In the shadows, blades drew blood; on the surface, swords flashed without a trace. Serena Feng didn’t need Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan’s reminder to understand how tense things were—she couldn’t act recklessly. At least until the Emperor made his move, she couldn’t do anything to disrupt his plans.
After hearing the court’s situation in the study and learning that Simon Sun was safe, Serena immediately asked to return to Feng Manor. Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan refused, holding her close for a long moment of intimate whispering, but Serena was determined to leave.
If she stayed in Ninth Prince Manor, all she’d do—besides keeping Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan company in his favorite activities—would be sleep to recover her strength. She had no intention of wasting her time like that. No matter how Nolan coaxed, Serena refused to stay.
Realizing he had plenty of matters to handle and that Serena was set on leaving, Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan reluctantly compromised. He let her take two Bloodcloak Guard maids for protection; with Zuo An away, these two would stay by Serena’s side as her bodyguards.
Serena had always taken her own safety seriously, so of course she didn’t refuse. That night, she quietly returned to Feng Manor with the two maids. She gave little explanation, barely mentioning Simon Sun—she only told Jada Tang and Mira Tang that Simon was doing well.
It had to be said, Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan’s words had made Serena much more vigilant: all loyalty exists for that final moment of betrayal. Once a subordinate wins the master’s trust, the critical moment brings a sudden reversal—and the price...
Far too steep.
Serena knew she couldn’t afford that price. So her trust could never be given to just one person, nor could she allow anyone to hold all the power—this way, even if someone betrayed her, Feng Manor wouldn’t collapse.
Serena decided to find an opportunity to test Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. If they proved reliable, she’d have them assist Jada Tang and Mira Tang—letting any one person monopolize authority was simply too dangerous.
This plan she kept strictly to herself. She couldn’t let uncertain suspicion chill Jada Tang and Mira Tang’s hearts; even if she worried, she wouldn’t show it. After all, if you doubt those you employ, you shouldn’t employ them at all—a master’s distrust is one reason subordinates betray.
After returning from Ninth Prince Manor, everyone kept their eyes on Serena Feng. Remembering her fierce performance in court that day, most assumed—with Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan backing her—she would launch another fierce attack on the Bloodcloak Guard and Marquis Sutton. But to their surprise, Serena shut herself away, as if the red-eyed woman demanding justice had never existed.
Marquis Sutton sensed something was off and sent people to investigate, but learned nothing. The power struggle at this level was far beyond the reach of a powerless marquisate.
Ever since Serena’s dramatic confrontation, the Bloodcloak Guard had sealed itself up like an iron fortress—outsiders couldn’t get in, insiders couldn’t get out.
Five days passed in this bland, uneasy calm. People are forgetful—just as everyone thought Serena had chosen peace under the joint pressure of the Bloodcloak Guard and Shunning Marquis Manor, something major happened.
“Commander Lucan Lu has been arrested.”
Within half an hour, everyone who needed to know had heard the news. Serena had always suspected Lucan wouldn’t come to a good end, but she was still startled when she heard it.
She hadn’t expected the Emperor to act so quickly, or to arrest Lucan so openly. She’d always thought intelligence chiefs would be quietly disposed of; only later did she realize the Emperor made the arrest public to pave the way for Prince Rowan.
With Lucan in prison, Prince Rowan entered the Bloodcloak Guard in his capacity as Prince of Luo, conducting a thorough purge. After executing a large number of people, he formally took control of the Bloodcloak Guard. Its new role became supervising civil officials, while its old espionage and intelligence functions vanished into the shadows—no one knew who ran them now.
Through this maneuver, the Emperor shifted the Bloodcloak Guard’s covert operations fully into the dark, while granting Prince Rowan extraordinary power—the authority to oversee all civil officials.
Lucan’s arrest was like opening a floodgate. Under Prince Rowan’s command, the Bloodcloak Guard was no longer a bloated, rotten institution; for several nights in a row, they raided officials’ homes, storming dozens in rapid succession.
This operation was the largest since the Left Chancellor’s treason—at least on the surface. How many were slaughtered in the shadows, no ordinary citizen could ever know.
Serena Feng stayed quiet, waiting for the Emperor to vent his fury. She hadn’t expected to wait until the New Year was nearly upon them, leaving her unable to act at all.
As the festival approached, the Emperor had originally planned for Prince Terrence Valen and Prince Damien of Southlyn to spend the New Year in Eastlyn. But after his ruthless purge of spies from both kingdoms, Terrence and Damien couldn’t sit still—they made their moves, and both found excuses to return home.
The Emperor didn’t object. He gave them a few pointed reminders, then sent the Ministry of Rites to escort them out according to protocol. Anyway, after the New Year, they’d be back.
Princess Yara’s wedding was scheduled for after the New Year, and the contest between the Su Clan and Serena had been postponed again and again—now, it couldn’t be delayed any longer. These two matters also became the official reason for their return to Eastlyn.
Prince Titus of Lyndaria and Prince Nathan of Southlyn didn’t go home—they didn’t want to leave at such a critical moment. The Emperor wanted to see the brothers compete for power, but realized that whether it was Lyndaria or Southlyn, both were about to sacrifice their own men. So he warmly invited both princes to stay.
With one less rival, Eastlyn’s spy network faced a little less danger from the other two kingdoms.
The day Prince Terrence Valen and Prince Damien left, the weather was perfect. The Crown Prince led the officials to the city gate to see them off. Afterward, his smile faded; looking at his royal brothers and ministers, he pressed a hand to his chest and lowered his gaze, hiding his helplessness.
“Let’s go.” His voice was flat, showing just how powerless he felt.
The Emperor’s favor for Prince Rowan grew stronger and stronger. Though Rowan wasn’t the Crown Prince, with the Emperor’s support, he held real power. If Prince Nolan hadn’t spoken up, it would have been Rowan—Prince of Luo—who saw Terrence and Damien off that day.
Damien’s case was simple, but Terrence was the Crown Prince of Lyndaria—whoever saw him off had to match his status. The Emperor’s decision made it clear to all the ministers: Prince Rowan was the hidden Crown Prince.
Whatever twists and turns lay beneath it all, Serena Feng only cared that those two troublemakers were finally gone—her world could finally breathe.
Serena wanted to move against Shunning Marquis Manor, but knew the Emperor wanted a peaceful New Year. Before the festival, he wouldn’t allow any trouble. No matter how impatient she was, she’d have to wait until after the holiday. At least Simon Sun was safe—she could afford to wait.
With nothing urgent before the New Year, Serena began reviewing intelligence on the Shandong Lu Clan. She wanted to plan her strategy for next year’s operations. Just as she got the reports, a servant arrived: “Miss, Young Master Yun requests an audience.”
“Victor Yun? He’s finally here.” Serena quickly set aside the intelligence, stood up, and went out to greet him.
To Serena, Victor Yun was half a friend, half a patient. The moment she heard he’d come, she knew—of course it was about his illness...