After the intense war finally came to a close, Liyue ushered in an unprecedented social transformation. The former system of the Qixing and Eight Trades was completely abolished, replaced by a brand-new government structure: the Cabinet, the Censorate, and the Celestial Oversight Commission.
In the subsequent Liyue general election, Ningguang was elected as Liyue's first Chief of the Cabinet with an overwhelming majority. She quickly formed a new Cabinet, completely dissolved her own chamber of commerce, and announced that she would never set foot in the world of business again. Even more noteworthy, Ningguang also issued a new policy: all administrative personnel must remain strictly neutral and are forbidden from engaging in commercial activities, so as to avoid competing for profit with the people. This series of measures was like a breath of fresh air, injecting new vitality into Liyue's commercial environment, and the market atmosphere grew more prosperous by the day.
However, this transformation was not celebrated by everyone. Many of the great merchants who had accumulated vast wealth under the old system were naturally unwilling to see their interests harmed. They banded together and launched a series of protests, attempting to pressure the new Cabinet into protecting their interests.
However, they all seemed to have overlooked the existence of the Censorate.
The first Director of the Censorate, Keqing, directly employed her thunderous methods, raiding the homes and confiscating the assets of these great merchants. Her swift and decisive style of action earned her the title "the Yide of Liyue" from many of Liyue's citizens.
Keqing did not reject this title. Ever since she had witnessed Lin Yide's god-slaying feat with her own eyes, she had come to regard him as her idol in her heart.
The Censorate's actions of confiscating assets sparked much criticism among the people and also attracted the attention of the Celestial Oversight Commission. The Chief Overseer of the Celestial Oversight Commission, Cloud Retainer, even intervened personally, strictly supervising the trial of the cases to ensure the fairness of the entire process.
...
In the splendid light of the early morning dawn, the Traveler (Aether) and Paimon walked aimlessly through the streets of Liyue.
"Traveler, how much longer do we have to wait to see Morax!" Paimon floated in mid-air, a hint of anxiety in her tone.
The Traveler glanced at the bustling scene around them and said helplessly, "It will probably be a while longer. Liyue is undergoing a transformation, and as the god of Liyue, he must be incredibly busy."
Paimon nodded. "You're right. Morax has always been known for his wisdom, not like that bard from Mondstadt who has nothing to do all day."
As they were talking, their attention was drawn to a quiet corner of the street—standing there was a shop they were all too familiar with, the Dove Coffee Shop.
The Traveler and Paimon were both stunned; they never expected to run into this shop here. For a moment, the two even suspected that their eyes were playing tricks on them. They immediately walked into the shop.
The situation inside was identical to the one in Mondstadt: empty and desolate, so quiet they could only hear their own footsteps. When they reached the counter, two familiar figures came into view—Deyi and Zhongli. The two seemed to be immersed in a novel card game.
Zhongli, with a smile, elegantly drew a card from his hand and placed it gently on the table. "Marshal Vritras, Fushe. With this, I have now assembled all the Yakshas. In the next round, I can activate the special combo skill—Vanquisher of Demons. Generally speaking, you have already lost."
Faced with this seemingly unbeatable situation, Lin Yide showed no signs of panic. He calmly selected a magnificent, gilded card from his own hand. "Consultant Zhongli, your skill is indeed admirable, but sometimes, pure skill appears pale and weak in the face of absolute power."
Under Zhongli's astonished gaze, Lin Yide revealed the gold card. "Rex Lapis, Morax. Activate skill—Immovable as a Golden Fortress. For the next two rounds, I will be immune to all attacks. Then, activate skill—Planet Befall, dealing ten thousand points of damage and petrifying you for two rounds. Consultant Zhongli, the one who has lost is you!"
Zhongli stared at the card printed with his divine regalia and fell into a long silence. After a good while, he finally spoke slowly, "The power of this god card is too far beyond the standard."
Lin Yide chuckled. If the god cards weren't overpowered, how could he "cut the leeks" (exploit the customers)?
Just then, he shifted his gaze to the Traveler and Paimon and greeted them enthusiastically, "Aether, Paimon, it's been a long time!"
Paimon floated in front of him and asked, puzzled, "Shopkeeper Deyi, don't you run a shop in Mondstadt? How did you end up in Liyue Harbor?"
Lin Yide showed a slightly helpless expression. "As you know, the people of Mondstadt aren't too interested in coffee. So, I decided to come to Liyue to try my luck."
Paimon couldn't help but retort, "But the people of Liyue prefer to drink tea, don't they?"
Lin Yide didn't mind. "It's fine. If it doesn't work out here either, I plan to go to Sumeru to open a shop. As far as I know, the people of Sumeru have a special fondness for coffee."
After a few pleasantries, the Traveler got down to business. "Shopkeeper Deyi, you are well-informed and possess great abilities. Is there any way for us to meet Rex Lapis?"
Lin Yide laughed upon hearing this. "Actually, the method is very simple. I'll tell you right now, and for free. You just need to turn your head and look at Consultant Zhongli."
The Traveler immediately turned to look at Zhongli, his eyes filled with astonishment. "You are Rex Lapis?"
Zhongli nodded slightly and said in a calm tone, "Liyue has already experienced 3,700 years under the rule of a god. It is time to move towards a new era of human governance. Therefore, I designed a trial for Liyue. The results proved that the system of divine rule is no longer suited to the needs of human rule, and a transformation is needed."
Hearing this, the Traveler and Paimon recalled the entire process of preparing for the Rite of Parting and felt utterly speechless. To plan one's own funeral... that was really something else.
Zhongli continued, "As a reward for preparing the Rite of Parting, if you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them."
The Traveler thought for a moment and asked, "I would like to know about Yide, the Director of the West Factory, and about Inazuma."
Zhongli was slightly surprised. "Regarding the situation with Yide, the Director of the West Factory, you can actually consult Shopkeeper Deyi. He has a deeper understanding of it than I do. As for Inazuma..." He paused, then continued, "Regarding this question, you should also ask Shopkeeper Deyi."
The Traveler replied in frustration, "But consulting Shopkeeper Deyi requires a lot of Mora."