Cooperation, As If No One Else Would Know

With so many rebels captured, each one must be interrogated by the authorities. And since the Black Riders have been mobilized, there's simply no way Little Dumpling could keep it hidden...

The only thing Little Dumpling could possibly conceal was the trouble Max Zhai and the others stirred up—not letting Ninth Royal Uncle and Serena Feng know they nearly handed themselves over to be caught...

But could something like this really be kept secret?

"If he could find out, do you really think I couldn't?" Ninth Royal Uncle said, both annoyed and amused.

Does Little Dumpling really think my people are less capable than Zed?

Zed may be sharp and capable, but he's still just a teenager, new to intelligence work. How could he possibly outmatch the people Ninth Royal Uncle has trained for decades?

If Zed can uncover it, do you think I couldn't? Is Little Dumpling underestimating me?

Little Dumpling never meant to hide it from you—he's not foolish; of course he knows this could never be kept secret." Serena Feng explained, defending her son, while...

She walked behind Ninth Royal Uncle and began to massage his shoulders...

Since returning to the Capital, Ninth Royal Uncle hadn't stopped for a moment. He'd been so busy lately that he hadn't rested properly, his eyes sunken with fatigue. Serena Feng's heart ached for him, but she couldn't persuade him otherwise—this was his responsibility.

To be an emperor is hard; to be a wise ruler is even harder. Serena Feng stayed by Ninth Royal Uncle's side, seeing all his struggles—her heart ached for him, yet she was proud of his strength.

With Serena Feng's gentle care, Ninth Royal Uncle naturally didn't refuse. He relaxed, letting Serena massage his shoulders.

Serena Feng was a professional. After just fifteen minutes of massage, Ninth Royal Uncle felt much better—the exhaustion in his body eased considerably.

The two continued discussing the earlier topic...

In fact, Ninth Royal Uncle received news of Max Zhai and the others' private operation even before Little Dumpling did. He held back for the same reason as Rory: to let these reckless boys learn a lesson.

They always think they're the best in the world—so young, yet always clamoring to go to war, never realizing how much their families worry about them.

Ever since returning from the Imperial Mausoleum, these boys believed themselves invincible, convinced that nothing in the world could stop them.

Sometimes, Ninth Royal Uncle wonders—what was he doing at their age? Was he ever so foolish, so naive?

Thinking carefully, Ninth Royal Uncle realized...

It seemed he had never been so foolish. At Max Zhai's age, he was already in a training camp, training day and night just to survive. He never wondered if he was strong—back then, the only thing that mattered was staying alive.