Serena Is in Prison, How Can I Not Fight With My Life

You can't force a stubborn ox to drink—Prince Nolan has made it clear he's cold-hearted and won't lift a finger for Serena Feng, no matter how furious, anxious, or desperate Adrian Dongling gets. Nolan's mind won't be changed.

With the Crown Prince’s cold sarcasm hanging in the air, Adrian Dongling flicked his sleeve and once again left ahead of the Crown Prince, leaving him standing alone.

Adrian didn’t return home—instead, he went straight to the Imperial Palace. Testing Prince Nolan was an assignment from the Emperor, and of course he had to report back.

He’d expected the Emperor to fly into a rage when he heard that Prince Nolan refused, but instead, the Emperor smiled and praised him: “My Ninth Brother is getting harder to read—truly worthy of the late Emperor’s bloodline.” Cold-blooded, detached, and ruthlessly rational.

“Emperor, since Prince Nolan won’t stand up for Serena Feng, doesn’t that make her a useless chess piece? Why keep her around?” Adrian asked cautiously. The Emperor’s favor was still with him, but…

After the last incident, Adrian understood: in the imperial family, there is no true father and son. The Emperor’s affection for him could vanish at any moment; he must never get carried away by favor.

“Who says she’s useless? If Nolan gave her the Saint-Min Empress’s Phoenix Empress Hairpin, it means she holds a special place in his heart. Don’t be fooled by that icy face—if he won’t trade the late Emperor’s secret assets, then force him to use something else to buy Serena Feng’s life.”

The National Duke’s death cut off pursuit of the thunder-blast grenade affair, souring the Emperor’s mood. But pinning a murder charge on Serena Feng actually pleased him—his subordinates were finally handling things his way.

After several tests, the Emperor was sure: even if Nolan doesn’t care about Serena Feng ten out of ten, he cares at least five or six.

Adrian claimed Nolan didn’t care at all, but that was just an act. If Nolan truly felt nothing, he’d put on a show of deep concern to trick the Emperor into thinking Serena Feng could control him—then the Emperor would never let her go.

Getting Nolan to trade the late Emperor’s hidden network for Serena Feng’s life was just a test. Nolan’s refusal came as no surprise—if he had agreed, I’d suspect a trap.

Nolan’s exalted status in Eastlyn depends entirely on what the late Emperor left him. Without those assets, he couldn’t save Serena Feng—he wouldn’t even be able to protect himself.

I never intended to use Serena Feng to force Nolan to hand those over. My real plan is to bring Serena out and make Nolan publicly quash the rumors of Heaven’s displeasure. I trust he’ll understand.

“Father? Will Ninth Royal Uncle agree?” Adrian Dongling, as the Emperor’s confidant, was well aware of the five mountain explosions and the spreading rumors. He understood the moment the Emperor brought it up.

“I’ve already stepped back; of course he’ll agree. I’m not asking for much. Well, there’s no rush about Serena Feng—keep her locked up a few more days. When Nolan gets anxious, everything will be negotiable.” The Emperor was utterly confident, his face—worn thin by days of trouble—restored to its former glow.

You have to admit, the palace staff are masters of beauty. Seeing the Emperor so radiant now, you’d never guess how haggard and old he looked just days ago.

“Father, you’re wise.” Adrian Dongling wasn’t convinced. He’d seen Prince Nolan unmoved by Serena Feng’s imprisonment and doubted he’d abandon his long-laid plans at a moment like this.

The fiercer the rumors spread, the more cautious the Emperor will have to be, and the safer Prince Nolan will become. There’s no way he’d risk his own safety just to get Serena Feng out of prison.

Still, Adrian didn’t dare say this to the Emperor. He quietly withdrew, and with the Emperor’s permission, went to the Empress’s palace. Since the last incident, the Empress’s health had greatly declined; even regaining imperial favor hadn’t restored her strength.

An Empress without her natal clan to rely on can only cling to the Emperor’s will, at his mercy. If he orders her east, she dares not go west; if he commands her to die at midnight, she wouldn’t dare delay until dawn. What’s the point of being Empress under such conditions?

That night, a sharp wind rose and snow began to fall. In just one hour, the whole Imperial City was blanketed in white—so dazzlingly bright, not a soul could be seen on the streets.

When Lance Quinn appeared in black clothes and a half silver mask, he stood out starkly. But in this heavy snow, even the most obvious footprints vanished quickly, making pursuit nearly impossible. It was safe for him to move through the snow.

After circling the city several times, Lance Quinn slipped into the secret room at Sutton Manor. Just like the night before, Vincent Su was working through the night despite his illness.

"Cough, cough..." Vincent Su coughed from time to time, but didn’t care. Only when his throat became unbearably raw did he sip some tea to soothe it.

Lance Quinn shook his head. "Wenqing, Serena Feng told you to rest more. You don’t have to push yourself so hard."

"You’re here, Lance." Vincent Su looked up, wiser this time—he didn’t dare get up, just greeted Lance Quinn. Lance strode over and pressed down the papers in Vincent’s hands. "Enough. Rest a bit. If you keep this up, your body won’t last. You’re not like me or Storm Cloud Bu—we have martial energy to protect ourselves, so a few sleepless nights don’t hurt us."

"Don’t call me fragile, it’s just a few trivial things." Vincent Su tried several times to snatch his work back but failed, so he had to give up and sighed. "Lance, things are so tense—how can I not give it my all? Now that Serena Feng’s been arrested, if we don’t act, she’s in real danger."

"No rush. Serena Feng is the perfect piece to use against Prince Nolan. The Emperor won’t let anything happen to her easily. If Serena dies, she loses all her value." Lance Quinn’s eyes flashed cold and bloodthirsty.

No matter who actually killed the National Duke, the one who stands to gain most is the Emperor.

"But dragging things out hurts us." Vincent Su understood that much. The current situation left them far too passive. If this kept up, the Emperor would keep pushing, forcing them to reveal their trump cards.

But now isn’t the time to play our hand—if we do, we’ll just become targets for everyone.

"Who said we have to drag things out? Where are the thunder-blast grenades left from last time? Give them all to me." Lance Quinn had come with a plan.

As if he doesn’t know how to play dirty.

The National Duke’s Manor is just using its Four Great Dukedoms status to pressure the officials, block investigations, and demand Serena Feng’s life as payment. Fine, I’ll destroy the National Duke’s Manor and see who still dares demand Serena’s head.

If the National Duke’s Manor is guilty itself, then the National Duke deserved to die. Without their backing, William Wang Jinling and Victor Yun could overturn the verdict with ease—even the Emperor couldn’t stop them.

He doesn’t believe a mere collision could kill a healthy man.

Before, out of respect for Storm Cloud Bu, he hadn’t wanted to wipe out the National Duke’s Manor—otherwise Bu would have nothing to return to. But now, with things as they are...

No wonder he’s ruthless!

Vincent Su’s eyes lit up. "You’re going to blow up the National Duke’s Manor? If so, I’ll let Storm Cloud Bu know—he’d love to see them suffer."

"That’s the crudest method. I wouldn’t stoop to it." If the National Duke’s Manor exploded, Serena Feng would be the prime suspect. Add in the thunder-blast grenades, and she’d never be free again.

"Then what do you want with the thunder-blast grenades? We only have a few left—use them wisely, don’t waste them." Vincent Su got up, fetching the grenades for Lance Quinn while reminding him.

Lance Quinn didn’t answer, because...

He fully intended to waste them!