The Grand Empress Dowager investiture ceremony ended abruptly. Though everyone now addressed Lady Min as Grand Empress Dowager, in many people’s eyes, the ceremony felt incomplete, and her new title somehow lacked full legitimacy.
Especially after the commoners learned that the master had declared Lady Min leaving the temple would harm the nation’s fate, resistance to the Grand Empress Dowager grew across Eastlyn. Lady Min now held the highest title, but no real power.
This was exactly what Empress Dowager Xie wanted. With Prince Nolan away from the Capital, she was content not to fan the flames—she certainly wouldn’t stop the rumors from spreading.
As for William Wang Jinling?
Not only does he lack the will, even if he wanted to intervene, he’s powerless now. With Prince Nolan gone, Felix Fuller and General Warren Yu also absent, he’s left to prop up Eastlyn’s internal affairs alone—reassuring anxious officials and frightened citizens, so busy he barely has time to close his eyes. How could he spare the effort for Lady Min’s little dramas?
Lady Min wants desperately to use this moment to clear her name, but she simply doesn’t have the means. Her foundation in Eastlyn is weak, and she doesn’t dare mobilize her old contacts. All she can do is watch as everything she’s worked for gets destroyed by rumors…
Still, Lady Min is not the kind of woman who breaks easily. What happened at the investiture ceremony barely fazed her. The next day, she got up as usual, chanting and copying scriptures with a look of devout sincerity.
“Is Lady Min really giving up, planning to spend her whole life with incense and Buddha?” Serena Feng raised her eyebrows in surprise when she heard the news. Lady Min isn’t the type to surrender so easily. If she were, Prince Nolan wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to scheme against her.
Sure enough, as soon as news came that Prince Nolan had reached the border and won victories on the front, Lady Min sprang back to life.
“I want to see Serena Feng.” Lady Min told her attendants. When they didn’t react, she added, “Just because I can’t leave the temple doesn’t mean I can’t see visitors. I want to see Serena Feng before nightfall—or else… I’ll die right here.”
Lady Min said this with absolute determination. Her attendants were convinced—if she threatened death, she would follow through.
If Lady Min really died, it would be a huge problem. Prince Nolan might even blame them. No one dared make the decision alone, so they immediately reported the matter to William Wang Jinling.
William rubbed his brow, lifting his head from a mountain of memorials. “Go to Feng Manor and tell Miss Feng—let her decide for herself. Tell her not to force herself. If the sky falls, I’ll hold it up.”
His clear voice was tinged with hoarseness—a sign of how busy William had been lately.
“Yes, sir.” The attendants hurried to Feng Manor, repeating Lady Min’s original words and, after a moment’s thought, reciting William’s message word for word.
Though she belonged to Prince Nolan’s camp, still… when Grand Heir William spoke like that, it was hard not to be moved. He really was a good man.
Serena Feng didn’t answer right away. Instead, she fell into deep thought.
She knew Lady Min was anything but simple. Even if she didn’t really mean to die, she would stir up chaos. William was already busy enough—Serena couldn’t add to his burdens.
But if she gave in every time Lady Min threatened death, Lady Min would only push further in the future.
After a moment’s thought, Serena said, “Tell the Grand Empress Dowager I’m too busy right now to come. Please ask her to wait three days—then I’ll pay my respects.”
“Understood.” With William Wang Jinling and Serena Feng’s words as backing, the attendants no longer feared Lady Min’s threats. If trouble broke out, those two heavyweights would take responsibility.
They hurried back to the temple before nightfall and gently relayed Serena’s message to the Grand Empress Dowager. Seeing Lady Min quietly seated, the attendants finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a test—Lady Min was probing the court’s limits, and Serena Feng was testing Lady Min’s boundaries. In the end…
No one could say if either side was satisfied, but both had taken a step back.
Serena wasn’t lying about being busy—she was genuinely troubled over how to politely refuse Jason Lan. Of all people, she understood his illness best. She’d already crossed a line by using underhanded means against him; now to treat him would be self-contradictory and humiliating. No way was she doing that.
But before Serena could even come up with an excuse, news arrived from Liancastle: something had happened there, and Jason Lan might not be coming after all.
“Keep eyes on it. Report any updates immediately.” Serena was clearer than anyone—Jason Lan was a survivalist to the core. If something was serious enough to keep him from fleeing for treatment, it had to be dire.
Serena’s guess was right. The reason Jason Lan wasn’t coming wasn’t for lack of desire—it was because he simply couldn’t leave. Out of nowhere, rumors about the Former Dynasty started flaring up all across the Nine Provinces Realm, with Jason Lan, the new Lord of Liancastle, at the center.
The rumors claimed Mr. Jingyang was a direct descendant of the Former Dynasty’s royal house—the only surviving son of the little crown prince, pure Lan imperial blood. Supposedly, he even knew the location of the Former Dynasty Imperial Hoard.
That’s why Ghost Hall sent infiltrators into Liancastle, trying to dig up clues about the Former Dynasty Imperial Hoard.
Everyone with real connections knew Ghost Hall’s origins—the Ghost King himself was a Lan descendant and bore a deep grudge against Jason Lan’s branch. As for the Former Dynasty Imperial Hoard, the Four Kingdoms had never actually seen it, but the rumors were everywhere. Everyone believed the Former Dynasty must have left behind a vast treasure.
Over the years, plenty of rumors about the Former Dynasty Imperial Hoard had circulated, but there was never a concrete lead—until now, with a key figure finally exposed. No city or kingdom was going to let this opportunity slip away.
People die for wealth, birds for food. All the smart players knew the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities were about to be reshuffled. If you wanted to survive the coming chaos and rise above the rest, you had to strengthen your power before the storm hit—and nothing would do that faster than seizing the Former Dynasty Imperial Hoard.
Every kingdom and city was itching to move. Real or not, no one wanted to fall behind. First, they had to confirm Jason Lan’s identity. But before they could send investigators, new rumors broke: the Cui Clan was sheltering Lan survivors, Moonvault Palace Sect was full of Lan loyalists, and the Former Dynasty Princess was living at Moonvault Palace.
One explosive revelation after another left everyone stunned. The shadow of the Former Dynasty, which had finally faded, suddenly loomed over the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities again.
“What is going on? Didn’t they say the Former Dynasty royal bloodline was wiped out? How are there so many still alive?” The Northlyn Emperor struggled to sit up in bed, preparing to summon his ministers and discuss Northlyn’s position.
“There are still Lan royals alive? And the Former Dynasty Imperial Hoard… Why haven’t we heard a single word before? Are they all hiding at Jixia Academy? What is House Zhan doing?” The Southlyn Emperor slammed the table in anger.
These idiots only know how to argue day after day. Their selfishness cost Southlyn the initiative—they got nothing out of Eastlyn, and now look what’s happened!
The Former Dynasty royal descendants were right under their noses, and they still had to wait for outsiders to reveal it. These people deserved to be punished!
The Southlyn Emperor was so furious at recent setbacks he wanted to kill someone. As for Westlyn…