Serena Feng gave the soldier no chance to gossip. Before he could even open his mouth, she stepped forward and quietly stated her identity: "I am Serena Feng. Let me enter the city."
Her voice wasn’t loud, just enough for the two of them to hear. Serena only wanted to keep things quiet and avoid making a scene—after all, making a fool of herself at the city gate again and again was hardly anything to be proud of.
But whether by accident or on purpose, the young soldier looked up at her after hearing this, then shouted, "Serena Feng! It's Serena Feng! Quick, go tell General Zhai—Serena Feng has returned!"
"What? Serena Feng again? Why does she look like this? What happened this time?" The people coming and going stopped in their tracks when they heard.
"I always wondered what kind of woman would dare act so boldly—turns out it's Serena Feng again. Tsk tsk, if General Feng's spirit is watching, he’ll probably be furious all over again."
"How did General Feng end up with a daughter like this? She’s disgraced all of us in the Eastlyn Empire! Once, twice—this is the third time now. Even if she doesn’t care about her chastity, shouldn’t she at least care about her reputation? If outsiders hear about this, they’ll think all Eastlyn women are shameless like her."
......
She hadn’t expected to cause another uproar!
Serena shot the soldier a glare and demanded coldly, "Can I go in now?"
"Y-yes, you can." The young soldier trembled all over and nodded quickly.
"Prince Samuel’s Heir really does have capable soldiers," Serena sneered, then strode into the city.
"Seriously? How can Miss Feng be so arrogant? Last time she beat someone at the gate, and now she’s threatening the city guards. If all Eastlyn women acted like her, wouldn’t the empire fall into chaos?"
"She must have a mother but no father—how else could she turn out so wild? Good thing she didn’t marry Prince Rowan. If someone like her joined the royal family, it would disgrace all of Eastlyn!"
"General Feng must be turning in his grave."
......
If their insults were aimed only at her, Serena could have ignored them. But they kept dragging her parents into it. Serena stopped and turned around.
"Shut up!"
She glared fiercely at the crowd. Wherever her eyes landed, people instantly fell silent. But then, emboldened, they put on a show of self-righteousness. Serena sneered, "If I hear one more word against my parents, I’ll kill you."
Her clothes were a mess, but that didn’t hide her innate nobility and commanding presence. The killing aura around her outmatched any battle-hardened soldier. Her cold, regal bearing made people afraid to meet her gaze.
"Kill us? Miss Feng, you sure have nerve. If you’re bold enough to act, you should be able to take the criticism too. What kind of parents could raise a shameless thing like you? If you were my daughter, I’d have slapped you to death ages ago." A pear-seller aunt, either ignorant or trying to play hero, spat at Serena.
Ah... The crowd gasped, and everyone near the pear-seller aunt quickly backed away. But the aunt seemed oblivious. She grabbed a pear, took a bite, and kept cursing.
"Some people are like these pears—nice to look at, but anyone with money can touch or eat them. Cheaper than a brothel girl! Tsk tsk, so what if you have a general for a father? You’re still low-born, thinking you’re above us, but deep down, you’re just trash..."
"Very good. Keep talking," Serena said, standing right in front of the aunt. She was smaller in stature, but her presence was impossible to ignore.
The pear-seller aunt had a mouthful of pear—couldn’t swallow, couldn’t spit—her legs shook with fear, but she stubbornly kept going: "What? I didn’t name names. I’m just cursing some lowlife. Is that a crime now? How’s anyone supposed to live?"
She was just in a bad mood. Why should Serena Feng, with her ruined reputation, still get to live so freely? She herself worked nervously all day, yet her husband, daughter, and son all looked down on her. Life was just unfair.
Serena Feng only had a slightly better background. If she’d been born into a good family, she’d be even nobler than Serena.
Thinking this, the pear-seller’s resentment grew. Faced with Serena’s silent stare, she couldn’t stand anymore and collapsed to the ground, howling: "A noble lady wants to kill me! A noble lady wants to kill me! Is there any law left in this world? I don’t want to live anymore..."
The classic routine—cry, shout, threaten to die. As the pear-seller wailed, more people gathered, pointing at Serena. Though intimidated by her, their eyes brimmed with contempt.
"Bro, how is Serena Feng so lucky? She fell into Prince Damien of Southlyn’s hands and still came out unharmed." At the same time, in the same teahouse, Princess Yara Valen and Prince Terrence Valen sat together, watching the show.
"Prince Damien is arrogant and self-absorbed. He looks down on weak women like Serena Feng, so it’s no surprise he lost to her. Too bad those Chancellor Zhu Case remnants were wiped out, and our previous plans won’t work anymore." Prince Terrence’s gaze landed on the outer robe Serena was wearing.
Whose robe is that?
"Bro, do you think Serena Feng will swallow this humiliation?" Princess Yara pointed at Serena, surrounded by the crowd, gloating.
"No. Serena Feng never swallows humiliation quietly, and she’s not one to chase empty fame. Her heart isn’t kind." Prince Terrence wanted to see how Serena would deal with the troublemaker.
"Stirring up public anger is foolish." Princess Yara looked down on Serena’s impulsiveness.
It’d be smarter to deal with the troublemaker after things died down—why bother with a moment’s bravado?
It’s true, stirring up the crowd is reckless. But don’t forget—commoners don’t fight officials. The pear-seller only dared curse Serena Feng because she seemed alone and powerless. If it had been anyone else, she wouldn’t have dared. But is Serena really alone?
Even if she were truly alone, it wouldn’t mean anyone could trample her.
This chapter isn’t finished ^.^ Please click next page to continue reading!
"Guards!" Serena suddenly shouted, drowning out the pear-seller’s wailing.
"Miss Feng?" The gate soldier knew that last night Prince Rowan and Prince Adrian left the city to search for her—none of them dared slack off now.
Serena pointed at the wailing pear-seller, her face stern: "I suspect this woman is a remnant of the Chancellor Zhu Case. Arrest her."
"A remnant of the Chancellor Zhu Case?" The soldier gasped, his gaze toward Serena instantly changing.
This Miss Feng is terrifying. Once that accusation is made, the aunt’s life is as good as over.
"Yes," Serena nodded firmly.
Whether it’s fair or not has nothing to do with her. If you dare curse her to her face, you have to bear the consequences—disaster comes from the mouth.
The pear-seller aunt immediately stopped wailing. Realizing what was happening, she jumped up and lunged at Serena, but the soldiers restrained her. She struggled desperately, cursing: "You wretch! You’re framing an innocent! You’re spouting nonsense—you’ll die a horrible death…"
"I'm innocent! I'm innocent! Sir, I’m innocent! It’s this parentless woman who’s framing me! Sir…"
"You wicked woman! No wonder your parents died without a grave. You’re so vicious—how can you frame me…"
The pear-seller aunt believed herself innocent and wasn’t afraid of Serena’s accusation. She cursed even louder as the onlookers quietly backed away.
Though they were commoners, the crowd wasn’t as ignorant as the woman. They knew exactly what it meant to be connected to the Chancellor Zhu Case.
Innocent? Once you’re in prison, no one cares if you’re innocent.
Hmph…
Serena sneered. People this ignorant and foolish only create trouble. She closed her eyes, hiding her coldness: "Why are you still standing there? Take her away."
"Yes, but this woman doesn’t seem…" The soldier hesitated. How could this shrew be a remnant of the Zhu Case?
Doesn’t seem? Do you arrest suspects based on appearances? Is that how you do your job? What if this woman really is one? Can you bear that responsibility? Better to kill by mistake than let one slip. If you can’t get a confession, send her to the Bloodcloak Guard. Lord Lu will be happy to help. Serena’s order was icy cold.
"Yes, yes." The soldier immediately dragged the woman away.
The aunt panicked, insisting she was innocent, but no one paid her any attention.
"Miss Feng, I was wrong. My mouth got the better of me. You have a kind heart, please let me go. I have elderly parents and young children…" The pear-seller finally panicked for real, repeatedly begging Serena for mercy.
She didn’t understand what she’d done wrong. She cursed her neighbors like this all the time. Once, a scholar’s daughter hanged herself after being called shameless by her; some young wives were beaten by their husbands after her insults. Why was today different?
Serena closed her eyes, unwilling to listen further.
People say commoners are pitiful, but among them are some truly terrible ones.
Seeing that begging Serena was useless, the pear-seller shouted, "Miss Feng, I’m innocent! Someone gave me money to wait here and curse you when I saw you. Officers, please believe me!"
Someone really paid her…
The pear-seller’s mouth was gagged and she was dragged away. The city gate quieted down. Serena opened her eyes and looked at the crowd. "Anyone else have something to say?"
She wasn’t aggressive, but her words chilled everyone. They shook their heads and backed away.
If not, then get lost.
Yes, yes, yes…
The crowd scattered instantly.
Serena took a deep breath, suppressing her anger and grievance. Ignoring the gossip, she walked step by step toward Feng Manor.
Her mind replayed the aunt’s words: "Someone gave me money to curse you here."
Who is it that insists on driving her to death? She’s just a lonely girl—whose path is she blocking, why must she die?
So cold, so cold. It’s early summer, but Serena felt a bone-chilling cold. This imperial city is like a man-eating beast…