He changed Tiwat

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yong looked around with some concern. "But boss, aren't we leaving a little too few people here? Didn't the brothers who came back say that some careless guy was caught by the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce and handed over to the authorities?"

Xingxiu shook his big head. "Don't worry, Kang Sheng may not be very efficient, but he's very tight-lipped. Besides, it's a long way from here to Liyue Harbor. Even if he really spills the beans, the Thousand Rock Army can't just fly over all at once, right? The brothers have all gone to collect goods from various places. After we get a few more shipments, we'll move on. Didn't we have another shipment scheduled to arrive today...?"

"So that's what they were planning! Humph!" Upon hearing this, Ke Qing made a move to get up and take down this audacious group of treasure thieves, but someone held her shoulder down.

She turned around and saw a serious face.

“Xingxiu is lying,” Han Fulai said. “A person who can become the leader of a treasure-hunting gang and command so many underlings shouldn’t be a fool.”

"Liar? You mean the leader of this treasure-hunting group was just lying to his own people?" Ke Qing blinked in confusion.

"Yes." Han Fulai nodded slowly.

"Why?" Ke Qing asked.

"Because only he himself knows the gravity of what he's doing. If his men knew they were committing capital crimes, they probably wouldn't risk their lives for him," Han Fulai replied.

"A beheading scheme?" Ke Qing was startled.

Han Fulai noticed that Ke Qing's shoulder muscles tensed up when she asked him a question. He gently squeezed Ke Qing's shoulder, signaling her to calm down and listen to him.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Being a step too late means war!

"What do you mean by 'a despicable act'?" Ke Qing asked softly.

Han Fulai replied, "Stealing fireworks is not a capital offense. But if they steal fireworks to create an explosion that could kill many people, then that's a capital offense."

"You mean... they collect fireworks to create explosions?" Ke Qing's eyes also turned serious as she lowered her head to consider the possibilities involved.

“Yes.” Han Fulai released his hand from Ke Qing’s shoulder. “As the saying goes, ‘to catch a thief, you must catch him red-handed.’ If we catch them now, we will only alert them and let the big fish escape.”

"...But you also have no evidence to prove that they are planning a bombing, right? And who is the 'big fish behind the scenes' you mentioned?" Ke Qing hesitated for a moment before voicing her doubts. Although she had considered the possibilities, she still couldn't figure it out.

"I'm not sure who's behind them. But the leader of that treasure-hunting group just let it slip that they planned the bombing. And we'll need you, Lady Keqing, to find the evidence back in Liyue Harbor," Han Fulai replied.

"Did you just... let it slip?" Ke Qing couldn't help but ask. She and Han Fulai had heard the same conversation, but they hadn't noticed anything wrong with it yet.

“There are at least three flaws in the lie that the fat man and his henchmen told,” Han Fulai said, holding up three fingers in front of Ke Qing.

"The first flaw is the number of fireworks. Xingxiu was still ordering his men to find more fireworks. If they just wanted to attract attention by setting off fireworks at the opening of the Lantern Festival, the fireworks they stole from Qingce Village were more than enough. What difference would it make in terms of attracting attention if they set off a hundred fireworks or a hundred and ten fireworks at the same time? Why did they continue to steal fireworks?"

"The second flaw is why all the stolen fireworks are concentrated near Qingce Village? As you heard, Lady Keqing, they stole fireworks from almost every other area of ​​Liyue except for those in Liyue Harbor, but they deliberately concentrated them in Qingce Mountain. This means that the members of the thieving group had to transport fireworks from places like Qiaoying Village, Mingyun Town, and Lisha Suburbs to Qingce Mountain, and then transport them back to Liyue Harbor."

"Furthermore, the biggest flaw is how they transported that mountain of fireworks into Liyue Harbor? How many vehicles would they need to transport so many fireworks? The Thousand Rock soldiers guarding and patrolling Liyue Harbor aren't blind; wouldn't they investigate? Moreover, their theft of fireworks from various places will soon be exposed, and the Thousand Rock Army will definitely arrest them. Why would they go to Liyue Harbor to walk right into their trap?"

"And it's not just fireworks; Xingxiu even collects muffled firecrackers, which is even more absurd. Muffled firecrackers are called that because they make a muffled sound. Whose attention would they attract with something that's not very loud and doesn't make any light? Also, this treasure-hunting gang leader clearly knew that Kang Sheng had been arrested, yet he still wanted to continue with his so-called 'make a fortune in Liyue Harbor' plan, as if he wasn't worried about the plan being leaked at all..."

"All these flaws combined point to one fact—Xingxiu deceived his accomplices; he collected fireworks not to 'attract the attention of the Thousand Rock Army and make a quick buck' at all!"

"...collecting a large number of fireworks...firecrackers...concentrated in Qingce Village...if there is a logical purpose behind all these actions—he wants to create an explosion in Qingce Village? What he is collecting is not fireworks, but...the gunpowder inside the fireworks!" Ke Qing suddenly realized.

"In that case, we should arrest them now and interrogate them thoroughly!" Ke Qing's face turned cold, her eyes blazing with anger. She gripped her sword, ready to leap into the air.

Han Fulai reached out and pressed down on Ke Qing's shoulder again, forcibly stopping Ke Qing's movements.

"Lord Keqing, please don't act rashly. What you should do now is return to Liyue Harbor to mobilize troops, instead of rushing down to capture them. Doing so would actually be letting them go."

Ke Qing stared at Han Fulai's face and realized that the temporary personal secretary in front of her was not joking.

But if the situation is serious, shouldn't we stop this group of thieves as soon as possible?

“Tell me your reasons,” Keqing said.

"As you know, the treasure-stealing gang is actually a very cunning group of people. They know who they can mess with and who they can't, and of course, they also know what crimes are minor and what crimes are serious. For example, Kang Sheng, whom Xingqiu caught before, insisted that it was a misunderstanding. So even if the General Affairs Department convicted him, it could only be for attempted robbery."

Ke Qing thought about it and realized that what Han Fulai said was true. Kang Sheng himself was not carrying any weapons, had not successfully robbed any valuables, and had not even suffered any minor injuries during the robbery; instead, he was beaten up by Xing Qiu and Chong Yun. If the General Affairs Department were to sentence him, not only would it be considered an attempted robbery, but his sentence would also have to be reduced.

“Xingxiu and his gang stole fireworks. Their crime is theft. Even if they are sentenced to a heavy sentence, they will only be imprisoned for a year or two. If you go down and arrest them now, not only might you let the other members of the theft gang escape, but Xingxiu, the leader of the theft gang, will never confess to crimes other than theft.”

"So that's why you said that arresting him now would only allow him to escape punishment... I see..."

She gripped the sword tightly, her knuckles turning white.

“Then Mr. Han… no, Deputy Minister Han. You just said you wanted me to return to Liyue Harbor to mobilize troops and find evidence. What should I do?” Keqing stared at Han Fulai, even changing how she addressed him.

Ke Qing now understood why Gan Yu had seconded this personal secretary to her. This Vice Minister Han's insight far surpassed hers; she couldn't even feel resentment—the gap was too vast. If it weren't for Han Fulai, she would have been kept in the dark from beginning to end.

Han Fulai sighed inwardly. It was a major taboo in the workplace for subordinates to always appear smarter than their superiors. When Han Fulai had worked before, he was often given extra tasks and made things difficult by his supervisor because he did his job too well. For example, because he was good at using office software, he was assigned to make all the team's PowerPoint presentations, which were then credited to the supervisor. If he was slow, he would be scolded by the supervisor.

After arriving in Liyue, both Ningguang and Zhongli were far more capable and knowledgeable than him, so he didn't have to worry about making mistakes. However, Keqing was just a girl in her early twenties. Even though she was intelligent and capable, compared to Ningguang and the others, Keqing was not on the same level in terms of political experience and interpersonal skills.

Keqing comes from a prestigious family and was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She is also diligent and hardworking, almost the kind of person who is "richer and more hardworking than you." As a result, in her path to success, every effort she puts in always yields a reward.

Therefore, she would attribute all her failures to the laziness of others, completely unaware that her smooth sailing was backed by the accumulation of her entire family.

She could never have imagined the disastrous consequences that her well-intentioned "fireworks display" would bring, if it were exploited by someone with ulterior motives.

Having been taught by Zhongli Ganyu and others, and having personally participated in the Battle of Oser and the reform of Yuehaiting, Han Fulai, who deeply understands the complexities of human nature and the ways of the world, is almost a teacher to Keqing in this regard.

He didn't know who those people with ulterior motives were. The Fools? A traitor within the Liyue Seven Stars? Certain opportunistic noble families? Or perhaps a combination of both?

All he knew was that from the very beginning, Ke Qing had fallen into someone else's scheme, and the entire "Fireworks Festival" was a conspiracy! He had also stepped into this meticulously designed trap! And now he could only passively defend himself and try to salvage the situation after the fact.

If he had enough time, he would choose a more tactful way to remind Keqing and would take care of her feelings.

But now, he has no time.

The most direct approach is the most effective.

Ke Qing noticed that Han Fulai's expression was more serious than ever before, and even the hand on her shoulder tightened its grip.

"Please, Lady Keqing, return to Liyue Harbor immediately and do three things."

"First, arrest the fireworks master Peng Yi and hand him over to the General Affairs Department for rigorous interrogation."

"Second, inform Lady Ningguang to increase the guards on the 'Mingxiao Lantern'."

"Third, once these two matters are completed, immediately dispatch all the Thousand Rock Army mobile squads to Qingce Village! Their mission is to guard all the river embankments near Qingce Mountain!"

"If we arrive even a moment later... war will follow!"

Chapter Twenty-Nine: For Li Yue's sake, I'll give Keqing a hand.

"And Vice Minister Han...?" Ke Qing asked.

"I will stay here to monitor the movements of the treasure-hunting gang. If necessary, I will take them down myself," Han Fulai replied.

Ke Qing didn't ask any more questions. She nodded seriously, turned around and left, quickly disappearing from Han Fulai's sight.

Watching Ke Qing's retreating figure, Han Fulai breathed a sigh of relief. This way, at least Ke Qing could be saved from her crisis.

Before Ningguang accompanied Keqing to visit the Asgardians, she specifically spoke to him about the origins of fireworks in Liyue, essentially emphasizing that fireworks are explosives. As the head of Liyue's intelligence and decision-making department, Ningguang likely received some information, but it was uncertain, so she could only remind him to be careful.

Regardless of what Ningguang knows, as long as Keqing returns to Liyue Harbor and explains the situation to Ningguang, Ningguang will naturally have a solution.

As the most radical reformist leader in Liyue, Keqing has likely made many enemies. Judging from her work style, she doesn't even have any trusted subordinates, let alone any political allies.

If any member of the Liyue Seven Stars has the ability and willingness to help Keqing in this situation, or even go further and become her ally, it's Ningguang. If any member of the Liyue Seven Stars has neither the intention nor the need to harm Keqing, it's also Ningguang.

—If we're talking about who among the Liyue Seven Stars most yearns for human governance and who is most disrespectful to the gods, Keqing has to take a backseat; Ningguang is undoubtedly the true innovator. The blueprint for Liyue drawn up by Ningguang wouldn't be complete without Keqing, this pioneering leader.

So he hid the idea of ​​Keqing asking Ningguang for help in the three things he just mentioned. By doing so, he neither hurt Keqing's pride in never asking for help, nor did he have to hide his intentions from Ningguang—"Lady Ningguang, please, for the sake of Liyue, quickly lend a hand to Keqing."

The three things he just told Ke Qing were almost commands in tone. Whether as Ke Qing's temporary personal secretary or the executive vice president of Yue Hai Ting, his role was ultimately that of a secretary, a staff member. Staff members can only offer advice; they have no right to issue orders to their superiors.

Han Fulai's actions just now were undoubtedly an overstepping of his bounds.

However, while they were preoccupied with the treasure-hunting group in Qingce Village, the situation in Liyue Harbor could change at any moment, leaving no room for delay.

Therefore, after explaining the possibility of the bombing to Ke Qing to the minimum and gaining her trust in his judgment, Han Fulai immediately emphasized the importance of the matter to Ke Qing in the most serious and sensational way.

From the leader of the treasure-hunting gang, Xingxiu, collecting fireworks to create a massive explosion in Qingce Village, to the possibility of war, Han Fulai omitted a great deal of explanation, simply telling Keqing the conclusion directly. Whether it was capturing Pengyi, protecting the "Mingxiao Lantern," or bringing people back to guard the riverbank, each key point would have required a great deal of explanation.

However, Han Fulai didn't need to explain; all he needed was for Ke Qing to believe him.

Strictly speaking, even if Keqing hadn't done those three things, war was only one of the worst possibilities. But—it's always wise to be cautious.

If this "fireworks display" were likened to a game of Go, then the opponent had already placed at least three stones, and Ke Qing simply didn't have the strength to give them a three-stone handicap. If she didn't act decisively, the consequences would be unpredictable. In Han Fulai's calculations, if things were allowed to develop unchecked, Ke Qing's resignation from her position as the Jade Balance Star would be the best outcome if she were held accountable.

Therefore, Keqing must do these three things, and it must be Keqing who does them. This is Keqing's chance to make amends.

Since he was seconded to be Keqing's temporary personal secretary, it wouldn't be good if Keqing fell from power as soon as he took office! It would affect his career!

Although Keqing hasn't established a true relationship of trust with him yet, a personal secretary and a boss share a common fate, rising and falling together.

—Besides, Ah Qing is quite cute.

What's important is his next move.

Han Fulai has now realized that this is a setup targeting the fireworks display, but he doesn't know who set it up.

As Sun Tzu's Art of War says, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." His current situation is that he knows himself but not his enemy.

Knowing yourself allows you to know when to advance and when to retreat; knowing your enemy allows you to predict victory or defeat.

To win a game, the first thing is to know your enemy. Only by knowing the enemy's identity can you determine their purpose and the reasons behind their actions.

The problem was that Han Fulai knew nothing about the enemy's identity.

However, this does not mean that Han Fulai is now at a loss. As the former top student of the Chinese Department, although he may not be an expert in all the arts, he can at least say that he has a basic understanding of them.

The current situation is like playing Go. "Capturing stones" is naturally a good thing, but if there are no stones to capture, the first priority is to defend your territory.

Before he could ascertain the enemy's identity, his priority was to avoid revealing any weaknesses. Therefore, he sent Keqing back to Liyue Harbor to rectify the situation and address any vulnerabilities on their side.

At the same time, any action Keqing takes will change the situation, and the enemy will make new moves. The more the enemy moves, the more likely they are to reveal weaknesses, which will give Keqing more insight into his opponent.

More importantly, in order to proactively understand the enemy, he must first get Keqing out of the way.

Because what he was about to do was something Ke Qing absolutely disliked and was unwilling to see, but it was a necessary means.

He couldn't give up on this, nor did he want to antagonize Ke Qing, so he could only keep Ke Qing from knowing about it. Since Ke Qing wasn't present, she naturally wouldn't know, and even if something went wrong later, it would be his own decision and had nothing to do with Ke Qing.

Han Fulai had thought through every step he would take next, and took a deep breath.

Then he stood up and leaped down the small hill where he had been monitoring the heisting group.

"You are surrounded by the Thousand Rock Army! Lay down your weapons and surrender!" Han Fulai shouted.

The members of the treasure-hunting gang were chatting in twos and threes when a living person suddenly appeared in front of them, and they were taken aback.

Upon closer inspection, they realized that the person who was shouting for them to surrender was wearing the blue uniform of a Liyue civil servant.

"Oh no, boss! The news has leaked! We're surrounded by the Thousand Rock Army!" an impatient member of the treasure-hunting group shouted.

"Yeah, the sentries haven't even sent word yet, they've probably already taken them out! Boss, what do we do?" Xiu Yong was already timid, and he was worried that there weren't enough brothers guarding this place, so he couldn't help but feel even more timid now.

Xingxiu squinted and pricked up his ears, confirming that there was no movement of a large force around them, and that the newcomer did not appear to be followed by the Thousand Rock Army.

The news of Kang Sheng's arrest only reached him a dozen minutes ago. Even if Kang Sheng immediately revealed the location of the stockpiled goods after being interrogated by the General Affairs Department, the Thousand Rock Army would have to travel from Liyue Harbor, which would take almost a day. There was no reason for them to arrive so quickly.

If it were the Thousand Rock Army stationed at the foot of Qingce Mountain, he had previously arranged for his most capable Junming to lead many members of the treasure-hunting group to keep a close watch on them, so that no news would be completely lost.

Xingxiu became one of the leaders of the Treasure Raiders in the Liyue region not because of his extraordinary strength, but because of his clear mind.

In his view, the young man in the Yuehaiting uniform had probably found this place by chance and then killed the sentries along the way. He figured this man had likely already sent someone to inform the Qianyan Army at the foot of Qingce Mountain, and was now just bluffing to buy time.

But this also means that this place is indeed no longer safe. If the Thousand Rock Army really comes, then there will be no escape!

"Forget the fireworks, let's retreat! As long as we have green hills, we can always rebuild!" Xingxiu made the decision immediately.

Han Fulai stretched out one hand forward, making a gesture indicating that the road was blocked.

"I'll say it again, you are surrounded by the Thousand Rock Army..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xingxiu interrupted him: "Bah! There's no such thing as the Thousand Rock Army! It's clearly just you alone!"

"Uh..." Han Fulai changed his words somewhat embarrassedly, "Well... you're all surrounded by me alone. Put down your weapons and surrender!"

Seeing that he was just stalling for time, Xingxiu wasn't afraid of him. He raised the iron shovel that was a must-have for the treasure-hunting gang and shouted, "You blind fool, how dare you block my way! Take this!"

Chapter Thirty: If you can't beat them, call for reinforcements.

With a flash of light, Xingxiu brought his shovel down on Han Fulai. If the shovel hit, Han Fulai would be split open, even if he didn't die.

Although the treasure-hunting group mainly focuses on exploring ruins and finding treasures, they also do a lot of things like highway robbery and know how to quickly incapacitate people.

Xingxiu, as the leader of the treasure-hunting gang, may not have been particularly skilled in martial arts, but he was second to none in terms of ruthlessness among the gang members. Anyone who wasn't ruthless enough wouldn't be able to control so many subordinates.

However, since Han Fulai dared to show up and make such a statement, he must have been prepared in advance.

He nimbly stepped back, dodging Xingxiu's shovel, and coldly stared at Xingxiu, asking, "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Get out of the way if you're scared! Brothers, let's take him down!" Although Xingxiu couldn't tell Han Fulai's true strength, he knew that this young man in a civil servant's uniform dared to appear alone and spout such nonsense, so he must have something to rely on. The Treasure Thieves didn't care about chivalry when they fought, so he immediately ordered his brothers to attack.

The four members of the treasure-hunting gang behind him responded immediately. Xiu Yong, who was also holding an iron shovel, immediately dug into the ground to prepare to throw sand. This was a common tactic used by the treasure-hunting gang members, and it was in line with the "Ancient Hua Secret Technique: Flying Sand and Stones" that Han Fulai knew. Both techniques used sand and dust to confuse the enemy's vision before attacking.

The other three members of the treasure-hunting gang also had their own weapons. One of them drew two throwing knives and began aiming at Han Fulai; another took out a crossbow from behind his back and began to cock it; while the largest of them picked up a large iron hammer used for blacksmithing and prepared to attack Han Fulai from another direction in coordination with their leader.