No matter how much Helena Hsieh, the Imperial Noble Consort, tried to fix herself up, she could never return to her former radiant beauty. No matter how bright she appeared, she could not compare to the fresh young maidens entering the palace. So when the Emperor walked in, he was greeted by a yellow-faced, haggard Helena Hsieh. The Emperor froze in shock...
The Emperor could never have imagined that after only a few months, his once dazzling, enchanting consort would become like this. He suppressed the urge to turn and leave, kept his eyes fixed on Helena Hsieh’s belly, muttered a few perfunctory words, and then got up to go.
There were plenty of beauties in the harem; he had no need to fixate on a yellow-faced woman. The Emperor’s actions deeply wounded Helena Hsieh’s heart.
“Your Majesty...” Helena Hsieh could hardly believe it—the Emperor was so cold to her, not even sparing a word of concern...
“Ah...” Helena Hsieh, furious, began smashing the furnishings of Radiant Hall.
“Wretches! A bunch of seductive, scheming wretches! I won’t let you go, I won’t let any of you go!” Helena Hsieh forgot that so many young, beautiful women had entered the palace. This harem was no longer hers alone, and even the child in her belly was no longer special.
There would only be more children in the harem, and the struggles would only grow fiercer. Soon, not only Helena Hsieh, but even the Emperor would be plagued by headaches.
“Please calm down, Your Grace, please calm down. You must take care of yourself!” The old nanny was nearly in tears. Such a volatile mistress would never accomplish anything—in the palace, staying calm and learning to endure were most important.
“What’s the point of taking care of myself? Serena Feng—yes, I must see Serena Feng! She has a way, she can restore my beauty. Listen to me—no matter what it takes, I have to see Serena Feng…”
The Emperor’s visit pushed Helena Hsieh to the brink of collapse. She was determined to see Serena Feng, and she wasn’t the only one who wanted to meet her.
“Brother, Serena Feng won’t see me, and in my current state I’m not fit to go out. They won’t let me leave.” Princess Yara’s heart stirred when she heard Prince Terrence’s plan!
The child in her belly was one Princess Yara never wanted, but she had no choice but to keep it. If... if Serena Feng caused her to miscarry, Serena would be guilty of harming royal blood.
Using this unwanted child to frame Serena Feng—whichever way you calculated it, it was a good deal.
“Figure it out. Unless you want to keep this bastard and be humiliated by the Eastlyn Emperor.” Prince Terrence’s patience with Yara was wearing thin—he was running out of options.
To him, Yara was already a lost cause. If not for sibling ties, he wouldn’t care about Serena Feng’s fate at all.
“I don’t want it, I don’t want it, I don’t want this child at all!” Princess Yara’s face twisted in anger as she pounded her belly.
She had originally tried to secretly abort the child, but Prince Titus discovered it and immediately exposed the matter, making her too afraid to act recklessly.
If she aborted the child in her belly, the Eastlyn Emperor would never forgive her.
“Since you don’t want the child, then find a way to get close to Serena Feng. Even though you haven’t married Dongling Zichun, you’re still his fiancée. You can’t go out while waiting to be wed, so have Dongling Zichun escort you.” Prince Terrence spoke with no regard for how difficult it was for a bride-to-be to leave the palace.
“Will he really take me out?” Princess Yara was doubtful. She and Dongling Zichun disliked each other—she didn’t want to marry him, and he didn’t want to marry her.
Prince Terrence curled his lips into a smile. "He might refuse other things, but if it’s about Serena Feng, he’ll definitely agree. Isn’t he quite fond of her? Give him a chance to see Serena Feng."
To appease Lyndaria, the Emperor had placed Dongling Zichun under house arrest. Until his wedding, someone was always watching him. The Emperor forbade him from seeing Serena Feng, afraid he’d cause trouble.
“Tomorrow—tomorrow is Serena Feng’s parents’ funeral. If I send word and ask him to accompany me to the funeral, he’ll definitely agree.” Princess Yara also curled her lips into a smile, her red lips beautiful but chilling.
“The Emperor will agree for your sake. Serena Feng doesn’t know you’re pregnant and won’t suspect anything. Just find a chance to get close to her—you don’t need me to teach you the details, do you?” Prince Terrence warned Yara coldly: only success was allowed, not failure.
“Don’t worry, Brother. I understand.” Princess Yara’s eyes blazed with fighting spirit—a battle intent aimed at Serena Feng. “Good. I’ll leave now. Take care of yourself.” Prince Terrence’s words dripped with sarcasm, but Yara dared not retort and could only smile and thank him.
On his way out, Prince Terrence ran into Prince Titus. Titus stepped forward and greeted him, “Greetings, Crown Prince.”
“No need for courtesy. Yara’s wedding is near, Titus—you’ll need to keep a close eye on her.” Prince Terrence played the part of the Crown Prince, issuing orders without politeness. Titus didn’t mind and replied with a smile.
After Prince Terrence left, the smile faded from Titus’s face. He turned serious and asked his attendant, “What did the Crown Prince and Princess Yara talk about?”
“The Crown Prince dismissed everyone, so I couldn’t get close. He and Princess Yara were together for half an hour. After he left, Princess Yara sent her personal maid out. I’ve already assigned someone to follow.” The gray-clad servant reported truthfully, head bowed.
“Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her cause trouble.”
Prince Terrence’s arrival, combined with Princess Yara’s odd behavior, made Prince Titus deeply uneasy. When word came that Princess Yara had sent someone to Prince Adrian’s manor, Titus’s unease peaked.
It was far too strange!
Yara had been in Eastlyn for so long without ever seeking out Prince Adrian, but the moment Prince Terrence arrived, she did. The whole thing felt suspicious, but Titus couldn’t uncover the details.
It wasn’t until the next day, when Prince Adrian came to escort Princess Yara to Serena Feng’s parents’ funeral, that Titus finally guessed what she intended—though he never imagined she’d go so far as to harm herself.
[Irrelevant system message—skip translation.]
Prince Adrian arrived at the door, saying he had the Emperor’s permission. Titus couldn’t object and sent for Yara.
Yara emerged dressed all in white, with a small white flower in her hair—clearly prepared in advance.
To be fair, Yara’s fragile appearance, paired with her haggard, sorrowful look, really did inspire pity. Even Titus was momentarily stunned, not to mention Prince Adrian.
Yara had always been elegant and noble; they had never seen her look so delicate. If not for... if not for Prince Terrence’s visit yesterday, Titus might have believed Yara was genuinely, sincerely going to mourn Serena Feng’s parents.
But now... the more normal Yara acted, the more worried Titus became. He even suggested accompanying Prince Adrian, so the three of them would go together.
With Titus keeping watch, Yara was unlikely to act recklessly. Yara had no grounds to refuse, so the three of them going together became feasible.
When the time came, Serena Feng dressed in white and stepped out to bear the coffin. Traditionally, this duty belonged to the male heirs, but with Serena as the Feng family’s only child, she had no choice but to shoulder it herself.
Simon Sun offered to carry General and Madame Feng’s coffins, but Serena refused. As the direct bloodline, she wanted to personally see her parents off on their final journey.
Whether it was the weather or the pain of burying her parents, Serena felt the gloomy sky pressing down on her, her chest heavy with grief.
The Emperor ordered the Ministry of Rites to help with General and Madame Feng’s funeral, and the Crown Prince promised to attend in person. But Serena refused.
She didn’t ask for help from the Ministry of Rites, nor did she inform the Crown Prince of her parents’ burial date. She didn’t want them disturbing her parents’ peace.
She wanted her parents to have a dignified burial, but not with cold formalities or hollow ceremony. Since her father hadn’t received the honor he deserved, all Serena wanted was a quiet farewell—so her parents could rest in peace.
The funeral was simple but solemn—at least everyone who came to pay respects was sincere.
Grand Heir, Caleb Wang, Ethan Hsieh, Dominic Zhai, Simon Sun, Vincent Su, Prince Nathan of Southlyn.
Serena hadn’t invited them, but they came anyway, showing they’d been watching Feng Manor closely. As for Prince Nolan, he didn’t come—and Serena didn’t mind. It was just as well he stayed away from this occasion.
"Open the main gate!" Serena Feng’s voice was hoarse. No one had seen her cry, but just hearing her voice, it was clear she’d been suffering these past few days.
Creak... creak. The wooden axle turned with a dull sound. Serena’s eyes reddened, but she forced herself not to let the tears fall.
"Let’s go." Serena took heavy steps forward, but as soon as she stepped outside, she froze.
"You all..."
Outside the door was a dense crowd. Serena stood on the steps, unable to see the end; everyone was dressed in mourning clothes.
"Miss Feng, we’ve come to see off General and Madame Feng." The crowd split into three groups: one of uniformed soldiers, the other two ordinary citizens. They stood quietly outside Feng Manor, faces full of sorrow.
"Miss Feng, we’ve come to see off General and Madame Feng."
She hadn’t told anyone when her parents would be buried, yet these people appeared on the day she bore the coffin out of the city. It meant they’d been watching Feng Manor, preparing early, waiting for the moment Serena appeared so they could see her parents off.
It was easy enough to do, but seeing so many people do it warmed her heart.
"Thank you. Thank you all, thank you." Serena couldn’t hold back anymore; tears slid down her cheeks as she bowed repeatedly to the crowd.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you all for coming." Serena Feng didn’t know what she’d done to inspire so many people to come, unasked, to Feng Manor and see her parents off.
No matter the reason, Serena was grateful to everyone who had come simply to honor her parents.
Her father died for his country; the nation hadn’t given him the honor he deserved, but the people had.
Her father was a hero. He deserved—deserved the grandest funeral.