Surveillance, Let Aunt Negotiate With This Prince Herself

Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan had warned there’d be a tough battle tomorrow—because today, the Moonvault Palace Lord and Lily Li were coming to call.

Nolan valued Moonvault Palace not just because it was a Xuan-sect, but because of the mysterious woman—the aunt Jason Lan kept mentioning. Until he uncovered her true identity, Nolan couldn’t rest easy.

According to the intel Nolan had received, the mysterious woman Jason Lan called 'Aunt' had come with the Moonvault Palace Lord today. But she didn’t show herself—she was quietly hidden among the palace entourage.

As usual, Nolan hosted the Moonvault Palace Lord while Serena Feng received Lily Li. Lily had no intention of being friendly—she just snorted at Serena and turned away, refusing to speak.

Serena wasn’t about to embarrass herself by forcing conversation. She simply had someone fetch her a travelogue and settled down to read, ignoring the awkwardness.

Lily Li kept sneaking glances at Serena, and seeing how absorbed she was in the book made Lily feel uneasy. She coughed lightly to get Serena’s attention. “Serena… Miss Feng.” Lily had meant to call her by name, but halfway through she remembered she needed Serena’s help.

“What is it, Miss Lily?” Serena turned, set down her book, and asked calmly.

Serena didn’t really dislike Lily, but she didn’t like her either. If Sean liked Lily, Serena would support them; if not, she wouldn’t help Lily at all.

Lily coughed again, a little awkward. “Miss Serena, do you know what kind of woman Sean likes?”

Lily Li might be a jianghu woman, but when it came to matters of the heart, she still showed a bit of girlish shyness.

“I’m not sure either,” Serena replied. “You know, Miss Lily, Sean’s engagement to me was just a childhood promise to my mother. He’s seeking me out because of that commitment, not because he’s in love with me.” Serena was gently warning Lily that Sean’s feelings for her might not be romantic at all.

Honestly, love at first sight is just a fairy tale.

“Of course I know that. If it weren’t for that, do you think I’d let you off so easily?” Lily’s eyes flashed cold, a hint of menace in her gaze.

Serena sighed inwardly, blaming Sean for being a ‘blue-faced disaster.’ One Ruby Redsleeve wasn’t enough—now Lily Li had joined the fray. What would happen if those two started fighting?

A sly idea flashed through Serena’s mind, but she covered it up with a cryptic, knowing smile. “If you want someone who really understands Sean, I actually know just the person.”

“Who?” Lily pressed anxiously. Serena didn’t keep her in suspense. “Ruby Redsleeve, maid to Linden Ling, the heir of Skyvault Fortress.”

“A maid? She’s just a servant.” Lily relaxed, her pride showing through.

She was the dignified Moonvault Palace heiress—how could she ever lose to a mere maid?

Serena shook her head slowly, disagreeing. “Miss Lily, don’t underestimate a maid. Linden Ling’s maids are raised like noble ladies—every bit as pampered and proud as the daughters of great families. Their status isn’t much different, and their arrogance matches, too.”

“No matter how pampered, she’s still just a servant. What right does she have to be so arrogant?” Lily said dismissively, but deep down, she was starting to worry.

She might not care much about jianghu affairs, but even Lily had heard about Linden Ling’s two maids. Each was treated like a noble lady, attended by servants themselves. Maids like these were a real threat.

Lily kept up her sarcastic front, acting like Serena was making a fuss over nothing, but inside she made a mental note to investigate further later.

Sean was hers, and no one could take him away. As for Serena’s suggestion to use Sean to learn about Nolan Dongling and herself, Lily scoffed—she would never exploit the man she loved.

Serena didn’t want to talk much with Lily. Seeing that Lily had taken her words to heart, Serena picked up her book again and started reading. Lily sat there, bored, wanting to speak several times but always stopping herself when she saw how focused Serena was.

The atmosphere between Serena and Lily was chilly but civil. In contrast, Nolan and the Moonvault Palace Lord were locked in a verbal duel—every exchange sharp as knives and thick with tension.

The Moonvault Palace Lord probed Nolan about how he planned to deal with Jason Lan, while Nolan tried every trick to get information about Aunt Evelyn. Both were shrewd, and their back-and-forth yielded nothing but trivial details—neither gave up a single truth.

At last, the Moonvault Palace Lord couldn’t keep up the act and spoke plainly: “Nolan, Liancastle couldn’t find you in the Eastlyn Imperial Capital, so they asked me to mediate here at Skyvault Fortress. I agreed because Liancastle showed real sincerity. They genuinely want peace with you. If you have any conditions, just name them—Liancastle will do its best to meet them.”

Information about Aunt Evelyn could wait, but every extra day Jason Lan spent in prison meant more suffering for him.

Nolan looked up, his gaze sweeping over the Moonvault Palace Lord. His lips parted slowly, voice low and deliberate: “I’m very interested in the aunt Mr. Jingyang mentioned. Why not let her speak to me directly?”

Both sides were blunt. The Moonvault Palace Lord was momentarily stunned, pupils contracting as he stared at Nolan, mouth opening and closing without a word for a long time.

Aunt? So the woman Nolan kept asking about was actually the Princess Royal. But how did Nolan know she existed? Surely Jason Lan wouldn’t be foolish enough to mention her, would he?

The Moonvault Palace Lord had no idea how much Nolan knew. He could only force a smile and play dumb.

Nolan let out a cold laugh, not pressing the issue. He picked up his teacup, making it clear he was done talking. The Moonvault Palace Lord could barely sit still, quickly excusing himself and leaving.

Nolan didn’t try to stop him, nor did he get up to see him out. When the Moonvault Palace Lord reached the main door, Nolan set down his cup, stood, and ordered, “Go. Follow him.”

In the empty hall, a faint breeze stirred in one corner, but everything quickly returned to normal.

The Moonvault Palace Lord knew Nolan was suspicious. He managed to keep his composure until he left Qiyun Villa, but once outside, he couldn’t hold it together. He mounted his horse and galloped off toward his own quarters.

He had to report this to the Princess Royal as soon as possible. Nolan already knew about her—now they were on the defensive.

Ling Mo followed the Moonvault Palace Lord into a large, three-courtyard residence, winding his way to a small, secluded cabin at the back.

Guards stood watch on all sides of the cabin, with no trees or rocks within thirty meters to hide behind. Ling Mo watched from the shadows, realizing he couldn’t get close or read anyone’s lips.

Left with no choice, Ling Mo could only observe from the shadows.

Inside the cabin, the Moonvault Palace Lord relayed Nolan’s words, word for word, to the Princess Royal. She listened, her eyes snapping open in anger, fingers digging into her palms.

The Princess Royal took a deep breath, forcing down her rage, and replied with a cool, fake smile: “If he wants to play tricks, let him. Jason Lan’s move was meant to draw Nolan’s attention away, so we could search for the Nine Provinces Map here at Skyvault Fortress.”

No matter how frustrated she was with Jason Lan’s incompetence, the Princess Royal had to maintain his reputation and the image of a capable young master in front of the elders.

Ling Mo stood guard outside for a while, but heard no conversation—only saw the Moonvault Palace Lord go in anxious and come out with a spring in his step.

Ling Mo didn’t need to guess to know the Moonvault Palace Lord must have gotten some kind of approval. He kept following the Lord, and by nightfall, overheard enough between the Lord and Lily Li to piece together most of the plan...