"I'll take this one," said the emperor, his eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiled and held up a particularly expensive lump of jade. His personal guard watched you sharply as you took the piece from him, careful to not touch his hand. As Liyue's ruler, he was held in a higher regard than some gods. To touch him would be blasphemy, even if he walked among the common folk at times.

Zhongli was a strange emperor: unlike any of his predecessors, his idea of a peaceful afternoon was to stroll about the streets he ruled, meeting those lesser and buying from shops such as your own. He paid no mind to class or his own mysticism. His guard was never too pleased with his mindset; he was far too exposed on the daily for their liking.

You packaged his jade as neatly as you could, glancing at the ruler when his attention was elsewhere. Zhongli was a strange emperor, indeed.