He changed Tiwat

Late that night, Xingqiu wrote the following passage in her book, *Chenqiu Picks Up the Sword*:

Under the rule of the Suruga Shogunate, the people of the entire country were filled with resentment and suffered greatly.

At this time, the Suruga Shogunate was under the control of Imagawa Seii Shogun Ujizane. Four years earlier, after finally taking the head of the Demon King Danjo-tada, the Shogun began his own era of terror.

In this era, in this place, wanders a free-spirited swordsman.

This man is the chivalrous swordsman known as Shin-Kuro, also called Bichū Kyubei.

Bichū Kyubei was not originally a ronin; it is said that he was once the Shogun's personal military strategist. However, due to the machinations of his enemies and the Shogun's own indecisive and suspicious nature, he was forced to flee the shogunate and enter the wilderness.

Now, Shin-Kuro stands on the hillside, gazing into the distance. What is he looking at?

Is it a flat, open field? No.

Are they the distant mountains? No.

Is it an extended road? Yes! But not entirely.

So what exactly is Shin-Kuro looking at...?

The farmers who entrusted the swordsman with the task of feeding him raw rice were equally timid and dared not ask him any questions.

This question seems to be understood only by the silent swordsman.

Shin-guro is the protagonist of the story and the embodiment of the chivalrous Xing-qiu. However, as the writing progresses, Xing-qiu's thoughts come to a standstill—does the silent swordsman truly understand what he is doing?

As the author, Xingqiu certainly knew what the protagonist, Shinjiro, wanted to do.

Unless the wicked shogunate in the story is overthrown, the people in the story will never have peace.

Shin-Kuro's mission is to overthrow the oppressive Suruga Shogunate... But what about the real Inazuma? Are there any heroes in Inazuma who stand up for justice for the people who have been harmed by the Shogunate?

Could the real-life knight-errant Xingqiu be as free-spirited and vengeful as the knights-errant in her novels?

She knew she couldn't do it.

She is the second heir of the "Flying Cloud Merchant Guild" and the "Trade Representative" of Liyue.

Given her status, she could not truly confront the Inazuma Shogunate with her sword.

Captain Beidou's "Southern Cross" fleet participated in the war under the guise of "mercenaries"; Brother Han led the "Tianheng" ship into the war under the pretext of "a peacekeeping ambassador being attacked and forced to retaliate in self-defense"...

In any case, Liyue would not, and should not, declare war on the Inatsume Shogunate; otherwise, given the personalities of Staff Officer Su and his team, the "Tianheng" would have already begun bombarding the "Kujou Jinya".

If you ask her what she thinks, she will say that the current shogunate has no value and that overthrowing such a shogunate is the only justice.

However, in the story, overthrowing the shogunate only required a stroke of her pen, but in reality, she had to confront a real god...

Regardless of whether she can actually do it, even if she could defeat General Raiden, then what? Would she stay and become Inazuma's general?

How will Inazumaru view her? How will he view Liyue?

Will there be another "resistance army" that rises up against Liyue?

Is her sense of justice the kind of justice the people of Inazuma need?

How will she uphold her sense of justice?

Therefore, Xingqiu paused his writing, hesitating.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Han Fulai's voice came from outside the door: "Xingqiu, I have something I'd like to discuss with you privately. Would you mind if I came in?"

Xingqiu was slightly taken aback. Her Brother Han had always been very polite... Before he knew she was a woman, he had never had any "intimate contact" with her.

Aside from the time she kissed his cheek a few days ago, the closest they'd ever been was a few months ago when tea master Liu Su told her story of "The Sound of Rain" all night long—that time she pretended to be very sleepy, deliberately leaning on his shoulder and pretending to fall asleep, but she only managed to do it for a few minutes before giving up.

After learning her true identity, Brother Han has been keeping his distance from her for the past two days.

Although this wasn't her private room, but rather the military camp of Tasha, she still had a single room. To avoid suspicion, Brother Han would never do something like this late at night when a man and a woman were alone together...

Why did he visit so late at night this time?

Han Fulai waited for a while, but when he received no response, he realized that the young lady had probably already changed her clothes and it was inconvenient for her to receive guests at this time. He quickly said, "I apologize for my intrusion. I was taking a walk in the camp just now and noticed that the light in your room was still on... Well, let's talk again when we meet tomorrow..."

Before he could finish speaking, the door opened.

Xingqiu in front of me was wearing a close-fitting silk short shirt, which was thin and sheer. Although her curves were not very obvious, you could still see the slight rise and fall of her chest.

The thin shirt had embroidered rainbow flowers on the edges, clearly a girl's style. The snow-white neck and fair wrists peeking out from the collar and cuffs were very eye-catching... The second young lady had come to see guests in her pajamas.

Han Fulai quickly turned his head away: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Xingqiu gently closed the door.

"It's alright, Brother Han, please have a seat."

Han Fulai fled and found a chair furthest from Xingqiu to sit down—unfortunately, the barracks was not big, and even the corner furthest from Xingqiu was only a few steps away.

Xingqiu watched his embarrassed appearance with a grin.

Yes, the second young lady did it on purpose. She was writing just now, so she wouldn't be wearing pajamas. She changed into pajamas just for him.

"Brother Han must have something important to tell me in such a hurry, right? Let's not be so formal between brothers. Hmm, I won't make you any tea, okay?"

Han Fulai quickly sat up straight and nodded, saying, "Yes, it is indeed a very important matter, and it is something only you can do. I can only ask for your help now."

"Oh?" Xingqiu was a little surprised, because she couldn't think of any way that Brother Han could help with that only she could.

In Liyue, things related to the "Flying Cloud Merchant Guild" might be possible, but here in Inazuma, she's no different from an ordinary person... and might even be a bit of a hindrance...

Han Fulai paused for a moment, then continued, "Xingqiu, how's the book you wrote on the ship, 'The Record of Shenqiu Picking Up the Sword,' coming along?"

Why bring up that novel?

Xingqiu thought for a moment and replied, "I've written quite a bit... but much of the content in the book is my 'random thoughts,' written from my own feelings, and many parts still need to be considered and revised before it can be published... Brother Han, when you mentioned this book, do you hope I will write something in it?"

Han Fulai smiled: "As expected of the Second...Second Miss, you are indeed incredibly clever! What I need to borrow is your pen!"

Xingqiu immediately understood: "Brother Han wants to borrow my pen to write about what I saw today?"

“That’s right.” Han Fulai nodded. “It’s not just about the Evil Eye Factory, but also about other things we saw in Inazuma, such as the conspiracy of the Heavenly Rank Envoy, and the hardships of the people in Inazuma… I hope to use your novel to open up a second battlefield in Inazuma.”

An ancient poem says: "Who can compare to her slender pen? Three thousand elite soldiers armed with Mauser rifles. Their battle formation unfolds east of Longshan. Yesterday a lady of letters, today a general of war."

"—Xingqiu, you are my great general!"

Chapter 153 The Enemy at the Castle Keep [4k]

"Who can compare to a slender pen? Three thousand elite Mauser soldiers."

—Even Xingqiu, who is known for her extensive reading, had never read this poem, but she understood its meaning very well.

The so-called "Mauser elite troops" probably refers to Fontaine's "special training team".

In Fontaine, a neighboring country of Liyue, there is a special combat unit called the "Special Patrol Team." Every member of the "Special Patrol Team" is equipped with a "gunpowder."

The musket is a cutting-edge weapon developed more than 400 years ago by the Fontaine Kinetic Engineering Research Institute. It was manufactured using Fontaine's exquisite mechanical craftsmanship and special energy sources, and has been continuously researched and improved by generations of people. Now it is one of the symbols of Fontaine's armed forces.

Because its inventor was an engineer named Mauser, the gun was also known as the "Mauser gun".

It is said that the sniper rifles used by the Fools' guerrillas were also "learned" from the Fontaine rifle.

The greatest advantage of this gun is its ease of use—even ordinary people without divine eyes or martial arts background can, after a short period of training, unleash a fighting force comparable to that of elite soldiers of the Fools.

The training required for it was even less than that of the rebel soldiers wielding bamboo spears. At least with bamboo spears, one had to learn some combat and marksmanship; with a musket, basically all one needed to do was learn how to load bullets, aim, and pull the trigger…

...Just like when she and Beidou were operating the "return terminal machine," they were shooting randomly, and they were bound to run into a few unlucky ones.

Furthermore, the gunlance also possesses an elemental power output interface; the stronger the wielder, the greater the power it can unleash. I've heard that there are several elite "Special Patrol" members in Fontaine whose gunlances can unleash power comparable to cannons.

Fontaine has very strict regulations on firearms. Whether it's members of the "Special Training Team" or other security personnel, there are complicated procedures to follow if they want to carry a gun—it might be even more complicated than the repair application process for "Mikage Furnace".

But Brother Han compared the pen in her hand to three thousand guns.

What does three thousand muskets mean?

—The entire city of Fontaine might not be able to muster three thousand guns.

If Fontaine had a "special patrol team" of three thousand men, the Fools would all retreat in fear.

As for Inazuma... the rebel army and the shogunate army were tied together, so it was just a matter of each of the three thousand musketeers firing three shots...

Honestly, as a relatively unknown struggling writer in Liyue, Xingqiu has never heard anyone praise his writing in his entire life—let alone that the praise came from Brother Han, who rarely praises others—"Yesterday a literary lady, today a martial general," which is exactly what he meant by her being both a scholar and a warrior.

He even wrote a poem just to praise her!

Xingqiu blushed and smiled shyly, "Brother Han, you flatter me. My clumsy writing skills are unworthy of such praise..."

Han Fulai's few words instantly swept away the gloom Xingqiu had left at the Evil Eye Factory—she felt like she was floating on air.

It takes considerable self-control for her to feign modesty for a few moments, but her two big, bright eyes practically screamed, "Praise me more, I love to hear it!"

Han Fulai, seizing the opportunity, said, "Xingqiu, don't underestimate yourself. I've read your manuscript before. Your book, 'The Record of Shenqiu Picking Up the Sword,' is a perfect blend of reality and fiction, and it will definitely resonate with the people of Inazuma. It's no exaggeration to say that this book is a pioneering work of 'magical realism,' and it will surely become a hit in Inazuma... and may even go down in history!"

Well, it wasn't entirely flattery. He remembered that in the game's storyline, Xingqiu's "The Record of Shenqiu Picking Up the Sword" was largely ignored in Liyue, but it was the number one bestseller in Inazuma.

Xingqiu finally couldn't hide her smile—when others praised her for being clever and quick-witted, or for her martial arts skills, she wouldn't have any particular feelings, after all, she had been praised like that since she was a child... But when they praised her for writing good novels, she would be so happy that she couldn't sleep at night, and would immediately transform into a "word-writing princess" to stay up all night to update!

But Xingqiu quickly shook his head again: "Even if I write it, no one else will see it, right? Are we supposed to distribute the novel on Narukami Island like the rebels hand out leaflets?"

The "second battlefield" that Han Fulai wanted to open up with her pen was naturally the "battlefield of public opinion"—Xing Qiu, as the heir to the Chamber of Commerce, knew all too well how powerful propaganda was.

The martial arts novels she read could actually be seen as a form of propaganda promoting chivalry. If she hadn't read so many martial arts novels since childhood, she wouldn't have joined the Guhua School.

A while ago, Ningguang also used propaganda tactics in the struggle that determined the highest power in Liyue, distributing her book "The Jewel Mine" throughout Liyue Harbor. It is likely that Brother Han's move is imitating Ningguang's story, replacing "The Jewel Mine" with her "The Autumn Sword Collection".

However, promotion and marketing also require a foundation.

Take cooking as an example. The chefs of "Wanmintang", Master Mao and Xiangling, are actually no less skilled than "Liulite" and "Xinyuexuan". However, the two most famous restaurants in Liyue are still the leaders of "Licai" and "Yuancai".

Regardless of other factors, the reservation schedules for "Liuli Pavilion" and "Xinyue Pavilion" are posted on the General Affairs Department's bulletin board—does "Wanmintang," a small, independent establishment, even have such a promotional platform?

Similarly, even if she exposes the shogunate's various dark secrets in "The Record of Picking Up the Sword in Autumn," it will be useless if people don't see it... They don't have Ningguang's business network in Inazuma, so they can't spread "The Record of Picking Up the Sword in Autumn" to Inazuma Castle in a short time.

Besides, how could the Kujo family possibly allow books that "smear" their own family to circulate in Inazuma Castle? The Tenryo Magistrate now even censors and controls public message boards and tavern guestbooks. Anyone who dares to express dissatisfaction with the shogunate is thrown into jail. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a "literary inquisition."

Even if she were to publish the book, no one would dare to publish it, and no one would dare to read it.

Han Fulai nodded seriously: "Of course. Don't forget, Haiqi Island has an ally—'Linglong Youdoufu,' the editor-in-chief of 'Yazhongtang,' Yae Shinko."

"As long as you can write the book, we can use the power of 'Yae-do' to spread your 'Autumn Sword Collection Record' throughout the entire island!"

"I see!" Xingqiu immediately understood.

The rebels' "leaflets" were unofficial publications and were meant to be banned.

However, "Yaedo" was the publishing office under Narukami Taisha, and it was backed by the Shabu-bu, one of the three magistrates. The publications published by "Yaedo" were regular publications that were "approved and distributed by the shogunate".

This editor-in-chief, Yae, is essentially equivalent to Inazuma's Minister of Culture...

Therefore, her "anti-government book" could not only be openly published in Inazuma Castle, but it might even have been promoted and publicized by the shogunate!

Han Fulai smiled and said, "It's time to let Kujo Takayuki know how terrible it is to have 'the enemy in the magistrate'—a mole in the cultural department can make the people of Inazuma feel from the bottom of their hearts that 'the enemy is in the castle tower'!"

The next few days were very busy for everyone.

Xingqiu transformed into a "word-writing princess," working day and night to meet deadlines, while Han Fulai went to "Yuying Furnace" to ask Xavier to temporarily suspend the production of the purifier and work together to use "Shadow" technology to edit the evidence and ensure that the weapons and ammunition for this "public opinion war" were fully prepared.

If he were to truly become an enemy of that "eternal god," he would have to make the necessary preparations—in the end, he would transform all these "weapons of criticism" into "the criticism of weapons."

Goro and his team were also working around the clock conducting internal reviews, screening all the soldiers in the unit who were deeply influenced by Nathan, to ensure that there would be no more radicals like Nabe Tadakatsu acting on their own.

Of all the people, Xin Hai was the most exhausted—he had been working tirelessly these past few days, almost without rest, focusing entirely on treating the wounded. He had done everything in his power to save every single soldier harmed by the Evil Eye.

For the Shogunate prisoners of war in the POW camp, Shinkai's performance in treating the wounded these past few days was probably the most powerful form of "propaganda" than anything else.

The prisoner-of-war camp and the wounded soldiers camp were in the same area, and they had all seen Xin Hai's actions. Moreover, even in such a busy time, Xin Hai treated all the prisoners of war equally and would never discriminate against them just because they had once belonged to the Shogunate army.

These soldiers of the Shogunate army, who were forcibly conscripted by the Tenryo and often had to bring their own rations, discovered for the first time that there was an army commander who treated his soldiers as human beings.

Although Xin Hai's decision to set up the prisoner-of-war camp near the wounded soldiers' camp was partly a psychological tactic, the effort she put into treating the wounded was genuine.

Everyone could see that Xin Hai risked his own life to use his strength to save the wounded, and what remained in their hearts was deep emotion.

The nine-striped robe was particularly famous.

Xin Hai even took the time to come over these past few days and brought her medicine to treat her wing injuries.

Kujo Sara didn't take the medicine, but looking at the medicine bottle, she felt much more emotional than others.

Unlike many generals, Sara preferred to do everything personally rather than strategize from behind the scenes.

In her daily training, she is extremely demanding of herself, with a training intensity that is more than ten times that of ordinary soldiers.

On the battlefield, she was always the first to charge into battle, leading everyone with absolute heroism and awe-inspiring fighting spirit.