Entering the Palace Must Be Taken Seriously

Serena Feng prided herself on her ability to read people. She could tell that Sun Zhengdao's concern for her wasn't an act, and she caught the sadness in his eyes, even though he tried hard to hide it.

Sun Zhengdao must have been quite close to her parents.

Serena mused to herself, but had no intention of asking further. The more she knew, the heavier her responsibilities would be. Right now, she was struggling just to protect herself—she didn't have the capacity to get involved in too much. Better to avoid extra trouble. Besides, if Sun Zhengdao wanted to talk, he would do so eventually.

"Imperial Physician Sun, how is Liam Li?" Instead of worrying about things she couldn't solve, it was better to clear away the problems right in front of her.

Liam Li was like a ticking time bomb. Until he was dealt with, she couldn't rest easy.

Liam Li!

At the mention of that name, Sun Zhengdao was full of complaints: "How do you think he is? Just the same as always. Every day in the palace, he's pampered with ginseng and bird's nest, refuses to take medicine, keeps shouting that Chinese herbal decoctions are too bitter for humans, and demands a Western doctor to stitch him up. He spends his days scribbling strange, broken characters on the ground with his feet—no one can make sense of them."

Sun Zhengdao had never dealt with such a difficult patient. Even princes and royal heirs weren't this spoiled. Every day, Liam Li said their whole lot of 'Chinese doctors' were useless and only knew how to kill people.

Sun Zhengdao was a gentleman and never cursed, but honestly, he wanted to curse Liam Li's ancestors nine generations back. He didn't know what 'Chinese medicine' really meant, but he sure understood what it was to save lives—and Liam's words were a direct insult to his skills.

Ahem—a quick cough from Serena interrupted Sun Zhengdao's rant. She wasn't interested in all that. "How is his recovery?" That was all she cared about.

"That's right. The Emperor ordered the Imperial Medical Directorate to give him the best medicine. His external injuries were severe, but his internal organs weren't harmed, so even if he refuses to take medicine, it doesn't matter much. He's already able to speak softly again. But now that he can talk, he hasn't tried to accuse you." To leave someone half-dead and still make them suffer in silence, only Serena Feng could pull that off.

Being a doctor really has its perks.

"He's improved, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Someone like him is a disaster just by being alive." Only he and Lance Quinn knew that Liam Li was faking his illness.

If Liam Li insisted she tried to murder him, then his faked illness would be exposed too. Deceiving the Emperor was a capital crime—he might let it slide now, but that didn't mean he wouldn't pursue it later.

"What do you want to do with him? If you want him dead, I can take care of it today." Sun Zhengdao wasn't joking—he could see Serena truly wanted Liam Li gone.

"No need. Even if I want Liam Li dead, I wouldn't let you do it. Your life is worth more than his." If Sun Zhengdao made a move, the Emperor would surely find out. Serena didn't know exactly what kind of relationship made Sun Zhengdao willing to risk himself for her, but she would never allow it.

"I was overthinking. I'm just worried that man will play dirty against you. If he says something in front of the Emperor and stirs up suspicion, that would be bad." Sun Zhengdao wasn't sure why, but when he first met Serena, he only helped her out of respect for her Phoenixfield-Feng-Li heritage. But the more he got to know her, the more he started treating her like his master.

Serena tapped the tabletop, frowning slightly. "Liam Li absolutely needs to be eliminated, but it's not worth making a pointless sacrifice for someone like him. I'll think of a way to handle this perfectly."

Ninth Royal Uncle used Liam Li to threaten her. If she could get rid of Liam first, he would have nothing left to hold over her.

Thunder-blast grenades—she really didn't want to make them.

Sun Zhengdao said nothing. He trusted that Serena Feng had her own plans.

Unfortunately, even as night fell, Serena still hadn't figured out a good solution. She set the matter aside for now and simply instructed Sun Zhengdao not to let Liam Li recover too quickly—she needed time to plan.

Sun Zhengdao agreed without hesitation.

As it grew dark, Serena knew it wasn't wise to linger at the Sun Estate. She exchanged a few words with Simon Sun, then took him along to remove Madam Sun's stitches, teaching him the details and after-care as she worked.

As a teacher, she had to take responsibility for passing on her skills. When it was time to leave, Simon Sun wanted to escort Serena back to her manor.

He wasn't stupid. Seeing the state of Serena's guards, he sent someone to investigate and quickly learned about Serena's street massacre. Knowing she was in trouble, he didn't feel safe letting her return to Feng Manor alone, so he decided to go with her.

There wasn't a single adult man in the Feng household who could shoulder responsibility. Whenever trouble arose, it was always Serena alone—a lone woman—who had to face everything. It was exhausting.

"Don't worry, Master will be fine." Serena patted Simon Sun's shoulder, feeling a warm sense of gratitude.

Her silly disciple really was a bit naïve. She couldn't figure out how that sly old fox Sun Zhengdao had raised such an honest son. Even knowing there was danger, Simon Sun still wanted to help—he had no sense of self-preservation at all.

Simon Sun insisted on following her until Serena put on her stern master’s voice and ordered him to stay behind. Only then did he back down.

By moonlight, Serena rode the carriage back to Feng Manor. From a distance, she saw the estate surrounded by heavy troops.

The coachman skillfully steered the carriage into a side alley, grateful that Miss Feng had sent sixteen guards back to the Prince Su's estate on the way. Even walking the streets, they wouldn't attract much attention.

"Miss, Feng Manor is surrounded by soldiers." The maid was brave—she didn't panic at the sight.

"Go find out which official is leading the troops." Serena was even calmer. If nothing happened, that would be a real cause for concern.

"Yes."

Waiting can be torture—but not for Serena Feng. She yawned elegantly, utterly carefree, and waited. Fifteen minutes later, the maid came running back. "Miss, it's General Victor Wei. Feng Manor is unharmed. Please don't worry."

"Got it. Let's keep moving. You two come inside and help me redo my makeup." General Victor Wei was here to escort her to the palace. Guarding Feng Manor meant she wouldn't be allowed inside.

You couldn't afford to be disrespectful when entering the palace. Besides, she wasn't going in to complain—looking pitiful would only annoy the Emperor.

The two maids worked quickly. By the time the carriage reached the gates of Feng Manor, they had already styled Serena's hair into a palace bun and applied a thin layer of powder. In the candlelight, she looked dazzling.

As soon as the carriage stopped, it was surrounded by soldiers. General Victor Wei stepped forward and greeted her politely: "Miss Feng."

This was nothing like the treatment of a criminal. The soldiers behind him understood—Miss Feng was no ordinary woman.

"May I ask why General Victor Wei is looking for me?" Serena had no intention of getting chummy. There were rules, open and hidden, and on the surface, she had no need to curry favor with General Wei. That way, he might be more willing to look after her household.

"By Imperial order, I am to escort Miss Feng into the palace." Sending him was the result of careful negotiation—he wouldn't harm Serena, and he would make sure she came.

Many in the palace still worried Serena would try to escape—after all, the trouble she'd caused was enormous. But no one expected just how bold she really was...

Was she really so sure nothing would happen to her?