"Rest assured, Lord Shogun," he said respectfully, "I'll do everything I can to welcome the merchants and restore their faith in Inazuma."
"I trust in your ability," Makoto said with a warm smile, nodding approvingly.
"The third matter, " Makoto's tone grew firm. "The Kanjou Commission and the Tenryou Commission have deceived the throne and oppressed the people, exploiting and extorting them without restraint."
"Send word, let the Hiiragi clan of the Kanjou Commission and the Kujou clan of the Tenryou Commission be imprisoned. Confiscate all family assets and return them to the citizens of Inazuma."
"Kujou General, I must entrust this matter to you. I know it may be difficult for you, but this is for the sake of Inazuma."
Kujou Sara's expression was complicated, but she nodded resolutely.
"Lord Shogun, there's no need to worry. This is the fate they brought upon themselves. My loyalty lies not with the Kujou family, but with Inazuma, and with you."
She hesitated for a moment, then added carefully,
"However… both the Kujou and Hiiragi families have operated within the government for generations. Not all among them are guilty of corruption. Acting too hastily may disrupt Inazuma's political balance."
The real reason, of course, was her fear that the Yashiro Commission might become too dominant, but that, she wisely left unsaid.
Makoto, however, had already anticipated this concern.
"For the Kujou and Hiiragi families, we won't handle this with a single sweeping judgment. Kujou General, you'll oversee the interrogations personally, punish those who deserve punishment, release those proven innocent. Everything must be done according to Inazuma's law."
"As for the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions… from now on, Kujou General, you will take charge of all Tenryou Commission affairs."
"The Kanjou Commission, Kamisato Ayato and Kujou Sara will jointly select suitable replacements as soon as possible."
"These days will be hard on both of you," Makoto said softly.
The two bowed their heads in unison. A bit of hardship was nothing, they both knew Inazuma would soon begin to recover before their very eyes.
"The fourth matter," Makoto continued after a pause.
"Form an alliance with Liyue, Mondstadt, and Snezhnaya, signing a Four-Nation Pact for mutual cooperation and progress, to hasten Inazuma's restoration."
"Afterward, Kujou Sara, select one thousand trustworthy soldiers and bring them to Liyue. This concerns the strategic future of all four nations, make haste."
"Can it be done within a month?"
Kujou Sara thought for a moment before answering decisively,
"It can, Lord Shogun!"
Though she didn't fully understand why an alliance was necessary, she knew one thing clearly, gaining three powerful allies could only be a blessing for Inazuma. The economy, the people's livelihood, even national strength would all grow swiftly.
Kamisato Ayato, on the other hand, understood the reason behind it, and quietly felt relieved.
"The fifth matter…" Makoto's voice softened again.
"Recruit members of the Resistance. Those who are willing may join the Shogunate Army and receive equal pay and treatment."
"For those who no longer wish to fight, allow them to return home and live peaceful lives. The same goes for the Shogunate troops."
After saying this, Makoto paused and looked at Ei.
"Ei, you will personally lead a force to quell the monster outbreaks across Inazuma and resolve the environmental disturbances."
"I understand," Ei replied immediately, then hesitated, her eyes darkening. "But, sister… your safety, "
Ei truly seemed to have developed something close to post-traumatic fear.
Now, the mere thought of Makoto being out of sight filled her with anxiety, as if danger could strike at any moment.
"This is Inazuma," Makoto replied simply, her voice calm and steady.
Then she turned to Kujou Sara again.
"The Millelith from Liyue will remain in Inazuma for three days. During that time, they can assist us where needed."
"For the specific coordination, Kujou General, you'll handle it with the Millelith commanders."
Kujou Sara finally allowed herself to exhale in relief.
It seemed that the cooperation was already firmly set in stone, or perhaps, it had already begun.
Either way, with such a powerful army that could sweep across Inazuma with ease, many things would now become far simpler to handle.
Kujou Sara nodded slightly and turned to the side, looking at Oishi(Millelith commander).
"These three days, I'll be troubling you all."
Oishi shook his head gently, saying nothing.
"The last matter…"
Makoto let out a faint sigh and looked toward Ei. After a brief silence, she spoke softly:
"The second ruling Raiden Shogun, Beelzebul, has failed in her governance. Her mismanagement led to constant war in Inazuma, the suffering of her people, and corruption among her subordinates."
"Therefore, Beelzebul shall be dismissed from her position as the Raiden Shogun. Once Inazuma's affairs are settled, Beelzebul will personally travel to Liyue to contribute to the cooperation among the four nations."
So it had finally come…
Kujou Sara and the others felt a wave of melancholy.
Although they knew how deeply Makoto cared for her people, and that upon seeing Ei's mistakes, she would inevitably remove her from power, when the moment actually arrived, it was still difficult to accept.
But this was, at its core, a family matter. They could not comment.
Ei lowered her head, looking disheartened, and murmured softly:
"I understand…"
Makoto pressed her lips together, then said quietly:
"As for the matter of our identities, do not let it spread."
Ei froze for a moment, her fists tightening in guilt.
She understood perfectly well what that meant, if word of the two Raiden Shoguns didn't get out, then everyone in Inazuma would believe all these decisions were made by Makoto.
Makoto would be the one to bear the blame.
That same elder sister…
Even when angry, she would always protect her, steadfastly.
Even though she wasn't the stronger one, just like in the past, no matter how powerful the enemy, Makoto would always stand before Ei.
But Ei didn't want her sister to take the blame for her mistakes.
No one knew better than she did how kind and gentle Makoto truly was, she didn't deserve to bear such accusations.
"The mistakes are mine alone. They have nothing to do with Makoto. I won't let her carry this burden for me!"
Hearing this, Makoto's eyes softened as she looked at her sister.
"I'm your elder sister. I was the one who made you take over Inazuma so suddenly, that was my mistake too."
"But…"
Makoto shook her head gently, cutting Ei off before she could continue.
"No matter what, letting you take over Inazuma unprepared, without teaching you properly how to govern, that was my fault."
"For Inazuma to end up like this… I, too, cannot escape responsibility."
"That's enough. There's no need to say any more, Ei."
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