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

[The Rich] Pantalone has a morbid need for Mora, never satisfied. No matter how much money he earns, he is always immersed in anxiety. Therefore, he will participate in any business, even if it violates the laws of Winterfell or goes against human ethics. Pantalone's presence can be found in brothels, restaurants, casinos, black markets, and maritime smuggling. No one would believe that the slave owners and landowners' human trafficking business is unrelated to Pantalone.

However, compared to those greedy and unscrupulous merchants, Pantalone diligently paid his taxes on time and in full every month, making a considerable contribution to improving the financial revenue of the Winter Kingdom. Furthermore, many of the Queen's and the royal family's expenses were borne by Pantalone personally, amounting to a substantial sum.

Pantalone's shrewdness lay in this: through these methods that bordered on bribery, he successfully gained the trust of the royal family, thus being recommended to Her Majesty the Queen. Through a series of business operations, he gained the Queen's trust and eventually became the coveted Executive of the Winter Kingdom, responsible for developing commerce and the economy.

She didn't know how His Highness the Prince would reform the shrewd "rich man" Pantalone. Someone so obsessed with money, trapped in a vortex of greed, would be difficult for outsiders to persuade.

But it was full of anticipation.

……

Ps:

Is Jingyuan Pond only open on Wednesday? I thought it would be tomorrow. Sigh, another day to wait.

Chapter 200 Betrayal

As for the sixth seat, [Skirmisher] Scaramucci, as far as she knows, he has been pursuing the meaning and value of his own existence, and he hates both gods and humans.

As both were executives, the two had many private exchanges. Strangely enough, Scaramucci did not get along well with the other executives and publicly criticized his colleagues on several occasions, which caused several controversial topics in the public eye.

Later, she asked why she couldn't be more forgiving, and Scaramucci confessed her past to her. These were things only Her Majesty the Queen knew: "I have been betrayed thrice, and thus I understand that everything in this world is nothing but a deceptive facade..."

According to Scaramucci, the first betrayal occurred because the doll's creator, in pursuit of eternal power, ruthlessly abandoned him. Had he not pleaded desperately that day, he would likely have been killed by the creator—who was his only family member in the world.

Although Scaramucci did not explicitly state who he was, the ability to create such powerful and lifelike puppets must be that of one of the Teyvat Seven, among whom only Narukami Inazuma pursues eternity.

Scaramucci was betrayed by Narukami and harbored resentment towards the gods ever since.

The second betrayal came from friends and family.

Scaramucci, who used the alias Kabukija, was taken in by Mikoto Nagamasa, a swordsmith obsessed with sword forging. Although everyone there discovered he was a doll, they treated him like family, and those were the happiest times of his life. However, he was framed by Niwa Hisahide, burdened with the blame for negligence that led to multiple deaths, his friends fled, and his family, who had taken him in, were killed to take the blame. He was seen as a harbinger of disaster and was no longer welcomed by the people there.

His experience in the sand dunes made him feel the warmth of home, but he also felt the evil in human nature.

The third betrayal came from one's own kind.

After leaving Tasha, he met a new friend, a little boy who was possessed by someone of his kind.

That friend was originally a tin soldier toy full of emotion, which later turned into a heart in the flames. Now it is just a wisp of obsession that has taken over the little boy's body and is living in the world.

The two felt like they had found kindred spirits and lived happily together.

But one day, when he returned to the house, he found that the little boy had been killed by the remnant spirit of the tin soldier toy, and there was blood all over the floor. He had been betrayed once again.

He cremated the little boy's body on the beach, then went into hiding, wandering the world under an assumed name. It wasn't until he met Piero the Clown, who invited him to become the executor of the Fools, that he rediscovered a sense of purpose in life.

However, this trace of "meaning of existence" is no longer just about finding the meaning of life, but rather about resentment towards gods and humanity.

Scaramucci wields immense power, opposes both the gods and humanity, and is a dangerous and rebellious individual. People without a sense of belonging are prone to betrayal and selling out the interests of the Winter Kingdom.

……

Ps:

We were chatting casually when we learned that Jingyuan would be released tomorrow, after waiting for more than ten days.

I'm almost level 40, probably tomorrow or the day after. The initial exploration period is finally over. I've prepared 100 draws, exactly 100, no more and no less, to see if I can get Jingyuan.

Anyway, I always felt like I was very lucky; I got Seele on my first 10 pulls.

Additionally, let me share my thoughts on the game Star Railroad. I feel that while the world-building is vast enough, the character design is not as good as Genshin Impact.

Finally, this is chapter 200. Time flies! Thank you all for your continued support.

Once Jingyuan comes out, I can finally focus on writing (trying my best).

Chapter 201 Casual Chat

Ps:

This chapter has no main content; it's just casual conversation.

Forcing myself to write this would be just to appease you. But I don't want to keep doing this half-heartedly; that would be disrespectful to this book and irresponsible to myself and to you all.

For the past ten days or so, I've mainly been playing "Star Trek," which has taken up a lot of my writing time. In the first few days after the server opened, I didn't pay attention to what you guys were saying in the group about drawing characters, but a week later, a friend invited me to play together, so I downloaded it.

It was the initial development phase of the new game, and I just couldn't stop playing. I was completely engrossed, which caused me to neglect writing. I only updated about a thousand words a day, which was very short. This was the worst I've ever been in my writing career. Every time I wanted to resume normal updates the next day, I would get caught up in the game again. I have to say, "Honkai Impact 3rd" is a very successful game. I always thought I had good self-control, but I still got hooked.

Are there still people questioning turn-based games? I think basically no one. They just find them incredibly appealing.

Then I recharged the monthly card and used the resources I collected in the first ten days to exchange for 100 special tickets. Today, I pulled the new hero Jing Yuan with a small pity pull of 90, and I also used 10 special tickets to pull the weapon pool and got a 4-star Light Cone. Meanwhile, several of my friends spent 648 yuan.

Less than two hours after I finished playing, as I write this chapter, several friends in the group are saying they feel empty and regretful, feeling like they got carried away. Not to mention them, I didn't spend any money, but seeing all 100 special tickets I painstakingly accumulated over ten days being used up, and all the resources in my backpack being consumed by the new hero, I feel empty and suddenly lost some of my motivation to play the game.

Therefore, in miHoYo's games, don't get carried away with spending money. If you focus your enjoyment on gacha pulls, then you've lost the point of the game.

As for the strength of the hero Jingyuan, with the support Tingyun, even with 0 Life Souls and no signature weapon, he can still be played very comfortably. My personal feeling is that a 0+0 Jingyuan is a little stronger than a 0+0 Seele. Seele's strong period will probably have to wait until the support hero Silver Wolf is released in 20 days.

In conclusion, I'm quite optimistic about the future of *Starship Railway*. The main storyline of Cyber ​​Liyue has only just begun, revealing just the tip of the iceberg of a truly magnificent interstellar world. For a player like me who enjoys *The Three-Body Problem* and has a penchant for science fiction, interstellar exploration will always be incredibly appealing.

Getting back to the main topic, this book has unknowingly reached two hundred chapters. If it weren't for the large chapter I merged with four thousand words, it probably would have reached two hundred chapters more than ten days ago.

Do you know how long it took to write these two hundred chapters? I started writing on January 10th and continued until May 17th, almost half a year. Writing this book along the way has been quite emotional. There are readers who have always supported me, and there are also some die-hard fans who were very active at the beginning but have never been seen again. But I know that's life, meeting and then constantly parting ways. We are all just passersby in each other's lives. But occasionally, when I think of those familiar usernames, I feel a sense of melancholy.

Starting tomorrow, I will strictly control my game time. After all, the early stages are over, the main storyline hasn't been updated, and grinding for materials all day is boring. So I'll get back to writing, ensuring a normal daily update while catching up on all the chapters I've missed.

I roughly counted, and it seems that nine chapters need to be added, which is about 30,000 words.

I will tell you which chapter has been added in the latest chapter, and you can go back and check it.

Chapter 202 I'm Here to Laugh at You

His Highness the Prince has completed the first three steps of his reforms: abolishing serfdom, abolishing royal privileges, weakening the status of the royal family, and correcting the extreme ideologies of the eleven executive officers.

The abolition of serfdom took six months, while weakening the royal family took only one month, which shocked the outside world. The royal family's power was deeply entrenched and complex. Some had previously said that to reform the royal family, the empress's rule would have to be overthrown and a new kingdom, Zhidong, would have to be rebuilt. However, with the empress's strong support, His Highness the Prince suppressed several royal family rebellions. Many royal elders even threatened suicide, but Her Majesty the Empress remained unmoved and ultimately succeeded.

One of the most memorable incidents for her was that one of Her Majesty's most beloved nephews, whose father had been sentenced to death for vehemently opposing the Prince's reforms, was poisoned at a banquet. Since the Prince had escaped assassination attempts from three clans, and couldn't be killed, the nephew chose the Empress as his target.

This matter was discovered by an intelligence officer under the servant Arecino. After the affair was exposed, the nephew chose to commit suicide by poison before Her Majesty the Queen could personally interrogate him, leaving behind only a suicide note.

Arecino later told her that she went to the palace that night with the will, but Her Majesty the Queen sat on her throne for a long time without taking it or saying a word, as if she was hesitant or sad.

After waiting for a long time, Her Majesty the Queen sighed, "Of all my children, my favorites either fear me and hide far away, or they opposed the reforms and were exiled to the desolate lands, hating me to the core for the rest of their lives. And this one before me, who actually dared to poison me. Of the seven gods, only I am of human origin. I once thought that my greatest advantage over the other six earthly rulers was that I had a group of relatives by my side, but now I am all alone. Do you know what the departure of these relatives means?"

"The servant," Arecino replied, "the bloodline is severed, kinship is lost. It also means the beginning of wear and tear."

Her Majesty the Queen gently shook her head and replied, "It means that from now on, I can only trust you, my eleven executive officers."

[Servant] Arecino didn't know how to comfort her, so she bowed deeply and said, "Not only us, but also His Highness the Prince."

Just then, footsteps were heard.

During the day, the hall was packed with civil and military officials, but now, in the spacious and magnificent hall, the footsteps were exceptionally clear. Only one person possessed the privilege of entering and leaving the hall at will without prior notice.

Arecino bowed to the Prince, then smiled, implying that he should comfort the disheartened Empress. To cooperate with the Prince's reforms, the Empress had become a ruthless "villain," and a few words of comfort from the Prince himself would be far more effective than those from the executive branch.

Unexpectedly, the first thing the prince said, with his hands behind his back, was, "Your Majesty, I've come to mock you."

Her Majesty the Queen showed no anger; instead, she inquired about the reason and awaited an explanation.

His Highness replied, “The ultimate goal of reforming the royal family is to reform you. You, the Empress of Zhidong Kingdom, are the root cause of all this. Your excessive favoritism towards the royal family has led to their inflated ambitions. You believe that the royal family will abide by your red line of not interfering in politics, but in reality, the power of Zhidong Kingdom has already been hollowed out by the royal family. Tell me, should I reform you?”

After a moment of silence, Her Majesty the Queen took the will left by her nephew from Arecino's hand, tore it to pieces on the spot, and said, "The pain caused by the deaths of my relatives is the punishment for my mistakes. From now on, no one and nothing will affect my determination. My prince, rest assured to carry out the reforms; I will not be an obstacle to your reforms."

……

P.S.: I didn't play many games today, and I simply didn't write anything.

Chapter 203 I'll Stand Up for His Highness the Prince

His Highness has completed the first four steps of the reform: abolishing serfdom; abolishing royal privileges and weakening the status of the royal family; correcting the extreme ideologies of the eleven executive officers; and reforming the education system to select the virtuous and capable, so that children from poor families can have opportunities for advancement.

It took His Highness the Prince nearly half a year to complete these four reforms.

A year later, she was in the reception hall of the Prince's mansion, waiting for His Highness to receive her. It wasn't exactly a reception; she had just learned that His Highness was reading in his study, so she told her maid not to announce him, so as not to disturb him.

The person who loves reading the most in the Kingdom of Winter must be His Highness the Prince. During this year's reforms, the number of books His Highness has read could not be collected even by ten carriages.

She came to see His Highness the Prince on official business. While she was waiting, the chieftains of the Winged Clan, the Sea Demon Clan, and the Undead Clan came to see His Highness the Prince. When the three chieftains saw that she was also in the reception room, they hurriedly greeted her and bowed.

Although she was protecting the Prince in the tent when Her Majesty the Queen went to cause trouble for the three clans last time and was not in the order of battle, the three clan leaders treated her with utmost respect. She was one of the very few forces on the Teyvat continent who knew that she was a descendant of the Celestials.

The Celestial Spirit Clan, once a divine apostle traveling between the mortal realm and the heavens, was a magical race that guided gods and humans. They possessed incredible and mysterious powers, and even after being banished to the mortal realm, none of the three races dared to disrespect them.

Moreover, the three clan leaders clearly hadn't sensed anyone in the living room before entering, yet this "young lady" was sitting there, which only added to their astonishment. It's worth noting that the three were among the strongest of their respective races; otherwise, they wouldn't have held their positions as clan leaders. Yet, facing this "young lady," they felt she was as unfathomable as Prince Zhidong and Her Majesty the Empress.

They had never felt such a terrifying sensation as the other ten executives.

While waiting, she asked the three clan chiefs why they had come to see His Highness the Prince. The three clan chiefs said that the one-year period had come to an end, so they wanted to inform His Highness the Prince.

As agreed with the Queen, the three of them were to wear mourning clothes for the Prince for a whole day. Although they later learned that the Prince had faked his death, they still had to keep their promise, so they had to stay in Winterfell for another six months.

After learning the whole story, she said, "A year is a long time, but it can also be short. You should go back now. You must have received quite a few letters from your clan during this year."

The Winged Clan Chief replied, "As expected, the Executive Officer is well aware of our every move. To be honest, the three of us have to reply to a large number of letters every day. There are too many matters backlogged in the clan, and many of them require us to go back and handle them personally."

She smiled and said, "I've made the decision on behalf of His Highness the Prince. You may leave now."

If these words had been spoken by any other executive officer, the three clan leaders certainly wouldn't have believed them, but since they were spoken by the [young girl], they would definitely work.

During the six months they spent in the tent, the three of them knew better than anyone else that it was this executor [the girl] who had served His Highness the Prince so diligently. Given her relationship with the Prince, if she said she would let them go, then she really could.

The Winged Clan Chieftain and the other two chieftains exchanged a glance and said, "[Young Lady], I think you've misunderstood. We're not asking to leave the Winter's End Kingdom; we wish to stay!"

Chapter 204, Fifth Step of Reform

The fifth step of His Highness's reforms involves internally reorganizing the military and externally repairing the tense relations with the six kingdoms.

Since the decline of the Thousand Rock Army of Liyue five hundred years ago, Winterfell's military standing has gradually risen from last place to first. During this process, many outstanding generals and brilliant inventors have emerged, making remarkable contributions to Winterfell's military development. Her Majesty the Queen has been generous, granting her descendants hereditary titles. As long as Winterfell stands, it will continue to enjoy the protection of the royal power and live a life of wealth and honor.

The salaries and benefits of soldiers in the Winter Kingdom are the highest among all professions, far exceeding the average level of the other six countries.

Therefore, many historians in the Kingdom of Winter, as well as intelligence agencies from the other six kingdoms, attribute the Kingdom of Winter's military success to Her Majesty the Queen's strong support for the army.

She didn't entirely agree with this "mainstream" view. The economically developed Mondstadt and Liyue, in the last century, had adopted the Winter Solstice's model, providing soldiers with extremely generous welfare policies. As a result, their military's combat effectiveness not only failed to catch up with Winter Solstice's, but had even declined considerably. If the goal wasn't war, but rather enjoying high welfare benefits, then a decline in military strength was inevitable.

His Highness, however, offered a completely new perspective that gave her a fresh perspective. His Highness said that the military capabilities of the Winter Kingdom ranked first among the seven kingdoms, and behind this lay a very important factor: the people of the Winter Kingdom never placed their hopes for becoming stronger on the ethereal Eye of God.