Unwilling, Foul Words Cannot Match a Cold, Dismissing Gaze

Prince Nolan and Prince Titus of Lyndaria hammered out further details, all for one purpose: no matter what, they must keep the Emperor of Lyndaria alive. Otherwise, they can only watch helplessly as Terrence ascends the throne and becomes Emperor.

After leaving Feng Manor, Prince Titus rushed to the Imperial Palace. No one knows what he said to the Emperor, but that very night, Titus claimed illness. The Emperor dispatched guards to protect him and simultaneously cut off Princess Yara’s contact with outsiders.

"Something must have happened in Lyndaria." Princess Yara has lately been like a cat without claws—she can’t get much news from outside, but her political instincts remain sharp.

But what good is sharpness now? She’s confined to her courtyard, not even free to move about. The soldiers Lyndaria sent to protect her have all been reassigned by Titus. All she can do is sit in the courtyard and wait.

If Terrence wins, she remains the noble Princess of Lyndaria; if he loses, she’s nothing but a marriage pawn.

"I refuse to accept this. I won’t accept it!" Princess Yara slammed her fist on the bedboard in frustration, but in the end, all her resistance could only yield to fate.

Prince Titus is secretly returning to Lyndaria, bringing along the Master of Mystic Healer Valley. Of course, the Valley Master was adamant about not getting involved in any royal power struggles, but in the end, he still surrendered to Prince Nolan’s pressure.

Prince Nolan threatened the Valley Master: if he refused to go, Nolan would bring Simon Sun back from Mystic Healer Valley. The Master, hearing this, immediately dropped his aloof demeanor and agreed with a huff.

As for what trouble the Valley Master might cause for Titus on the road, that’s not Prince Nolan’s concern. If a Lyndarian prince can’t handle a wandering medical grandmaster, he’s not worth helping.

While Titus was racing back to Lyndaria, just as Prince Nolan predicted, the Emperor summoned Serena Feng to resolve the Summers family’s issue.

However, it wasn’t the Imperial Palace as Prince Nolan had mentioned, but the Eastlyn National Academy.

Behind the scenes, an unknown force seemed to be helping the Summers family stir up accusations that Serena Feng had set up a fake chess puzzle. Students in the Capital began protesting in groups, claiming Serena had committed academic fraud. Even Jixia Academy sent investigators, since they too couldn’t solve the chess endgame Serena had casually set up.

This outcome was something the Emperor never expected. Faced with pressure from scholars across the realm, the Emperor vented his anger on the Summers family of Southlyn, saying they’d gone too far—Eastlyn had already shown them enough respect.

The Summers family of Southlyn was on the verge of tears, kneeling in the hall and loudly proclaiming their innocence. They admitted to a bit of publicity before, but since reaching a cooperation agreement with Eastlyn, they hadn’t done anything more. They had no idea why the situation had blown up so much.

No matter what the Summers family said, the incident had already happened, and the Emperor couldn’t just let it go. As a leading power in the Nine Provinces, Eastlyn was renowned not only for its military might but also for its cultural achievements. Under the demands of countless scholars, the Emperor had no choice but to make the Serena–Su Clan Grand Contest public, and the National Academy was the best venue.

When Serena Feng heard the eunuch’s message, she wasn’t surprised. Prince Nolan had come by a few days earlier, specifically to test her confidence in solving the puzzle. After getting her assurance, Prince Nolan was obviously planning to use this scandal to trample the Summers family of Southlyn.

After generously rewarding the eunuch who delivered the decree, Serena Feng sat in her wheelchair, accompanied by Jada Tang, Mira Tang, and her six beautiful maids: Spring, Autumn, Summer, and Winter, heading for the National Academy.

If you’re going to put on a show, you have to go all out. Prince Nolan only told Serena Feng to recover enough not to be bedridden. Su Rou was still unconscious, so how could Serena Feng be bouncing around as if nothing had happened? That would only make it obvious her injuries were suspicious.

Besides, appearing weak in a wheelchair not only misleads her opponents, but also wins sympathy from the scholars. Everyone can see how aggressively the Summers family is pressing her—Serena Feng looks so pitiful and innocent.

Public opinion isn’t just a weapon for the Summers family—Serena Feng knows how to wield it too.

As expected, when Serena Feng was wheeled in, all eyes in the room immediately turned to her.

"What happened to Miss Feng? Why is she in a wheelchair?"

Someone asked, and immediately a well-informed person answered, "Didn’t something happen in the palace recently? Miss Feng was injured saving someone."

"I heard it was burns. Such a nice young lady, and now she’s scarred—how will she ever marry?" A student with a tragic air had barely finished when a realist sneered, "Marry? With her lost chastity before marriage, ruined reputation, no parents, and always showing herself in public, you think she can marry? You’re too naïve."

"Why couldn’t she marry? Miss Feng is self-reliant and proud, an exceptional woman. Didn’t you see what she did for the people during the snow disaster? Didn’t you see how the common folk lined up to send off General Feng and Madame Feng at their burial? Why shouldn’t a woman like her marry? You’re just too pedantic."

...

No matter what circle you’re in, Serena Feng is always a controversial figure. As soon as she arrives, everyone’s attention is on her, and they forget all about the chess dispute.

The crowd’s chatter reached their ears, and all six maids looked furious. If Serena Feng hadn’t warned them to stay calm, these girls would have rushed out to curse at those so-called scholars.

"Miss, how can they talk about you like that?" Jada Tang and Mira Tang’s eyes reddened. They’d been with Serena Feng the longest and knew her best.

"Let them talk. Their mouths belong to them. Most of these people only know a handful of characters—the real scholars are inside. What these people say doesn’t hurt at all, and besides, they’re not wrong."

She’d heard far worse insults before. Words can sting, but what’s truly unbearable is the attitude of those so-called gentlemen.

Those men are well-bred, impeccably mannered. Even if they look down on you, they won’t say it outright. Instead, they’ll simply ignore you with cold, arrogant eyes. Occasionally, when they do look your way, it’s as if they’re seeing something filthy. Their perfect manners and flawless character become another form of attack.

With Serena Feng saying as much, the six maids could only push her forward quickly, lest their ears be further sullied by those crude words.

On a small field inside the Academy, Prince Nolan and his group were seated, a chessboard set up in the middle. When Serena Feng entered, she sized up the crowd—and they sized her up in return.

Everyone was surprised to see Serena Feng arrive in a wheelchair, but soon understood the reason. A few kind-hearted faces flushed with shame, embarrassed at having forced a wounded woman into such a situation.

There were about a hundred people present. The most striking was Prince Nolan in his black robes. To his left sat Master Yuanxi and several scholars unfamiliar to Serena Feng; to his right were the Eastlyn National Academy officials and the Summers family of Southlyn.

Unlike the noisy crowd outside, here it was quiet and relaxed—like a gathering of scholars. Only when Serena Feng entered did the atmosphere shift.

At the moment Serena Feng arrived, everyone fell silent, their gazes sweeping toward her, making her feel a sudden, inexplicable tension.

Serena Feng kept a cool, faint smile on her lips, showing no sign of stage fright, as Jada Tang and Mira Tang pushed her forward...