"This guy wants to lower next year's agricultural taxes because a fortune teller told him the weather conditions won't be suitable for farming? Seriously?"
Gu Sanqiu crumpled the document in his hands, along with the attached biography and achievements of the so-called fortune teller, and tossed the whole thing aside.
"Why doesn't he just claim the fortune teller said tomorrow will bring perfect weather and universal peace, so he should inherit the Geo Archon's position?"
"And this—why am I looking at a love letter from some rich young master at Yujing Terrace addressed to you? Do the people below really know how to do their jobs, or are they just pocketing bribes?"
"What's the harm? If a single letter can ease their financial burdens, I think that's fine."
"Alright, I guess your sense of compassion is greater than mine."
"Should I teach that Yujing Terrace brat a lesson, then?"
"Don't do anything rash."
Gu Sanqiu glanced at Ningguang, who looked unbothered. "Alright, fine. But, Sis, how does such ridiculous paperwork, involving a fortune teller of all things, even make it to the Jade Chamber? Are you sure this isn't some fool's idea of a joke?"
"The person who submitted this is a major agricultural tycoon. He controls roughly fifteen percent of Liyue's crop production, so his submissions deserve a modicum of respect."
Ningguang's tone was calm. "Ignore the content of the document. As for the fortune teller, have someone investigate them. If they've managed to influence such a prominent merchant, they must either be genuinely skilled or be working under the influence of some malevolent force."
"Or there's another possibility: the merchant himself may have noticed something suspicious about the fortune teller but can't deal with it openly, so he's using this to ask for help."
"A malevolent spirit, huh?"
Gu Sanqiu's interest was piqued. "Want me to handle it? I can conduct a thorough search under the guise of being from the spiritual sects. We'll turn their house upside down—whether it's malevolent spirits, tax evasion, bribery, or abuse of power, we'll find it all. How about that?"
"Don't be reckless. This came through official channels. You don't hold an official position, so barging in could cause conflict or alert certain parties."
Ningguang took a sip of tea. "Keep the main document. Toss the supplementary materials."
"We're keeping this nonsense?"
Gu Sanqiu paused with another document in hand. "What for? To line the trash bin?"
"It's not trash. Jade Snowfall is a fitting name, don't you think?"
"To me, it's no different from throwing out the trash. Trust me on this."
Gu Sanqiu shrugged. "Still, Sis, I have to hand it to you. Using misinformation like this to manipulate people—regardless of where the policy leans, it'll end up benefiting Liyue's economy overall."
"This isn't misinformation. In a way, it's all true."
Ningguang explained, "For those who receive this information, whether they choose to increase agricultural investment or reallocate funds elsewhere, they'll be prepared and minimize losses. It's better than sitting idly and waiting for policy changes without any plan."
"Alright. When I told Childe I'd spread a plague, I was just hoping he'd poke around Liyue's medicinal sector, boost sales at Bubu Pharmacy, and keep Baizhu busy."
Gu Sanqiu nodded to himself. "So next year's agricultural policies are actually changing?"
"Most likely. The Secret Archive has made progress on the projects you suggested. That tycoon might have connections in the Archive, which is why he's considering climate issues."
"Plus, some of the content is true, while some is a red herring. It gives the recipients a form of short-term currency for bartering, even if the specifics don't directly concern them."
"You're all too good at this game. I'll stick to processing paperwork honestly."
With Gu Sanqiu's help, the pile of documents in the Jade Chamber was quickly sorted. Useful ones were set aside, while the rest were discarded in a growing heap.
Based on past practices, these discarded papers would either be burned for fuel or used as part of misinformation campaigns during critical times.
"Sigh. And this is just one day's work. You're impressive for doing this regularly. If I had to spend my days reading documents and making policy decisions, I'd rather be out fighting malevolent spirits."
"Thanks to the elixirs you've provided to Yuehai Pavilion staff, while the workload remains exhausting, our health is still manageable. For that, we're grateful."
Another secretary, Baishi, smiled. "Of course, if you could lower the cost of those elixirs for Yuehai Pavilion orders, I'm sure even more people would thank you."
"That's out of my hands. The costs are fixed; there's nothing I can do."
Gu Sanqiu slumped onto the desk. "I've even heard rumors of people reselling those elixirs, which are meant as benefits, to practitioners at a high price. Is that true?"
"Should I issue a ban on that?"
The moment Ningguang posed the question, Gu Sanqiu knew it was indeed happening.
"Forget it. It's a small matter. As long as they don't come asking me for more, I don't mind. Let them experiment with them if it keeps them out of trouble."
Gu Sanqiu couldn't help but feel relieved that his ancestors had relinquished the title of the sect leader.
If his family still bore that title, endless issues would pile up, leaving him no choice but to abandon his leisurely life and dive headfirst into the grind of responsibility.
"Sanqiu, logically speaking, over time, techniques for elixirs and talismans should improve. Why are the items your family produces still considered unparalleled?"
"Ah, that's not entirely accurate."
Gu Sanqiu shook his head. "You don't understand this field. During the Archon War, the spiritual sects shifted toward martial arts because it offered faster results and immediate combat readiness."
"After we won, some sects leaned further into martial arts, reducing their investment in elixirs and talismans to a bare minimum—just enough to keep up with the times."
"My family, however, continued refining this craft, which is why outsiders mistakenly see it as extraordinary."
"There are probably other sects researching this, but they're even more reclusive than we are, so finding them is tough."
"Most people seeking my elixirs likely need them for urgent healing or calming purposes. Only a small fraction use them for research or power enhancement."
"Besides, if they're buying at high prices, it's because practitioners hiding in Minlin don't have many ways to earn extra income. Mass production is nearly impossible for them."
"Speaking of malevolent spirits, we received a report recently. An adventurer spotted a massive battle involving malevolent spirits in the wild.
"And at the center of it all was a green glow and a young man wielding a spear. That wasn't you, was it?"
---
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