The Jiangnan Region Where Everyone Wants to Go

Why did Prince Samuel Zhai rush into the palace in the middle of the night, and what did he want to say to the Emperor? Serena Feng didn’t know the details, but she could guess most of it.

This was a serious matter. After thinking it over, Serena returned to her room and wrote a letter to Ninth Royal Uncle, informing him of the situation.

As the only non-Dongling prince in Eastlyn, Prince Samuel Zhai held an unusually independent status—even the Emperor had to show him some respect. This time, he was almost certain to fall out with the Emperor. Whether for public or private reasons, Ninth Royal Uncle needed to know.

Once Serena finished writing, she called for a shadow guard to deliver the letter. The guard silently accepted it, but couldn’t help thinking: One letter a day—does the young lady really have that much to say to the master?

Still, the master always seemed happy to receive her letters.

After sending the letter, Serena went to find Dr. Elliot Redwater and Dr. Marcus Guile. The Medical Academy in Jiangnan was managed by these two, so if she wanted to assign new people there, she had to notify them first.

Just as Serena expected, the two were delighted at the idea of someone managing miscellaneous affairs. Dr. Marcus Guile could still keep his composure, but Dr. Redwater clapped his hands and cheered, “Great! Bring those two you want to assign and let us have a look.”

Serena was speechless, black lines filling her forehead. She looked at Dr. Redwater and muttered, “Can’t we do it tomorrow?”

It was already deep into the night—not everyone lived like them, flipping day and night upside down all the time.

“No way. If I say today, it’s today. Who knows, I might leave tomorrow.” Dr. Redwater was stubborn and hard to deal with. He’d rested enough during the day and now had energy to burn—if he didn’t find something to do, he’d get bored.

Two grown men—what else could they do, roll around in bed together?

Dr. Marcus Guile chimed in, saying young people should be energetic, and that just because it was late didn’t mean they shouldn’t work. Things would get complicated in Jiangnan, and late nights would be routine—better to get used to it now.

With such noble reasons laid out, what could Serena do? She had no choice but to send Feng Manor’s guards to summon people from the Wang and Yun families, hoping their stewards hadn’t gone to bed yet. If not...

They’d definitely curse Feng Manor to death.

As it turned out, Serena’s guess was right. Because Feng Manor sent for people in the middle of the night, both the Wang and Yun households were thrown into chaos—servants were jolted awake, and even the most docile couldn’t hide their irritation.

The elders in both families were roused too, each showing clear annoyance. But when they heard it was Dr. Redwater and Dr. Marcus Guile who summoned them, both Father Yun and Father Wang were instantly overjoyed.

Father Yun told Yun Xiao directly, “Do whatever it takes—make Dr. Redwater and Dr. Marcus Guile the Yun family’s honored physicians.”

Yun Xiao lowered his head and gave a cold laugh, saying nothing. Father Yun, however, took this as agreement.

Caleb Wang’s father was a bit more composed. When he heard Dr. Redwater and Dr. Marcus Guile wanted to see Caleb, he immediately urged his son to behave politely and speak respectfully, hoping the doctors would treat him. To be safe, he also had William Wang Jinling accompany Caleb.

While the whole city slept soundly, two carriages set out from the Wang and Yun homes, speeding toward Feng Manor. They moved so quickly and quietly that the night patrol thought they’d seen ghost carriages.

If the master doesn’t sleep, how can the servants sleep?

The staff at Feng Manor were all yawning, but none dared complain about being tired. The lower-ranked servants could take turns resting, but Jada Tang, Mira Tang, Spring, and Autumn had to stay on duty the whole time, ready to serve their mistress.

Serena tried to persuade the six of them to take shifts, but they all forced themselves to stay awake, insisting they weren’t tired. When she saw her advice wasn’t working, Serena didn’t bother to argue—it would only be this exhausting for a few days. Once these honored guests left, Feng Manor would be quiet again.

Soon, the Wang family’s carriage arrived. There was no need for anyone to greet them—William Wang Jinling led Caleb Wang inside, nodded to Serena, and then went to pay respects to the Valley Master, Dr. Redwater, and Dr. Marcus Guile.

Caleb Wang’s recovery was impressive. As long as he stood still, he looked no different from anyone else. Serena was glad to see there wasn’t a trace of gloom on his face.

From a dashing young master to someone disabled and robbed of his future, Serena had worried Caleb wouldn’t survive the blow. Thankfully, Caleb was open-minded and resilient—he hadn’t grown bitter at all.

After greeting each other, William Wang Jinling and the Valley Master’s trio took their seats. The three didn’t exactly like or dislike William—they chatted with him in a casual, detached way.

Serena found their cold shoulder toward William amusing. Propping her chin in her hands, she watched with interest—William getting snubbed was a rare sight, so she took the chance to enjoy it.

Unfortunately, William didn’t give Serena the satisfaction. At some point, he steered the conversation to the Medical Academy in Jiangnan, subtly introducing his own ideas and plans.

At first, Dr. Redwater and Dr. Marcus Guile kept up their airs. But when William suggested that Medical Academy students shouldn’t be forced to study everything equally, but instead should choose specialized modules based on their strengths—and even proposed a credit-style system for tracking progress—both doctors lost their composure.

Not just the two doctors—even Serena couldn’t stay calm.

Damn, wasn’t this the modern university system? Serena was sure she’d never explained it in detail—even if she’d mentioned it, the times were different and people had other ideas about education. But now...

Serena could only say William was a born educator. His plans were even more rigorous than those of modern universities. No wonder people liked him and enjoyed talking to him—

He was just too brilliant!

Not only brilliant, but his temperament and bearing were excellent too. Even when facing the difficult Valley Master, Dr. Redwater, and Dr. Marcus Guile, William never lost his composure. He kept a gentle smile the whole time, unfazed by their intense scrutiny.

The four of them were deep in conversation. At first, the Valley Master and Dr. Redwater tried to make things difficult for William, but no matter how tricky their questions, William always satisfied them. Even if his answers weren’t exact, the two didn’t mind.

When Serena first met William, he was already a famous gentleman. She’d always known he was talented, but never truly felt it.

As the idol of the scholarly elite, William’s brilliance was a given. But after hearing their discussion tonight, Serena finally realized just how broad and deep his knowledge was.

No matter what the Valley Master and the others brought up, William could respond off the cuff. Astronomy, geography, culture—those were nothing. Even the most obscure subjects, like metaphysics and feng shui, he not only knew but was highly skilled in.

With such talent and knowledge, how could anyone not admire him? Serena genuinely wanted to crack open William’s head and see what was inside—was there anything he didn’t know...?

Sadly, Serena never asked William what he didn’t know. If she had, William would surely have told her: he doesn’t understand love.

If he understood it, he wouldn’t have lost to Ninth Royal Uncle!