Outside wasn’t the place to talk, but once back home it always became the place for talk. Jada and Mira Tang assumed Serena would immediately ask about the information they’d uncovered, but instead Serena was in no hurry—she told them to prepare hot water and a meal for her first.
She needed to restore her energy and eat her fill before facing what came next—before she confronted those buried truths. The facts were already uncovered; no matter how urgent, there was no need to rush this moment.
Fortunately, Spring and Autumn, along with the other two maids, knew Serena’s habits well. They understood that whenever Serena came out of the operating room, she had to bathe first. Spring and Autumn had already ordered hot water to be kept ready, so the moment Serena emerged, it was waiting for her.
Soaking in hot water, Serena forced her body to relax, closed her eyes, and hid the faint sorrow and unease in her gaze.
To find what she wanted so quickly was no good sign—it meant the matter was far more complicated than she’d hoped, and far more people were involved than she’d imagined.
Someone wanted to profit from this—wanted to profit from her parents’ deaths.
The thought made Serena’s heart ache. Those people wouldn’t even let two dead souls rest. Couldn’t they put themselves in her shoes and imagine how much it hurt, being a daughter?
No matter who she was, in her heart, General Feng and Lady Feng were her only true parents. The ones from her previous life—one she lost, the other who denied her—didn’t deserve the title at all.
She had poured all her longing for parents into them. She could still remember as a child, General Feng holding her close, his warm hand patting her little head as he said, “My Little Dust is the prettiest girl in all of Jiuzhou. When you grow up, your father will choose the best man in the world to keep pampering my precious Little Dust.”
That was the parental love she’d yearned for all her life—the family she’d dreamed of having. But it was cruelly destroyed.
Plink—a single tear slipped from the corner of Serena’s eye, falling into the bathwater.
Some things she could avoid out of annoyance, but others—even knowing they were trouble—she’d face head-on.
Everyone has taboos that cannot be touched. For Serena, her family is that forbidden line. Her dead parents are the ones she loved most—anyone who dares harm them, she will repay a hundredfold. Reid Yale’s desecration of her parents’ remains had crossed that line.
Swish—Serena stood up from the bath, water streaming down her skin. Barefoot, she walked straight out.
Serena was never a major figure. If Prince Nolan hadn’t singled her out, the Emperor would never have remembered she existed. Someone like Serena—the Emperor would have left her to live or die as fate willed.
After finishing his memorials, the Emperor suddenly recalled that Serena had moved back into Feng Manor a few days ago. He’d heard she was treating the Cui clan’s precious young master, so on a whim, he asked about her.
“What about Serena? Has she made any moves lately?” The Emperor didn’t take Serena seriously at all. What could a mere woman do—just a few petty tricks, nothing more.
Right now, all Serena could do was prop up Prince Nolan’s shaky position. Once he finished off Nolan, Serena would be nothing—so for now, let her jump around as she pleased.
“Replying to Your Majesty, on the day Serena moved into Feng Manor, the Rong family’s young lady made a huge scene. Now the whole city is repeating the phrase ‘I am the courtesan Enchantress.’ But Serena didn’t care—she sent the Rong girl to Capital Prefect Yan, and someone immediately said they’d take good care of her. Capital Prefect Yan is preparing to send her to the army camp.”
The Chief Eunuch knew exactly what the Emperor wanted to hear, so he picked out Serena’s most unlucky incident to report—sure to make the Emperor happy. If the Emperor was pleased, everything else would go smoothly.
“The Rong family’s young lady? Who arranged for her release?” The Emperor asked with interest. Serena had handled the matter quickly, but her reputation still took a hit. Not a clever move, but for a woman, it was practical.
“It was Princess Serenity.” The eunuch kept his head low. Because Serenity was involved, he made sure to mention it now, so the Emperor would know—better than letting trouble erupt later.
“Serenity? She’s supposed to marry into Northlyn come spring, and she’s still causing trouble.” The Emperor raised an eyebrow.
He still felt sorry for this daughter he rather liked, having to send her far away to Northlyn—so…
“Go to my private treasury and pick something nice for Serenity. Send it to her so she can settle down and wait for her wedding.” The Emperor had no intention of punishing Serenity—he wanted to comfort her.
That was just how the Emperor was. Serenity was angry with nowhere to vent—her marriage to Northlyn had been arranged entirely by Prince Nolan, but she couldn’t take revenge on him, so she targeted Serena instead.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Besides this, there’s one more thing I’m not sure if I should mention.” The Chief Eunuch fingered the silver notes in his pouch, thinking how generous Night City’s City Lord was. For that much silver, he had to say a few good words on their behalf.
“There’s more? Wasn’t the Crown Prince present when Serena moved into Feng Manor? With the Crown Prince there, who else would dare make trouble?” The Emperor was increasingly dissatisfied with the Crown Prince, but hadn’t found a good reason or target yet. Once he did, he’d depose him without hesitation and appoint a new heir.
Under the Emperor’s dragon gaze, the Chief Eunuch’s legs gave out and he knelt. After checking the Emperor’s face and confirming he wasn’t angry, he dared to say, “Replying to Your Majesty, that day Young City Lord Reid Yale of Night City brought two coffins into Feng Manor. It’s said they contained the remains of General Feng and Madame Feng. General Feng’s body was preserved intact, but Madame Feng’s was just white bones, with only a jade pendant to prove they were hers.”
“Feng Zhan and Emma Lu’s remains? Wasn’t Feng Zhan’s body trampled to pulp by warhorses? Wasn’t Emma Lu supposed to have fallen off a cliff with no remains left? How could their bodies still exist?” The Emperor slammed the table, furious.
Well then—even daring to deceive the Son of Heaven. These people must have a death wish.
(Irrelevant system message skipped.)
“Please, Your Majesty, calm your anger!” The eunuch didn’t dare argue, bowing and begging for mercy.
Oh, my Emperor—these days, who wouldn’t keep secrets from you? Besides, if General Feng’s body were found, you’d have made sure it vanished too. Not finding it is a blessing.
The Emperor did calm down, but the appearance of Feng Zhan’s body made him recall past mistakes—no, an emperor never makes mistakes; others make mistakes, and he’s already killed them all, burying them alongside Feng Zhan and the thirty thousand men lost on the battlefield.
In a moment, the Emperor’s mood settled. He rose and said, “It’s a good thing Reid Yale found Serena’s parents’ remains. So—was there trouble over it?”
The eunuch, ever the sycophant, hurried to the Emperor’s side, raising his hand to offer support.
“Your Majesty, it should have been a good thing, but Serena is stubborn by nature. With Prince Nolan and the Grand Heir backing her, she’s grown arrogant. When Young City Lord Reid Yale delivered the remains, Serena didn’t thank him at all—instead, she flew into a rage, threatened him, and threw him out. She even drove out the other banquet guests. And just yesterday, she was trudging through the snow, apologizing everywhere.”
The Chief Eunuch’s words were skillful—not a lie, but he skipped over some details and focused on the main points. That’s the art of palace reporting.
“She’s got real spirit—just a young girl, a bit reckless. Go tell the City Lord of Night City that I’m aware of this.” The Emperor was delighted to hear Serena had driven out the banquet guests.
This shows that letting Serena handle the situation outside was a mistake on Prince Nolan’s part. Women are too easily swayed by emotion. Serena can’t possibly think that driving people out and apologizing afterwards would fix things—how naive!
“You’re right, Your Majesty. Miss Feng is forthright, so she’s bound to offend people. Your Majesty, which consort’s palace are you heading to?” The Chief Eunuch fondled his pouch of pearls, his face blooming with a smile.
He always liked it when new consorts entered the palace—after all, the women who come in are all clever.
“You old fox, what—isn’t Night City’s silver enough for you? Now you’re after the consorts’ money too? Tell me, how much did Night City give you to work so hard, and which consort paid you off?” The Emperor knew exactly what was going on, and his tone showed he wasn’t truly angry. Clearly, this sort of thing had his tacit approval.
No one in the palace is clean. The Emperor enjoys seeing the consorts and princes fight—if they didn’t, they’d all band together, and where would his imperial authority be then?
The Chief Eunuch knew the Emperor wasn’t angry, but still put on a fearful act: “Your Majesty wrongs me! I wouldn’t dare take gifts from the consorts. Those trying to get information about Your Majesty—I turned them all away.”
The Chief Eunuch cried injustice. Under the Emperor’s all-seeing gaze, he bowed his head and said, “Ahem… Your Majesty is wise—nothing escapes your eyes. To answer, Night City’s City Lord gave me ten thousand taels of silver just to mention that day’s incident to you. Young City Lord Reid Yale meant well, hoping to thank Miss Feng for saving his life, but she didn’t show gratitude—instead, she held a grudge against him.
The City Lord of Night City isn’t worried about Miss Feng’s resentment—he only fears Your Majesty might be deceived by petty people and think he’s ungrateful. So he reported the matter early to avoid misunderstanding.
There were plenty of witnesses at Feng Manor that day to prove the City Lord’s words weren’t false. Miss Feng not only threw out Young City Lord Reid Yale, she even threatened to feed him to snakes.
Young City Lord Reid Yale remembered Miss Feng saving his life and didn’t hold a grudge, even when driven out. That day, His Highness Crown Prince Terrence Valen of Lyndaria and Prince Damien of Southlyn were present, and both praised the wine at Feng Manor—said it was even better than the Imperial wine.
That’s what it means to be a master at sowing discord. The best things in the world are in the palace, and only the Emperor should enjoy them. Just hearing ‘Feng Manor’s wine is better than the Imperial wine’ was enough to make the Emperor furious and feel he’d lost face.
A true master kills without spilling blood.