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

[Puppet] When Sandonne asked why, His Highness the Prince replied, "I'm so thirsty, I don't even know to serve you a cup of tea."

She and Sandoni exchanged a smile.

This is the prince's normal mental state; he has finally overcome the sudden outbreak of the curse once again.

She thought that once she weathered this storm, His Highness the Prince would be safe, but little did she know that the real danger was yet to come. The curse from Heaven, each time suppressed by His Highness the Prince, would accumulate power, preparing for an even more devastating eruption.

As the reform of serfdom came to an end, His Highness the Prince's daily work became increasingly leisurely. However, he no longer went out to participate in activities or sat with her and Sandonne to chat and drink tea. Most of the time, he was engrossed in reading.

She knew that His Highness the Prince was intentionally avoiding having the two of them alone.

Although His Highness the Prince can be domineering at times, when it comes to relationships, after she said those words last time, he has respected her choices and has never said anything that crosses the line of friendship or anything that would make her feel awkward.

She had her own unspeakable reasons for refusing. Otherwise, giving the prince a chance to pursue her would have been such a wonderful thing. Unable to agree, yet unwilling to let the prince leave, was probably her most conflicted state of mind during that period.

Later, whenever she thought about this past event, she would feel very foolish. In fact, His Highness the Prince did not care about her past at all.

At that time, however, she found the ambiguous relationship comfortable, at least she could stay by the Prince's side. But sometimes she would feel sad and melancholy, and this sadness even affected her nighttime singing. So much so that Her Majesty the Queen sent someone to inquire if she had encountered something heartbreaking, as the people were saying that the ethereal singing at night was no longer joyful, but had become sorrowful and sad.

She answered in her heart that the songs of the tragically fated Fairy Spirit Clan were always predominantly melancholic and lonely, only that the sadness in their previous songs was relatively mild, while now it was extremely intense.

In the blink of an eye, another three months have passed.

During this period, His Highness the Prince's curse would still flare up from time to time, but he always managed to get through it without serious harm.

That day, the sunflower on the desk sprouted new buds again, and it looked like it was about to bloom. After finishing the last book, His Highness the Prince suddenly stretched and said, "Columbia, we should go home. What do you plan to do with this sunflower? Take it back or give it to the farmer next door?"

She put down the documents submitted from various regions. Judging from recent events, there were very few matters related to serfdom, indicating that the first step of reform was nearing completion. She knelt down in front of the sunflower, and through the gaps in the lush green leaves and a few blossoms, she could just see the prince's face. She asked, "Does Your Highness not like it?"

His Highness replied, "Of course I like it, but after returning to the city, I haven't had time to care for it anymore. Besides, this sunflower has adapted to the soil and water quality here, and it might wither immediately if it's moved to a new environment."

She picked up the pot of sunflowers, smelled their fragrance, and pondered for a moment before saying, "Then let's give them to the farmers nearby. Last time we came back from the ball, we saw a farmhouse under a row of big trees by the roadside. The windows were sparkling clean, and the owner must also love flowers, as there were several potted plants on the windowsill. By the way, before giving them away, Your Highness might as well draw a picture of the sunflowers. You can take them out and look at them whenever you want, and they can also be used to reminisce about the past. It would be a good way to express your feelings."

His Highness smiled and said, "Recalling the bitter past and appreciating the sweet present? It doesn't have such rich connotations. The reason you're reluctant to part with the sunflower is because we watered and fertilized it together. If there's any other significance, it was the only green in the somber and gloomy camp for the past six months. Seeing it every day made me feel better. Columbia, get me a roll of white paper."

Then, with a wave of his sleeve, he knocked the memorials sent by princes and ministers on horseback onto the ground, slowly spread out the white paper, and took out a "brush" to begin drawing carefully.

She was surprised when she first saw the writing brush made by His Highness the King of Qin. It turned out that this tool, made of animal fur and bamboo tubes, could be used for both writing and painting. It was said to come from his hometown and had been passed down for thousands of years.

She asked if there would be a chance to visit His Highness the Prince's hometown in the future, and the answer was very affirmative.

The brush in His Highness's hand was made with goat hair and some golden down from the Winged Clan chieftain, so the whole brush looked like it was plated with gold.

His Highness the Prince had her hold the sunflower to find the best angle. She tried several different positions but wasn't satisfied. Just then, Sandonne, who had been studying ancient books during this time, came to the Prince with several books to ask for his advice. He lifted the tent flap and came in from outside. The bright sunlight reflected off the snow, making the sunflower seem to radiate holy light. He immediately began to write.

【Puppet】Sandonie was puzzled and ran over to see what the two of them were up to.

Upon learning that His Highness the Prince was painting, he volunteered to grind the ink beside him.

When the painting was finished, His Highness the Prince wouldn't let her see it. Instead, he put the scroll away and instructed Sandonne, "Don't tell her either. Keep it a secret for me."

By the end of the year, she had acquired a precious instrument from the ancient ruins of Canria. It was a core component of an alchemical device made by Rheindoth, a group known as "Gold" during the Canria period, and its surface was engraved with the personal emblem of the great sage.

Every now and then, similar fakes would appear on the black market, and they were all later proven to be counterfeit. But the one she found was genuine and was recognized by Piero the Clown.

She was one of the few people who knew that the Grand Master Piero had once served as the court mage of Canria, so she went out of her way to verify it. Piero immediately recognized the truth and didn't hold back in criticizing his former nemesis, but he also claimed that if Sandone wanted to make further progress in the field of alchemy, then what Rhinedoth left behind was indeed worth studying in depth.

She used this instrument to exchange for the secret with the "Puppet" Sandone, only to find out that the Prince's brush painting that day not only depicted sunflowers, but also included her in the painting.

While feeling touched, a sly smile crept onto his lips.

She didn't actually give that sunflower away; instead, she secretly brought it back to Winter City.

Chapter 194 We Absolutely Cannot Give Up

Leaving the tent camp where he had lived for half a year, His Highness was filled with mixed emotions. Having endured the combined pressure from the ten dukes, survived a dangerous assassination attempt, and survived several near-fatal curse outbreaks, on his last night before leaving, he ordered everyone to leave, put down all their work, and stayed inside alone for the entire day.

No one knew what His Highness the Prince was doing inside, but she did. Because she possessed a pair of "insights" that could see through all illusions, and naturally, she could see through the two layers of tents to the Prince's every move.

She didn't want to "spy," but she couldn't suppress her curiosity.

His Highness opened the bookcase and took out not books or picture albums, but two jars of strong liquor.

No wonder he and Sandone always smelled alcohol during the day. When asked, His Highness said it was coming from outside. He had to tell the prince that the curse in his body had just been suppressed and he must not drink alcohol.

The clever prince, to avoid being discovered, actually hid the wine in the bookshelf. It would have been better if we hadn't known, but now that we do, we must stop him, all for the sake of his health.

Just as he was about to leave, he saw His Highness the Prince holding a large bowl of white wine, wiping away tears into the air in front of him, and saying emotionally, "You should not have died, but because of my reforms, you were brutally slaughtered. I, Su Yu, have failed you."

Upon hearing the prince's monologue, she stopped and silently sat back down by the fireplace.

She thought the tragic deaths of those five or six hundred serfs were over after His Highness the Prince gave them a grand funeral and wrote epitaphs for each of them. Only then did she realize that in His Highness's heart, this matter had never faded; on the contrary, it weighed heavily on his mind.

His Highness pointed to a letter on his desk and said, “The officials in charge of the trial wrote to me, mentioning that the landowners and slave owners who hunted you on horseback confessed that they couldn’t understand why, from the elderly to the children, not one of you harbored any resentment towards His Highness when you died. No one said His Highness was lying, and no one said they were harmed by His Highness. What they couldn’t understand most was that you died so calmly, and so confident that His Highness, whom you had only met once, would surely succeed in reforming.”

"Over the past six months, I have carried your trust, and the trust of all the serfs, and finally fulfilled my promise, successfully abolishing serfdom and achieving the goal of land for the tiller. I still remember sitting with you by the field, hoping I would convey her gratitude to Her Majesty the Empress for remembering you, but the people I feared most were you."

"You promised to treat me to drinks after the abolition of serfdom. Since you're all gone, I'll treat you. I hope the prosperous era that will begin this winter will be as you wished."

His Highness drank three large bowls of baijiu in succession, each bowl filled to the brim, which spilled all over his clothes and neck.

Would Her Majesty the Queen shed tears for a group of complete strangers?

Would eleven executives shed tears for a group of complete strangers?

Would royalty, nobles, and high-ranking officials shed tears for a group of complete strangers on the eve of winter?

In her mind, she asked herself three questions in a row with self-deprecation, and each time she received a negative answer.

Facing the undead knight's fatal blow without even blinking, and being tormented by the most terrible curse of heavenly law without uttering a sound, this "Descendant" sheds tears for a group of insignificant serfs at the very bottom of the Winter Kingdom. This is the demeanor of the Winter Prince.

Although she had initially doubted Her Majesty's judgment, it now seems that Her Majesty was right in choosing him. Besides revenge, the motivation that drove this "descendant" from another world to vow to overthrow the laws of nature was also his love for the people.

Those loves were so ardent and dazzling, so vigorous and sincere, so profound and intense, that they drove such a strong man to drink glass after glass of strong liquor mixed with tears. So much so that if it weren't for today's sudden whim of "peeping," no one in the world would know that His Highness, who seeks the well-being of the people, has never forgotten his original aspirations.

His Highness finished a jar of baijiu, his face clearly showing signs of intoxication. Instead of stopping, he opened another jar, this time to toast the people who had spontaneously gathered in front of the Prince's residence to show their support.

On the first day of the reform, almost half of the royal family and nobles surrounded the Prince's Mansion in carriages and sedan chairs, hoping to put pressure on the reformers and oppose the reform, and vainly hoping to have a bad influence and damage on the serf system reform.

However, a group of ordinary people, who had never even seen the newly appointed prince, flocked to the prince's mansion in droves, despite the cold in the streets, upon learning of the abolition of serfdom. Though their voices were weak and insignificant compared to the vast interests of the powerful groups, they silently supported the prince's reforms.

The drunken prince laughed loudly and said, "You probably don't even know it yourselves, but these powerful and wealthy people have never been afraid of me. What they fear is you all united. What they fear is public opinion..."

Finally, His Highness the Prince picked up another bowl of white wine and pointed in a distant direction, saying, "The guards of the Prince's mansion told me that when they came to provide support the next day, they saw you hanged from a tree, and your old yellow dog had been skinned alive. Everyone called you Old Dog, but no one knew your real name, which is a great pity. We can't very well write 'Grave of Old Dog' on your tombstone, can we? How about we call you 'Big Brother'?"

"I don't have any special skills, but I love making friends, especially friends like you. Brother, if you weren't dead, I would personally invite you to the Prince's Mansion—no, I would invite all your beggar brothers to the Prince's Mansion, to enjoy endless roast chicken and fine wine, and to find you a group of the most beautiful women, to live a life of debauchery, and whoever doesn't get drunk is a bastard..."

Hearing the prince's "filthy words," she was moved once again.

The old beggar, known as "Old Dog," was brutally murdered that very night for arguing with a member of the royal family in front of the Prince's mansion. The murderer was so cruel that he even killed his pet dog.

When His Highness the Prince learned of this, he said that whoever it was, they would have to pay a heavy price.

A few days later, Her Majesty the Empress began purging the royal family. The nobleman who murdered the old dog, and one of the main culprits in the assassination of the Prince, was executed along with his entire family. When he was executed in the marketplace, a large number of people hurled insults and spat at him. It is said that he fainted before he even reached the guillotine.

The old dog died without cause; His Highness the Prince was willing to be sworn brothers with him.

She now discerned something amiss: in this prince's heart, brothers were always more important than women; otherwise, he wouldn't have drunk himself into such a state.

Not only was he drunk for two days and two nights, but he also vomited for two days and two nights. Several times, he vomited on his clothes while she was feeding him water.

When he got drunk that night, His Highness the Prince grabbed her waist and yelled, "Hey girl, hurry up and bring me some wine!" If it weren't for the fact that she was drunk, he would have tied her up on charges of indecent assault, thrown her out into the snow to freeze for a day and a night, and not given any food.

After a successful six-month reform, she led the camp officials and guards back to Winter City, where the people lined the streets to welcome her.

Ignoring the frenzied shouts of "Long live Lady Columbia!" coming from outside the carriage, she looked at the prince sitting opposite her, who seemed quite pleased with himself, and said, "Are you happy? These credits will soon be returned to you. The people will soon know that His Highness is not dead, and that Columbia is merely His Highness's tool."

His Highness, knowing she harbored a slight resentment, smiled and said, "The biggest difference between us and those nobles is that we work hard for the people, while they work for promotion and wealth. If the people are happy, of course I'm happy. Besides, you're not a tool; you're mine..."

At this point, His Highness realized that it was inappropriate to continue, so he smiled and closed his eyes to rest.

She turned her head to look elsewhere.

Contrary to expectations, when she and the Prince entered the Winter Palace, Her Majesty the Empress showed no joy. Instead, in front of all the officials, she coldly ordered, "[The young girl] Columbia failed in her duty to protect the Prince. Guards, arrest her and await punishment!"

The other ten executives were baffled, and the courtiers were stunned; no one could understand Her Majesty's actions at the time.

Even though Columbia concealed the news, she was still cooperating with His Highness the Prince's work and successfully completed the serf reform. Even if His Highness the Prince was in charge behind the scenes, she had worked hard and made no major mistakes. Why should she be arrested? Besides, she was not an ordinary person, but an executive officer. How could she be arrested so easily?

The palace guards were dumbfounded. They didn't know whether to arrest her or not, and stood there with their heads down, at a loss. On one side was the king's order, and on the other was the awe-inspiring Lady Columbia. They really didn't know what to do. Finally, they all glanced at His Highness the Prince.

At times like this, as long as His Highness the Prince pleads on her behalf, Lady [the Girl] will be fine.

However, His Highness said nothing and turned to leave the palace.

Her Majesty the Empress's voice remained cold, "Lock her in jail."

The palace guards who escorted her to prison didn't handcuff her; instead, they bowed respectfully behind her. Passersby assumed that the "young lady" was leading her guards on a mission.

Upon arriving at the prison, the guards, who were usually ruthless in torturing criminals, trembled with fear and dared not utter a word. They knelt in the prison corridor, quietly awaiting orders. When they heard her say, "Are there any empty cells? Lock me in," their teeth chattered, thinking they had done something wrong and offended the magistrate.

She repeated the order, adding, "I'm not joking," which made the kneeling guards even more afraid to move, as if moving would mean their heads would be ripped off in the next second.

They had no choice but to send someone to summon the warden, who personally took the keys and led her into the prison area. The warden suggested clearing out a clean staff dormitory room, but she firmly disagreed and ended up finding a random cell to move into.

Her hearing was excellent, and she quickly heard a commotion coming from the jailer's office.

It turned out that a new jailer said that this was an order personally given by Her Majesty the Empress and should be carried out without fail. As a result, he was severely reprimanded by the warden, who said, "[Young Lady] is the pride of the Winter Kingdom. Her achievements as an executor are too numerous to count. This time, she also cooperated with His Highness the Prince to abolish serfdom. Do you really think Her Majesty the Empress wants her to go to jail? Maybe she will order her release tomorrow."

At first, she thought so too, but after three days, apart from a few other officers visiting with fruit baskets, the prison did not receive any new orders from Her Majesty the Queen.

She didn't understand why Her Majesty the Empress was so angry this time, and she didn't understand why the Prince hadn't come to visit her in prison.

Everyone else can skip this, but His Highness the Prince cannot.

The warden sensed something was wrong and opened the prison gates, which were never actually locked, and suggested she go out and ask Her Majesty the Queen for answers.

She declined the warden's offer and insisted on waiting inside the prison, wanting to see how Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Prince planned to handle the situation.

Three days later, [Puppet] Sandone brought her favorite fruits and snacks. She hurriedly asked Sandone what had happened outside. After much hesitation, Sandone decided to tell her, "Your Highness... this time it's really not going to work. Your Highness is dying..."

She hurriedly asked, "Why is this happening?" and Sandonne answered all her questions.

It turned out that on the day she returned to the palace with His Highness, Her Majesty the Empress sensed the dense death energy emanating from the Prince's body. The power of the curse had reached a critical point, like a volcano about to erupt, ready to burst at any moment. Therefore, she deliberately ordered her imprisoned, fearing she might do something foolish.

During her days in prison, the curse within His Highness the Prince recurred, and he fell into a coma. Her Majesty the Queen exhausted almost all her divine power, yet she was unable to revive him.

In an effort to save His Highness the Prince's life, the usually proud Empress swallowed her pride and, for the first time in her life, sought help from the other six deities. The six kingdoms sent sacred artifacts to save him, but they were of no use against the curse of Heaven.

Finally, Sandonne cried and said, "His Highness probably sensed long ago that his injuries were irreversible, which is why he worked so hard during that time. The assassination attempt by the undead knight triggered the cursed power within His Highness. Six months have passed, and his injuries have worsened, to the point that they are now beyond repair. During the time His Highness was unconscious, he kept calling your name. If we continue to hide it from you, we won't even be able to see His Highness one last time."

Her face drained of color instantly, leaving her numb and her mind blank. An overwhelming sadness filled her heart. After regaining her composure, she said in a trembling voice, "Sandonie, we absolutely cannot give up. Where is he? I must go save him."

[Puppet] Sandonne cried, “His Highness is in the palace. But… please, please don’t break the seal! Her Majesty the Queen was worried you would do that, which is why she made us keep it from you… His Highness didn’t plead for you in the palace that day because he didn’t want you to know that he was very, very badly injured…”