Unlucky, The Throne Was Mine All Along

Ahem... Prince Nolan couldn’t tell if Serena Feng was complimenting him or roasting him, but one thing was clear: if this conversation went on, she’d definitely see him as worse and worse.

"None of that really matters. What matters is the Empress’s family fell right into the trap. There’s ironclad evidence and witnesses—no way they can wriggle out of it. Besides, their hands were dirty from all that grain and contraband salt trading. Honestly, they brought this on themselves by being so greedy."

When the stakes are that high, almost nobody can resist temptation—not even imperial relatives.

"True enough. The process doesn’t matter—the result does. They walked right into it, and now there’s no way to clean up the mess. Honestly, the Empress’s family was just reckless." Serena Feng couldn’t help thinking how foolish their gamble was.

Other people risk their lives for riches, but the Empress’s family was already rolling in wealth—and still wanted more.

But Serena could understand—having a son-in-law as Emperor and a grandson as Emperor are worlds apart. Wanting more power and glory was only natural.

"How are they dumb? In just two months, they made nearly three hundred thousand taels of silver off me. You won’t find deals like that anywhere else."

And let’s be honest, aside from the Wang and Hsieh clans, which noble in the capital isn’t dipping their hands into contraband salt, grain, or river shipping? Every lucrative business, every field that regular merchants can’t touch—they’re in it. That’s how they keep up their lavish lifestyles. For the rich and powerful, finding ways to make money is just part of the game.

"Can I just call them shortsighted? With their rank and connections, making money the legit way would be easy—they don’t have to grease officials like common traders do."

First-tier families profit from proper businesses, second-tier ones use their power, and third-tier ones break the law. Makes a twisted kind of sense.

“See, legitimate businesses are slow to make money, and even if those aristocrats in the capital want to get into it, they don’t have the brains for it. All those nobles in the imperial city, with their wives, concubines, sons, and grandsons—just keeping their families fed costs a fortune. And with their love for extravagance and showing off, they can’t survive without a steady stream of silver.”

And let’s not forget—the Empress’s father and brother need heaps of silver to grease the wheels for Prince Rowan. Especially if they want to win over military connections; that takes real money. The army’s always short on supplies, and every capable general scrambles for cash to keep their soldiers fed and their families cared for. Otherwise, who’d risk their neck for you?

Look at General Warren Yu. He spent every last coin of the Yu clan’s fortune just to keep his troops afloat. If not, he wouldn’t have come begging to me.

All those promises made after the fact? Empty words. These days, you need silver for everything. If your men can’t eat or dress, if you don’t have decent weapons, if their families aren’t cared for—who’s got the heart to fight, let alone die for you?

Prince Nolan had been holding back for a long time, but finally couldn’t resist. He reached out and pulled Serena Feng into his arms. Serena didn’t fight him off—instead, she found a comfortable spot and settled in, perfectly at ease.

So what if they got cozy at night? They’re a couple—if anyone’s got a problem, they can file a complaint and watch it get shot down one by one.

Since they were in the palace, Prince Nolan couldn’t get too wild. He just held Serena Feng close, their cheeks brushing together. Both were perfectly dressed, which proved just how ‘proper’ Prince Nolan was being.

“It’s all because of silver. The Empress’s family tried to rake in money to help Prince Rowan, but ended up dragging him down instead. I wonder if this will really affect him.” Serena Feng fought to keep her lips from curling into a smile.

Just hearing that Rowan Dongling was about to get unlucky made her feel at ease.

“What’s wrong? Are you worried about him?” Prince Nolan tightened his arms around Serena Feng.