He changed Tiwat

"Our goal is to make this year's Lantern Festival a success! The budget is for better planning; we can't put the cart before the horse."

Peng Yi was powerless to refute, and he timidly avoided Ke Qing's gaze.

"Yes, I understand, Lady Keqing."

"Yes, safety first, make sure it's guaranteed." Ke Qing nodded. "Peng Yi, please rewrite the plan and submit a written report to the General Affairs Department. Do you understand what I asked you to do?"

"Yes, I understand!" Pengyi quickly replied.

“Then let’s hurry. I still need to inspect the fireworks setup with Deputy Minister Han. I hope that when I return to Liyue Harbor, I will see your plan in the General Affairs Department,” Keqing said.

"Yes, yes, I'll go back right away." Pengyi hurriedly turned around and went down the mountain, muttering "Hurry up."

Ke Qing shook her head, put her hand to her forehead, and looked like she was having a lot of trouble with her subordinate.

Han Fulai wore a wry smile, for he had already foreseen that he would definitely have to work overtime tonight.

Chapter Nine: May the Flame Be Passed On, and Virtue Never Die [4k5]

After Han Fulai and Keqing confirmed and recorded the locations of several fireworks displays in Qingce Village, it was already midnight when they returned to Liyue Harbor.

This was the first time Han Fulai had ever seen Liyue Harbor at midnight.

Actually, he'd seen the sunrise at 3 a.m. at Moonlit Pavilion, at 4:30 a.m. at Jade Capital Terrace, and outside his office window... at least eight or ten times. Since moving into Moonlit Pavilion, Han Fu had accompanied Gan Yu to work overtime many times, and they'd stayed up late quite a bit. But since it was overtime, there was naturally no time to stroll around Liyue Harbor.

So Han Fulai only realized today how beautiful Liyue Harbor is at night.

The long street was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, stretching from the dock all the way to Chihu Rock. The already bustling food street was now filled with vendors and a festive atmosphere. Even late at night, tourists continued to flock there.

"This is the Lantern Festival in Liyue..." Han Fulai couldn't help but sigh.

"What? Is this your first time celebrating the Lantern Festival?" Ke Qing asked, slightly surprised.

In her view, Han Fulai was Gan Yu's personal secretary, close to Ningguang, and seemingly also had a close relationship with the Geo Archon, whose whereabouts were unknown. Even if he wasn't an immortal, he should be very familiar with Liyue's customs and festivals. But judging from Han Fulai's tone, he sounded like a foreign tourist visiting the area.

Ke Qing didn't know Han Fulai very well. When she first met Han Fulai, she was working as a waitress at "Qingce Farmhouse Cuisine" to investigate the current state of the catering service industry. Her impression of Han Fulai was merely that he was one of Yan Fei's customers.

When Keqing saw Han Fulai again, she realized that Han Fulai was the Yuehaiting Deputy Minister that Gan Yu wanted to recruit, but then the war against the Demon God Oser began. The two didn't have much opportunity to get to know each other better in private.

Of course, Keqing was very interested in Han Fulai because of his performance in the Battle of Oser. However, she found Ningguang's clandestine intelligence gathering unacceptable. Keqing believed that the best way to understand someone was through direct contact, and that speaking frankly was the most time-efficient and effective way to communicate.

“Yes, this is my first time participating in the Lantern Festival.” Han Fulai smiled and repeated his persona as a returned overseas Chinese from Fontainebleau to Ke Qing.

Keqing paused briefly, thought for a moment, and said, "Since today's work is finished, there's no rush to return to Moonsea Pavilion. Why don't I introduce you to the Lantern Festival in Liyue?"

Han Fulai naturally agreed.

Keqing pointed to the moon hanging in the sky and said to Han Fu, "The first full moon night of each year is the Lantern Festival in Liyue. It is a festival to commemorate heroes. At night, people release 'Sky Lanterns' and 'Bright Sky Lanterns' into the night sky."

"The meaning of those lights is 'May the flame be passed on and virtues never die out.' We believe that the lights of the night sea will guide the heroic souls of the past back home."

"So these lanterns also contain such a meaning, wishing that the flame will be passed on and virtues will never die..." Han Fulai recalled the Lantern Festival he spent in China. Although the meaning of the festival was slightly different, the forms of expression were basically the same, both involving appreciating lanterns and visiting night markets.

"The period leading up to the night of Lantern Festival can be considered a festival. During this time, people can pray for peace and ward off bad luck. In Liyue's words, it's about 'saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new'."

"During festivals, the small lanterns that people release into the air are called 'Sky Lanterns'. The giant lantern built by all the people of Liyue is called the 'Sky Lantern'."

As Keqing spoke, she pointed to the area above the Liyue Harbor dock. Han Fulai saw a huge green floating stone in the direction Keqing was pointing. The huge floating stone was floating in mid-air and was only tied to the dock with a few thick ropes.

The ropes were stretched taut by the floating stone, and once it broke free of their restraints, the floating stone would likely rise into the sky immediately.

"This is the floating stone used to make the 'Mingxiao Lantern.' In my memory, this is the largest piece of floating stone in twenty years. It is Ningguang's private collection. Although it cannot compare to the floating stone used in Ningguang's Qunyu Pavilion, as the foundation stone of the 'Mingxiao Lantern,' it is enough to make people look forward to what a magnificent sight the 'Mingxiao Lantern' will be when it takes off this year."

“It is indeed the most I have ever seen in my life.” Han Fulai nodded in agreement.

He understood that the reason Ningguang had used such a large floating stone for the Lantern Festival this year was clearly not just for aesthetics. This floating stone was obviously very valuable, probably worth hundreds of millions of Mora.

In his memory, the floating stones used at the Liyue Lantern Festival were to power the "Sky Lanterns," which were actually large-scale special fireworks created to explode in the sky and make a loud noise.

Liyue has just experienced the death of the Geo Archon and the Battle of Oser. Ningguang's enthusiasm for holding the Lantern Festival is probably just a bluff to attract investment. Liyue can spend hundreds of millions of Mora to create a festival effect, which shows that even without the Geo Archon, Liyue's economy is still thriving and is worth investing in!

Based on Han Fulai's understanding of Ningguang, Ningguang was definitely planning this.

"Let's walk forward a bit." Ke Qing led Han Fulai onto the brightly lit street.

"This is the 'Sky Market' in Liyue Harbor. The 'Sky Market' is set up around the 'Sky Lantern'. The stalls in the 'Sky Market' are set up annually by various merchants in Liyue, a rare occasion where they are not in it for profit, but only to raise funds for the construction of the 'Sky Lantern'."

“This is also a tradition of the Liyue Lantern Festival,” Keqing explained. “Although the majority of the festival’s expenses are covered by the General Affairs Department, many of the materials and other items come from donations from residents. This Floating Stone is a donation from the Ningguang Merchant Guild…”

"The Lantern Festival is the grandest festival in Liyue. If you can showcase your craftsmanship at the Lantern Festival, you're sure to gain a lot of reputation. So, even if it's not for making money, all the merchants are putting in their best efforts to compete at the Lantern Festival."

Keqing smiled at Han Fulai, "If you want to sample Liyue's delicacies, I recommend that you take this opportunity to explore 'Night Market,' which is Liyue's best night market with delicious food at reasonable prices."

"If I have the chance, I definitely want to explore this 'night market' properly," Han Fulai replied with a smile, but inwardly he sighed—don't you know who kept me from getting off work until this late? How could I have time to explore the night market?

Han Fulai did have the idea of ​​dragging Gan Yu out to the night market, but it was just a thought. Not to mention that Gan Yu was working overtime and had no time at all, even if she had time, she wouldn't come to the night market to smell the grease and grease.

Having spent a considerable amount of time with Gan Yu, Han Fulai had come to know that Gan Yu was a very pure vegetarian, so pure that her staple food consisted of the petals of Qingxin and Liuli lilies, and even eating a sweet flower was an indulgence for Gan Yu...

Just then, a couple passed by. The girl in the couple held a beautifully crafted paper lantern in her hands. They walked to the railing by the pier, and the girl released her grip, causing the small lantern to rise slowly. The two of them nestled together, watching the lantern drift out to sea.

“Look, those are lanterns in the sky.” Keqing said, pointing to the lanterns in the sky. “During the Lantern Festival, the people of Liyue make lanterns by hand. The lanterns are made of paper, wick, and floating stone pieces. When the wick is lit, the floating stone pieces will burn and activate, carrying the lantern into the sky.”

"So even the Sky Lanterns require the use of Floating Life Stones?" Han Fulai was slightly surprised. He had been busy with quests during the Lantern Festival in Genshin Impact and hadn't delved into the composition of the Sky Lanterns, assuming they were similar to the Kongming Lanterns of China, both using the heat generated by burning wicks to rise into the air. He hadn't expected the Sky Lanterns to rise using the power of Floating Life Stones; this was indeed a very unique feature of the otherworldly Teyvat continent.

“Yes.” Ke Qing nodded. “Floating stones are the most important material for building the ‘Mingxiao Lantern.’ Apart from Mora, most of the donations from citizens to the ‘Mingxiao Lantern’ are also made of floating stones. Moreover, when donating floating stones, many people will carve their wishes on the stones to pray for blessings.”

"So that floating stone on the dock will keep getting bigger and bigger?" Han Fulai asked.

“Yes. After all, it’s such a grand festival, and everyone donating items will make them feel very involved.” Ke Qing pointed to two women not far away and introduced them to Han Fulai. “The one in the short shirt is Ms. Jiang Zhou from the General Affairs Department, who is in charge of the construction progress of the ‘Mingxiao Lantern’. And the one next to her in the long skirt uniform is Ms. Wang Ya, who is in charge of coordinating the donations of materials to ‘Xiaoshi’.”

As they were talking, a middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe, who looked like a merchant, approached. His attendant handed Miss Wangya a beautifully packaged wooden box. Wangya thanked him for the donation, opened the box, and took out its contents.

Han Fulai looked closely and discovered that they were several red and blue stones.

"Miss Keqing, what are those stones?" Han Fulai asked, pointing to the stones in Wang Ya's hand.

“It’s floating stone. The floating stones that ordinary people use to make lanterns and for donations are usually just ordinary green floating stone fragments. But the wealthy merchants of Scarlet Cloud Slope often use ‘Mist Stone’ and ‘Mist Stone’... To some extent, this is a symbol of the status and position of these wealthy merchants,” Ke Qing replied.

"Oh? These 'Lansheng Stone' and 'Xiasheng Stone' sound different from Floating Stone; they seem quite rare." Han Fulai asked with interest.

"Yes, both of these floating stones are relatively rare. Occasionally, some common shrubs in the northern part of Tianheng Mountain will mutate, which is commonly known as 'Puffy Fruit'. Their roots contain 'Mist Stones' that make the shrub's seeds float in the air."

"The 'Xiasheng Stone' is extremely dangerous to ordinary people. On the Guili Plain, the old 'Relic Hunters' who have lost their ability to fly rely on the 'Xiasheng Stone' to maintain their flight ability. Most of the 'Xiasheng Stone' is obtained from the remains of the 'Relic Hunters'."

"Miss Keqing is truly knowledgeable. She even knows the origins and formation processes of these two types of floating stones in great detail," Han Fulai said admiringly. If Keqing weren't one of the Seven Stars, she would probably be the number one tour guide in Liyue.

“I happened to have seen both of these floating stones during a wilderness adventure before,” Ke Qing said casually. She had once ventured into the wild with only a sword and a hairpin to hone her martial arts skills. Of course, she didn’t need to tell Han Fulai about these things.

"So what's the difference between the effects of this 'Lansheng Stone' and 'Xiasheng Stone' and ordinary floating stones?" Han Fulai asked.

"No. It's probably just pretty." Ke Qing shook her head and added softly, "Actually, it's just blue and red floating stones... The fancy names are just something the gem merchants deliberately gave it..."

Han Fulai twitched the corner of his mouth, knowing that there were probably many merchants in Liyue who made their fortunes by charging "intelligence tax," such as buying and selling "a stone that lasts forever" or "a ring that a man can only buy once in his lifetime."

The two continued walking for a while and saw an elderly woman with white hair staring blankly at the "Mingxiao Light" under construction.

"This year's 'Mingxiao Lantern' is designed to commemorate 'Yixiao Daotian Zhenjun'. That guy who likes to show off should be happy... I hope they make the antlers bigger, after all, the antlers on his head are what that immortal is most proud of."

The old man murmured to himself, his voice filled with both nostalgia and sadness.

"Ah, it's Grandma Ping." Han Fulai recognized Grandma Ping and quickly went forward with Ke Qing to greet her.

When Grandma Ping saw that it was Han Fulai and Ke Qing, there was a slight surprise in her eyes, but this surprise quickly turned into a kind smile on her face.

"Gentlemen, would you be willing to listen to this old woman tell some old stories?"

"I'm all ears," Ke Qing quickly agreed.

Grandma Ping turned around and looked at the giant stag under construction on the dock. It was the main structure of this year's "Mingxiao Lantern". The entire body of the stag had been completed, and even the stag's yellow sapphire-like eyes were finished. Only the two giant antlers on its head were missing.

"This is my old friend, 'The Celestial Master Yi Xiaodao.' His horn absorbed the profound power of the Geo Archon, making it the hardest thing in all of Liyue. But during 'that final battle,' the force erupted, causing mountains to collapse. To prevent the villages at the foot of the mountain from being affected, he asked his friend to cut off his antlers..."

"He used those blood-soaked antlers as a fulcrum to support the entire mountain. And he fought on until his last drop of blood was shed..."

"Today, the 'Tianheng Mountain' that he once supported still stands tall, and the blood he shed in the deadly battle has gathered to form the 'Bishui River'."

“The Azure River…that’s the river that flows through the entire Liyue…” Han Fulai murmured to himself.

It turns out that this river was formed from the blood of an immortal—how powerful must that immortal who sacrificed himself have been? And the immortals' enemies are probably even more terrifying.

Han Fulai mentally reviewed the map of Liyue. Liyue's terrain slopes from west to east, and the main stream of the Biyue River originates in the northwest near Fontaine, flowing through Qiaoying Village, Qingce Village, Stone Gate, Dihua Marsh, Guili Plain, and then merging into the Yunlai Sea. It can be said to be equivalent to the "Mother River of Liyue".

The "Azure Plains" region of Liyue is almost entirely nourished by this azure water.

Based on his geographical knowledge, Han Fulai believed that the river originating from the blood of "Yixiao Daotian Zhenjun" was merely a tributary of the Bishui River north of Tianheng Mountain.

Because of the high altitude of Tianheng Mountain, this river flows northward and merges into the main channel of Bishui River, becoming one of the sources of Bishui River.

Of course, even if it is only one of the sources of the Bishui River, it is still a remarkable force.

"Hehe... It's already a great comfort that someone is willing to listen to these old stories. The Lantern Festival exists because those 'old friends' can't stand being alone." Grandma Ping finished telling her story, a smile appearing on her face, as if she remembered the "show-off" she had mentioned back then.

“He was a hero who sacrificed himself for the people of Liyue, and heroes should be remembered. Thank you, Granny Ping, for telling us about this hero’s deeds.” Han Fulai said, bowing to the “Mingxiao Lantern” under construction. “The Lantern Festival exists to commemorate heroes. I hope those spirits can see this ‘Mingxiao Lantern’ and return to see Liyue Harbor as it is today. May the flame be passed on and virtues never die.”

"May the torch be passed on and virtues never die out." Grandma Ping nodded with satisfaction. "It's getting late, everyone should go back and rest."

The two bid farewell to Granny Ping and returned to Yujingtai.

As they were about to part, Ke Qing hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Deputy Minister Han, actually, the reason I temporarily seconded you this time wasn't just for the preparations for the Lantern Festival's 'fireworks show'..."

Han Fulai smiled and said, "Lord Keqing, there's no need to say more. Leave the communication with the immortals to me."

Chapter Ten: He Has Someone Above Him

"...No wonder Miss Gan Yu recommended you to me."

Ke Qing recalled what Gan Yu had told her when she consulted Gan Yu—

"Although Mr. Han seems like just an ordinary person, he can deduce ten things from one, and then pretend he knows nothing about at least half of them. Even I can only describe his insight as 'remarkable.' And he's very reliable... By the way, Miss Keqing, how about discussing the matter of paying respects to the immortals at the Lantern Festival with him?"

She hadn't even mentioned the word "immortal" to him, yet he had directly pinpointed the problem she was facing. No wonder Gan Yu had such a high opinion of him. Ke Qing sighed inwardly; someone who could be promoted to the position of Vice Minister of Yuehai Pavilion by Gan Yu was no ordinary person.

Han Fulai, of course, had no idea what Ke Qing was thinking. He was currently complaining about something else in his mind—Gan Yu, you think visiting relatives and friends during the holidays is too troublesome, so you've pushed this troublesome task onto me!

Visiting relatives during the Chinese New Year is a basic social custom that cannot be ignored. Even when Han Fulai was poor and unknown in the city center when he was in China, he would still visit a few relatives during the holidays.

As a disciple of Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun and a member of the Liyue Ascetic Clan, Gan Yu was naturally tasked with representing the Liyue Seven Stars government to extend greetings to the hardworking veterans during Liyue's annual Lantern Festival.

However, due to Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun's eloquence and excessive skill in conversation, Gan Yu didn't seem to want to chat with her master during the festival. Han Fulai vividly remembered the scene where Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun chatted Gan Yu away in just two minutes at Qunyu Pavilion last time.

Representing one's superiors in welcoming and seeing off guests, and offering words of comfort and concern, is part of a personal secretary's job. Han Fulai didn't complain much; he just felt a little regretful about his lost time slacking off—it's quite rare to find a paid opportunity to slack off like "accompanying representatives of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, a Shipo franchisee, to Qingcezhuang to inspect sources of goods."

Of course, he could think these things, but he wouldn't tell Ke Qing.

He didn't want to say, but Ke Qing was curious: "Deputy Minister Han, how did you know that I was the one tasked with visiting the immortals during this year's Lantern Festival?"

The task of visiting the immortals, undertaken by Keqing, was not part of the planned schedule for this year's Lantern Festival. Traditionally, this task has been handled by Gan Yu, the permanent secretary of the Moon Sea Pavilion, for the past thousand years.

Keqing was one of Liyue's most radical reformers during the reign of the Geo Archon, and she always had many criticisms of the Liyue's system of governance by humans and immortals, yearning for complete human rule. However, after the Battle of Ocel, she realized that the current Star Government still needed the Liyue immortals, at least for the short term.

Therefore, she decided to take advantage of the Lantern Festival to personally visit the Liyue Asgardians on behalf of the Liyue Seven Stars. This was partly out of courtesy, and partly to show the Liyue Asgardians her sincerity—the sincerity of even the most radical, human-rule Seven Stars in treating the Asgardians with great respect.

This decision was largely a spur-of-the-moment idea for Ke Qing. Before Ke Qing went to Yuehai Pavilion to consult Gan Yu this morning, even Gan Yu was unaware of it.

In other words, Han Fulai, who had set off for Qingcezhuang early in the morning, could not have known about this in advance.

Ke Qing even felt a slight chill run down her spine. She asked herself if she had mentioned this matter to Han Fulai today, whether at Qingce Manor or at Xiaoshi just now. If, as Gan Yu said, Han Fulai possessed extraordinary insight and could draw inferences from one instance to ten, then he must have that one instance! Han Fulai's behavior was simply like he could read minds!

But for Han Fulai, seeing through Keqing's thoughts was infinitely easier than guessing the Emperor's. As a subordinate, understanding one's superior's intentions is practically an essential skill in the workplace.

Han Fulai calmly explained, "The first thing Lady Keqing told me when we met today was that I would now be your personal secretary. If it were just a matter of temporarily appointing a secretary from Yuehaiting to assist with the preparations for the Lantern Festival, there would be no need for me to temporarily serve as Yuheng Star's personal secretary. Assisting the Seven Stars' work is simply Yuehaiting's duty."

"A personal secretary is essentially a title, a title that allows one to represent Lady Keqing of Yuheng Star. For example, Baiwen, Baishi, and Baixiao can act on behalf of Lady Ningguang. The reason why Lady Keqing wants me to temporarily become your personal secretary is naturally because there are things that can only be done with this title, such as attending certain events as your representative."

Han Fulai had half of his sentence left unsaid. Ke Qing's eagerness to find him at Qingce Manor indicated that she had something urgent to discuss. However, after finally finding him, Ke Qing's message to him was to assist in improving the efficiency of the preparations for the Lantern Festival—improving efficiency required establishing a robust system.

If Ke Qing couldn't do this herself, even with Han Fulai's help, it would be impossible to complete it within a few days. So it's clear that this is just an excuse.

Taking Ke Qing to inspect the fireworks display site in Qingce Village afterward was a relatively unimportant and unurgent matter.

If Ke Qing needs someone to inspect these locations on her behalf, she can simply instruct Peng Yi, who came with her to Qingce Village, to do it. There's no need to specially borrow a civil servant of Yue Haiting's rank for such a trivial matter.

If Ke Qing only trusts herself and insists on doing everything herself, then there's even less need to bring Han Fu along for the investigation; it would be completely unnecessary.

—It's obvious that Ke Qing wasn't there to inspect the fireworks display site in Qingce Village at all; she was there to inspect him, Han Fulai.

Ke Qing had something important she wanted him to do, so she needed to contact him in person to see if he was reliable—in other words, to conduct an interview. And this was urgent; she might need to find someone to carry it out tomorrow, which was why Ke Qing was in a rush to complete the interview today.

The interview involved accompanying Keqing to inspect Qingcezhuang.

Conducting on-site research and investigation of the fireworks display location in Qingce Village not only reveals Han Fulai's excellent observation skills and meticulousness, but also requires considerable physical strength—after all, it involves climbing mountains. Fortunately, Han Fulai is no longer the modern office worker he used to be. Whether it's accompanying Gan Yu to work overtime, accompanying Xing Qiu to enjoy the scenery, or even accompanying Zhi Ruo to Wangshan Hall, it's all quite a workout for his stamina.

Ke Qing asked him to do something that required observation, meticulousness, and physical strength, and that he was indispensable—Han Fulai had already guessed the answer by now.

In Moonsea Pavilion, only Gan Yu and Han Fulai can be considered representatives of the Liyue Sage faction. Han Fulai also acted as if he was very familiar with the Geo Archon during the Battle of Ocel. For Keqing, this is what makes Han Fulai so special—he has powerful connections!

The only thing that requires status and background to do is build connections! Now it's the Liyue Lantern Festival, the perfect time to give gifts and build relationships during the Lunar New Year! And the relationship that Keqing needs to build with his help is, of course, her relationship with the Liyue Ascetics.