Provisions and Giving the Child the Best

Serena Feng read the letter and let out a long, heavy sigh.

This was the kind of trouble that could blow up or fade away—if she made one wrong move, it would become another impossible mess, the kind that never gets untangled.

Having a child out of wedlock is never a source of pride. Serena Feng told no one about it, only wrote to Jada Tang and Mira Tang, instructing them to arrange for someone to quietly search for Clara Phoenixfield.

Once they find her, they must not force her to abort the baby. If Clara Phoenixfield wishes to give birth, arrange for someone to care for her, ensure a safe delivery, and, ideally, persuade her to go into seclusion for ten or twenty years, returning only when the child is grown.

Additionally, Serena Feng repeatedly reminded Jada Tang and Mira Tang to keep everything strictly confidential. This must not leak—especially not to Jason Lan. If he learns of the child's existence, it could bring endless trouble.

After sending the letters, Serena Feng stayed put. She sat alone in her study, thinking about Clara Phoenixfield—and even more about herself.

She realized now how naive she'd been. Even if she someday sat on the throne with the whole world bowing at her feet, some things couldn't be changed just by wanting them—like what kind of status her child would have in the future.

She herself doesn't care about the shame of bearing a child out of wedlock—but what about her child?

Would her child have to carry the label of 'illegitimate' for life? Even if they ascended the throne one day, would the historians still record them as a 'bastard emperor'?

This incident served as a wake-up call for Serena Feng: if she doesn't pave the way now, even with overwhelming power, her child would still bear the stigma of being born out of wedlock.

Even the Emperor cares about birth and lineage—how could she not consider her own child's future?

Even if one day she holds unrivaled power, could she really silence the whispers of the world?

She had been too naive before, believing that with enough status, even an illegitimate child would not be looked down upon. Maybe people wouldn't dare say anything to her face—but behind her back?

And what about those with true backbone and integrity? Would they bow to power? Of course not...

Let alone in this ancient world so obsessed with birth and family name—even in modern times, it's the same. Haven't you seen how, after some big shot achieves fame, he still goes back to trace his ancestors, claiming descent from great men just to gild his own pedigree?

If she wants her child to be free from reproach, she must prepare thoroughly—at the very least, she must give her child a legitimate, indisputable identity. Only...

Serena Feng lowered her gaze to her flat belly, a bitter smile crossing her lips.

Clara Phoenixfield didn't want a child, yet ended up pregnant. And here she is, wishing for a child, an heir, but after more than half a year, there's still no sign.

All this time, she's been taking care of her health, and things with Nolan Dongling have been good. They've taken no precautions, but still—no child.

But now, thinking about it, maybe it's actually a blessing not to be pregnant at this time. If she had a child now, it would only be the illegitimate child of the eldest daughter of Feng Manor—a status despised by upright scholars and looked down on by the world.

"Better to wait," Serena Feng murmured to herself, touching her belly.

Wait—wait for the Phoenixfield Clan to return to the public stage; wait for the world to know she's the legitimate Phoenixfield Heiress; wait until she figures out how to give her child a rightful, unassailable birth. Only then will her child truly be born noble.

Her parents gave her the best; she intends to give her child the best of everything in return!

Clara Phoenixfield's pregnancy out of wedlock could be hidden from others, but not from Nolan Dongling—he received the news just one day after Serena Feng.

Ninth Royal Uncle was almost fully aware of the Phoenixfield Clan's movements in Shandong, especially Clara's sudden escape.

When Ninth Royal Uncle ordered the Phoenixfield Clan to move to Shandong, of course he had his own motives. The clan is united, and it's nearly impossible for him to plant spies among them—but once they're in Shandong, it's a different story.

After all, Shandong is Eastlyn territory; for Ninth Royal Uncle, planting a batch of agents there is a trivial matter.

This wasn't about mistrusting Serena Feng—it's just that, as someone in power, Nolan Dongling is used to controlling everything. Especially since the Phoenixfield Clan still holds personal troops; it'd be strange if he didn't keep an eye on them.

Still, although he kept tabs on the Phoenixfield Clan, he never interfered with Serena Feng's actions, nor did he meddle in clan affairs—he'd only step in if things ever slipped beyond Serena's control.

Ninth Royal Uncle didn't care about Clara Phoenixfield's child, not even if it was Jason Lan's. In fact, he thought Clara's pregnancy might be a good thing—if, if...

If he truly can't have a child with Serena, then the two of them could adopt this child—a child with both Lan and Phoenixfield blood.

Of course, that thought flashed by in an instant. Unless absolutely necessary, Ninth Royal Uncle would never adopt someone else's child. No matter how cold-blooded he seemed, he still wanted a child of his own with Serena—a child who could inherit everything from both of them.

Clara Phoenixfield's pregnancy also served as a warning to Ninth Royal Uncle: it's not about fearing the worst, but being ready for it. What if Serena ended up pregnant with his child? Would he let his son be born as an illegitimate child?

No, absolutely not. He wanted to give his child the best of everything, to ensure their child was born with a legitimate status—never burdened by the shame of being an illegitimate child.

"It's time to act." Ninth Royal Uncle thought of Bella Qin in Feng Manor, and of Liancastle threatening him for Jason Lan's sake. His expressionless face twisted into a cruel smile as he turned without hesitation, headed for his tent, and wrote to Storm Cloud Bu, assigning him new tasks.

He hoped this news would finally make Bella Qin give up, and make Liancastle understand that Eastlyn's Ninth Prince would not be manipulated by anyone!

Clara Phoenixfield's pregnancy was like a stone thrown into water—after a few ripples, the surface calmed and life went on as usual.

While Serena Feng spent a lively New Year with Simon Sun and Feng Jin at Feng Manor, Ninth Royal Uncle was fighting on the battlefield near Night City.

As Serena Feng's family gathered around a big table for their reunion meal, Ninth Royal Uncle and General Warren Yu were in the tent counting casualties.

While the Capital was filled with red couplets and firecracker fragments, Liancastle's battlefield was littered with severed limbs and blood-soaked earth...

After the Lantern Festival, the first battle report from Ninth Royal Uncle's campaign arrived in the Capital.

Eastlyn scored a minor victory!

Even a small win was worth celebrating for Eastlyn, which had suffered defeat after defeat. On the first morning court after the New Year, news of victory lifted everyone's spirits—even Felix Fuller glared at William Wang less than usual.

This victory, reported by Ninth Royal Uncle, was actually from the last battle before the New Year. Since then, both sides had been locked in a standoff, waiting to see who would lose patience first.

Eastlyn's expedition had stretched the front lines, and now the fighting was dragging on—a huge test for Eastlyn's logistics.

Although Serena Feng and William Su had teamed up to disrupt Night City's market, driving grain prices ever higher until there was no food left in the city, Ninth Royal Uncle's side wasn't faring much better.

War is a battle of wealth. Without enough money as backup, even the strongest soldiers are useless—if men and horses can't eat, how can they fight?

The premise of 'feeding war with war' is that you can break into enemy cities and seize their supplies. But now, you can't break through, and the enemy is even poorer than you—so what can you use to sustain your army?

With half a million troops, daily grain consumption was terrifying. After months of fighting without capturing Night City, Eastlyn's treasury and granaries were nearly exhausted.

After the thrill of victory came the daunting task of gathering supplies. William Wang and Felix Fuller, both aware of the urgency on the front lines and the importance of this war for Eastlyn, put aside their differences to seriously discuss grain logistics.

"Eastlyn's been at war for two years straight—where are we supposed to find more grain?" Felix Fuller spread his hands, clearly troubled.

He oversaw the Ministry of War and was responsible for logistics, so the pressure of securing military provisions fell squarely on him. Every time he received a letter from Ninth Royal Uncle, he felt a pang of dread.

It wasn't that Eastlyn had no grain, but most of it was controlled by a handful of unscrupulous merchants—like William Su.

A couple of years ago, William Su had sparked a price war over grain, forcing the great families of Eastlyn to sell their reserves and even compelling the Imperial Court to release grain to stabilize the market.

And the past two years had been anything but peaceful. The campaign against Westlyn's Tianlei had mobilized huge forces, followed by another war with Westlyn. Grain flowed out like water, making it nearly impossible to gather enough now.

"I hear Serena Feng has some grain. Should we ask to borrow a bit?" Felix Fuller, out of ideas, turned his attention to Serena Feng.

Unfortunately, before Felix Fuller could approach Serena, William Wang rejected the idea on her behalf and pointed Felix in a new direction: "Third Young Master Cui has a batch of fresh meat with no buyers. Since you and Cui San are quite close, why not pay him a visit? Don't worry, the Imperial Court will make sure Cui San is well compensated."

"Uh... I'm wounded." William Wang's words hit too close to home, and Felix Fuller, unsure how much William really knew, clutched his chest in exaggerated distress, trying to play it off: "Young Master, that's slander! I have a clean record with Cui San. I've always been loyal to the Imperial Court—how could I possibly have dealings with him?"

This was a perfect chance—not only could they solve the urgent grain crisis, but they could also put Cui San in a tight spot. William Wang wasn't about to let it slip by.

William Wang gave Felix Fuller a half-smile: "No need to be so nervous, Lord Felix. I never said you were betraying the court. Just think it over—I'm serious about this."

"Are you really serious? Planning to sell me to the Cui family?" Felix dropped the joking tone and asked seriously.

"Not selling—cooperating."

A win-win collaboration: Cui San had swindled Serena Feng before, so now he had to cough something up. Otherwise, outsiders would think Nolan Dongling's absence made Serena easy prey!