Ningguang had met Ryou before.
Ryou's father was also a member of the Liyue Qixing—an elder she respected deeply, and someone whose support had played a part in her own rise to the Qixing.
Ningguang knew Ryou's family had produced several members of the Liyue Qixing already, so she naturally held them in high regard. Once, when she visited Ryou's father at his home, she happened to meet Ryou as well. He left a strong impression: striking looks, refined presence, and a calm confidence when he spoke—like a young noble born with everything in his hands.
Back then, though, Ryou's father mentioned he intended to push Ryou into commerce, so Ningguang didn't pay much more attention afterward.
Still, if Ryou's father had decided to keep him out of business and put him on a political path instead, then in a few years the Liyue Qixing would almost certainly have had a seat for Ryou. His family's foundation ran deep, and his personal ability was more than enough—becoming one of the Qixing would have been well within reach.
Later, when Ningguang learned that Ryou's father wanted him to marry Keqing, she lent a hand behind the scenes. It counted as returning a favor.
So when she heard Ryou was entering the Ministry of Civil Affairs, she was genuinely surprised—and, honestly, a little curious. She didn't dwell on it much at the time. In her eyes, Ryou was still young. Give him more time to grow, and once he truly came into his own, his capability wouldn't be any worse than his father's.
But now, things had gone far beyond what she expected.
Ningguang knew Keqing's true strengths lay in construction and engineering. In matters of livelihood and other administrative areas, Keqing was competent—but she still had clear gaps. In the end, Keqing was simply too young. Even when she studied an issue in depth, she often struggled to judge it from the bigger picture.
Normally, to avoid mistakes, once the Ministry of Civil Affairs finished handling anything related to people's livelihoods, it would be sent to Yujing Terrace immediately. Only after the secretaries and Ganyu reviewed it and found no problems would it be approved and passed down.
This time, however, Ganyu had someone deliver the document to the Jade Chamber.
That alone was proof: the handling was exceptional.
When Ningguang read the proposal, she sat with it for a long time. By the end, she was completely shaken.
It was a set of treatment recommendations for injuries suffered by the Millelith. Under normal procedures, all that was needed was to approve Mora for treatment. Yet here, Keqing had written plainly that this was only treating symptoms, not the cause. If they wanted a real solution, they needed to establish a dedicated treatment program—and not just for a handful of Millelith soldiers, but for all Liyue employees.
The impact of such a proposal was enormous. Ningguang could tell the document in her hands was only part of a larger chain of follow-up measures. After thinking it through carefully, she found it highly workable.
It wouldn't just help the Millelith and the staff who kept Liyue running. It would also give everyone a stronger sense of belonging to Liyue itself.
If they truly cared for the people, spending more Mora wasn't a problem. This would create real unity across Liyue—something Mora alone could never buy.
That level of insight could only come from someone with outstanding talent.
It wasn't that Ningguang looked down on Keqing. It was simply this: Keqing was too young. Ningguang couldn't believe Keqing alone would think of something this thorough, in every direction.
With that, Ningguang rose and headed into the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
"Ningguang-sama!"
"Ningguang-sama!"
The staff sprang to their feet the moment they saw her.
Ningguang lifted a hand, signaling them to sit, then looked deeper inside and spotted a few familiar faces. She asked, surprised, "Isn't that Wang Sensei? Did something go wrong on the construction side? At a time like this, shouldn't you be dealing with urgent matters?"
"Ningguang-sama," Wang said, looking a little embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head. "I came to request a meeting with Keqing-san. Today's handling plan from Keqing-sama… it left me speechless. I've been thinking about it for a long time, and in the end I decided I had to ask her in person."
"So that's what it is," Ningguang said. "Young people like her can be full of wild ideas—and sometimes those ideas turn into genuinely good solutions. I just didn't expect it to impress you this much, Wang Sensei."
Then her gaze sharpened slightly. "But Keqing should be here at the Ministry of Civil Affairs handling work today, shouldn't she?"
Since Keqing hadn't left Liyue, Ningguang could already guess part of it. Newlyweds, after all—and a girl who'd been injured wasn't exactly suited for going out much.
Baiwen seemed to remember something and stepped forward. "Ningguang-sama, I forgot to tell you earlier. Keqing-sama went out with Ryou. If I had to guess, they're probably still shopping around Third-Round Knockout."
Ningguang: ???
What was going on?
Keqing was usually meticulous about her work—so how was it that during work hours, she'd actually run off to go shopping?
[End of chapter]
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