Serena Feng had just returned to Feng Manor and hadn't even warmed her seat when the steward arrived to report, "Miss, someone from Ninth Royal Uncle's residence requests an audience."
Why would someone from Ninth Royal Uncle's residence be looking for her?
Serena was puzzled, but still obediently agreed to meet them. After all, even a servant from Ninth Royal Uncle's residence outranked minor officials—at the prime minister's gate, even a doorman holds a seventh-rank post, let alone someone from the household of Ninth Royal Uncle, second only to the Emperor himself.
"Ninth Royal Uncle invited me to dinner? Did I read that wrong?" Serena turned the invitation over and over, reading it ten times. She recognized every character, but put together, they made no sense to her.
For Ninth Royal Uncle to invite her to dinner was an act of remarkable condescension—people only do that when they want something. For example, when she invited William Wang Jinling to dine, it was because she wanted the Wang Clan to help suppress Duke Zhen.
Of course, the Wang Clan would benefit too—every official post is like a radish in a hole, and when someone falls, someone else must fill their place. The Wang Clan could use the opportunity to install their own people.
Every dinner gathering has its purpose. Usually, it's those of lower status who invite those above them. So why was Ninth Royal Uncle inviting her? Did he want her to do something?
Ahem, if Ninth Royal Uncle wanted her to do something, a single order would suffice. Why bother with a banquet? And why make it so conspicuous? Since when was Ninth Royal Uncle so high-profile?
Faced with Serena Feng's sparkling eyes, the eunuch quickly lowered his head. He might act arrogant before others, but not in front of Serena—he was extremely respectful and replied, "Miss Feng, you read correctly. Ninth Royal Uncle is waiting for you."
"Tonight?" Serena looked over the invitation again. Sure enough, there was no time listed—she knew there was something odd about this post, and now she saw what it was.
As for the handwriting? It was a beautiful running script, rather different from the steady, cold elegance people associated with Ninth Royal Uncle. His usual brushwork was bold, sharp, and openly domineering.
"Yes, Ninth Royal Uncle is currently at his villa, waiting to host Miss Feng for a flower-viewing dinner." The eunuch smiled warmly, looking genuinely kind and expectant.
"Flower-viewing? What flowers are there to see at this time of year? And is Ninth Royal Uncle really only inviting me?" If that was the case, she absolutely couldn't accept.
There were thousands of young ladies in the capital who admired Ninth Royal Uncle. If she accepted the invitation so publicly, they'd tear her apart. But that wasn't even the main issue—the real problem was...
Her reputation had only just begun to recover, and if she attended alone, by tomorrow the rumor would be: 'Serena Feng offered herself to his bed; Ninth Royal Uncle took Serena Feng as his lover.'
"Miss Feng, the lotus flowers are in full bloom at this season. Ninth Royal Uncle's villa has a lotus pond, and the blossoms are breathtaking. The subtle fragrance drifting in the air is enchanting. Boating on the pond, admiring the lotus and enjoying lotus dishes—it's truly one of life's pleasures." The eunuch spoke so enticingly that Serena was actually tempted.
Ever since the debacle on her wedding day—waking up half-dressed in the suburbs—her life had been tense and chaotic, with no time or mood for outings or flower-viewing. Listening to the eunuch’s description, Serena could almost smell the elegant scent of lotus and see the breeze stirring the layers of leaves—a scene too beautiful for words.
Seeing Serena tempted, the eunuch seized the moment and said, "Miss Feng, besides you, Ninth Royal Uncle also invited His Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Rowan, Prince Adrian, Princess Serenity, Princess Yara, Miss Su Wan, the Zhai family heir, William Wang Jinling, the Wang Clan’s seventh young master, the Hsieh Clan’s third son, and Prince Quentin Feng of Northlyn. These are all people you know well."
The eunuch named a few of the most important guests.
Although the main invitation was for Miss Feng, inviting her alone would be too risky—not only would it damage her reputation, but it would also attract the Emperor’s attention. Inviting a crowd was much better; more people meant more eyes, but also made things easier to manage.
"Ninth Royal Uncle invited so many people just to view the lotus flowers?" Serena nodded repeatedly—if there were lots of guests, she didn’t need to worry about anything inappropriate happening.
"Yes," the eunuch replied with absolute certainty.
Serena thought it over but couldn't guess Nolan's real motive. On the surface, it looked like he was trying to set up Prince Quentin Feng of Northlyn with Princess Serenity, but Serena knew Nolan would never waste time playing matchmaker.
If it wasn't for matchmaking, then what was it for?
Unable to figure it out, Serena decided not to bother thinking about it—she was the least conspicuous person in the group, just there to fill out the numbers. Whatever Nolan was plotting, it surely had nothing to do with her. Serena let out a breath. "Eunuch, please wait a moment. Allow me to change clothes before I go."
Serena stood up and gave the eunuch a slight bow.
Who invites people this suddenly? At the very least, you should give a day's notice so people can prepare. But Nolan... well, what can you say about him?
To be generous, you could call it spontaneity; but in reality, it was just poor planning. With such a sudden invitation, what if people already had plans? There was no way to arrange things in advance.
Luckily, William Wang Jinling was easygoing. If she were still at the Windchaser Inn persuading him, this whole thing with Ninth Royal Uncle would have disrupted her plans.
Honestly, if Serena knew that the eunuch had been ordered by Nolan to go straight to the Windchaser Inn, deliver her invitation first, and only give William Wang’s post after she left, she’d be even more annoyed.
The eunuch stepped forward, blocking Serena’s path. "Miss Feng, Ninth Royal Uncle is waiting for you."
"But..." Serena protested. She’d been out all day and had eaten lunch—her clothes surely carried a few smells. Going out like this was hardly proper.
"Miss Feng, you look perfectly fine as you are." The eunuch refused to budge. Only this way could he prove that Serena had rushed over the moment she received Nolan’s invitation. Silently, he thought to himself: 'Miss Feng, don’t think I’m making things difficult for you. I’m doing this for your own good—Ninth Royal Uncle will be pleased to see you in these clothes.'
"Miss, wear a sachet." Her maid stepped forward and fastened a lotus-leaf scented pouch to Serena’s waist, its fragrance masking any lingering odors from her clothes.
"Let’s go." Serena kept her displeasure off her face.
The eunuch wiped his brow and diligently helped Serena into the carriage.
It’s not easy being a good person these days!
After Serena’s carriage left the city, the invitations for the Crown Prince and the others were only then sent to their residences. If Serena had seen them, she would have noticed that her post was written in Nolan’s own hand, while the others were penned by aides—hers was the true original.
Nolan’s villa might be outside the city, but it wasn’t far or remote—Serena arrived in less than half an hour.
Space inside the city was so limited that expanding an estate was nearly impossible. That’s why so many people preferred to build villas outside the walls, often claiming an entire hillside. Despite being called a ‘villa,’ these estates were sometimes even larger than palace compounds.
When Serena stepped down from her carriage, a servant drove up a small covered cart within the grounds. The eunuch explained, "Miss Feng, the villa is so large that walking would take half an hour. Inside, carriages are used for convenience—this one is yours, and your maids will be escorted separately."
As he spoke, the staff discreetly separated Serena from her two maids, helping her into her carriage.
"Miss..." her two maids called out softly, clearly uneasy.
Serena gave them a reassuring smile. "It’s fine. This is Ninth Royal Uncle’s villa." In other words, nothing would happen here—and if anything improper did occur, Nolan would be the angriest of all.
The maids thought it over and agreed—if anything happened to damage their mistress’s reputation, it would hurt Ninth Royal Uncle as much as Serena herself...