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

Just as the lady in the mirror was about to ask the reason, she saw a kitten fall from the eaves and land right in Su Yu's palm.

The kitten hadn't opened its eyes yet, and its body was covered with only a thin layer of fur. It was still a tiny, hungry kitten.

"Your Highness, you are so kind-hearted. You foresaw that the kitten would fall and saved its life."

The lady with the hidden mirror complimented him.

On the eaves, an old cat was extremely nervous.

It jumped straight onto Su Yu's shoulder, grabbed the kitten by the neck, and quickly climbed back to the cat's nest on the roof.

"All things have a spirit, even plants and trees have a heart, and all living beings have a life, so they should be treated kindly."

Su Yu responded calmly, then continued walking along the cobblestone street, the prince's leather boots making a clattering sound.

Not long after walking, a luxurious hotel came into view.

The Gothic Grand Hotel is a secret stronghold set up by the Fatui in Mondstadt, where they usually hold meetings and plot.

In fact, this outpost could no longer be called a secret outpost, as the Knights of Favonius had already discovered that it was the secret base of the Fatui.

Faced with the powerful Fools, the Knights of Favonius ultimately adopted a policy of turning a blind eye.

As long as the Fools don't do anything too outrageous, they will never storm into the Goethe Hotel to arrest people.

After all, a well-known stronghold of the Fools is more advantageous to Mondstadt than a hidden one that cannot be discovered.

"Your Highness, we have arrived. Yura's uncle, the 'Wave Knight,' is waiting for your arrival."

The lady with the hidden mirror put away her umbrella and said.

Chapter 30 Unwavering until death

Today, the Goethe Hotel is decorated with extra festive cheer. Flowers, balloons, beautifully dressed women, a choir, a symphony orchestra, and bartenders are all visible throughout the lobby.

This arrangement was not the idea of ​​the Fools, but rather a costly undertaking by the old noble family of Mondstadt, the Lawrence family, for a secret meeting with Prince Winter.

In the morning, when the winter envoy arrived in Mondstadt in a grand procession, they went outside the city to greet him.

House Lawrence is one of the three great houses of Mondstadt and once ruled the city. Vanessa later overthrew the corrupt House Lawrence and established the Knights of Favonius.

Several major branches of the Lawrence family were purged in the revolution, and the head of the family in that generation was sent to the guillotine. His body was paraded through the streets after his death.

To this day, the head of this declining noble family is none other than Yura's uncle—

If Mondstadt were to name the person who most welcomed the Winter Mission, it would undoubtedly be Schubert Lawrence.

The desire to reclaim the throne and the obsession with royal power may have diminished with the passage of time, but the ambition for restoration is like withered grass in the wilderness. It may seem barren and declining, but as long as the opportunity arises, it will sprout wildly.

His lifelong ambition was to reclaim the glory of the Lawrence family, win the awe of mortals, and return to the pinnacle of Mondstadt's rule.

Now, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has finally arrived.

The Fools took the initiative to contact his family, saying they were willing to help him achieve his goal of family revival.

Tonight's meeting with Prince Zhidong is to discuss the specific details of the cooperation.

The only drawback was that Prince Winter requested to meet on the territory of the Fools, rather than at their Lawrence family estate, where their family would have hosted the distinguished guest in a much more formal manner.

While they waited anxiously, the prince who was supposed to arrive at winter's end finally came.

"Your Highness, we are deeply honored by your arrival."

Schubert bowed at a 45-degree angle.

He was dressed in the clothes of an old nobleman, with the Lawrence family's "Ice Seal" emblem engraved on his chest.

This was clothing worn by members of the royal family during their reign in Mondstadt.

Schubert had never dared to wear this outfit before, fearing that if the people of Mondstadt saw it, he would inevitably be subjected to abuse.

He only wore it on special occasions like tonight, intending to demonstrate the Lawrence family's determination to restore its power.

"Your Highness."

The symphony abruptly stopped, and the crowd bowed in unison to the imposing young man standing at the entrance.

Members of the Fools' Council, members of the Lawrence family, and other bystanders—everyone in the hall—knelt on one knee.

"The Lawrence family must have a unique understanding of the term 'secret meeting,' otherwise they wouldn't have organized so many people to attend."

Su Yu glanced around at the crowd and then said sarcastically.

Schubert hurriedly explained, "My people are eager to witness this historic moment; they are absolutely loyal to the Lawrence family and to His Highness the Prince."

"Loyalty is the most luxurious thing in the world. When disaster strikes, husbands and wives will go their separate ways, comrades will draw their swords against each other, and brothers will become enemies. The loyalty of the Lawrence family that you speak of is nothing but a false disguise, so fragile that it can be destroyed at any moment. My personal presence here means that the words of fools are true, so put away your little tricks."

Su Yu turned around and sat down in front of the coffee table, closing his eyes to rest.

The woman in the mirror immediately reminded him, "Schubert, have the core personnel stay, and the others leave."

Many members of the Lawrence family are present today. In fact, they do not entirely believe that the Fools will help them restore the monarchy, which is why they are here to observe the negotiations between Prince Winter and the head of the family, Schubert.

Schubert waved his hand vigorously as if shooing away flies, and people left one after another until only six people remained to participate in the negotiations.

“Your Highness, we have carefully reviewed the terms and contents of the cooperation. Among them, we believe that the Lawrence family must obey the command and arrangements of the Fatui after seizing control of Mondstadt. Could this clause be amended?”

"Tell me your thoughts on the revisions."

"After successfully seizing power, both sides jointly took command of Mondstadt."

After saying this, Schubert nervously observed Su Yu's expression, afraid of angering the Prince of Winter before him.

"If the Lawrence family regains control of Mondstadt, it will only be a change in Mondstadt's internal affairs. Once the Fools' involvement is exposed, this matter will escalate into a winter invasion of Mondstadt. Only by keeping you in the open and us staying behind the scenes can we ensure that our respective interests are not harmed."

There was another half-sentence that Su Yu didn't say.

The Lawrence family's seizure of power will inevitably bring them public condemnation and resistance.

The fools must not be involved, or they will also be scolded.

Su Yu disagreed with the revisions, so Schubert stopped insisting.

In this negotiation, they were the weaker party; the real decision-maker was Prince Zhidong.

Next, the two sides discussed some more terms.

For example, the distribution of the Knights of Favonius's assets after seizing power, the distribution of taxes in Mondstadt, and the profits from foreign trade, etc., are all mainly financial matters.

Schubert was preoccupied with how to divide Mond's assets after seizing power and how to extract huge commercial profits for the Lawrence family.

Regarding questions like these, Su Yu only replied with one sentence:

The Fools do not participate in the distribution of property and will not take a single penny from Mondstadt.

Although Su Yu had some mental preparation before coming, he found that these descendants of the old nobles were still as greedy as ever after so much time had passed.

His words reeked of money.

But that's fine too; people blinded by greed are easier to control.

“Your Highness is a straightforward person, so on behalf of the Lawrence family, I would like to express my opinion to Your Highness that we will strictly abide by the contract between us and strive for the friendship between Mondstadt and Winter’s End until death.”

Schubert and several core family members behind him were quite satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations.

Schubert's statement also represents their meaning.

“Very good, the phrase ‘unwavering until death’ resonates deeply with me.”

It wasn't until the negotiations were nearing their end that Su Yu heard the attitude he wanted to hear.

They're just puppets; there's no need for hard work or struggle. Just be prepared to die at any moment.

Using the old nobles to seize power in Mondstadt was the core of Su Yu's plan to seize the Heart of the Gods in Mondstadt. Cutting off the aid of Dvalin, the Dragon of the East Wind, and Andrius, the Wolf of the North Wind, the only remaining Knights of Favonius of the Four Winds could only fight like cornered beasts, isolated and helpless, and were finally defeated by the Lawrence family who came to the aid of Winter.

At that time, Su Yu did not believe that the Wind God Barbatos would not show himself—

Everything I did in Mondstadt was centered around the goal of "forcing Barbatos to reveal himself".

If he simply wanted to bully Mondstadt, he could suppress the Knights of Favonius on his own.

Su Yu could imagine that Barbatos, in Wendy's body, was now hiding in some small village in Mondstadt, drinking wine every day and living a comfortable life.

One day, upon suddenly hearing the news of Mondstadt's fall and the restoration of the old noble family, the Lawrence, one must have felt incredibly "exhilarated."

As long as Barbatos shows himself, Su Yu will have a way to obtain the Heart of God from the Wind God.

The Lawrence family is merely a bargaining chip in negotiations with Barbatos, a pawn that can be discarded at any time.

"There is one last thing we don't understand, Your Highness."

Schubert asked.

The final question is often the most important and the one that matters the most.

Su Yu spread his hands, gesturing for him to continue.

"Seizing power in Mondstadt will inevitably lead to a major war with the Knights of Favonius. How many people does the Fatui plan to send?"

Chapter 31 Flickering Candlelight

Although the Lawrence family has secretly cultivated a large number of soldiers and trained many servants over the years, it is far from enough for them to defeat the Knights of Favonius.

Among the Knights of Favonius, Jean, Kaeya, Lisa, and Amber are all top-tier fighters with the Eye of God. To deal with these people, we need the assistance of the Fatui.

“I have said that the fools are in the dark, while you are in the light. It is not convenient for us to participate in the power grab.”

Su Yu's answer was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing their burning ambition.

Schubert stood up and sneered, "Then there's nothing to talk about. The Fools are trying to get something for nothing; they think we're fools!"

Is this a prelude to flip the table...?

Before Su Yu could speak, the Hidden Mirror Lady summoned a water mirror that swirled around her body.

When the light from the water mirror shone on Schubert, it instantly froze him, from head to neck, leaving only his head still able to speak.

"Homeowner!"

Several core family members behind Schubert called out his name in fear and unease.

"Your Highness, I know I was wrong! Please, have mercy on me, I haven't lived enough yet."

Schubert himself was terrified; if the ice froze his head, he would be dead.