Late at night, in the Tenshukaku throne room.
“Your Almighty Shogun, after careful examination, I have found that the Lord Sobayonin… merely fainted due to extreme emotional excitement and agitation. There is nothing wrong with his health.”
The white-bearded old physician knelt below the steps, speaking with utmost respect.
In front of her throne atop the high dais, the Raiden Shogun sat silent and still, like a perfect, divine statue.
Meanwhile, within the Plane of Euthymia, Raiden Ei sat cross-legged and slowly opened her eyes.
“To faint from sheer excitement at the prospect of serving me… This Lu Heng is truly a man of pure loyalty and devotion. Such talent must not be neglected; he deserves exceptional treatment.”
At that, the Raiden Shogun’s vermilion lips parted slightly.
“I have recognized his sincerity,” the Raiden Shogun’s cold, level voice echoed through the grand hall.
“From this moment forth, the Sobayonin’s daily needs must be accommodated to the highest standards. Furthermore…”
“Once he awakens, inform him that his daily work and strategic planning need not pass through the Tri-Commission. He is to report directly to me.”
The old physician shuddered, a tempest raging in his mind.
Direct reports?
Bypassing the Tri-Commission?
This newly arrived Sobayonin was so deeply favored that the doctor subconsciously adjusted how he addressed him.
“Yes, Your Almighty Shogun! I shall spare no effort to nurse the Lord Sobayonin back to peak health and ensure he is bursting with vitality!”
“Very well. Dismissed.”
The old physician bowed respectfully and withdrew from the hall.
Silence once again blanketed Tenshukaku as the Raiden Shogun lowered her head to resume reviewing her documents.
Early the next morning, Lu Heng slowly woke to the scent of cherry blossoms wafting from the Yumemiru wood.
Pale gold morning light spilled across the polished wooden floor.
He sat up abruptly, his hands brushing against the silk-smooth, premium tatami mat beneath him.
For a moment, his brain stalled.
He looked around; the heavy bag containing nine hundred thousand Mora sat perfectly intact on the desk.
His life was saved, and his money was still there.
Lu Heng let out a long sigh of relief.
But what on Teyvat was that imposing, massive pile sitting right next to it?!
On the broad Aralia wood desk, a mountain of official documents, dossiers, and ledgers stood piled nearly half a man’s height.
Beside them lay a dozen high-grade writing brushes, thoughtfully prepared.
The corner of his eye twitched violently, and he finally let out a long, heavy sigh.
“Why does this follow me everywhere?”
He rose helplessly and walked to the window.
Looking down from Tenshukaku, the entirety of Inazuma City was bathed in the early morning light, with sacred sakura petals dancing in the air—a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
“So this is Teyvat… Maybe staying in Inazuma isn’t such a bad thing after all? At least the scenery is beautiful…” Lu Heng muttered to himself, trying to hypnotize his mind into acceptance.
Right outside stood the white-bearded old physician, flanked by several fully armed Okuzumeshu samurai.
They were all staring at him in unison, their eyes burning with a mixture of fanaticism and reverence—some of those looks were even borderline gooey.
“???”
He quickly slammed the door shut, leaning against it as goosebumps broke out all over his body.
*What the hell?
Aren’t those looks a bit too weird?
At least swap them out for beautiful girls before looking at me like that!*
Just as his mind was running wild, a soft knock came from the other side.
“Lord Lu Heng… how did you rest? Are you hungry, by any chance?” The sugary tone sent a shiver down Lu Heng’s spine, but he took a deep breath and opened the door anyway.
“Lord Lu Heng! You’re awake!” The old physician eagerly pressed forward, dark circles under his eyes, cradling a medicinal cake that emitted an eerie green glow.
“This old servant stayed up all night brewing a tonic cake to nourish your vital energy! It is guaranteed to fill you with boundless energy, so you may continue to shine and burn for Her Excellency’s grand cause!”
Lu Heng silently took half a step back, putting some distance between them while maintaining his professional, fake smile.
“…Thank you, but I would prefer to try Tenshukaku’s standard breakfast.”
“Easily done! Her Excellency has decreed that any request you have—even your daily paperwork—can be directly submitted by the Okuzumeshu for her personal review!” The old physician’s face wrinkled into a beaming grin like a blooming chrysanthemum.
Lu Heng was taken aback.
He hadn’t expected the Raiden Shogun to hold him in such high regard.
*Could she be worried I’ll run away?
Having the Okuzumeshu hand-deliver all my documents?* He glanced back at the mountain of paperwork in his room, and a thought flashed through his mind.
*Should I…
find an opportunity to escape?*
The moment this thought arose, a terrifyingly vivid image flashed in Lu Heng’s mind.
He makes it to Rito, only for the Almighty Ogosho to tear open space itself.
She plants her foot—clad in deep purple thigh-high stockings—firmly onto his chest, gazing down at his failed escape with her violet eyes as she pulls the blindingly bright Musou Isshin from her chest…
Pinned by his chest and unable to escape, his final wail to the heavens would be:
“Gwah, stop, please!”
*No way!
Absolutely not!*
At that thought, Lu Heng swallowed hard, his expression frozen, and banished the idea from his mind forever.
With his survival instincts instantly seizing control of his brain, he looked at the old physician before him, his mind racing.
*This old doctor and the Okuzumeshu will definitely report my every word and deed to the Shogun.
I can’t slack off!
I have to show my absolute loyalty!*
He took a deep, steadying breath.
The next second, he snapped his spine straight. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
A fanatic light of patriotism and devotion erupted in his eyes.
He grabbed the old doctor’s hands and declared in a ringing, resonant voice:
“Yes! Please inform Her Almighty Shogun that pouring my heart and soul out for her grand pursuit of Eternity is the greatest honor of my life! What is a mere few feet of paperwork? I shall begin reviewing them at once!”
“Loyalty! Devotion!” With that, he raised his hand toward the main hall in front of the old physician, balled his hand into a fist, and slammed it against his chest.
The air fell into a bizarre, dead silence for a second.
Not only the old doctor, but also the nearby Okuzumeshu samurai were utterly dumbfounded by his display.
The samurai looked at one another, a flicker of shame followed by sudden enlightenment crossing their eyes.
They quickly exchanged glances and silently vowed: *Compared to Lord Lu Heng, our previous salutes were practically insults!
We must immediately adopt and spread this gesture as the highest form of respect within the Okuzumeshu!*
“Your devotion is peerless, my Lord!”
Moved to tears of admiration by this display of having the Shogun in his heart and light in his eyes, the old physician bowed repeatedly and took his leave.
*Bam!*
The door shut.
A second ago, he was Lu Heng, the righteous and heroic savior of Inazuma.
Now, he collapsed like a spineless jellyfish, sliding down the door until he was slumped on the floor.
Looking at the lavishly decorated room and the desk covered in paperwork that could bury a man alive, he covered his face in sheer agony.
“What did I do to deserve this…”
Half an hour later, Lu Heng finished the luxurious breakfast served by the Okuzumeshu with a mixture of grief and indignation.
He then sat down at his workstation and began silently reading the documents.
As he did, his mind gradually settled, and rationality took back control of his brain.
Since escaping was off the table, his only option was to produce results and prove his worth.
But…
Lu Heng rested his chin in his hand, his brow furrowing slightly.
*Inazuma’s situation is far worse than I imagined.* Staring at the clumsy cover-ups in the ledgers, Lu Heng’s gaze turned cold.
*The reliability of the reports submitted so far is highly questionable.
The old foxes of the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions will never let a newcomer like me push forward reforms.
Once they start passing the buck and sabotaging me from the shadows, all progress on my proposals will grind to a halt…*
*If things drag on, the Shogun will eventually conclude that I’m all talk and no substance, and she will abandon me.*
He frowned deeply.
If things went down that path, the Tenryou Commission would not spare him either.
After all, he had previously played Kujou Otake for a fool.
Though Otake was an impulsive hothead, there was no guarantee the young man wouldn’t complain to his elders to ruin a fallen, powerless figure like Lu Heng.
*Time is tight, but attempting to push forward a national-scale policy by myself is a flat-out impossible task.*
After running the scenarios through his head, he reached a conclusion.
“I need to find some competent workhorses to do the heavy lifting!”