Ignoring the objections of the court ministers, Ninth Royal Uncle insisted on personally escorting Serena Feng back to her West District courtyard before returning to the palace to report to the Emperor.
He only hoped that his actions would make it clear to everyone: Serena Feng holds a unique place in his heart. Anyone plotting against her should first weigh whether they can withstand his retaliation.
The civil and military officials were left stunned, repeatedly signaling the Crown Prince to stop Ninth Royal Uncle’s actions, as this violated ritual norms. Even if Serena Feng were the Ninth Prince’s Princess Consort, she would not be granted such an honor.
But the Crown Prince pretended not to notice, keeping his eyes down and minding his own business. Since his father, the Emperor, disliked him no matter what he did, he figured he might as well let Ninth Royal Uncle have his way.
If the sky fell, Ninth Royal Uncle would hold it up. As long as he didn’t rebel, the Crown Prince’s position would be safe with Ninth Royal Uncle protecting him.
After Nolan and his party departed, Jada Tang, Mira Tang, and the other maids gathered around Serena Feng, escorting her inside. Dressed in blazing red, Serena was radiant—like the moon surrounded by stars—as her maids led her into the main hall.
Holden Cui, Victor Yun, Ethan Hsieh, Vincent Su, and Simon Sun had been waiting in the hall. When Serena Feng entered, Vincent Su and Simon Sun immediately stood up to greet her.
Vincent Su paused for a moment when he saw the phoenix hairpin in Serena Feng’s hair, but quickly resumed his casual conversation. Holden Cui and Victor Yun, considerate of Serena’s exhaustion from travel, offered brief greetings before excusing themselves.
Ethan Hsieh and Vincent Su didn’t linger either. Seeing Serena Feng’s healthy complexion, both felt reassured and took their leave. Before departing, Ethan Hsieh mentioned that his Second Madam had recently experienced some bleeding and hoped Serena could visit Hsieh Manor for a checkup.
Serena Feng replied crisply, “Alright. Have her come to me when she’s feeling better.” Her meaning was clear: she had no intention of going to Hsieh Manor herself.
Ethan Hsieh nodded quietly, saying nothing more.
The Hsieh family had originally wanted to find an opportunity to invite Serena Feng to their manor and discuss future cooperation.
Serena Feng was highly valued by Ninth Royal Uncle; some wanted to eliminate her, but families like the Hsieh clan sought to win her over.
With the Empress fallen and Noble Consort Helena about to give birth, the Hsieh family had to act. A prince born of the Empress is always different from one born of a consort.
Although the saying goes that women in the palace gain status through their sons, in reality, it is often the child who gains status through his mother. Only children born to favored and noble mothers receive the Emperor’s attention.
Unfortunately, Serena Feng showed them no favor at all, and the Hsieh family, having just suffered a major setback, dared not force the issue. After all, everyone saw how fiercely Ninth Royal Uncle protected Serena.
With today’s spectacle, one could say Serena Feng was treated as an Empress. In this world, only the Emperor can walk beside Ninth Royal Uncle; the honor he gave Serena was unparalleled, and the Hsieh family dared not challenge it.
After Ethan Hsieh and Vincent Su left, Simon Sun didn’t want to disturb Serena Feng either. She had plenty of time now, so there was no rush.
Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, the four maids, were quick-witted and had already prepared hot water. Serena Feng could finally take a proper bath and wash away her fatigue.
After bathing, without needing Serena Feng to instruct them, Jada Tang and Mira Tang were already waiting inside, ready to report on everything that had happened over the past month.
“Miss, half a month ago, Prince Yu of Westlyn brought Princess Yara to the Capital. The Imperial Observatory set the wedding date for December 12th, calling it an auspicious day. Noble Consort Helena is managing all the arrangements.”
“The young lord of Night City has been in close contact with the Crown Prince of Westlyn, Prince Rowan, and Prince Zhou. There are hints of cooperation between them.”
“Mr. Marcus Wynn has visited five times this month, always looking for Holden Cui. From what I can tell, they must have known each other before.”
Feng Manor has been set up, everything arranged in the old style. If you have time, please visit and see if anything needs changing.
The Su family sent a woman named Su Rou to replace Su Wan in the contest with you. They tried to bring Su Wan back, but the young lord of Night City refused. He invited countless doctors, but none could heal Su Wan’s facial injury. He is actively searching for the Master of Mystic Healer Valley.
The palace purged a batch of servants, and several gambling houses and brothels were raided for no apparent reason. We took advantage of the chaos to send people into the palace and bought three gambling houses, a brothel, and two restaurants. We acted on our own; please punish us." Jada Tang and Mira Tang reported the key events one by one.
Serena Feng decided to build her own power after joining with Ninth Royal Uncle; relying solely on him would exhaust them both.
After half a month together, Serena Feng finally understood: if she wanted to stand firm, she was still far from enough. She couldn’t treat Ninth Royal Uncle as an ordinary man to love—he had grand ambitions, and her easygoing nature wouldn’t do.
Though Ninth Royal Uncle had no imperial title, his conduct was regal. If she wanted to be the woman beside an emperor, possessing his love was not enough—she needed the strength and skill to walk alongside him.
You’ve done very well. Handle these matters as you see fit; I won’t interfere with your methods, only the results matter to me. Be careful placing our agents in the palace—over the next two or three years, I won’t need them to act, just to do their jobs and gain the favor of high-ranking masters. Ideally, they’ll become trusted by the Emperor.
Jada Tang managed the overt forces, while Mira Tang oversaw the covert ones. Serena Feng didn’t micromanage; as long as she knew the key people, she let them handle daily affairs.
With thousands of people in both open and hidden positions, it was impossible for her to direct everyone. She didn’t need to tell them what to do—she only needed every action to be for her benefit.
Her people couldn’t be puppets, always seeking her advice. She wanted them clever—able to handle emergencies and take advantage of events. If they needed to consult her about everything, what use were they?
Just as Ninth Royal Uncle did with her—he trusted her, never briefing her on his plans. He knew that once she understood, she’d cooperate; if not, she’d follow his lead.
After Jada Tang and Mira Tang finished their report, seeing Serena Feng was tired, they made her bed and quietly left.
Serena Feng was about to sleep when she heard a faint whistling, followed by the sound of secret guards leaving and hints of fighting. Her face changed—she grabbed her coat, took the gun from under her pillow, and had just flicked off the safety when a familiar voice called: “It’s all right, don’t worry—it’s me.”
Ninth Royal Uncle entered, covered in frost and snow. His hair was frozen, his clothes edged with icicles, and his eyebrows dusted white.
“Ninth Royal Uncle, why are you here at this hour? Did something happen?” Serena Feng hurried over, helped him remove his cloak, and wrapped his hands in a warm towel.
Serena’s surprise was understandable—Ninth Royal Uncle had just returned to the capital, and his estate must be swamped with matters. Besides, there was the thousand-year snow lotus and the Skyvault Palace Sect issue; everything demanded his attention.
Ninth Royal Uncle wanted to refuse, but seeing Serena’s worried gaze, he quietly pressed the towel to his hands and let her tend to the ice.
Only here could he lower his guard; only Serena treated him as an ordinary person. Ninth Royal Uncle closed his eyes in comfort, and when he was warm, he explained what had happened.
“There was a traitor among my men. The road out of the palace was iced over, so we changed route and were ambushed. The assassins were unusually skilled—likely death warriors trained by Skyvault Palace Sect and other martial clans. I worried they’d target you, so I came to check. My men arrived just as they were about to act.”
“Skyvault Palace Sect moves fast,” Serena thought, feeling she lacked capable people. She’d only just placed agents in the palace, and the martial world was even further out of reach.
Maybe she should ask Lance Quinn if there was a way to quickly plant agents in the martial sects. She couldn’t just wait for Ninth Royal Uncle to solve everything.
A chill flashed in Ninth Royal Uncle’s eyes: “It wasn’t just Skyvault Palace Sect. To get out of the city, I made a deal with my royal brother to help him clear the old families’ spies. Now that he’s succeeded, he’s put me forward as a scapegoat.”
Once used, they’re discarded—that’s how people like his royal brother operate. Nolan was used to it; he mentioned it to show Serena that family often betrayed from behind, not just cleaned up her messes or spoiled her.
The Emperor knew Nolan had just returned and was still getting his bearings. Sending assassins after him and Serena now was perfect timing. But Nolan’s guards and secret agents were far more numerous than usual, catching the Emperor and others off guard.
Otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.
“So I’m not safe either. After this, the old families won’t dare trouble you, but they’ll surely come after me, right?” Since Nolan had revealed the truth, Serena didn’t shy away and asked directly.
If not for today’s assassination attempt, Nolan might never have told her. Whether he did or not didn’t matter—Serena understood that with his protection came the dangers he attracted.
To outsiders, killing her would disgrace Nolan.
In this world, nothing comes without a price. Usually, you must pay several times over to get what you want.
“That’s right. I’ve shown you much affection on this journey, and they surely know. To them, you’re the perfect weapon against me. Serena, I’ve put you in the spotlight—do you resent me for it?”
It was true that Nolan had put Serena forward, but his affection was also real. He couldn’t keep her hidden forever—she’d have to face these things eventually.
He didn’t regret it. The situation in the Nine Provinces was growing more dire, and he couldn’t afford to back down. Besides, he believed he could protect Serena.