The people in the collapsing iron gave the immortal ship a small shock from the Holy Lord.

Page 61

However, he wasn't particularly opposed to the invitation, mainly because the other party had replaced him as emperor. Although the other party seemed to speak very logically now, he might act like a child one day, and he could take precautions then.

After all, over time, quite a few demons have gone mad due to wear and tear.

Moreover, he is now determined to be an ordinary person. When faced with such a situation, an ordinary person should do what he should do, and that's all he needs to do.

“I’m very happy to have Mr. Zhongli join us. Keqing, let’s continue on our way and then discuss whether there’s anything I can help with in Liyue.”

"Oh, right, and this Hall Master Hu, are you coming along too?"

"Me?" Hu Tao pointed to herself, then smiled broadly. "Of course I'm willing! This is a great opportunity for advertising. If people see me walking with the Emperor, how prestigious would that be? In the future, when advertising, I can say that the Emperor values ​​us. We're handling the funeral, which is even more fortunate."

"...Master Hu has a good business sense."

What else can Bai Zhi say but give a thumbs up?

To be honest, although Hu Tao is a bit eccentric, Bai Zhi really admires her. She's not afraid of trouble, but rather bold and meticulous, able to seize every opportunity to create profit for herself—these are all qualities of a qualified businesswoman.

If it were anyone else, even Ke Qing, they wouldn't dare to so openly say they wanted to use her to gain more benefits.

"That's right. I'm a business genius. I'm thinking of going to Inazuma recently. If I can meet that general, I might be able to persuade him to let the Hall of Rebirth be the designated funeral home there."

Hu Tao put her hands on her hips, looking very smug. "Although I am a genius, this is only so that the employees of the Rebirth Hall can be paid, especially someone like Elder Zhongli, who spends money like water."

"Sometimes, I feel like Zhongli Keqing is the boss, and I'm just the one who works to earn money."

"Ahem, Master, there's no need to say so much. Besides, I have my reasons for spending money."

Zhongli coughed, interrupting Hu Tao. Although he didn't have much of a concept of Mora's amount, he did occasionally hear Hu Tao complain that he spent too much money.

"Is the funeral home really that short of funds?" Keqing asked curiously. "I remember that the funeral home is the monopolistic funeral institution in Liyue. Although there are quite a few small private funeral teams in Liyue, if you really want a decent funeral, it's usually the funeral home that does it."

"Well, ordinary funerals are naturally inexpensive, and we don't make much money from them, since they're mostly for the general public. We mainly focus on selling to high-end funerals; that's where we make our money..."

"Alright, let's stop talking about funerals. There looks like a restaurant up ahead. Is it called Wanmintang? Let's go try it."

Bai Zhi interrupted Ke Qing and Hu Tao's conversation and pointed to the bustling restaurant in front of them.

Unlike the tiny shop in the game that can't even seat three people, the real Wanmintang is really big, with the feel of a suburban food stall on Earth, and the aroma of food constantly wafts out from there.

125 Bai Zhi: Liyue needs to develop its technology!

"Gentlemen, what would you like to eat? Oh, Master Hu, you're here. Would you like the boiled black-backed bass again?"

Xiangling appeared dressed in revealing clothing, but surprisingly not at all revealing.

"Ta-da! Look, Xiangling, who have I brought for you?"

Hu Tao ran enthusiastically to Xiang Ling's side, then pointed at Bai Zhi, "Look, a freshly baked living advertisement."

"Oh? And who is this friend?"

Xiangling looked at Hu Tao with some hesitation, then at Bai Zhi, her face full of question marks.

As the head chef of Wanmintang, Xiangling is always very busy, so she did not attend this year's invocation ceremony and is unaware of Baizhi's situation.

"Huh, you didn't know?" Hu Tao asked in surprise.

Xiangling shook her head. "I don't know. I've been too busy lately and haven't had the energy to care about anything else."

Was Wanmintang always this busy?

Hu Tao looked around and couldn't help but say, "Why are there so many people? Has Wanmintang launched some new and interesting dishes? It seems Xiangling is going to make a fortune."

Upon hearing this, Xiangling couldn't help but sigh, "Actually, it's because Wanmintang is having a discount that it has attracted so many people."

"Is it because of the ritual of inviting immortals?" Ke Qing asked curiously. She had been to Wanmintang several times, and the food there was indeed delicious and inexpensive.

The only thing that could get Wanmintang to offer a discount recently is probably the ritual of inviting immortals.

Bai Zhi also looked at Xiang Ling with a slightly inquisitive gaze.

Xiangling didn't hide anything and pointed to a shop across the street that was under renovation.

"You see that? It's a shop that's under renovation over there."

Following Xiangling's directions, everyone looked over and saw a restaurant with a rather exotic style undergoing intensive renovations. A large sign had already been put up at the entrance, reading—Fontaine Specialty Fast Food Restaurant.

"Fontaine Fast Food Restaurant? I remember the food at Fontaine. It's not bad, but it's not exactly to the taste of Liyue people. Xiangling, do you have to be so worried? You've even lowered the prices to make do."

Hu Tao shrugged, indicating her confusion. She had tried the cuisines of other countries before, but Liyue, as a culinary superpower and a port nation, far surpassed other countries in the richness and variety of its food.

Why would Wanmintang, the most renowned casual restaurant in Liyue Harbor, receive such a response?

Bai Zhi shook her head. "Perhaps we should pay attention to the various facilities in that fast food restaurant. Those should be automated machines, right?"

Xiangling glanced at Baizhi with some surprise and agreed, "This little sister is right. Those things are indeed Fengdan machinery. I heard from them that they have undergone energy modification, and these machines can be taken out of Fengdan's territory."

"But that's not the most important thing. What's more, their food is all made by these machines, without the need for human hands. And the food is prepared using various standardized ingredients, requiring only very simple steps, such as frying it, before it can be taken out and sold."

"That's a brilliant idea." Bai Zhi nodded. As expected of Fontaine, you can see from the game that their technology is very advanced.

It would be illogical for anyone to want to apply such advanced technology to the outside world, but the shop across the street offers standardized fast food with mechanized production, perfectly fulfilling all the needs of modern catering.

"Yes, they are very capable. They can supply food all day long without sleep, which is something we cannot achieve by human effort. Their boilers even use alchemical tools, while we still use firewood to cook."

Xiangling also agreed with Baizhi's conclusion. As a chef, how could she not see how amazing this was?

"But things made this way have no soul, right? Cold machines. I'm not interested in them at all." Hu Tao curled her lip, expressing her disdain for the thing.

"Not necessarily, Master Hu. Don't be dismissive of this from the start. Think about it, if we had this machine, there would be people on guard 24 hours a day at the entrance of your Rebirth Hall, either to greet guests or to help the staff with some manual labor."

Bai Zhi interrupted Hu Tao and instead shared her own thoughts.

She knew that the laws of this world did not allow for excessive technological advancement, but since Fontaine had developed to that level without any problems, it meant that under moderate conditions, it would not necessarily bring destruction to Liyue.

Technology is clearly the primary productive force, and it is essential for Liyue to develop some related technology trees.

Given the advanced technology of Fontaine, it's surprising that Liyue is still the wealthiest of the Seven Kingdoms. Bai Zhi speculates that this is mostly because Liyue holds the right to mint coins.

Mora, as a precious metal and a consumable commodity similar to oil in the general sense, is naturally a form of currency. With the Golden House, the central bank of the seven kingdoms that can continuously generate Mora, it is not surprising that Liyue is still the richest country despite its low productivity.

But to be honest, this standard of living is still a bit lacking.

Now that I'm the Rock King, visiting Fontaine, paying a visit to Fou, and recruiting some technical talent might not be a bad idea.

"Xiangling, if you had a boiler with easily adjustable heat, wouldn't cooking be much easier?"

“We could even learn from those fast food restaurants over there. We can develop standardized food and bring your culinary creations to more people, which might even be cheaper.”

"There are mechanical guards at the entrance...it seems really nice."

Upon hearing Bai Zhi's story, Hu Tao's eyes lit up, and Xiang Ling was also somewhat tempted.

She's not the kind of person who's old-fashioned or conservative; when it comes to food ingredients and cooking methods, she's always been at the forefront of global trends.

When she first saw the alchemical tools at the Fontaine Fast Food Restaurant, she asked if they were for sale, but the answer was always no.

"However, those alchemical tools aren't for sale. I heard they're even patented..."

Xiangling thought for a moment and then shared the information she knew.

"Yes, that's right. Patents mean that the same technology cannot be used to counterfeit products. We in Liyue also recognize this patent treaty."

Ke Qing confirmed it from the side.

Bai Zhi scratched her head. "Well... in our vast Liyue, surely someone is good at mechanical things? We can always use other methods to achieve the same effect."

"Skilled in mechanics... It seems there really is one. Master once mentioned an immortal, the True Lord of Borrowing Wind and Clouds, who is extremely skilled in mechanical arts. Why don't we go and find that immortal?"

Xiangling's eyes lit up, and she said.

126. Regarding the fact that my dignified self transformed into a little loli.

"That's right, that woman, she definitely can."

Bai Zhi was slightly taken aback. The immortal who was skilled in mechanical arts that Xiang Ling mentioned could probably only be her, the True Lord who was good at chatting.

"Your Majesty, what are your thoughts?"

Seeing Bai Zhi deep in thought, Ke Qing asked curiously.

"Hmm... I was just imagining Liyue's future, Keqing. May I ask, is Liyue's commerce so developed because Liyue itself has a lot of advantages?"

Keqing shook her head. "Liyue has its own advantages, but compared to the Seven Kingdoms, they are not many. We have many special products that can help us trade. However, the most important thing is still the Golden House."

"With the Golden House, a huge Mora production facility, we Liyue people can obtain extremely high incomes. If we only talk about civilian technology, we are not as good as Fontaine and Winter."

"Just as I thought..."

Bai Zhi confirmed this from Ke Qing's answer. This was thanks to the unique ruling structure of this world. The true leaders of the seven kingdoms were the seven gods, and as the highest fighting force of each kingdom on the surface, the existence of the gods effectively curbed the expansionist desires of each kingdom.

Otherwise, with the advanced technology of Fontaine and Winter, how could they possibly resist expanding?

Of course, there's also the reason why a currency like the Mora, which combines the properties of oil and precious metals, can be produced continuously.

If Liyue were like Earth, where everyone uses fiat currency, it would be very difficult for it to have developed to this extent. At least, the fact that its average income is higher than Fontaine's is quite absurd.

"Well then, let's do one thing first: develop something related to mechanics. Then... let's go to other countries with advanced related technologies. As far as I remember, Sumeru seems pretty good. Maybe the scholars there can help us develop a lot of fun things."

"Okay, I'll make a note of it."

Ke Qing took out a small notebook, then pulled out a mechanical pencil, and began to write down everything Bai Zhi had just said.

After taking notes, Keqing said, "Your Majesty, I have also visited Fontaine. The people there do indeed have a very good standard of living. Are you doing this to improve the standard of living in Liyue?"

Bai Zhi nodded. "That's right. Although I don't remember many things, I do remember that the technology in Fontaine is very advanced, and the people of Liyue need to enjoy all of this. I think the time for change has come. Keqing, would you like to join me?"

Upon hearing Bai Zhi's words, Ke Qing's eyes suddenly filled with light. These words had always been in her heart, but she had never expressed them before.

But now, the Emperor has actually said the same thing.

She suddenly realized that her previous thoughts—that the Emperor was somewhat conservative and still believed in rule by man—were rather superficial.

Look at the Emperor; although he has lost many memories, his mind is still so sharp.

Although Liyue is stable, it has long lost its ambition among the Seven Kingdoms. Even though the Golden House, the central bank of the Seven Kingdoms, is here, people yearn for a better life and material comforts.

She had been to Fontainebleau and knew about its productivity; they produced things quickly, well, and with rapid iteration.

There, even in blacksmith shops, everything is automated, while in Liyue, they're still slowly hammering away by hand.

If Liyue doesn't catch up, then this largest trading port will probably gradually decline.

[Ding! Your words have convinced Keqing. You have gained Charm Points.]

The system notification popped up at the right time, but Bai Zhi remained calm and composed.

"Wait... Your Majesty?"

Xiangling, who had been listening to the entire conversation, couldn't help but speak up. She had been full of questions for some time, but given that Baizhi and Keqing's conversation was somewhat unfathomable, she severely suppressed her urge to speak.

But now that the dialogue between the two sides has clearly reached a certain stage, she finally voiced her doubts.

"Hehehe, that's right, she is the Emperor. Xiangling doesn't know, does she? The Emperor underwent a transformation and became like this, and also lost many of his memories."

"How about it? The advertising sign I got for you is pretty good, isn't it? When the time comes, Wanmintang can say that the Emperor has visited it, which will definitely boost the business to a new level."

Walnut put her hands on her hips and said smugly.

Xiangling was speechless. Her friend was truly audacious, having "kidnapped"... no, brought the Emperor here, and even brazenly declared she'd use him as a tourist attraction. Wasn't that a bit too much...?

Aren't you afraid of offending the Emperor?

Thinking of this, Xiangling secretly glanced at Baizhi and found that Baizhi was not angry, but was looking around with interest.

Noticing Xiangling's gaze, Baizhi smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who holds grudges. Besides, as long as it tastes good, I won't hesitate to praise it."

"I'll go cook right away, Your Majesty, please wait here for a moment!"

Without saying much, Xiangling excitedly ran back to the kitchen, shouting, "Dad, the Emperor is here to eat our food! Come help me, I want to use my best skills!"

This loud shout immediately attracted the attention of the others, who all looked over at Bai Zhi.

It doesn't matter if you don't see it, you will be shocked when you see it.

"The Emperor, it's the Emperor after his rebirth, so...so cute!!"

A girl from Liyue looked at Bai Zhi with stars in her eyes.

As everyone knows, Liyue people are either die-hard fans of Emperor Taizong or twisted die-hard fans. In the past, most people's impression of Emperor Taizong was mostly a rather majestic feeling.