He changed Tiwat

The administrative officials of the Order of the Liyue, such as the Order Officers like Sharif, are essentially equivalent to civil servants in Liyue. The Order Law is similar to Liyue's Civil Service Law, specifically designed to supervise and manage these Order Officers.

The people responsible for enforcing the Religious Ordinance are the Disciplinary Officers, a special functional department within the Religious Ordinance.

No scholar in the Institute of the Orders is unafraid of the Disciplinarians. The Disciplinarians' duties are to arrest those who violate the Orders, stop prohibited research, and maintain discipline within the Institute. However, the scholars privately refer to them as "simple-minded humanoid mushroom beasts," "paper-shredding machines," "Order-bearing beasts," and in short, not "human beings."

The disciplinary officers of the disciplinary council have maintained an impressive record of "100% guilty plea rate" to this day—in other words, no one who has been investigated by the disciplinary officers is innocent.

For ordinary matters, such as minor "administrative review" cases, the disciplinary officers wouldn't even need to get involved. The instructors would just pass the buck among themselves, going through the motions for thirty working days, then another thirty working days, and it would drag on forever... But if a Mondstadt "honorable knight" complains to the disciplinary officer that they have been illegally harmed by an instructor, the disciplinary officer would inevitably have to investigate Sharif, even if it was out of respect for the Knights of Favonius.

Sharif knew very well what would happen after being investigated by the disciplinary officer—to put it another way, even his argument with his daughter Anaye could be classified as "domestic violence," and he could be charged with damaging the reputation of the Church—and he really did slap Anaye before she ran away from home.

His announcement at the Zubair Theatre was indeed a decision of the Church, not an abuse of power by an individual... But for the disciplinary officers, what's wrong with finding a charge to punish him, appeasing the "Knight of Honor" lady, and incidentally adding a bit of political achievement in upholding the reputation of the Church?

Furthermore, if this broker named "Han Jiangxue" really did have connections within the disciplinary officials and added fuel to the fire... his job as an instructor, his future as a scholar, and even his family would likely come to an end.

There is no doubt that this is a threat.

It was a threat that Sharif had no choice but to accept.

Sharif's lips trembled with anger as he gritted his teeth and whispered, "I'll say it again, this is the decision of the Council of the Fathers, and I have no authority to change it..."

Han Fulai smiled and said, "As I said, I will apply for administrative reconsideration. As far as I know, the administrative reconsideration of the Religious Council will have a result within three working days at the earliest. Moreover, citizens of Sumeru have the right to request the Religious Council officers who come to conduct the review to hold a hearing. Mr. Zuber and Miss Nilu should be able to exercise this legitimate right, right?"

Chapter 47: Just so-so, Liyue is third [4k]

Sharif gave Han Fulai a deep look.

Are you... sure you want to hold an administrative review hearing?

"Of course!" Han Fulai's smile remained unchanged. "I've heard that there's a saying in your Church of Christ, 'Truth becomes clearer through debate,' is that right?"

Sharif adjusted his glasses: "Yes. This is a famous quote from my teacher's teacher, the ancient 'Analects' sage Vestam."

Han Fulai curled the corners of his mouth, his words brimming with provocation: "Do you dare accept the challenge from the Zuber Troupe?"

Sharif squinted and looked around.

His gaze swept over the faces of Ying, Paimon, Nilu, Zubair, and others, before finally settling on Han Fulai's face: "As long as the Order of the Church permits, as an Order Officer, I will of course cooperate... even if it's just a waste of time."

After saying this, he said nothing more and strode away from the Zubair Theater.

This time, Han Fulai did not stop him and let him leave.

Only after Sharif's figure had completely disappeared did Ying and Paimon finally lose their curiosity: "What is this 'hearing' you're talking about?"

"Yes, that Sharif had always had that attitude, so why did he suddenly become so agreeable when he heard about the 'hearing'?"

The theater manager, Mr. Zubair, answered their questions: "It's a 'debate.' According to the tradition of the College of the Church, when scholars have academic disagreements, they often hold a public debate, inviting all the scholars present to judge the views of both sides and determine the winner."

"This tradition has also been adopted in the administrative rules of the Council of Religious Affairs—people who disagree with the Council of Religious Affairs’ administrative decisions can apply for a hearing to publicly discuss the legality and applicability of the administrative order in front of all the scholars and members of the public. If someone can refute the scholars of the Council of Religious Affairs, the administrative order will be revoked."

"I see, that's quite convenient."

"As long as we can refute that Sharif at the hearing, the celebration can continue, right?"

Ying and Paimon both nodded, looking relieved.

Kulosh, Ricard, and others saw hope in saving the troupe and were greatly encouraged; smiles returned to many of their faces.

But Manager Zubair sighed dejectedly: "Alas, you don't know yet, holding a hearing is the worst option... It means that the conclusion of the hearing will simultaneously represent the will of the Vicarage and the people, becoming an unalterable final conclusion."

"In other words, once Sharif wins the hearing, the theater will have to be demolished and the 'Flora Festival' will have to be canceled, with no way to reverse the situation."

“Originally, we might have been able to try to find someone and think of another way…” He looked at Han Fulai, his expression very complicated: “Mr. Jiang Xue, I know you meant well, and I am very grateful for your help to the troupe before, but this time… sigh…”

Han Fulai chuckled nonchalantly: "Mr. Zubair, why do you have to boost the morale of others while diminishing your own? Whether you can win the argument or not, we'll only know after we try."

Paimon tilted his head: "Yeah, as long as we win the debate against Sharif, that's all that matters, isn't it?"

“…It’s precisely because there’s no way to win! Trying to defeat the Council of the Vatican through debate is like throwing an egg against a rock.” Zubair shook his head. “I’ve seen several hearings in the Grand Bazaar before, mostly about appeals against administrative orders, and the results were always victories for the scholars from the Council of the Vatican…”

"Those scholars spend all day holed up in the Academy studying how to debate, either with their mouths or with their papers. How can we ordinary people possibly beat those scholars in debating?"

“There’s no need to be so pessimistic, is there? The ‘Flower Knight’ in the story often wins against all odds, and this is a play you wrote, Mr. Zubair!” Paimon clenched his little fist to cheer Zubair on, but all he got in return was Zubair shaking his head and sighing.

A middle-aged man wearing a monocle next to him also spoke up: "No, drama is just drama after all; it's unlikely to happen in reality. In reality, there's often more regret. Hmm, perhaps a regretful ending is also a kind of beauty..."

The man's name was Ghassani, a guest playwright in the troupe. He was said to have been a famous playwright in the past, but now he was down on his luck because he could no longer write excellent plays. Ghassani was on good terms with Mr. Zubair, so Zubair would occasionally ask him to help with some scripts or stage designs.

The most distinctive feature of this Mr. Ghassani is probably that he is a literary youth.

Although he was well past forty, he was no different from a fourteen-year-old in his artistic sensibilities; he could even find a touch of "beauty" in the forced disbandment of his theater troupe...

At this moment, Miss Anaye, who was standing to the side, also stopped crying and whispered, "I don't want to be negative, but my father is not an easy person to deal with."

"He is Tosata of the 'Gnosticism' school, and also an expert in linguistics and logic. He showed extraordinary talent while studying at the College of the Sangha, and was taken as a disciple by the wise Kavaja. He has published many academic works and is currently the most promising scholar in the school to be promoted to the position of Habantha."

“I’ve heard that my father won the ‘Best Debater’ award four times in a row in the departmental debate competition within the Faculty of Education when he was young, and my mother was one of his admirers back then…”

“I’ve debated with my father before, on both academic and everyday topics… but I’ve never won even once. He’s incredibly knowledgeable, logically rigorous, and extremely demanding. He’ll seize on even the slightest slip of the tongue and relentlessly attack it… Honestly, debating with him is a terrifying experience…”

Anaye is, after all, Shariputra's daughter and the person in the world who knows Shariputra best. Given her statement, it's easy to imagine how slim the chances are of winning the argument against Shariputra.

Kurosh and the others, who had just been happy for a short while, were once again filled with worry.

At this moment, Nil, who had been silent all along, stepped forward: "Mr. Zuber, Miss Anaye, what you said earlier is all correct. Our opponents are the Church Council, that very powerful Mr. Sharif... Everyone knows they are very strong, so perhaps it is normal not to have high expectations."

“But I still want to give it a try. I would be very unwilling to say goodbye to the Zubair Theatre like this.”

“I believe it’s not just me, but others who feel the same way. Since we’re not reconciled, we should unite our voices and speak out.”

She clasped her hands in front of her chest and looked intently at everyone in the theater.

"After saying what needs to be said and doing what needs to be done, even if we don't get the result we want, we won't have any regrets for the future."

"—Because all we can control is the 'choice' we make right now."

"I think we should start preparing now, gather everyone's opinions, and strive to say everything we want to say in one go on the day of the debate. Individually, we may not be a match for Mr. Sharif, but if we add up everyone in the theater, it's not necessarily a match for him, is it?"

"As Mr. Jiang Xue just said, holding a hearing is our right, and I also want to exercise our right to debate with Sharif and protect this theater with my own hands!"

Just like her dance, her words had the same infectious power, and the atmosphere in the theater immediately became lively.

Miss Ricard clenched her fist: "Challenging the Order of the Church reminds me of my youth! Fearless and always heading towards the most dangerous places. In Sharif's eyes, Nel's actions may seem naive, but naivety is precisely what they lack most, and perhaps it will have unexpected effects?"

Kurosh patted his chest and said, "If you need my help, just ask. It's better than doing nothing and watching the theater get demolished. By the way, we'll call all our friends here and the theater's guests to cheer Nel on. If things get out of hand, we'll create a commotion and drown out that Sharif's voice!"

Ghassani pulled out his notebook and started writing in his "inspiration notes." Not only did he write, but he also read it aloud: "Stories of the weak overcoming the strong will never be absent. That's romance, that's art!"

Even Mr. Zubair nodded with some emotion: "Yes, that's right. The situation can't get any worse, so there's no harm in trying."

Only Anaye remained with her head bowed: "...I understand what everyone is thinking. Before, I was always under that person's oppression, feeling this resentment, this anger. I tried to resist, but in the end, only deeper hurt came... Ah..."

Realizing she had said something inappropriate for the atmosphere, Anaye lowered her head even further.

Sharif's targeting of the Zubair Theatre was likely related to her runaway daughter. Now that everyone has finally mustered the courage to confront Sharif, her appearance to dampen their enthusiasm makes one question her stance.

Some people in the troupe immediately started looking at Anaye with less friendly eyes.

Nilu quickly stepped in front of Anaye, gently comforting her, "Miss Anaye, I understand how you feel..."

Anaye said softly, "I'm sorry, I ruined the mood. I just... couldn't force myself to expect a good outcome, and I didn't want to see you, Nilu, striving for the impossible..."

When she ran away from home, she was destitute and had nowhere to stay in the city. It was Nilu, who was working on the "Flora Festival," who noticed that something was wrong with her and brought her back to the Zuber Theater.

Because she was someone Nel brought back, Mr. Zuber and everyone in the troupe didn't ask about her background at all and accepted her with great tolerance. This allowed her to escape her strict father and live in the troupe as a prop engineer.

In truth, Sharif allowed her to run away from home because he felt his daughter was incapable of breaking free from the protection of her family and the church, and would soon have to return and apologize. Without Nilu, Anaye's "running away from home" would have been just like any other, turning into a complete farce amidst her father's disappointed gaze and mocking words.

Therefore, Anaye was unwilling to watch Miss Nilu, who had been kind to her, crash into the high walls of the Church and suffer harm she shouldn't have to endure...

Seeing the people in the troupe sighing and complaining, Ying couldn't help but ask, "Um, as your 'title sponsor,' may I make a suggestion?"

Zuber nodded quickly: "Of course, Miss Ying, please speak."

Ying cleared her throat: "Ahem, does everyone remember who proposed holding a hearing?"

All eyes turned to the bearded man who had been observing from the sidelines.

Ying also looked at Han Fulai: "Hey, my authorized agent, Mr. 'Mixed-River Dragon,' isn't it your turn to step in?"

Paimon clapped his hands: "That's right! Let him represent the Zuber Troupe on stage, he'll definitely beat that Sharif!"

"what?"

The troupe members looked on with surprise. In fact, they had only met Han Jiangxue once last night and had a meal together. They didn't know much about her.

But no one would think that this man with a rough,江湖-like air about him could win a debate against a scholar from the Order of the Church.

Nilu knew that this Mr. Jiang Xue had extensive connections, was skilled in medicine, and could even produce magical artifacts... but this didn't seem to have anything to do with the debate.

Moreover, this is a matter for the Zubair Theatre, and protecting the Zubair Theatre should be the theatre company's own responsibility. It's inappropriate to hand it over to outsiders...

Yingmei proudly put her hands on her hips and loudly proclaimed, "Let me introduce you to Mr. Han... Jiangxue, who is the most eloquent person I have ever met. He is especially good at deceiving... I mean, debating! If Sharif is the 'best debater' of the Order of the Fathers, then he is the 'best debater' of Liyue!"

Han Fulai waved his hand modestly: "So-so, third place in Liyue."

Paimon glanced sideways: "You're third. Who are the first two?"

Han Fulai immediately replied, "One is named Zhongli, and the other is named Ganyu."

“Uh…” Paimon was speechless.

Seeing how confident they were, a glimmer of hope ignited in Zubair's eyes as well.

He hadn't thought things through much in his emotional state after the theater was forcibly shut down, but now, reflecting on it more carefully, he increasingly felt that Han Jiangxue was no ordinary person.

In fact, it was Han Jiangxue who, with just a few words, provoked the stubborn Sharif into agreeing to hold a hearing, which gave the troupe the opportunity to completely overturn the administrative decision of the Church.

Otherwise, no matter how much they try to pull strings and find connections, they can only get through this immediate crisis at best... Even if they get through today, what about tomorrow? What about the day after tomorrow? If Sharif keeps a close eye on the Zubair Theater, he can come and cause trouble whenever he wants, and they won't be able to do anything about it.

The troupe can only survive if it defeats Sharif in a head-on hearing!

Han Jiangxue's ability to find the key to breaking the deadlock in such a short time and seize it firmly, turning it into a real opportunity... this keen insight alone is beyond the reach of ordinary people!

Thinking of this, Zuber quickly stepped forward and bowed to Han Fulai: "If I may ask, does Mr. Jiang Xue have a way to defeat the Order Council? If you need anything, just say the word!"

Han Fulai smiled slightly: "Mr. Zuber, you are mistaken. What we need to defeat is not the abstract 'Hall of Faith,' but the 'concrete person' that is Patriarch Sharif. As long as someone is human, they will have weaknesses. Therefore..."

He looked at Anaye.

"Miss Anaye, could you have a proper talk with me about your father?"

Chapter 48 The Inevitable Strategies for Debating [4k5]

Mr. Zubair led everyone in the troupe to prepare for the "hearing".

They were going to contact the theater's regulars and their friends living in the Grand Bazaar one by one, inviting them to attend the "hearing." Although the outcome of the competition had nothing to do with the audience's opinions, having more people and creating a "home field" atmosphere could potentially overwhelm Sharif with sheer force of will.

Han Fulai and the others went with Anaye to the prop preparation room backstage of the theater. This was where Anaye, as the prop engineer of the troupe, was temporarily staying, and it was also the place where she felt most at ease to talk.

However, Anaye started packing her things and organizing her belongings as soon as she returned to the prop room, looking like she was preparing to move.

“I… plan to leave the Zubair Theatre Company,” she said.

Nilu quickly stopped Anaye: "Why? Is it because you still think there's no hope in the debate?"

Anaye lowered her head and said, "I've caused everyone too much trouble. The matter started because of me, and it will be resolved as soon as I leave. Once I leave, my father will stop causing trouble for the theater... Everyone here is the kindest and most enthusiastic person I've ever met, and they shouldn't suffer misfortune because of me."

Nilu held Anaye's shoulder: "Listen to me, Anaye. Even if this really happened because of you, no one will blame you."

"You are part of the theater, and that means you are someone we must protect. No matter what happens, we will stand together!"

Anaye's eyes reddened, and she almost burst into tears again.

But she still shook her head firmly: "There will always be sacrifices, Nel. It's either me or the theater. There's no way to have it both ways... Besides, you can't win a debate against the Faculty, especially when the opponent is my father..."

"I can't pretend I didn't hear that."

Han Fulai leaned against the door of the prop room and said leisurely, "Then let's have a 'debate,' Miss Anaye. The topic is, 'Can your departure save the Zuber Theater?' Convince me, and you can leave."

“Miss Nel, and Ying and Paimon, please act as referees for now.”

Anaye paused for a moment: "Is there any need to debate something so obvious?"

Han Fulai smiled and said, "You are also a student of the Academy of Teachings, so you should have heard the saying, 'Truth becomes clearer through debate.'"

Anaye stared at him for a long time before finally speaking her "argument": "The Zubair Theatre has been in the Grand Bazaar for ten years, and it holds a celebration every year during the 'Flora Festival,' and the Church has never interfered."

“My father, Sharif, served as an instructor for nearly twenty years, and the Grand Bazaar was always his jurisdiction. As you know, he has always despised song and dance. I once heard him say, ‘Song and dance are the most superficial things in the world, and there should be no place for art in the realm of noble wisdom.’ He even… he even used Miss Nilu and her friends as a negative example to warn me…”

Although Anaye didn't say her father's exact words, everyone can imagine what he would have said—nothing more than, "If you don't study hard and find a way out now, you'll end up singing, dancing, rapping, and becoming a Nilu in the future..."

"...But in the past, he would at most grumble a few words, criticizing the troupe's performance for not being 'intelligent' enough, and he had never targeted the Zubair Troupe like this time."

"It wasn't until I ran away from home and came to this theater recently that he suddenly came over and issued a notice demanding that the theater troupe stop performing and even demolish the theater..."

“This theater sheltered me, allowing me to escape him and live the life I wanted… In his eyes, it was this theater and the people in it that caused his daughter to ‘fall’ and stray from ‘wisdom,’ and that brought him shame…”