Dream of a Thousand Sorrows Washed Away by Wine

Colin Si's premonition came true.

Prince Nolan replaced Dominic Zhai with Colin Si because he valued Colin's skill and decisiveness. If Dominic Zhai were in command, Nolan would have cleaned up everything before handing things over—but...

With the crisis at Liancastle unfolding, Prince Nolan no longer had time to stay here. All the follow-up matters could only be handled by whoever took over, and they would have to deal with General Warren Yu themselves.

Dominic Zhai is brave but lacks strategic talent. Nolan trusts him, but he doesn't make things easy. Nolan doesn't have time to pave the way for Dominic; if he left Dominic in charge, General Warren Yu would simply sideline him.

Colin Si is clever, ambitious yet knows his limits. Prince Nolan is confident in his own ability to manage subordinates—Colin wouldn't dare betray him.

Having decided to hand over authority to Colin Si, Prince Nolan didn't cling to power. The day after Night City fell, he delegated all military affairs to General Warren Yu and Colin Si, letting them handle things themselves.

Colin Si may have parachuted in, but he was the one who directed the battle that broke Night City. His talent and strength are plain to see. Even if some in the army still resist or make things difficult, no one dares provoke him.

As for the minor troubles, those aren't Prince Nolan's concern anymore. He's set Colin up with a strong start; if Colin can't win these people over, he might as well go back to Jiangnan early.

With military affairs off his hands, Prince Nolan wasn't idle. Nightleaf and Prince Damien of Southlyn had already been captured. Nightleaf was manageable, but Prince Damien—he was the public enemy of all Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities. If used well, he could be a powerful chess piece.

Remember, Prince Nolan doesn't just want Night City. With Night City taken, the next campaign is already on the horizon. He knows his current strength can't swallow Westlyn or Southlyn whole, but he can certainly take a few cities.

After days of chaos, the postwar confusion gradually settled. Everything was running smoothly. General Warren Yu handed off most of his duties, freeing up time to deal with the crowd of stubborn jianghu fighters. Unexpectedly, he and Sean Xuan became the closest of friends.

Serena Feng wasn't surprised that these two admired each other. General Warren Yu had his own little schemes, but he was forthright and honorable—very much like Sean.

During a break, Serena Feng brought two jars of wine to find General Warren Yu and Sean Xuan. The three of them left camp together, picking a scenic, quiet spot to sit.

Since arriving at the border, they hadn't really talked. Now that she was about to leave, it was time to gather and catch up.

"Busy woman, you finally have time. I thought I wouldn't get a chance to catch up with you this time." General Warren Yu took the wine and sat down on the ground.

"There will be plenty of chances in the future," Serena said, sitting down beside them.

"Yeah, once I'm back in the capital, I'll have all the time in the world to drink with you." To hide his bitterness and frustration, General Warren Yu grabbed the wine jar and drank straight from it.

Sean Xuan and Serena Feng didn't stop him. When he finished, Serena said, "Wasn't this what you planned all along? What's the point of drowning your sorrows now?"

"I thought I could let go. But now that the day is here, I realize how much I can't bear it. The thought that I'll never lead troops into battle again leaves me hollow inside. It hurts." General Warren Yu didn't hide his vulnerability in front of Sean Xuan and Serena, clutching his chest as tears fell.

"I was born on the battlefield. My whole life has been training, commanding, fighting. I always thought I'd be like my grandfather, father, uncles—make the battlefield my home and die under its banners. But it didn't happen..."

General Warren Yu covered his face with both hands, tears streaming through his fingers. He looked like an abandoned little beast, curled up in a ball.

"It's true, our Yu Clan has served different masters. But that's not betrayal—it's because the monarch was incompetent. Why should we be loyal to a useless king? Why should we sacrifice ourselves for them?

Every man of the Yu Clan is made of iron. They all died on the battlefield, died for the nation and its people. So why do others look down on us? Why say we have no pride? All we want is to survive, to keep our men alive. Is that really so wrong...?"

The more General Warren Yu spoke, the more agitated he became. Serena Feng sighed softly, knowing he didn't need comfort—he would come to terms with it himself.

In front of Serena and Sean, General Warren Yu finally voiced everything he'd bottled up inside but couldn't say.

When he finished, he didn't care what Serena or Sean thought. He wiped his face hard, as if nothing had happened, and said calmly, "Guess you got a good laugh out of that today."

"How is that a joke?" Sean lifted the wine jar and clinked it gently with Warren's. "Let's drink."

Except for these two, General Warren Yu would never show his weakness or helplessness in front of anyone else. He was the man who held up the sky for the Yu Clan Army—the kind of general who couldn't afford to show even a hint of vulnerability, let alone tears.

One jar of wine was gone in no time. Warren Yu slammed the empty bottle on the ground. "Serena, you stingy woman, bring a few more jars. Tonight I'm drinking my fill with Sean."

"Wait here." Serena had meant to talk to Warren Yu about the camp rumors—idle talk even she heard in the field hospital, proof things weren't looking good for him. But it turned out she didn't need to. Her only job now was to fetch more wine.

Jar after jar, General Warren Yu was determined to drink himself senseless. Sean Xuan drank too, usually in moderation, but tonight he didn't care—he matched Warren jar for jar.

He was stifled and miserable too, but neither of them could say it—not out loud.

As night fell, the two drunken fools finally had enough. Serena lost count of how many jars they'd finished. Warren smashed every empty jar on the ground. All she knew was that both men were thoroughly drunk.

Fortunately, Warren and Sean were good-natured drunks. They didn't cause trouble, just clung to their jars and mumbled incoherently. No one could make out a word.

"I was born to play nursemaid, always cleaning up after others." Faced with two drunkards, Serena was annoyed but had nowhere to vent. The wind was picking up—if they stayed out much longer, even their strong bodies would catch cold.

"Ling Mo, get someone to help carry these two back." Serena called out, and Ling Mo quickly appeared at her side, silently helping to lift the burly Warren Yu. Serena went to help the other.

"I'll stay here and watch them. Go get help—we can't manage alone." Even if Ling Mo could carry Warren Yu, Serena didn't have the strength to get Sean Xuan back herself.

Ling Mo shook his head stubbornly, refusing to leave Serena alone.

He couldn't just leave Serena by herself. Si Xing had given strict orders—Serena's safety was paramount. If he left and something happened to her, how could he answer for it?

Serena was well aware of Ling Mo's stubbornness. She had no choice but to help Sean up herself. Thankfully, Sean was even more cooperative than Warren—he didn't fuss, just went along. If not for his flushed cheeks and dazed eyes, Serena might have doubted he was drunk at all.

"Let's go." Serena led Sean forward. He was perfectly compliant, but after a while his head drooped onto her shoulder. Just as she was about to push him off, she heard him mumble, "Serena's scent... I must be dreaming. Don't wake me. I don't want to wake up..."

Sean clung tightly to Serena's arm, his flushed face streaked by a single tear. The wind scattered his words, but she could still catch the broken fragments...