Rumors and the Regent Prince’s Personal Expedition to Northlyn

"I will personally campaign in Northlyn." Prince Nolan's expression was calm, completely unaware of just how explosive these words were.

Clatter... The chopsticks on the table fell to the floor, but Serena Feng didn't care. She just stared blankly at Prince Nolan. "When?"

It was too sudden. Not just for her—even the entire court would be caught off guard. The war between Northlyn and Eastlyn was deadlocked, but not to the point where the Regent Prince needed to go himself.

Eastlyn had no shortage of fierce generals. Why would the Regent Prince need to lead the army himself? Serena could already imagine how baffled the whole court would be.

"Within five days." If not for some affairs that still needed arranging, Prince Nolan might have left as early as tomorrow.

Hearing this, Serena's expression grew even more serious. "So soon? Did something happen in Northlyn?"

"Nothing happened." Prince Nolan's face remained as indifferent as ever, leaving Serena completely puzzled. "If nothing's wrong, why are you personally going to Northlyn? The Grand Empress Dowager's investiture is in half a month—aren't you attending?"

That’s basically giving his own mother no face at all.

"I'm not the emperor. The Grand Empress Dowager's investiture has nothing to do with me." Prince Nolan spoke calmly, with no hint of petulance.

"But she's your birth mother." If he doesn't show up, the civil officials will tear him apart.

Prince Nolan shook his head, a hint of self-mockery in his voice. "She's the Grand Empress Dowager, the young emperor's grandmother. If she were only my birth mother, she'd just be an old imperial consort."

"Those two things aren't mutually exclusive." Prince Nolan was obviously rationalizing, looking for reasons not to show up.

Still, his logic wasn't entirely wrong. If Lady Min hadn't faked her death back then, and the late emperor hadn't wanted to make Prince Nolan crown prince, he never would have made her empress and saddled the new emperor with all this trouble.

"This is a total mess." Serena stopped trying to persuade him. If Prince Nolan didn't attend Lady Min's investiture, people would say he was unfilial, but putting the nation first wasn't exactly wrong.

And there was another point: by skipping the investiture, Prince Nolan was indirectly telling everyone he wouldn't be Lady Min's weapon for seizing power. At least in the inner palace, Empress Dowager Xie would still hold authority, and those who wanted to trample Serena to curry favor with Lady Min wouldn't dare go too far.

In this world, a woman's power comes from men. If Prince Nolan didn't back the Grand Empress Dowager or jump at her every word, she was just another old woman in the palace—honored, but with no real privileges.

"This meal was worth it." As she stood up, Serena remarked to Prince Nolan at her side.

Prince Nolan's decision to go to war wasn't exactly bad news.

The two left the Windchaser Inn together. If anyone had doubted it before, now it was obvious: Prince Nolan was backing Serena Feng.

In the palace, Empress Dowager Xie received the news. The heart she'd kept suspended finally settled. She no longer had to worry about an even greater Buddha coming in and crushing her.

The person who least wanted Lady Min to be invested wasn’t Prince Nolan or Serena—it was Empress Dowager Xie. No matter what happened in the previous dynasty, in the harem, everyone had to live by her rules. Suddenly, a Grand Empress Dowager—who was also the Regent’s birth mother—was about to enter the palace. If she really moved in, there’d be no place left for Empress Dowager Xie.

Already, plenty in the palace were scheming how to cling to this new master’s thigh. But Prince Nolan’s move forced those opportunists to behave themselves.

Now it was certain: Prince Nolan wouldn’t help the Grand Empress Dowager seize power. Empress Dowager Xie was overjoyed. That same night, she sent dozens of exquisite dishes from the palace to Feng Manor. To keep the food hot, every time a dish was finished, she had it rushed over by galloping couriers.

So, just as the first dish arrived at Feng Manor and the last one was still being plated, citizens at the foot of the Imperial City saw a parade of palace guards, one after another, racing by with food boxes...

The rumors of Serena Feng losing favor were crushed instantly.

"Empress Dowager Xie really is clever," William Wang praised.

He’d come to see Prince Nolan about what happened at Windchaser Inn at noon. Prince Nolan and Serena Feng had gone there for a meal, and nothing else had happened. Not just the officials outside—even William Wang felt something was up, so he came by in the afternoon to investigate and, incidentally, meet the legendary Lady Min.

As it turned out, William Wang had never really met Lady Min before. He was on leave when she first appeared, and though he’d glimpsed her from afar, they’d never spoken. This visit was their first real encounter.

"The Grand Empress Dowager truly is extraordinary." That was William Wang’s verdict on Lady Min. Every word sounded like praise, but both he and Prince Nolan knew it was really a warning.

Even if they couldn’t pinpoint what was off about Lady Min, William Wang and Prince Nolan’s instincts told them she was nothing like the gentle saint she pretended to be.

As a son, even if Prince Nolan wasn’t close to Lady Min, he would never join others in judging his own mother. Some things are best kept to yourself.

"I will personally campaign in Northlyn. You handle the travel arrangements." Prince Nolan dropped the news on William Wang without any warning.

William Wang didn’t lose his composure, but he was startled. "Did something happen in Northlyn that requires you to go yourself?" he asked in surprise.

If his intelligence was correct, Eastlyn wasn’t in such danger that the Regent Prince needed to go himself. The battlefield was ruthless—Prince Nolan’s move was far too risky.

William Wang tried to dissuade him. "You’re not just the powerless Prince Nolan anymore. You’re Eastlyn’s Regent Prince—every action you take affects the whole realm. I don’t support you going to the front lines."

William Wang honestly wanted to unite the ministers and depose the young emperor, making Prince Nolan the new sovereign.

He wanted to see if Prince Nolan, as emperor, could still be so free—coming and going as he pleased, charging into danger without a thought for his fragile ministers’ hearts...

"The war in Northlyn has dragged on too long." Prince Nolan understood William Wang’s concerns, but this time he had a reason he couldn’t avoid.

Earlier that morning, he’d received word from Liancastle: Jason Lan was in bad shape. If his guess was right, Liancastle would make concessions for Jason’s life, and would surely take him to seek help from the Master of Mystic Healer Valley. At that point, Nolan would have no say in the matter. He and Liancastle couldn’t just cut ties cleanly...

Even if William Wang found out, he wouldn’t agree. He objected again: "The war in Northlyn will be over soon. If you’re dissatisfied, you can issue an edict to reprimand the frontline generals or replace them.

Prince Nolan, you’re Eastlyn’s Regent Prince now. Your job is to manage the court and control the big picture—not to lead troops into battle. That’s what generals are for. The idea of you personally campaigning in Northlyn is out of the question. Not a single official will support you. Watch out for those die-hard ministers—they’ll throw themselves at the pillars in protest!

Prince Nolan was always pushing the limits. William Wang was determined not to back down this time. If he gave in now, who knows? Next time, Prince Nolan might not just go to war—he might charge straight into the imperial mausoleum itself...