"Serena Fenton, have I ever told you that next month I’ll have no more rations? And now spring planting is over—I won’t have any grain for half a year," General Warren Yu bellowed.
General Warren Yu didn’t believe that Ninth Royal Uncle was unaware of this problem.
Since he knew, Ninth Royal Uncle should have a solution ready.
Surely Ninth Royal Uncle wouldn’t just give him a few dry, useless ideas—he ought to help him out of this crisis.
"Borrow, obviously! If you’re out of grain, go borrow some." Serena Fenton was startled.
She thought to herself, how did Warren Yu—always so jumpy and dramatic—ever become a general? Must be his privileged background, born into a military family.
"Borrow? From who?" Feeding three hundred thousand troops isn’t a small matter—there aren’t many in Eastlyn who could provide that much grain.
"Whoever in the capital has grain, you borrow from them!" Serena rolled her eyes, too lazy to argue with Warren Yu, and walked away.
Just as she left the study, she ran into Evan Zhou, who’d come looking for her. He said General Victor Wei and Madam Wei had arrived for a consultation. Serena Fenton returned to her room to prepare and asked Evan to escort Madam Wei to the operating room.
Once she packed away the surgical equipment, the operating room could double as a small clinic. Although Serena Fenton wanted to turn Fenton Manor into a real hospital, she had no intention of seeing patients in the main hall.
...
"Vincent Su—right, he’s got grain. Go borrow from him." Warren Yu didn’t care where Serena had gone.
Serena had passed on the message and offered a solution—that was enough.
The next few days, Warren Yu was frantic—three days and nights without rest. He fleshed out Serena’s plan and, armed with it, went to Sutton Manor and secured a massive shipment of grain.
Everything went incredibly smoothly. Warren Yu felt even more grateful to Ninth Royal Uncle, who had arranged everything so perfectly without ever appearing himself—no one outside could see Nolan Dongling’s hand in it.
Lance Quinn read Warren Yu’s written plan from Vincent Su and upgraded his assessment of Warren—from ‘born military talent’ to ‘born commander-in-chief.’
He began to take Warren Yu much more seriously.
"Looks like my grain wasn’t wasted. But I still don’t get it—how did he know to come to me for grain? And he dares give me this plan? Does he really think I’ll trust him to pay me back just because of it?" Vincent Su looked at Warren Yu’s self-sustaining army plan, half amused and half exasperated.
To outsiders, it was Vincent Su who endorsed Warren Yu’s plan and signed the agreement: the grain had to be repaid within ten years, with thirty percent interest.
It looked like a straightforward transaction, but without Lance Quinn’s prior instructions, Vincent Su would never have agreed to this deal with Warren Yu.
Sometimes, even if you have the money, you can’t buy grain—especially not in such huge quantities.
"A lucky hit, just good fortune." That was Lance Quinn’s verdict on Warren Yu.
Originally, Lance Quinn hadn’t set his sights on Warren Yu. Warren had the talent for command, but his loyalty made Lance hesitant to use him. Yet plans couldn’t keep up with change—recent events had pushed Warren right in front of him.
So, if he’s available, why not use him?
As for the true mastermind behind it all—Serena Fenton—not a single person mentioned her. Vincent Su and Lance Quinn assumed this self-sustaining army plan was Warren Yu’s idea.
Warren Yu, for his part, thought the plan had come from Ninth Royal Uncle.
So much so that, years later, when the truth came out, no one could believe it...
Having dealt with Warren Yu, Serena Fenton stopped thinking about his affairs. Though she’d spent plenty of time in military camps, she had no real talent for leading troops.
At best, she could recite a few chapters of the Thirty-Six Stratagems and Sun Tzu’s Art of War to bluff her way through; her practical skills were zero. (Translator's note: Thirty-Six Stratagems and Sun Tzu’s Art of War are classic Chinese military treatises, often referenced for strategic thinking.) Besides, she had no interest in getting tangled up in those messy affairs.
In the Emperor’s eyes, she and Ninth Royal Uncle were suspiciously close. If she got involved in Warren Yu’s business, the Emperor would use it as an excuse to attack Ninth Royal Uncle.
No matter what Ninth Royal Uncle thought, Serena Feng would never do anything that might harm him.
Thinking of Ninth Royal Uncle, Serena felt a wave of frustration. Why did she have to meet someone like him? Why did he treat her so differently, making her hope for things she shouldn’t?
Fortunately, Serena knew her own place. Once she entered the operating room, she buried her disappointment and put on her professional face as a doctor to examine Madam Wei.
The results matched Serena’s guess: cataracts, which could be treated surgically.
However, Madam Wei’s overall health was poor—she looked like a ‘sick beauty,’ lacking any energy. In this state, surgery was out of the question; she needed several days of care first.
As Serena wrote out her medical instructions, she explained to General Victor Wei how to nurse Madam Wei back to health and keep her spirits up. She also scheduled checkups every three days, planning to begin treatment in ten days.
General Victor Wei was endlessly grateful when he heard Serena could cure his wife; Madam Wei was so moved she kept wiping away tears.
Her blindness hadn’t been present from birth—it had crept up over more than ten years. She’d seen countless doctors, all of whom said nothing could be done. Now, with the promise of restored sight, how could she not be overjoyed?
Serena showed no particular emotion, simply saying, "Don’t mention it."
Years of medical practice had made her used to this. Though she was glad to relieve others’ suffering, she never showed it on her face.
Knowing she could cure the illness made Serena Fenton feel justified in accepting the consultation fee. Out of respect for General Victor Wei’s past friendship with her father, she personally escorted them out of Fenton Manor.
On the way out, General Wei couldn’t help but sigh again and again: General Feng had truly raised an exceptional daughter.
Though Serena Fenton was exhausted, hearing General Wei mention her father made her ask a few more questions about him. Unfortunately, General Wei didn’t know much.
At the manor gate, General Wei hesitated, then said, "Miss Fenton, there’s something I’m not sure I should bring up."
"General Wei, just say it. No need to be so cautious." Serena Fenton didn’t care for General Wei’s hesitation.
Honestly, you’re a soldier—can’t you be a little more straightforward? You’ve already brought it up, so just say it.
"Miss Fenton, many who once served under General Feng were badly wounded and discharged. Their lives are very hard, and as far as I know, several families can’t afford medical care when they fall ill.
This morning, a child from the Tie family fell and split his head open. They came to my estate for help. I gave them ten taels of silver, but judging by the child’s breathing—he’s exhaling more than inhaling—I fear he won’t make it. Miss Fenton, you’re a skilled physician. Could you possibly..." General Wei knew he was meddling in things beyond his duty.
He only asked because Serena Fenton seemed to respect her father and cherish old friendships. Thinking of the child’s tragic state that morning, his heart softened.
"Exhaling more than inhaling? That’s very serious. When did it happen?" Serena Fenton’s face grew grave at once.
It didn’t matter if the child was her father’s old subordinate’s son or just an ordinary family’s child—Serena Fenton would never stand by and watch someone die if she could help.
"Just this morning, as I was coming to Fenton Manor," General Wei replied, startled by Serena’s strong reaction.
"Damn it, why didn’t you bring the child with you? Don’t you know that any delay could cost his life?" Serena Fenton scolded, her mind racing. She said to General Wei:
"General Wei, you know where the family lives, right? I have a favor to ask—please go quickly and bring the child here. I’ll prepare emergency supplies."
"Alright, alright, but... the consultation fee..." General Wei nodded, then remembered Serena’s sky-high fees and asked anxiously.
"General Wei, my consultation fees depend on the person and my mood. If I can save that child, I won’t charge a single coin—I’ll be happy just to help." Serena Fenton replied, a little exasperated.
Does she really have ‘greedy for money’ written on her face?
A thousand taels of gold—that was for the Wang Clan.
"Ah..." General Wei clearly didn’t understand, but Madam Wei caught on immediately and pushed him: "Hurry up! Miss Fenton is a straightforward person—this isn’t the time to talk about money. Saving a life comes first."
"Yes, yes, saving a life comes first." General Wei snapped back to his senses and hurried out.
"Evan, help Madam Wei to rest. When General Wei returns, bring them straight to the small wooden hut." Serena Fenton didn’t linger—she turned and rushed to the operating room to prepare, her face showing traces of anxiety and guilt.
Maybe she ought to find a chance to talk to Warren Yu about the lives of disabled veterans.
If General Wei hadn’t mentioned it, Serena Fenton wouldn’t even know her father’s old subordinates were living so miserably.
If those families carried their injured child to the Wei estate, they must have had nowhere else to turn.
But why hadn’t they come to her?
Serena Fenton forgot that until recently, the Feng family’s circumstances were scarcely better than theirs. Even if they had come, with the old Serena in charge, they would have gotten little more than tears.
William Wang Jinling was seeing the Wang Clan Patriarch out. They happened to be a step behind Serena Fenton and General Wei; since the Wang Patriarch had come on a whim, he hadn’t greeted Serena, and now it wasn’t the right moment to show up. Father and son waited at the corner, not expecting to witness this scene.
"‘Fees depend on the person and mood’—Serena Fenton is a truly free-spirited person." The Wang Clan Patriarch watched Serena rush off, admiration flashing in his eyes. He didn’t regret the thousand taels of gold he’d paid.
‘Depends on the person’—of course, his son’s eyesight was worth a king’s ransom.
"Without that open-heartedness and freedom, she wouldn’t have survived until now." William Wang Jinling smiled, the bandage over his eyes not affecting his walk or hearing.
The Wang Clan Patriarch nodded, then, as if struck by a thought, said seriously to William: "Jinling, Serena Fenton is truly outstanding, but you must understand—she’s not the right match for you. The future Madam Wang must be a different kind of woman."
"Father, I understand," William replied bitterly.
Father, your son has already been rejected...
Adrian Dongling (Rowan Prince): Don’t worry, I’ve been rejected too...
Lance Quinn: At least you two got to ask—I haven’t even had the chance to speak.