And there's one more thing...
There’s one incident most people have forgotten, but neither the Cui Clan nor Serena will ever let it go: the time when the Cui Clan’s Third Young Master tried to assassinate Serena.
Though that matter was quietly dropped and Serena showed no signs of seeking revenge, everyone knows how the Cui Clan operates: if Holden Cui loses his grip on power, the Cui Clan will definitely kill Serena to wipe out any future threat.
The Cui Clan is such a colossal force that unless you’re absolutely certain of success, neither William nor Ninth Royal Uncle would dare make a move against them. Whether for the Wang Clan, for Serena, or for his own sister, William knows he and Serena must step up and help Holden Cui seize leadership.
"We should talk this over with Serena. The three of us are allies now—whether you become clan head isn’t just your own affair." Back in Northling, Holden Cui did everything he could to help Serena; it’s only right for her to return the favor. People like them hate owing anyone, so making Holden owe them a major debt is a win for all.
Holden Cui had no objections. The two sat quietly in the teahouse for a while, waiting until Linden Ling left with his two maids in a grand display before they finally stepped out themselves.
“Is Linden Ling trying to make sure everyone knows he’s watching Serena?” Holden Cui couldn’t tell if Linden was clever or just foolish. With such showy behavior, does he really think the Eastlyn Capital is his personal Skyvault Fortress?
William just smiled faintly, watching Linden Ling’s departing figure with a look of deeper meaning...
William is a busy man these days. Finally snatching half a day of free time, he wasn’t about to waste a moment—so he went straight to Feng Manor with Holden Cui.
The sooner they solve this problem, the sooner they can rest easy. The longer it drags on, the worse it is for them.
The Eighteen Riders fulfilled their mission, safely delivering gold to the Shandong Circuit and secretly escorting Phoenixfield Clan survivors into Shandong, settling them securely.
“We failed to find any trace of Sixth Elder Leonard Phoenixfield or Ezra Phoenixfield,” reported the Eighteen Riders. This was their only failure; otherwise, the mission was flawless.
Serena waved her hand, unconcerned. “If Ezra Phoenixfield could be found so easily, he wouldn’t have been nearly crowned King of Phoenixfield. As long as the Phoenixfield Clan survivors are settled under Victor Phoenixfield’s garrison in Shandong, I have nothing to worry about. You’ve all worked hard—go rest for now. We’ll discuss the details later.”
The Eighteen Riders thanked Serena and withdrew, understanding she had other urgent matters to attend to.
During their trip to Shandong, the Eighteen Riders met Serena’s two most trusted maids, Jada Tang and Mira Tang, who brought her a chest full of letters—enough to keep her busy for weeks.
The Eighteen Riders were mistaken—Serena has never been the type to do everything herself.
The materials Jada Tang and Mira Tang brought were compiled over recent weeks, detailing the state of Serena’s intelligence departments and the results of their inspection tour.
When first building the intelligence network, Jada and Mira put in tremendous effort, but some staff still proved unreliable. This time, they uncovered many problems and wanted to act directly, but after receiving Serena’s instructions, they presented the evidence and held back.
Serena’s reason for not letting Jada and Mira handle the purge wasn’t distrust; she wanted to use this opportunity to build authority for Spring, Qiu Hui, and the other Four Seasons Beauties.
Jada and Mira have already been formally detached from intelligence work; from now on, Spring and the Four Seasons Beauties will take over. It’s best to let them handle the purge to establish their authority.