Interlude 3 - Let the Contract be made, though the Heavens fall
Ningguang sat in her office in the Yuehai Pavilion, and pondered the future of Liyue.
This was the worst disaster in their people's history since 3700 years ago, when the Guili Assembly fell. Indeed, when a reclusive Sea God waged his final war, half of the Assembly was submerged beneath the waves, and the other half never recovered. In the end, when the Lord of Dust was slain by his spawn, they fled south, to Liyue.
Thankfully, this war was smothered in its crib. But not without a price. The death toll was insurmountable, the cemeteries and even the crematories were over capacity, morgues have taken to throwing bodies into the still boiling Sea of Clouds to cremate them.
The lower half of the City was completely levelled, every ship in the harbour is gone. Decades of effort, not just her effort, but of every soul that lived here, gone in a day. Already Fontaine was flexing their political power, eager to become the next mercantile powerhouse. Not if Ningguang had anything to say about it.
She had learnt long ago to not put all her eggs in one basket. Already, the Qixing has voted to recall every vessel they had abroad once the Sea of Clouds cools down. Furthermore, aid was constantly flowing into the Liyue from other cities in the region, tents for the displaced, medication for the wounded, and more.
Unfortunately, even this silver lining casts a dark shadow. Cities located on the fringe of the Qixing's power are distancing themselves from Liyue, hoping to take advantage of their sudden weakness. They are plying for more autonomy, and to Ningguang's frustration, she can't do anything about it.
After they recover, she will push the Qixing to send the Millelith, to punish them for their disloyalty. With this thought, she resolved herself. Much has to be done to recover still, she has no illusions, she knows that their losses will take years, if not decades, to recoup. But when has she ever let a difficult task stop her?
She shuffled the documents on her desk. A certain report caught her eye, indeed Jin Castle was raided. Every witness swore that this is the work of the Fatui, but to what end? What could the Fatui gain from acting so boldly?
Was it Mora? She doubted it, but the reports state that at least 82 million Mora was missing from the Vaults.
She looked at another report. A Millelith survivor says that he saw a blonde figure rushing into the Golden House a few hours after the Fatui forced their way in. Was it Aether, the same peculiar man who brought down the Sky?
"…"
She had already contacted the Snezhnayan Embassy in the City, and they are swearing up and down that the raid on Jin Castle was the act of a Harbinger gone rogue. He has since gone missing, but Zapolyarny Palace is on the hunt for him.
'On the hunt,' huh? She snorted. Like fuck she was going to believe them, they are probably going to give him a slap on the wrist and let him off. She penned a letter for the Embassy, acting in her authority as Tianquan over the Judicial Code of Liyue. She demands that when caught, the Harbinger stands trial in Liyue using their legal system.
She will not allow the Qixing to show any weakness, even if it means antagonising Zapolyarny Palace. Mondstadt had done the same, hells, Mondstadt orchestrated the most brutal and efficient purge in living history, and the Palace couldn't do anything but watch.
The Palace believes that they act in the will of the Cryo Archon, but even they are hemmed in by human politics. Mondstadt had always taken a neutral stance, and was always willing to mediate discourse between the other nations. For them to act so brutally against the Fatui, well, the Fatui must've fucked up somewhere quite royally.
And there is nothing they can do to retaliate. Snezhnaya imports 50% of their food from Mondstadt, 30% from Fontaine and 20% is grown locally. If Zapolyarny Palace sets trade sanctions on Mondstadt, they'd starve their own people. Either that or subject themselves to the astronomically high prices Fontaine sets on their own exports, she knows because the Yaoguang always complains during their board meetings about how ridiculous Fontaine's tariffs are.
As for military action? The Anemo Archon is silent, not sleeping. Meteorologists have been reporting changes in wind currents and storm behaviour. Now that Rex Lapis' is 'dead,' Lord Barbatos is the oldest Archon, and if she learnt anything from the magi, it is that the older you are, the more tricks you have up your sleeve.
It is at times like this that Ningguang can only shake her head at the Fatui's policies and ask herself, what the hell were they thinking? Are they planning on antagonising every nation on Teyvat?
Even in Liyue, the Fatui knows the Qixing has them by the balls. They have been harassing Liyuean caravans in the north, Mondstadt had informed them, and now they have raided a government institution. All she has to do is release this information to the public, and the people will riot to get them out.
But Ningguang was anything but impatient, so she'll wait, and she'll squeeze every concession out of them before purging them from Liyue as well.
Still, the Overlord's unsealing is still a matter that hangs over the Qixing's head like a dark shadow. Had Rex Lapis planned this? Was it a matter of age, or faulty sealing? Was this the plot of some hidden enemy?
She sighed, last she'd heard, the astrologer was still in the City. While she hates to incur further debt to a single person, she has no choice if she wishes to get to the bottom of this. She penned a letter for the astrologer, and hoped for a favourable reply.
"Thank you for accepting my invitation, Lady Mona."
"What do you want?"
Brusque as ever, Ningguang thought. Still, she was thankful for the lack of etiquette and formality, she won't have to waste as much time spitting meaningless pleasantries.
"Your companion was seen at Jin Castle, entering the Golden House, what was he doing there?"
She was careful not to imply that he may have been in cahoots with the Fatui.
"Fucking up the Harbinger, I suppose."
"..."
Well, that explains a lot, actually.
"Do you know what the Harbinger wanted from the House?"
"Is this an interrogation?"
"We will imburse you handsomely, I assure you."
The astrologer went quiet, possibly trying to figure out if she can coax out more benefits.
She sighed, "Very well."
Then continued, "The Harbinger, Tartaglia, was there for Morax's Gnosis. Aether had informed me of what had transpired when he returned. After being defeated quite handily, Tartaglia used numerous Sigils of Permission to unseal the Overlord. Unfortunately, I am not quite sure how stealing a Gnosis and unsealing a god are associated with each other."
She didn't need to, Ningguang had already figured out the Harbinger's plan. Somehow, he knows Rex Lapis is still alive, and unsealed the Overlord to draw him out. Thankfully Rex Lapis is quite dedicated to his act of staying dead.
Still, there is one matter left unfinished.
"And what do you know of the missing Mora?"
Lady Mona gave her a pretty smile.
"Think of it as payment for him fighting off the Harbinger and defeating the Overlord. Don't worry, we'll donate some of it back to help fund reconstruction efforts in the City."
She had underestimated her. Well played.
Ningguang sighed. "Very well, thank you for your time. Do you know when your companion is returning?"
The astrologer shrugged, "Isn't that up to fate? He is still alive, that I know, I've seen it in the stars. So you need not worry."
Of course she'd seen it in the stars, why wouldn't she? Perhaps she should take up astrology, Ningguang thought, it seems a very helpful and versatile skill.
Lady Mona stood up. "Can I buy some bottles of rice wine? I'll pay a premium price."
She even had the gall to wink.
Ningguang leaned back in her chair. It has been a long day, and she suspects the following days will be similar.
But no matter, the Liyue of now is her life's work. God or no god, she won't stop until Liyue is the shining beacon of Teyvat, illuminating the way for the rest to follow.
Follow into an age where gods are a relic of the past, a new Age of Humanity.