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Beidou woke up to the sound of an arrow hitting wood.
Slightly muted. Somewhere outside.
She twisted out of bed, silently landing on the floor in a crouch, low to the wall. Her greatsword was by the door, but to reach it she’d have to pass the windows...
Another sudden noise: arrow hitting metal, ending in a ringing note.
There were a few bells right outside the window, if she remembered right. Shit. Definitely not imagining things.
Sheets rustled behind her. “Beidou?”
“Shh.” She held up a finger. “Stay away from the window. Someone’s shooting at us. Could be more close by.”
“But the wards...” There was a brief pause. “My security isn’t picking up any guests. Nothing showing on the pressure plates...”
“Well, someone’s here.” Weight sensors could be fooled. If Kazuha could pull it off, anyone with the right Anemo tech or a Vision could potentially do the same.
Another arrow, hitting the same bell again.
“Oh.” A relieved exhale. “Ganyu. Beidou, at ease, it’s Ganyu.”
“What?”
“Check the windowsill; is there a note?”
Beidou edged closer to the window. Sure enough, the very first arrow had lodged into the windowsill, and there was a bright ribbon wound around its shaft, holding in place what might be a paper message.
“There is...” she said.
“Blue and red ribbon? Bring it in.”
Staying out of sight as much as she could, Beidou opened the window for long enough to pull the arrow out. Holding it up to her Vision revealed the words “eyes-only” written in a familiar script.
Okay. Fine. It was Ganyu.
Beidou handed the arrow over, then sat back down hard enough that the springs on any sane mattress would have creaked.
The excess adrenaline slowly filtered into annoyance. “You couldn’t have known for sure. What if someone knew your secret protocol and hit that bell to draw you to the window?”
“The perfect security system doesn’t exist,” her partner said, activating a Geograna lamp, “but in this case, they’d also have to know which of the seven bells out there to hit.”
With the lamp on, Beidou could see Ningguang’s face now. The Tianquan was smiling the tired smile of someone who fully expected she might be assassinated before she was sixty.
It was a smile that was hard to stay mad at.
“Either way,” Ningguang said, “there’s a limit to how much paranoia I want to live with. I walk through Liyue Harbour every day, and that’s a risk I accept, too.” Her eyes met Beidou’s, nearly glowing in the soft warm light of the lamp. “Still. Thank you. If there was an attack, I’m glad you would have been ready to act.”
“Uh... you’re welcome?”
“You make me feel safe, Beidou. That’s no small thing.”
It was some mercy that Ningguang chose this moment to unroll the paper and begin to read. It meant that whatever was showing on Beidou’s face right now, at such appreciative words, nobody else could see.
A few minutes passed in relative silence.
Whatever was on the note, it sure as hell had piqued Ningguang’s interest. Beidou was pretty sure she saw her reach the end and return to the start. She waited until the third reread before interrupting:
“Bad news?”
“Well...” Ningguang shrugged. “Technically good news. But I may be travelling a lot for...”—she scanned the page again, brow furrowing—“...at least half a year. Possibly a lot more.” She glanced at Beidou, chewing her lip. “Beidou, if this goes ahead, I’m going to be very busy, very soon. And I won’t reliably be around when the Crux docks in Liyue.”
That was a bummer, but Beidou had had worse. “It’s okay, Ning, we’ll figure something out.” She squeezed her on the shoulder. “Is where you’re going top secret...?”
“No, no. It’s Inazuma. There’ll be a lot of back and forth.”
“Ah, then I’m sure you’ll be seeing me, like it or not.” Beidou’s insides warmed a little seeing Ningguang’s smile at that. “So, uh, trade deals, diplomacy, and all that?”
“To put it mildly. Yae Miko has asked the Qixing to run the damn country.”
The Jade Chamber seldom hosted large functions or formal dinners: it served as private office and personal residence. So the kitchen? Not that much bigger than an ordinary house. Nice and spacious, to be sure—Ningguang loved her unused space—but otherwise much the same as any other kitchen in Liyue. A large wok burner flanked by several smaller ones, a practical knife set, a mix of iron, steel, and clayware.
Beidou glanced over the countertops. Not much had changed since she last was in the harbour.
“New kettle?” she asked, motioning.
Ningguang nodded. “Self-heating. Fill it up, put it back on the stand, and turn the knob. It turns itself off before it can boil over.”
Beidou took the kettle, eyeing the stand suspiciously. “I’ve heard of these things. Didn’t they burn someone’s house down?”
“You have no idea.” Ningguang measured out rice. “The manufacturer settled most of the cases out of court. The press didn’t cover the half of it.”
“And you know because... you’re a shareholder?”
“Yes, Sangemah Bay and I helped push for some new leadership. The safety reports have improved, consistently, for a few years now, so I figured, why not try it out? Besides...” Ningguang gestured vaguely around them. “Fireproof.”
A bold claim considering all the wood throughout the building, but Beidou wasn’t rehashing that debate. Anyone whose amateur carpentry projects had withstood a Fatui boarding party while fighting a literal god had earned some of the credulity Beidou might afford a good shipwright.
“If you have to make a third Chamber, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Beidou. She turned the knob and watched as the kettle stand took on a Pyro glow.
“I solemnly swear.” Ningguang beckoned and a saucepan of water settled onto the stove, its cor lapis handle glowing with the motion. “Could you pass me some lotus slices? They’re in...”
“On it.” Beidou opened the second cupboard from the left and pulled out a jar. “Hey Ning, catch...”
“Beidou don’t you dare—”
Afterwards, while Ningguang minded the boil, Beidou went to the rooftop garden to grab a bunch of water spinach and spring onions. It was still a few hours before sunrise, and Liyue Harbour below was as quiet as it ever got.
On her way back inside, she found an arrow embedded in the door. The note attached read:
“Hi Beidou! Sorry for waking you two up :(
“Drinks tonight? I think I’m gonna need it.”
When Beidou got back, Ningguang looked her way, lips pursed hesitantly.
“Your crew are on shore leave, still, aren’t they?” she asked.
Ah, of course. “Afraid so. Thinking of chartering the Crux Fleet for your trip down to Inazuma?”
“It would be ideal. Especially if it means a couple more days with you.” The ensuing smile was almost shy. Kinda. If Beidou squinted.
“Awww. Look, no promises, but I can probably round up the Alcor’s crew if you’re paying their bonuses. I’m not pulling rank on the Alioth and the Dubhe, though.”
“One ship...” Ningguang finished chopping the water spinach and dropped it into the broth. “Maybe? That might work to start with. Depends on which of the Qixing are going, what support staff they’re taking... Rex Lapis, we have so much to sort out today...”
It was pretty strange seeing Ningguang planning something this big on such short notice.
“Why the big hurry?” Beidou asked.
“If we’re slow getting to Inazuma, the Raiden Shogun may have already left. Yae Miko doesn’t like to be kept waiting— No, don’t give me that look, I wouldn’t threaten to leave a nation leaderless on a whim.”
“Fair call. She really just left you with an ultimatum, huh?”
“An offer far too good to refuse. Which may as well be the same thing.” Ningguang ran her fingers through her scalp. “If this was just an investment opportunity for myself, I’d say no.”
“But...?”
“Liyue, Beidou, Liyue. If the Qixing say yes to this, we’d solve our budget problems for the next few decades... and that’s if Inazuma’s economy continues on current projections. If we do this right, it won’t just be the current Qixing enjoying the surplus; it’ll be our successors’ successors.” Ningguang buried her face in her palm, stifling a giggle. “Archons, we’ll need a trust fund to make sure they don’t spend it all at once.”
The laughter was contagious. “You okay there, Ning?”
“I’m underslept and questioning my reality... But otherwise, yes, Captain, I’m doing great.”
“Hmm.” Beidou let her hand settle on Ningguang’s shoulder. “Prove it.”
Steamed rice, seasoned with sesame. A broth of greens, mushrooms, and lotus roots, plus a pinch of chicken bouillon. Eggs, medium over, with a splash of soy sauce worked into the whites.
Precise, sophisticated, et cetera, et cetera.
“Tastes amazing,” said Beidou, a few bites in.
“I’d hope so.” Ningguang was trying to hide it but she definitely preened a little at that. “I’m surprised you didn’t drown yours in chilli oil.”
“Only out of respect, babe.”
“Respect? Well, then. I’m honoured.”
The tea was black with Fontainian bergamot peel. Beidou poured.
Not half bad, which was just as well: it probably cost its weight in truffles, knowing Ningguang’s tastes.
“You might want to bring some with you,” Beidou told her. “There’s not much of a market for black teas in Inazuma. You’d be lucky to find any from Fontaine.”
“Oh? Thank you.” Ningguang hummed. “Which reminds me. You’ve been in Inazuma lately. What’s the mood like?”
“I don’t get the full picture...”
“That’s fine. In the ports, on the streets: how are things for the average citizen?”
“Hmm...” Beidou took a few moments to consider. “Way better than during the Decrees, that’s for sure. Merchants are thriving, trade is thriving... on Narukami, anyway.”
Ningguang nodded. “The outlying islands are still struggling?”
“Yashiori Island is a hive of bandits and ronin; the villages there are barely getting by. As for Kannazuka, industry’s started up again but it’s nothing like it was. They lost a lot of workers to the war. Some of ’em young, some of ’em old and with a lot of experience you can’t just buy.”
“And the rest?”
“Watatsumi is... its own special case. Kokomi negotiated herself an amazing deal with the peace treaties. Their food security is better than ever before, exports are up, and I hear they’re having a bit of a baby boom.”
“Good for them. Any little ones named after you or Kazuha?”
“Ha, wouldn’t that be something.”
“And the other islands, uninhabitable still?”
“Last I heard, anyway.”
“Back to Narukami. How’s public sentiment about the government itself?”
“All over the place. Most people hated the Decrees but everything since then, well, people are split. Foreign imports flooding the market, too many tourists... and then you walk across the street and someone’s relieved at all the new business. The same old story, you know?” Beidou drained her tea and nodded as Ningguang refilled. “Thanks, babe. Hmm, what else... Well, some folks think the Shogun conceded too much to Watatsumi, some don’t think she went far enough. Oh!, actually, people are warming to the interim Tenryou Commissioner: that’s about as universal as it gets these days.”
“Kujou Kamaji? Really? The one who was appointed on thin ice, then tried to take over the Kanjou Commission by force six months later?”
“That was only ever a rumour. Trust me, I’ve met the guy, he doesn’t have the guts for it. No, Kamaji has been walking a tightrope, trying to shut down the more militant Tenryou factions without having the whole Commission implode.”
“And that translates into public popularity... how?”
“Well, most folks are really invested in him and Hiiragi Chisato as a couple. They’re both very friendly and approachable in public, and that goes a long way compared to their folks, y’know? And they come across as relatable, hard-working folk—I’m sure they’ve made an effort to maintain that appearance—so everyone naturally sides with them. These days when the Tenryou or Kanjou Commissions make a misstep, the rumour mill always says it’s one of Kamaji or Chisato’s rivals trying to sabotage them.”
“An enviable position,” Ningguang remarked. “It sounds like they’ve found themselves a solid foothold in the Tri-Commissions despite their parents’ misfortunes. And the Yashiro Commission?”
“Fine and dandy. Their hands are totally clean from the Decrees...”
Laughter. “From supporting them, sure.”
“Yeah, well, all the better for their image, right? Anyhow. The Kamisato siblings are well regarded. The Commissioner, Ayato, mostly works outside the public eye; his sister Ayaka handles most of the ceremonies and so on.”
“And then... Sangonomiya. You’ve worked for her before. What are your impressions—”
A knock at the door.
Ningguang blinked. Not expecting anyone, then?
“Ganyu?” Beidou guessed. “Or Yelan?”
“Yelan doesn’t do knocking,” Ningguang sighed, not unfondly. “Beneath her dignity. She’d rather break in through the window like the world’s worst behaved stray cat.”
(Beidou could definitely believe that. Once, she’d been staying over at the Jade Chamber, and had gotten up for a midnight snack to find Yelan sitting on the dining table, rolling a poker chip back and forth across her knuckles.
“...hi?” Beidou had said.
“She smiles more nowadays,” Yelan had replied. A long pause. “Well done.”
Yelan had then wandered out of the room. When Beidou went to follow her, there was nobody there.)
A second knock at the door. Beidou saw Ningguang begin to rise and waved her back down. “Let me,” she said, heading up the stairs.
It was Lumine.
Beidou opened the door, looking about. “Hey, Traveller. No Paimon?”
“Food coma.” Lumine held out a bulging envelope. “Here, for Ningguang. I left the other copies with Ganyu.”
Beidou took it. The envelope was labelled with a single word, “Manuscripts”, written in pink ink in a looping cursive with... exaggerated scare quotes.
“Yae Publishing House?” Beidou guessed.
“Yeah. There’s a note from Ganyu, too; I put it inside. I promise I didn’t peek.”
“Yae Miko didn’t tell you what it’s for?”
“No. Well, she said it was about ‘a, quote, book deal, quote’. She said the words quote.”
That figured. “Want a bite to eat or anything? Ning and I are having breakfast.”
“Um.” Lumine smiled shyly. “Maybe another time? I’m seconding a duel at dawn. But breakfast with you two... I’d really like that, some other time.”
She bid her farewells, and Beidou went back inside to find Ningguang and pass on Lumine’s regards.
“A pity,” said Ningguang, upon hearing Lumine hadn’t been able to stay. “She and Paimon are always such good company.”
“Seriously? Are we talking about the same Paimon who fed us slime xiaolongbao?”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t eaten worse when you were an urchin. I certainly have.”
The envelope contained a pile of papers. Clipped together near the top was what looked like a contract, which Ningguang skimmed while peeling an orange.
“Statement of offer,” she said, noticing Beidou looking. “It lines up with what Ganyu was told. Very generous. We’re barely liable even if we run Inazuma into the ground...”
“As if.”
“...indeed, not that that we will. Alas, I’m not nearly awake enough to assess the fine print, but I’ll have Baiwen sit down with the Tianxuan and do a proper risk assessment. If Yanfei’s free I’ll bring her in, too.”
“What about, um...” Beidou snapped her fingers a few times. “...that guy, the one you had look over Lord Kusanali’s new trade agreement?”
“Ah, Zhongli? A smart man to be sure, but his day rates are exorbitant. The Qixing only brought him in that time because he’s studied contracts between Archons.” Ningguang’s lips curled up in one of those I’m eliding state secrets, darling smiles. “In this case, we’re not technically dealing with the Electro Archon as an Archon; the contract is essentially with the Inazuman government, which she happens to moonlight as the sole dictator of.”
“Oof, harsh. Oh, by the way, the Traveller said Ganyu left a note in there.”
“Oh, yes. Qixing meeting at six thirty. The Tianxi is going to be irate; he’s not a morning person.”
Beidou grimaced. “Sucks to be him.”
“I really wish Yae Miko had given us more notice.”
“From what I hear of her, she probably came up with this whole idea overnight.”
“Well, I suppose we’ll be having a better morning than the Tri-Commission.” Ningguang flicked through the stack of documents. “Hmm, financial reports, tax filings... hmm, that certainly looks like embezzlement in the Kanjou Commission, that or they’re terrible at their jobs...”
“Knowing those assholes, probably a bit of both.”
“Hmm. Probably.” Ningguang glanced up. “Archons, this was not how I planned to spend my morning.”
Neither. “There’ll always be other mornings. Even if you’re travelling more, we’ll make time.”
“True. Hmm... Help me clear up? We’ve got a little time before my assistants arrive.”
“Yeah, sure. Time for what?”
Ningguang smiled brightly. “You could help me get dressed?”
Now there was an idea.
Half an hour later, Baishi, Baiwen, and Baixiao arrived outside the Jade Chamber, looking as tired as Beidou felt.
“Morning, ladies,” she said, as they left the shuttle platform. “She’s waiting for you in the archives.”
“Heading out already?” said Baiwen, then, “oh, right, Qixing meeting in half an hour. Send the platform back up when you’re done.”
“Sure thing.”
“Please tell me she’s presentable,” said Baishi wearily.
Beidou nodded. “Makeup on, hair done up. Not like your usual magic, but she’ll still look better than anyone else there.”
“...that’s true. She is Lady Ningguang.”
Beidou activated the platform. As it took her down to the city, she yawned and stretched her arms high.
The sun was rising over the Sea of Clouds. If she squinted she could see where the Alcor and her sister ships were docked.
Speaking of which. Juza would be with the ship; Beidou knew which inns Yinxing and Mora-Grubber were staying at; Muzhen was with family; Huixing would be a pain to track down. That was enough for a skeleton crew, and they could split up and see who else was available for a voyage on short notice.
Maybe Mora-Grubber first. Beidou figured if she was heading towards the northern docks she might be able to find herself a decent coffee along the way. Felt like that kinda day.