There’s a saying that even warring states do not kill envoys—let alone now, when they’re not even at war. As Tyre City’s envoy, Xiao Yang should be perfectly safe. Yet right now, he feels a constant, suffocating threat of death.
Eastlyn’s Ninth Royal Uncle is truly worthy of his reputation—he’s terrifying. At first, Xiao Yang could barely maintain his composure, but after Nolan finished reading the letter, he could hardly even stand upright.
The aura of authority and killing intent radiating from Ninth Royal Uncle could make even a battle-hardened general kneel and swear fealty—let alone a minor figure like Xiao Yang.
If he wasn’t so determined not to disgrace Tyre City, Xiao Yang would have already collapsed to his knees, rolled out of the room in a ball, and pretended he’d never come.
Silence!
A silence so absolute, even the wind seemed to freeze.
After reading the letter, Ninth Royal Uncle said not a word—he simply stared at Xiao Yang. Just that one look made Xiao Yang feel unbearable pressure; he tried several times to speak, but facing Nolan’s eyes, cold as frost, he couldn’t get a single word out.
For the first time, Xiao Yang realized how agonizing time could be. Rather than stand here facing Ninth Royal Uncle, he’d rather trade places with Serena, hiding in that cramped cave—even that wouldn’t feel so close to death.
Fortunately, Nolan wasn’t completely merciless. Just as Xiao Yang’s legs were about to give out and he was about to kneel, Nolan finally spoke: “Tell Lord Tyre that I will arrive on time for the appointment, and I’ll bring what he wants.”
With that, Nolan rose and strode outside. As he passed Xiao Yang, he flicked the letter at Xiao Yang’s face: “Give Lord Tyre my regards. Thank him for his generous gift. Courtesy demands reciprocity—what happened yesterday, I’ve noted.”
Smack—the white paper sliced across Xiao Yang’s cheek. He didn’t dare move, letting the paper draw a bloody line on his face. Only when Nolan stepped out the door did Xiao Yang finally collapse, hitting the ground with a thud, his face drained of all color, cold sweat pouring down, heart racing wildly.
“Oh my god, Eastlyn’s Ninth Royal Uncle is terrifying. If I’d known, I never would’ve volunteered to deliver this letter.” Xiao Yang’s lips trembled uncontrollably. Outside the door, the personal guards who saw him like this didn’t look down on him—they just pitied him deeply.
Anyone who offends Ninth Royal Uncle is bound for a bad end. To run into him when he’s furious—Xiao Yang had it coming.
Now that he knew Serena’s whereabouts, Nolan was a little more at ease—at least she wasn’t in immediate danger. But as he recalled what the letter said, his expression darkened again.
A gold mine!
A gold mine was discovered right at the border between the Shandong Circuit and Tyre City—and Shandong had already seized it. But why hadn’t he heard a word about it? The court didn’t know either.
“Go. Find out who controls the gold mine now.” Nolan knew Tyre City wouldn’t make a move without reason—if they weren’t certain the mine existed, they’d never risk kidnapping Serena.
“Yes.” Shadows flickered; no one appeared, but a voice answered.
Investigation aside, Nolan still had questions to ask and preparations to make. He turned and summoned the Eastmont Governor‑General.
In Shandong, only the Governor‑General had the power to keep a gold mine secret. Still, Nolan didn’t mention the mine—bringing it up now would only alert the snakes.
Nolan simply said he’d found Serena’s whereabouts and told the Governor‑General to transfer three thousand troops from Shandong—he was going to rescue her.
“Ah... th-this...” The Eastmont Governor‑General was flustered, his chubby jowls quivering.
Though Nolan had done plenty of irregular things in Shandong, the Governor‑General had always looked the other way. But handing over troops was another matter. He only controlled ten thousand city‑guard soldiers in total—Nolan wanted three thousand, which was just too much...
“What’s the problem? House Lewis keeps five thousand private soldiers in Shandong, but I can’t transfer three thousand? Are you saying I’m not even as powerful as House Lewis?” The Lewis private army was real, though Nolan hadn’t confirmed the exact number—but at least five thousand, for sure.
The Governor‑General panicked at first, but quickly regained his composure and replied, "Please don’t be angry, Your Highness. I’m simply following the law—it’s not that I refuse, but a prince has no legal right to mobilize troops. As for the rumors about House Lewis’s private army, I ask Your Highness to investigate closely."
“Law? My consort has disappeared in Shandong—how should you proceed according to the law?” Nolan already knew the Governor‑General wouldn’t admit House Lewis’s private army; he only mentioned it to warn him that he wasn’t ignorant of what was happening in Shandong.
By law, he should be held accountable. But...
“Your Highness, a prince’s consort must be formally granted her title by the Emperor. Miss Feng is unmarried, so at most, a commoner has gone missing. Even if I’m at fault, it’s hardly a serious matter.”
“If I say she’s my consort, then she is. What, Governor‑General, you disagree?” Only the Emperor could challenge Nolan’s choice of consort—how could the Governor‑General dare defy him?
Nolan didn’t push further. "If you won’t transfer the troops, I’ll just borrow them elsewhere. I’m sure, given my status, I can borrow ten or twenty thousand garrison soldiers if I need to."
Military and civil authority were separate—though the Governor‑General of Shandong commanded ten thousand city‑guard troops, these soldiers were meant for local stability. Each major city had its own garrison, and near Shandong was a force of fifty thousand garrison troops. That was the force Nolan was referring to.
“Your Highness, this matter...” The Governor‑General’s face was miserable.
There was always friction between the garrison and the local troops, and the garrison general was his sworn enemy. If the garrison entered the city, would the Governor‑General have any authority left?
With a single command, they could surround his residence and leave him no chance to even show his face.
This really was a tough situation.
The Governor‑General looked deeply troubled, while Nolan said nothing, waiting for him to make a decision.
If the garrison entered the city, it meant Nolan was launching a coup, using force to take over all of Shandong. And if he did so without a legitimate reason, it would be treason.
To avoid being branded a traitor, Nolan would need a scapegoat—and no one was more suitable than the Governor‑General. Nolan was sure the Governor‑General understood this perfectly.
Nolan was blatantly forcing the Governor‑General to lend him troops. Even if the Governor‑General doubted Nolan would actually borrow soldiers, he didn’t dare risk it—what if Nolan really did go mad and follow through?
No matter what happened to Nolan, the first person to die would certainly be the Governor‑General.
In the end, the Governor‑General gave in. Since ancient times, the weak have feared the strong, the strong have feared the reckless, and the reckless fear those who don’t care about their own lives. Nolan acted like he had nothing to lose—what else could the Governor‑General do?
Just like that, Nolan took away thirty percent of the city‑guard troops. If the Governor‑General knew who Nolan was really going to use those three thousand soldiers against, he’d probably regret it so much he’d want to bang his head against the wall...