Volunteering to Be Ninth Royal Uncle’s Pawn

Ninth Royal Uncle said the Chen family were clever people, and the Chens truly lived up to that reputation. That very morning, Lord Chen arrived with his eldest legitimate son, Ming Chen. But knowing their own status, they did not dare request an audience with Ninth Royal Uncle—instead, they quietly sent a lavish gift in through the servants.

The gulf between officials and merchants was clear for all to see, and Ninth Royal Uncle was no ordinary official. The Chen family simply didn’t have the qualifications to meet him. Not asking for an audience and not putting on airs as hosts was, in fact, the smartest move they could make.

The Chen family were mere merchants; having Ninth Royal Uncle reside in their garden was already a tremendous honor. If they tried to act as hosts and rashly approached him, Ninth Royal Uncle might receive them out of courtesy, but he would absolutely dislike it.

"They really are perceptive," Ninth Royal Uncle remarked, gazing at the gift box with no intention of opening it, his fingers tapping absently on the table.

"Aren’t you at least curious what’s inside?" Serena propped her chin on her hands, looking thoroughly bored.

"It’s just a gift. What does it matter whether I look or not?" To Ninth Royal Uncle, the gesture was all that counted—the Chen family’s offering meant little to him, just another expensive item among many.

"Didn’t you say you could read people’s intentions from the gifts they send? Why don’t you guess what the Chen family brought you—and what they want in return?" Serena teased. The Chens had risked offending House Lewis just to curry favor with Ninth Royal Uncle; if they didn’t want something, she’d eat her hat.

To Ninth Royal Uncle, the Chen family was still too minor to catch his eye. But seeing Serena’s interest, he drawled, "Whatever the Chens sent, it’s bound to be flashy but useless."

"Every gift you’ve gotten along the way has been flashy and useless," Serena grumbled, strongly suspecting that Ninth Royal Uncle was just messing with her and not taking any of this seriously.

Ninth Royal Uncle added, "The Chen family’s gift is even more ostentatious than the others."

"Really?" Serena raised an eyebrow, finally convinced that Ninth Royal Uncle was being serious.

"If you don’t believe me, open it and see for yourself."

Half skeptical, Serena opened the box. Sure enough, the contents were exactly as Ninth Royal Uncle had said—extravagant and impractical, but incredibly valuable. Even Serena couldn’t help but exclaim, "The Chen family really went all out."

They’d received plenty of gifts along the way, but even all those combined couldn’t compare to the Chen family’s extravagance. No wonder Serena was so surprised.

Ninth Royal Uncle wasn’t the least bit surprised. Smiling, he said, "That’s why the Chen family’s requests will be even greater."

Merchants chase profit—they never make a losing deal.

"So will you agree to whatever the Chen family asks for?" Serena calmly closed the box.

The Chen family’s gift was luxurious, but it was still far from enough to truly move Serena.

"Agree? Agree to what? What exactly am I supposed to promise the Chen family?" Ninth Royal Uncle replied innocently. "Their gift is just a gesture—the honor is theirs if I accept it. Serena, you don’t really think that just because I take a gift, I’m obliged to do something for them, do you? What kind of person do you take me for? Besides, even if I wanted to help the Chen family, they’d need the guts to come and ask for it directly."

Ninth Royal Uncle’s rule had always been: taking gifts was one thing, doing favors was another—they were never to be confused.

"Uh..." Serena was left speechless. Ninth Royal Uncle was right—the Chen family’s lavish gift was just a gesture of goodwill, and his acceptance merely acknowledged it. If they thought this would make him step in to help or take the Chens under his wing, they were being hopelessly naive.

"Father, do you think Ninth Royal Uncle will accept our gift?" Inside the carriage, Lord Chen and his son Ming Chen wore solemn expressions. Unable to hold back, Ming Chen asked anxiously.

"Why wouldn’t he?" Lord Chen raised his head slightly, meeting Ming Chen’s gaze. His deep eyes, usually sharp, now held a rare hint of resignation.

"So does this mean we’re safe now? That Ninth Royal Uncle has accepted us?" Ming Chen, missing the look in his father’s eyes, asked excitedly.

The Chen family had sacrificed so much, but if it meant getting aboard Ninth Royal Uncle’s ship, it was all worth it.

"No." Lord Chen took a deep breath and shook his head. "Ming, don’t oversimplify things. Ninth Royal Uncle accepting our gift only means he knows there’s a Chen family in Eastmont. To him, we’re still nothing."

If they thought this would earn Ninth Royal Uncle’s protection, they were just being naive. People called merchants cunning and greedy, but in truth, it was the officials who were truly ruthless—yet here they were, throwing themselves to the wolves.

"How could that be? We gave him Blossom Garden—one of the finest estates in all Eastmont. It’s said to be priceless, so how could Ninth Royal Uncle still ignore us?" Ming Chen believed that with such a grand gift, they must stand out in Ninth Royal Uncle’s eyes, and his acceptance meant they were welcomed.

"Ming, you’re too naive. Blossom Garden is our ancestral legacy, the most elegant estate in Eastmont. But to Ninth Royal Uncle, it’s nothing more than a temporary residence—no matter how grand, it’s just a flashy garden. He won’t be staying in Eastmont for long. Even if we offered up the entire Chen family, it wouldn’t matter; don’t forget, Ninth Royal Uncle is a prince, someone far beyond our reach."

Lord Chen’s words left Ming Chen speechless. After a long silence, he finally muttered, "Father, if that’s the case, why did you still give Blossom Garden to Ninth Royal Uncle?"

Lord Chen let out a short laugh. "Ming, Blossom Garden isn’t just a garden—it represents our whole Chen family. That’s why, no matter how much pressure the Governor-General or the Lu Clan put on us, I’ve never sold it. Blossom Garden can be given as a gift, but never sold—unless the Chen family is wiped out."

Ninth Royal Uncle might not care about Blossom Garden, but to us, it means everything. By giving him our most precious estate, I’m showing that if he’s willing, our family is ready to do anything for him."

He paused, letting out a heavy sigh before continuing, "Ming, Blossom Garden is our ancestral legacy, the symbol of our family. I’d rather destroy it than let it fall into the Lu Clan’s hands. Gifting it to Ninth Royal Uncle is a statement: if we can give him our forefathers’ estate, there’s nothing we wouldn’t give."

"So you mean Blossom Garden is our pledge of loyalty to Ninth Royal Uncle—a sign that we’re willing to serve him, not a request for his protection?" Ming Chen asked cautiously.

Lord Chen nodded. "Offering Blossom Garden shows our resolve. As long as Ninth Royal Uncle is willing, our whole family will follow him, become his pawn, and serve without complaint. All we ask is to be useful to him—we’re not seeking his protection."

Lord Chen closed his eyes in exhaustion. If he hadn’t been forced to the edge, he would never have taken such a risk.

A pawn that comes to you of its own accord is never valued highly. But right now, he had no other choice—if the Chen family wanted to stand against the Governor-General and the Lu Clan in Eastmont, they needed a bigger tree to shelter under. Ninth Royal Uncle was their only option.

"Father, isn’t this too dangerous? Ninth Royal Uncle is the Emperor’s brother, and he..." Ming Chen trailed off, but both father and son understood.

In such a position, and as anything but a powerless prince, no one would believe Ninth Royal Uncle had no ambitions.

Lord Chen gave a wry smile. "Ming, fortune favors the bold. You still have much to learn. If he were just a powerless prince, our family wouldn’t bother with him."

It’s only natural for merchants to chase profit. The Chen family had paid such a steep price—they were aiming high.

Realizing his father’s intentions, Ming Chen sucked in a breath. But when he thought of the enormous benefits it could bring, his blood raced with excitement...

Just as Ninth Royal Uncle had guessed, the Chen family’s ambitions were anything but small...