He changed Tiwat

“If Brother Xingqiu hadn’t revealed his name to Lü Hu earlier, and had simply left without a trace, the situation wouldn’t have been so serious. But unfortunately, Brother Xingqiu revealed your name in order to help Master Chang and to get Maocai Gong to hold you accountable.” Han Fulai shook his head slightly.

"What's wrong with this?" Xingqiu asked doubtfully.

"Because Brother Xingqiu didn't consider what would happen if this matter got out? The Seven Stars government couldn't solve Master Chang's problem, the Thousand Rock Army couldn't solve it, but you, Xingqiu, solved it. At that time, the name 'Xingqiu of the Ancient Hua Sect' will spread widely in Liyue—the Seven Stars government and the Thousand Rock Army are useless, it's still the great hero Xingqiu of the Ancient Hua Sect who is useful!" Han Fulai laughed.

"Given Xingqiu's character, he would find it hard to refuse someone in need, right? So you will continue to uphold justice, and your reputation will only grow stronger. Over time, in the hearts of the people of Liyue, 'If you're in trouble, go to Xingqiu' will become an irrefutable truth. Not only that, but many upright and kind young people will emulate your righteous deeds and become heroes. You will, like in martial arts novels, establish your own school and become a spiritual leader for the young people!"

"This..." Xingqiu was smart after all, and had already understood the deeper meaning in Han Fulai's words.

“I know that Brother Xingqiu has always kept a low profile and has no intention of establishing a sect or pursuing fame and fortune—but once you become famous, things will be out of your control. Because you can’t control your followers. If those young people who imitate your chivalrous ways cause someone’s death in a fight, do you think Seven Stars will hold them accountable?”

Han Fulai smiled and said, "What if someone uses your name to do evil? Who will Qixing hold accountable? Not only that, because your reputation among the people is even higher than that of the Qixing government, and you are also associated with the 'Guhua Faction,' Qixing will ask, 'What is Xingqiu trying to do? What kind of organization is the Guhua Faction?'"

"What will the Seven Stars Society think? This Xingqiu dares to act chivalrously now, what does he want to do in the future? Oh dear, we don't even dare to think about it!" Han Fulai's smile deepened.

“No wonder…no wonder my father and brother didn’t support my actions…” Xingqiu muttered to himself.

"Of course, I just explained to Qianyanjun that we were just two street performers, and we were acting in self-defense." Han Fulai spread his hands, looking very innocent.

“But in fact, the laws of Liyue cannot protect its people, such as Chang Jiuye.” Xingqiu said thoughtfully.

"If you say that, Lord Ningguang of Tianquan Star, who is in charge of drafting the laws, will be angry," Han Fulai said with a smile.

"I'm telling the truth. As for Ningguang, hmph... never mind, I won't talk bad about people behind their backs." Xingqiu shook his head, looking like he had a lot of opinions about Ningguang.

"This is indeed an undeniable fact. The arrogant attitude and skillful methods of Lü Hu, representing Maocai Gong, prove that this isn't the first time he's done such things. And without our help, Master Chang Jiu would indeed have been harmed. But..."

"But what? You're not going to say something like, 'This is just an isolated case, and we should be wary of individual cases affecting Liyue's image of the rule of law,' are you?" Xingqiu asked irritably.

Han Fulai smiled and shook his head. "I'm not a newspaper reporter. What I'm trying to say is that we can't solve the problem by just acting as heroes."

"Hey, Brother Han, have you forgotten what I said before? I have a way to solve this." Xingqiu revealed a confident smile. "To be honest, Brother Han, I actually have some connections with the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce. I'll write a letter and give it to the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce. You can just wait and see what happens."

As Xingqiu spoke, he waved his hand, preparing to take out paper and pen to write a letter.

Han Fulai pressed his hand down.

"Let me guess first. You want to write a letter to your father, the president of the Flying Cloud Merchant Guild, asking him to use the guild's resources to buy up all the amber in Liyue, including Chang Jiuye's batch. This way, Chang Jiuye can recover enough money to redeem his books. After you monopolize the amber in Liyue, you will resell it to Maocai Gong at a high price. He will have to spend this money to fulfill his promise to the Fatui Clan."

"In this way, we can help Master Chang, teach Maocai Gong a lesson, and also help the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce make a lot of money. It's a win-win-win-win strategy. Isn't that right?"

"Huh? How did Brother Han know my plan... And how did you know I am..." Xingqiu's amber eyes were full of question marks. He had always been proud of his intelligence and resourcefulness, but this Brother Han was definitely one step ahead of him, which made him not only puzzled but also curious.

“He comes from the Guhua Sect, is highly skilled in martial arts, and has close ties with the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce. Besides Xingqiu, the second young master of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, who else in Liyue has a Xingqiu?” Han Fulai said with a smile.

Xingqiu's eyes darted around, and he suddenly laughed too.

"Brother Han, you are quite remarkable. You are so familiar with the political situation in Liyue, and you are also proficient in the law. You are also an important client of that Miss Yanfei. In your conversation, you even revealed that you have a close relationship with Ningguang. I don't know when our Guhua faction has ever produced such a person. Such a talent, and he is surnamed Han. I only know one other person with this surname - Han Fulai, the executive vice minister of Yuehaiting."

Han Fulai nodded. "That is indeed me."

Chapter Ninety-Six: Let Master Chang suffer a little, I'll bear the blame.

"So it really is you!" Xingqiu became excited and shook Han Fulai's right hand repeatedly. "The storytellers in Liyue have been telling you your stories a lot lately. You stepped forward to save the people at the critical moment of the Battle of Osael. You are a first-class hero! Compared to Brother Han, I am simply ashamed."

"Brother Xingqiu, you flatter me." Han Fulai smiled, feeling quite pleased to be praised so highly by Xingqiu in person.

"I wonder when Brother Han joined our Guhua School?" Xingqiu asked.

"Just a short while ago. The reason... is the same as yours, to repay a debt of gratitude. Senior Sister Zhiruo of the Guhua Sect was kind to me, and I promised her that I would revitalize the Guhua Sect. Gratitude must be repaid; this is chivalry." Han Fulai shook his right hand, and Xingqiu blushed and quickly let go.

"Revitalizing the Ancient Hua Sect... Although I have the desire to revive the sect, this is not something that can be accomplished overnight," Xingqiu said.

"The matter of Master Chang has provided us with an opportunity to revitalize the Guhua School," Han Fulai said. "This matter needs careful planning, so let's not discuss it for now. The reason I stopped you from writing the letter earlier is because there are still many loopholes in your plan that can be improved."

"Oh? I'm all ears." Xingqiu's expression also turned serious.

"The first key point. Even the villagers of Qingce Village know that if someone gets into a fight, they should ask Qianyan Army to handle it. When Master Chang was forced to buy and sell by Maocai Gong, and even faced violent threats from Lü Hu, why didn't he seek justice from the General Affairs Department and Qianyan Army? And why did Master Chang say that he had no expectations for the people of the Guhua faction?"

Xingqiu pondered for a moment before replying, "I think he must have tried, but it was no use. Lord Maocai is a wealthy mining merchant in Liyue. He previously served as the head of the Whitewater Hall and has business dealings with two of the Seven Stars. Now he has also climbed up to the Fatui faction. He can be said to be powerful and influential, with influence in both business and politics. If I were just an ordinary disciple of the Ancient Hua Sect, of course I would not be able to contend with Lord Maocai."

Han Fulai smiled and said, “That’s right. Master Chang is just a down-on-his-luck merchant. Even with this batch of amber, he only managed to raise the money by pawning his books. Compared to Mao Cai Gong, Master Chang is like an ant compared to an elephant. Even if he goes to appeal to the General Affairs Department, as long as Mao Cai Gong says a word, his appeal will probably be suppressed at the level of the receptionist at the General Affairs Department’s window.”

“That’s why Master Chang needs us to uphold justice for him even more…” Xingqiu said.

"But Young Master Xingqiu, in your plan, what will we rely on to uphold justice for Master Chang Jiu? Will it be our chivalry and the swords in our hands?" Han Fulai deliberately emphasized the words "Young Master Xingqiu".

“Of course it is…” Xingqiu was about to answer when he suddenly stopped. After a moment, a look of dejection appeared on his face, and his voice became much lower. “…It is because the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce overpowered Maocai Gong’s wealth and power.”

“That’s right. If I were to help Master Chang, I would have to use my position to exert influence,” Han Fulai said. “As individuals, neither Xingqiu of the Guhua faction nor Han Fei of the Guhua faction can help Master Chang. But Xingqiu, the second young master of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, and Han Fulai, the executive vice president of Yuehaiting, can help Master Chang uphold justice.”

"Power is merely a tool, like the sword in your hand; it can save lives or take them. The key lies in how one uses this tool. Brother Xingqiu, there's no need to be discouraged. Using power to uphold justice is always better than using it to oppress the people." Han Fulai's lips curled up. "What we should be considering is how to use the power in our hands to the greatest extent possible to bring greater benefits to the people of Liyue, like Master Chang Jiu!"

Xingqiu's eyes lit up, and his dejected mood vanished instantly.

"Next is the second key point," Han Fulai continued. "Brother Xingqiu, have you ever thought about this? Logically, the Seven Star Government should protect its people, so why doesn't it uphold justice for Master Chang? If we set aside factors like corruption among the General Affairs Department's civil servants and look for the root cause, we will find that for the General Affairs Department, the administrative cost of upholding justice for Master Chang is far greater than the administrative cost of making Master Chang swallow his anger."

"Cost?" Xingqiu came from a family of merchants and was naturally very skilled at cost calculation. However, he had never considered that the Liyue government also had to consider costs in its administration.

“Administration naturally incurs costs,” Han Fulai said. “As a civil servant of Yuehaiting, my monthly salary comes from the financial expenditures of Baishuiting. The same goes for civil servants in the General Affairs Department. Where does Baishuiting’s money come from? From taxes.”

“You mean…” Xingqiu’s face showed a look of understanding.

“That’s right. You need to understand that the Liyue government departments themselves don’t generate revenue. If everyone in Liyue is equal, then those who pay more taxes will be more equal than others. For example, Maocai Gong, and Feiyun Merchant Guild.” Han Fulai smiled. “According to the Liyue financial reports I’ve seen, the annual tax payment of the residents of Chihuyan is less than the quarterly tax payment of the wealthy merchants of Feiyunpo. And Qingce Village is even less profitable than Chihuyan.”

"To uphold justice for Master Chang, the General Affairs Department not only has to spend time and manpower, but also bear the risk of offending the entire network of power behind Mao Cai Gong. Mao Cai Gong retired from Bai Shui Ting, which was in charge of the civil servants' money, and he has two Seven Stars behind him. If they put a little pressure on him, the lower-level civil servants of the General Affairs Department will starve."

"For the civil servants of Liyue, what supports them are the powerful families and wealthy merchants. So, isn't it obvious which side they side with? The Feiyun Merchant Guild can move against Maocai Gong because the Feiyun Merchant Guild and Maocai Gong are at the same level, or even higher. This is called an internal conflict among powerful merchants. The General Affairs Department can certainly stand by and let you resolve it yourselves."

"Let's return to the matter of forced buying and selling. Brother Xingqiu can also see that this isn't the first time Maocai has done this. Moreover, this time he's helping the Foolish Clan. If the General Affairs Department investigates, it's fine if they don't find anything, but what if they do? For example, it could be that Maocai not only frequently engages in forced buying and selling to oppress the people, but also has significant collusion with the Foolish Clan, channeling benefits to the Winter Kingdom..."

"...Moreover, it's possible that Mao Cai Gong is just working for the person behind him. If we investigate thoroughly, it might not only be Mao Cai Gong who falls, but also the tax revenue that will be affected." Xing Qiu understood.

Han Fulai smiled.

"On the other hand, if the General Affairs Department had suppressed this matter, you, Master Chang, would have only lost a little money and your collection of books. No one would have died, and hardly anyone would have known about it. It wouldn't have even stirred up any public opinion."

"The administrative costs of upholding justice for Master Chang might affect the tax revenue of Baishui Hall, offend the vested interests of wealthy merchants, damage the future of civil servants in the General Affairs Department, and could even create a huge financial hole. And all that would be gained in return for this cost is a batch of amber being sold at market price, and justice being served for a nobody like Master Chang. Do you think the officials in the General Affairs Department would choose this option after doing the math?"

“I believe that most people, if they were in the position of Director of General Affairs, would also say, ‘Let Master Chang suffer, I will bear the blame.’”

Chapter Ninety-Seven: A Forced Sale Full of Loopholes

Xingqiu pondered for a moment, then raised his head, his eyes resolute.

Even if it really causes a huge problem in Liyue, I still want to give Master Chang justice!

"Well said." Han Fulai's eyes were full of approval.

He knew that from the moment he uttered those words, the thin boy before him had truly transformed into a towering, indomitable hero.

If before, in Han Fulai's eyes, Xingqiu was just a kind-hearted young master who traveled around relying on his family background and martial arts skills, occasionally indulging in a chivalrous fantasy, then now Xingqiu, having understood the serious consequences behind this matter that he might not be able to bear, still chose to uphold the chivalrous way and help the weak, and thus deserves the title of "chivalrous".

To be intolerant of injustice and to draw one's sword to help those in need—this is the courage of youth; to repay kindness and keep one's promises—this is the heroism of youth; to act freely and unrestrainedly—this is the spirit of youth; to do what one knows to be impossible, even if it means facing thousands of enemies—this can be called the chivalry of youth!

"Then, young hero Xingqiu, we can now discuss the third crucial point," Han Fulai said with a smile. "The most critical question is, what constitutes truly helping Master Chang?"

"Brother Han, do you mean that what I did didn't actually help Master Chang Jiu?" Xingqiu asked.

Han Fulai nodded. "We drove Lü Hu away today. Can Maocai Gong send Zhang Long and Zhao Hu tomorrow? Can Young Hero Xingqiu keep watch at Master Chang's door indefinitely?"

“Of course not.” Xingqiu shook his head. “That’s why I thought of teaching Maocai a lesson so that he wouldn’t dare to cause trouble for Master Chang again.”

"Young Master Xingqiu, what kind of lesson do you think qualifies as a lesson?" Han Fulai continued to ask.

“Since Lord Maocai wants to buy Master Chang’s amber at a 30% discount, then I will monopolize the amber in Liyue and sell it to him at three times the price. I think that should be enough of a lesson,” Xingqiu said.

Han Fulai shook his head. "Not enough, far from enough."

"I still need to ask Brother Han for advice."

"Young Master Xingqiu should know that amber is not widely used in Liyue, and its production is quite considerable. It's just that the mining volume has decreased due to the temporary closure of the Abyss of the Rocks, and it has only recently become popular in the market. In other words, amber itself is not very valuable, and even under the current circumstances, the premium is not high. Even someone as down on his luck as Master Chang Jiu can afford to buy it."

“Once the Abyss of Layered Rocks opens, the price of amber will immediately plummet. Therefore, no matter how the price of amber fluctuates, it will still be within a reasonable range. With Mao Cai Gong’s wealth, let alone buying amber at market price, even if he could buy the batch of amber in Chang Jiu Ye’s hands at three times the market price, wouldn’t he be able to afford it?” Han Fulai asked.

"Of course he can afford it. I was certain he could afford it, which is why I decided to punish him this way. As far as I know, the current market value of amber in the entire Liyue Harbor market is approximately 1500 million Mora. As one of Liyue's leading mining merchants, even if Maocai were to buy up all of Liyue's amber at three times the market price, it wouldn't truly cripple him," Xingqiu replied.

Han Fulai waved his hand. "In Young Hero Xingqiu's opinion, such punishment may be enough, a bitter lesson. But Young Hero Xingqiu has overlooked one point: why did Master Maocai try to force Master Chang to sell this batch of amber at a 30% discount?"

"Of course, it's to shift the cost of appeasing the fools onto the innocent Master Chang, right?" Xingqiu asked, his face full of doubt. This logic was self-evident; how could Vice Minister Han not have thought of it?

According to Lü Hu, Mao Cai Gong acquired this batch of amber to give to the Foolish Clan. Clearly, the Foolish Clan wasn't planning to pay Mao Cai Gong, or at least not at market price. That's why Mao Cai Gong was willing to buy the amber at a low price to minimize costs.

Xingqiu devised this plan as a lesson for Maocaigong because he was certain that Maocaigong would have to fulfill his agreement with the foolish people and would have to bite the bullet and buy the stone amber from them at a high price.

"That's because you're thinking about this event using the logic of ordinary commodity transactions. So you haven't noticed the contradictions that are impossible to reconcile in this transaction." Han Fulai's smile was full of hidden meaning.

"A contradiction?" Xingqiu lowered his head, beginning to ponder the contradictions within this incident. As the second young master of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, a business prodigy favored by his family since childhood, Xingqiu considered himself quite capable in business. Yet Han Fulai said there were contradictions in this incident that he hadn't yet seen through?

Xingqiu could understand if his unfamiliarity with Liyue's political situation caused flaws in his plans, but he couldn't accept that flaws also occurred in his own field of business. This sense of defeat was something he had never experienced before in his life.

“Let me give you a hint—you just defeated a Fatui Thunderfly sorcerer,” Han Fulai said.

“…Ah!” Xingqiu was shocked and suddenly understood the “contradiction” that Han Fulai was talking about.

"The foolish crowd is so eager for this batch of amber! They even went so far as to send people to help Mao Cai Gong forcibly seize it! But at this time, Mao Cai Gong is still thinking of lowering the price!" Xing Qiu clenched his right fist and punched his left palm, making a "smack" sound.

“That’s right. Under normal circumstances, supply and demand determine the price of a commodity. How could anyone sell it to him at a low price when Mao Cai Gong is so eager for this batch of amber? And why would he send Lü Hu to push the price down to 30% and urge delivery without any scruples? Even if I wanted to sell it to him at a low price, I would have to raise the price because he’s in such a hurry. This is the first contradiction in this matter,” Han Fulai said with a smile.

Xingqiu continued, "The second contradiction is the appearance of the Fools. Their demand for this batch of amber has reached the point where they are willing to send people to openly rob it—so why don't they buy this batch of amber themselves? Why do they have to acquire it through Maocai Gong?"

"The third contradiction is between Mao Cai Gong's insistence on lowering the price and the eagerness of the foolish crowd. If Mao Cai Gong wanted to use this batch of amber to please the foolish crowd, why did he insist on lowering the price to buy it? If he was in a hurry for this batch of goods, why didn't he pay more to get it? Why did he have to lower the price to a level that Master Chang Jiu couldn't accept? Is Mao Cai Gong short of money to buy a coffin?" Han Fulai rarely spoke so sarcastically.

“If I wanted to curry favor with the Fools and give them a batch of amber, how could I possibly negotiate a lower price in person and have them act as my henchmen? It’s like saying, ‘I’m going to give you a gift, but it’s junk that I bought at a super low price, and if you want it, you have to snatch it from the owner yourself.’” Xingqiu shook his head repeatedly. “This isn’t giving a gift; it’s an insult.”

"I believe that Young Hero Xingqiu has already made up his mind," Han Fulai said with a smile.

Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Absence of the Scholar Maocai is Very Important

Xingqiu crossed his arms in front of his chest and fell into deep thought.

After a while, he slowly said, "I do have an idea... but I'm not sure, because I don't know what this batch of amber means to the Fools."

"Speak freely," Han Fulai encouraged.

Xingqiu nodded and said, "First of all, let's talk about the Fools. Let's not discuss why the Fools need this batch of amber. Let's just talk about the Fools' strange behavior in this incident."

“We all know that the Fools are known for their toughness and arrogance. The fact that such Fools would be willing to become Master Chang’s henchmen for this batch of amber that was undervalued is the strangest thing about this whole affair. It shows just how much the Fools crave this batch of amber.”

"But even with such a strong desire for amber, they refuse to acquire it themselves, insisting on going through the Duke of Maocai as their agent—the only reasonable explanation is that the Fatui have no right to purchase amber in Liyue. Perhaps while I was traveling around, Ningguang introduced new laws?"

Han Fulai smiled without saying a word, gesturing with his eyes for Xingqiu to continue.

“Starting from the premise that the Fools must rely on Master Maocai to buy the amber, a second strange thing appears—why does Master Maocai insist on buying the amber from Master Chang?”

"As far as I know, there are many mineral merchants in Liyue Harbor. If it's about large-scale amber trading, I know at least four places near Liyue Harbor where you can definitely buy far more amber than Master Chang."

"First is Ivanovich, the Winter Country traveling merchant at Liyue Harbor. He regularly supplies Liyue with minerals, including amber. If Ivanovich's goods aren't enough, there are at least three other places to go. Bolai, the owner of Wanyou Shop; Changshun, the owner of the Feiyunpo General Store; and Shizhuang, the foreman of the Blackrock Mine."

"Mao Cai Gong is a mining merchant. His knowledge of minerals should surpass mine. There's no reason why he wouldn't know about these four places."

"More importantly, these places are either in or near Liyue Harbor, much closer than Qingce Manor, and the quantity of goods is also greater than that of Master Chang. Even without considering freight costs, we should consider time costs. So why would Master Maocai go to such lengths to buy this batch of amber from Master Chang in the distant Qingce Manor?"

"There is still only one reasonable explanation here—Mao Cai Gong must have bought this batch of amber from Master Chang Jiu."

"My conclusion is that the Fools desperately need amber, and Master Maocai must buy amber from Master Chang Jiu." Xingqiu paused here, glanced at Han Fulai, and said, "That's all I can think of."

"There are many possible explanations for why Master Maocai insisted on selling the amber from Master Chang at a 30% discount. Perhaps there's some agreement between them, or perhaps the amber in Master Chang's possession is special. But we need to confirm these with Master Chang. However, judging from Master Chang's attitude just now, he might not want to see us right now. Perhaps we should visit him again tomorrow?"

Han Fulai clapped his hands lightly and said, "So far, your ideas have been completely correct. The reason you can't figure out why Mao Cai Gong is buying Shi Po here is because your understanding of Mao Cai Gong is still limited to the business world."

"I would be grateful for your guidance, Brother Han," Xingqiu said sincerely.

"I've never actually had any dealings with Mao Cai Gong, but I did have an unpleasant experience with his eldest son, Sheng Jinyong." Han Fulai's eyes narrowed slightly.

"That young master Sheng appears to be quite refined and talented, but he once had his henchmen frame me in public over a trivial matter of jealousy and trying to win someone's favor, intending to ruin my reputation and even put me in jail. After the matter was exposed, he decisively abandoned his henchmen, apologized to me, and even tried to befriend me."

"In my opinion, this young master Sheng is vicious but hypocritical. Like father, like son. You can imagine what kind of person Mao Cai Gong is. If young master Sheng doesn't mind me going to jail for a small matter, then Mao Cai Gong might not mind Chang Jiu Ye dying in order to cover up a big matter."

Xingqiu was startled.

"That's why Brother Han asked me earlier, 'How can I be sure I've helped Master Chang?' The reason why Master Maocai chose Master Chang is because he's easy to silence!"

“The ore merchants near Liyue Harbor, whether it’s Ivanovich, Bolai, Changshun, or Shizhuang, could all have leaked information. And these people are all influential figures in Liyue Harbor. If any of them suddenly disappears or dies, the General Affairs Department will definitely conduct a thorough investigation!”

“That’s right.” Han Fulai nodded. “If the Fools cannot buy the amber, and the fact that Maocai Gong bought the amber for the Fools is also a secret, then the best situation for Maocai Gong is to acquire this batch of amber from someone who can keep the secret forever. And the dead are the best at keeping secrets.”

"Imagine, if we hadn't come to Qingce Manor by chance in search of the 'Record of the Broken Halberd of Shenxiao,' what would have become of Master Chang?"

"He will lose money and go bankrupt by selling this batch of amber at a 30% discount!" Xingqiu finally realized the key point.

“Qingce Village is located in a remote area, where news is scarce. Master Chang Jiu is a down-on-his-luck merchant who lives in a secluded country courtyard. Even if he dies, not many people will know. With the mountains and forests of Qingce Village, where can’t someone be buried?” Han Fulai interjected.

“And it’s perfectly reasonable for a bankrupt merchant to commit suicide out of despair. No one will think about why he died, and no one will bother to investigate what happened to him,” Xingqiu continued.

"The reason why Mao Cai Gong insisted on buying Chang Jiuye's amber at a 30% discount when he was in such dire need of it was for one purpose only: to bankrupt Chang Jiuye and lay a reasonable groundwork for his later death," Han Fulai concluded.

"No, Master Chang's life is in danger at any moment. I have to notify the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce to protect him!" Xingqiu said urgently.