The next day.
As the Tianquan, Ningguang held a lofty position, so naturally she carried herself with the attitude of someone born to stand above others. She was the queen, and she belonged on top, looking down over everything below.
"You did well last night. Take this and spend it."
With a lazy expression, Ningguang pulled out a blank check and handed it over. The meaning was obvious: fill in whatever amount you wanted. What she lacked least was Mora. To her, it was just a number.
"..."
Koji's mouth twitched. What exactly was she treating him as? Still, since there was no reason to refuse free money, he decided to think of it as pocket money from his wife.
The taste of Tianquan Ningguang was simply exquisite, especially with that queenly personality of hers. It was a completely different kind of charm.
"So, how did it feel?" Ningguang asked languidly, tracing circles on Koji's chest with her finger.
"It was very fulfilling. How's that for an answer?" Koji said with a smile.
Ningguang had never lacked beauty to begin with. Add her status and wealth on top of that, and when it came to that noble, exalted sort of allure, very few women could compare to her.
She truly had started from nothing. In the beginning, no one had supported her. After all, who would have imagined that a little girl could one day reach such heights and sit in a position as elevated as that of the Tianquan?
Even now, Ningguang was still ambitious.
When she was a child, she had walked barefoot from Yaoyue Shoal to Liyue's southern docks, hawking goods all along the way. She had been the most inconspicuous sort of nobody. Hardly anyone could have predicted that she would one day achieve all this.
"Ningguang, in your heart, I'm probably ranked behind Mora and the Jade Chamber, aren't I?" Koji suddenly asked.
He knew well enough that the thing Ningguang loved most was Mora, and next after that came the Jade Chamber.
"Mm, more or less. Don't tell me you're jealous? If you're comparing yourself to the Jade Chamber, then yes, you rank below it." Ningguang chuckled softly.
Mora would definitely still hold first place.
"That's not really something I'd get jealous over. I'm not petty enough to compare myself to an object," Koji said with a laugh, shaking his head.
"I have a question. Between the position of Tianquan and Mora, which do you like more?"
Ningguang thought about it for a moment, then smiled lightly. "Mora, still. In the beginning, that position was never what I wanted. Though after becoming the Tianquan, I did gain more ways to earn Mora."
As she spoke, Ningguang's gaze drifted slightly.
She really had been poor as a child. Her house had been shabby and broken down, and she had not even had shoes to wear.
It was not that she valued wealth more than life itself. She simply enjoyed the satisfaction of hoarding treasure, like a squirrel storing up for winter. Otherwise, she would never have smashed her beloved Jade Chamber down when a god descended.
At first, all she had wanted was to make a great deal of money and change her circumstances.
Yet somehow, she had ended up in the seat of the Tianquan.
Among the Liyue Qixing, no one was wealthier than she was. The others all had family power and backing to some extent, while she had had only herself.
"Get up. There's still work to do."
Ningguang stretched her graceful body, and Koji narrowed his eyes, openly admiring the view. After all, he had already seen everything there was to see last night, and Ningguang herself did not bother hiding anything. The two of them now knew each other inside and out, and there was plenty of room to play even rougher next time.
"Ningguang, how many years can you stay in the position of Tianquan?" Koji asked.
"For the time being, I have no plans to resign. Uncle Tian is already so old, and only now is he thinking about retirement. Even then, it's because his body can't keep up anymore and he no longer has the strength for it. The Qixing aren't chosen lightly. If someone lacks the ability, they can't take the position," Ningguang said.
She was still young. She had no physical problems, and as long as she made no major mistakes, she could remain in office for many years yet.
"Can I become one of the Qixing?" Koji asked.
"Hm?"
A hint of surprise appeared on Ningguang's face. That was not a question she had expected.
"Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for you to become one of the Qixing, since you're not from Liyue," Ningguang said after thinking it over.
To put it simply, he did not have Liyue residency.
"However, if the Geo Archon personally spoke on your behalf, then you could indeed be named one of the Liyue Qixing."
"Aren't you acquainted with Mr. Zhongli? You could go ask him."
Ningguang knew that Zhongli was the Geo Archon Rex Lapis, but she had never disturbed him in everyday matters.
Anyone capable of sitting in a position like hers was intelligent. It was not hard to understand the Geo Archon's wish to retire.
Thinking back to how she had once entertained the idea of making Zhongli work under her, it really was a little laughable now. She had actually imagined making the Geo Archon Rex Lapis into a chess piece under her control.
"I was just asking. I'm too used to being idle. Forget being one of the Qixing."
"That's a bit of a pity. I was starting to think I might be getting a new colleague," Ningguang said with a smile.
If Koji asked Zhongli to speak up, then with Uncle Tian planning to retire, Koji could neatly fill Uncle Tian's vacancy.
"With a rich beauty like you keeping me, why would I need to go struggle in officialdom?" Koji said righteously. So what if he lived off a woman? Living off Ningguang was not embarrassing in the slightest.
"You really are shameless."
Ningguang rolled her eyes, though raising one man was naturally well within her means.
After getting dressed and washing up, the two of them enjoyed breakfast together.
"..."
The secretaries' gazes kept drifting between Ningguang and Koji, changing again and again.
Koji sharply noticed the looks of envy and jealousy in those young secretaries' eyes, and immediately understood what they were thinking.
It was obvious they envied the relationship between him and Ningguang. Those little secretaries clearly harbored some rather indecent thoughts toward Ningguang themselves. Now that they saw her looking radiant and thoroughly satisfied, they were definitely feeling sour.
Still, what did that have to do with him? Ningguang was not into women. This was never going to happen for them. In a way, he was doing them a favor.
"If there's nothing else, go attend to your work."
Of course Ningguang understood what her secretaries were thinking. She found it amusing inwardly, though none of it showed on her face.
"Yes, Lady Ningguang."
The little secretaries looked as if they had lost their souls. Their beloved Lady Ningguang had someone she liked now, and life no longer seemed to hold any hope.
And yet, after seeing an even more captivating side of Ningguang, they were shamefully smitten all over again.
Lady Ningguang like this was just far too beautiful.
After the secretaries left, Koji smiled and said, "I saw envy in their eyes."
"It's fine. They'll get over it after a while," Ningguang said with a faint smile, shaking her head.
She naturally knew exactly what sort of people those little secretaries who had followed her for years were like. Every now and then they would lose their minds over her. They were practically her number one fans.
If not for her position, those few would probably have spent all of Liyue's resources on her already.
"Tempted?"
"There is such a thing in Liyue now as dowry maids," Ningguang said jokingly.
Koji shook his head. He had no such thoughts. Otherwise, he could have had many women already.
(End of Chapter)
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