aircannonsinc Chapter 1201 Zhongli's Two-Pronged Plans
Chapter 1201 Zhongli's Two-Pronged Plans
After listening to Keqing's worries about Liyue's future and her urgency to "save Liyue but not know how," Barbara knew that the time was ripe.
However, she still did not directly reveal Zhongli's plan. Instead, she took the opportunity to ask a question, guiding Keqing to think about it on her own.
"Then, Keqing, do you have any good ideas? For example, where should we start to gradually turn the current situation around?"
Hearing this question, Ke Qing felt a pang of pain and shook her head helplessly, her eyes filled with despair.
"This is the most pressing problem right now... I've thought about it for a long time, but I still have no clue what to do."
"I don't even know where to take the first step, that's why I'm confiding in you. Do you have any suggestions?"
Towards the end, Keqing's voice became pleading. She gripped Barbara's hand tightly, as if grasping at a last straw, desperately seeking help:
"Please, Miss Barbara... help me! I really want to save Liyue, I don't want to see it destroyed by desire!"
Barbara quickly considered the options in her mind. Saying "overthrow Ningguang" directly would be too abrupt and might cause Keqing to resist.
After much thought, she finally came up with a good idea: to use the history of Mondstadt as an example to subtly guide Keqing.
She gently patted Ke Qing's hand, signaling her to calm down.
"Don't rush, perhaps we can find inspiration from past stories. Do you know about the old aristocratic era of Mondstadt? That's the history before Lady Vanessa overthrew the Lawrence family."
Keqing paused for a moment when she heard "the old aristocratic era of Mondstadt," and recalled, "I've heard of it. When I was a child studying at a private school, my teacher mentioned it a few times."
"However, I am not very familiar with this period of history and am not clear about the specific details. I would like to hear more about it."
Seeing that Keqing didn't know much about it, Barbara began to tell Vanessa's story.
……
At the end, Barbara concluded with a spirited expression:
"In the end, thanks to the joint efforts of Lord Barbatos and Vanessa, the Lawrence family, who had betrayed their faith, were completely defeated, and Vanessa returned 'freedom' to the people of Mondstadt."
“From then on, Mondstadt truly became the ‘City of Freedom’.”
After listening to Barbara's story about Vanessa, Keqing remained silent for a moment before suddenly speaking and accurately summarizing the core logic of the story.
"Resisting tyranny and fighting for freedom... right?"
Barbara used Mondstadt's history as an example, and the implied meaning in her words was now clear to her.
Keqing asked uncertainly, "Are you trying to persuade me... to rebel? To defy Ningguang's current rule?"
“No! Of course not!” Upon hearing the word “rebellion,” Barbara immediately shook her head in denial, arguing:
"This isn't about whether or not to rebel; it's more like... a form of giving advice!"
“Look at Liyue now. Everyone is echoing Ningguang’s ideas. There is almost only one voice in Liyue, and no one dares to voice any different opinions.”
"In the story, the Wind God ultimately chose to forgive the Lawrence family... I'm not saying I'm going to do anything to Ningguang, I just..."
At this point, she was afraid that she might say something wrong and cause Ke Qing to misunderstand, thus ruining all her efforts.
Finally, Barbara pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and tried to justify her statement:
"The main reason I'm saying all this is to offer you a perspective, to help you look at the current problems from a different angle."
“You’re getting too caught up in things now, always thinking about ‘how to change the current situation all at once’.”
"Perhaps, an open and honest conversation, like if you have a good talk with Ningguang and express your concerns about Liyue's future and your dissatisfaction with the current situation, might be beneficial to Liyue's current state."
"Even if we can't reach an agreement, at least it will let her know that not everyone agrees with her approach."
Barbara knew that she absolutely could not say "You want to overthrow Ningguang" right now.
Things must be done step by step, and food must be eaten one bite at a time. Nothing can be accomplished overnight.
She must first guide Keqing to develop a concrete desire to "change the status quo" before slowly instilling the idea of "fighting Ningguang," otherwise it will only make Keqing feel fear and even completely refuse to cooperate.
Keqing stared into Barbara's sincere eyes and pondered her words several times in her mind, finally fully understanding the unspoken meaning.
Isn't it just about letting go of your worries and, as the Jade Balance Star, directly offering advice to Ningguang face-to-face?
It wasn't a rebellion after all. I gave myself quite a fright.
Once she understood this, she felt more confident.
“You’re right. I am Yuheng Star of Liyue. It is my duty to ‘observe the people’s livelihood and correct the abuses of the time’.”
“If the temple fair isn’t working, then I’ll go straight to the source and try to persuade Ningguang directly.”
She raised her hand to tidy her wind-blown hair, and her eyes gradually regained the decisiveness she once had as the Jade Balance Star, revealing the sharpness that belonged to a ruler once more.
Just then, Keqing suddenly remembered the "celebration banquet after the temple fair" that her parents had mentioned before. A good excuse came to her.
"We made a lot of Mora at this temple fair. Not only my parents, but Ningguang will definitely suggest holding a banquet as well. Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity!"
"I want to take this opportunity, during the temple fair celebration banquet, to have a frank talk with Ningguang. I will advise her to stop down the path of dictatorship and make some concessions!"
"If she's willing to listen, we can work together to adjust our policies and continue to build Liyue well; if she's not willing..."
At this point, Ke Qing paused, not finishing her sentence.
She still held a sliver of hope that Ningguang would consider Liyue's future and change her mind.
Barbara nodded gently as she watched Keqing regain her composure.
She knew in her heart that this was the best situation she could achieve at this stage. It neither exposed Zhongli's plan nor prevented Keqing from taking the initiative to take action.
Next, we'll see if Ningguang is truly the stubborn dictator Zhongli described.
If Ningguang's negotiations with Keqing break down at the victory celebration, completely extinguishing Keqing's expectations, then the "overthrow plan" can proceed smoothly.
However, if these two members of the Liyue Seven Stars can reach a consensus and adjust Liyue's direction together, then it won't be too late to re-plan later.
After all, her core purpose was to atone for the mistake of stealing faith, not necessarily to plunge Liyue into turmoil.
"Well, how should I put it, Miss Keqing, it's best that you have your own ideas and decisions." Barbara followed up on Keqing's words and offered a compliment.
Keqing was touched by Barbara's words. Since the temple fair ended, all she had heard was the flattery of merchants and the incomprehension of her family. Only Barbara had always stood by her side, listening to her grievances and pointing her in the right direction.
She nodded gratefully and replied, "Okay, I understand! Thank you, Miss Barbara. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would still be lost and confused."
"At the victory celebration banquet, I will do my best to persuade Ningguang!"
……
Almost immediately after Keqing left the mountaintop, Zhongli appeared beside Barbara and asked, "How did the persuasion go?"
Barbara recounted her conversation with Keqing in detail, from Keqing's decision to offer advice as the Star of Jade Balance to her plan to meet with Ningguang at the victory celebration banquet, leaving out every single detail.
After finishing her report, Barbara added, "Mr. Zhongli, I didn't directly mention 'overthrowing Ningguang' mainly because I was afraid of being too hasty."
"Keqing still has expectations for Ningguang. If we rashly make her fight against her, it might cause her to resist, which would be counterproductive."
"It would be more prudent to let her try to communicate first, see Ningguang's attitude, and then make further plans."
After listening to the whole process, Zhongli nodded slightly, satisfied with Barbara's handling of the situation; indeed, it was not advisable to rush things.
Let Keqing take the initiative to communicate first. This will not only test Ningguang, but if she can pull back from the brink, Zhongli will not mind giving Ningguang a chance.
"Um……"
After a soft murmur, he took out some information he had gathered from the streets using his position as a guest of the Hall of Rebirth and handed it to Barbara.
"This is some intelligence I've gathered. Some are Ningguang's staunch subordinates, beneficiaries of the situation; some are opportunists, siding with whoever wins; and some are those who have gone through so much and are now lying in wait."
“Use this intelligence to help Keqing. If she breaks down in negotiations with Ningguang and needs to unite forces to fight against her, these lists can help her quickly find people she can win over, saving her a lot of trouble.”
Barbara looked down at the documents, which contained not only names and identities, but also analyses of each person's position, presented in an astonishingly clear and organized manner.
She looked up and asked curiously, "Oh? Mr. Zhongli, when did you start preparing? Did you foresee this situation all along?"
Zhongli gazed at Liyue Harbor in the distance and explained calmly, "I started planning after I reached an agreement with a friend."
"Liyue's fate must ultimately be in the hands of its own people, and can no longer depend on the prestige of others."
“In the past, Shao Yun’s reputation in Liyue was indeed able to stabilize Liyue, which had just entered the era of human rule; but now, Shao Yun has stood on the opposite side of us, and his reputation has become a hot potato.”
“Ningguang is a good person, but Shao Yun unintentionally ‘trained’ her into a doll without her own opinions, and she always thinks of relying on Shao Yun’s reputation to solve everything.”
"Since Ningguang is no longer suitable to lead Liyue, let's find someone else. Liyue has a thousand-year heritage and has no shortage of talented people, and Keqing is one of them."
As Barbara watched Zhongli meticulously paving the way for Liyue's transformation, a question suddenly popped into her mind.
Zhongli had previously stated that Morax was "dead" and that the affairs of Liyue should be handled by the people of Liyue themselves. But now he is not only gathering intelligence but also actively guiding her to help Keqing. Isn't this meddling?
She hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "Um, Mr. Zhongli, I have a question..."
“You said before that Morax is ‘dead’ and that the people of Liyue can no longer interfere in the affairs of the Geo Archon. The people of Liyue have to solve it themselves.”
"But now you've not only compiled such detailed information for me, but you're also pushing Keqing to change the status quo. This... seems a bit different from what you said before?"
Upon hearing this question, Zhongli revealed a subtle smile and began to play with words.
“Miss Barbara, you’ve confused your two identities. Morax is indeed ‘dead.’ His duties as the Geo Archon have ended, and naturally he will no longer interfere with the decisions of the human-ruled Liyue as a god.”
“But Zhongli is still alive, and as a member of Liyue, he is thinking about the future of Liyue. This is different from ‘the Geo Archon intervening’.”
In short, the final interpretation right belongs to the individual.
(What does the arrest of Zhou Shuren have to do with me, Lu Xun?)
Barbara really wanted to complain about this strange feeling, but...
He still owed Zhongli a favor for his faith and was also tasked with resurrecting Barbatos, so he had no room to object and could only swallow his words.
"Ok, I see."
Zhongli looked at Barbara's acceptance of reality, nodded with satisfaction, reached out and gently patted her shoulder, and said with high hopes:
"Thank you for your hard work, Miss Barbara."
……
After Barbara left, Zhongli stood on the mountaintop, gazing at the distant Qunyu Pavilion.
As he gazed around, Zhongli pulled out a small bottle, narrowed his eyes, and muttered:
"I hope things don't escalate to an extreme. I really don't want to resort to such extreme measures. Keqing, Barbara, I hope you two can get through this smoothly."
Zhongli had also made two preparations.
If Keqing can successfully overthrow Ningguang, or persuade Ningguang to turn back from the wrong path and let Liyue's fate be decided by its own people, everything will be a happy ending for both sides.
If Keqing ultimately loses to Ningguang, then Zhongli will have no choice but to let Ningguang down and resort to "chemical" methods to force her out of office.
In short, in Zhongli's eyes, Ningguang's inability to see the situation clearly became a hidden danger.
He didn't want Ningguang to help Shao Yun when he actually got into a fight with him, causing trouble in his own backyard.
Since that's the case, I'll just have to strike first.
……