperor has endured for 3,700 years... what is a mere Jade Pavilion?" Ningguang brought the pipe in her hand to her lips, only to find that it was not lit, and she chuckled to herself.

"...How many days does the Emperor have left?" Han Fulai asked a crucial question.

“I don’t know either.” Ningguang gave a bitter smile. “Today, when I secretly mobilized the guards of Qunyu Pavilion to transport the Emperor’s immortal ancestral remains to the Golden House, they told me that it would only take eight people working together to lift the Emperor’s remains.”

“The Emperor’s remains are almost empty. Such a huge dragon… there’s hardly any flesh and blood left.” Ningguang looked up at the ceiling, as if trying to find the missing flesh and blood of the Rock King Emperor on the ceiling.

“Every Mora on the continent of Teyvat is made from the flesh and blood of the Emperor. Three thousand seven hundred years… even if there was originally a mine inside the Emperor’s body, it would be completely emptied out.” Han Fulai’s voice was deep. He imagined a man as majestic as a mountain, carving out his own flesh and blood to forge Mora day after day.

Then the mountain grew smaller and smaller, eventually taking the shape of Mr. Zhongli.

"That's why the Emperor faked his death and retired today, because he had reached his limit. He used his own flesh and blood to exchange for 3,700 years of peace on the continent of Teyvat."

"Xiao Han, do you know how Gu Yun Pavilion came to be?" Ning Guang suddenly asked.

Lonely Cloud Pavilion is a small island east of Liyue Harbor, with a unique and peculiar terrain shaped like a rock spear, standing on the sea of ​​Cloudy Sea.

“I know.” Han Fulai nodded. “Legend has it that it was a rock spear that the Rock King Emperor threw when he sealed the Vortex Demon God Oser. The Emperor’s divine power was earth-shattering and could fill the sea and create land.”

“That’s right. That’s the last time the Emperor acted as the Geo God in all the records.” Ningguang nodded as well. “When I was a child, I wondered why, in the folk legends of the Geo Lord, the Geo Lord after establishing Liyue never showed the demeanor of the Liyue God of War again? He would make snacks by hand, write plaques by hand, play minor roles on the stage, and listen to storytelling in teahouses, but he never acted as the Geo God again.”

"Liyue is a vast and resource-rich land, but it lacks farmland. Its topography of seven parts mountains, two parts water, and one part farmland has plagued Liyue for more than three thousand years."

"In recent years, the agricultural population of Liyue has been declining year after year, making it almost impossible to maintain the food supply in Liyue. We, the Seven Stars of Liyue, once petitioned the Emperor at the Summoning Ceremony two years ago to change part of the terrain of Liyue and create a plain suitable for farming. But the Emperor just shook his head and remained silent."

Ningguang sighed.

“I used to think that this emperor who could move mountains and fill seas just wanted his people to learn to break away from his protection and to face the challenges on their own. But he clearly loves his people so much that he even walks every inch of Liyue every year to issue guidelines.”

"Now I understand. He no longer has the strength to do those things. The current Rock King Emperor may find it difficult to use the power belonging to the Demon God. He has already distributed his power to everyone on the continent of Teyvat."

Han Fulai imagined Zhongli 3,700 years ago, having just experienced the war between demons and gods, the parting of old friends, and too much blood and fire. As the martial god of Liyue, he no longer wanted war.

So he made a pact with all people, using his own flesh and blood to usher in a peaceful and prosperous era.

Han Fulai was a time traveler from China who had not received much favor from the Rock King Emperor. However, while listening to Ningguang's narration, he suddenly remembered that he had said four sentences to Mr. Zhongli after getting drunk one day.

To establish a moral compass for Heaven and Earth. To establish a destiny for the people. To continue the lost learning of the sages. To usher in an era of peace for all generations.

It turns out that there really was a person named Zhongli on this continent who lived out these four sentences.

Perhaps there are still many shortcomings in Liyue right now, but he really did his best.

Lofty ideals and the courage to put them into practice are worthy of respect in any world.

“We businessmen value harmony above all else,” Ningguang said. “Through history books, the root cause of war is the plunder of resources. If there are enough resources, there’s no need to fight. Why resort to war when trade can solve the problem?”

War is a continuation of politics.

Politics is the concentrated expression of economics.

The economy is the material basis of politics.

Ultimately, it is the economic base that determines everything.

Han Fulai recalled the principles he had learned in textbooks in China.

Whatever the true motives of the Fatui and their queen, they certainly need an economic foundation. Therefore, they have set their sights on Liyue, the wealthiest of the seven kingdoms, hoping to plunder its economic resources.

"So this time, Miss Ganyu will personally go to invite all the immortals. She wants to ensure that Liyue has enough military strength to protect itself. I will prepare enough Mora in the Golden House in advance to intimidate the Fatui. I want to ensure that Liyue has enough economic strength. Moreover, I believe that the Emperor has other plans."

"The Emperor should have stopped Mora production ahead of time, preserving a certain amount of demonic power. His deliberate feigned death during the Summoning Ceremony not only reminded Gan Yu and me to prepare for war, but also gave him the opportunity to remain hidden behind the scenes, keeping the Winter Kingdom guessing about his true intentions. This not only buys him some time but also serves as a deterrent to the enemy. A Liyue War God who can strike at any time while hiding in an unknown place is more terrifying than the Emperor who sits in the Rocky Palace, preoccupied with state affairs."

"If we, the Seven Stars of Liyue, fail to live up to the Emperor's expectations, the Emperor will surely have a backup plan to resolve everything."

After listening to Ningguang's analysis, Han Fulai could only sigh, "So this is the realm of thought for the Seven Rulers of the Mortal World..."

“As one of the Seven Stars of Liyue, I rule on behalf of the Emperor. If I cannot even reach the Emperor’s realm of thought, how can I have the face to be called ‘Heavenly Authority Supreme’ in the marketplace?” Ningguang spoke calmly, as if she were just stating a matter of course. But Han Fulai knew that many people never even glimpsed the beginning of such a realm in their entire lives.

"I suddenly understand why the Geo Archon is called the 'Liyue War God'."

"Oh?" Ningguang blinked with interest. She knew that Han Fulai meant something other than the Emperor's martial prowess.

"Because the title 'God of War' sounds too reckless and impulsive," Han Fulai laughed. "I've heard that powerful demons emerge one after another in the Demon God War. If the Emperor is just a reckless and impulsive God of War, how can he lead the Thousand Rocks Clan and the Liyue Immortals to victory against so many powerful enemies in the Demon God War with only brute force?"

"So what do you mean?" Ningguang asked.

"If I were a demon god who was an enemy of the Emperor, and the Emperor defeated me for the first time, I would say that I was careless."

"The Emperor has beaten me several times, and I would complain about the bad weather, the grass under my feet being too dry, too wet, or neither dry nor wet."

"If the Emperor keeps winning against me, I'll say he's brave but reckless, and only good at fighting."

"That's why the Emperor is called the 'Martial God of Liyue'. Only in this way can I keep the morale of my followers and keep fighting the Emperor... until he seals me away."

Han Fulai smiled and said, "Fortunately, this terrifying Rock King Emperor is on our side."

Ningguang sighed and said, "The Emperor's weakness will eventually be noticed, and the deflation caused by the shutdown of Mora will also be discovered one day. At that time, war will also come. I just don't know if, when that time comes, Liyue, having lost the Emperor, will have enough strength to survive."

Han Fulai stood up and solemnly bowed to Ningguang.

Ningguang knew that Han Fulai was now speaking to her in his capacity as the Executive Vice Minister of Yuehaiting. She sat back down at her desk, spread out a new sheet of white paper, and prepared to take notes with her brush in hand.

"You say it."

Han Fulai, with a solemn expression, said, "Lord Ningguang, I would like to draw up a contract with you. You just mentioned that you owe Mr. Zhongli a favor. I have a way to resolve this matter and help you repay that favor."

"And the cost?"

Han Fulai pointed to the Qunyu Pavilion at his feet.

"The price is one day's control over the Jade Pavilion. When the superior demands it, everything in the Jade Pavilion must obey the superior's orders, including you."

Chapter 59 Han Fulai, a Master of Bargaining

In the days that followed, Han Fulai spent most of his time with Zhongli.

To help Zhongli organize a high-end and sophisticated "Sending Off the Immortals Ceremony," Han Fulai used all his knowledge and relied on his silver tongue to give Zhongli a perfect shopping experience.

Han Fulai's achievements in two days include, but are not limited to, the following:

Scene 1, Jie Cuixing.

Stone: "Our Jie Cui shop is a long-established jade business. Look at these three night-mooring stones, they are all of excellent quality. Which one would you like, sir?"

Zhongli: "Boss, I'll take them all!"

Han Fulai: "Three pieces of Night-Mooring Stone... Mr. Zhongli, have you never considered Mora?"

Zhongli: "I didn't think of this issue just now, it was my oversight. However, if we have to consider Mora in everything, it's the same as being tied down by Mora in everything. Mora is naturally a currency, but currency is not naturally Mora."

Han Fulai: "What I mean is, since we have the kind 'young master' providing funding, Mr. Zhongli should consider it. We have a lot of Mora now."

Zhongli: "What does young friend Han think?"

Han Fulai: "Boss, give me a case of each of these three types of Noctiluca sapphires!"

Scene 2, Wanyou Shop.