Genshin Impact: I, the Winter Prince, reign supreme.

The chieftain of the Winged Clan has a pair of golden wings on his back. Each feather is extremely precious and possesses the magical ability to borrow the power of the wind element. When the former chieftain stepped down, he was able to stand out from many candidates precisely because of these flawless wings.

As a result, a group of mischievous kids from nearby villages came running over, plucking a few feathers each day and another each day to give to the adults as quills. Within days, his wings were plucked bare, making him look like a plucked chicken from a distance. The kids then set their sights on the last feather on his head, the symbol of the winged tribe chief, representing power and authority. They didn't care about his feathers and plucked that one too, leaving him bald.

The chieftains of the Siren Clan and the Undead Clan, upon seeing the Winged Clan chieftain's miserable state of utter despair, both received immense psychological comfort.

Because of past mistakes, the three clan leaders who came to atone for their sins did not believe that Zhidong's reforms could succeed. They believed that Zhidong would abolish serfdom, but they were less likely to believe that the sun would rise in the west.

One month later, the three were discussing this privately when a patrolling guard overheard them and immediately reported it to his superiors. Suddenly, the three clan leaders received a message from a soldier saying that the magistrate requested a meeting.

Upon entering the largest tent, the three tribal chiefs stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

The third-ranking executor of the Fools, the "Girl," held an inkstone, while the seventh-ranking executor, the "Puppet," held a cup of hot tea. The two executors stood respectfully behind a young man who was bent over his desk, writing furiously, their faces smiling and their expressions respectful.

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed that two renowned and powerful executors would be willing to serve a man. Only the Ice Queen could make them serve so willingly. It wasn't until the man put down his pen and looked up that the three clan leaders recognized him as none other than Prince Zhidong.

His Highness glanced at them and said, "Do you still want to assassinate me?" The three clan leaders quickly replied, "Your Highness is safe and sound, that's wonderful!" They then swore an oath that they would never again cooperate with the Winter's royal family, saying it was foolish to oppose His Highness for a little Mora. Of course, the main reason was that the three of them no longer wanted to live in mourning. Although it wasn't exactly unbearable, it was close enough; the Ice Queen was simply trying to thoroughly humiliate them.

His Highness the Prince further stated that the three would no longer need to wear mourning clothes, but they must keep his feigned death a secret until the truth is revealed. Additionally, the three clans would contribute some strength to the final battle against Heaven's Principle.

The three clan leaders hesitated at this point. They had initially agreed to cooperate with the Ice Queen because the prince had died in an assassination attempt, and they were in the wrong. Now that the prince was alive, they needed to renegotiate the terms.

The three clan leaders disagreed with using the full strength of their clans to help the Winter Kingdom in its war, citing their weak strength and small population, believing that justice could not be defeated. However, they agreed to compensate for the loss caused by the assassination of the prince.

The Siren Clan chieftain offered one hundred beautiful women for His Highness's enjoyment; if His Highness desired, she, the chieftain, could even serve as his bed warmer. The Winged Clan was willing to assist the Winter Kingdom's flying soldiers in training them to control the power of wind elements to increase their gliding speed. The Undead Clan chieftain stated that they could only provide some abyssal beasts to assist in combat; in short, none of the three clans would send their own members to the battlefield.

His Highness pointed to the calligraphy on the desk, the ink still wet, and invited the three clan leaders to come forward for a closer look. On the thick Xuan paper were eight large characters: "The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen." Prince Zhidong's vision was far beyond that of ordinary people.

The three clan leaders were filled with shame, but they knew they absolutely could not act rashly at this moment, so they kept their heads down and remained silent. The destruction of the ancient kingdom of Kanria was still fresh in their minds, and they remained skeptical about whether Zhi Dong could successfully challenge the laws of nature.

They had expected to hear some threats, but to their surprise, His Highness said, "The decisive battle between Zhidong and Tianli is imminent. I, the Ice Queen, and the eleven executors will always be at the forefront of the battle. The second echelon will be Zhidong's well-trained and valiant army, the third echelon will be Zhidong's ordinary citizens following behind, and the fourth echelon will be the armies and warriors from other countries that come to assist us. The fifth echelon will consist of the elemental creatures that live and thrive within Zhidong's territory and are protected by the Ice Queen. This is Zhidong's troop deployment for the future conquest of Tianli. It may be adjusted in the future according to the actual situation, but there will not be any major changes."

The three clan leaders felt a sense of awe.

If this formation is deployed, it's equivalent to the entire Winter Kingdom being wiped out before the armies of other countries can even get a turn. Leaving aside the Winter Kingdom's chances of victory, if they execute this plan, they will receive overwhelming support.

With the Ice Queen and the Prince of Winter leading the charge, many others will be willing to charge into battle.

The siren chieftain, with her keen female insight, discerned something missing in her words and asked, "Your Highness's troop deployment seems to exclude our three major races."

Before His Highness could speak, the outspoken [Puppet] Sandone replied, "The Siren race stirs up trouble, constantly harassing merchant ships at sea. The Winged Race flies around everywhere, spying on people's hidden treasure caves and locations, illegally monitoring people's movements, and shamelessly making a fortune from this kind of intelligence. As for your Undead race, you have countless connections with the dark forces of the Abyss. To paraphrase His Highness's words last time, the Winter Solstice army is not a ragtag force; we would rather have none than accept inferior soldiers. We never intended to recruit you three worthless fish, so don't think too highly of yourselves."

The three clan chiefs frowned deeply, and [Puppet] Sandone added, "Let me emphasize, the phrase 'rotten fish and shrimp' was not used by His Highness the Prince; it is my own way of saying it."

After hearing this explanation, the clan leaders frowned even more deeply.

If His Highness had despised them by calling them "rotten fish and shrimp," that would have been one thing, as it would have revealed His Highness's extreme disappointment. But the fact that there wasn't even a single comment with any clear emotional bias underscores this: In the eyes of this Prince of Winter, whom the Ice Queen had so ruthlessly punished the entire Winter Royal Family to avenge him, and who had personally led her officers on a campaign, the three races were nothing more than insignificant, nameless scraps, not even rotten fish and shrimp.

His Highness then slowly said, "Once serfdom is officially abolished, I will set off back to Winterfell to explain this matter to Her Majesty the Queen. Your three races are not included in the plan for the final battle."

There are dozens of races, large and small, living within the territory of the Winter Kingdom. In terms of strength alone, the Siren Clan, the Winged Clan, and the Undead Clan are actually the best among them. It's just that they were excluded by His Highness the Prince because of their bad reputation.

If this news were to get out, the three major races would be laughed at by the other races. Even if they kept it strictly secret, if the day of the final battle came and even the weaker races joined the war, while the three major races remained inactive, they would probably not be able to establish themselves on the continent of Teyvat in the future, and would be criticized and ridiculed wherever they went.

The key to the survival of a race lies not in its numbers, but in its reputation. A good reputation means people will be willing to help you when you encounter difficulties; a bad reputation means you will truly become isolated. Petty theft for a living may not arouse extreme resentment, but if you make a mistake on matters of national righteousness, you will be despised by everyone.

After exchanging glances with the other two clan leaders, the siren clan chief said, "Your Highness, our three clans are willing to contribute to the great cause of the Winter Kingdom's rebellion against the laws of nature. What do you wish us to do?"

As His Highness sipped his tea, he casually remarked, "After we die in battle, collect our bodies."

In the prince's eyes, were the three races only fit to collect corpses? The three clan chiefs all revealed bitter smiles.

The siren chieftain further inquired, "Why us?"

His Highness replied, “If our resistance fails, the Kingdom of Winter will cease to exist. The Winged Clan can flee from the sky to the desolate lands to escape the disaster, the Sea Demons can dive into the deep sea, and the Undead can continue to hide in the abyss. It will not be an easy task for the Keepers of Heaven to find you.”

Only those of the three races who possess the ability to protect themselves are worthy of the duty of collecting corpses.

His Highness continued, "And the benefit I can promise you is that once the laws of nature are overthrown, each of your three races will be allocated a territory to encourage your people to grow and prosper. At that time, on the continent of Teyvat, humans and elemental beings will live in harmony with other races, respecting each other, and there will be no more discrimination and slaughter."

The chieftains of the undead and winged tribes hurriedly expressed their gratitude and said they were willing to do the work of collecting the corpses.

The siren chieftain inwardly cursed the two for their stupidity, failing to recognize that this was clearly a rhetoric from the prince. Collecting corpses was a risk-free job, yet offered the chance to reap the rewards of future victory—such a windfall was impossible, and even if it existed, it wouldn't be the siren's turn.

The Siren Chieftain puffed out his chest and said, “Your Highness, you have offered too many benefits. The Siren Clan cannot accept such undeserved rewards. Please leave the task of collecting the corpses to someone else. After the war between gods and demons ended, the Siren Clan survived to this day only under the protection of the Ice Queen. Many races from our time have disappeared into the annals of history. Perhaps Your Highness does not acknowledge us as part of the Winter Kingdom, but merely as parasites of this nation. However, your words just now were meant to teach us the principle of ‘shared prosperity and shared loss.’ On behalf of the Siren Clan, I declare that on the day of the decisive battle against Heaven’s justice, the Siren Clan will certainly not be absent.”

His Highness smiled slightly at the chieftain of the sea monster clan.

From the moment I entered until now, despite all the words I've spoken, this is the first time His Highness the Prince has truly looked at me.

The two clan leaders of the Undead and Winged races felt their faces burning with embarrassment, only now realizing their mistake, and expressed their willingness to contribute.

His Highness said nothing, but personally poured a cup of tea for the three of them, and then laughed heartily.

That day, several soldiers patrolling outside the tent told Columbia with tears in their eyes that they didn't know if they were hallucinating, but they heard His Highness the Prince laughing. As the person involved, she naturally understood that it was His Highness laughing heartily to establish the "United Front Against Heaven" and to win over the first force.

This newly appointed prince is truly extraordinary. He doesn't enjoy the decadent lifestyle of the nobility, and wealth and glory seem to be fleeting. The only thing that can make the prince genuinely happy is to enhance the strength of the Winter Kingdom.

The "Descendants" rescued by Her Majesty the Queen were indeed born to defy the laws of nature.

In the second month, His Highness the Prince's reform to abolish serfdom began to get on track, starting with the villages around the Winter Kingdom as a pilot project and then spreading to the rest of the country.

Under the Prince's behind-the-scenes manipulation, the highest-ranking local officials who had previously remained indifferent vigorously promoted the movement to abolish serfdom and strictly implemented the reform plan. They not only abolished serfdom but also helped serfs reintegrate into society and provided them with technical training.

Finally, each person was given a plot of land, and the grain grown was sold to the state, which greatly motivated the serfs to increase their production.

By the end of that year, the Winter Kingdom had achieved a bumper harvest.

That marked the first time in the history of Zhidong Kingdom that it achieved self-sufficiency in food. His Highness the Prince's reforms, which abolished serfdom, are regarded by many scholars as the beginning of Zhidong Kingdom's rise to power.

Chapter 189 Who Dares to Be Disrespectful

The three chieftains of the Winged Clan, the Undead Clan, and the Sea Demon Clan finally agreed to serve the Heavenly Principles in the war against the Winter Kingdom. His Highness the Prince presented an irresistible reason: the three clans and the Winter Kingdom were actually in the same boat, and when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact.

Of course, the three races could choose to leave Winter before the final battle begins, but they would inevitably bear the infamy of the future. The continent of Teyvat is home to many unique races and immortal beings, who compete fiercely for resources. Weaker races are often swallowed up by stronger ones; this happens every year, but humans simply don't pay attention.

The three major races thrived in the Winter Kingdom, and in the eyes of outsiders, they were protected by the Ice Queen, which is why they dared not easily plot against them. Among the Seven Gods, the Ice Queen possessed the strongest killing intent, and no one dared to provoke the races within the Ice Kingdom.

The siren clan chief saw this most clearly.

The Siren race is renowned for its beauties. Even powerful outsiders, though coveting them, dare not abduct or annex their members. Many within the race believe that the area they once inhabited happened to fall within the territory of the Winter Kingdom, and that the Ice Queen never exercised jurisdiction over it, thus they are not strictly considered citizens of the Winter Kingdom. However, whether they acknowledge it or not, the Queen's reputation directly or indirectly protects all their people. Outsiders always refer to the Siren race as "the Siren race of the Winter Kingdom," already branded with the Winter Kingdom's identity; to deny it would be self-deception.

Now that the Kingdom of Zhidong has rebelled against the laws of nature, chaos is imminent. The Siren clan has no other choice but to remain bound to the warship of Zhidong and advance and retreat together. If the entire clan leaves Zhidong, they will only become vassals of other races, eking out a miserable existence as female slaves for others' pleasure. Rather than living such a hopeless life, it is better to take a gamble.

The prince of Zhidong promised to create a new order in which humans and the natural environment, and humans and other races, coexist harmoniously after overthrowing the laws of nature. Compared with this harmonious world that they dared not even dream of, providing a unique habitat for the three races is more attractive and more important for the development and continuation of the race.

If the Kingdom of Winter truly succeeds, the three clan leaders will be the greatest contributors to their respective clans, their achievements comparable to those of their ancestors.

In the following two or three months, the three clan chiefs no longer had any doubts about Prince Zhidong's governing abilities. As long as the established reform plan was implemented, Zhidong would completely abolish serfdom and destroy the ideological foundation that gave rise to it. This young prince, whom the Ice Queen valued so highly, had very advanced governing ideas that were suitable for the national conditions of Zhidong, and were not just empty talk.

His ability to govern the country is beyond doubt, but the three clan leaders are worried that His Highness's own strength is not strong enough.

The decisive battle against Tianli requires more than just strategy; ultimately, it will depend on overwhelming military might. While the Ice Queen and her eleven executives are undoubtedly incredibly powerful, capable of sweeping away any of the other six kingdoms, judging from the methods Tianli used to destroy Kanria five hundred years ago, the Winter Kingdom needs at least one super-strong individual—not necessarily comparable to the Ice Queen, but at least close—along with a perfect plan, to have even the slightest chance of victory in this battle.

In my daily interactions with His Highness the Prince, I sensed no elemental fluctuations whatsoever, clearly indicating he is a civil official rather than a military general, which is quite a pity. If the Prince were a top-tier expert, then this battle would be much more promising.

The three discussed it privately and decided to take advantage of this time to teach His Highness the method of cultivating elemental power, and also teach him some of the three clans' most secret techniques to help His Highness improve his strength, at least to ensure that His Highness would have the power to protect himself in the future decisive battle, and not always rely on the executor for protection.

The prince stayed up all night reviewing documents, and before dawn, the three of them went to see the "puppet" Sandoni to explain the matter.

Sandone led the three to the tent to wait, and said with a smile, "Columbia, the three chieftains said they want to help Your Highness improve your strength."

She was delighted to hear this and declined on behalf of the Prince, saying, "I appreciate your kind offer."

Seeing the strange smiles of the two executives, the three clan leaders further explained, "His Highness has eleven executives and Her Majesty the Empress helping him improve his strength, so the three of us naturally wouldn't dare to overstep our bounds. We possess some trump cards in elemental combat techniques; while they can't make His Highness's cultivation progress by leaps and bounds, they can help broaden his horizons. [Girl], are you sure the Prince doesn't need them?"

The Winged Race's wind elemental flight combat skills, the Undead Race's rock elemental summoning spells, and the Siren Race's water elemental stealth combat skills are known as the "Three Wonders of the Land, Sea, and Air."

She was watering a sunflower and replied, “A few days ago, I accompanied His Highness the Prince for a walk in the fields. The sun was shining brightly that day, and the snow had melted. We discovered this sunflower that had survived the cold. His Highness brought it back to the tent, soil and all, and planted it in a pot. After several days of careful nurturing, the sunflower has produced buds this morning that are ready to bloom.”

The winged tribe chieftain was incredulous and said, "I have flown over every inch of the Winter's Land, and although I have seen flower seeds blown from warmer places by the wind take root and sprout, to see one bearing flower buds like this is simply a miracle. Sunflowers are delicate and sensitive to the cold, and it would be impossible for them to bloom in the frigid weather of the Winter's Land. What is the significance of this sunflower?"

She explained, "Because of His Highness the Prince."

The siren chieftain exclaimed in surprise, "[Young lady], are you implying that His Highness the Prince has influenced the growth pattern of this sunflower? Influencing the laws of life, even with an insignificant sunflower, is something even gods would find difficult to do. His Highness the Prince cannot possibly be a god."

She clarified to the three clan leaders, "Have you three always thought that it was Sandone and I who protected His Highness when he was assassinated? That's not true. We only dealt with two of the three assassins; the most powerful undead knight was personally killed by His Highness."

The young chieftain of the undead race was astonished.

That undead knight absorbed a lot of the power of the abyss; even he is no match for him.

……

When this conclusion was told to everyone, the chieftains of the Siren Clan and the Winged Clan were even more astonished. They immediately thought of an unbelievable situation: His Highness the Prince had concealed his true strength from the outside world, spread the news of his fake death, and manipulated the reforms from behind the scenes. This had drawn out the opposition forces that were originally afraid to show themselves in the dark, the interest groups that wanted to obstruct the reforms, and even the assassins who hired killers to carry out the assassination. Even the death knight was killed in one move due to underestimating his enemy.

His Highness's shrewdness and strategic acumen formed a stark contrast with his youthful appearance.

His Highness, who had just woken up and overheard their conversation, walked briskly to the sunflower and smiled faintly, saying, "External forces are ultimately just aids; the fundamental reason for blooming lies within itself. This sunflower has adapted to the low temperatures of winter, acquiring cold resistance by altering its own characteristics. Perhaps in a hundred years, other sunflowers will become extinct due to environmental changes, but this one will still bloom brilliantly, embracing life even in the face of death."

The Siren chieftain, a man of great understanding, used the metaphor of a flower to describe people, saying, "Your Highness need not nag us any further. The world order on the continent of Teyvat is about to change. Our clan must learn from the sunflower, changing our old ways of survival and adapting to the new environment in order to survive in the long run."

His Highness calmly replied, "This great battle concerns survival and destruction; self-transformation requires a powerful internal force. My encouragement to you is merely an external force. What is the internal force of the Siren Clan?"

The siren clan chief was speechless for a moment, having never considered these issues before.

His Highness then looked at the chieftains of the Winged Clan and the Undead Clan, both of whom lowered their heads and said, "Please enlighten us, Your Highness."

Upon learning that the Undead Knight had been killed by His Highness the Prince, the three clan leaders became even more respectful. They also understood why, upon entering, they had seen the two Executors willingly serving him. A prince who could govern a kingdom and possessed top-tier combat prowess—who would dare disrespect him?

His Highness paced back and forth in front of the three with his hands behind his back, pondering, "Helping your three races find the root cause is a difficult task. True change requires ambition, but right now, all you're thinking about is survival. Winged Clan, Undead Clan, Sea Demon Clan, have you three never considered that after overthrowing the laws of nature, I will grant each of you a territory—a vassal state of the Winter Kingdom—to establish an autonomous duchy, independently develop your economy, and allow your races to grow and prosper like never before?"

"Perhaps then, the false sky will no longer exist, the barriers between worlds will be broken, and planes will be connected. You will find your kind elsewhere. In the vast sea of ​​stars, neither humans nor other races will be alone. Escaping the cycle of Teyvat's destiny, the boundless starry sky will be a battleground for all races. That will be an incredibly brilliant and magnificent era!"

Establishing a duchy and seeking fellow tribes beyond Teyvat—every grand ambition sounded like a fantasy, but these words, spoken by the Prince of Winter, convinced them and filled them with fascination and longing. They opened a door to their barren imaginations and planted a seed of ambition in their hearts. Whether it would take root and sprout depended on the choices and directions the three chieftains would take in the future.

But no matter which path you choose, as long as you closely follow His Highness the Prince, you may be able to achieve your goal.

Columbia remembers it very clearly: from that day on, the three patriarchs would come to the prince's tent every day to curry favor.

The young chieftain of the undead clan, with a thick skin, went to see the prince and said that he wanted to recognize the prince as his elder brother. He was immediately scolded by the prince, who said, "According to the memory of your body, you are thousands of years old. How can you be so shameless as a younger brother?"

The chieftain of the undead clan said, "To be His Highness's junior brother is a blessing earned through eight lifetimes. I have already informed the entire clan that from now on, when you visit the undead clan, everyone will have to call you Big Brother."

His Highness put down the documents in his hand and said to her, "Columbia, take this guy to see a doctor to see if he's lost his mind."

The undead chieftain grinned and said, "Your Highness, I mean it. From now on, you are my elder brother. Wherever you tell me to fight, I will fight there without hesitation."

With a shout of "Get out!", the chieftain of the undead race actually crawled and scrambled out of the tent, sprawling on the ground.

His Highness sighed and said, "Columbia, if you're alright, try to persuade him. I haven't been the eldest brother for many years."

She covered her mouth and chuckled, "Blame yourself for insisting on bewitching them."

His Highness put down his pen and said, “It’s not a potion to bewitch them, it’s about setting lofty goals. These people have no sense of belonging to Zhidong. If you don’t inspire their ambition, they won’t be willing to go all out for Zhidong Kingdom.”

She poured tea for His Highness, feeling a warm glow in her heart.