084 Secrets—she really does know far too much...
Sweet Dumpling's reflection period this time was truly long. Prince Nolan and Serena Feng were determined to give her a thorough overhaul—not to make her obedient, but to make her strong.
Not every child has to be a good child, an obedient child, always well-behaved and never causing trouble.
Prince Nolan and Serena Feng don't care if Sweet Dumpling makes mistakes or stirs up trouble, but they insist she must have her own strength—she has to be able to handle the consequences herself, not come running to Father or Mother every time something goes wrong.
For two years, Prince Nolan and Serena Feng were ruthless enough to leave Sweet Dumpling in the Imperial Mausoleum.
Of course, Prince Nolan and Serena Feng weren't so cruel as to abandon her completely—over these two years, tutors of all kinds took turns coming to the Mausoleum to teach Sweet Dumpling.
Music, chess, calligraphy, painting?
You don't have to master these, but you must know the basics—at least enough to appreciate them.
The empire doesn't need a genius princess, but it can't have a clueless one either. These are the basic skills every noble daughter is expected to know, handed down for centuries and praised by society. Sweet Dumpling doesn't have to excel, but if she doesn't understand even the basics, it's simply too embarrassing.
Needlework? Cooking?
Sweet Dumpling has plenty of servants to take care of her—she doesn't need to sew for herself. But Serena Feng disagrees. At the very least...
If your clothes tear while traveling, you should know how to patch them up. If you see vegetables or fruit in the wild, you should know what's edible.
You don't have to know how to cook, but you should at least know that watermelon rinds are green, they grow on the ground—not hanging from trees.
Ignorance is no excuse. If Sweet Dumpling doesn't want to be a sheltered princess, she must learn...
These are just the basics. Serena Feng never intended to turn Sweet Dumpling into a prodigy—just someone who understands enough. Prince Nolan and Serena Feng's real focus is on martial arts.
So, for these two years, the most important thing for Sweet Dumpling in the Imperial Mausoleum was martial training.
Every day, out of twelve hours, one hour was for meals and rest, four hours for sleep, and the remaining seven hours—three for martial arts, three for academics.
The last hour: half could be used to rest, and the other half was spent reading medical books.
If Sweet Dumpling was sent to the Mausoleum to reflect at first, now it was pure torment—two whole years of it...
Every single day, someone watched her, making sure she followed the schedule and studied strictly.
Sweet Dumpling had always been lazy and undisciplined. She liked medicine and had real talent, but always learned while playing—she'd never gone through such intensive study before.
At first, Sweet Dumpling couldn't accept it at all and fought back fiercely, refusing to cooperate in every way. But...
She quickly realized her resistance was useless. The tutors never scolded her or tried to control her—they just did their job, teaching three hours a day. Whether Sweet Dumpling listened or not, or how much she learned, the tutors never cared.
It was the same for martial arts. The instructors would demonstrate the techniques, teach her the basics, assign practice, and let Sweet Dumpling train.
If Sweet Dumpling wanted to train, they'd teach her; if she refused, the instructors didn't get angry—they just stood with her until time was up.
All kids have a rebellious streak. Sweet Dumpling wasn't especially stubborn, but she was proud—she wouldn't yield. She wanted to see how long these people could outlast her...
"You want to test patience? I'm better than you!" Sweet Dumpling clenched her fists, treating her standoff with the tutors as a battle, refusing to cooperate no matter what...
But soon, Sweet Dumpling realized her situation was tragic. These tutors were just following the Emperor's orders to teach the princess. Whether the princess listened or not made no difference to them—they'd teach regardless. No matter what tricks Sweet Dumpling tried, the tutors said nothing and just kept teaching day after day.
"I don't believe this!" Sweet Dumpling fumed, locking horns with the tutors. But soon she found things got even worse, because...
Prince Nolan and Serena Feng got word and quickly responded by...
Sending twice as many people to the Mausoleum, using human wave tactics to outlast Sweet Dumpling.
A test of patience, is it?
Let's see who can hold out the longest.
Fine...
Let's compete!
Let's see if one stubborn kid can beat a whole crowd of tutors.
With the resources of the whole empire at their disposal, how could they not tame a single little girl?
If ten weren't enough, they'd send a hundred; if a hundred failed, they'd send a thousand, ten thousand—until she was worn out!
At last, Sweet Dumpling learned her lesson and accepted her fate.
She knew she couldn't outlast Father and Mother—they could summon hundreds or thousands of tutors with a wave of the hand. If she wore out one batch, another would arrive.
Since confrontation was pointless, Sweet Dumpling decisively switched strategies.
Fine, I'll study—okay?
Not only will I study, I'll learn everything fast and well. Once I've mastered it all, you won't have any excuse to keep sending people, right? I can finally leave, can't I?
For freedom, for pride—Sweet Dumpling went all out...
Two years—two whole years—Sweet Dumpling absorbed everything like a sponge. If she wasn't studying, she was sleeping. No matter what the tutors taught, she did her best to learn and understand.
At that time, Sweet Dumpling had only one belief: learn quickly, leave this wretched place as soon as possible, and never live like this again.
Life boiled down to a single purpose. The days were so packed they flew by. For Sweet Dumpling, those two years felt like a blink. It wasn't until her tutors announced the end of her studies and the guards came to escort her out of the Mausoleum that she realized...
She'd spent two and a half years in the Imperial Mausoleum!
She'd gone from a chubby little girl to a budding young beauty.
"Two years—how fast it went." Maybe it was all the studying, but Sweet Dumpling's once lively eyes had grown calm, as serene as autumn water...
Poised, radiant... Compared to two years ago, Sweet Dumpling was a world apart. Back then, she was just a clever kid. Now?
Two years of settling, two years of study—her life wasn't just fuller, her heart was too.
"A belly full of books brings its own glow"—that's Sweet Dumpling now. When she walks out, she'll leave a whole crowd of boys dazzled.
Lively, noble, smart but not showy. She's only ten, but already showing the grace of a young lady.
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"Not having to study feels... kind of weird." With life suddenly relaxing, Sweet Dumpling found herself at a loss.
It felt empty—so much free time, she didn't know what to do with it.
"It should be fine once I'm out of the Mausoleum." Sweet Dumpling nodded, happy for the freedom ahead.
After more than two years... she could finally see Father and Mother again—and Little Dumpling, her big brother.
She missed them so much it hurt!
But before leaving the Mausoleum, Sweet Dumpling went to one last place—where Lady Min lived...
Sweet Dumpling had been learning in the Mausoleum, growing more poised by the day. Lady Min was different—every day was torment. After more than ten years, she was no longer the dignified noblewoman she once was, but worse than any common old crone.
"Imperial Grandmother, I'm leaving now. Thank you for your care and guidance these past two years. I'll come visit you again." Sweet Dumpling smiled sweetly, her face innocent and charming, just like a well-behaved child. But...
Lady Min's face changed dramatically when she heard this. "What—what did you call me?"
"Imperial Grandmother! Didn't you hear me? You really are getting old—your ears aren't so good now." Sweet Dumpling looked concerned, but stood her ground, unfazed by Lady Min's twisted expression and wild eyes.
"Imperial Grandmother, I'm really sorry. All your hard work these past two years was for nothing." Sweet Dumpling smiled like an angel—but to Lady Min, she looked like a devil.
"Impossible, impossible—how could you know? I hid it so well... How could this brat know?"
Sweet Dumpling stood up, calmly interrupting Lady Min: "Imperial Grandmother, you really are getting old. Think about it—when you were young, you couldn't outsmart my father. Now that you're older, how could you possibly fool his daughter?"
Sweet Dumpling looked gentle, but her words could have killed Lady Min with anger.
For two whole years, Lady Min had been nothing but a plaything for Sweet Dumpling.
She'd thought she could mold a daughter who'd go after Ninth Uncle and Serena Feng, but it was all for nothing.
"You—you... When did you find out?" Lady Min's blood surged as she forced herself not to spit blood, her face twisted as she stared at Sweet Dumpling.
She couldn't accept it. She absolutely couldn't accept it.
Why? Why give her hope, only to plunge her into despair...
"I knew from the very start." Now that she was leaving, Sweet Dumpling didn't bother to hide anything: "Imperial Grandmother, you didn't really think I'd make the same mistake twice, did you? Back then, I was clueless and took Lan Mo out because I was foolish. You can't think I'd stay foolish forever, right?"
"Imperial Grandmother, Imperial Grandfather is all alone here—just keep him company. As for me? Sorry... I can't live up to your expectations. I love my parents very much, and I'm not angry at all that they left me in the Mausoleum. I have no use for your teachings these past two years."
With that, Sweet Dumpling brushed imaginary dust from her clothes, turned gracefully, and left Lady Min standing there, furious and helpless...
Ah...
Finally unable to bear it, Lady Min screamed and coughed up blood, collapsing to the ground...
For two years, Lady Min had schemed endlessly to get close to Sweet Dumpling, trying bit by bit to make her hate her father and mother—hoping she'd seek revenge on them when she left.
She tried to fill Sweet Dumpling's head with imperial power, painting all the benefits of being Empress. She taught her political schemes, all for one goal...
To make her fight with Little Dumpling, throw the empire into chaos, brother and sister battling for the throne.
For two years, Sweet Dumpling acted like she disliked Father and Mother, and resented Little Dumpling. Lady Min thought she had succeeded—she even handed over her last bit of influence to Sweet Dumpling, hoping she'd use it to take revenge on Father. But what happened?
She hunted the goose every day, only to be pecked by one. Lady Min lost—completely and utterly.
I can't accept this!
Lady Min's shrill cries echoed through the Mausoleum, but no matter how unwilling she was, it was useless. She couldn't leave—never, ever leave...
085 Secret Realm of Fengli
Sweet Dumpling's actions in the Mausoleum could be hidden from others, but not from Father and Mother. From the very first time Lady Min approached Sweet Dumpling, they knew, but chose not to intervene. Their reason was simple...
From the day she was born, their daughter was their precious treasure, cherished above all. If she could be turned against her parents by a few harsh words, unable to distinguish real love from false, then...
No matter how much it hurt, they'd have to give up on her.
Of course, when Father and Mother said "give up," they didn't mean abandoning their daughter. They just wouldn't spoil Sweet Dumpling like before, and would never let her near the center of power again.
Father and Mother would treat Sweet Dumpling as an ordinary princess, giving her a life of comfort and luxury.
It's not that Father and Mother were cruel—their position left them no choice.
If Sweet Dumpling really became ambitious and wanted to be Empress, their love would only help her build power—and put the empire in mortal danger.
Whether palm or back, it's all flesh—they could never hurt Little Dumpling for Sweet Dumpling's sake.
From the moment he was born, Little Dumpling was raised as their heir. No one could threaten his place—not even Sweet Dumpling.
Thankfully, Sweet Dumpling didn't let them down.
"How could our daughter ever be so shortsighted?" Father said proudly, holding Mother in his arms.
When Sweet Dumpling played Lady Min on her way out, Father was only pleased—he'd never think her unfilial.
If elders are unjust, how can the young owe them filial piety?
Blind filial piety is something he can't do himself—how could he expect Sweet Dumpling to do it?
Fine, Serena Feng admitted, Sweet Dumpling handled things beautifully in the end: "Since Sweet Dumpling fought back so well, we won’t send her to Mystic Medicine Valley next."
Her daughter had gone to Mystic Medicine Valley from a young age, always away from home. Serena Feng truly missed Sweet Dumpling. The past two years, she taught her personally, but now...
A daughter grows up, and one day she belongs to someone else.
"It's good to keep her close. Sweet Dumpling suffered plenty in the Mausoleum these past two years—it's time she had a real break." She’d learned so much, she needed time to absorb it all, or those years would be wasted.
"Sweet Dumpling’s medical skills are decent. If she spends the next two years studying quietly, it’ll do her good." Serena Feng had no objections, but there was still one thing that troubled her...
Serena Feng asked Father, "Next month we're going to the Northern Mausoleum. Should we bring Sweet Dumpling?"
"No need. We’ll go ourselves. The mark of the Fengli Clan’s trueborn daughter ends with you." Father refused without hesitation.
Sun Sixing disappeared in the Northern Mausoleum for nearly three years. Serena Feng was frantic, sent countless people to search, and finally, a month ago, found Sun Sixing’s whereabouts.
Turns out, Sun Sixing had been trapped in a mysterious place for three years—a secret realm created by the Fengli ancestors, far more formidable than the Wolf Lord’s Forbidden Land.
Sun Sixing was trapped in the Secret Realm of Fengli, but didn’t die. He couldn’t escape until a month ago, when Ling Mo led him out and reunited him with his rescuers.
With Sun Sixing out, the Secret Realm of Fengli was exposed. Young members of the Fengli Clan, eager to restore their former glory, rushed in—even though Serena Feng forbade it, a few bold ones snuck in anyway...
They were so reckless only because Father favored the Fengli Clan, knowing he wouldn’t kill them for Serena Feng’s sake. But...
They forgot that Father cared about Serena Feng’s feelings, but didn’t realize Serena Feng would also think of Father.
After all, the Nine Provinces Continent belonged to Serena Feng’s husband and son. The Fengli Clan’s arrogance had crossed her bottom line.
Serena Feng sent an urgent decree: anyone who tried to enter the Secret Realm of Fengli would be killed without mercy!
Anyone who came out of the Secret Realm of Fengli would be executed!
Any Fengli Clan member who snuck into the Northern Mausoleum, along with their families, would be expelled from the clan—no longer part of the Fengli Clan.
Serena Feng was always decisive and ruthless—sometimes even more so than Father. No one dared question her orders; even pleas from clan members were ignored.
She meant what she said.
In just five days, thirty-six Fengli Clan households were expelled—entire families driven out.
A few clan elders felt Serena Feng’s punishment was too harsh, but they understood she was making an example. Without this, the younger generation wouldn’t wake up.
Because of Serena Feng’s high status in the Nine Provinces Empire, the Fengli Clan’s youth had grown arrogant, thinking they deserved more power and opportunities—without ever asking themselves why.
With the elders’ support, no one dared defy Serena Feng’s orders. The clan atmosphere improved, and no one dared trespass into the Secret Realm of Fengli.
As for those who snuck into the Secret Realm of Fengli before?
Serena Feng didn’t need to act—they never came out. Whether they’d be like Sun Sixing and find a way out in three or five years, who could say...
With the schemers purged, peace returned to the Fengli Clan. The youth were steadier than before.
Seeing the results, the clan’s elders and the down-to-earth youth were all quite satisfied.
This was the true Fengli Clan—devoted to protecting the Nine Provinces Empire, never meddling in power struggles. If the empire needed them, they’d fight without hesitation, even at the cost of their lives.
If the empire didn’t need them, they’d keep to themselves, quietly fulfilling their duties...
"I should have acted sooner." Seeing this, Serena Feng blamed herself for spoiling the youth—they’d all grown too arrogant.
"No wonder the King of Fengli forbade trueborn daughters from marrying the Emperor." Serena Feng admired his foresight.
The ties between the Fengli Clan and imperial power were too close. Some would inevitably grow dissatisfied and dream of seizing the throne themselves.
But Father didn’t see it that way.
"I think the King of Fengli had other reasons for forbidding trueborn daughters to marry the Emperor," Father said. "I doubt a single reason could have made him so resolute."
After all, not every emperor wants a vast harem. Some would gladly dismiss all others for a Fengli daughter, but the King of Fengli still refused.
"Maybe the answer lies within the Secret Realm of Fengli!"