"Changli, you're here too! It's just a Martial Soul Awakening, there's really no need for such a grand affair. You're busy with daily tasks, it's already hard enough," Lu Jingming said, a little embarrassed.
In reality, his role as City Lord was largely titular; the one truly managing the entire Haiyuan City with utmost efficiency was the remarkably charming woman before him.
She was also a game character Lu Jingming had summoned using his True Authority, originating from the mobile game "Wuthering Waves," where she served as a Guuji-sama of Huanglong, Jinhou(Serving as the advisor to Jiangzhou's Kōryū Council),. She was resourceful, quick-witted, and an undeniable top-tier strategist.
Recalling six years prior, when Lu Jingming summoned Jingliu, she had, with her extraordinary strength, swiftly eliminated the rebellious factions and successfully quelled the chaos throughout Haiyuan City.
At that time, Haiyuan City had just endured a fierce invasion by sea soul beasts, resulting in significant military losses and a weakened state.
Following that, the rebellion of several other noble families compounded the disaster, plunging the city into utter disarray.
While Jingliu suppressed all dissent in Haiyuan City with absolute force, she found herself somewhat constrained when facing the chaotic situation.
With no other options, she could only rely on force to maintain order in Haiyuan City.
It wasn't until two years later, when Lu Jingming once again accumulated some True Authority, that he immediately chose to summon someone who could resolve the predicament. That choice was Changli.
Actually, in his heart, there were many characters he could have chosen, some with even more outstanding abilities.
However, at the moment of decision, Lu Jingming ultimately yielded to his personal preference.
After all, Changli's proud figure, especially her undeniably prominent "assets," was simply irresistible to him.
For someone in his youthful prime, such charm was undoubtedly a powerful attraction.
After successfully summoning Changli, Lu Jingming had new calculations in mind. The affairs of Haiyuan City were complex, and one person alone couldn't handle everything.
Therefore, he planned to summon another character specifically to manage the internal affairs of the City Lord's Manor, forming a clear division of labor with Changli: one would handle external matters, coordinating various external city affairs, and the other would meticulously manage the internal workings of the City Lord's Manor.
After much thought, Lu Jingming set his sights on Yae Miko. In his vision, the intelligent and cunning Yae Miko would undoubtedly manage the City Lord's Manor in an orderly fashion.
However, when using the True Authority, he overlooked a crucial issue—a miscalculation of the True Authority required to turn illusion into reality. When the summoning light gradually dissipated, the graceful and alluring Yae Miko who appeared before him, before she could even speak, transformed into a pink-furred little fox.
Under such helpless circumstances, Lu Jingming had no other choice but to entrust the heavy responsibility of managing the City Lord's Manor and the entire Haiyuan City to Changli's shoulders.
Initially, Lu Jingming was somewhat worried, as both responsibilities were extremely arduous, and managing them simultaneously was far from easy.
However, Changli displayed astonishing capability. She seemed to possess innate leadership and management wisdom, facing complex affairs not only without a hint of panic but also handling them with ease, managing the entire Haiyuan City in an orderly fashion.
Those family factions who had once acted recklessly and had their own agendas in the city were, under Changli's diplomacy and firm hand, disciplined and made subservient, no longer daring to act rashly.
Even amidst her busy daily management work, Changli remained at ease, still having the energy to help plan various affairs for the City Lord's Manor.
It was due to her meticulous planning and Jingliu's formidable military deterrence acting as a solid backing that Lu Jingming was able to firmly maintain his position as City Lord of Haiyuan City.
It's important to note that, according to the Star Luo Empire's strict regulations, the underage Lu Jingming was not actually qualified to inherit the title of Earl of Haiyuan, let alone the position of City Lord.
No matter how insignificant Haiyuan City might seem, it was still a major coastal city of the Star Luo Empire, and many people harbored designs on it.
The Lu family now only had Lu Jingming as its sole bloodline. As the first in line of succession, Haiyuan City would indeed fall into his hands sooner or later.
However, during this sensitive period before he came of age, the Star Luo Empire was highly likely to dispatch other officials to temporarily serve as City Lord, only to transfer power once Lu Jingming reached the age of majority.
But "inviting a god is easy, sending one away is hard"; no one could predict whether, when Lu Jingming came of age, the temporary City Lord who had managed Haiyuan City for years would willingly relinquish control of the city to Lu Jingming.
At that time, the situation would likely become more complex, with too many variables.
Fortunately, Changli was far-sighted. When faced with the officials dispatched by the Star Luo Empire, she decisively proposed that she would temporarily assume the duties of City Lord, firmly refusing any external interference in Haiyuan City's affairs.
Under Changli's masterful political maneuvering, combined with Jingliu's awe-inspiring military might as a strong backing, after a fierce struggle and negotiation, Lu Jingming successfully retained his position as City Lord, allowing him to continue presiding over Haiyuan City.
If it weren't for a capable assistant like Changli, who was adept at strategy and meticulous in thought, relying solely on Jingliu would have made the situation exceptionally difficult.
The choice would have been either to forcefully deter all parties with military might, which would undoubtedly be openly opposing the entire Star Luo Empire—a clearly unwise move—or to helplessly abandon Haiyuan City, taking Lu Jingming far away from this troubled place to find another haven.
In fact, the Jingliu summoned by Lu Jingming was not at her peak. She had lost the terrifying power to cut down stars in her original world, and she no longer had the support of Path power or Imaginary energy.
After arriving in this completely unfamiliar Douluo Continent, all Jingliu could utilize was the unique soul power of this world.
Although she was still powerful, facing a vast imperial machine, she clearly wasn't unrivaled and couldn't be truly invincible.
Hearing Lu Jingming's words filled with concern, Changli's lips curved slightly, and a gentle, moving smile blossomed on her face.
She spoke softly, her voice like a spring breeze brushing against his ear: "It's alright, you don't need to worry. Ever since Ms. Herta joined, the various affairs of Haiyuan City have gradually returned to normal. And recently, I've also focused on cultivating a few trustworthy confidantes. With them sharing the work, I'm indeed much more relaxed now and have more free time to myself."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jingming nodded gently, secretly relieved that he hadn't exhausted Changli with too heavy a burden.