Ningguang felt her heart flutter.
Truth be told, she had never felt this way about a man in all her years. During the age when others were preoccupied with romance, her only thought had been how to earn more Mora. By the time she had accumulated vast wealth, she had long since lost interest in such matters. Consequently, she had no idea what a "fluttering heart" was actually supposed to feel like.
Beidou claimed this feeling was love, and Ningguang had no way to argue otherwise.
Entering the hall, she took her seat at the head of the room while Ye Xi sat by her side. Even with this slight distance between them, she could still feel the Elemental Power within her body acting restlessly. It wasn't until her three secretaries served the tea and she took a sip that her emotions finally began to settle.
"Ye Xi, I have often heard Beidou mention your affairs."
"I heard you have traveled across the land of Inazuma. Now that you have returned to your homeland, what do you think of Liyue Harbor?"
As she spoke, Ningguang gazed out through the porthole at the harbor city below. From the heights of the Jade Chamber, one could clearly see the entire panorama of Liyue Harbor.
Ye Xi nodded and said sincerely, "Returning to Liyue gives me a sense of belonging. Compared to the tranquility of Inazuma, Liyue is far more prosperous. Every street and alley is bustling with life."
To be honest, he was actually more worried about Mondstadt than Liyue. He wasn't sure what the situation was over there currently. He had heard that Ningguang maintained a correspondence with Acting Grand Master Jean of the Knights of Favonius, so perhaps he could get some advance information from her. That was his true purpose for coming here today.
Seeing this, Beidou, who was standing nearby, didn't hesitate to undermine her. She mocked Ningguang, saying, "Ye Xi, you don't understand what this woman is doing. She's just showing off the Jade Chamber to you!"
"You don't need to pay her any mind. Every time someone new steps onto the Jade Chamber, she has to make a big display of it."
"Beidou, you!"
Ningguang glared at Beidou, fuming. For a moment, she felt a profound sense of frustration. Would it kill you not to undermine me for once?!
Ningguang was usually efficient, cold, and decisive in her work, but she had one hobby: showing off her pride and joy, the Jade Chamber. Her lifelong dream was for the shadow of the Jade Chamber to cover all of Teyvat's Seven Nations.
Thus, whenever a guest arrived, she would recount its history. It served both as a display of her financial power and a way to exert pressure on others. After all, anyone who saw a floating island suspended in the sky would be rightfully impressed.
Ye Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I see. The Jade Chamber is indeed remarkable. The scenery is incomparable."
While he praised it outwardly, he sighed inwardly.
[If I remember correctly, this Jade Chamber is Ningguang's life's work. Even before she became the Tianquan, she began spending massive amounts of wealth to build it. Reaching its current scale was no easy feat.]
[It's a pity that it won't be long before the Jade Chamber is reduced to ruins.]
Hearing Ye Xi's inner voice, Ningguang was initially curious about how he knew so much about the Jade Chamber's origins. But when she heard that last sentence, her brows furrowed involuntarily.
The Jade Chamber was perfectly fine; how could it be destroyed? Was he just talking nonsense?
Ningguang had intended to dismiss it as a random thought, but Beidou suddenly looked at her with a dead-serious expression. That look made it clear that Beidou took Ye Xi's inner thoughts very seriously.
Could something really happen to the Jade Chamber?
Although she and Beidou bickered constantly, the Captain's devotion to Liyue was genuine. If that was the case, she might as well try to pry for more information indirectly.
Ningguang pondered for a moment before continuing the conversation. "The Jade Chamber uses a massive Sunset Cloud Floatstone as its core. It could protect Liyue for hundreds or even thousands of years. However, Rex Lapis once said that all things must eventually face the fate of Erosion."
"Even the Jade Chamber I built with my own hands will one day fall into decline. Ye Xi, how long do you think the Jade Chamber can protect Liyue?"
As long as she kept the topic focused on the Jade Chamber, she believed she could coax more information out of Ye Xi's inner voice. Sure enough, his thoughts soon echoed in her mind.
[Protecting Liyue for hundreds or thousands of years...]
[It'll be gone as soon as the Rite of Descension is over. If there's any protecting to be done, it'll have to wait until it's rebuilt.]
[Anyway, why dwell on this? I didn't come here for small talk. I need to hurry up and ask about Mondstadt.]
With that thought, Ye Xi smiled and said, "Ningguang, I don't have an answer to a question like that. By the way, I heard you are in correspondence with Acting Grand Master Jean of Mondstadt. I was hoping to learn a bit about the current situation there."
Ningguang immediately caught the vital piece of information.
The Rite of Descension!
Indeed, that annual ceremony was fast approaching. Could some kind of catastrophe occur then? Ningguang instantly grew solemn. The Rite of Descension was the most important event in Liyue; nothing could be allowed to go wrong.
She wanted to press him for more details, but Ye Xi had already steered the conversation away. It would look suspicious if she kept pushing the subject. She would have to find a way to ask later. Beidou also seemed to give her a subtle look, hinting that she should stop there for now.
Ningguang nodded. "You mean the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius? I only just received a letter from her yesterday. Mondstadt is currently peaceful, and the winds of freedom still circle their lands."
Hearing this, Ye Xi breathed a sigh of relief.
[It seems Stormterror hasn't started attacking Mondstadt yet.]
[Right, according to the timeline, there's at least another month before the Stormterror Incident begins. There's plenty of time. In that case, I can take my time traveling there and enjoy the sights.]
[I might as well stay in Liyue for a few days and enjoy its prosperity. The only problem is, I don't have much Mora on me. I'll probably have to settle for a cheap guesthouse.]
[I need to find a way to get some Mora.]
[Wait, Mora?]
Ye Xi suddenly remembered something and asked, "Ningguang, I recall you have a rule here. Anyone who brings a greeting gift is allowed to take one document from that wall, right?"
Ye Xi pointed to a nearby wall covered in various papers. These were all important documents marking the direction of Liyue's development. Whenever Ningguang finished solving a difficult problem,
she would shred the related documents and toss them out the window. The scraps would drift down into Liyue Harbor like snow. Countless people racked their brains trying to piece those fragments together; even a tiny bit of information could make someone rich and powerful overnight.
Being able to take an entire intact page was worth an unimaginable sum.
Ningguang nodded. There was indeed such a rule. However, very few people were ever qualified to set foot on the Jade Chamber aside from the Qixing, only her three secretaries were allowed. Someone coming here for the first time and bringing a greeting gift was a rare occurrence; it didn't even happen once a year.
Ningguang nodded and said, "That is correct. If you are interested, feel free to pick one."
That was exactly what Ye Xi was waiting for. He stood up and walked to the wall to examine the papers. However, the contents were incredibly profound. How could a newcomer like him understand the intricacies of Liyue's various policies?
[This is a bit of a hassle. If I have to find a buyer, who knows how long that will take.]
[How about...]
Ye Xi suddenly looked up and asked, "Ningguang, could I just have the cash value instead?"
Ningguang: "..."
"Pfft hahaha!"
Beside them, Beidou burst into boisterous laughter. Seeing Ningguang's expression freeze, she simply couldn't hold it back.
"Hahahaha! As expected of Brother Ye Xi! Only you would think of that!"
"Cash! Haha, cash out..."
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