Congratulatory Gift, A Hard Life as the Emperor’s Son

The crowd watching the drama from the teahouse wasn’t just Prince Damien of Southlyn and Su Rou—anyone with any power in the Capital was keeping a close eye on Ninth Royal Uncle’s return.

In the Capital, Ninth Royal Uncle truly covers the sky with one hand. With him present, the city feels anything but free for many people. They’d been hoping he’d die out there this time, or at least stay away for a year or so—long enough for them to rearrange things. But fate had other plans.

As for whether Serena Feng would return, that hardly mattered. If she died, they’d sigh and move on; if she survived and came back, she’d just be another target for them to vent their anger.

A month isn’t exactly long, but it’s not short either. With Ninth Royal Uncle gone from the Capital, anyone with ambition wouldn’t waste the chance. Even though he kept remote control over the city’s affairs, some things always slip out of hand.

Adrian Dongling and Prince Terrence, with Princess Yara and Prince Titus arriving in the Capital, ended up joining forces again. Meanwhile, after Reid Yale recovered from his injuries, Adrian helped mediate between him and Prince Terrence so the three of them could cooperate once more.

Adrian and Prince Terrence both knew exactly what the other wanted. Maybe they’d be enemies in the future, but for now they could work together—each securing their own position, and only then daring to think about the next step.

Prince Terrence withdrew his gaze, musing, "What exactly is Ninth Royal Uncle playing at? Is this the classic 'abandon the empire for beauty' act?"

His cup was filled seven-tenths with water, turning slowly between Prince Terrence’s fingers—yet not a single drop spilled.

"My royal uncle has never been that kind of man." If the Crown Prince was a target, then Serena Feng in her blazing red was an even bigger one—but with Ninth Royal Uncle at her side, no one dared make a move.

Did they really think Ninth Royal Uncle only had those visible guards at his side? If he relied on those imperial guards alone, he’d have died hundreds of times by now.

From the moment Ninth Royal Uncle and Serena Feng stepped out of the carriage together and walked those few steps, he saw several people quietly dragged away.

Ninth Royal Uncle’s men were never pushovers. Adrian Dongling was genuinely curious—how had Nolan managed to train such formidable subordinates in just a few decades?

"Iron-blooded, ruthless, and decisive—your royal uncle really isn’t an ordinary man. So many rats along the way, but not a single one dared to show itself. When the Warren clan’s Grand Heir returned to the city, it was a whole different scene." Even Prince Terrence couldn’t argue with that; Ninth Royal Uncle never left loose ends and always planned ahead.

"Too bad those thunder-blast grenades can’t be used, or things would be a lot livelier." Adrian Dongling sneered.

He admitted he’d played a part—the Commander of the Nine Gates was his man. If he hadn’t given the nod, those people would never have gotten in. He’d thought he could cause a bit of trouble for Ninth Royal Uncle and Serena Feng, keep them busy and distracted, but instead...

Those fools were wiped out by Nolan’s men before they could do anything. After that, nobody else dared to make a move.

"Honestly, the Emperor is too much. Ninth Royal Uncle keeps pushing the limits, so what’s he still worried about? If the Emperor would just bring out the thunder-blast grenades, Nolan’s reputation would be ruined and we wouldn’t have to be so passive." Reid Yale grumbled into his tea, frustration eating him alive.

Because of the Beast Garden incident, Night City had taken a huge fall at Serena Feng’s hands—losing both face and leverage. Yet before they could even retaliate, Serena vanished, stirring up chaos throughout the Capital.

The worst part was, Serena disappeared right after treating Reid Yale. Night City hadn’t done anything, but they couldn’t defend themselves, becoming the scapegoat and branded as heartless ingrates by everyone.

In an instant, Night City lost a fifth of its allies. This time, when the Eastlyn Emperor purged the hidden agents, Night City suffered the worst—everyone they’d buried in Eastlyn for decades was dug out by the Emperor.

A small incident like this, and Night City’s strength dropped from the top of the Nine Cities to nearly the bottom.

He just couldn’t swallow this humiliation. As for Serena Feng healing his arm—please, if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have been injured in the first place. And what did she cure, anyway? His left hand was as good as useless, only looking a bit better than before.

Adrian Dongling lowered his gaze, saying nothing. If Ninth Royal Uncle were injured by a thunder-blast grenade, it would basically announce to the world that he’d died at Nolan’s hand—what would that do to the Emperor’s reputation?

Everyone understood just how ruthless Ninth Royal Uncle could be. No need for Reid Yale to say it—Nolan had executed his own grandfather and uncle, and his mother was still confined in Parasol Hall, forbidden to leave. Even preparing Princess Serenity’s dowry had fallen to the quietly influential Consort Grace.

The Crown Prince had always been protected by Ninth Royal Uncle; for years, everything went smoothly. But when Nolan decided to let go, he watched coldly as everyone squeezed the Crown Prince out. In the month Nolan was gone, the Crown Prince barely had anywhere left to stand.

Otherwise, the Crown Prince wouldn’t have risked his health, waiting at the city gate in the snow for a full hour. Too bad—Ninth Royal Uncle didn’t spare him a single glance.

Serena Feng, do you get it? My royal uncle is ruthless. When he lifts someone up, he can send them to the heavens; when he throws someone away, he’ll toss them into the mud—and maybe stomp them for good measure.

Serena Feng, just you wait—I’m waiting for the day Nolan throws you away!

Prince Terrence fell into deep thought. When he looked up, his gaze met Adrian Dongling’s, and they both gave a bitter smile.

All three of them had suffered losses at Nolan’s hands, but none of them were the type to complain—only losers whined. What they wanted was payback.

As Nolan and Serena’s group walked farther away, Prince Terrence set his teacup down and looked sharply in the direction of Feng Manor.

"Feng Manor has already been rebuilt. Knowing Serena Feng, she won’t care about superstitions like ‘don’t break ground in winter.’ Instead of complaining, we should think about sending her a housewarming gift."

They couldn’t touch Nolan, but Serena Feng was fair game. Whether Nolan truly cared for her or not, at least on the surface she was under his protection—so targeting Serena was a direct slap in Nolan’s face.

Anything that could annoy Nolan, he was more than happy to do.

"Why drag a woman into a fight between men?" Adrian Dongling regretted the words as soon as he spoke—men’s battles always involved women. Hadn’t Nolan targeted his own mother?

"Prince Rowan, don’t forget Princess Yara. If Nolan was merciless, why should we show him any righteousness?" Princess Yara’s story was a wound Adrian Dongling could never heal, and Prince Terrence knew it well.

Adrian Dongling stopped objecting, ignoring the strange feeling in his heart. He nodded. "Let’s do as you say. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave."

This teahouse was too stifling—he couldn’t stay any longer.

The Eastlyn Imperial City was just as suffocating, but he had no choice but to struggle here.

Being the Emperor’s son is no easy job!