An Accident and the Stockpiled Ammunition

Liam Li wasn't stupid—he was just unbearably arrogant. He thought that because he came from the modern world, Earth itself should revolve around him, and he was the one in control of everything.

Even so, he knew perfectly well that the thunder-blast grenade's manufacturing method was his only bargaining chip. He couldn't reveal it lightly; once he did, he'd lose every advantage.

But letting Serena Feng walk away? That was something Liam couldn't stomach. Using his foot, he scribbled a place name on the ground, then wrote the words 'thunder-blast grenade.'

"Are you saying you hid the thunder-blast grenades at this place?" Duke Zhen grabbed Liam Li's arm, his voice shaking with excitement.

Even if he couldn't catch a big fish, a shrimp would do—finding the thunder-blast grenades would certainly please His Majesty.

Liam Li nodded smugly. He was preparing for his own conquest of the world. That place held not only finished thunder-blast grenades but also a stockpile of gunpowder—his personal ammunition depot.

As soon as he became Emperor of the Eastlyn Empire, he could launch wars against the neighboring nations, unify the continent, and rule supreme.

Hmph, the Emperor of Eastlyn wanted him to make thunder-blast grenades, but Liam wanted the throne for himself. He was quietly smug, never noticing the flash of greed and calculation in Rosa Zhen and Duke Zhen's eyes.

"Good, good! I'll take my men right now and retrieve those thunder-blast grenades. We'll blow Feng Manor and Serena Feng to dust and get your revenge!" Duke Zhen promised fervently, shooting a look at Rosa Zhen to stay behind and coax the manufacturing method out of Liam.

Rosa Zhen caught his meaning. "Of course, Father! You must avenge Liam Li. Just look at him—it's all Serena Feng's fault. We absolutely can't let that woman off so easily."

Rosa Zhen's tears fell instantly. "Liam Li, with Father handling things, you can rest assured—Serena Feng won't escape her fate. You're so badly hurt, I really can't trust those clumsy palace maids to care for you. Let me stay at the palace and look after you myself, all right?"

"Good, good! Having you here with me in the palace is the best thing that could happen." Liam Li's face lit up with pride, his sickly look vanishing. He'd once dreamed of bedding every imperial concubine in the palace, only to end up half-crippled before he could even make a move.

Thank goodness he still had a wife. Liam Li and Rosa Zhen flirted openly in the hall. Duke Zhen, though displeased, kept silent—Liam Li was still useful. He left at once to report the news to the Emperor.

...

"So he hid them in the abandoned mine under Lianchen Mountain. That's clever, I suppose." What Liam Li didn't expect was that the first to send men to his ammunition depot wasn't Duke Zhen or the Emperor—it was Ninth Royal Uncle.

"Mobilize the covert guards. I want all of that stock—leave one-tenth for the Emperor, and destroy anything you can't carry." Ninth Royal Uncle gave his orders swiftly. He meant to beat the Emperor to the punch and erase all traces of his involvement.

"Yes, sir." The black-clad guard accepted the command and left. Ninth Royal Uncle sat in his chair, pondering for a moment before rising and walking to his bookshelf.

"Serena Feng, oh Serena Feng... If you knew how much Liam Li was willing to spend just to kill you, would you regret not finishing him off when you had the chance?"

Ninth Royal Uncle opened a book—on the cover, the words 'Records of the Grand Historian' stood out.

"I hope this book teaches you that mercy to your enemies is cruelty to yourself." Ninth Royal Uncle placed the book on the table, knowing that by tonight, it would be sitting on Serena Feng's desk.

When it came to the Liam Li situation, Serena Feng had handled things beautifully. If she'd gone all out and cut off every possible escape, leaving Liam with no way to vent his hatred, the Emperor would have grown suspicious.

What Ninth Royal Uncle couldn't accept was how Serena Feng handled the Duke Zhen affair. Back then, she hadn't had the power to fight Duke Zhen and was forced to negotiate, but now...

With just a little effort, Serena could have crushed Duke Zhen and Rosa Zhen. But she was just too lazy—too passive.

If no one came looking for trouble, she wouldn't go out of her way to stir things up, always leaving herself in a defensive position. That was exactly what frustrated Ninth Royal Uncle the most.

"The best defense is a good offense. If you keep letting yourself get hit, how will you ever intimidate your enemies?" Ninth Royal Uncle thought of Serena Feng's puffed-up cheeks when she was angry and couldn't help but smile before heading out.

...

Serena Feng always thought she was terrible at socializing, yet at the Lu Residence, she found herself chatting happily with Lady Lu.

Lady Lu was just past thirty, well cared for, and without children, her figure and aura still held a touch of girlish grace.

Born to a scholarly family, Lady Lu excelled in poetry, calligraphy, and painting. Her conversation was elegant, her insight remarkable, and her gentle, generous manner instantly won hearts. Serena Feng honestly couldn't understand how Lady Lu had ended up married to someone as ruthless as Commander Lucan Lu.

Lady Lu discreetly mapped out the connections among the capital's families for Serena Feng, then steered the discussion to medicine—Serena's comfort zone. By the end, Lady Lu was so delighted she insisted Serena stay for dinner at the Lu Residence.

Because of Commander Lucan Lu's reputation, Lady Lu was shunned by the elite scholarly families, and she couldn't connect with the wives of military men either. She had few friends in the imperial city, so finding someone she could truly talk to made her genuinely happy.

Serena Feng smiled and tried to decline, but just as she was about to leave, a servant from the Lu Residence arrived to announce that Commander Lucan Lu had returned.

"Miss Feng, the master is back. You can't leave now," Lady Lu said, her gentle eyes sparkling with warmth.

Serena Feng shook her head. "Commander Lu came home to dine with his wife. How could I intrude?" Even though Commander Lucan Lu had several wives and concubines, he truly respected his primary wife.

Three wives and four concubines were the norm in this era. Serena Feng didn't find it strange or hard to accept—anyone with status lived this way. Besides, marriage here was a contract between families, not about feelings.

A primary wife was really a full-time job—a lifelong career, managing household affairs and raising the next generation, wielding enormous authority at home.

As long as she avoided jealous concubines and didn't overreach for power, the primary wife held real control—over the rear court and the family finances. She could dismiss or sell off concubines at will. That was why Serena Feng would rather die than become a concubine.

She couldn't stand the thought of living like a servant, always bowing to the primary wife, or having her own children forbidden to call her 'mother.'

Unfortunately, just as Serena Feng was about to leave, Commander Lucan Lu wouldn't let her go. Hearing she was at the residence, he changed clothes and headed straight to the rear courtyard.

There were supposed to be strict rules separating men and women, but Feng Manor only had Serena Feng as its sole female, and with the Emperor's decree, she wouldn't be married out—she'd take a husband into the Feng household. So Commander Lucan Lu treated her almost like a man.

"Miss Feng, are you here because of something at the Sun Estate?" Commander Lucan Lu strode in, his voice booming as he got straight to the point.

"The Sun Estate? What happened there?" Serena Feng looked at Commander Lucan Lu, completely baffled. Shock flashed through her mind, but she quickly suppressed it.

"You don't know?" Commander Lucan Lu was stunned. If Serena Feng wasn't here for the Sun Estate, then what had brought her?

Serena Feng shook her head, tamping down her worry and calmly asked, "Commander Lu, what happened? Does it involve me? I've only been here half a day—surely nothing's gone wrong again?"

Commander Lucan Lu didn't answer. Sensing the tension, Lady Lu rose gracefully. "Husband, Miss Feng, please sit. I'll go check on the kitchen. Today, Miss Feng must stay for dinner."

With that, she bowed and left with the servants, leaving Serena Feng and Commander Lucan Lu alone, staring at each other in silence...