He changed Tiwat

“I’ve heard that in the days of the royal nobility, the nobles forbade the common people from using spears and crossbows, because these things could allow a peasant who had barely touched a weapon to kill a nobleman who had been trained in swordsmanship since childhood. Mondstadt still has its proud knights and cavalry, but the Winterborn have acquired muskets—their range far exceeds that of bows and crossbows. Moreover, the Winterborn can control the war weapons that once appeared in the ‘Black Calamity’…”

"Everyone, we must admit that Liyue and Mondstadt have fallen behind in this world, far behind Winterfell. Winterfell's power has allowed the Fatui to spread to every country on the Teyvat continent... Neither Liyue nor Mondstadt alone may be enough to contend with such a powerful Winterfell, nor enough to change this unequal world. But what if we unite?"

There's an old saying in Liyue: "Unity is strength." When we unite, we might just be able to change the world.

"I, Han Fulai, have come here today with sincerity. I am here to make friends with you all. I invite you to use Liyue Coins in order to continue the thousand-year friendship between Liyue and Mondstadt, and for the common future of our two nations."

"As a show of sincerity, I have decided to share some confidential information I know with everyone here—the executive officer of the Winter Kingdom, the founder of the 'Northern Bank,' the 'Rich Man' Pantalone, is also preparing to create a new currency—the Winter Coin. He plans to replace the 'Golden House' with the 'Northern Bank,' and the Winter Coin with Mora."

"So, make your choice, everyone. Either let Mondstadt and Liyue become prosperous and strong, and have the equality and freedom we yearn for, or... you can try to get used to it from now on, get used to using the Winterborn's currency, and get used to being ridden on by the Winterborn."

Chapter 382 I Have a Dream [4k5]

History is often described as a river, because it is vast and unstoppable.

But often, the course of history can be altered by something that seems very small—like a horse losing a horseshoe nail.

"For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; for want of a horse, the king was lost; for want of a king, the battle was lost; for want of a battle, the kingdom was lost."

This is the origin of Shakespeare's famous line, "Horse, horse, one horse and the state is lost!"

King Charles III of England was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 because his warhorse lost a hoof nail.

On June 30th of Liyue Calendar 37xx, the last day of Mondstadt's "Badminton Festival," the course of history was also altered by a small event, or more precisely, by a "multiple-choice question."

"Liyue Coins or Winter Coins?"

This multiple-choice question, posed by Han Fulai, appeared in various biographies and history textbooks on the continent of Teyvat many years later.

Later scholars would often laugh it off, saying, "I wouldn't choose any of these."

Choosing Liyue currency means choosing to be economically dependent on Liyue; choosing Winter currency means choosing to be economically dependent on Winter.

Therefore, many people would also chime in with their comments, saying that if he had possessed extraordinary wisdom and had been sitting in the banquet hall of the Knights of Favonius back then, he would have insisted on Mondstadt's "glorious freedom," done his utmost to protect Mondstadt's economic independence, and even created "Mondstadt coins" on his own... In short, he would never have let that Secretary-General Han succeed.

History has shown that Liyue established its status as the economic center of Teyvat by starting with this "choice question".

Ambitious young people always feel that they can do what historical figures did, and even do it better... But if the knights sitting in the banquet hall at the time had heard this discussion, they would probably have just shaken their heads and smiled bitterly.

Many things in this world seem to offer choices, but in reality, they don't.

—If they hadn't chosen, or had chosen the wrong one, history would have been completely different. At the very least, those scholars who lightly criticized the people buried in the tomb might not have had the chance to be born later.

Many people sitting in this banquet hall, such as Qin, Yura, and Kaiya, later became important figures who left their names in history books. However, at this point in time, the people who understood the choice given by Han Fulai the most and reacted the fastest were not them.

He is Eze, the executive chairman of the Mond Wine Association and a representative of the Leygenfender family from the "Dawn Winery".

"I choose Liyue."

Almost as soon as Han Fulai finished speaking, Eze gave his answer.

His dramatic change in attitude drew the attention of everyone present.

Just minutes before, Eze was the most staunch opponent of the "Liyuan District," but within minutes, he became the first supporter of the "Liyuan District."

“Mr. Eze, your statement represents more than just the Mond Wine Association; shouldn’t you consider…”

Because of Eze's drastic change in attitude, Ludwig couldn't help but subtly remind him not to make a decision too quickly, and that it would be best to ask Lord Diluc first.

Although the Goethe family had been secretly competing with the Legnfender family for the title of the richest family in Mondstadt, at this crucial moment, the Mondstadt business community was united in purpose and shared destiny, and he still hoped that the Legnfender family's representative could be more cautious.

But Eze appeared incredibly resolute at this moment.

"No need. I can answer on behalf of Lord Diluc right now: the Regent family supports trade using Liyue Coins."

Of those present, only Han Fulai and Kaia knew why Eze had changed his attitude—the reason lay hidden in what Kaia had said to Han Fulai a few days earlier. It was precisely because of those words that Han Fulai had taken action to eliminate an acting archbishop of the Church of the West Wind.

Kaiya sighed softly and murmured a name: "Cripps..."

—For others, Mondstadt's choice between Liyue and Winter Solstice is a matter of state. But for the Legnfender family, it's also a matter of family feud.

Four years ago, the previous patriarch of the Legonfind family, Kripps, died at the hands of the dragon summoned by the Fools.

To put it extremely, others can pledge allegiance to Winter, even Jean has this option, as long as she is willing to betray the Gunnhildr family's oath to "protect Mondstadt forever"—but the Ragnarök family does not have this option, for the hatred of killing one's father is irreconcilable.

Ilrock is dead, Calvin is dead, but "The Doctor" is still alive.

The Legnford family's revenge is not over yet.

National grievances can be put aside for now, but family hatred must not be forgotten.

Therefore, when Han Fulai placed Liyue and Winter on opposite ends of the scale, Azer, Diluc, and any member of the Legionnaire family would only make this choice.

Since Eze made the choice on behalf of the Legnfender family, it goes without saying that the Mondstadt businessmen who follow the Legnfender family's lead will follow suit.

Mr. Ludwig, who was already wavering, quickly expressed that the Goethe family was willing to join the plan, and Marjorie, the representative of the shopping street, followed suit, with the rest of them expressing their agreement.

Thus, Han Fulai's first "diplomatic mission" can be considered a great success.

This is also the first step in establishing the "Teyvat Community of Shared Future".

At this moment, Han Fulai raised his wine glass again and addressed the people present.

As the initiator and promoter of the "Teyvat Community of Shared Destiny," it was only natural for him to give a toast at this time.

—And he had just memorized a speech that was perfect for this kind of occasion when he was in school:

"Friends, I want to tell you now that despite the many difficulties we face, I still have a dream."

"This dream is deeply rooted in the dreams of the people of Mondstadt, and it is also deeply rooted in the dreams of every individual."

"I have a dream that one day all men of the world will be able to say with pride, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and free.'"

"I dream that one day, in every corner of Teyvat, all people, regardless of nationality, skin color, or race, will be able to sit down and share brotherhood."

"I dream that one day, valleys will rise up, mountains will descend, rugged roads will become smooth, and the world will be bright and clear."

"This is my dream. I came to Mondstadt with this belief."

"With this belief, we will be able to carve a stone of hope out of the hill of despair;"

"With this belief, we will be able to transform the world's cacophony of quarrels into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."

"With this belief, we will be able to work together, pray together, fight together, and defend freedom together;"

"Because we know that we will eventually gain freedom, freedom that belongs to humankind."

"On the day freedom arrives, all the people of Barbatos will sing this song with new meaning: 'To liberty, to the wind god!'"

Everyone rose to their feet, raised their glasses with him, and recited the sacred oath: "To freedom, to the god of the wind!"

On the long table, the "Wings of Starlight" hummed softly once more, and a feather of wind slowly drifted down from the wings, like a blessing bestowed by the gods.

While the Knights were holding a meeting, someone who was unable to attend was actually participating in a meeting as well.

The current lord of House Legendhand, Lord Diluc, who should have been "catching a cold," was currently sitting in a cave in Wolfrune, wearing a cloak that covered his head and face.

The cave was lit by torches and furnished with simple tables and chairs. There was also a secret passage leading to the Azurewind Highlands—in fact, a significant portion of the Azurewind Highlands belonged to the Dawn Winery. In terms of area, the Legendhand family's land was almost the size of Mondstadt.

Diluc needs to travel by carriage to inspect his territory; if he were to walk, he would probably only be able to see the sunrise the next day after completing a full circle.

Such a vast private land naturally makes it easy to carry out some unknown projects.

It was called a meeting, but in reality, only Diluc and one other person attended.

Although the Fathom Fools' spies in Mondstadt have been almost completely eliminated recently, Diluc still maintains the utmost caution and keeps his meetings with other members of the organization to a minimum.

—A few months ago, the envoys of the Fools made a special trip to the Dawn Winery, ostensibly to discuss the trade of wine and spirits related to "firewater," but secretly they suspected that the "Night Heroes" active in Mondstadt were connected to the "Night Owl" who should have died.

After all, the timing of the "Night Owl's" disappearance and the "Night Hero's" appearance was too coincidental.

However, the Jumanji's attempt to test the Jumanji failed to yield any results—who would believe that a young master who would fall into a coma after drinking some "fire water" could single-handedly hunt down the Jumanji for three years?

Of course, even if you're not exposed, it's always good to be careful.

The intelligence officer sitting opposite him was also covered by a cloak that concealed his face, with only his white beard visible from his chin.

It's hard to recognize someone just by looking at their chin, but Diluc knew exactly who the intelligence officer was—it was this old man who had rescued him from several executives over a year ago.

The old man handed him a letter.

Diluc skillfully examined the envelope. There was no signature on it, the eagle emblem on the sealing wax was intact, and the areas around the edge of the envelope that had been secretly coated with wax were also undamaged, indicating that it had not been opened.

This is the standard information transmission procedure of the "Northern Continent Underground Intelligence Network," or more precisely, the "Guardians" organization.

He held the envelope up and sniffed it.

Experienced intelligence agents can identify the origin of a letter simply by the material of the envelope and the smell of the paper.

Generally, the intelligence he was responsible for came from Winter, which was also his requirement for the organization—matters related to the Fatui should be given priority to him. He had also secretly thwarted the Fatui's plans on several occasions.

But the letter in his hand was not from Zhidong.

He looked at the old man opposite him with a questioning gaze.

The old man only replied with two words: "Fontaine".

Why did Fontaine's information end up in his hands? And why was the meeting arranged so urgently?

The old man didn't explain much, but simply gestured for him to open the envelope.

Diluc finished reading the letter quickly.

The letter was written by the organization's head in Fontainebleau. It was brief, but the matter was significant, and indeed, it was a task specifically designated for him—because this time, the Fools intended to use money, not force. The one who would do such a thing was naturally the Ninth Executive, "The Rich" Pantalone.

In the financial world, only Diluc can rival the "rich".

Diluc silently returned the letter to the old man.

It was only then that the old man learned the details of the letter—

“Melo Petersburg… ‘Royal Passes’…Does Winter also want to create a new currency? No, judging from the timeline, the ‘rich man’ made this arrangement even before the Emperor’s death…He had planned this all along, but the Liyue Septim reacted much faster than he expected…”

After the old man finished reading the letter, Diluc said, "I would like to ask for your opinion."

Diluc always treated this old man, who was both his savior and his mentor, with the respect due to a teacher.

The old man pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "As a Liyue native, what I'm saying might seem like favoritism to you, but I still suggest you... join forces with Liyue. So far, only Liyue has successfully defeated 'Northern Bank'. Besides, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Diluc looked up, recalling the person he had seen in the "Gate of the Eagle," the one who had defeated Pantarone and killed Ylock.

He replied, "We've always been friends."

The headquarters of the "Northern Bank" in the Winter Kingdom.

As one of the top bankers in mainland China, Mr. Pantaloni enjoys privileges that many ordinary people cannot. For example, at this moment, in the dead of winter, he can listen to the latest musical from the Opéra Garnier Opera House in Fontainebleau on a phonograph.

Melodious music filled the room.

He slowly closed his eyes, letting his thoughts drift to Fontaine.

Several years ago, he presented Her Majesty the Queen with a plan to create a new currency to replace dependence on Mora.

As for the location, it is a secluded micro-economy.

A "country within a country" whose divine power is insufficient – ​​"Melo Petersburg".

Five hundred years ago, Mero Peterburg was a place of atonement provided by the previous Fontaine water goddess Egolia for some criminals who had committed crimes but whose consciences were not yet extinguished. It was also known as a "prison" and "place of exile".

But now, it has developed into a huge mechanical factory, an underground independent kingdom that even the water god Fucarus cannot interfere with.

Its administrator is the Duke of Fontaine, Leosley.

Pantalone still remembers the day she met Leosley in that round office, where they drank fragrant tea from Qiaoying Manor in Liyue and discussed the upcoming "social experiment".

"What should I call it... I really don't like naming things. Oh, how about this? To commemorate the experiment you permitted for me, let's call it 'Permit'."

—The "license" and the predecessor of the "Winter Coin" were thus decided.

Every "fool" who becomes an executive has a dream that is considered "foolish" by ordinary people.

Pantalone is no exception.

Those banknotes embody his dreams.

Thus, people will stand shoulder to shoulder with God through their own ambition and wealth. And those weak who lose everything in the competition will be swallowed up by the torrent of human existence.

There is no longer any divine intervention to embellish the power of the rich before the poor.

No more divine wealth will flow in, to save the dignity of the poor from the feet of the rich.

He is already very close to achieving this goal.

The experiment with the "license" had been running secretly for several years, infiltrating every aspect of that "state within a state".

In Mero Petersburg, Mora was not in circulation, but "charter" could buy almost everything in Mero Petersburg... satisfy desires, gain power, and even change one's destiny.

Now, it's time to take the "license" to the world.