He changed Tiwat

"Moreover, our intelligence personnel have gathered a great deal of evidence, which points to many of the Fools' diplomats." Gan Yu produced a new stack of documents.

Keqing put down the documents in her hand and asked, "How many diplomats?"

“Seventy-six,” the four people present said in unison.

“Deputy Minister Han, I think we should take a firm stance,” Ke Qing said seriously.

“Without a doubt.” Han Fulai nodded in agreement.

“Miss Gan Yu, this concerns the sovereignty of Liyue!” Keqing continued.

“Absolutely true,” Gan Yu replied expressionlessly.

“Miss Ningguang, let’s expel the Fatui diplomats and make sure the media and the public are informed today.” Keqing finally looked at Ningguang.

“Simultaneously.” Ningguang smiled as she looked at Han Fulai.

Han Fulai took the document and bowed.

"Yes, Lady Ningguang."

Chapter 72 It was all an act, and they even said it was beyond your capabilities.

The Sending-Off Ceremony was held as scheduled on the seventh day after the Invitation Ceremony. According to Zhongli, a guest elder of the Hall of Rebirth who was very knowledgeable about funeral rites, on the seventh day after the passing of the Rock King, his soul from the heavens would return to Liyue to bid a final farewell to his people.

In the plaza before the Yiyan Palace, the jade stones remain as before, the cloud patterns unchanged; the clear water flows, and the lotus flowers sway. Eight black banners flutter in the wind, and everything seems exactly the same as during the ritual of inviting the immortals. Only in the center of the plaza has a brand-new bronze incense burner; the old one was smashed by the Emperor's immortal ancestral shroud.

In front of the bronze incense burner was an incense table and offering table, which was filled with ritual items that Zhongli and Han Fulai had collected over the past few days while traveling all over Liyue.

The crowds who came to watch the Sending-Off Ceremony were no less than those who came to invite the Sending-Off Ceremony, and even many Liyue expatriates who had lived abroad for a long time came back to participate in this Sending-Off Ceremony.

The summoning ceremony used to be an annual event, described by locals as a "famous tourist attraction that locals were too lazy to bother with." However, the farewell ceremony was a once-in-a-lifetime event for most people, especially since this time it was bidding farewell to the Geo Archon, who had ruled Liyue for 3,700 years.

Moreover, this farewell is to the Geo Archon, who has ruled Liyue for 3,700 years.

As the incense of immortality burned, its smoke drifted into the air. The perfume made from a blend of wild glass lilies and rainbow flowers filled the entire Yujingtai Square with a sense of vastness and otherworldliness. Crystal butterflies fluttered about, like the final lingering of the Emperor's soul in the mortal world.

Those participating in the ceremony silently prayed for the Emperor's soul to rest in peace and for Liyue to prosper.

The assassination of the Emperor was originally said to have been caused by the assassination attempt by Prince Tartaglia, the executor of the Fatui. At that time, the people of Liyue were in a frenzy, wishing they could devour his flesh and drink his blood. Many local residents of Liyue even spontaneously began to attack the Northern Bank, and the media also clamored for war against Winterland.

However, with the release of Yuehaiting's latest investigation report in the past two days, the public's emotions have gradually stabilized, and they have gradually realized that it is impossible for a mere executive officer of Zhidong Kingdom to really kill the Emperor.

Although the history of walking alongside the gods spans 3,700 years, everyone knows that the Geo Archon is the oldest god on the continent of Teyvat. He has lived for over 6,000 years. Not to mention 6,000 years, even in the 3,700-year history of Liyue, the gods of the seven kingdoms have been replaced five times, with the youngest being the Sumeru Grass God who is not even 500 years old.

The course of Heaven is constant, and destiny is predetermined, so the Emperor's peaceful death at the end of his life is not so difficult to understand. The people have silently accepted the fact that the Emperor has departed.

The investigation report also listed various espionage activities of the Fools and presented evidence of their intrusion into the Jade Pavilion and the Golden House. Only then did the people realize that this group of treacherous Fools was actually after the Immortal Ancestor's Dharma Body.

Recently, Liyue residents have been spitting at the entrance of the Northern Bank when passing by, usually adding comments like "Pah! Winter Thief!" or "Winter Robber!"

When the newspapers published news of Lady Ningguang's dismantling of the Winter's spy network and Lady Keqing's iron-fisted expulsion of seventy-six Winter's foolish diplomats, the people applauded with delight.

A potential war between nations seemed to have vanished without a trace. However, insightful individuals in Liyue had already sensed that while a physical war hadn't broken out, a silent financial war had begun. It was said that under Ningguang's brilliant strategy, the Northern Bank was already suffering setbacks. But this financial war between Liyue and Winterfell seemed destined to drag on for a long time.

But people now have unwavering faith in the Liyue Seven Stars government.

Ningguang's words during the summoning ceremony, "Though the Emperor has passed away, the Seven Stars of Liyue remain, and I, Ningguang, remain!" have spread widely in Liyue. Ningguang's declaration to the Demon God Oser that day, "Liyue is vast, but we have nowhere to retreat. Behind us lies Liyue Harbor!" has become a story called "The Stars Arrive in Liyue," which will forever be passed down by the storytellers of Liyue.

Although Liyue no longer has the Geo Archon, it still has the Seven Stars, and the Sage who fought alongside them to defeat the Demon God. This prosperous kingdom will continue to prosper. This is what everyone believes.

Meanwhile, Han Fulai, who had prepared the ritual for sending off the immortals and had single-handedly written the script for this chaotic ritual, was also at the Jade Capital Terrace Square, praying with his hands clasped together toward the incense burner. Of course, he was just putting on a show.

Not far from Han Fulai, the Rock King Emperor, whom the ceremonial procession was about to send off, was solemnly guiding the spectators to offer incense. He even showed a hint of satisfaction on his face because so many people came to burn incense for him.

After the ceremony of sending off the immortals ended, Han Fulai approached Zhongli.

"Mr. Zhongli, would you like to have a cup of tea with me?"

Zhongli's expression showed no surprise, as if he had been waiting for Han Fu to come to him. He lowered his head slightly, seemingly thinking about where to find good tea. After a moment, Zhongli made a decision: "Let's go to the Yanshang Tea House. The tea there is good, the environment is nice, and it's suitable for conversation."

The two entered the Yanshang Tea House, and Han Fulai couldn't help but wonder what Zhongli meant by "good environment." The main hall on the first floor of the Yanshang Tea House was separated by a curtain, with only a large counter in the outer room. Zhongli asked the receptionist, Chu Yi, for a pot of his favorite "Yan Gu" tea. Chu Yi stood behind the counter, indifferent, her face saying, "It's such a hassle to know you don't have money but I can't refuse to serve you."

Separated from the main hall by a curtain, the inner room was filled with the clatter of dice cups being shaken, shouts and cheers, and of course, various curses and table-pounding sounds. Clearly, this Rock Tea Room was not a proper place to drink tea.

Zhongli seemed used to the noise on the first floor and led Han Fu directly up to the second floor of the Yanshang Tea House.

The second floor is an open-air tea area with only a round table and a few chairs, offering a view of the bustling crowds at the intersection of Feiyunpo and Chihuyan. Gazing at the stars here at night has a unique charm, but during the day it's rather noisy.

Chu Yi went up to the second floor, brought out a pot of tea and two teacups, and then turned to leave, showing no intention of staying to serve. Zhong Li didn't mind, picked up the teapot himself, poured a cup for himself and Han Fulai, and took a sip.

"Young friend Han, please speak your mind. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them for you," Zhong Li said.

Han Fulai nodded. He now understood why Zhongli had said this was a suitable place for conversation. Located on the second floor of the teahouse, it was a private space, undisturbed by others. Furthermore, the teahouse was guarded by the menacing "Hum and Ha Generals" (Ya and Ji), making it difficult for ordinary people to enter. The view was unobstructed, offering no hiding places. The surrounding noise blended into the background, making it difficult for others to overhear.

The fact that Zhongli chose to speak here indicates that he had anticipated that Han Fulai would discuss topics he didn't want others to hear.

Since that's the case, Han Fulai no longer needs to hide anything.

"Thank you, Mr. Zhongli... no, thank you, Your Majesty, for taking action the other day to reseal the Vortex Demon God, Oser."

Zhongli remained calm, as if he hadn't heard anything. He simply picked up his teacup and gently blew on the steam rising from the tea.

Han Fulai smiled and added, "We should also thank the Emperor for personally choosing to release the Vortex Demon God, which minimized the harm to Liyue."

Ripples spread across the tea in Zhongli's hand.

Chapter Seventy-Three: It's all a play; recite a seven-character poem.

Zhong Li's hand trembled slightly just now, but it was fleeting and did not escape Han Fulai's notice. He knew he had guessed correctly.

Han Fulai followed Zhongli's example, picked up his teacup, blew on the steam, took a sip, and seemed in no hurry to speak.

He was waiting for Zhong Li to admit it.

Some things are understood behind closed doors, a tacit agreement. There's an old saying among Liyue merchants: "Make a fortune in silence." It's best not to say anything. Once it's out in the open, things might not get done.

However, Han Fulai came to see Zhong Li this time because there were some things he needed Zhong Li to clarify, which was very important to Han Fulai.

Only after Zhongli finished drinking the tea in his cup did he speak, "Thank you for your hard work this time."

"It's no trouble at all, it's all for the people of Liyue!" Han Fulai said politely, but he was secretly overjoyed. Zhongli's words meant that he had done a good job this time.

When Han Fulai was plotting with Ningguang at the Qunyu Pavilion, he said that this ceremony to invite immortals was a "historic opportunity" for him. And the one who gave him this "opportunity" was none other than the Rock King Emperor in front of him. Even though Zhongli had never explicitly told him a word, Han Fulai knew very well in his heart.

In this ceremony to invite the immortals, Han Fulai used the fake death of the Rock King Emperor to plot the "Prince's Head Offering" plan. In this plan, he accomplished at least four major feats.

The first thing he did was help the Emperor retire, conceal his faked death from the public, and pin all the blame for this incident on Prince Dadalia.

The second thing was to demonstrate Liyue's current strength to the entire Teyvat continent, thus completing the strategic deterrence of the Jade Pavilion.

The third thing was that they defeated the demon god Oser through cooperation between humans and immortals, while also gaining the support of Ningguang and the Liyue Immortals, thus easing the conflict between humans and immortals.

Fourthly, the Jade Pavilion was preserved as the foundation of the Seven Stars government's rule by man. After the success, the political capital gained was divided equally between the two sides. Through ingenious planning, a political balance was achieved between the two sides in this incident, ensuring the stability and unity of Liyue in the future.

These four things alone would be enough for an ordinary person to make a name for themselves in Liyue's history, and Han Fulai could also say that he used these events to gain instant fame among Liyue's upper echelons. But Han Fulai himself knew very well that his success was due to borrowing. He borrowed the influence he gained by drinking and dining with Zhongli, and the influence of the Geo Archon. And what is borrowed must be returned. Only by borrowing and returning can one borrow again without difficulty.

From the invocation ceremony to the farewell ceremony, the entire series of events was orchestrated by only one person: the Rock King Emperor – Zhongli.

Han Fulai was merely an actor under director Zhong Li. Of course, he was an actor who aspired to be the king of comedy and had thoroughly studied "An Actor Prepares." All his plans were based on the script planned by Zhong Li, essentially a famous actor asking the director for a bit of improvisational space.

If this were a modern Chinese setting familiar to Han Fulai, his actions would likely look something like this:

Zhong Li: "Actor! Stand by!"

Han Fulai: "I'm sorry, director. Um... based on the character's background and personality, when I'm acting it out, I'd like to make the rhythm a bit more playful, but also a bit contradictory. What do you think?"

Zhongli: "Okay, turn it on!"

Now that the filming is over and the production has wrapped, he has to consult the director to see if he is satisfied with the scene and whether the director will continue to bring him into productions and provide him with acting opportunities in the future.

Zhongli's reply just now shows that he is very satisfied with Han Fulai's performance. If Han Fulai previously relied on the influence of the Rock King Emperor, repeatedly switching between the immortals and the Seven Stars to make everyone believe that he was "the Emperor's man," then with Zhongli's attitude today, he can now openly say that he is indeed the Emperor's man.

Zhongli had previously associated with Han Fulai as a guest of the Yisheng Hall. If Zhongli wanted to distance himself from Han Fulai, he could have easily said that they were just "friends in the underworld," like Tadalia, who was also a "friend in the underworld." Whenever necessary, Zhongli would not hesitate to dig a pit and bury his "friends in the underworld."

Han Fulai's two expressions of gratitude were both to thank Zhongli for his help in defeating the demon god Oser and to reveal Zhongli's true identity. The implied meaning was quite straightforward: "I, Han Fulai, am not a pawn who knows nothing, but I am willing to pledge my loyalty to the Emperor. Emperor, do you think what I have done this time is enough as a pledge of allegiance?"

Now that Zhongli has directly admitted to Han Fulai that he is the Rock King Emperor, and has also acknowledged Han Fulai's actions in the incident, this means—

Han Fulai has finally found his way to Liyue's most powerful backer!

Zhongli picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup.

“Young friend Han, please don’t be so formal. Just call me Zhongli,” Zhongli said.

"Yes, Mr. Zhongli." Han Fulai understood, of course. Since Zhongli's goal was to retire, it was best to keep his identity as the Rock King Emperor a secret.

Zhongli picked up the teacup and gently inhaled the aroma of the tea.

"I have a question. How did you, young friend Han, know that it was I who released Osel?"

Han Fulai knew Zhongli would ask this question, and calmly replied, "About seven days ago, on the night of the invocation ceremony."

"But the Demon God Oser hadn't broken free from his seal yet at that time?" Zhongli asked, puzzled.

"But by then, the young master had already obtained the 'Unhindered Talisman'. Miss Ningguang told me that the young master obtained the 'Unhindered Talisman' from this rocky teahouse, and judged that the Fatui wanted to use this talisman given to mortals by the Emperor during the Demon God War to disrupt Liyue Harbor."

"The 'Unfettered Talisman' was bestowed upon mortals during the War of Demons by the Emperor 3,700 years ago for use against their enemies. It contains the Emperor's divine power. Many demons are sealed on the land of Liyue, all sealed by the Emperor with his divine power. To break the seal of the Emperor's divine power, naturally, the one who tied the knot must untie it."

"The only value of the 'Treasury of No Taboos' to the Fools is that it can break the seal of the Demon God and attract the Emperor's attention. But Tartaglia broke into the Rock Tea House to collect the 'Treasury of No Taboos' before the Summoning Ceremony. Was he already preparing to release the Demon God at that time? Did he know that the Emperor would fake his death during the Summoning Ceremony? This is one of the suspicious points."

“Dartaria is from the Winter Country. How did he know that the ‘Talisman of No Taboos’ was in the Tea Room on the Rock? You know, even Ningguang of Tianquan, who claims to know everything about Liyue, knew nothing about the whereabouts of the ‘Talisman of No Taboos’ before this. Otherwise, she would definitely have stopped the young master from obtaining it. This is the second point of doubt.”

"The era of the Demon God War has passed for 3,700 years, and the 'Unbound Talisman' was actually a weapon issued by the Emperor to mortals to fight against demonic beasts. It becomes ineffective once its divine power is exhausted. As far as I know, after 3,700 years, the other existing 'Unbound Talismans' have lost their divine power and are only used as tokens between immortals and immortals. Even the ineffective 'Unbound Talismans' are very rare in Liyue."

"Why would Iwagami Tea House, a casino, possess the 'Talisman of No Taboos' with its divine power perfectly preserved? This is the third point of doubt."

Han Fulai looked directly into Zhongli's golden eyes and slowly said, "Unless... it was personally made by the Rock King Emperor and delivered to the Rock Tea Room, waiting for Dadalia to come and collect it."

"So I had a guess. Could it be that a gentleman came to the Rock Tea House, played a few rounds, lost money, and didn't have any Mora with him, so he took out a precious 'No Taboos Talisman' and handed it to the casino owner as collateral?"

"And this gentleman has a 'friend in the underworld' named D'Artagnan. This gentleman is very knowledgeable, and during a casual conversation, he revealed that the Iwakami Tea House possesses a 'Talisman of No Taboos' and hinted at its uses. Perhaps this gentleman is also very well-informed and informed Mr. D'Artagnan that there would be changes during the invocation ceremony, allowing him to prepare in advance?"

“Indeed, ‘the new waves of the Yangtze River push the old waves forward, and the old waves die on the beach.’” Zhongli clapped and exclaimed. “The only thing that’s not right is that I didn’t lose, I just didn’t win enough to get back the collateral.”

"Mr. Zhongli is too kind... Wait, what's going on with this line of poetry?" Han Fulai suddenly realized that something was wrong. These two lines of poetry definitely had a problem, a big problem!

Chapter Seventy-Four: It's all a play, yet I must leave my name behind with a flourish of my pen.

The two lines Zhongli just recited should be "The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves, and new people replace the old people in this floating world," which comes from Liu Fu's "Qing Suo Gao Yi" in the Song Dynasty. The so-called "the front waves die on the beach" is a humorous ditty by later generations: "The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves, and the front waves die on the beach. How long can the back waves be glorious? In the blink of an eye, they are all the same."

Teyvat does have its share of folk poets like Hu Tao, and it's not surprising that they write folk poems, but it's quite strange that they're exactly the same as those circulating in China. Could it be that Zhongli has been hanging out with Hu Tao, the head of the Hall of Rebirth, for too long and has picked up folk poems himself?

Zhongli seemed oblivious to Han Fulai's question, simply refilling Han Fulai's cup of tea before continuing, "But how can you be so sure that it was I who released and sealed the demon god Oser?"

Seeing that Zhongli seemed quite interested, Han Fulai stopped dwelling on the issue of the doggerel and continued to explain.

"Because I've always wondered why the released demon god was the vortex demon god Oser? Demon gods are almost immortal, and even if they are defeated, they will leak their demon god power and pollute the surrounding area, just like Heuria. The Great Sage Who Subdued Demons that I saw in the Jade Pavilion before was fighting against the 'karma' left behind by demon gods every day. So the way to deal with demon gods is usually to seal them."

"According to the records I saw in Miss Yanfei's library, there are at least several demon seals still existing on the land of Liyue. In addition to the vortex demon Oser, there is also an evil dragon sealed in the bamboo forest hills near Qingce Village. It is said that its nest is now Qingce Mountain."

"Beneath the abyss, there was also a notorious giant beast called 'Eight Dragons'. It would occasionally surface and the giant waves it stirred up could destroy houses and ships. It was later suppressed by the stone whale and stone kite created by the Emperor."

"The overlord of the ocean was neither Oser nor Baqiu, but the 'Sea Demon God.' He lived in the 'Sea God Palace,' using two dragon-like beasts the size of Mount Tianheng as his charioteers. He demanded that humans offer a young girl as a bride every year in exchange for calm seas. In the end, the Sea God was killed by the Emperor, and one of the dragon-like beasts that pulled his chariot fled to the deep sea, while the other fled to Mount Qingce—the one that was sealed away by the Emperor."

"According to ancient records, Oser is a demon god that only dwells in the sea. Legend has it that, apart from destroying ships and dragging away prey, it seems to have no interest in life on land. In comparison, Oser seems to be the least harmful and least threatening of the demon gods sealed by the Emperor."

"Hmm." Zhongli picked up his teacup without comment.

"Among so many ancient demon gods, which one doesn't have the power to destroy Liyue Harbor? If we want to cause damage and chaos to Liyue, we can at least destroy Qingce Village by reviving that evil dragon; if we let the Eight Dragons rise to the surface of the sea, the tsunami will destroy Liyue Harbor; if we revive the sea god, I'm afraid even the Emperor will be caught in a tough battle; only the vortex demon god Oser, if it weren't for his hatred for the Emperor who sealed it, I'm afraid he wouldn't even have the interest to invade the waters near Liyue Harbor."

“Osel is sealed in Guyun Pavilion. It’s quite a journey for him to reach Liyue Harbor, which gives Seven Stars enough time to evacuate the people and organize defenses. In addition, the battlefield is located at sea. Even if Qunyu Pavilion collapses, the aftershocks of the explosion will not harm the people. Even if Osel is defeated, the leaked power of the Demon God will not affect the Liyue mainland.”

"Furthermore, Oser was immediately returned to the seal after being severely injured, without even a moment to fight back. It's as if the seal is a switch; someone turned it off, and Oser was suppressed again. What's even stranger is that, despite the seal being broken, none of the immortals showed any interest in checking and resealing it after the battle, as if they were certain that the seal was impregnable and would not be broken again."

"Furthermore, there is the attitude of the three immortals I met at the Jade Pavilion that day. True Lord Ge Chenlang and Great Sage Subduing Demons never denounced the Seven Stars, nor did they directly attack Ausel. If I hadn't asked, Miss Gan Yu wouldn't have planned to take action either. It's as if they were confident about the Emperor's death and the battle with Ausel, knowing that there would be a way to resolve it in the end, and that they didn't need to take action."

"And during that battle, I also discovered that immortal power can be manipulated and transferred by immortals. Mr. Zhongli, do you think it's possible that they knew there was an ancestor of all immortals observing the battle nearby? If we couldn't subdue Oser, a stream of immortal power would be secretly transferred to them, and then they would clean up the mess. But if they hadn't defeated Oser before, and suddenly their strength increased dramatically, it wouldn't make sense?"

"There is only one plausible explanation for everything. The Vortex Demon God Oser was chosen by the Emperor as a test for the Seven Stars and the Immortals, and it was strictly controlled within the capabilities that the Seven Stars and the Immortals could handle. The 'Treasury of No Taboos' that you obtained is only used to emit a light as a signal. Upon receiving the signal, the Emperor will open the seal and release Oser. Once we pass the test, the Emperor will reseal Oser."

"The True Lord of Moon-Shaving and Sun-Building, the True Lord of Water-Managing and Mountain-Stacking, and the True Lord of Cloud-Leaving and Wind-Borrowing discovered the truth after the battle, so they no longer pursued the Seven Stars or cared about Oser's affairs. Granny Ping, Xiao, and Gan Yu knew in advance that this was an exam entirely under the Emperor's control, and they were ready to cooperate with the Emperor to save the day at any time, but—their acting skills need improvement?"

"Talented people emerge in every generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years." Zhongli clapped his hands in approval.

Han Fulai frowned. These were lines from a poem by Zhao Yi of the Qing Dynasty. The overlap between poems circulating in Teyvat and those from China was rather striking. In the game, Zhongli often recited Song Dynasty poems, and Xingqiu frequently quoted Tang Dynasty verses. Were these all just coincidences?

"Almost all of them are correct. I had informed the True Lord of Gechenlang City of this plan in advance through a dream, asking her to prepare to cooperate with my actions. The Great Sage Who Subdues Demons has fought alongside me for many years, and he probably firmly believes that I will not die easily. Gan Yu... Gan Yu didn't close her eyes for several days, so I couldn't appear in her dream. However, she is extremely intelligent and familiar with my way of thinking, so she must have already seen through my plan."

"I knew I hadn't misjudged him. Generally speaking, the greatest credit for this battle belongs to Han Xiaoyou. If it weren't for Han Xiaoyou's on-site command, they probably wouldn't have been able to pass this test so easily." Zhong Li praised him without reservation.

"How dare I claim credit? This battle was entirely due to Mr. Zhongli's strategic planning and the combined efforts of the Seven Stars and the Immortals. I merely understood Mr. Zhongli's intentions," Han Fulai hurriedly replied. He dared not say to Zhongli's face that he had commanded the Battle of Oser.

"Young friend Han, do you still remember that day when we drank together at 'Three Bowls Before Crossing the Harbor'?" Zhongli asked.

"I remember," Han Fulai nodded.

“That day you told me a story from a book, and I told you a story about ancient China,” Zhongli continued.