He changed Tiwat

To put it bluntly, the so-called "quiet rest" is just Ying's way of wanting to "escape" for a while.

Although Lei Yingdong rejected the idea, Han Fulai persisted in his persuasion: "The war in Inazuma has just ended, and everything is in need of rebuilding. I think that Your Excellency should go out and interact with the people, conveying your ideas to them. This will encourage the people and strengthen their confidence in the reforms."

"And for you, traveling can also be a way to change your mood, and perhaps you can even get inspiration to adjust the Puppet General Law?"

Lei Yingdian simply shook his head: "The worldly beauty and sentimentality are merely a backdrop to eternity. If I want to see worldly sights, I can simply climb to the top of the castle tower... It would be unseemly for me to appear among the people, as it would easily disturb them."

Well, the General's word is law; once he says he won't go shopping, he means it, and nothing I say will change that.

But Han Fulai wasn't buying it.

"Does Your Excellency, General, still remember what Yae no Kamiji said?"

He began to recite the series of questions that the divine child had posed during the "Pure Land of One Heart":

"Of the officials who submitted their petitions to the castle tower today, how many do you recognize? Of the guards protecting the castle tower, how many do you know? Of the samurai in the shogunate army, and the residents of Inazuma Castle, how many have you seen?"

"Do you know how this country operates when you're self-enclosed in your own little world of purity? Do you know what the people of Inazuma eat, what they wear, what books they read, what songs they sing...?"

With each question he asked, Ying's momentum waned, until finally her head was almost buried in her chest: "I...I know I was wrong...but it doesn't have to be today...tomorrow, no, maybe a few days later..."

This time it was Han Fulai's turn to shake his head: "As the saying goes, 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, how many tomorrows there are! If I live waiting for tomorrow, everything will be wasted...' There's a story in Liyue that goes like this..."

"Enough, stop chanting... I'll go..." Lei Yingdian quickly interrupted Han Fulai's spellcasting. Although she hadn't worked with Han Fulai for very long, she had already personally experienced the terror of the "long and difficult sentence chanting" unique to Secretary Yue Haiting.

That difficult-to-understand "Imperial Edict for the Termination of the War" was ghostwritten for her on the spot by Han Fulai...

In short, he just wants to get some exposure on the street, right? So, he'll just wander around for a bit, then quickly run back. Okay, that's settled.

Thinking of this, Lei Yingdian put on a dignified expression and prepared to call the Okuzawa shoguns outside the palace to prepare the procession. According to the regulations of the shogunate, the shogun must have a procession of guards to clear the way when he goes on a tour. Just like during the "Karei ceremony", the shogun must have at least several hundred people around him wherever he goes.

But Han Fulai stopped her in advance: "We are on an incognito visit today. If we bring the imperial guards, you will not be able to contact the people. In addition, I have also prepared guards and guides for you."

Seeing how serious Han Fulai was, Lei Dianying became curious: "Who are these guards you're talking about... and what is a 'tour guide'?"

Han Fulai smiled and said, "You'll see when you see it."

Outside the castle tower, Lei Yingdian met the blond-haired guard and the white-haired tour guide.

Yes, Traveler Ying is indeed highly skilled in martial arts. She has both the courage to challenge the general to a "duel before the emperor" in front of the palace and the corresponding strength. She is qualified.

As for "guide," it refers to the modern-day "guide," and Ray's film has learned a new word. Paimon's claim to be the number one guide in Teyvat isn't an exaggeration; her status certainly fits the title, she's qualified.

Moreover, these two, taking advantage of the official travel and meals, treated the general with the same respect they would show Mora, addressing him as "General" repeatedly. This was a stark contrast to their previous hostile stance, which greatly pleased Ying.

So she immediately displayed the general's magnanimity: "The guards and guides chosen by Han Qing are quite to my liking, and Ying and Paimeng are also people who pursue perfection. They should be rewarded."

Hearing that the general would reward them, Ying and Paimon's eyes lit up, and they stared at Ying expectantly.

Ying looked at "Han Qing" beside her.

Han Fu looked at Lei Yingdian back and forth; Lei Yingdian's gaze was incredibly clear.

Yes, I can tell from their eyes that even the gods of Inazuma don't carry wallets when they go out.

Judging from Lei's movie, it means the general gives a reward, and Han Qing pays the bill.

Well, it's obvious. Lei Yingdian spent five hundred years in the "Pure Land of One Heart," where there's nowhere to spend money, so naturally, there's no habit of carrying a wallet. The Puppet General doesn't have human physiological needs, so naturally, there's no place for him to spend money. Besides, even if the Puppet General needed something, he could simply order the Otsuki clan to fetch it; he wouldn't possibly handle such trivial matters himself.

As the ancients said, even three gods cannot make a Mora, and that is certainly true.

Fortunately, he had already made preparations. He hired Ying and Paimon for a "publicly funded trip," which meant he paid the commission fee himself... it was just a matter of paying an extra sum.

Of course, he will seek reimbursement from the shogunate government office later—through that empty shell "Kurun-sho" (Kurun-sho) account, and get a hefty reimbursement!

Han Fulai took out two drinks from his storage space and handed them to Ying and Paimon.

This is a local specialty of Inazuma that he bought on his way to talk to Ying and Paimon about the commission this morning.

Although the fact that the reward wasn't the sparkly Mora disappointed Ying and Paimon a little, the equally sparkly drink piqued their curiosity, and after taking a sip, they found it to be quite delicious.

"What is this?" Ying also asked curiously.

The two cups of beverage that Han Fulai just "rewarded" Ying and Paimeng with looked like milk, but inside the milk were round black "pearls." Ying had never seen such a drink before.

“‘Bubble Tea’,” Han Fu said, introducing the drink. “This is a newly opened creative restaurant in the town. The owner mixes purple sweet potato balls with milk and brown sugar to make ‘bubble tea.’ Besides the one I’m giving you, there are also milk teas with flavors like rice cake and sunset fruit pulp. Moreover, he can add new ingredients on the spot to create new milk teas based on the customer’s ideas.”

"By the way, that shop is highly praised by the head of the company, Ayako. I got the recommendation from him too, you know?"

"Ah, it's the one that Ayaka's brother drank!" Ying also remembered Ayaka complaining to them about her "milk tea brother".

According to Ayaka, Ayato's love for this creative milk tea was so great that he would go to the stall owner to buy large quantities and then take them home to bottle and carry with him... Granny Furuta kept advising him not to drink milk tea like water, but Ayato would always agree verbally and then drink it again next time...

When Ying heard Ayato's name, she was also a little surprised: "Ayato Kamisato... Hmm, to be appreciated by the famous Inazuma writer, this 'milk tea' must have a unique flavor and be worth trying."

Han Fulai smiled and said, "Then our first stop is set. Let's go to the town; I'll treat everyone to milk tea."

If you were to ask which place in Inazuma Castle is the liveliest right now, it would undoubtedly be the town.

After the war ended, the town returned to its former prosperity in just two days.

To celebrate the arrival of peace, almost every shop that had closed during the war was holding promotional events, and customer traffic increased by at least three times compared to the wartime level. In particular, the long queues in front of the most famous shops could completely block the middle of the town.

"There's a nostalgic smell in the air, and a solid feel underfoot..." Lei Yingdian, walking down the street, was quite emotional.

It had been far too long since she had consciously experienced the local customs and culture of Inazuma.

The market before her was vastly different from what she remembered—five hundred years ago, the town was much smaller than it is now, and even festivals never saw such a lively scene.

"The shops on the street, and the people doing business, well, of course, are not the same as they used to be."

Ying's gaze swept over the shop signs along the street, comparing them with those in her memory.

Unexpectedly, her gaze met that of a woman in a kimono standing in front of a clothing store.

"General?!"

The woman's scream echoed throughout the town.

Chapter 210 I, I, I, a dog's foot! [4k]

The person who just exclaimed was Mio Ogura, the owner of "Ogura-ya".

The Ogura family had been related to the Kujo family for generations. During the centuries when the Kujo family held power, the Ogura family closely relied on them and gradually became the leader in the Inazuma clothing industry. High-quality dyes produced in Konta Village and silk products from the Liyue "Flying Cloud Merchant Guild" are now monopolized by "Ogura-ya".

The Shogunate's "Oribu-ji" (the Imperial Textile Bureau) sourced its fabrics from "Ogura-ya," and because of this connection, Ogura Mio had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Shogun from afar when she was transporting fabrics to the castle tower. But being so close to the Shogun, even having her eyes meet... this was the first time she had ever encountered such a scene.

As she shouted, Mio Ogura covered her mouth in fright.

This was partly because it was extremely rude to shout at the general, and partly because they were afraid of offending him.

The general's personal visit to the town certainly wasn't for leisurely strolls, much less for shopping... Was it an inspection? Or perhaps the capture of a wanted criminal? In any case, there must be something very important to attend to.

After all, the Ogura family has a close relationship with the Kujo family. Although she sensed something was wrong and cut ties with the Kujo family in advance, she couldn't guarantee that the Shogun wouldn't pursue the matter... Moreover, a large part of the Ogura family's assets belonged to the Kujo family. If they really pursued the matter, she probably wouldn't be able to keep the shop.

Originally, it seemed the general hadn't noticed her, but her shout might remind him that the Ogura family hadn't been dealt with yet...

If you had to describe Ogura Mio's feelings right now, it would be regret, deep regret—why couldn't she control her mouth?

The crowd, drawn by Ogura Mio's shouts, all turned to look.

In an instant, the once bustling town fell silent. Everyone spontaneously knelt down on both sides of the road, heads bowed, not daring to look directly at the general's face.

Many of them wore expressions of terror.

The businesses that could operate in the town were more or less connected with the "Three Magistrates". When the Tenryo Magistrate was in power, most businesses attached themselves to the Kujo family.

For example, the owner of "Netsu no Gen" is thinking something very similar to what Mio Ogura is thinking at this time. They are both afraid of being investigated by the shogun for their relationship with the Kujo family.

It's really unlucky; it seems that the Yu family has some kind of ancestral curse, and they always end up choosing the wrong side.

While everyone else was busy cutting ties with the Kujo family, his younger brother Genjiro ran back excitedly to tell him that he had been appreciated by Lord Kujo and had been officially taken in as a retainer of the Kujo family. He had even replaced the derelict Ōkawara Goemon as the captain of the Kujo family's guard, and his rise to prominence was just around the corner...

As a result, the Kujo family's fortunes collapsed in less than a day, and Genjiro is still in jail awaiting trial.

If Genichiro had known that the Shogun would come to the town, he would have closed the shop and hidden himself in advance. Unfortunately, it was too late now... He could only press his forehead tightly to the ground, not daring to let the Shogun see his face.

And the same is true for the majority of the public.

Regardless of whether they were connected to the two "treasonous" officials, they were all filled with the same fear at this moment, afraid that they might inadvertently attract the general's attention and get into trouble.

Looking at the people on both sides of the street who dared not even breathe, Ying shook his head with a sense of boredom: "It seems that we have frightened the people here."

Paimon, the guide who was flying ahead of her, helplessly shrugged: "After all, it's the General who suddenly appeared, so everyone is bound to panic."

"I told you this would happen, but some people don't seem to believe me..." Ying turned around and gave Han a provocative look.

She had told Han Fulai when she refused to go out, "If I appear in public, it will easily disturb the people, which would be undesirable."

Now do you believe me?

Han Fulai raised an eyebrow and replied, "General, take a good look at those people's expressions. They only feel fear towards you."

"A deity who should stand in the position of 'guardian' and be loved by the people can only gain fear now. I think you should consider what kind of image you have left in the hearts of the people. Recall that the previous general was such a fearsome figure?"

“Hmm…” Lei Movie was speechless for a moment.

Just as Han Fulai said, Thunder was indeed a very approachable general.

She would enjoy flowers, drink tea, and recite waka poems with the people... She was always deeply loved by her subjects.

The town streets of yesteryear, though not as vast as they are today, were far more welcoming. Merchants would always greet the Shogun with a smile, presenting him with their prized wares for his appreciation and tasting. Raiden Shin always brought back many souvenirs from his travels, such as sweet tricolor dumplings…

Han Fulai pressed his advantage, saying, "Actually, you and your sister are both gods who 'love people,' and you shouldn't be feared by your people. But just as you don't understand them, they don't understand you either—that's precisely why I want you to come out and move around. If you could be like the generals of the past and often get close to the people, they wouldn't be so afraid of you."

Ying then interjected, "I've met the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt and the Geo Archon of Liyue. They both love living with their people. The Anemo Archon sings and drinks with the people of Mondstadt, and the Geo Archon listens to stories and watches plays with the people of Liyue Harbor... Doesn't the General usually patrol the streets of Inazuma Castle?"

"Patrolling the streets is a duty mandated by the Heavenly Commander." Shadow slightly averted his gaze. "Puppet generals don't need rest, so naturally there's no need for them to spend time or relax on the streets..."

While they were having their "team voice chat," the people on both sides of the street were terrified and didn't even dare to breathe... So someone held their breath for too long and collapsed to the ground with a "thud."

“Hey, isn’t that the owner of ‘Qiusha Qiantang’? I think his name is Lan Chuancheng?” Paimon recognized the fat man lying on the ground.

Ying chimed in, "Yeah, when we were traveling with Ayaka a couple of days ago, didn't he try to sell us on his Nata Scenic Hot Spring? What was the tagline again... 'The warm spring water has the magic to heal the body and mind'..."

Paimon nodded: "Yes, yes, he gave us a piece of Nata's Burning Wish Agate as a gift. You can get a discount when you go to the hot springs with that stone... Ah, I remember, he also said, 'I really hope that one day, General, you can grace us with your presence and come to soak in my family's hot springs'... General, would you like to try the hot springs?"

Lan Chuancheng, who had been lying on the ground pretending to be unconscious, jumped up in fright, shaking his head frantically: "Hey, you can't say things like that! You can't say things like that! I... how could I dare..."

He did say those words, but it was just talk.

Previously, the business of "Qiusha Qiantang" was basically supported by the nobles in Tianling Fengxing, and he provided them with some services that could be approved or not... Now that Tianling Fengxing has fallen and She Fengxing has gained power, he naturally switched to currying favor with She Fengxing.

Two days ago, Ying and Paimon were walking with the "White Heron Princess" of the Society, and Lan Chuancheng seized the opportunity to go up and give her a gift—that Burning Wish Agate was a gem he obtained many years ago when he traveled to Nata, how could he just give it away casually? As for the "hope that the general will also come to soak in the hot springs" and so on, it was just a way of raising his own status.

Ying seriously considered the "hot spring" proposal, then seriously rejected it: "The castle tower has the 'Imperial Hot Spring,' which contains rare minerals from various countries and is beneficial for martial artists to strengthen their bodies. Private hot springs, due to their limited facilities, are unlikely to be as effective as the 'Imperial Hot Spring'..."

Then she slightly raised her chin, striking a pose as if to say, "I possess the wealth of the world; what good things haven't I seen?"

"If any of you ministers require it, I may grant the Imperial Hot Springs Bureau special permission to open the Imperial Hot Springs."

"Great!"

Ying and Paimon both looked on with longing—that was a god's private hot spring!

Han Fulai coughed loudly, interrupting the general's "bragging".

"Um... before discussing the hot springs, shouldn't Your Excellency tell your people to stop kneeling?"

Although people were no longer kneeling, no one dared to continue shopping or haggling. Especially those buyers who had been queuing outside the shops—they had all vanished... Who would dare make the General wait in line?

The merchants stood nervously in their shops, all forcing smiles, much like farmers seeing their landlords come to collect rent.

They say they're "going shopping," but how can you even shop like this?

Paimon had really wanted to try the famous "Five Treasures Pickled Vegetables" and "Sakura Shrimp Rice Crackers" at Shimura-ya—the cheapest serving of these dishes cost five thousand moras. She had thought that today's "public funds" would allow her to feast to her heart's content, but the old man Kanbei's smiling face, which looked like he was crying, really made her lose her appetite.

Shopping should be about seeing all the good food and fun things to do, but Paimon always feels like he's done something wrong when he enters someone's shop, and he feels inexplicably guilty.

The feeling of being stared at wherever she went even gave her the urge to run away: "Um, should we leave first... and then, uh, come back discreetly later?"

Ying also felt it was rather uninteresting: "Well, following the rules is a good thing, but it does lack a bit of excitement."

Ying silently complained, "Because the General is too dignified..."

Ying retorted innocently, "I already said to let them be at ease and do what they need to do. I'm not here to cause them trouble."

...That was practically an imperial edict, wasn't it?

Han Fulai shook his head helplessly: "You always put on airs like a general, how can they relax?"

Ying frowned and said, "Then, according to Minister Han's opinion, what should I do?"

Han Fulai sighed deeply and said, "Do you remember what I said when we first met?"

Ying's expression was clearly a little bewildered.

Han Fulai gestured to Ying, indicating that she should come closer.