Serena Feng wasn’t just being paranoid. There’s always a crowd of busybodies with way too much time on their hands, ignoring real work to obsess over every little detail of the imperial couple’s life. They even claim that the Emperor’s family drama is national business.
So when Zed killed a palace maid in front of everyone, the censors pounced. A few self-righteous hardliners submitted memorials, hinting—oh so politely—that the Empress’s maternal clan was getting out of hand and killing innocent people.
Most people couldn’t trace Zed’s background, but since Serena Feng was the one who brought him into the palace, these officials were clearly out to make trouble for her—so they dumped all the blame at her feet.
They wouldn’t dare criticize the Emperor, but a woman? That’s easy.
Sure, the Phoenixfield Clan once held real power—but that was in the Former Dynasty. Now, Phoenixfield is just a newly minted general, and the only one who really matters is Victor Phoenixfield, who’s stuck out at the frontier. Even if he wanted to rush back and defend Serena, he wouldn’t make it in time.
William Wang Jinling knew about the memorials before they ever reached Ninth Royal Uncle. He didn’t block them or quietly fix things for Serena; instead, he let the whole mess go public, forcing Nolan Dongling to step in and clear the way for her.
He’s not the Emperor—he can shield Serena once, but not forever. The only one who can give her lasting peace is Ninth Royal Uncle.
Nolan Dongling still feels guilty toward Serena. If he doesn’t use this moment to make a stand for her, then when?
Besides, the news spread so fast outside the palace—it’s obvious Nolan never meant to keep it quiet. The censors’ memorials were clearly part of his plan; he probably wanted to use this as a warning to everyone else.
Sure enough, Nolan exploded in court, demoted the officials who submitted the memorials, and didn’t say a word about why Zed killed the maid. He just ordered everyone to drop the subject. When a few stubborn old ministers kept crying and protesting, Nolan had them dragged out and beaten on the spot.
The more blatantly Nolan shielded Serena, the more everyone assumed she’d done something unforgivable—and that his harsh crackdown was just to stop anyone from digging deeper and exposing her.
People are just wired that way—the more you forbid them to investigate, the more determined they get. Even with Nolan’s strict orders, a few started poking around in secret, including the prime minister and the Three Excellencies.
These four used to run the show as regents when Little Eight was Emperor—their disciples and followers fill the court. They might not have done as much as William Wang Jinling, but their power was nothing to sneeze at. Sometimes, they even shared the Emperor’s authority with William, and in Eastlyn, they were big shots. But...
The moment Nolan Dongling took the throne, he grabbed all the real power. Forget revising memorials, drafting policies, or wielding imperial authority—now, they couldn’t even appoint officials or score perks for their own clans.
Once you’ve tasted power, it’s hard to let go. These four knew how sharp Nolan’s methods were, but they just couldn’t accept it. They schemed nonstop, hoping to snatch authority back from him—or even push him off the throne and install a puppet emperor.
The Three Excellencies and the prime minister hid their ambitions well, but Nolan was always a step ahead. His shadow guards had been watching them closely, piecing together their plans from every little clue.
These four actually wanted to stir up chaos inside Eastlyn while the realm was already under attack from outside—all just to seize power for themselves!
You had to admit, their ambition was huge—and they had guts. If they actually pulled it off, not only would Nolan lose his throne, but Eastlyn itself might go down with him.
Northlyn was already eyeing them hungrily, and even though Southern Lyn had collapsed, if Eastlyn fell into trouble, Southern Lyn could rise from the ashes and swallow Eastlyn whole.
Facing these four, who cared about nothing but power, Nolan didn’t hesitate for a second. He’d originally planned to set a careful trap and lure them in, but before he could, Zed’s public killing gave him the perfect excuse. Nolan decided to blow up the scandal, letting those four think they’d found his weak spot—something they could use to turn the whole court and public against the imperial couple...
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. The Three Excellencies and the prime minister never realized this was a trap—they were so drunk on power that when opportunity knocked, they couldn’t resist.
They were determined to make sure everyone in the realm knew: the Emperor is clueless, and the Empress is shameless!
It’s always the outsiders who see clearly—those at the center are the most blind. Even Serena Feng, who usually ignores old dynasty politics, could tell something was off. But the power-hungry insiders just couldn’t see it; as Nolan’s stance grew tougher, the Three Excellencies and the prime minister only got more convinced he was panicking.
With their orders, their disciples and in-laws scrambled to dig up dirt on Serena and her clan. In no time, impeachment memorials against the Phoenixfield Clan and Zed piled up like snowdrifts on the court’s desk.
Zed’s identity was hard to trace, but if they really wanted to, they could dig it up. Every ruthless thing he’d ever done came to light, and Serena got painted as the one who indulged and protected him.
“These people are out of their minds. Victor Phoenixfield has a mountain of military merit, and the Southern Lyn Emperor is about to be hauled to the capital. And they choose now to impeach me? Do they really think my clan has no one left?” Serena tossed the memorial aside. “Don’t show me this junk again. It’s just a headache.”
Nolan waved for the eunuch to take the memorials away. Seeing Serena’s face darken, he asked, "Should we reveal Dou Dou’s identity?"
"No need. I know you’ve got backup plans." Dou Dou was her trump card—no reason to expose their connection unless things got truly desperate.
"You trust me that much?" Nolan stepped forward, pulled Serena into his arms, and gently massaged her fingers one by one. Serena relaxed, completely content in his embrace...
Honestly... he was getting more and more shameless. If he wanted time alone with Serena, he had to use official business as an excuse—otherwise, he’d just be stuck waiting beside Little Dumpling, hoping Serena would finally remember him...
"Would you ever hurt me?" Serena asked, utterly relaxed, shifting to get more comfortable in his arms.
She’d always believed—even if Nolan kept throwing her into the fire, he’d never let her die before him. If Destiny Cliff happened all over again, she’d use her own life to pay for trusting him one last time...
"Of course not. I swear on my life." Nolan raised his hand in oath. Seeing how much Serena trusted him, he finally felt at ease and hugged her even tighter, explaining himself.
"I might hold all the power, but the court is never truly united. There are always people willing to sell out their own for personal gain. I refuse to let Eastlyn fall into chaos, so I’m taking this chance to purge them all—root and branch. That way, we’ll have at least a decade of peace, and I’ll finally have time to govern properly and get ready to strike Northlyn."
He would never allow internal strife to drag Eastlyn down!