He changed Tiwat

After pondering for five minutes, Yura's hand reached under her pillow and found a hard card—a "souvenir" she had received when she and Han Fulai attended Linni's magic show together.

That card that represents "girl".

She recalled once again the magic trick they had experienced together that day, the magic trick called "Love"... and then, the poem he gave her, and the night he carried her back to the hotel...

Yura discovered that her family's "Ice Seal" seemed to have failed; no matter how much she activated her "Heart of Coldness," she couldn't lower the heat in her cheeks.

Actually, Han Fulai felt a little regretful after Qin left.

To be honest, the ensemble leader looks really beautiful today.

Chatting and laughing with such a beautiful woman makes the waiting time less unbearable.

Everyone says that girls spend a lot of time getting ready, and changing clothes can easily take more than an hour. Gan Yu was pushed by Yan Fei to change into new clothes during the Lantern Festival, and it took her a long time. You La must have gone through the same thing... I wonder if she can make it back before the banquet starts?

But Yura is clearly not an ordinary girl.

Just half an hour later, Yura reappeared in front of Han Fulai.

If Han Fulai were to truthfully describe his feelings, it would be as if he were meeting Yura for the first time today.

It's not that he's never seen a beautiful woman before.

It's not that they're powerless against beautiful women.

Gan Yu, Shen He, Ke Qing, Ning Guang... including Yan Fei and Ye Lan, were a dazzling array of beauties, and even the Qin troupe leader from earlier could only amaze him for a moment.

He had known Yura for a month and had witnessed all sorts of different sides of her—the vengeful Yura, the angry Yura, the shy Yura… and the drunk Yura. He thought he knew Yura very well.

He even "dated" Yura, who was dressed as a noblewoman.

In his mind, no matter how Yura dressed up, she was probably only on the same level as the band leader Qin today...

However, he was wrong.

The ensemble leader is very beautiful.

But Yura is more beautiful.

The woman before me, Yura, was without makeup, but had simply changed into a long dress with a black and purple base, the edges of which were adorned with tiny fluorescent pearls, making her as mysterious as a starry night.

This starry night-like gown also brought a sense of depth and nobility belonging to the dark color, which, combined with her stern expression, made her seem like a flower blooming alone on a high cliff, naturally possessing an air of superiority.

If I had to describe her in one word, it would be "princess".

If you really think about it... Yura really does seem to be an "exiled princess"?

More importantly, although the "princess" in front of him appeared dignified and proud, there was a hint of nervousness and naivety hidden in her eyes. She was a noblewoman who should be high above and arrogant, but she cared a lot about his opinion and would even be happy or sad because of his evaluation.

This combination of nobility and naivety suddenly made Han Fulai understand why the evil dragons in the story all liked to kidnap princesses.

—Because he has discovered that he too now has the urge to become a dragon.

Yura waited a long time, but he didn't say anything. Finally, she couldn't help but ask, "Hey, aren't you going to say something?"

What to say?

Han Fulai recalled that when Yura taught him aristocratic etiquette, she once asked him to "change into a nice outfit that would not make your female companion lose face." Today, it seemed that Yura had deliberately chosen a nice outfit that matched him well.

So he bowed slightly in a gentlemanly manner, extended a hand to Yura, and, just like that day, responded with a Fontaineian phrase: "C'est mon honneur, mademoiselle."

Chapter 378 Talking about money hurts feelings [4k]

At noon, Han Fulai arrived at the banquet hall on the third floor of the Knights' headquarters as promised.

The first captain, Vanessa, disliked neither extravagance nor banquets. Even when dining with her subordinates, she usually did so in the canteen, so this banquet hall originally did not exist.

However, as the Knights Order grew larger and the number of high-ranking knights increased, they set aside a room on the third floor of the headquarters building that resembled an "officers' club," which only knights of captain rank and above could join.

The high-ranking knights of yesteryear used to enjoy song and dance, drink fine wine, or engage in sports such as boxing, fencing, and others here. Of course, they also made sure to strengthen their bonds; back then, whether someone could become a knight was often decided here, often over a game of rock-paper-scissors.

Later, five hundred years ago, when the vice-commander "Young Wolf" Rustan was in charge of the Knights, he carried out a rectification campaign within the Knights and abolished the "Officers' Club" during the war.

Several years later, the place was converted into a banquet hall for the Knights to entertain distinguished guests or hold ceremonies and celebrations.

In terms of decor alone, the banquet hall is probably the most "aristocratic" place in the Knights, at least much more luxurious than the Grand Master's office.

Every decorative item displayed here, such as portraits and sword and shield badges, as well as furniture like vases, tables, and chairs, is an antique with a history of hundreds of years.

Inside this banquet hall, high-ranking figures from the military, religious, and business communities of Mondstadt had gathered.

More than twenty well-dressed Mondstadt elites sat around a long table, making the already small banquet hall seem somewhat crowded.

Han Fulai, who made a grand entrance last, entered the room with Yura, receiving a warm welcome from everyone present.

A Mondstadt-style welcome involves raising a glass to the honored guest and then shouting in unison, "To liberty, to the wind god!"

Qin, the head of the troupe, sat at the head of the long table as the host of the banquet. The seat next to her was reserved for Han Fulai, the guest of honor.

The seat opposite her should have been occupied by a representative of the Church of the West Wind, but Cardinal Calvin had caught a cold and was recuperating at home, so the empty seat was given to Sister Victoria, who was temporarily in charge of church affairs.

According to the seating arrangement of men and women, Sister Victoria should have been seated next to the head of the Legendhand family—but Lord Diluc was also unwell and unable to attend. Instead, the representative of the Dawn Winery, Eze, the executive chairman of the Mond Wine Association, was present at the banquet in his place.

As for the position to Han Fulai's right, that's naturally reserved for Yura.

Opposite Yura sat Marjorie, daughter of Serius, the representative of Mondstadt's commercial district and president of the Adventurers' Guild. To Yura's right sat Kaeya, the captain of the lone cavalry, whose actual position was equivalent to the "acting vice-captain" of the Knights of Favonius.

Sitting opposite Kaeya was also a familiar face—Ludwig Goethe, the head of the most renowned industrial empire outside of the Mondstadt starter families.

This old man, Goethe, was the first to stand up and raise a toast to Han Fulai, after all, Han Fulai had not only taken good care of his family's business these days, but had even acted as the "witness" for his good-for-nothing son, Marvin.

Next, Jean introduced a long list of guests to Han Fulai, mostly elders of the Knights or representatives from various industries in Mondstadt. However, judging from the main subject of this negotiation, Sister Victoria would not interfere in economic matters. He only needed to deal with Eze, Marjorie, and that old man Goethe. In this light, eliminating Cardinal Calvin in advance had indeed reduced the difficulty of this negotiation considerably.

If Han Fulai had any regrets, it would probably be that he didn't get to officially meet Diluc. But thinking about it, it makes sense; Diluc would definitely refuse the Knights' invitation... Anyway, they had already met at the "Gate of the Eagle," so they'd probably meet again someday.

The banquet proceeded very smoothly. Yura's etiquette training, which hadn't been useful for Schubert, came in handy here. Many guests were amazed by the distinguished guest from Liyue's elegant manners and witty conversation, which were truly a pleasant experience.

Kaiya, who was very good at chatting, seized the opportunity to steer the conversation and liven up the atmosphere, making Han Fulai feel once again that he had made a worthwhile friend.

After several rounds of drinks, the waiters cleared away the plates, and the main event of this state banquet officially began.

Based on the cooperation topics he had previously discussed with the leader of the guild, the topics of this discussion were divided into three parts: "agricultural product cooperation agreement", "promotion of fertilizer", and "commercial application of Liyue currency".

The two kingdoms of Liyue and Mondstadt have a long history of agricultural trade, with rumors even suggesting that the Anemo and Geo deities entered into a similar commercial contract over a thousand years ago. Although this contract seems never to have been written down, people have always believed that the friendship between the two deities is as ancient and enduring as the friendship between the two kingdoms.

Now that the Rock King has passed away and the Wind God has not appeared for a long time, everyone present unanimously agreed that agricultural trade between the two countries would continue with the previous "most-favored-nation" status. This proposal was passed unanimously.

Fertilizer is something Mondstadt, an agricultural nation, is certainly no stranger to. However, Mondstadt is a land of great fertility with abundant soil, so there has always been a lack of demand for fertilizer—to put it more bluntly, under the care of the wind god Barbatos, Mondstadt has not experienced any "natural disasters" for hundreds of years.

Their most recent memory of natural disasters is still the last "dragon disaster".

Although the gods of Mondstadt rarely appear in person, their winds have always protected their people.

In this respect, the Mondstadt people can truly "rely on the heavens for their livelihood," and they have genuinely achieved a bountiful harvest as long as they aren't too lazy to sow seeds. Moreover, the alchemists in the Knights of Favonius' "Research Squad," such as Sugar, have made significant contributions to the breeding of various plants. The "Four Times Sweet Sunset Fruit" and the "Super Sweet Sweet Flower," whose distribution rights were fiercely contested by Liyue merchants, are Sugar's creations.

In this respect, Mondstadt certainly has a unique advantage.

However, Han Fulai never intended for fertilizer to dominate the Mondstadt market from the start, as his domestic fertilizer production line had not yet started production.

During his trip to Mondstadt, he only brought some samples of fertilizer made with the power of the Salt God and gave them to Commander Jean, asking her to help contact farmers to try them out.

Savvy Mondstadt merchants would certainly not complain about a good harvest. The plantations of "Dawn Winery" and the tenants of the Goethe family have already tried the samples brought by Han Fulai. Eze and old man Ludwig came to the same conclusion - just place the order for the next quarter first. Even if they don't need it, it's still good to build a relationship with Liyue, isn't it?

In terms of results, the promotion of chemical fertilizers has proceeded quite smoothly.

The biggest problem lies in the "commercial application of Liyue coins".

Merchants in Mondstadt generally expressed their inability to accept using a worthless piece of paper as currency.

The fact that Liyue coins can circulate in Liyue is your business. We Mondstadt have used Mora for thousands of years, and now that we've switched to using paper coins for transactions, nobody wants to accept them.

Although Marjorie, who runs the "Glory of Winds" business, claims to have received Liyue currency from merchants, she finds it impossible to spend in Mondstadt. Furthermore, the merchants' influence in Mondstadt clearly cannot surpass that of the Legonfender and Goethe families.

This reaction was also within Han Fulai's expectations—there's still a country in the Eurozone that has been using the British pound for decades... not to mention that his Liyue currency hasn't really been widely adopted yet. In terms of usage, Mora is the "euro," while Liyue currency is the "pound"... it's understandable that people would have some doubts.

He then explained in detail to the Mondstadt elites present the advantages of using Liyue Coins. For example, Liyue Coins and Mora are equivalent currencies at a 1:1 exchange rate, with the same value, but Liyue Coins are more convenient to carry and more suitable for trading. In business, often skipping a step in the process creates an opportunity, and being one step ahead allows you to monopolize all the profits.

Furthermore, given that Liyue Harbor is Teyvat's largest trading port, the trend of Liyue currency spreading throughout Teyvat is undeniable. As long as Liyue, holding the "golden goose" of resources, intends to circulate Liyue currency, it will inevitably become widespread. Conversely, not using Liyue currency and allowing it to circulate could actually isolate Mondstadt's merchants in the future…

He was spouting sound theories, and the business leaders present understood them, but... theory is one thing, reality is another.

Both Eze and Ludwig, two of the most influential figures in the Monde business community, expressed their disapproval.

Eze's refusal was clear: "Mond Wines' distribution network is quite stable, and the suppliers in various regions are all long-term customers... I don't think they would be willing to take the risk of using a new currency."

While old man Ludwig's tone was softer, his meaning was the same as Aze's: "Yes... Vice Minister Han, you know, we don't just do business with Liyue. Perhaps, once Liyue coins are truly spread throughout the entire Teyvat continent, it wouldn't be too late for us in Mondstadt to start using them..."

Their attitude reflects the attitude of all business people in Mondstadt.

The attitude of Mondstadt's business community naturally determined the attitude of the Knights of Favonius. The Knights of Favonius, sworn to protect Mondstadt, would never coerce their own merchants; Jean, Kaeya, and the others could only remain neutral.

—Actually, remaining neutral is already a lot of face for him.

Han Fulai listened patiently to the attitudes of the business representatives, and then calmly asked a question: "Gentlemen, may I hear your true thoughts?"

Eze and Ludwig looked at each other in silence, but the young Marjorie spoke up: "Mr. Han, my 'Glory Wind' was able to establish itself in Mondstadt not because of anything else, but because of its reputation."

Perhaps influenced by her father, an adventurer, Marjorie has a rather straightforward personality, never dragging things out, which makes her seem quite refreshing compared to the two gentlemen beside her.

As a treasure dealer, the most important skill is, of course, "treasure appraisal." Treasures appraised by Marjorie will have a reference price attached, and her foundation lies in convincing everyone of the appraised value she provides.

Her words also revealed the fundamental reason why the Mondstadt business community refused Liyue coins.

Han Fulai smiled slightly: "Because Liyue coins don't have any credibility in Mondstadt... or rather, outside of Liyue, Liyue coins haven't established credibility in other countries, right?"

The business representatives sitting opposite him did not respond, which was an admission of their agreement.

Since Liyue currency is "credit currency," its very existence is based on "credit."

Although Ningguang has been using her "Ningguang Merchant Guild" across the continent to try to expand Liyue currency, the effect in the short term is indeed very limited.

—On the surface, the Geo Archon has passed away, and Liyue's economic status as the issuing nation of Mora is already being impacted by the onset of winter. While the Liyue National Bank, which issues Liyue currency, is a state-owned bank established by the Liyue Seven Stars, its credibility is, of course, far inferior to that of the Geo Archon.

A currency without the guarantee of a "god of contracts"—who knows when it might suddenly turn into nothing at all?

At the same time, the power of habit is also quite strong. Just like the stereotypes that Mondstadt people have about the Lawrence family, Mora, which has been used for thousands of years, cannot be given up so easily.

Of course, the most important reason is that Liyue coins are not strong enough, or rather, Liyue is not strong enough.

Even if the Mondstadt Brewery Guild doesn't do business with the Liyue Brewery, their brews can still be sold in Sumeru, Fontaine, and Winterbreak.

If the Goethe family doesn't speculate on real estate in Liyue Harbor, they can speculate on land in Sumeru.

The treasures of "Glory of the Wind" come from the exploration of ruins by adventurers from various countries, and they don't need to depend on the whims of any particular nation.

Merchants are the most easily swayed class; they will always follow the path that offers the best financial reward.

If Liyue were so powerful that Mondstadt merchants couldn't survive without Liyue Coins, then they would naturally have to use them. But the problem is, Liyue isn't that powerful right now.

Han Fulai thought for a moment, then spoke again:

"As you all know, business is not done in a day, nor is good reputation built overnight. If you don't give Liyue currency a chance to establish its credibility in Mondstadt, how can you be sure that its credit is inferior to Mora's? Isn't the long-standing economic cooperation between Liyue and Mondstadt enough to give you some trust in the Liyue National Bank?"

His words already constituted a concession.

He didn't demand that Liyue currency be widely distributed in Mondstadt, instantly turning Mondstadt into the "Liyue Zone." He simply hoped that Mondstadt's business community would give it a try. Trust needs to be cultivated; the key is to provide an opportunity to build trust.

He was confident in this regard; compared to the cumbersome Mora, Liyue currency indeed had a significant advantage in transactions. Moreover, thanks to the convenience of Liyue Port, this advantage could be extended even further in terms of logistics—just like how people have moved from metal currency to paper money, from paper money to credit cards, and from credit cards to mobile phones…convenience in transactions will always be the biggest advantage.

In addition, given the long-standing friendship between the two countries, as long as Liyue coins can be sold within Mondstadt, the rest will not be difficult.

Unfortunately, businessmen generally don't talk about feelings when discussing money, because talking about money can hurt feelings.

Eze had met him at the "Wine Masters Showdown" competition and knew about his relationship with the second young master of the winery, Kaia. In any case, he was someone she could have a romantic relationship with, but he was the one who rejected her the most thoroughly: "I'm sorry, Deputy Minister Han, our Mond Wine Association does not do 'venture capital'."

As the leading company in the Mond wine industry, Leygenfend certainly has the confidence to say "no".

Han Fulai sighed inwardly, realizing that everything, in the end, had to be done by "winning people over with virtue," especially in Mond, whose name contained the character "virtue."

Therefore, he also needs to prepare to "win people over with virtue".

Chapter 379 Ladies and Gentlemen, Times Have Changed [4k]

After Eze firmly rejected Han Fulai's proposal to pilot the Liyue Coins, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat somber.

Most of the people present were actually quite relaxed at first—the banquet was filled with laughter and conversation, and the overall atmosphere was quite harmonious. The first two topics of discussion went very smoothly, giving people the illusion that everything was negotiable.

However, this harmonious atmosphere was broken after two firm rejections.

Of course, even after being rejected so openly, Han Fulai did not lose his composure. He maintained his smile, but his gaze slowly shifted from Eze to the face of the troupe leader beside him.

He was considering whether he should invoke "Barbatos's name" once again.

But once again invoking the authority of the gods in front of a group of Mondstadt leaders would not only create unnecessary trouble for Venti, but also damage Jean's authority as acting leader...

He didn't speak, but his meaning was clear—"Commander Qin, what do you think?"

Qin remained silent.