[The episode where Paimon's intelligence comes online.]
[If it doesn't come online now, if it doesn't come online at this time, what's waiting ahead is another divine war.]
[By the way, does anyone know whether what Yunshang is saying right now is true or false? About the Ziwei Star Palace not being able to fly long distances.]
[Fake. When he was threatening the servant before, Jun Bai already said he would take the Ziwei Star Palace to Snezhnaya for a visit.]
Listening to Paimon's reasonable analysis, Yunshang shook her head and said:
"Actually, even if the Ziwei Star Palace really could take everyone to Inazuma, it wouldn't necessarily cause a war between the two countries. First, we are not dispatching troops. Second..."
"It's about the ideal that Inazuma's god believes in — [Eternity]."
"Eternity?" Paimon asked in confusion.
"Correct, it is Eternity." Yunshang nodded. "If a god believes in an ideal, that ideal will also influence the nation they rule."
"The Anemo Archon believes in freedom, therefore the Anemo Archon delegated all authority to the people of Mondstadt, allowing every person in Mondstadt to enjoy freedom."
"The Geo Archon believes in contracts, therefore within Liyue, contracts reign supreme. Even the Adepti must fulfill their contracts."
"And Inazuma's Electro Archon believes in Eternity."
"The eternity of ideals, the eternity of things, and even the eternity of all things. This is the ideal that the Electro Archon pursues and believes in."
Lumine's eyes widened slightly. "The eternity of all things? Can this really be achieved?"
Yunshang shook her head. "Who knows. The thoughts of gods are not something mortals like us can understand. Whether the eternity the Electro Archon pursues actually exists, I do not know."
"But such eternity has undoubtedly already affected Inazuma's rule."
"Ever since a hundred years ago, Inazuma has already declared the Sakoku Decree, severing contact with the overseas continents. It is difficult for people outside to enter, and for people inside to leave."
Paimon was shocked. "Eh! Severing contact with the continent?"
"Yes. It seems that in the eyes of the Electro Archon, everything remaining unchanged is a form of eternity." Yunshang nodded.
"This is also why I said that even if the Ziwei Star Palace were to appear in the skies above Inazuma, the two countries might not necessarily go to war."
"Because once war breaks out, it would mean that not everything remains unchanged. This runs completely counter to the eternity the Raiden Shogun pursues."
[Ah, even with an Archon-level combatant bearing down on the city, they might still not go to war. Can this even be called eternity?]
[Not going to war is just Yunshang's unilateral speculation. But looking at it another way, even Yunshang made such a decision, so the situation is very likely to develop exactly as she speculated.]
Seeing the shocked expressions on Lumine's and Paimon's faces, Yunshang smiled and said:
"Of course, the premise is that the Ziwei Star Palace is not regarded by the Shogun as an element that interferes with eternity and struck down from the sky by a bolt of heavenly thunder."
"Oh, so that's how it is." Paimon nodded, then suddenly reacted. "Wait, so the Ziwei Star Palace isn't unable to make long-distance flights, but simply cannot enter Inazuma?"
"It seems Miss Yunshang is lying again." Lumine crossed her arms and looked at Yunshang with half-narrowed eyes.
Yunshang smiled without speaking, even putting on an expression that said "I don't understand what you mean."
"Yiya, yiya ya..." At this moment Yiya placed both hands on her hips, drawing everyone's attention.
Paimon nodded. "Mm, Yiya, what you said makes sense."
Lumine and Yunshang focused their gazes, waiting for Paimon's translation.
"Yiya says: Miss Yunshang, you only rejected our proposal to ride the Ziwei Star Palace to Inazuma, but you did not reject the matter of going to Inazuma itself."
"So, Miss Yunshang, you or Xuanjian have a way to take us to Inazuma."
[Paimon is only useful for this bit of translation.]
[Yiya is really smart. This is something even we players didn't notice.]
[But earlier Yunshang said that getting in and getting out are both difficult things, right?]
[Difficult to accomplish, but not impossible. This is the essential difference.]
"Lord Yiya is truly intelligent. As expected of the Marshal from childhood." Yunshang applauded Yiya.
"So Miss Yunshang, stop keeping us in suspense. If you have a way, just say it." Paimon urged.
Yunshang spoke directly: "The Crux Fleet is currently holding the Crux Clash at Guyun Stone Forest. The champion can obtain one extinguished Vision and a ticket to Inazuma..."
Paimon nodded. "So that's how it is. If that's the case, Lumine, Yiya, it's up to you two."
"Leave it to us."
"Yiya!"
Lumine and Yiya rubbed their hands together, as if they were about to display their prowess at the Crux Clash in the very next moment.
"With such momentum, they will surely take first place at the Crux Clash." Yunshang praised.
Then she pretended to feel regret. "It's just a pity that registration for the Crux Clash has already closed."
Lumine, Paimon, Yiya: "..."
[As expected of Yunshang wife, didn't disappoint me.]
[Already predicted what comes next — "But..."]
"But, my method actually has nothing to do with the Crux Clash." Yunshang crossed her arms and chuckled softly.
"Yiya!" (Hurry up and say it!)
Faced with Yiya's questioning, Yunshang became serious. "Actually, not long after Inazuma promulgated the Sakoku Decree, the interruption of trade exposed Inazuma's most serious problem."
"With Inazuma's level of productivity, after the Sakoku Decree took effect, the supply of grain had already begun to be stretched thin."
"At first, this problem wasn't serious — it couldn't even be called a problem. But as time passed since the Sakoku Decree was implemented, this problem would only grow more and more severe."
"In this way, Inazuma is slowly dying."
"The Raiden Shogun does not want to lift the Sakoku Decree, because that would prevent her from carrying out her Eternity."
"Therefore, in order to solve this problem, the Shogun reached a contract with the Marshal."
"The specific content of the contract, I am not clear about. But what the Liyue side must execute is to provide grain to Inazuma at regular intervals."
"During Inazuma's hundred years of Sakoku, it has relied solely on the grain that Liyue periodically provides as aid."
"And in two more days, it will once again be the day Liyue supplies grain to Inazuma."
"The grain is provided by our Guili Assembly, while Liyue Harbor is responsible for escorting the grain safely to Inazuma."
"That is why Captain Beidou of the Crux Fleet thought of holding the Crux Clash — to select skilled individuals to escort this stretch of the journey."
"After all, Osial revived some time ago. The sea surface may be calm, but beneath the waves it may not be."
Listening to Yunshang's explanation, Lumine already understood. "So we can just go apply directly?"
"Simpler than that."
Yunshang smiled and took out three pieces of paper. "These are the certification documents for escorting the grain shipment by sea. Ningguang and my brother have already signed them."
"As long as you present them to Captain Beidou, they will take effect immediately. The three of you will become official mercenaries transporting grain to Inazuma."
"If that's the case, then why didn't you take them out earlier!" Paimon snatched the three documents from Yunshang's hands.
Yunshang's smile remained unchanged. "Seriously explaining Inazuma's current situation to the three of you — this is something the Marshal very earnestly instructed me to do."
Then Yunshang turned and left without the slightest reluctance.
"There's no time to lose. Let's hurry to Guyun Stone Forest and find Beidou." Lumine said to Paimon and Yiya.
Guyun Stone Forest.
By the time the three of them arrived, the Crux Clash had already entered the finals. It was not the usual one-on-one duels, but a three-person free-for-all.
The three people currently competing in the finals were all familiar faces — or rather, all people connected to Jun Bai:
Qingyu General — Storm
Qingce Sword Immortal — Jun Mo Li
Marshal's confidant — Wanderer