Recuperating, Isn’t the National Preceptor Just a Fortune‑Teller

Serena's eyes were wide open, the confusion in them so obvious that Prince Nolan couldn't ignore it. He had been about to get up and wash his hands, but now he sat back down.

"If you want to know something, just ask me directly." Except for matters concerning Lan Jiuqing, there was nothing else he needed to hide from Serena.

Since Prince Nolan was so open, Serena didn't hold back: "Did you already expect the Princess Royal would rebel, so you teamed up with Mr. Yinli to push her into making a move?"

Serena thought of the commander of the Westlyn Brocade Guard. Since that man was one of Prince Nolan's people, the Princess Royal's intention to launch a rebellion probably couldn't be hidden from him.

Other matters, that man wouldn't report to Prince Nolan, but anything involving the succession of Westlyn's imperial power, he'd definitely find a way to tip Prince Nolan off.

"Yes." Prince Nolan didn't deny it. The Princess Royal gathering troops to rebel wasn't a small matter. Though it wasn't a grand spectacle, it was impossible not to leave any traces.

Not only did he know, but the Westlyn Emperor also vaguely sensed something. It's just that the Princess Royal was so good at keeping secrets that the Emperor's information wasn't quite accurate.

When the Westlyn Emperor finally discovers that his most beloved sister chose this moment to raise troops in rebellion, his expression will definitely be something to see.

"You... are terrifying." Serena hesitated briefly, but still voiced her inner assessment of Prince Nolan.

Prince Nolan didn't mind, a faint smile flashing in his eyes: "I didn't force them to do anything. Everything was their own choice." He merely made use of their ambition.

"But that's exactly what makes it terrifying, isn't it?" On the surface, it looked like Prince Nolan was helping Master Ian Reed, but in reality, he used Ian's divorce to force the Princess Royal to act early.

Serena couldn't help but think that when the Princess Royal found out Prince Nolan had appeared inside the city the day before entering, that too was probably his doing.

Prince Nolan had calculated the Princess Royal's ambition perfectly, using this to widen the rift between her and the Westlyn Emperor, pushing her further toward rebellion.

Every step was timed just right, drawing her in perfectly.

"I'm really glad I'm not your enemy." Prince Nolan was too skilled at using those around him, and he understood exactly what his opponents wanted.

"Whatever you want, I'll give it to you with both hands. We could never be enemies." His grape-stained forefinger slid across Serena's lips. "Focus on recovering. Now that I'm here, I'll handle everything outside. Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you."

He wouldn't let a single person who hurt Serena get away, starting with the Princess Royal!

The following days were just as Prince Nolan promised: aside from recovering, Serena didn't have to do anything else. During this time, the Crown Princess came to visit Serena, and as they talked, she suddenly looked at Serena with envy.

"I really envy you, having a man who dotes on you and is so strong. You have no idea how many women in Westlyn wish they could take your place." She was naturally one of them, though such things could only be dreamed about.

Of course, it wasn't that Prince Titus wasn't good enough—it's just that she and Prince Titus had their own positions and interests. They had to look after themselves first before thinking of each other.

"What happened?" Serena looked puzzled. She'd been recovering at the villa and had no idea what was going on outside.

"You really don't know anything? Prince Nolan didn't tell you?" The Crown Princess was surprised, her admiration for Prince Nolan rising even higher.

Serena shook her head. "Prince Nolan said I need to rest, and not to worry about anything outside." He was treating her like a pig to be fattened, and in Westlyn, as long as Prince Nolan gave the word, she couldn't get any news at all.

"It's honestly... enough to make people jealous." The Crown Princess looked at Serena with a hint of resentment. "Things outside are a complete mess because of you, and yet you really don't know anything. You are so lucky."

"What exactly happened out there?" Serena had a bad feeling.

The Crown Princess laughed. "A couple days ago, Prince Nolan nearly smashed up the Brocade Guard's prison for your sake. Even the Commander of the Brocade Guard was left battered and almost lost his position because of him."

"Uh..." Serena hadn't expected Prince Nolan's first target to be the Brocade Guard.

After enjoying Serena's shocked expression, the Crown Princess continued, "Prince Nolan has been investigating your attackers these past few days. Yesterday he finally caught the two who tried to assassinate you. They confessed that the Princess Royal ordered the hit. Prince Nolan forced the Emperor to issue a decree, summoning the Princess Royal for a confrontation. But after waiting half a day, she never showed up. Prince Nolan was furious and personally stormed the Princess Royal's residence. Only then did everyone learn that the Princess Royal, who had been claiming illness behind closed doors, had already vanished. Prince Nolan accused the Emperor of protecting the real culprit and demanded an explanation for Dongling."

"The Princess Royal is missing?" Serena already knew, but she still had to pretend to be surprised.

The Crown Princess nodded. "Apparently, when Master Ian Reed announced he was divorcing her, the Princess Royal left in a rage and hasn't returned since. Her household, afraid of the Emperor's wrath, claimed she was ill and have been searching for her in secret. The Emperor says she may have met with misfortune, but Prince Nolan insists the Emperor is hiding her and demands she be handed over. Both sides refuse to back down."

"And then what happened?" Serena Feng hadn't witnessed it herself, but she could easily imagine Prince Nolan standing in the grand hall, his face cold and contemptuous as he locked eyes with the Emperor of Westlyn.

In Prince Nolan's eyes, the Emperor of Westlyn was never a true opponent. If he hadn't worried about Crown Prince Titus possibly having divided loyalties, Prince Nolan would have made his move long ago and changed the ruler of Westlyn himself.

"After that... Prince Nolan said, since no one knows the whereabouts of the Princess Royal, let the National Preceptor divine it—find out whether she's alive or dead. If she's dead, then where and at whose hand; if she's alive, have the National Preceptor calculate her location so they can search for her." The Crown Princess smiled as she spoke.

Only Prince Nolan would treat the dignified National Preceptor as if he were just a fortune-teller.

"How could anyone divine something like that?" Serena Feng rubbed her forehead, wishing she could pretend not to know Prince Nolan at all.

"But the Emperor never actually said the National Preceptor couldn't divine it; he just said the National Preceptor wouldn't bother with something so trivial. Revealing heaven's secrets brings divine punishment, and it's not worth risking that for such a minor matter."

Prince Nolan immediately retorted, saying that a royal princess going missing is hardly trivial. The National Preceptor's job is to interpret fate and probe heaven’s secrets for the Emperor's sake. Now that a princess has vanished, the National Preceptor bears responsibility. He even pressed the Emperor, asking if the National Preceptor kept making excuses—was it because he was just a fraud with no real skill? Only Prince Nolan would dare speak to the National Preceptor like that.

It was only after marrying into Westlyn that the Crown Princess realized how high the National Preceptor’s status was within the imperial family.

Crown Prince Titus was a perfect example—because the National Preceptor said he lacked the dragon aura, the Emperor never considered him for succession. Even now, as Crown Prince, it’s still the same…