He changed Tiwat

The Liyue Ascetics are detached from worldly affairs, but most of them do not approve of Liyue's current society and the ruling class of the Seven Stars. Gan Yu's request for the Liyue Ascetics to return through the Oser incident is naturally aimed at restoring the Ascetics' status and military strength.

—Gan Yu has actually gained the unanimous support of the Liyue Ascendants and is preparing to use the Ascendants' status and power to suppress the Seven Stars and change the political landscape of Liyue, taking advantage of the death of the Geo Archon. If the Seven Stars cannot handle the situation of Liyue losing the Geo Archon, Gan Yu, the permanent secretary of the Moonlit Pavilion who has served the Seven Stars for over three thousand years, will definitely take their place.

Of course, based on Ningguang's understanding of Ganyu, she believed that Ganyu's initial intention in doing so was definitely for the benefit of Liyue. However, in Ningguang's view, changing Liyue from a system of co-governance by humans and immortals to one dominated by immortals was completely unacceptable.

Ningguang's decision to seal Osel at the cost of sacrificing the Jade Pavilion was not only to protect Liyue Harbor, but also to demonstrate her courage and determination—to maintain human rule and the Seven Stars government at any cost.

If the Jade Pavilion is destroyed, the credit for sealing Oser will naturally go to Ningguang, who will then use this credit as leverage to demand complete human control from the Celestials. However, the price of this leverage is very high; losing the Jade Pavilion would not only mean losing Mora, but also losing the Seven Star Government's greatest military strength.

Without the Jade Pavilion as her backing, Ningguang can only rely on the moral standards of the Ascendants, and the morality of dissidents is the last thing a mature politician should consider. Ningguang herself could come up with a hundred reasons for the Ascendants to take charge—for example, after losing the Jade Pavilion, the Seven Stars government is no longer able to resist the next invasion, and Liyue is currently facing the threat of war with Winterfell. Ganyu could use this as a reason to demand the establishment of a transitional government led by the Ascendants.

Even if Ningguang still has the ability to rebuild the Jade Pavilion, it will be a long time from now. This period of vacuum is more than enough for Ganyu to change the political landscape of Liyue.

Han Fulai preserved the Jade Pavilion for Ningguang, but what he actually preserved was the political capital of the Seven Stars government and the future of human rule in Liyue.

Now, the entire Liyue Harbor—and soon the entire Teyvat continent—will know that Ningguang's Jade Pavilion is not only a sky city, but also a floating fortress, and a massive bomb that can be dropped at any time, comparable to a demon god.

The most terrifying moment for a bomb is when it's about to explode but hasn't yet. Similarly, the Jade Pavilion's power is at its peak just before it crashes down. As long as it never crashes, the seven kingdoms of Teyvat will always fear that Ningguang's Jade Pavilion will one day fall upon their own lands.

By preserving the Jade Pavilion, Ningguang possessed her greatest asset: the Jade Pavilion's intimidating presence.

Han Fulai, as the key figure in defeating the demon god, deliberately gave the credit to his superior Gan Yu. His purpose was clear: to balance the situation and give Gan Yu a huge amount of political capital.

Clearly, what Han Fulai wants is a Liyue governed by both humans and immortals. Even if the Emperor retires, he still intends to maintain the existing system.

Ningguang nodded slightly to Han Fulai, their understanding unspoken. She knew what she had to say next.

"Fellow immortals, please listen to what Ningguang has to say."

Chapter Seventy: Rainbow After the Rain, Training Completed

"As Xiao Han said, we wouldn't have been able to defeat the Demon God Oser without any of our strength." Ningguang looked around at the people around her. "With Keqing's courage and bravery, the Thousand Rock Army's soldiers' valiant efforts, and the support of all the immortals, we were able to win this battle. The battle just now has proven to us that when humans and immortals work together, no difficulty can defeat us."

"Hmph." True Monarch Xiaoyue Zhuyang snorted lightly. The conflicts and prejudices between immortals and humans could not possibly be resolved through a single collaboration. However, in the current atmosphere, even immortals who disliked the Seven Stars of Liyue had to acknowledge the contributions made by humans, represented by the Seven Stars, in the battle just now.

“The demon god who assassinated the Emperor has been severely damaged and resealed by our joint efforts, and I will also collect the debts owed by the fools of the Winter Kingdom one by one,” Ningguang continued. “But the fact that the Emperor is gone cannot be changed, and those who are alive must continue to move forward.”

"Don't think that just because the Emperor isn't here, it's the Seven Stars of Liyue's world!" Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun glared at Ning Guang, his eyes aggressive. "Besides, don't try to pretend you've forgotten why we're here. The Seven Stars haven't even been held accountable for the Emperor's assassination attempt yet."

Ningguang didn't take it to heart and continued talking.

"Actually, I dreamed of the Emperor this morning."

"Hmm?" Liu Yun seemed to sense something.

"In my dream, I wanted to say to him: 'We, the Seven Stars, though mortals, are bound by a contract. The accumulated legacy of the Seven Stars of each generation leaves behind something worth inheriting.'"

“I also wanted to tell the Emperor that ‘the Seven Stars of the past generations, under your guidance, have been striving to survive in the human world and have built a network of contracts called trade.’ But I didn’t say any of this. I just looked at him until I woke up from the dream.”

"After waking from a dream, one learns to say goodbye."

Ningguang paused for a moment.

"After the contract is renewed, will you... bless the next era?"

"Your Majesty... could it be..." Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun pondered. For immortals, dreams have a special meaning. His Majesty had previously appeared in dreams to the immortals of Liyue. If Ningguang's statement was taken as His Majesty appearing in a dream, then it meant...

"Liu Yun." Granny Ping shook her head, stopping her from continuing. "What Ningguang just said is true. I believe in the determination and courage of the Liyue Seven Stars to protect Liyue."

"Over the years, I have lived a secluded life among the common people of Liyue, witnessing its transformation firsthand. Liyue today is not the same as it was in our time. Since you rarely come here, why not come and see for yourselves the changes in Liyue? Perhaps you will come to like the Liyue of today."

Ningguang's words were actually a veiled message to the immortals that the Emperor was still alive, and Granny Ping clearly understood Ningguang's unspoken meaning, which is why she came out to mediate.

"In fact, from the perspective of protecting Liyue, there is no difference between immortals and the Seven Stars. The Emperor once said that neither humans nor immortals can exist apart from each other. Only by fulfilling their respective duties can Liyue maintain its long-term peace. I believe that if the Emperor were here, he would be pleased to see this." Han Fulai seized the opportunity to add a sentence.

Han Fulai had just performed brilliantly in the Battle of Osael, and was already being regarded by the immortals as "the Emperor's man." Of course, he was happy to go with the flow, speaking on behalf of Zhongli and adding his own personal agenda. After all, it was impossible for Zhongli to suddenly come out and say, "I never said that."

"Sigh, to be honest, this Jade Pavilion beneath my feet is the first time I've ever seen it. Perhaps it's time to take a good look at Liyue." Lord Lishui Dieshan flapped his wings, flew into the sky, and headed towards Liyue Harbor.

"Enough, I might as well go back, I might as well go back." With a light step, True Monarch Xiaoyue Zhuyang rose into the air and headed towards Jueyun.

Xiao didn't say a word, and disappeared in a flash, it seems he returned to Dihua Island.

Grandma Ping turned her head and looked at Liu Yun again.

"Why are you looking at me? I didn't lead the charge..." Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun shook his head from side to side, then suddenly glanced at Gan Yu, who had been silent all along, and Han Fulai, who was standing next to Gan Yu.

As if to escape the awkwardness, she quickly walked to Han Fulai's side and whispered, "Kid, since you've made a contract with Gan Yu, she's in your care. This child has always been afraid of being alone. Also, remember to buy an apartment in Yujingtai as soon as possible, don't let her stay in the office all the time..."

"Master, I have something to say to you." Gan Yu coldly interrupted Liu Yun's rambling and pulled her master away.

"I've already transmigrated, and people are still urging me to buy a house?" Han Fulai turned to Ningguang with a wry smile and asked in a low voice, "Lady Ningguang, I'd like to ask about something... Do civil servants in Liyue have housing provident funds?"

At the top of Lonely Cloud Pavilion, a figure wearing a white hood silently watched as Jade Pavilion rose from the sea and flew back to Liyue Harbor.

He patted the towering, spear-like rock beside him, and a golden talisman appeared in his hand, flew into the rock, and disappeared.

The silent giant rock has suppressed the vortex demon for over four thousand years, remaining as steadfast as ever. And for the next four thousand years, it will remain steadfast.

"A rainbow after the rain; training is complete."

A moment later, there was no trace of anyone left on the top of Lonely Cloud Pavilion.

The clouds dispersed and the rain stopped, leaving only a rainbow in the sky.

As night fell, an unusual combination appeared in the secret room of the Northern Bank.

Three people sat around a round table in the secret room. Although tea was prepared on the table, it seemed that no one was in the mood to enjoy it.

"You actually call this 'cooperation' between executives? So-called 'cooperation' should at least involve information sharing..." D'Artagnan was full of complaints, but he could only complain. The other party had come with the decree of the Winter Queen, and as an executive of the Fools, he had no room to object.

“Hehe… Don’t worry about these things, ‘Young Master’. In the end, you ignored the deal and the scheming, and simply made a scene. Weren’t you quite happy? It’s very much in line with your style…” The tall woman covered half of her face with a butterfly-shaped face ornament, but it still couldn’t hide her beauty.

“‘Madam’ and Mr. Zhongli…you really fooled me terribly.” D'Artagnan scratched his head helplessly. “Especially Mr. Zhongli, I always thought that as a guest of the ‘Hall of Rebirth,’ you were far too cunning, but I never expected…”

He changed the subject, saying, "You can't lie to me for nothing. I can't quell this resentment without a good, decisive battle. So, Mr. Zhongli?"

The young master's words revealed an undisguised expectation.

Zhongli calmly shook his head at this.

"You are no match for me."

"Hahaha..." The young master laughed, his face full of eagerness.

“Alright, ‘Young Master,’ we can talk about this later.” Rosalyn, the eighth seat of the Fools’ Executive Officer, glanced at D'Artagnan with her pale purple eyes. The latter, who had been about to say something, shut his mouth awkwardly upon seeing this.

Lady has never been fond of her colleague, the Prince. Besides disliking his reckless and warlike nature, she dislikes even more his indiscriminate nature in challenging others to battle. She truly doesn't understand why Her Majesty the Empress would include such a person in the ranks of the Enforcers. However, when it comes to the work of the Fatui Enforcers, the Prince surprisingly always completes it perfectly, which is probably why Her Majesty the Empress sent him to Liyue.

However, this time the protagonist is not Tartaglia; the one who truly controls everything is her.

“As agreed, I have come to take your ‘Heart of God’.”

"The contract is complete. As you requested, I will grant you what was promised."

Zhongli nodded, took out a golden chess piece from his robes, and handed it to the lady. The chess piece was about ten centimeters long and shaped like a tower. This was a special item unique to the Seven Rulers of the Mortal Realm, bestowed upon them by Sky Island when they were crowned gods, symbolizing their authority to rule the earth.

"Hmph, what a condescending tone." The woman's words revealed her dissatisfaction. She was a secret envoy to Liyue representing the Ice Queen to sign a contract with the Geo Archon Morax. However, Morax didn't seem to care much about her, his "envoy."

“I’m just fulfilling this contract that ‘ends everything,’” Zhongli said. “By the way, please pass on a message to Barnabas for me.”

"What?" the woman asked.

“Just say, ‘Thank you for your hard work.’”

Chapter 71 It's all just a show, but it's all just scenery to enjoy.

Yujing Terrace, Yuehai Pavilion.

There are four people sitting in Gan Yu's office: besides Gan Yu, they are Han Fulai, Ning Guang, and Ke Qing.

The four of them sat around Gan Yu's large desk. The desk, which was usually piled high with documents, had been cleared away beforehand, and now it was unusually spacious, resembling a long table in a conference room.

There were four cups of flower tea on the table, which were precious flower teas from Qiaoying Manor, brewed by Han Fulai himself, but no one was in the mood to drink tea for the time being.

All four of them focused their attention on a newspaper on the table.

They gathered here to discuss how to deal with the fools of the Winter Solstice Kingdom.

A day has passed since the incident with the Demon God Oser. Although the Demon God of the Vortex was successfully repelled, the price paid was extremely high—the defense system of the Jade Pavilion was completely destroyed, and most of the main buildings were also destroyed.

If we disregard the matter of using the Jade Pavilion as a bomb, it would now be nothing more than a dilapidated manor floating in the sky. Ningguang's study, which supposedly held the most valuable intelligence in all of Liyue, was also among the destroyed buildings.

Although Ningguang has begun the reconstruction of Qunyu Pavilion, the reconstruction is clearly not something that can be accomplished overnight. This means that Ningguang will have to work at Yuehai Pavilion until the reconstruction is completed. The advantage of working at Yuehai Pavilion is that she can directly consult with Ganyu if there are any issues.

So when Keqing came to Ningguang with a copy of the Liyue Daily, Ningguang invited Keqing to come to Ganyu's office with her.

"Everyone heard Miss Ningguang's announcement at Qunyu Pavilion yesterday. What should we do now?"

Keqing pointed to the headline on the newspaper, which read, "Dartaria assassinates the Emperor, Ningguang vows to pay for the blood debt."

As the mastermind behind the "Prince's Head Offering" plan, Han Fulai was quite satisfied with the results, and the prince had been firmly placed on the blame.

But Keqing was clearly not happy with the newspaper headline.

"The people of Liyue Harbor are in a state of high spirits. Last night, the General Affairs Department received a flood of letters from residents asking if we had caught Tartaglia, the assassin of the Emperor. The problem is, we haven't."

Ningguang shook her head and said, "While we were busy dealing with Oser yesterday, 'Young Master' Dadalia had already escaped. Last night, the Thousand Rock Army turned the Northern Bank upside down, but they didn't find Dadalia."

"Of course I know." Ke Qing nodded. The battle with the Demon God was extremely dangerous. If it weren't for Han Fulai's ingenious plan, the collapse of the Jade Pavilion would have likely caused many more casualties.

In that emergency, no one had time to search for D'Artagnan.

"But if we fail to capture Dadalia, the prestige of the Liyue Seven Stars government will suffer a major blow. Many reporters are currently gathered outside the General Affairs Department waiting for the latest news, and some are even camped out near the Moonlit Pavilion!"

The other three present exchanged glances. The fact that the Emperor was not dead was still a secret, at least Keqing didn't know. Of course, the fewer people who knew, the better. However, as one of the Seven Stars of Liyue, Keqing should know the truth in the increasingly complex situation, and there were many things that still needed her to handle.

“Actually, there’s no need to capture D'Artagnan, because the Emperor is not dead. It’s just that for certain reasons, the Emperor has decided to temporarily retire,” Ningguang said.

"The Emperor isn't dead?" Ke Qing exclaimed in shock. "Then what about Miss Ningguang at the Immortal Invocation Ceremony... and at the Jade Pavilion...?"

"It's just acting in accordance with the Emperor's instructions," Ningguang said with a smile. "The Emperor is probably enjoying the scenery somewhere right now."

"Then why hold a ceremony to send off the immortals and claim that Tartaglia is an assassin?" Keqing asked, puzzled.

“You just said it yourself, for the sake of the prestige of the Liyue Seven Stars government,” Ningguang replied.

"...I understand." Ke Qing, being one of the Seven Stars, quickly grasped the key point after a moment's thought. "But the problem is, how do we respond to the public and media's demands?"

Gan Yu slightly raised her chin, looked up at the sky, thought for a moment, and said, "In my opinion, it would be better to divert the media's attention and give them something to do."

"For example?" Ke Qing asked.

"Like starting a war," Gan Yu replied earnestly.

"Start a war?!" Ke Qing asked in surprise.

"Yes, a small war will do. For example, sending the Thousand Rock Army into Winter Country to capture Dadalia or something like that," Gan Yu said calmly.

Sitting in the corner, Han Fulai secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Although he knew Gan Yu was naturally cunning, he didn't expect her to launch a war with such a serious expression. So, Gan Yu used to be with the Rock King Emperor, and it's said she even subdued a demon god. As an immortal who came from the era of demon god wars, it's not surprising that she would say such things.

"My God, this could really start a war!" Keqing's voice rose as well.

"It sounds like you don't want to go to war with Winter?" Ningguang asked with interest.

“Of course not.” Ke Qing swayed her twin ponytails. “The Emperor won’t act openly, but Zhi Dong still has the Ice Queen. Although we have the Jade Pavilion as a deterrent, it can only serve as a means of self-defense. If Zhi Dong really attacks…”

"If the army of Zhidong Kingdom really attacks, how long can the Qianyan Army hold out without using the Qunyu Pavilion?" Han Fulai asked cautiously.

“Seventy-two hours,” Ke Qing replied.

"Is there any way to organize a counterattack?" Han Fulai continued to ask.

"The time I'm giving you is the time it takes for the Winter People to pass over my corpse." Ke Qing glanced at Han Fulai with an unfriendly expression.

"Lord Gan Yu, if I may be so bold, I think launching a war to divert the media's attention is indeed a bit excessive," Han Fulai said to Gan Yu with a sincere expression.

“But we can’t capture Dadalia, and that would be hard to explain to the people.” Gan Yu tilted his head.

"Lord Keqing, I have a proposal." Han Fulai thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we expel the seventy-six Fools' diplomats?"

“Yes, that’s good. Tomorrow’s Liyue Daily will have this as its headline: ‘Liyue Septim Breaks Winter Country Spy Network’,” Gan Yu agreed.

“No one can deny that the Fools sent spies,” Gan Yu added.

“Even if the Fools deny it, people will believe it. ‘Kroso, the merchant from Winter Country, is actually a spy.’” Han Fulai recalled the 500,000 Winter Country soldiers he had personally captured.

"But how do we resolve the D'Artagnan issue? The media is clamoring for an explanation. If the Fools' diplomats are indeed the murderers of the Emperor, I'm afraid the people will also consider waging war against Winter." Keqing recalled her original purpose for coming to Moon Sea Pavilion to discuss the matter.

"Ah, regarding this, our Yuehai Pavilion drafted a statement overnight yesterday." Han Fulai took a document from the folder on the table and handed it to Ke Qing.

"The Emperor, due to his advanced age, returned to Sky Island... The Fools' spy network... The Fools illegally infiltrated the Jade Pavilion... The Executor 'Young Master' broke into the Golden House in an attempt to steal the Emperor's remains..." Ke Qing finished reading the document and looked up, "So 'Young Master' has been whitewashed like this?"

"No, no, not entirely. It just changed him from a murderer to a burglar," Han Fulai said seriously.

“We call it ‘bleaching’,” Gan Yu added at the opportune moment.

"Lord Keqing, you see, this way we don't need to wage war against the Winter Kingdom, since we can't win anyway," Han Fulai coaxed patiently.