Should we receive the Wang Clan?
Without a proper reason, Feng Manor can't just leave the Wang Clan outside and give them an excuse to force their way in. But who goes to meet them, and when, is a matter of careful strategy.
Vincent Su sat in the side hall, playing the part of the master, his index finger unconsciously tapping the table. He was pondering how to handle the Wang Clan—if they came this early, they must be well-prepared.
Vincent Su didn't know what method Serena Feng would use to treat Caleb Wang, but he knew one thing for sure: no one could be allowed to disturb her. If anything went wrong, he couldn't bear the responsibility.
The steward stood below, silent. He didn't rush Vincent Su, just quietly waited, treating him as the master.
There was no other choice. Feng Manor only had one true master, and with Serena Feng in seclusion, there was no one to take charge. The steward could only hope Vincent Su would take the lead.
Luckily, Vincent Su didn't disappoint the old steward. After half a stick of incense, Vincent finally spoke: "Since they've come, we should treat them with full courtesy. The Wang Clan prides itself on being a noble house, all about gentlemanly conduct and etiquette. We can't afford to slight them. Seat their masters in the main hall, and keep their attendants outside. Also, invite Prince Titus, explain the situation, and ask him to host them for a bit to stall for time. I'll send someone to summon Ninth Royal Uncle."
If the Wang Clan wanted to use their noble status to pressure us, Vincent Su would counter with royal authority. With Prince Titus, the Westlyn prince, present, it wouldn't matter if William Wang was the seventeenth uncle or even the seventeenth grandfather—he'd have to play along. Stalling for an hour or two would be no problem.
After that hour or two, Ninth Royal Uncle would take over. Right now, the Wang Clan was dealing with internal and external troubles, and all their restless members wanted to follow the example of the Hsieh Clan and cling to the royal family. At a time like this, who would dare openly offend the royals?
Hearing this arrangement, the steward's eyes narrowed with satisfaction and his tense body relaxed. He preferred dealing with people who respected etiquette. He wasn't afraid of those with reason—only of bandits who barged in shouting for a fight. He hated unreasonable types most of all.
Young Master Su was absolutely right. The Wang Clan is here, so all we need to do is host them properly. They wouldn't dare make a move in Feng Manor—do they want to lose face as a noble house?
While Serena Feng fought for Caleb Wang's life behind closed doors, Prince Titus of Lyndaria was reluctantly wheeled out to entertain William Wang Jinling's seventeenth uncle.
Vincent Su was well-prepared, but the Wang Clan wasn't easy to handle either. They already knew Prince Titus was at Feng Manor and came fully briefed. When it came to social maneuvering, William Wang's seventeenth uncle was every bit as polished as Prince Titus. After just a few exchanges, he subtly steered the conversation toward William, repeatedly requesting to see him and take him home.
As soon as Prince Titus said William wasn't at Feng Manor, the seventeenth uncle launched into a lament: tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and the Wang Clan's reunion feast can't begin without its patriarch. Without William present, the family's honor would be lost.
The seventeenth uncle kept lowering himself, playing the victim at every turn, begging Prince Titus to show mercy and not let the Wang Clan be disgraced on New Year's Eve.
Prince Titus was fuming. It's one thing to face a bandit—it's another when the bandit is cultured and polite. The requests were all so reasonable, but the words were shameless.
He said William wasn't at Feng Manor, but that was taken as him deliberately preventing the Wang Clan from seeing William, making things difficult for them and intentionally shaming their house. What nonsense! If he didn't owe Serena Feng a huge favor, he'd have thrown them out long ago—this humiliation was unbearable...
The only reason he pushed them out in a wheelchair instead of punishing them was because they hadn't said anything outright offensive or made direct accusations. All they did was put on a show of weakness and cry victim. Even if he wanted to punish the seventeenth uncle, there was no legal excuse.
Noble houses really are the worst—sly and shameless. No wonder the Eastlyn Emperor wants to wipe them out. It's downright wise.
Prince Titus's face grew darker and darker. Forget lasting an hour—if this kept up, making it half an hour would be a miracle. Just as he was about to snap, a servant's loud voice rescued him.
"His Highness Prince Evan of Yong has arrived, His Highness Prince Jason of Zhou has arrived, His Highness Prince Adrian of Luo has arrived."
No one knew what was so special about today, but the Second Prince, Fifth Prince, and Seventh Prince all showed up at Feng Manor on the same day. Their reason was perfectly legitimate: they were here by imperial command to visit Prince Titus.
Prince Titus had been injured in the Eastlyn Capital—even if it was his own fault, etiquette demanded that the Eastlyn royal family pay their respects. The Emperor hadn't sent anyone before, out of displeasure with both Lyndaria and Prince Titus's actions.
Hmph. If you get hurt in Eastlyn, you should go to the Emperor and let him arrange for imperial physicians. But Prince Titus went off to find his own doctor—wasn't that a slap in the Emperor's face?
Today, Prince Adrian brought up the matter, and after a moment's thought, the Emperor finally gave his consent—while keeping Ninth Royal Uncle at the palace for a meal. Everyone knew why.
The Emperor doesn't need elaborate schemes to play dirty—he's the Emperor. With just a word, he can send trouble Serena Feng's way or hold back her allies.
Of course, the Emperor wouldn't stoop to personally dealing with a mere orphan girl like Serena Feng. In his eyes, no matter how capable she is, she can't make real waves. If he gets annoyed, he can kill her for any reason he likes.
If he really gets fed up, he can send palace assassins to cut off Serena's head and claim the two hundred thousand taels of gold. It's not that the Emperor is petty or greedy—it's just that two hundred thousand taels is no small sum.
Right now, the exchange rate for gold to silver is ten to one. Two hundred thousand taels of gold equals two million taels of silver. Eastlyn is the richest of the four kingdoms, but its annual treasury income is only two million taels. That shows just how valuable Serena's head is.
The arrival of the three princes threw all of Feng Manor into a panic. Every servant knew these three had grievances with their mistress.
"What do we do? What do we do?"
The steward and servants were running in circles, all eyes on Vincent Su, hoping he'd come up with a plan.
With Ninth Royal Uncle nowhere in sight, Vincent Su was worried too. Facing the desperate gazes of Feng Manor's staff, he spread his hands: "You ask me, but who can I ask? They're princes and royal heirs—I'm just a merchant. Don't forget, Prince Adrian now commands the Bloodcloak Guard. If he wants to search the manor, he has every legal right, and none of us can stop him."
Sure enough, bad luck comes easy. After the princes finished greeting Prince Titus and exchanging pleasantries, they noticed the Wang Clan's delegation. Prince Adrian raised an eyebrow and asked why the Wang Clan's seventeenth uncle was at Feng Manor.
Whether it was staged or just a coincidence, the Wang seventeenth uncle seized the chance. He poured out the whole story—how Feng Manor was keeping William Wang Jinling locked up, refusing to let him return home or even be seen by his own family—from beginning to end.
Prince Titus tried to explain for Serena Feng, saying William wasn't at Feng Manor, but Prince Adrian cut him off with a single sentence.
"Prince Titus, this is an internal matter of Eastlyn. Please don't interfere. Someone, take Prince Titus back to his room to rest."
With that one line, Prince Adrian shut Prince Titus down completely. If Titus said another word, he'd be accused of meddling in Eastlyn's internal affairs—a charge he couldn't possibly bear...