After Lady Min and Clara Phoenixfield were taken away, all their remaining people outside were also captured by Prince Nolan's men. Even the elite death troopers who stormed Su Manor to abduct Vincent Su were found and seized by Prince Nolan's forces.
Honestly, Lady Min overplayed her hand this time. If she hadn't put so much faith in Ezra Phoenixfield, she wouldn't have let Prince Nolan destroy her stronghold so completely.
This was a covert operation with not a ripple on the surface—apart from William Wang, almost no one realized that the 'missing' Grand Empress Dowager had already been secretly detained by Prince Nolan.
With Lady Min walking straight into the trap, Prince Nolan and Serena Feng hurried back to the palace. Prince Nolan needed to announce the general amnesty, while Serena was to receive the formal married-women’s court congratulations. From today, she was the Mother of Eastlyn, and would bear the responsibilities of Empress from now on.
Serena had once been confused and afraid of this role, wanting to run away. But in the end, she couldn't bear to abandon Prince Nolan alone, and chose to face everything together with him.
Prince Nolan’s broad rewards to the officials calmed their nerves, and one by one they left the palace with joy on their faces. The general amnesty brought happiness to the prisoners—unless they were truly unforgivable criminals, Prince Nolan decreed all sentences be reduced by one degree. Even the likes of Prince Jason and Charlotte Chu, who were under house arrest, received a little more freedom, at least enough to live a bit better.
“Is this charity?” Jason Dongling clutched the imperial decree, wanting to throw it away, but after much hesitation, didn't have the nerve.
Now he could only keep his head down and behave. Otherwise, the freedom Prince Nolan gave him today could be taken away tomorrow, leaving him even worse off than before.
When your life and death are in someone else's hands, no matter how dissatisfied, how hard you struggle, or how much effort you put in, it’s useless. All Jason could do was accept Prince Nolan’s arrangements—he had no other option.
Charlotte Chu was much calmer. She was an ambitious woman, but she understood reality. The moment she married Jason Dongling, she had already lost. Now, all she could do was accept it—there was no other choice.
Of course, sometimes Charlotte Chu wonders if she would've been happier had she aimed lower and married that simple little doctor.
But it's just a thought—there's no such thing as 'knowing earlier,' and no medicine for regret. She has to take responsibility for her own choices.
With the new emperor enthroned and the imperial wedding held, of course there was a palace banquet that night. By the time it ended, it was already deep into the night. Prince Nolan, reeking of wine, walked toward his bedchamber...
He wasn't actually drunk, but Prince Nolan felt as if his feet were treading on clouds—soft, powerless, as if he might step off and fall at any moment...
It was like a dream; everything around him seemed unreal, out of reach. Normally, he'd hate this feeling of losing control, but thinking of the person waiting for him in the bridal chamber, he couldn't bring himself to dislike it—instead, he wanted to laugh.
After waiting all these years, today had finally come. No one knew how much he wanted to give Serena Feng a wedding—to openly tell the world that this woman belonged to him, that their child was not a bastard, but a child they both longed for...
Today, he had finally used the most solemn rites to make this woman his Empress—his one and only wife.
Just imagining Serena Feng in full bridal attire, waiting inside for him, made Prince Nolan want to laugh out loud...
Before meeting Serena Feng, he had no expectations for his own future. His fate was already set: either die unifying the Four Kingdoms, or stand alone at the summit and die in loneliness...
But after Serena Feng came into his life, he felt there was something to look forward to—a brighter, more colorful future. Especially after Little Dumpling was born, he gained a new sense of responsibility as a father.
He didn't know how to be a good husband, or a good father, but he would learn—he would learn to be a good husband to Serena Feng, and a good father to Little Dumpling.
"Your Majesty..." Outside the bridal chamber, the palace maids saw Prince Nolan backing away quickly. Only the eunuch dared step forward, but as soon as he spoke, Prince Nolan waved him off: "Leave."
"Your—" The young eunuch panicked and tried again, but Prince Nolan's tone turned cold: "I said leave."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The eunuchs and maids dared not disobey, nervously leaving as Prince Nolan pushed open the bridal chamber door and entered. They hurried away, terrified of being caught by him.
What was going on?
Prince Nolan stood inside, staring blankly at the empty bridal bed. All the joy and excitement on his face vanished.
His Empress, his bride, was gone!
"Someone!" Prince Nolan roared, his voice icy. A shadow guard, standing three meters away, jolted and rushed in: "Your Majesty!"
"Where is she?" Prince Nolan turned, his dazed look replaced by coldness. The shadow guard swore on his own head that if he said a single wrong word, he'd lose it.
"Your Majesty, the young prince fell ill, so Her Majesty went to see him." The shadow guard swallowed hard, trying to stay calm.
"What? Little Dumpling is sick? On today of all days?"
Prince Nolan's brows knotted involuntarily. "Why did no one tell me?"
"Her Majesty didn't let us inform you," the shadow guard answered, face drawn, not daring to look up. With previous lessons fresh in mind, no one would speak without Serena Feng's orders.
Prince Nolan's frown deepened. "Her Majesty didn't tell you to inform me, but she didn't forbid it either!"
These idiots, can't they think for themselves? If things were urgent and Serena Feng forgot to notify him, he certainly wouldn't let them off easy.
"Please punish us, Your Majesty." The shadow guard silently cursed his luck, already foreseeing a miserable future.
Right now, there are only the Master and Mistress, and they're already living in misery. Once the young prince grows up, and a few more come along, they'll be living in even more bitterness.
As for sweetness? Better not dream—pain mixed with joy is not for them.
Wuwuwu... Maybe I can apply for a transfer, or early retirement!
Luckily, Prince Nolan was still rational. Before he got to the bottom of things, he didn't punish the shadow guard—he just told him to get out, and went himself to Little Dumpling's palace.
His wife and son were both there—how could he not go?
Little Dumpling was still young. Though, as Prince Nolan required, he lived separately from Serena Feng, he wasn't kept far away. Prince Nolan hurried over and arrived within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
When Prince Nolan entered, palace maids were rushing in and out, their steps quick and faces anxious. Seeing him, they all stopped what they were doing and retreated quickly to bow.
Prince Nolan, uneasy, ignored them completely and strode inside. Smelling the heavy scent of medicine, he couldn't help but frown: was Little Dumpling really so ill?