Liyue Millennial

Liyue Millennial is a quest in .
==Steps==
# Accompany Ningguang to have the piece made
# Go to Mingxing Jewelry to place an order
# Return to the Jade Chamber and talk to Ningguang
==Dialogue==
;(Accompany Ningguang to have the piece made)
: Ying'er: Oh, Lady Ningguang, and the Traveler.
: Ningguang: You already know each other?
: We've met before.
: Ying'er: Oh, I think it goes a little deeper than that... I don't teach my hard-earned skills to just anyone, you know.
: Ying'er: There's a word for people like you, who are warm one minute and cold the next. "Fickle."
: Ningguang: You seem to be in a good mood today.
: Ying'er: As ever. There's nothing special about today, but seeing you two has definitely perked me up.
: Ying'er: All jokes aside, how can I be of service today?
: Ningguang: Remember the custom chess pieces I told you about? I'd like you to take measurements today.
: But isn't she in the porcelain business?
: Ying'er: Whatever business I'm in, I am first and foremost a woman of many talents. Don't you remember when I taught you how to make perfume? There was no porcelain involved in that.
: Ying'er: As it happens, I am a skilled tailor as well. What can I say, I'm in the prime of my youth and I love all beautiful things... Is that so strange?
: Ningguang: Ying'er is every bit as proficient as any of the top tailors in the land. I've availed myself of her services many times before.
: Ying'er: ...Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just realizing that the Traveler only thinks I'm good at one thing. I see how it is. In which case...
: Ying'er: You'll find all the tools you could need in the room. Please, help yourselves. I'll stay outside and mind my own porcelain business, as you quite rightly suggested.
: Ningguang: Huh? What are you expecting me to do here...?
: Ying'er: Oh, I think the Traveler is the one you should be asking about that...
: I wasn't suggesting anything...
: Stop twisting my words!
: Ying'er: Hahaha, I'm kidding! I'm kidding.
: Ying'er: It's hard not to tease when you're both so well-matched.
: Ying'er: Come on, then. Step inside and I'll examine your body from tip to toe, hehehe.
:
: Ningguang: *sigh*...
: Ningguang: If I hear any strange new rumors after this, you will be my number one suspect.
: Ying'er: Rumors about the Traveler? Or the chess piece?
: Ningguang: Either. Both are confidential.
: Ying'er: Don't worry. I know where the line is. I'd never take a joke too far.
: Ying'er: Secrets are only fun when they're kept secret.
: I hope you do know where the line is...
: Ningguang: Just... enough with the ambiguous phrasing, okay? You'll give people the wrong idea... Ugh, forget it. Let's just go.
: Ying'er: You're always welcome at Scent of Spring. Come again anytime.
;(After conversation with Ying'er ends)
: Ningguang: *sigh* I slightly regret bringing you here.
: Ningguang: It doesn't bother me. I just hope she didn't make you feel too awkward...
: Ningguang: Now that your measurements are taken, let's go to Mingxing Jewelry and put an order in.
;(Talk to Ying'er again)
: Ying'er: You are always welcome to come back, either alone or with your new friend. Hehe.
----
;(Go to Mingxing Jewelry to place an order)
: Xingxi: Hello, Lady Ningguang. What can I do for you today?
: Ningguang: That chess piece I told you about — we can start work now. I have the Traveler's measurements here.
: Xingxi: Okay, let me just double-check... Mm-hmm, looks good. This has all the measurements we need. I'll pass them on to the craftsman shortly.
: Ningguang: Good. And as agreed, please use top-grade materials only.
: Xingxi: Of course. We are professionals, and we will do everything we can to deliver the high standard you expect.
: Xingxi: Although, speaking to you as a friend, I have to tell you that the sale price you indicated won't even cover the cost of production...
: Xingxi: I don't mean just the material costs, either. Waiting around for top-quality materials drags out the production time and also reduces the total quantity we can produce.
: Ningguang: That's okay. This one is not for profit.
: Ningguang: With every previous set, there has always been some degree of commercial or marketing considerations to bear in mind. But this one serves more of a commemorative purpose.
: Ningguang: To that point, as you know, the prototype of the Jade Chamber chess piece has been in the works for a long time, but I haven't once followed up on the progress.
: Jade Chamber? There's a Jade Chamber piece in this chess set?
: Ningguang: Yes. And just like your piece, the Jade Chamber piece will be scaled for the game.
: Now I understand Xingxi's concern.
: It's a huge undertaking...
: Xingxi: Yes, it's a challenging project. But also, "not for profit" is really not something I ever expected from Lady Ningguang...
: Xingxi: How do I put it? It just seems... out of character.
: Ningguang: In business, everything comes down to profits versus losses. You have to keep a cool head and make rational judgments. In other words, you must be shrewd.
: Ningguang: But shrewdness is easily perceived as cynicism in the eyes of others. People come to think of you as someone who cares only about money, and not people.
: Ningguang: Hardly the worst thing in the world, of course. But it has caused obstacles for me in the past.
: How?
: Ningguang: Well, for example, I once had a case where someone backed out of a deal with me to sell to someone else. We were both offering the exact same terms, it was simply because they didn't like me very much.
: Ningguang: Another case was where I offered distinctly more competitive terms in an investment, and this ended up arousing their suspicion.
: Ningguang: "That Ningguang," they thought... "She must be up to something. We can't let her get away with it..."
: Xingxi: I see...
: Ningguang: But these problems disappeared all but completely after the battle against Osial.
: Ningguang: Why? Because the whole of Liyue witnessed me destroying my Jade Chamber.
: Ningguang: At least, that's the most reasonable explanation I can think of.
: Xingxi: Oh, I get it! You're saying that back when you sacrificed the Jade Chamber, you gained everyone's respect in return.
: Xingxi: You're not seeking to make a profit from these chess pieces because what you're commemorating is your personal contribution to Liyue Harbor!
: Xingxi: It was the deal of the century, and as long as you keep capitalizing on it, business will be plain sailing for you in the future.
: Ningguang: ...Yes. Exactly. Very to the point.
: Xingxi: Truly a brilliant strategy, Lady Ningguang! You really are a business mastermind.
: Xingxi: Now I understand why this set needs to be so perfect and why it's okay that it doesn't turn a profit.
: Ningguang: It will be a lot of work, and I'm most grateful to you.
: Ningguang: Make sure the Traveler's piece is exactly how wants it. We can't go letting down.
: Xingxi: Don't you worry, we'll put our all into it!
: Ningguang: Well, that's that then. Let's head back to the Jade Chamber.
: Ningguang: There's something I want to discuss with you.
;(Talk to Xingxi again)
: Xingxi: Lady Ningguang is simply brilliant. Once again, she has blown my mind.
: Xingxi: There's so much I can learn from her.
===After the Descent===
;(Return to the Jade Chamber and talk to Ningguang)
: Ningguang: I have a question for you. I'd like to hear your honest opinion.
: Ningguang: And I, in turn, will tell you how I really think.
: Ningguang: When we were at Mingxing Jewelry, I admitted that my decision to sacrifice the Jade Chamber was a calculated one. I had already considered what I stood to lose and to gain.
: Ningguang: When you heard that... did it make you think that maybe I really was a cynical profit-chaser after all?
: Honestly... yes. I was a little disappointed.
:: Ningguang: I see...
:: Ningguang: Well then I'm sorry, but what I'm about to say may simply come across as making excuses.
: I think all you're trying to do is make up for your losses.
:: Ningguang: Yes, well, at the time, it seemed to me that sacrificing the Jade Chamber was the inevitable decision.
:: Ningguang: All that talk about making up for my losses was really just to console myself.
: The point is that you stepped up when the time came.
:: Ningguang: ...Thank you.
:: Ningguang: Yes, you see things the way they are, however they may appear on the surface.
: Ningguang: ...I was lying to Xingxi.
: Ningguang: My decision to destroy the Jade Chamber was nowhere near as thought-through as I made it out to be. I just thought we should do what needed to be done, and this was a decision that only I could make.
: Ningguang: Afterwards, I consoled myself by reasoning that all my wealth comes from Liyue Harbor, so to lose Liyue Harbor is to lose everything. In that sense, giving up the Jade Chamber would be a profitable investment in the long term.
: Ningguang: But it just didn't work — I was grief-stricken, like a huge part of my heart was suddenly missing...
: Ningguang: Because I had just severed ties with a lifelong companion.
: Ningguang: I stared out at the sea for goodness knows how long... I just couldn't let it go... I just couldn't.
: Ningguang: There was no way I could console myself... So why bother trying?
: ...
: Ningguang: But as time went by, I received so many thank-you gifts and letters from people... Everyone was describing how they now saw me in a new light, how I'd become an inspiration to them.
: Ningguang: I gave up the Jade Chamber without a moment's hesitation, and I did it for the sake of Liyue Harbor. And now, people are inspired to follow my example, to tackle their life challenges with the same unswerving determination.
: Ningguang: All of this was so encouraging to hear. It made me feel that my dear old companion's sacrifice was not in vain.
: So why did you lie to Xingxi?
: Ningguang: Because... to most people, the idea that Lady Ningguang is someone who battles with grief and struggles to let go of the past is probably the furthest thing from the truth that they could imagine.
: Ningguang: This is one aspect of the truth that I can share only with you.
: Ningguang: The fact that... I can't always be as strong as everyone thinks I am.
: The most difficult time has passed.
: You've done so well.
: Ningguang: Thank you for your comforting words. It feels good even just to be able to talk about it.
: Ningguang: I'm sorry that you have to see me in this state...
: Ningguang: But look where I am now. Standing on the deck of the Jade Chamber once more, taking in the view... It must be fate's reward to me.
: Ningguang: And if I end up having to do it all over again in the future... I will not hesitate to make the same decision again.
===Ending: Unchanging Will===
==Other Languages==
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