William Wang Jinling left early with Little Dumpling, so the men Nolan sent naturally returned empty-handed... (Note: Nolan is the emperor and Little Dumpling is his son, the Crown Prince. William is the Grand Heir and mentor/adoptive father.)
After the shadow guard finished his report, he waited a long time without a response. Carefully, he glanced up at Nolan, only to find Nolan expressionless, giving nothing away.
The shadow guard thought to himself that he was doomed this time, but unexpectedly, Nolan did not blame him—he simply told him to leave. (Note: 'Shadow guard' refers to an elite imperial bodyguard/secret service agent.)
Relieved, the shadow guard went back and told his companions about it, exclaiming that ever since Sweet Dumpling arrived, Nolan has become more humane. Before he could finish, his words were met with his companion's teasing sarcasm. (Note: Sweet Dumpling is the emperor's daughter, a cherished princess.)
"You’re overthinking it," scoffed the veteran shadow guard. "Nolan didn’t punish you—not because he’s become softer, but because he’s fair in reward and punishment. This wasn’t your fault, so naturally he wouldn’t punish you."
"Poor thing. I always knew being the Crown Prince’s shadow guard was tough. Luckily, I had a stomach ache and was too weak to be chosen by Nolan," said another guard. Though his looks were average, his eyes were sharp and clever.
Getting sick at such a critical moment—Shadow Guard A didn’t believe for a second there wasn’t something fishy about it...
"It’s no picnic being the Crown Prince’s shadow guard. With the Grand Heir and Nolan always sparring, how could they catch a break?" The companions joined in, then shifted the topic to Sweet Dumpling.
"Honestly, the best job is being Sweet Dumpling’s shadow guard. She stays in the palace all the time—her guards are practically for show. There’s never anything to worry about," said Shadow Guard Sixteen, a bit envious of those assigned to her. (Note: 'Shadow guard' is an elite imperial bodyguard; Sweet Dumpling is the emperor's daughter.)
"She’s a girl, and she’s usually just in the palace. Even now, when she’s out, she’s only going to Mystic Healer Valley. That place is as secure as the palace—there’s no way Sweet Dumpling would ever be in danger. It’s really an easy gig," added Shadow Guard Twenty-Five, clearly longing for it himself. (Note: Mystic Healer Valley is a legendary sanctuary for healers and royals, renowned for its security.)
"Sweet Dumpling has a good temper and is so well-behaved. If you’re assigned to her, you don’t have to worry about being punished." (Note: Sweet Dumpling is known for being gentle and obedient, unlike typical imperial princesses.)
"Naive!" scoffed Shadow Guard A, but he didn’t bother to explain further, just watched with amusement as batch after batch of rookies ran headfirst into trouble.
Is it really so easy to be Sweet Dumpling’s shadow guard?
Stop dreaming. Just because Sweet Dumpling is a girl doesn’t mean she’s easy to protect. Don’t forget, the Empress is a woman too, and back when they guarded her, they suffered plenty and got punished plenty. (Note: The Empress is Serena.)
Do you really think the Empress’s daughter, Sweet Dumpling, will turn into a delicate lady who never leaves the house, just sits in her room embroidering and playing the zither? (Note: The Empress is Serena, and Sweet Dumpling is her daughter—the opposite of a typical sheltered princess.)
Way too naive!
Naive kids—blood and tears will teach you not to judge by appearances!
Shadow Guard A, in a great mood, hummed a little tune as he left, pulling the shadow guards from the emperor’s bedchamber.
With the Crown Prince still away, the emperor and empress were sure to have things to discuss—things the shadow guards absolutely weren’t supposed to know.
Little Dumpling hadn’t been brought back, and Nolan was deeply dissatisfied. But he knew the failure had nothing to do with the men sent to fetch him—it was all William Wang Jinling’s fault.
"Gentleman? I see him as a scheming villain wrapped in a gentleman’s skin." Nolan’s opinion of William Wang Jinling was sinking lower by the day.
Serena Feng didn’t argue at all—she just nodded in agreement.
Seriously, if Nolan was complaining about William Wang Jinling and she tried to defend him, that would be asking for a fight. She wasn’t about to risk it.
After venting about William Wang Jinling to Serena, Nolan finally felt a bit better. "If Little Dumpling refuses to come back, I’ll just treat it as him wanting a couple more years of freedom before inheriting the throne. In two years, I’ll drag him back to the palace even if I have to tie him up." (Note: Little Dumpling is the Crown Prince, and succession is a major plot point.)
"But in two years, Little Dumpling will only be ten. Can he really bear the weight of an emperor’s responsibilities?" Serena finally spoke up for her son. "Isn’t ten a bit too young? What about fifteen?" (Note: In imperial China, child emperors often had regents or mentors.)
"Ten is plenty. And if he can’t handle it, William Wang Jinling will be there. If he dares to run off with my son, he’d better be ready to work himself to the bone for him." (Note: William Wang Jinling is both mentor and adoptive father to Little Dumpling.)
"Five more years wouldn’t hurt." Serena genuinely worried for Little Dumpling. "Push him too hard and he’ll rebel."
"He wouldn’t dare!" Nolan snorted. "In two years, willing or not, he’ll come back and ascend the throne. Plenty of people have fought and bled for the crown. I’ve cleared every obstacle for him—he just has to sit in that seat. What’s there to complain about?"
"In two years, I’ll wipe out every obstacle and make sure Little Dumpling succeeds smoothly." Nolan had made up his mind—no one could persuade him otherwise. "Lyndaria has recovered these last few years and doesn’t need imperial aid. I’ve decided: three months from now, I’ll send three armies to attack Northlyn. We’ll take it down as fast as possible."
Northlyn is down to its last gasp. This is exactly the right time for Nolan to strike.
"Whatever you decide, I’ll support you." Serena quietly crumpled the letter in her hand and tossed it into the corner when Nolan wasn’t looking.
She’d have Victor Yun rewrite the memorial later. With William just having run off with Little Dumpling and Nolan in a foul mood, seeing a letter from Caleb Wang asking for silver would only make things worse. She’d rather not bring it up and get scolded. (Note: Memorials are formal petitions to the emperor for funding or policy changes.)
If Nolan was in a bad mood, let him vent it on Northlyn. Northlyn really had gone too far these past few years—harassing border citizens and snatching imperial grain. If it wasn’t wiped out soon, it would remain a major threat.
Caleb Wang soon received Serena’s reply. Reading the contents, he was left half laughing, half crying...
"What is it?" Yun Xiao looked up and asked.
"Take a look." Caleb handed the letter to Yun Xiao, who scanned it quickly and couldn’t help but laugh. "After all these years, His Majesty is still the same. Only your big brother dares to anger him."
"My big brother wouldn’t dare. It’s clearly the Crown Prince who angered His Majesty—my brother just gets blamed for it." Caleb was a loyal little brother, always defending his own.
"Fine, whatever you say." Yun Xiao didn’t bother arguing with Caleb, who was hopelessly devoted to his brother, and just spread out the memorial and started writing.
"Trading Cloud City for a bit of research funding—His Majesty can’t possibly lose. If he doesn’t allocate silver after getting Cloud City, he’d be letting down Elder Yun and the others who waited so many years for this chance." Yun Xiao finished the memorial and tossed it to Caleb. "Send it back to the Capital quick—we’re counting on that silver to save lives."
The silver Yun Xiao and Caleb Wang requested was for the Medical Academy’s prosthetics research.
Many hands make light work—Serena didn’t just shut herself away with the Valley Master. The Valley Master, Dr. Redwater, and Dr. Marcus Guile were all working on prosthetics, and several top doctors at the Medical Academy were researching it too.
Everyone shared their data. After five years of effort, major progress had been made. If all went well, Serena’s deal with Master Marcus Wynn would soon be complete.
Of course, even if it didn’t go through, Serena wouldn’t lose out—she’d already secured Cloud City.
Master Marcus Wynn and Eugene Yun, the former lord of Cloud City, were both shrewd men. They understood Nolan’s ambitions—Cloud City couldn’t escape Eastlyn’s iron cavalry. Rather than waiting for the army to trample the city, it was better to surrender proactively, protect the citizens, and preserve the herbs the city depended on for survival...