Injury, The Price of Plotting Against Serena Feng

Princess Serenity is finished, and Serena Feng won't escape unscathed either. Those two women came up with such a flimsy excuse just to force her to appear—and then, for the third round...

She knew it—the three women in this riding contest called her here with ulterior motives. Turns out Su Wan and Princess Yara had this scheme in mind all along.

Just as Serena Feng expected, Su Wan and Princess Yara joined forces and showed no respect for Eastlyn's honor. Within ten exchanges, they defeated Princess Serenity—and not only that, the two even went so far as to knock her off her horse.

"The princess has fallen!" a eunuch cried out. Instantly, palace maids rushed onto the field and carried Princess Serenity away.

Even with armor, falling from a horse is no small thing. Princess Serenity was knocked out cold instantly.

"Go—have the imperial physicians examine her immediately." Losing two rounds in a row, and in such a humiliating fashion, not even the Emperor could contain his fury.

The Emperor was furious at Southern Lyn and Lyndaria for bullying Eastlyn, but even more frustrated by Princess Serenity's lack of ability.

"Your Majesty, allow me to check on her," the Empress said, more concerned about the next round than her daughter's injuries. With Serenity in this state, there's no chance of winning the third match, but not participating would be even more humiliating. If word got out, everyone would say Eastlyn couldn't handle defeat.

In truth, Eastlyn really can't afford to lose, and a three-round sweep would be catastrophic.

"Go, and don't let me down." Su Wan and Princess Yara were still locked in fierce battle on horseback. Their poise and skill—compared to Serenity's incompetence—only fueled the Emperor's anger.

Adrian Dongling was only just recovering from a serious illness, his face still pale and weak. He glanced quietly at the Emperor, and when he saw the Emperor wasn't paying attention, he slipped away from the stands.

"Imperial physicians, how is the princess?" The Empress cared more about whether Serenity could compete in the next round than about her actual injuries.

The imperial physicians knew exactly what the Empress wanted to hear: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Princess Serenity has injured her spine. Forcing her to compete would be extremely dangerous to her health." In other words, if she takes the field, she'll surely lose.

If they couldn't plot in secret, they'd just do it openly—this was too much. But... Serena couldn't make out the details, nor could she step forward to defend herself. All she could do was stew in frustration, thinking, 'It's easy to deal with the king, but the underlings are a real headache.' (Chinese idiom: 阎王好惹小鬼难缠—literally, 'The King of Hell is easy to handle, but the little devils are hard to deal with.' This means the lower-ranked troublemakers are often more difficult than those in power.)

"Yes, Your Majesty." The imperial physicians, trembling with fear, discussed for a moment before beginning acupuncture on Princess Serenity. As long as she woke up, they didn't care about anything else.

"Mother, Serenity is in no state to compete. Su Wan and Princess Yara's riding skills far surpass hers," Adrian Dongling said, trying to persuade her.

It would've been fine if Adrian hadn't brought it up, but the moment he did, the Empress exploded with anger—imperial physicians present or not. She snapped, "Princess Yara of Lyndaria! Adrian, the woman you fancy actually teamed up with an outsider to scheme against your sister. Adrian, do you really want to marry a princess whose heart belongs only to Lyndaria?"

Lyndaria was seeking a marriage alliance with Eastlyn, and Princess Yara was the chosen candidate for this union.

"Mother, Princess Yara is an excellent rider. You can't blame her for this. Besides, she's still Lyndaria's princess—of course she'll stand with her homeland. Once she marries into Eastlyn, she'll plan for Eastlyn's interests."

When Adrian mentioned Princess Yara, his eyes softened with affection, which made the Empress tremble with rage. If it weren't for the imperial physicians watching, she would've given Adrian a proper scolding. In the end, she could only say, "Adrian, I do not approve. Go tell your father the Emperor: Serenity is unconscious and in danger—she cannot compete."

"Mother?" Adrian Dongling shook his head in disagreement. Saying it like this would only make Father Emperor even more displeased with Princess Yara.

"What, you won't listen to your mother now?" The Empress snapped, so sharply that one of the imperial physicians' hands trembled and nearly missed the acupuncture point.

Adrian Dongling quickly bowed. "I wouldn't dare."

......

"Winner of the second round: Miss Su Wan."

Adrian Dongling froze in his tracks when he heard this announcement.

Princess Yara and Su Wan had openly teamed up to embarrass Eastlyn—so blatantly that Father Emperor was sure to dislike Yara, though he might secretly admire her. Either way, Adrian's priority now was to help Serenity regain some standing in the Emperor's eyes.

"Father Emperor?"

"How is your royal sister?" Because of Princess Serenity's poor performance, the Emperor was also annoyed with Adrian Dongling.

Adrian Dongling braced himself and replied, "Father Emperor, the imperial physicians say Serenity has injured her spine and cannot move for now."

The Emperor scowled—Serenity was clearly afraid to face the third round.

Princess Yara and Su Wan had just removed their armor when they hurried forward and said, "Your Majesty, I was reckless and injured the princess. Please punish me."

They were retreating to advance—by volunteering for punishment, they forced the Emperor to take a stand.

Both women were destined to marry into Eastlyn, but...

Neither of them ever believed the Emperor of Eastlyn would truly trust or accept them. So when their home countries demanded they undercut Eastlyn's prestige, even knowing it was to create distance before marriage, they had no choice but to obey.

Only by doing this could they prove their loyalty to their homelands; even after marrying into Eastlyn, they'd still have their mother country's interests at heart. That way, they'd keep their home country's support—and survive in Eastlyn.

Women like them, especially those born to royal families, were always married for political gain. Without support from their homeland, even survival was uncertain.

"Serenity simply lacks skill—it's not your fault." The Emperor waved his hand. He genuinely admired Su Wan and Princess Yara; Southern Lyn and Lyndaria had produced two outstanding daughters. Compared to Princess Serenity, they were far superior. A princess like Serenity, sent off for a marriage alliance, was little more than a disposable pawn—no one expected her to bring back any real intelligence.

Princess Yara and Su Wan both looked relieved. They offered a few words of concern for Serenity, then quickly changed the subject to the third round. Su Wan said considerately, "Your Majesty, since Princess Serenity is injured, perhaps we should cancel today's competition?"

Cancel? Eastlyn had already lost twice—how could they cancel now? The Emperor didn't reply, so Princess Yara suggested, "Your Majesty, I've heard Doctor Feng is General Feng's daughter. I've seen General Feng's heroism firsthand, and I'm sure Doctor Feng has inherited his skills. Why not have Doctor Feng compete in the third round?"

Princess Yara was blatantly lying—when General Feng died, Serena Feng was just a child and couldn't possibly have learned anything from him.

Serena Feng stood in the corner, unable to hear clearly what Princess Yara and Su Wan were saying. She caught fragments like "General Feng" and "Doctor Feng," and instantly knew those two were digging a pit for her to fall into.

She'd suspected it all along, but hearing them so brazenly scheme against her right now still made her chest tighten with rage.

If they couldn't plot in secret, they'd do it openly—this was outrageous. But... Serena couldn't catch the details, nor could she step forward to defend herself. All she could do was stew in frustration, thinking, 'It's easy to deal with the king, but the little devils are the real headache.'

[Note: Chinese idiom 阎王好惹小鬼难缠 means 'The King of Hell is easy to handle, but the little devils are hard to deal with.' It refers to how lower-ranked troublemakers are often more difficult than those in power.]

If they really forced her to compete in the third round, Serena Feng would make sure Su Wan and Princess Yara learned that she was not someone to cross.

"Princess Yara's suggestion is reasonable, but we've already fought two rounds and our stamina has been greatly depleted. If Doctor Feng enters the third round fresh, it gives her an unfair advantage." Su Wan smiled, her words seemingly considerate but clearly helping to build a more elaborate trap.

"You're right, Su Wan." Princess Yara nodded, looking troubled—then her eyes lit up, as if she'd just thought of a brilliant idea...

Nolan Dongling (Ninth Prince) seemed indifferent, but he was listening to every word the two women said.

If you want to scheme against Serena Feng, you'll pay the price. Serena Feng will gain far more than just recognition for her medical prowess!