Trouble and the Death of Master Wenyuan

Two months ago, Northlyn's Imperial Jade Seal was stolen, and Northlyn's most elite royal cavalry tracked the thieves all the way to the Southlyn border.

According to the commanding general Han Fang, those people were definitely highly trained soldiers. Northlyn's Imperial Jade Seal was stolen by them, and right now, that group is inside Southlyn.

Northlyn's soldiers may be fierce and battle-hardened, but their national strength is limited. They were unwilling to go to war with Southlyn lightly, hoping instead to resolve the matter diplomatically and peacefully recover the Jade Seal from Southlyn.

To clear their own name, Southlyn allowed one hundred Northlyn soldiers to enter their territory under Southlyn's supervision to search for the Jade Seal thieves.

The official correspondence between the two countries went back and forth, and with all the details to be settled, even at the fastest pace it took a full month. By the time Northlyn's troops entered Southlyn to search, the military unit that had stolen the Jade Seal had vanished without a trace.

Naturally, Northlyn was dissatisfied, believing Southlyn had deliberately stalled to prevent them from finding the Imperial Jade Seal. Southlyn, in turn, was furious, accusing Northlyn of using the theft as an excuse to stir up trouble at the border.

Both countries remained relatively rational and did not actually go to war, limiting themselves to heated verbal exchanges. Each day saw new letters of protest issued against the other. But just then...

The military unit that had stolen Northlyn's Imperial Jade Seal resurfaced inside Southlyn territory. Northlyn seized this evidence, demanding that Southlyn immediately return the Jade Seal and hand over the soldiers responsible.

Of course, Southlyn flatly denied it. They claimed not to know that military unit at all, insisting this was Northlyn framing them—using the Jade Seal as a pretext for military action against Southlyn.

Northlyn's people are notoriously hot-tempered. Seeing Southlyn turn the tables and the Jade Seal slip away right under their noses, they lost patience and decided to storm into Southlyn and seize it by force. The result...

The whole thing blew up...

The strategist sheepishly admitted his mistake, while the Si Clan’s Eighteen Riders exchanged glances—resigned to their bad luck. After all, they’d jumped at shadows themselves; Ninth Royal Uncle hadn’t ordered them to stay awake all night.

Serena was well-behaved today—before Ninth Royal Uncle could decide whether to ride or take the carriage, she proactively boarded the carriage. Seeing this, Ninth Royal Uncle allowed himself a faint smile and, under the watchful eyes of the guards, walked unhurriedly toward the carriage.

A few with poor self-control couldn’t stop their shoulders from shaking, earning a fierce glare from the strategist. They froze like fence posts.

With everything ready, the group perked up and pressed on. As they neared the Eastlyn border, everyone grew excited—even after a sleepless night, no one showed the slightest fatigue.

Inside the carriage, Serena lay on the tea table, saying nothing and just staring at Ninth Royal Uncle in a daze. He glanced at her, also silent, and took out a hidden chessboard to play by himself.

The carriage was silent, driving the guards trying to eavesdrop on Serena and Ninth Royal Uncle mad with frustration. They wanted to barge in and force the two to talk.

It’s like the emperor isn’t worried, but the eunuchs are dying of anxiety.

Ninth Royal Uncle is cold, proud, domineering, and awkward—only Serena can handle him, staying gracious and never acting spoiled.

Any other woman favored by Ninth Royal Uncle would surely resent his arrogance and demand he change for her.

Curiosity aside, Ninth Royal Uncle’s guards were handpicked—they never let distractions interfere with their duties. When they reached the Eastlyn–Southlyn border, everyone tensed, ready for trouble. Other than hoofbeats, not a sound was heard.

Because it was Ninth Royal Uncle’s carriage, the border soldiers didn’t dare slack off. Entry went smoothly—after a brief inspection, they let the group through.

Once they set foot on Eastlyn soil, everyone relaxed a little—even Ninth Royal Uncle’s face softened as he placed a white chess piece and looked up at Serena, calling out: "Serena..."

He was about to speak when the carriage jolted to a halt. The strategist’s voice called from outside: "Your Highness, a crowd of students is blocking the carriage—they want to see Master Wenyuan."

"No. Tell them to go to the post station tomorrow." Ninth Royal Uncle was annoyed, his tone growing impatient.

It was normal for students to seek out Master Wenyuan, but for them to show up right after entering Eastlyn was suspicious. Even if their intentions were pure, he couldn’t afford to stop.

"Understood." The strategist left to carry out the order.

"Ser..." Ninth Royal Uncle began, and Serena looked at him expectantly—but just as he spoke, they were interrupted.

"Your Highness, Master Wenyuan ignored all warnings and has already left the carriage to meet the students." The strategist blurted this out, unaware he was interrupting.

Ninth Royal Uncle’s face darkened. "We’ll talk later—I’m going to check on things."

"Okay." Serena smiled softly, hiding her disappointment.

Ninth Royal Uncle got out of the carriage and saw Master Wenyuan surrounded by eager students. The guards and the Si Clan’s Eighteen Riders were overwhelmed by the crowd. Ninth Royal Uncle’s face turned grim: "Quick, protect Master Wenyuan! No one gets near him—violators, kill!"

Students are the worst—you can’t hit or scold them. Use a bit too much force and they’ll say you’re bullying civilians.

The guards and the Eighteen Riders relaxed after hearing the order. They didn’t care how troublesome the scholars were—each one roughly pushed through, ignoring the students’ protests, and kept Master Wenyuan safe in the middle.

But they were still a step too late. Several students had already squeezed up to Master Wenyuan, and in the chaos, someone shouted: "Ah... Master Wenyuan is dead!"