After playing a prank on Dominic Zhai and the others and getting a little payback, Serena Feng was in excellent spirits. She’d been exhausted these past few days, but last night she slept soundly. Even when Vincent Su dragged her out at midnight to change Storm Cloud Bu’s bandages, she wasn’t all that upset.
When Serena woke up in the morning, she felt completely refreshed. She did her usual ward rounds: Second Madam Hsieh and Madam Sun were both recovering well after surgery, and neither showed any signs of infection. Thanks to the attentive care of the maidservants, their complexions had improved too.
No wonder, in the modern era, top-tier nurses are always assigned one-on-one to patients. Only that way can you give someone your full attention. If a nurse has to juggle too many cases, there’s bound to be things she’ll miss.
Serena nodded with satisfaction. Both patients were awake; Second Madam Hsieh could go home after a few more days of rest, while Madam Sun would need to be observed a little longer.
After inspecting the wards, Serena basked in the sunlight, enjoying this rare moment of peace. Looking at the newly cleaned and orderly Feng Manor, her mood was even better.
Life was getting better and better. After years of drifting, Serena Feng finally had a real home.
But Serena Feng was happy a little too soon. A young palace eunuch arrived with an imperial summons, ordering her to go to the Imperial Menagerie Grounds to watch the Eastlyn, Southern Lyn, and Lyndaria horse-racing contest.
Serena was baffled. What did any of this have to do with her? She handed the eunuch a heavy purse and asked, “Sir, this three-kingdom horse race is a major event—why am I involved?”
The eunuch, delighted with his reward, grinned from ear to ear. His tone was as haughty as ever, but he let slip a hint: “Miss Feng, you really ought to thank Princess Yara and Miss Su Wan. If not for them, you’d never have a chance to show your face in front of the nobility.”
“So Princess Yara and Miss Su Wan have their eyes on me? How truly honored I am. Please wait a moment, sir—I’ll change and head out right away.” Serena nodded, but her good mood was completely ruined.
Can those two women ever leave her alone? Would they die if they stopped causing trouble for her? Serena couldn’t believe it—after all, she’d saved Lyndaria’s Prince Terrence, and now Princess Yara was burning bridges without a second thought.
Sure enough, people in the royal family are heartless. They don’t even know the basics of gratitude. Just look at types like Ninth Royal Uncle!
Serena Feng apologized to the eunuch delivering the decree, then left him sitting in the main hall.
There was no other master in Feng Manor besides Serena. Before, Zhou Xing had been around to help greet guests, but now that he was gone, all she could do was leave the visitor in the hall. It was rude, but she had no choice.
Serena changed her clothes, then took out two drug-soaked handkerchiefs and tucked them into her sleeves. As usual, she strapped a set of knives to her calf.
The white handkerchief was soaked in a strong tranquilizer—potent enough to knock out three grown men. Modern sedatives are far purer than the old knockout powders.
The blue handkerchief was soaked in an antidote to the sedative. Serena never set out to harm anyone, but there were always people who wanted to hurt her, so she had to be prepared.
Her reputation might be terrible, but she never planned to truly lose her innocence. As a lone woman without family or brothers to protect her, she could only rely on herself.
You couldn’t blame Serena for being so cautious. She didn’t have a gun to protect herself anymore—carrying these was the only way she felt safe.
She told Simon Sun to keep an eye on Madam Sun and Second Madam Hsieh, then boarded the carriage sent by the palace.
The Imperial Menagerie Grounds were a vast part of the palace reserved for raising rare and exotic beasts. It had a dedicated racetrack and was usually used for the Emperor’s amusement.
After Su Wan and Princess Yara arrived in Eastlyn, they bragged constantly about the strength of their own warhorses, never missing a chance to belittle Eastlyn’s cavalry as weak and inferior.
As host, the Eastlyn Emperor was deeply displeased by Su Wan and Yara’s behavior, feeling it made him lose face. When the two challenged Princess Serenity to a horse race, he agreed—even though he didn’t really want to.
It was just a contest between women—if Eastlyn won, it would be good publicity, and if they lost, it wouldn’t matter much. The Emperor thought he had it all figured out. Too bad Su Wan and Yara were no pushovers.
Su Wan and Yara stirred things up, turning a simple event into a major spectacle. They declared it a three-kingdom contest to see whose warhorses were best, morphing a girls’ riding match into a matter of national pride—a small-scale military showdown.
As a result, everyone who needed to know about it did—except for Serena Feng, who never cared about national affairs and was always busy with her medical work.
Now the Emperor was stuck. Su Wan and Yara had invited him and the Empress to watch in person, and there was no way Eastlyn could afford to lose.
But...
Of all four kingdoms, Eastlyn’s cavalry was the weakest—everyone knew it. The best troops belonged to the Yu Wen clan, but General Warren Yu was currently exiled to the frontier by the Emperor, and distant water couldn’t put out a nearby fire.
That’s the tragedy of being the host. If you refuse the challenge, you look cowardly. If you accept and win, you gain face. But if you lose, you disgrace your country.
Serena Feng was the last to arrive. By the time she got to the Imperial Menagerie Grounds, the seats were already full. She found a spot in the corner and was about to sit down when she heard Princess Yara’s voice.
“Your Majesty, do you know if Serena Feng has arrived yet? If she’s here, can we start the race?”
Huh?
Since when did Serena Feng get to decide when the contest started?
Serena stood there, unsure whether to sit or stay standing.
“Where is Serena Feng?” The eunuch’s booming voice rang out. Serena had no choice but to step forward and kneel: “Serena Feng, commoner, greets Your Majesty—long live the Emperor, long live the Empress…”
She was poised and confident, showing no trace of fear—completely different from her first audience with the Emperor. Today, Serena wasn’t timid or uneasy at all.
It wasn’t that Serena had suddenly grown fearless; it was just that the Emperor wasn’t trying to pressure her today. He acted warm and friendly, clearly not wanting Serena to appear nervous or timid—he couldn’t risk losing Eastlyn’s face.
Luckily, Serena was used to big occasions. If this had been the old Serena Feng, she’d have been scared stiff, nowhere near this calm.
The moment Serena appeared, she drew everyone’s attention. The Crown Prince, Prince Rowan, and Prince Adrian all smiled at her, while most others simply sized her up.
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It wasn’t that Serena was dazzlingly beautiful—it was just that she was standing alone in the center of the arena. There was no way not to notice her.
“You may rise.” The Emperor spoke with rare warmth.
The Emperor already knew Serena Feng had treated Lyndaria’s Prince Terrence, and was quite pleased. Serena’s poise today was every bit as impressive as Princess Yara and Su Wan’s, which made the Emperor happy.
Eastlyn’s reputation was safe!
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor…” Serena knelt and bowed again, feeling pain in both her knees and her forehead.
Damn all this kneeling and kowtowing!
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Su Wan said. “With Dr. Feng here, I can rest easy. Horse racing is bound to have bumps and bruises, and while the imperial physicians are skilled, there are limits to what they can do.
Su Wan had seen Dr. Feng’s skills firsthand—they were truly exquisite and unmatched. With her here, Su Wan could race without worrying about injuries.” Su Wan’s voice was clear and gentle, but everyone in the arena heard it.
So that’s how it is. These ladies are all going to compete, and she’s just here to be the doctor?