He changed Tiwat

A thousand years ago, they were considered "royal family" who controlled a country, but now they are nothing more than "exiled royals" staying for the winter. To put it bluntly, the Lawrence family, having lost their political influence, are nothing more than country landowners.

The wealth left by his ancestors was almost gone by his generation, and maintaining the so-called "aristocratic dignity" was already a struggle—otherwise, the Lawrence family wouldn't have been in such a hurry to arrange a marriage between the patriarch's only daughter and the family.

Honestly, Yura, who is able to inherit the "Ice Seal," is the most outstanding genius of the Lawrence family in this generation, and the hope for the revival of the clan.

Although Yura received a very strict education and training from a young age and was quite resistant to these things, for the Lawrence family, this was actually the effort and resources they poured into Yura.

After Yura joined the Knights, the Lawrence family only sent people to protest at the Knights' gate a few times with much fanfare but little substance. They never actually punished Yura. The rebellious little princess of the Lawrence family was actually quite spoiled.

Furthermore, Falga and Jean repeatedly expressed to the Lawrence family that they respected Yura's wishes, and that whether Yura joined or left the Knights Order would be in accordance with her free will, and guaranteed that Yura would be given fair treatment. The Lawrence family tacitly accepted this fact.

—If the Rock Lord hadn't died, and the situation on Teyvat hadn't changed so drastically, Yura could have enjoyed a few more years of peace with the Knights of Favonius.

However, after the death of the Rock King Emperor, the Fools became increasingly active, not only increasing their activities abroad but also intensifying their fundraising efforts domestically. By winter, all the nobles, large and small, naturally had an obligation to contribute money and effort to Her Majesty the Empress's grand ambitions, especially the Lawrence family, who were dependent on others.

Moreover, the Fools are not as merciful as the Knights of Favonius; nobles who refuse to pay taxes will truly beheaded. The famous executor, "Prince" Tartaglia, was one of the legendary figures who single-handedly slaughtered the entire territory of a powerful noble who refused to pay taxes. It is said that the noble's entire family, along with servants and guards—over a hundred people—were wiped out in the snow, a perfectly round and orderly procession…

Of course, what Schubert didn't know was that all of this was closely related to the "successor of the Emperor" before him—the Emperor had retired, the "Golden House" had ceased production, and the "Rich Man" had begun to wage an "economic war" against Liyue. The situation at the beginning of winter was originally very favorable, but then Han Fulai appeared and dragged the Northern Bank into a quagmire with Liyue currency, forcing the "Rich Man" to obtain more money from various sources...

If Han Fulai hadn't come, the Lawrence family wouldn't have been plundered so badly by the Fools...

Even the Lawrence family, who were used to food growing out of their plates, now had to start making plans for Mora.

Nobles do not engage in production or business. For them, the sources of wealth are only two: inheritance and marriage.

In order to survive in Winter, the Lawrence family could only pin their hopes on a marriage alliance between Yura and a powerful noble family in Winter—perhaps this would allow them to curry favor with the Fools, regain their place on the political stage, and even restore their kingdom with the help of the Fools.

Having survived such a near-death kidnapping, even Schubert now knows that his previous wishful thinking is no longer viable, and the Fools are not reliable allies... And at this moment, a "successor of the Rock King Emperor" falls from the sky, who is also his nephew-in-law!

As is customary, after the death of the previous generation of the Seven Earthly Rulers, a new generation of divine successors will appear, and this is the case in all countries.

The Geo Archon is dead, so isn't the real power in Liyue now in the hands of this Geo Archon's successor?

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Schubert laughed so heartily for the first time today.

What are these fools? They're nothing but the dogs of the Winter Queen! My nephew-in-law will be on equal footing with the Winter Queen from now on!

Even though my Lawrence family is away from Winter Solstice, we can still go to Liyue! From now on, we will be the Liyue Royal Family!

He excitedly bent down and grasped Han Fulai's hand: "My good nephew-in-law, when are you and Yura getting married? Yes, the sooner the better. Why don't we take Yura back with us tomorrow? It's Yura's good fortune to have found such an excellent husband like you. Her father will be very happy too!"

Han Fulai's lips twitched slightly. "Well, I have some things to take care of..."

But Schubert, immersed in ecstasy, clearly didn't listen, preoccupied with planning the auspicious date and scale of the wedding. He even started saying things like, "I should continue the Lawrence family bloodline as soon as possible," and "I should have a grand-nephew now..."

If Schubert was worried before that Yura had already been taken advantage of by this kid, now he was worried that Yura wasn't pregnant fast enough—in the world of nobility, bloodline inheritance is the foundation of everything.

Marriage and love are merely appendages to the system of inheritance of property and power. Among the nobility, it's common for couples to keep mistresses and live separate lives in name only. Some nobles don't want wives, but there are no nobles who don't want children.

The key issue is still the successor.

Only when Yura has Han Fulai's child can things be considered settled, and only then can the Lawrence family truly attach themselves to this powerful family.

Han Fulai felt a bit emotional. He had once been someone who fawned over powerful figures, but now he had become one himself, and a rather powerful one at that.

He subtly withdrew his hand and coughed lightly: "Uncle, the marriage isn't urgent. What's urgent is your affair with the Lawrence family. If this isn't handled properly, both you and the Lawrence family could face utter destruction!"

Chapter 219 The Nephew Respectfully Invites, the Uncle Offers His Head

His words startled Schubert. "Me? Utter disaster?"

Han Fulai nodded solemnly, "Uncle, you've been imprisoned in this room by the Fools, so you probably don't know what's happening outside. People died outside trying to save you..."

“Someone died… Ah!” Schubert finally remembered Sergei, the man who had interrogated him, and the two guards who had nearly killed him by force-feeding him chili water. “You mean the people who kidnapped me.”

Han Fulai's expression instantly turned serious.

"It's regrettable. Yura rushed over to rescue you as soon as she discovered you'd been kidnapped... because she was so worried about your safety, she didn't hold back. Most of the Fatui here, including the highest-ranking member, are already..."

As he spoke, he made a beheading gesture with his palm next to his neck.

"...Hmph." Schubert recalled his ordeal, a hint of malice appearing on his face. "So what if they killed me! They deserved to die for treating a nobleman like that!"

Han Fulai sighed, "But the Fatui's retaliation will be difficult to handle... I've heard Yura mention that even the Knights of Fatui noticed your contact with them in Mondstadt, and the Fatui probably left a message as well. Think about it, the Fatui's secret stronghold was suddenly wiped out, their elites were all killed, while the Lawrence family representative who traded with them is unharmed and even preparing to sever ties with them..."

Schubert's forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

He hadn't thought of this before, but Han Fulai's mention of it forced him to consider his own life and fortune.

Yes, even if all the Fatui here are wiped out, he still met with the Fatui diplomat in Mondstadt last night! He even boasted to them that he wanted them to bring over their highest-ranking official to make contact.

This news must have already spread.

With so many Fools dying, who will be held responsible? From the Fools' perspective, the Fools who made the deal with Schubert were wiped out, while Schubert himself was unharmed and even terminated his cooperation with the Fools... So Schubert is a traitor who betrayed the Fools' stronghold!

And to make matters worse, the one who committed the murder was Yura from the Lawrence family... Good heavens!

Those who dwell in the winter solstice know all too well how terrible the Fools' revenge is.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"—this is a common saying among debt collectors.

Yura is protected by the Knights, so perhaps she's alright, but what about him? Will he stay with the Knights too? He can hide in Mondstadt, but what about all the members of Lawrence's main family? Where can they hide?

Schubert's goatee trembled as he gripped Han Fulai's hand again, his eyes almost pleading: "My dear nephew, we're family now, you can't just stand by and watch us die! You're the successor of the Emperor of Liyue, you must have a way, you must have a way to save us, right?"

Han Fulai gently patted the back of his hand: "Uncle, please calm down, I do have a solution."

"That's good, that's good..." Schubert nodded repeatedly.

“But… this method…” Han Fu looked at him, a hesitant expression on his face.

Seeing this, Schubert quickly pressed, "Nephew, please tell me!"

Han Fulai pursed his lips and sighed again: "Alas, I do have a way to protect you and the Lawrence family, but this method will probably require you to make sacrifices for the Lawrence family, Uncle. I just don't know if you're willing..."

Schubert's heart jumped again.

"I... what... what do you mean by sacrifice?"

Han Fulai squeezed Schubert's hand a little harder.

"I'm afraid... you'll have to go to jail."

"Oh... jail..." Schubert was actually slightly relieved when he heard this. He had thought he was going to be handed over to the Fools as an apology... but jail... he finally realized.

"Wait, jail? Which jail? And why should I go to jail?"

Han Fulai said with a serious expression, "Listen to me, although the Fool Clan's stronghold has been wiped out, this has only just happened. It will probably take a little while before the news reaches the Fool Clan, and their counterattack will also need some time to brew. In other words, we still have a chance to gather intelligence during this period."

"'Schubert Lawrence betrayed the Fools' and 'Yura Lawrence murdered a large number of Fools' key members'—when the news of the Fools' stronghold being wiped out spread, these two things will probably be seen as a fait accompli by the Fools. Neither I nor the Knights can protect the Lawrence family from thousands of miles away."

"But if the message gets out that's not the case, we can buy time. We need to change the story so that the destruction of the Fools' stronghold has nothing to do with you, and that you are still a loyal ally of the Fools."

Although Schubert was still somewhat confused, he knew that Han Fulai's so-called "buying time" was related to him.

"What... what should I do?"

“As you know, Yura is the captain of the Knights’ guerrilla squad, and the Knights also know that she came to rescue you. Yura was so eager to save you that she and I went ahead, but her Knights of Favonius will be here soon. I need your help to put on a show,” Han Fulai said.

"Acting...?" Schubert asked blankly.

Han Fulai said sincerely, “I need you, Uncle, to denounce me in front of the Knights of Favonius for killing your Winterfell ally, to publicly declare your plan to overthrow the Knights of Favonius and reclaim the glory of the Lawrence family with the allies of the Fools, and to announce that you are severing ties with your rebellious niece, Yura.”

“I have had several conflicts with the Fools, so it is only natural that I bear their hatred. They will never suspect that I have colluded with you. And your temporary announcement to expel Yura from the Lawrence family will not only clear the Lawrence family of any suspicion of treason, but may even help Yura rise to a high position in the Knights!”

"And can it help Yura rise to a high position in the Knights?" Schubert's eyes widened.

“Yes.” Han Fulai nodded emphatically. “You must understand that you announced your cooperation with the Fools to overthrow the Knights. The Knights cannot stand idly by. And Yura personally arrested you. In the eyes of the Knights, wouldn’t that be ‘sacrificing family for the greater good’? In this way, the Knights of Favonius will trust Yura even more and promote her to a higher position. It is not impossible for the Lawrence family to regain control of the Knights of Favonius in the future!”

"And taking advantage of this opportunity to spread the news, I will take responsibility to inform the Lawrence family to come to Liyue for asylum. The reason will be that the Winter Kingdom is politically persecuting the Lawrence family and that they are applying for political asylum in Liyue."

Schubert's eyes lit up: "...In this way, not only will our Lawrence family have the protection of Liyue, but we can also further seize power in the Knights of Favonius. It's not impossible to even restore our past glory!"

Han Fulai looked reluctant: "But... you'll probably have to suffer in the Knights' prison for a while. Only if you're arrested will the Fools believe our act."

Schubert raised his head with a righteous air: "This is all for the glory and legacy of the Lawrence family! Every descendant of Lawrence is taught by his elders from the time he learns to read, 'It is our responsibility to carry on the family legacy!' What harm is there in me, Schubert Lawrence, making a small sacrifice for the family?"

“You are a hero of the Lawrence family, and I truly admire you.” Han Fulai placed his hand on his chest and bowed slightly to Schubert, while silently adding in his heart, “Therefore, for the future of Yura—I respectfully request that you offer your head, Uncle.”

Chapter 220 Because of a Promise Made to Yura [4k]

Shortly after, footsteps were heard in the corridor outside the interrogation room.

Han Fulai could, of course, recognize the sound of Yura's footsteps.

He took a letter from Schubert and put it in his pocket.

The letter was freshly written by Schubert, addressed to Yura's father, the patriarch of the Lawrence family. In it, Schubert vehemently argued the pros and cons, urging his brother to cooperate with Liyue for the sake of the family in exchange for their political asylum—of course, the words were all taught to him by Han Fulai.

Just as he put the letter away, there was a knock on the iron gate.

Han Fulai got up and opened the door for Yura.

Schubert sat with his back to the door, burying his face in his hands, looking as if he didn't want to be seen.

Yura stepped inside, seemingly wanting to check on Schubert's condition, but remembering how Schubert had looked lying on the ground earlier, she suddenly became afraid of upsetting him.

She ultimately did not come in.

Han Fulai gestured to her, indicating that she should come out with him, and then closed the iron gate.

“Your uncle is a survivor, and he’s a bit emotionally unstable. I tried to comfort him earlier, but it didn’t work very well. Let him calm down on his own.”

Yura knew this wasn't the right time to talk to Schubert, so she nodded and added, "Oh, by the way, I just discovered..."

Before Yura could finish speaking, Han Fulai asked directly, "Are the Knights here?"

Yura's expression instantly changed from surprise to indifference—she was already used to Han Fulai's charlatan-like demeanor, as if he knew everything.

If this person can draw a map and predict that Schubert was kidnapped to the "Eagle Gate," and that a celestial being would appear with a wave of his hand to rescue him, then it's not impossible that he could also predict the arrival of the Knights of Fatalis, right? Maybe he really does know Liyue's Celestial Arts?

She raised an eyebrow and said, "While I was searching through the documents left by the Fools, I saw two squads of my fellow knights through the window. They're heading this way and should be entering the ruins in a few minutes. But I'm a little curious, why are they here so quickly..."

In terms of distance, even if the Knights received reports from her guerrilla squads and dispatched reinforcements, it would still be half a day later—the Knights can't fly. And even if they did fly over, how would they know she had arrived at the "Gate of the Eagle"?

Yura had no idea that Schubert would be kidnapped to the "Gate of the Eagle" before she went to Mona for a divination.

No matter how you look at it, there's something wrong with the Knights arriving so quickly.

Han Fulai chuckled lightly: "Ha. I bet they're here to capture that 'Hero of the Night.' Youra, don't you have a lot of opinions about that 'Hero of the Night' too?"

Of course, what Han Fulai was thinking was far more complicated than he made it sound.

Before his private conversation with Schubert, Han Fulai had already calculated that "Kaiya would bring people over."

Diluc will appear in this "Gate of the Eagle" ruins, and Kaeya will definitely not be too far away.

By using the "Hero of the Night" to eliminate the Fools entrenched in Mondstadt, and then leading the Knights of Fatalis to clean up the mess, if they're lucky, they might even be able to force Yura to choose sides and eliminate the Lawrence family as a threat—in Han Fu's view, this is probably what Kaeya is thinking, and it's consistent with the way Kaeya acts as he knows him.

To some extent, Kaiya is also someone who "will stop at nothing to achieve his goals." This can be seen from events such as sending Violet to test him and encouraging Yura to go to the snowy mountains to sow discord between the Lawrence family and the Fools.

In fact, Kaiya had almost achieved his goal, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he was a step too late.

This step actually determined the fate of the Lawrence family.

If everything goes according to Kaia's plan, the Fools' stronghold will be destroyed, and the evidence of Schubert's collusion with the Fools will fall into Kaia's hands—and then he will destroy it. And with Schubert's rigid aristocratic mind, he certainly wouldn't risk being arrested and imprisoned to admit that he colluded with the Fools.

This would mean that Schubert, rescued by the Knights, would be seen as a traitor who betrayed the Fatui, leading to a fierce reprisal against the Lawrence family. Whether for justice or personal revenge, Yura would have no choice but to stand firmly on the Knights' side against the Fatui. Whether the Lawrence family was massacred or escaped the Fatui's revenge, they would be utterly powerless to plan any further upheaval in Mondstadt.

Sacrificing the Lawrence family would not only eliminate the Fools lurking in the shadows of Mondstadt, but also gain Yura, the "Ice Seal" heir who would be completely devoted to the Knights of Faith. Moreover, Kaeya could completely absolve himself of any involvement—after all, he only came to rescue the missing tourist Schubert, and it seemed he really hadn't done anything else.

Han Fu asked himself if he were in Kaiya's position, and faced with such an opportunity to eliminate two potential threats while securing a talented individual for Mondstadt, he would probably do the same. It was purely a matter of self-interest, devoid of any emotional considerations.

He himself didn't have much affection for the Lawrence family; rather, he felt more disgust. In other words, he didn't want to care about the fate of those old nobles.

Unfortunately, he had already promised Yura that he would help protect her family.

Therefore, he had to keep his promise to Yura.

“Hmm… they’re here to capture the ‘Night Hero’…” Yura pondered.

That is indeed a possibility. The Knights had issued an order to investigate the "Dark Hero" a year ago, but they hadn't made it public due to concerns about public opinion. Her guerrilla squads would also report any information about the "Dark Hero's" whereabouts to the Knights when they were on patrol.

But this time, she really had to thank that "hero of the night" for his help.

The "Hero of the Night" not only helped her save her tormented uncle, but also gave her the evidence of her uncle's collusion with the Fools to deal with—although she couldn't quite understand the abstract map her uncle had drawn, she could still recognize the Fools' markings.

Clearly, the uncle was helping the Fatui search for some Mondstadt secret. Whatever it was, it was definitely harming Mondstadt's interests. And that "Night Hero" confidently stated that she needed it, then handed her the map… Entrusting her with such crucial evidence, without worrying about her destroying it, is that a sign of trust?

From the way that "Hero of the Night" acted, Yura could sense the chivalry she admired. That "Hero of the Night"... perhaps wasn't just a troublesome figure challenging the Knights, but truly a hero worthy of respect?

She had to admit that her opinion of the "Hero of the Night" had changed somewhat, and she was even secretly relieved that he had escaped. If her fellow knights had arrived and the "Hero of the Night" was still present, she would probably have had to capture this hero who had been so kind to her.

"Actually, it's a good thing that our friends from the Knights have come. Don't forget, we've captured quite a few prisoners in this stronghold. We can't trouble Xiao Shangxian to take those Fatui prisoners back with us, can we?" Han Fulai smiled, skipped the topic, and used the contractual connection between him and Xiao to make a call.

A short while later, Xiao returned to them.