He changed Tiwat

Marvin's confession at the "Poetry Recitation" competition and Han Fulai's on-the-spot "marriage witnessing" were both hot news during the "Badminton Festival"—he had already written "Twenty-Four Love Poems and a Song of Despair," what kind of "freedom" could drive the rich second-generation young master of the prestigious Goethe family into a depressed poet?

Seeing that Ludwig was speechless, Eze quickly took over the conversation: "Deputy Minister Han, I don't think these are the main points of discussion. 'Freedom' is not about doing whatever you want, much less about getting what you want... It is a spiritual legacy left to the Mondstadt people by the Wind God, and it is our way of life. It is not something that can be easily denied by some people with just a few words."

Han Fulai still smiled: "Mr. Eze, you've misunderstood again. I'm not denying Mondstadt's freedom, nor am I discussing the definition of freedom. I'm saying that Mondstadt as a nation is losing its freedom, and the people of Mondstadt are losing their free way of life. These examples are just individual manifestations of the overall trend."

“Take you for example, Mr. Eze…”

When Han Fulai steered the conversation toward himself, Eze interrupted him without hesitation and met him head-on.

“What’s wrong with me? You’re not trying to say I’m ‘not free’ in any way, are you? Unfortunately, I personally feel very free, and I’m always very grateful for Mondstadt’s freedom.”

He certainly has the right to say that.

Eze's own experiences are legendary in themselves.

As the son of the winemaker of the Leygenfender family, he was recruited to work at the winery by the former head of the family, Lord Cripps, because of his outstanding winemaking talent. In his work, he gradually developed exceptional business and management skills, accumulating achievements step by step and climbing the ranks.

Now, Eze has been appointed as the general manager of "Dawn Winery" and also serves as the executive chairman of the Mond Wine Association. He can even represent Diluc on behalf of the Legunfender family.

More importantly, Eze is only in his early thirties, making him a promising young man.

From a brewer to a guest of honor in the Knights of Favonius, his life has truly been one of "promotion and salary increases, becoming a general manager, and taking on the role of CEO." Currently, he is surrounded by many wealthy and beautiful women from Mondstadt, and it is only a matter of time before he "marries a beautiful and beautiful woman and reaches the pinnacle of life."

In Azee's mind, his current life is not only due to the discerning eyes of Kripps and Diluc, but also inseparable from the opportunities given to him by Mondstadt's unconventional and free atmosphere. Otherwise, he would never have been able to climb to his current high position from the bottom.

Han Fulai ignored Eze's interruption and remained unhurried: "Mr. Eze, you didn't hear me finish. I wasn't talking about you, but about the Legonfinde family and 'Dawn Winery' that you represent—the people of Mondstadt are losing their precious freedom, and this is precisely reflected in Lord Diluc."

“…Huh?” Eze almost, really almost, blurted out a laugh, disregarding the impoliteness of it.

Don't say anyone isn't free, especially not Lord Diluc... You probably can't imagine the freedom of the "Hero of the Night." He doesn't even need to give face to the Knights of Fame, otherwise he'd be Lord Diluc listening to your nonsense, Vice Minister Han...

Han Fulai then picked up the wine glass on the table.

He gently swirled the wine in his glass and asked, "Is this fragrant wine from 'Dawn Winery'?"

“Yes,” Eze answered without hesitation.

"Although I have never met Lord Diluc, I have heard many stories about him—for example, he is the owner of the largest winery in Mondstadt, yet he does not drink a drop of alcohol, does he?"

"Yes," Eze replied just as simply.

"But I also heard that more than half a year ago, the delegation brought by the 'Lady', the executive officer of the Winter Kingdom, went to the 'Dawn Winery' to discuss the wine trade with Mondstadt with Lord Diluc. It is said that Lord Diluc, who never drinks, drank a bottle of 'Hot Water' that time and was unconscious for three days afterward. Is this true?"

“Hmm…” Eze immediately turned his gaze to the other side of the table.

The fact that this news, which should have been a secret, had spread throughout Mondstadt was, of course, due to a mole in a certain winery spreading it around as a source of amusement... Kaeya tilted his head and used his eyepatch to catch Azer's reproachful gaze.

Han Fulai swirled the wine in his glass and continued, "Then I would like to ask Mr. Eze to answer why Lord Diluc, who has never touched a drop of alcohol and refuses to attend even the Knights' banquet, insists on drinking the wine offered by the Winters. Could it be... that refusing a toast will result in a penalty drink?"

—Although the people of Mondstadt have always treated this as a joke, people like Han Fulai are able to see through the surface of this "joke" to its essence.

Why would a teetotaling nobleman, who would refuse to give face to anyone in Mondstadt, choose to give face to the Winterborn and drink their wine? Surely it's not because he's after those few Mora in the "Firewater" trade?

Kaeya told this as a "joke" because the matter would have been spread by the Winterborn anyway, but Kaeya manipulated the information beforehand, so the story would be told in a different way.

Eze took a deep breath and managed to answer, "This was Lord Diluc's personal experiment to test the properties of 'Fire and Water' in a professional and responsible manner..."

This time it was Han Fulai's turn to interrupt him: "Hey, so Mr. Eze was also there back then, right? What, does Lord Diluc not trust your taste?"

Eze was speechless. Even if he wasn't there at the time, there were plenty of experienced bartenders in the winery. How could it be that Lord Diluc, who doesn't usually drink, would personally taste the wine, especially in such a large quantity that it would make someone unconscious for three days?

“Look, even the master of the Leggenfender family is not free to refuse the toast offered by the Winter Ambassador.”

Han Fulai sighed softly and put down his wine glass.

"This is what I mean, Mondstadt is losing its freedom."

"The prerequisite for freedom is equality. Without equality, there is no freedom. This applies to people and nations alike."

Chapter 381 He Changed Mondstadt [4k]

"Freedom is predicated on equality."

Han Fulai's words made Commander Qin fall into deep thought.

She recalled an incident from a few months ago.

At that time, she formed the "Dragon Slayer Team" with Honor Knight Luminosity, "Night Hero" Diluc, and Venti, and went to the old Mondstadt, now known as "Storm Dragon Ruins," to hunt down Stormterror.

The battlefield is located on the highest tower in the "Wind Dragon Ruins," which is the palace of the "Lone King in the Tower" and the highest point in Mondstadt besides the Dragonspine Mountains.

Even though the four people present were all highly skilled, the difficulty of fighting the former Elemental Dragon King without actually harming the mindless Dvalin was unimaginable.

With the combined efforts of the four, they finally succeeded in purifying the malignant tumor growing on Dvalin's back, eliminating the influence of "Corpse Poison" and "Abyss Order" on Dvalin.

After a difficult battle, all four of them were exhausted.

It was at that moment that the tower they were standing on collapsed.

Falling in this state, even the holder of the Eye of God would not escape unscathed.

At the critical moment of life and death, the wind dragon Dvalin, having regained its senses, flapped its six wings and swooped down from the sky, catching the group before it hit the ground.

The survivors lay resting on the dragon's back, while Dvalin, who had just rescued them, asked one of them a question: "Just now, why didn't you ask me to 'protect' you like before?"

Its question was directed at the bard who called himself Wendy, who was also its master when it was the "Guardian of the East Wind," the god of wind, Barbatos.

Wendy's response was: "I don't want you to obey the abyss, but that doesn't mean you have to obey me, Dvalin. 'Freedom' commanded by the gods is also a kind of 'unfreedom'."

From that day on, Mondstadt no longer had the "Guardians of the East Wind." The liberated Guardians of the East Wind no longer protected Mondstadt as servants—but acted as the free will of the Friends of the Anemo Archon.

Qin was somewhat puzzled when she heard this conversation between the deity and his retinue.

The idea that "freedom commanded by the gods is also a kind of 'unfreedom'" sounds a bit like a tongue twister.

Its literal meaning can be understood as "freedom bestowed by the gods is not true freedom," but upon closer examination, it seems to conceal a deeper meaning.

Qin had never been able to put into words the feelings she had when she heard this conversation—but now, Han Fu had spoken them.

The freedom bestowed by the gods is a gift from the superior to the inferior, a gift born of inequality. As long as the "kinship contract" exists between Barbatos and Dvalin, they will always be unequal.

Just as Tvalin had asked, Barbatos could have commanded Tvalin to protect them.

"Commands" of course do not take into account the personal will of the person being commanded—if they don't even have the right to realize their personal will, how can they talk about "freedom"?

Therefore, Barbatos dissolved the master-servant contract, giving Tvalin true freedom.

Without equality, there is no freedom.

Not only Qin, but also Yura, Kaiya, and all the other participants felt a slight tremor in their hearts.

Even the "Wings of Starlight" on the long table seemed to tremble at his words.

—It was as if the wind was blowing through the reeds on the wings of the wind, and a deep, resonant sound suddenly rang out in the banquet hall.

Against this somber background, Han Fulai continued to elaborate on the previous topic: "Some people might think that the examples I just gave were all related to the personal circumstances of the individuals involved—but ultimately, all the 'lack of freedom' we feel stems from 'inequality'."

"For example, the young man who went to the Wishing Well to collect Mora, his 'lack of freedom' stemmed from his poverty. His economic status was at the bottom of Mondstadt. He wanted to treat his sister's illness, but he couldn't afford better medical resources. If he were more financially well-off, he could afford better doctors and better medicines, and he would also have the resources to fulfill his dreams... This is the inequality of 'economic status'."

"Take, for example, the 'Crown of Thorns' from the church that Miss Yura and I met. Her 'lack of freedom' stemmed from the 'sin' she had carried. Her social status was actually lower than that of ordinary people; she was a 'sinner' who was 'atoneing,' so she was also subject to many restrictions... This is an inequality of 'social status.'"

“Take Marvin from the Goethe family for example. His ‘lack of freedom’ is because he is a ‘child’ while Ludwig is a ‘father’ and the ‘head of the family’, so his love affair is interfered with by his parents—this is an inequality in ‘family status’.”

"And what about Lord Diluc? He is the head of the most prestigious family in Mondstadt, the Regent's Fellowship, the leader of the country's wine industry, and the richest man in Mondstadt. In terms of economic status, social status, and family status, Lord Diluc has already stood at the highest point in Mondstadt... but he still had to drink those 'fire waters' in front of the Winter's Emissary."

"Because of the unequal 'international status' between Winter and Mondstadt, Winter's diplomats can act arrogantly on Mondstadt soil, and the status of Winter's envoys is even above that of the head of the Legnfender family!"

Eze, the representative of the Legonfinde family, was unusually silent.

It wasn't that he didn't want to refute, but Han Fulai was telling the truth.

At that time, the Fatui, under the guise of providing aid to Mondstadt's "Dragon Plague," relentlessly pressured the Knights of Favonius. Not only was Jean, as acting Grand Master, constantly constrained in diplomatic matters, but they also targeted Dawn Winery. If upholding dignity and freedom meant a direct confrontation with the powerful Winterfell, plunging Mondstadt into turmoil, then Lord Diluc would rather compromise himself…

Azer, who knew Diluc's intentions all too well, was speechless at this moment.

Han Fulai then turned to the equally silent old man, Ludwig.

“My Lord Ludwig, during my stay in Mondstadt, I have been staying at your hotel. In my personal experience, the Goethe Hotel is the best hotel I have ever stayed in. If there is anything that is not comfortable enough... it is that I can always feel the gaze of the Winter Ambassador in the hotel lobby.”

“I heard that the Fools booked the Goethe Hotel as a temporary embassy and wouldn’t let ordinary tourists near it until the ‘Dragon Disaster’ was over. It’s understandable that the guest rooms were booked, but what about the hotel? Mr. Ludwig, how much business did you miss because of them? Did you have the freedom to not allow them to book the entire place?”

Ludwig looked somber and shook his head with a wry smile.

To outsiders, the Goethe family would do business with anyone as long as they had money, including the Winterborn. But when the "lady" came to Mondstadt, she forcibly booked the "Goethe Grand Hotel" without even asking him, the hotel owner, and turned the hotel into the "Winterborn Embassy," which prohibited Mondstadt residents and dogs from entering.

In other words, before that, the relationship between Winter and Mondstadt didn't even have an embassy.

With only a handful of envoys until winter, it wasn't enough to fill the hotel rooms or support the restaurant's operations. What could be done with the empty rooms and tables? How could he possibly ask the foolish crowd to calculate this?

He was naturally opposed to turning a perfectly good hotel into an "embassy." But what could he do? Could the Knights of Favonius send troops to expel the Winter Ambassadors?

In the end, all the Knights could do was issue a public announcement designating the "Goethe Hotel" as the Fools' representative office in Mondstadt, essentially giving them a pretext for requisitioning the hotel to receive foreign envoys...

If "Lady" hadn't left Mondstadt, the Goethe family's main assets would have remained occupied by the Winterborn.

It was a humiliation for Diluc, who never drank, to be forced to drink; how could it not be a humiliation for the Goethe family's property to be forcibly seized by the Winters?

Han Fulai's repeated cries of "inequality" struck a chord deep within him.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Han Fulai decided to add fuel to the fire.

"There's a song everyone knows in the taverns of Mondstadt called 'The Legend of Vanessa.' I remember the beginning of the song goes like this..."

"Drinkers of Mondstadt, keep drinking!"

Homage to freedom, homage to the god of the wind!

Homage to Vanessa, the first knight!

Descendants of Mondstadt, never forget the blessings of the wind god.

No—freedom is not a gift, resistance is!

"Two thousand six hundred years ago, the people of Mondstadt felt the inequality under the rule of the 'Lone King in the Tower,' so they rose up, overthrew the Lone King, and won freedom through resistance; a thousand years ago, the people of Mondstadt felt the inequality under the rule of the royal nobles, so they rose up again, overthrew the nobles, and won freedom through resistance... And now?"

Now... those riding on the backs of the Mondstadt people are the Winterborn.

Although Han Fulai didn't say it aloud, everyone knew what he meant.

"Everyone, what you are hearing, seeing, and experiencing now... we in Liyue also experienced not long ago."

"Back then, the 'Northern Bank' was using interest-free loans to seize Liyue's financial market, destroying one money exchange after another, squeezing out one guild after another, and occupying one industry after another... Their target was the economic lifeline of Liyue as a whole."

"At that time, the executor of Zhidong, 'Young Master,' broke into our 'Golden House,' and the soldiers of Zhidong's Fools ascended Lord Ningguang's Jade Pavilion..."

"Back then, the Fatui's lackeys in Liyue dared to boast to my face that they had powerful figures backing them up, and that offending them meant offending the entire Fatui..."

"But as you know, the result was the same. We, Liyue, expelled the Winter's diplomats, expelled the 'Northern Bank,' and protected Liyue's 'equality' and 'freedom.' I myself made a small contribution in this, so I suppose I have the right to ask you all: Do you want 'equality'? Do you want 'freedom'?"

Han Fulai looked around, but no one answered.

Although no one answered, their eyes clearly conveyed the message—they wanted to.

Of course they want to.

But those sitting here all know the stakes involved—the Grand Master is still on a distant expedition, Mondstadt is vulnerable, and the supplies for the expedition have to pass through Winterfell's territory, so it's impossible to have a fierce conflict with Winterfell right now.

This isn't a question of whether or not we want to, but rather a question of whether or not we can.

In this unsettling silence, Han Fulai delivered his most important speech since arriving in Mondstadt.

"As everyone knows, Liyue is a nation founded on commerce, known as the 'Nation of Contracts,' where fairness is paramount in transactions. Therefore, what Liyue values ​​most is 'equality.' And for this reason, as a Liyue resident, I have a special understanding of 'freedom.'"

"If someone makes a living through business or special skills, such as running a hotel or a winery, they would naturally want a freer society, because a free society would allow them to make the most of their capital and talents. Mondstadt merchants think this way, and so do we Liyue merchants."

"If someone relies on their ordinary daily labor for a living, such as a miner or a brewer, they would prefer an equal society to guarantee their basic livelihood. The workers of Mondstadt think this way, and so do the workers of Liyue."

"'Freedom' is a good word, 'equality' is a good word. I believe that if you ask people whether they want equality or freedom, they will answer 'I want both'."

"In fact, it's not just about freedom and equality. There are many other beautiful words and aspirations for life in this world. For example, people in Fontainebleau like to talk about justice and the rule of law, which are also very good words."

"But all these beautiful words and aspirations share a common premise..."

Han Fulai raised the Liyue Coin in his hand once again.

"Prosperity and strength".

All eyes immediately focused on his hands.

"The equality that the people of Liyue pursue and the freedom that the people of Mondstadt pursue both require prosperity and strength."

"Only a prosperous and strong country can bring its people 'equality,' 'freedom,' 'justice,' 'rule of law,' and other wonderful things."

"And this Liyue Coin represents a prosperous future."

Han Fulai gently raised the banknote.

This light piece of paper carried the gazes of everyone present, and the weight of "expectation" contained within those gazes.