Child, Do Not Try to Guess Ninth Royal Uncle’s Heart

Lucan Lu didn’t bother with politeness at all. Prince Rowan had never suffered such humiliation before; he forced down his anger and tried to put on a smile.

“Commander Lu, some of the prisoners are ignorant and spout nonsense. Please don’t take their words to heart.”

Prince Rowan knew it must have been his own relatives mouthing off and provoking Lucan Lu. Otherwise, Lucan would have spared them for his sake. After all, he was still the Seventh Prince, the Emperor’s son.

“I’d rather not make a fuss either. But this is the Bloodcloak Guard, and we have our own rules. I can’t bend them for anyone.” Lucan Lu replied coldly, refusing to give Prince Rowan any face.

The whole situation had shifted. It was time for Prince Rowan to wake up—after today, forget fighting for the throne; even a minor princely title would be a blessing.

Your Highness Rowan, don’t blame me. If you must, blame those clueless relatives of yours—they’re the ones dragging you down.

...

When Serena returned to her small West District courtyard, everything was back to normal. All the chaos Nolan had stirred up was tidied away, as if nothing had happened.

Only the woodshed at the Sun Residence had burnt down—a trivial matter, really. Jada Tang and Mira Tang had already come home. Neither of them thought much about their brush with rioters outside the city. Serena soothed them with a few words and sent them off to rest.

As dusk fell, Dominic Zhai burst in, face alight with excitement. “Serena, something huge just happened! Have you heard?”

"What big news?" Serena hadn't bothered to chase palace rumors since returning; with Nolan pulling the strings, she knew everything was under control and had no reason to worry.

"Seriously? You don't know about the State Duke Manor?" Dominic Zhai gulped down his tea and launched into the story: State Duke toppled, Empress confined, Rowan begging everywhere and getting nowhere.

"Serena, I told you the heavens have eyes. Retribution always comes—bad deeds never end well! Back then, Rowan and the Empress's clan were so arrogant under imperial favor!"

Even the Crown Prince had to steer clear of Rowan, and my grandfather and his peers avoided the Empress’s family too. Without Nolan, the State Duke would have been unstoppable.

I thought things would always stay that way—Rowan crowned, his in-laws running the show. But overnight, everything changed: not only did the Empress’s clan fall, Rowan got dragged down too.

Rowan’s really stuck this time. The Empress’s brothers took risks for his ambitions, but ended up ruining his future. Now he’s forced to run around for them—if he doesn’t, who’ll ever follow him again?

Dominic sounded positively gleeful. But after all that, he noticed Serena wasn’t reacting at all, and his mood dimmed.

"Serena, aren’t you happy that the Empress and Rowan are in trouble? Don’t tell me you still care about Rowan and feel sad for him? Serena, don’t be foolish—think how cruel they were to you! If you hadn’t been strong and smart, you’d be dead by now. Don’t go soft on them."

"Which eye of yours sees me worrying about Rowan?" Serena shot Dominic a glare. Why did everyone think she still cared for that playboy?

"Uh...well, you’re not. Then why aren’t you happy?" Dominic scratched his head.

If only William were here. He’s not as blunt as Dominic—he’s thoughtful, and even if Serena said nothing, William would understand her mood.

William has been in Clearwater Town for over three months and still hasn’t come back. Dominic was starting to worry about him.

The Wang family’s internal struggle was brutal—assassinations, poisonings everywhere. William had just become the clan head, but had few loyal people around him. Traveling outside was dangerous.

"It’s too soon to celebrate. The Empress hasn’t been deposed, just confined. As long as she’s there, Rowan remains the legitimate heir—his advantage in the succession is intact."

Besides, the Emperor only ordered the execution of the State Duke and State Uncle’s branch; most of the clan were just dismissed from office or at worst exiled. Rowan’s power base is mostly intact.

Nolan said, if you want to know whether the Emperor has turned against Rowan, look at how he deals with the Empress and her clan. An Emperor never shows mercy without reason—if he does, it means something.

Clearly, the Emperor’s leaving Rowan a way out—he still has a chance to fight for the throne.

Of course, the Emperor isn’t just fond of Rowan—it’s about balance. If Rowan falls, his power gets split between the Crown Prince and the other princes.

Most of the princes have been at their fiefs, and with Prince Qing backing the Crown Prince, his faction would dominate. The Emperor would never allow that.

Imperial strategy is all about balance. By keeping Prince Jason and the others in play, the Emperor puts pressure on Rowan and the Crown Prince, using the princes to divide their power. Eventually, Rowan and the others will join forces against the Crown Prince.