"Arrest them!"
Dominic Zhai's voice sounded small and frail amid the swirling snow and chaos of battle—so much so that the Capital Inspectorate Office soldiers barely noticed him. By the time they did, Dominic’s troops had already pinned them to the ground, forcing them to kneel.
These Inspectorate officers were used to bullying defenseless civilians, but when faced with Dominic Zhai’s battle-hardened soldiers, they were simply courting disaster.
"What’s going on? What’s happening? Who are you people? We’re with the Capital Inspectorate Office, acting on official orders! Did you grab the wrong men? We’re all brothers here—let’s talk this out!" In the Capital, it was always them arresting others, never the other way around. The Inspectorate officers couldn’t accept it and started shouting.
There were plenty of officials and soldiers in the Capital, but most kept to their own duties, never crossing lines. Even when friction arose, it rarely showed in public.
This was the first time officials on duty had been arrested by another group—an unheard-of event.
"Capital Inspectorate Office, huh? Whose orders? What mission?" Dominic Zhai swaggered forward, planting his heavy military boot squarely on the speaker’s back. He leaned in, every inch the arrogant noble.
"And… who are you?" The officer had started out defiant, but Dominic Zhai’s indifference made it clear he wasn’t someone to provoke. The man’s tone changed instantly.
Smack—Dominic Zhai slapped the officer’s head. "You didn’t answer my question, and you dare ask who I am? Tired of living, are you? Fine, I’ll oblige you."
Dominic Zhai drew a short blade from his boot—a trick he’d picked up from Serena Feng. That woman seemed to have weapons hidden everywhere on her body.
The blade gleamed as Dominic Zhai pressed it to the man’s chin, not attacking directly but tracing it back and forth in a menacing display. "Tell me, where should I start?" he threatened, voice wicked and cold.
Smack—the officer’s face went ghostly pale as he collapsed on the ground like a dead fish. A sharp stench of urine filled the air.
Pathetic. No guts at all.
Dominic Zhai kept his boot on the man’s back, but when the officer jerked, Dominic nearly toppled forward—almost landing in the puddle of urine. Luckily, his guard behind him reacted in time and pulled him back.
That stumble ruined Dominic Zhai’s fierce, commanding image. Annoyed, he shifted his foot and stomped onto the man’s head, towering over him. "Speak! Whose orders? What mission?"
Damn it, I almost landed face-first in piss. What a disgrace.
"Inspectorate Chief’s orders—we’re here to arrest traitors." The officer could barely get the words out under Dominic Zhai’s boot, choking for breath and praying the general would lift his foot.
"See? Should’ve just said so. Now my boots are filthy." Dominic Zhai sneered, pulled out a white cloth to wipe his shoe, then shoved the rag into the officer’s mouth. "Drag him out. Watch him—don’t let him die."
"Mmm… mmm…" The officer struggled desperately, kicking forward. If he could speak, he’d be begging, "Sir, at least tell me who you are!"
Too bad Dominic Zhai wouldn’t bother with a small fry like him. If the Inspectorate Chief were here, maybe he’d care.
"Go, tell the people inside that His Lordship has arrived. Tell them to stop." Dominic Zhai kept up his swagger, chin held high, looking down his nose at everyone, arrogant and unruly as ever.
Ahem... It wasn't that he wanted to be arrogant—he just didn't know how to face Serena Feng.
Back then, his grandfather had known the real cause of General Feng’s death, but kept it hidden. General Feng had served the country with honor, yet in the end was branded a defeated general. It was so unfair—he never received the recognition he deserved.
After learning the truth, Dominic Zhai couldn’t help but feel guilty toward Serena Feng.
He wasn’t foolish enough to demand his grandfather avenge General Feng or execute those responsible, but at the very least, he wanted justice—General Feng deserved to die as a hero, not be condemned and slandered.
The messenger was Dominic Zhai’s own personal guard, who knew exactly how to speak to make Serena Feng stop: "Miss Feng, His Lordship has arrived. The men outside have all been subdued. You can stop now."
Dominic Zhai is here?
Serena Feng’s hands paused for a moment, then she kept threading the suture. She called out to those hurling snow: "Stop. Our rescue has arrived."
Smack—
They may have been untrained civilians, but in that moment, the crowd displayed a discipline usually seen only in soldiers. At Serena Feng’s command, even those who still wanted to throw snow obediently lowered their hands.
Here, Serena Feng’s orders carried more weight than any military command. She had rescued these desperate refugees and given them hope.
Whoosh—the snow barrage lost momentum and fell, piling up on the ground into a small white mound.
"Pah, pah, pah..." Dominic Zhai, standing too close, got a mouthful of snow. Furious, he forgot his guilt toward Serena Feng and barged in, not even seeing where she was before yelling, "Serena Feng, what’s wrong with you? I braved this blizzard to save you and this is how you welcome—"
Uh...
He never finished the last word—because he realized he was being watched.
Hundreds of eyes—numb, guarded, desperate, and resentful—all stared at Dominic Zhai. The sensation made his skin crawl; his swagger vanished in an instant. He stood stiffly, pretending to be calm while the refugees sized him up.
Oh my god, it’s like I’ve walked into a den of wolves. The way they’re looking at me, it’s as if they want to eat me alive. Dominic Zhai was practically in tears, desperately hoping Serena Feng would come save him...
Unfortunately, Serena Feng didn’t notice his pleading look, and even if she had, she wouldn’t have helped. Only after she finished her suturing and stood up to face Dominic Zhai did he find his voice, though this time he didn’t dare shout: "Serena Feng, what happened?"
"As you can see, the Capital Inspectorate Office sent officers to attack the refugees. They didn’t fight back—they just retreated here and defended themselves with snow." Serena Feng summarized the situation simply, her words clearly siding with the refugees.
In fact, the refugees hadn’t fought at all. Those who clashed with the officers outside were just old and starving, too weak to stand up to the officials. Out there, they were the ones being beaten.
Dominic Zhai had seen the officials’ injuries for himself—compared to the refugees, they were nothing. More than a dozen refugees had been beaten bloody, their heads split open and their bodies covered in blood.
"Why would the Capital Inspectorate Office attack refugees?" Dominic Zhai glanced around the free clinic and was certain there were no rebels here. If this was what so-called traitors looked like, the Emperor could sleep easy.
"Hmph…" Serena Feng let out a cold laugh. "Because we’re distributing porridge and providing free clinics here. The porridge we gave the refugees was thicker than the government’s, and we even gave them an extra bun so they could eat their fill. And for that… just for feeding people, the Capital Inspectorate Office accused us of false benevolence and inciting rebellion."
She bit out the last four words—‘inciting rebellion’—with particular venom, her voice dripping with mockery.
If simply gathering a crowd counts as rebellion, then no one in the empire could survive.
"What? Those idiots at the Capital Inspectorate Office attacked refugees over this? Have their brains been replaced with pig bones?" Dominic Zhai was furious and could hardly believe it.
He couldn’t be blamed for doubting—this was just too absurd. How could the Capital Inspectorate Office attack refugees for such a stupid reason? But Serena Feng didn’t seem like she was lying, and Dominic Zhai was left in a bind.
Grandpa was right—I really am clueless. I jumped in without even figuring out what was going on, and now I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Looking utterly innocent, Dominic Zhai glanced pleadingly at Serena Feng, as if to say: Serena, don’t throw me under the bus—I’m on your side here.
"Heir Zane, I swear to heaven, every word I just said is true. The Capital Inspectorate Office officers smashed the porridge stalls as soon as they arrived, scattering the thick porridge and buns everywhere. They’d rather destroy the food than let the refugees eat it.
Do you realize that thick porridge and those buns are lifesaving food for the refugees? But those officers didn’t care if the refugees lived or died—they smashed the food, and when the refugees tried to salvage it, the officers beat them, pinned them to the ground, and forced them to lick porridge off the floor.
Dominic Zhai, you officials are human, and so are the refugees. Even if you’re following orders, you shouldn’t trample on others’ hope for survival or destroy their lifesaving food.
Dominic Zhai, I don’t know who’s right or wrong here—I just hope this never happens again. Heaven has already made their lives unbearable. Does the Emperor really have to push them to their deaths? They’re citizens of Eastlyn too, the Emperor’s own subjects. Won’t he protect them?"
Her last words struck straight at the heart. Of everyone present, only Serena Feng dared say them. As her words echoed, the refugees who’d just been hurling snow dropped to the ground and began to sob.
Dominic Zhai stood frozen, unsure what to do. Serena Feng’s words were so stirring that even he felt a pang in his heart.
At that moment, Dominic Zhai’s personal guard stepped up and whispered a few words in his ear. Dominic’s expression changed; a ruthless gleam flashed in his eyes. After the guard withdrew, Dominic Zhai bowed solemnly to all the refugees: "I’m sorry. I came too late!"
Ah…
That sentence was like a key turning in a lock. The refugees, who had only been crying quietly, now broke into loud, uncontrollable sobs.
"Why didn’t you come earlier? If you’d come sooner, our buns would still be here, our porridge untouched, and we wouldn’t be starving."
"Why didn’t you come earlier… why not a little sooner?"
If only you’d come a little sooner, we wouldn’t have gone hungry!
...