The Eastmont Governor-General hosted a banquet at the governor’s residence to welcome Ninth Royal Uncle, Nolan. Nolan graciously attended, meeting with the local officials and subtly making it clear that his visit was solely to inspect whether Eastmont’s stone quarries met imperial standards—he would not involve himself in any other matters.
With Nolan’s statement, the Eastmont officials became even more enthusiastic. As long as he didn’t investigate their affairs, they were happy to have him stay in Eastmont as long as he wished. They immediately assured him that if he needed anything, he should just ask—they would do their utmost to cooperate.
The banquet was lively and bustling, wine flowing freely. Though Nolan kept a cold, unsmiling face and spoke little, he did not reject the flattery and gifts from the officials. By the end of the meal, everyone seemed satisfied—at least, the Eastmont Governor-General felt the evening had been a complete success.
After the banquet, seeing that Nolan did not refuse the lavish gifts offered by Eastmont’s officials and wealthy merchants, the Governor-General’s smile deepened. He was now confident his own position was secure.
When it came to arranging Nolan’s lodging, the Governor-General, after consulting Nolan, did not put Nolan and Serena in an official residence. Instead, he invited them to stay at the private estate of a local magnate—the Chen family.
It wasn’t that the Governor-General looked down on Nolan; on the contrary, it was precisely because he held him in such high regard that he made this arrangement. The finest residence in Eastmont wasn’t the official mansion—it was the Chen family’s Blossom Garden.
Of Eastlyn’s three renowned gardens, the imperial Orchid Garden ranked first. Second was the Chen family’s Blossom Garden in Eastmont, and third was the Xie family’s Celebration Garden in Jiangnan.
Everyone in Eastmont understood the Chen family’s motives in lending Blossom Garden to Nolan, and Nolan himself was well aware—hence his agreement to stay there.
In fact, House Lewis had considered preparing their own estate for Nolan, but knowing his true purpose—and recognizing that, though their garden was elegant, it could not rival the Chen family’s Blossom Garden—they let the Chen family seize the opportunity.
After a full day on the road and an evening of socializing, Nolan and Serena arrived at Blossom Garden late at night. The Chen family showed good sense by not appearing to curry favor at that hour; except for a few necessary servants, not a single Chen clansman was present.
“The Chen family really knows how to play the game,” Nolan remarked approvingly at the arrangement.
For the Chen family to rush forward and curry favor—boldly enough to risk offending House Lewis—they were clearly after something.
Serena stepped forward to help Nolan out of his robes, asking in passing, “Are you planning to use the Chen family?”
“Let’s wait and see. Eastmont has more than one Chen family,” Nolan replied. But so far, only this Chen family had truly caught his interest—they were clever and ambitious, exactly the sort of people Nolan preferred to deal with.
“But few have the guts to go head-to-head with House Lewis.” Serena knew Eastmont well enough; compared to House Lewis, the Chen family was nothing.
If House Lewis were top-tier aristocrats, then the Chen family was strictly third-rate. The families weren’t even on the same level, and the Chen’s Blossom Garden owed its prestige mostly to ancestral luck.
Now, for the Chen family to have the nerve and drive to challenge House Lewis by currying favor with Nolan ahead of them, Serena was genuinely surprised. She considered warning Nolan, but then thought better of it—anything she could see, Nolan would have noticed long ago.
Serena silently helped Nolan undress, while Nolan showed no intention of discussing the Chen family further. He didn’t care about them at all—if they offered themselves as pawns, he would use them, and what happened to them afterward was none of his concern.
Soon they lay down together. Nolan held Serena quietly, wanting to do more but restraining himself—he knew she was still sticking to her three-month rule, so he suppressed his urge.
“Go to sleep.” Nolan kissed Serena’s forehead, closed his eyes, and forced down the frustration and restlessness in his heart.
He could flip his hand and summon clouds, turn it over and bring rain—Nolan was a master at navigating officialdom, stirring up officials everywhere with his mix of truth and deception.
Faced with Eastmont’s tangled situation, Nolan could break through instantly even without any allies. Yet when it came to Serena, he was completely stumped. It was enough to drive anyone mad.
It was truly exasperating.
“Mm.” Serena answered softly, but there was no way she could sleep right now.
She hadn’t attended the banquet, but while mingling with the women in the back courtyard, she kept hearing them mention House Lewis with obvious fondness, as if testing her reaction.
Eastmont’s officials truly respected Nolan, and after his repeated tests, they would go out of their way to make things convenient for him. But if Nolan ever moved against House Lewis, Serena was certain the officials would never help him—and might even stand in his way.
House Lewis in Eastmont was a tough bone to crack—where could they even start? The Chen family was far too insignificant to matter.
“What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?” Nolan waited a long time but Serena didn’t fall asleep, so he opened his eyes and tried to comfort her.
“Yeah.” Serena nodded honestly and sat up. “I just feel like things in Eastmont are really troublesome. In the courtyard today, those ladies kept hinting at their closeness to House Lewis, probing how I felt about them. I think House Lewis has found something out.”
Very few people knew about the matter between the Feng and Lewis families—besides them, only the Emperor and Prince Su knew that Nolan had come to Eastmont to deal with House Lewis. Yet today, House Lewis’s attitude suggested they’d learned something.
“So what if they know? Since ancient times, commoners can’t fight officials. House Lewis is just a family—I'm a prince.” Nolan spoke with absolute confidence; as long as you have power, bullying others is nothing to be ashamed of.
If you don’t use your power to press others today, someone else will use theirs to press you tomorrow. That’s just how the world works—trying to act like a perfect gentleman is pure foolishness.
Serena couldn’t help laughing—only Nolan could justify bullying with such righteous conviction. “House Lewis is truly unlucky to run into you. But you make it sound simple; it’s much harder in practice. You may be a prince, but in Eastmont you have no real authority, only a title. House Lewis is the entrenched local power—they have real influence. The officials here value House Lewis highly. If anything happens, they might not just refuse to help you, they could help House Lewis instead. And we can’t make too much of a scene—if Eastmont is ruined, the commoners will suffer, and even the Emperor won’t spare you.”
“You’re right.” Nolan replied seriously, his expression grave, though inside he felt even more frustrated.
What other man was as pitiful as him? Beauty in his arms, yet he couldn’t even steal a kiss—he had to hold her and talk politics instead. It was a waste of a perfect night, a waste of every advantage.
Still, since Serena brought it up, Nolan had to treat it seriously. “If you suspect House Lewis knows, then let’s test them and see how they react.”
“How?”
Nolan thought for a moment. “If I recall, your birthday is this month. We’ll use the occasion to invite Eastmont’s officials and merchants, and watch how House Lewis responds.”
Only by throwing House Lewis into chaos could he get things done…