"What did you say? Feng Manor is government land and they're reclaiming it now?" Serena Feng's good mood was ruined by Vincent Su.
Vincent Su nodded repeatedly, his own mood sour. He had personally overseen the search at Feng Manor's ruins all day and found nothing. Vincent suspected Nolan Dongling was toying with him, tricking him into doing pointless work for Serena Feng, though he hadn't expected much to begin with.
"Yes, the authorities say Feng Manor is an official residence and the land deed is with the government. Now they're reclaiming it by law. Serena, do you have the deed for Feng Manor? If you do, we can negotiate with the authorities. If not... you have no right to rebuild there."
Vincent Su was truly troubled, inwardly cursing Nolan Dongling. If Nolan wanted him to rebuild Feng Manor for Serena Feng, why hadn't he settled everything beforehand? Now, just as work was about to begin, this issue popped up.
"The deed? How could I possibly have the deed? Feng Manor was burned to the ground in a fire. Not only did I never have the deed, even if it existed, I couldn't produce it. The manor was a gift from the Emperor, so the authorities should have the record." Serena Feng felt utterly foolish—she’d been here so long and had forgotten to obtain the deed.
In the modern world, when buying a house, you always remember to get the property certificate. But this land deed is even more important—it grants lifelong use, while a property certificate only gives seventy years of ownership.
Vincent Su gave a bitter smile. "You can't blame the authorities for troubling you," he said. "If that's the case, the land belongs to the government. By law, a residence granted by the Emperor can be reclaimed after your parents' death. They probably delayed only because you were once Prince Rowan's fiancée."
Serena Feng was speechless. So the authorities are just following procedure, and by law, the residence no longer belongs to her.
"Serena, you don't have to rebuild Feng Manor on the original site. Why not buy a new plot or a house and rebuild?" Vincent Su suggested, seeing no value in the old land.
"No. If I rebuild somewhere else, will it still be Feng Manor? I have to rebuild on the original site." The destruction of Feng Manor was a pain Serena Feng would never forget. If she couldn't rebuild there, she'd feel she was betraying her parents.
She'd even said she wanted to build a cenotaph for her parents, but in the end...
One fire had burned Feng Manor to nothing. Everything was gone.
"Serena, that land isn't yours—it's imperial land. Even with money, you can't buy it." Vincent Su said, then suddenly paused, seeing Serena Feng's odd expression.
"Vincent? What's wrong?" Serena Feng felt her scalp prickle under his strange stare.
Vincent snapped back to himself and shook his head. "It's nothing. If you really want to rebuild on the original site, then we'll have to find a way to get the deed for Feng Manor."
The person who tied the knot must untie it. Since the authorities started this, you'll have to go to them. In this capital, there's no shortage of nobles—find someone to help you pull strings and get the deed for Feng Manor.
Vincent Su had a thought: if rebuilding Feng Manor hits a snag, odds are it's because of Nolan Dongling. The Emperor wouldn't bother with such trivialities, and others wouldn't trouble Serena over something so minor. Outsiders didn't know how much Feng Manor meant to her.
Vincent Su looked at Serena Feng with genuine sympathy. Ninth Royal Uncle was ruthless, scheming against her without mercy.
"This is the only way. No matter what, I have to get the deed for Feng Manor."
Serena Feng accepted Vincent Su's advice and started thinking about whom to ask for help. But as soon as she inquired, she realized she had no leverage. Duke Ning agreed to ask around for her, but warned her not to hope too much—official residences aren't for sale, and no one would bother with her, no matter how much money she had.