Making Things Difficult, Little Junior Uncle Is Not Called in Vain

No matter what kind of person Linden Ling is at heart, on the surface he still acts reasonably. But just because Linden is reasonable doesn’t mean Ruby Redsleeve will follow the rules.

Serena didn’t let go of Ruby, but out of respect for Linden, she had someone remove the rag from Ruby’s mouth so she could speak normally.

The moment Ruby could talk, she started crying: "Young Master, save me! Miss Feng wants to kill me to keep me quiet. Wuwuwu... I'm so scared."

"Kill you to keep you quiet? What are you, that I’d bother killing you for silence?" Serena didn’t want to act high and mighty, but with people like Ruby, this was the only way to deal with her.

"I, I..." Ruby looked terrified, blinking her swollen red eyes at Linden, as if begging for protection. Her pitiful look really did stir Linden’s urge to shield her.

Linden had been under house arrest for some time now, and Ruby’s act gave him a chance to vent. He stepped forward protectively and said, “Ruby, if you have something to say, just say it. Justice is in people’s hearts—no one can cover the sky with one hand. Your young master may not be that capable, but I won’t let you be bullied.”

They were already past the Eastlyn border; the ground beneath them was no longer Eastlyn territory. Here, neither Prince Nolan nor Serena could act like local tyrants.

"Young Master..." Ruby was endlessly aggrieved. Serena didn’t stop her—she wanted to see what Ruby would say next.

Ruby secretly glared at Serena, then recited the story she’d just made up: “Young Master, I overheard them saying Prince Nolan and Miss Feng are going to send troops to attack Skyvault Fortress. I was so scared…”

She hadn’t finished her story when an anxious young soldier interrupted, “That’s not true, it was you who…”

"Serena, these are Prince Nolan’s soldiers—interrupting others whenever they please. That’s not exactly polite." Likewise, the young soldier’s words were cut off by Linden.

The young soldier’s face flushed red with anger, but without Serena’s order, he didn’t dare speak. He could only grip his knife tightly, afraid that if he lost control, he’d draw his blade and kill Ruby.

"My men were rude; I hope Little Junior Uncle will forgive them." Serena made a polite gesture, then signaled the young soldier to calm down before turning to Ruby: "Miss Ruby, go ahead and speak. No one will interrupt you this time—and Little Junior Uncle won’t be rude either."

Linden was startled, suddenly realizing he’d interrupted too. He looked a bit embarrassed. Ruby looked timidly at Linden, and with his encouragement, she continued: "I—I heard about that and got really scared. I wanted to tell Young Master, but I was so nervous that I accidentally kicked over the water jar and startled them. That’s why they wanted to kill me to keep me quiet."

"Serena, is Ruby telling the truth? What’s going on between you and Prince Nolan? How did Skyvault Fortress offend you two?" Linden’s expression turned cold, a strong aura swirling around him as if ready to fight. The Eighteen Riders reacted instantly, blocking Serena with lightning speed, their bows drawn and aimed at Linden.

Their gazes clashed, sparks flying—violence seemed imminent. But just then, Serena spoke: "Stand down. Little Junior Uncle won’t attack me."

As soon as Serena spoke, the Eighteen Riders withdrew their killing intent and silently retreated behind her. But their bows remained drawn, still aimed at Linden.

Knowing he wouldn’t gain the upper hand, Linden dispersed the inner force he’d gathered. "Serena, what are you and Prince Nolan really planning? I came in good faith to work with Prince Nolan, but he doesn’t trust me—he sends people to watch me, and now you want to destroy Skyvault Fortress. Aren’t you going too far?"

"Don’t get worked up, Little Junior Uncle. Ruby’s word alone isn’t proof of anything. Before you accuse me, let’s at least figure out what really happened." Serena was perfectly calm, her tone as mild as if discussing the weather.

"Figure out? The facts are right in front of us—what’s left to figure out?" Linden made it clear he only trusted Ruby, not anyone else. The young soldier who’d pushed Ruby was so anxious his veins bulged, eyes wide as he stared at Serena: This isn’t how it happened. That woman is lying.

The young soldier wanted to shout out, but military discipline kept him silent—until Serena said, "We can’t just listen to one person. Little Junior Uncle, let my man tell his side of the story."

Finally able to speak, the young soldier hurriedly said, "Miss Feng, here’s what happened—at the time… uh, I…"

Excited and nervous, the young soldier tripped over his words and couldn’t get them out.

"Don’t rush, take your time. Little Junior Uncle is very kind—he won’t make things hard for you like Miss Ruby does." Serena knew Ruby had been bullying the guards these days, but it was just petty trouble and not worth fussing over.

"Next time a woman bullies you for no reason, just hit back. Military law doesn’t say soldiers can’t strike women." Serena said it mildly, but both Linden and Ruby flushed—he from embarrassment, she from anger.

"Understood." The young soldier, excited, snapped a crisp salute. Serena nodded, "All right, you can go on now. Little Junior Uncle will listen carefully."

"Yes." Encouraged, the young soldier spoke smoothly: "Miss, there’s no water here. The few of us walked a long way to find this one jar, and as soon as we set it down, Miss Ruby came over and kicked it, breaking the jar."

By the end, all the water-carrying soldiers were so angry their fists clenched, looking ready to throw punches. Ruby shrank back in fear. Serena glanced at them and said coldly, "Little Junior Uncle, what do you say to that?"

"Young Master, it’s not like that! They really were talking about Prince Nolan attacking Skyvault Fortress—that’s why I was so scared I broke the jar." Ruby kept trying to argue, and Linden nodded at her to reassure her.

Serena watched the master and servant’s exchange and said, "Little Junior Uncle, even though both sides tell different stories, there’s one thing for sure: it was Miss Ruby who broke the jar, right?"

There’s no water source nearby; they’d been rationing for days. Ruby’s actions not only wasted water, but also made things harder for the soldiers. If Serena didn’t teach her a lesson, she’d feel she’d let Prince Nolan’s men down.

"Yes." Linden sensed there was a trap in Serena’s words, but he couldn’t say no.

"Since Little Junior Uncle doesn’t deny it, let’s handle this part first. As for the rest, we can investigate later. Does that sound fair to you?" Serena kept digging the rhetorical pit, and Linden, frustrated, could only agree: "Fine."

"If Little Junior Uncle agrees, then that’s settled. Miss Ruby breaking the water jar is undeniable, so… let’s have Miss Ruby make up for her mistake by fetching a jar of the same size. Once she brings it back, we’ll deal with the rest." As soon as Serena said this, Linden and Ruby were both speechless.

Serena actually wanted Ruby to go fetch water?

"Serena, Ruby is a woman—the water source is several li away. How can she possibly carry water that far? Besides, she didn’t kick the jar on purpose, so it’s not entirely her fault." Clearly, Linden believed Ruby’s story.

"Little Junior Uncle, when I accidentally bumped into your carriage, I still had to pay compensation. You didn’t let me off just because it was an accident." Serena’s words left Linden speechless, and Ruby so angry she could bite.

She’s supposed to walk five li to fetch water? Serena must be dreaming…