Will Not Marry, Not Even Worth Serena Feng

The Emperor used Serena Feng's life as a bargaining chip, certain that Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan would compromise. To his shock, Nolan ignored the threat completely, his face blank and silent.

Mistaking Nolan's silence for surrender, the Emperor immediately demanded that he marry the Princess of Northlyn as his principal consort. But Nolan refused again: "I will not marry. She can't even compare with Serena Feng. Anyone who wants to be my principal consort must first prove she's better than Serena."

With those words, Nolan strode away, leaving the Emperor to smash his favorite clay inkstone in fury once Nolan was gone...

Serena Feng wasn't worried about how Nolan would handle the matter. She was certain she wouldn't lose her life over it—at worst, she'd get caught up in some minor trouble. Nolan would never let slip a chance to make things inconvenient for her.

Seeing Serena so confident, William Wang Jinling said nothing more. He too believed Nolan would protect Serena—if not for her sake, then for his own.

"Serena, I'm leaving for Clearwater Town tomorrow. If you need anything, go to the Wang family and find Dominic Zhai." William gave these instructions, then left with the medicine chest and Dominic, who—despite his reluctance—had no choice but to follow.

As for tomorrow's banquet, no one mentioned it. Both Serena and William knew perfectly well that Serena wasn't qualified to attend, not even as William's lifesaver.

The Wang family valued rules and reputation even more than the royal family. In an event like this, they would never want Serena present.

After William and Dominic left, Serena didn't return to her room but sat where she was, digesting William's words.

She told William she trusted Nolan to handle everything, but that wasn't how she truly felt. After knowing Nolan for so long, Serena understood his way: he always maximized his own interests, and if necessary, wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice her. So she needed to be prepared.

Serena was still trying to sort her thoughts when a servant announced Vincent Su's arrival. Assuming he was here to check on her health, Serena let him in without objection.

Vincent brought a mountain of tonics. Seeing Serena looking lively and rosy-cheeked, he paused in surprise—but wisely didn't ask questions. After a few casual remarks, he signaled for Serena to dismiss everyone else.

Serena didn't understand, but did as he asked. Only after the room was empty did Vincent speak: "Serena, Warren Yu sent word—he needs grain." He put on a suffering face, clearly for Serena's benefit, but she saw right through it and snapped, "That's your business, not mine."

"Serena, I'm a merchant, not a national treasury. My grain reserves are limited. Next month, the five hundred thousand border troops will be out of food." Vincent didn't beat around the bush—Serena preferred directness anyway. Besides, Warren Yu's situation was no secret to her; she had helped orchestrate it.

"Five hundred thousand? Doesn't Warren Yu command only three hundred thousand?" Serena shot Vincent a sharp look, her clear eyes seeming to pierce right through him.

As a battlefield doctor, Serena was always sensitive to troop numbers and equipment. She knew that in this age of cold weapons, sheer numbers could mean absolute advantage.

Throughout history, victories against overwhelming odds were rare—those few became textbook legends. But in the cold weapon era, numbers truly were everything.

Vincent flinched at Serena's question, nearly letting the truth slip. "The border's unstable. Warren Yu expanded his forces." He didn't believe his own excuse but hoped Serena would—after all, what did a girl know about such things?

"Does the Emperor know?" Serena instantly sensed something was off. Given the Emperor's hatred and suspicion toward Warren Yu, he'd never allow Warren to build up his own power base.

Five hundred thousand troops—Eastlyn claimed a million in total, and Warren Yu controlled half. How could the Emperor possibly tolerate that?

Who would tolerate an enemy sleeping so close? With five hundred thousand troops in hand, if Warren Yu ever marched north, the Emperor would have no choice but to surrender.

"No idea."

"A private army? That's bold. Isn't he afraid of getting killed?" Serena's eyes were sharp, making Vincent look away guiltily. "He's got his own plan. You know he's not reckless."

Serena didn't reply, just let out a cold laugh. She understood all too well how serious this was.

Warren Yu was part of Nolan's faction, and Vincent's support for Warren meant he was too. So were Lance Quinn and Storm Cloud Bu.

Serena was starting to see what Nolan was up to, but she couldn't figure out why he'd go to so much trouble for that position.

"If he's got it all planned out, why tell me? Mr. Su, your business is none of mine, and I don't intend to get involved. I'm just a commoner—I just want a quiet life." Rebellion wasn't for her; she hated war, because war meant death.

Doctors are God's only hands, but even those hands can't save many.

Vincent gave a bitter smile. Serena was sharp as ever, catching on in a flash. "Serena, peace and quiet is a luxury for you now. Once you're tangled up with him, you'll never be free. Let's not talk about the distant future—just look at the present. With the censor's impeachment, you're already involved."

Everyone knew who 'he' was.

Serena closed her eyes and sighed inwardly.

Yes, there was no escaping him. She was already branded as part of Nolan's faction. Whether Nolan fought for power or not, she had to stand by his side—if he lost, those enemies wouldn't spare her either.

"I really can't help." Serena sighed. She was just a powerless woman—how could she possibly procure grain for half a million troops?

In ancient times, crop yields were pitifully low. White rice was a luxury, and ordinary people might never taste it in their lives.

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Grain shortages have plagued China for ages—even in modern times, the country still has to import rice and wheat.

She was a military doctor, not a disciple of Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice. She graduated from medical school, not an agricultural university.

Every field has its own experts; this was way beyond her specialty. Serena wished she could help, but her abilities were limited. She tapped her forehead, deep in thought...

Vincent was a little disappointed, but at least he didn't pin all his hopes on Serena like Lance Quinn did. If a bunch of men couldn't solve it, how could one woman?

"I'll try..." He would think of something.