Investigating the Wealthy Merchants of the Jiangnan Region

The midnight attack on Serena Feng in the street was kept secret from the outside world. Feeling guilty, Serena dared not tell Ninth Royal Uncle, afraid he’d ask why she was out so late. She only sent people to investigate in private, but of course nothing came of it.

This outcome was exactly what Serena had expected, so she wasn’t disappointed. If they actually found anything, that would’ve been the real surprise.

Victor Yun’s surgery was now scheduled, leaving Serena with more and more things to handle, so she set this incident aside. But just because she could let it go didn’t mean Ninth Royal Uncle would.

The Easestream City affair had been handled far too cleanly—the prefect there had no factional ties, so there wasn’t a single clue to be found. Ninth Royal Uncle had no choice but to let the matter drop.

But now the enemy had struck again—this time right in the imperial capital. For Serena’s safety and for the sake of future plans, there was no way Ninth Royal Uncle would let such a hidden threat go uninvestigated. However...

"Nothing at all?" Ninth Royal Uncle suddenly stood up, staring coldly across the desk at his kneeling subordinate. His icy tone sent chills down everyone’s spine.

"Yes, sir. The enemy didn’t leave a single trace." The moment Ninth Royal Uncle rose, the air in the room seemed to thin.

"Is it your incompetence, or is the enemy simply too strong?"

"The enemy is simply too strong." The black-clad man replied firmly, with no hint of excuse.

They weren’t weak—maybe not the very top in all Nine Provinces, but close. For the enemy to escape them without leaving a trace only proved their opponent was even stronger.

Ninth Royal Uncle closed his eyes. "Stop investigating."

"Yes, sir." The black-clad man dared not say more and quietly withdrew, but in his heart he was determined: if there was ever a chance, they would get to the bottom of this—orders or not.

Since taking up the mission, he’d never suffered such a crushing defeat—not even a trace of the enemy. Facing such a foe was truly dangerous.

Now only Ninth Royal Uncle remained in the study. Standing with his back to the light, his face was unreadable, but his posture was perfectly straight, his robes utterly still.

Just who could wield such power? It was terrifying.

The Cui Clan?

Impossible. The Cui Clan’s focus lately was on Lyndaria and the Southern Lyn Kingdom; he’d already purged nearly all their people from Eastlyn.

But if not the Cui Clan, then who in all the Nine Provinces could possibly have the skill to raise such a force—right under his nose in Eastlyn?

The Emperor?

Ninth Royal Uncle shook his head. If the Emperor really had this kind of force, he would’ve wiped out the source of Eastlyn’s unrest—him—long ago. No way would he have let Nolan live to this day. Nolan knew better than anyone how much the Emperor wanted him dead.

As Ninth Royal Uncle was deep in thought, a soft footstep sounded outside. He frowned, but then the old butler’s voice came from the hall: "Your Highness, Miss Feng has arrived."

"Let her in." Ninth Royal Uncle’s frown vanished instantly, and the affection in his eyes was something even he hadn’t noticed.

"Yes, sir." The old butler chuckled quietly, secretly pleased. He knew that whenever Miss Feng came, His Highness’s mood would improve—and he wouldn’t mind being interrupted.

When Serena entered, Ninth Royal Uncle was already seated. The study was just as before—doors and windows shut, the air a bit stuffy. Serena frowned slightly, about to suggest opening them, but Nolan beckoned her over first: "Come here."

"Ahem, there’s nowhere to sit in front of you." Serena closed the door and stepped forward.

Except for Ninth Royal Uncle’s own seat, there were four chairs further down, but they were a bit far away. If Serena wanted to approach, there really wasn’t a spot for her.

Ninth Royal Uncle raised an eyebrow, then asked, "You came to see me because you want something, didn’t you?"

As always, Serena would never come to the Prince’s estate for no reason.

"You could say that," Serena admitted, bracing herself. Why else would she come to the Ninth Prince’s estate if not to cause trouble?

"If you want something, you should act the part of a supplicant." Ninth Royal Uncle’s lips curled in a fox-like smile, making Serena itch to poke his slightly puffed cheek.

How could a man possibly smile so attractively?

Already smitten, Serena didn’t bother pretending. She circled the desk and stopped in front of Ninth Royal Uncle, who was clearly delighted. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her into his lap, and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Serena had expected this and wasn’t surprised at all. She simply relaxed into his embrace, waiting until Nolan had his fill before saying, "Good thing I rarely ask you for favors—otherwise I’d be at such a loss."

"How are you at a loss? I didn’t do anything." Nolan protested, only holding her, not taking advantage.

Serena wrapped her arms around Nolan’s neck. "You call that nothing? Ninth Royal Uncle, what else do you want to do?"

"I want..." Nolan’s eyes sparkled, a faint blush on his cheeks. He leaned in and kissed Serena on the cheek. "You..."

He wanted to say "I want you," but it came out in fragments. Only Serena could keep her head in front of those deep, loving eyes—any other woman would have melted.

"I want you too." Serena pressed her lips to Nolan’s, leaving a gentle kiss. Nolan wasn’t satisfied—he cradled her head and deepened the kiss.

His tongue slipped between her lips, exploring every corner.

"Mm..." Serena had meant to resist, but Nolan’s insistence left her no choice—her body relaxed, melting into his arms.

Nolan held Serena tightly, as if he wanted to fuse her into himself. Only when their breathing grew rapid did he finally let her go.

Serena was left breathless, her cheeks flushed, eyes sultry, collapsing weakly in Nolan’s arms. He couldn’t resist kissing her several more times.

Neither spoke nor made another move; they simply sat quietly together, letting the moment cool their passion. The study was a fine place, but the timing wasn’t right.

Both Nolan and Serena had strong self-control; soon they calmed down. Serena still sat on his lap—there was no chair close enough, so his legs were the only seat.

"What have you been busy with lately?" Serena asked. She hadn’t seen Nolan for days.

She wasn’t trying to track his movements—she was just worried about him.

"The Imperial Exams—and the Jiangnan region." Nolan didn’t hide anything from Serena, though he didn’t give full details either.

"Jiangnan? What’s going on there?" Serena knew about the exams, but she hadn’t heard a thing about Jiangnan.

"Lots of rich merchants down there," Nolan replied bluntly.

In other words, Nolan had his sights set on their silver—and was planning a shake-down. But that wasn’t something he could say outright; some things are best left unsaid.