Just as Serena Feng had predicted, within two days, Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan agreed to let those women and children stay. Not only that, he also greatly raised their status on the island.
Resources on the island were scarce; every necessity was provided by Nolan’s own supply lines. These women and children, originally not part of the official roster, had always relied on their own hands for food, clothing, and shelter. When they fell ill, the army doctors wouldn’t treat them, and even if they did, there was no medicine to be had. But now, things were different...
Nolan acknowledged their presence, allowed the army doctors to treat them, permitted them access to medicine and daily supplies—but they had to contribute labor. Women in the camp weren’t just living off their bodies; there were plenty of other jobs they could do.
Seeing Nolan think so much for them, the officers had no reason to object. Whatever Nolan said, they agreed. Instantly, the atmosphere on the island eased a lot. It was still strict military management, but everyone wore a smile.
Especially those women—seeing hope at last, their faces glowed; the children, too, became less reserved and more lively, bringing a touch of real life to the little island.
This mood reached its peak when ten cargo ships sailed into port.
For the soldiers on the island, this day was even better than New Year’s. Not only had Nolan allowed the women to stay, he’d shipped a massive load of supplies from the mainland as a reward for his navy.
“Quick, come look! So much wine, so much cloth, and sugar and rice too! I haven’t had a drink in ages—my mouth’s about to dry up and grow feathers!”
“His Lordship treats us so well. He’s truly a good man.”
Except for those on guard duty, everyone else was jumping for joy, running in waves under the officers’ orders to haul the supplies ashore.
"How is it?" The same two words, but this time Nolan’s lips curved in a smile.
"Very good." Serena gave the same answer, but she was secretly grinding her teeth.
This man—could he be any more devious? Slap with one hand, give a date with the other. No one plays this game better than Nolan.
"I don’t have any other choice." Nolan watched his ecstatic soldiers, a hint of exhaustion in his eyes.
The past few days of maneuvering with the officers and soldiers hadn’t been easy. It was his first time on this island—aside from a few senior officers, everyone else was new to him. They respected him, but not as loyally as he’d hoped.
Life on the island was monotonous. Some people had been here for years, even decades. If he didn’t use these tactics, sooner or later they’d forget who really owned this place.
Hearing Nolan say this, Serena’s heart skipped a beat. She turned and asked, "Are you getting ready for war?"
"It’s never wrong to prepare early. The Emperor won’t let me off easy on this Shandong trip." Outwardly, he and the Emperor still played the roles of friendly brothers, but both knew the truth—they’d already torn off their masks. Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn’t have sent troops to kill him outright.
"Is the Shandong Lu Clan really that tough?" After months of investigation, Serena knew the Lu Clan dominated Shandong’s wealth and power. Bringing them down without bloodshed was almost impossible.
Shandong’s economy was propped up by the Lu Clan, and the province’s officials were all more or less tied to them. If such a powerful family fell, Shandong’s economy and bureaucracy would collapse. When that happened...
If the Lu Clan fell, Shandong would fall into chaos, and Nolan would be branded as the one who ruined people’s lives.
"Even if it weren’t so tricky, the Emperor would make it tricky. If destroying Shandong drags me down, he’ll see it as a win." From the moment Nolan chose Shandong, he understood: unless he lost to the Lu Clan, chaos was inevitable, no matter who won.
If Shandong fell into turmoil and the people suffered, someone had to take the blame. If it wasn’t him, it would be the Emperor.
"The Emperor is really ruthless." Just for a power struggle, he’d let a whole province be destroyed and tens of thousands of people lose their homes.
"If it means dragging me down, the Emperor wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice not just one Shandong, but ten. Don’t worry about Shandong—I have my own plans." Nolan saw Serena’s worried face and tried to reassure her.
If the Emperor wanted him to take the blame, it depended on whether he agreed. If the Emperor wanted to sit back and watch the chaos, he’d have to get Nolan’s consent. If the Emperor thought he could wash his hands of Shandong, he was dreaming!
Right now, the Emperor wished he were dreaming. He’d accepted the defeat of the Southern Ocean Fleet—after all, anything could happen at sea. As long as Nolan was still out there, he’d have a chance to make sure Nolan never came back. Even if he did, the Emperor could pin the blame for chaos and suffering on him. But who could explain why, before Shandong even fell, the court itself was already in turmoil?
He’d only been unconscious for three days, but now the ministers were accusing each other, and the memorials denouncing political enemies were piling up like mountains—with real evidence to back them up.
The more the Emperor read, the angrier he got. Were these people tired of living, rushing to make trouble? He glared at Felix Fuller, who was kneeling on the floor, and snapped, "Felix, what is going on here?"
Felix knelt, sweat pouring down his face, and answered, "Your Majesty, Minister Cao is too ill to attend court."
In other words, Minister Cao refused to bow to the Emperor, refused to come out and calm the storm caused by the Ministry of Revenue, and insisted on dragging every official into the mess—determined to throw the entire court into chaos.
As for the evidence in all those officials’ hands—he truly didn’t know, but it wasn’t hard to guess whose handiwork it was. After all, that person was stirring the pot from a thousand miles away and clearly wasn’t about to let things settle.
“Fine, fine! So Minister Cao is too ill to attend court? Pass my decree: have the head of the Imperial Medical Directorate visit the Cao residence. Minister Cao will return as soon as he’s recovered.” The Emperor was livid.
The Ministry of Revenue’s audit had indeed uncovered serious problems. By sending Felix to the Cao residence, the Emperor was hinting: if Minister Cao would just step forward and request to retire, he’d let the whole matter drop. But, as fate would have it…
That old fox showed no gratitude, relying on his rank and the chaos in court to stubbornly stay hidden—determined not to emerge until he’d muddied the waters for everyone.
“I accept your decree,” Felix replied loudly. Knowing he hadn’t managed to resolve the issue, he tactfully asked, “Your Majesty, should we continue the investigation into the Ministry of Revenue?”
That question caught the Emperor off guard.
If he halted the investigation, how could he force Minister Cao to retire? But if he kept going, the court would only grow more chaotic. Those officials really had committed offenses—if he didn’t punish them, he couldn’t justly punish the Ministry of Revenue either.
The Emperor closed his eyes and pondered for a long moment. When he opened them, they were slightly clouded, and he nodded heavily: “Continue. Keep investigating for me.”
As Emperor, how could he yield to a minister? This time, he was determined to drive Minister Cao out and bring the Ministry of Revenue firmly under his control. He refused to believe Cao could play sick forever…
“I accept your decree.” Felix responded loudly, sensing the Emperor’s foul mood. He quickly switched to a more encouraging topic: “Your Majesty, about that mysterious group hiding in the Capital—I’ve found some clues…”