CMWKSD -Chapter 250 Tit for Tat

It felt like a dream.

No, even in dreams, Zhuo Mu wouldn’t dare to have such an absurd one.

Everyone was gathered around, staring straight at him.

Zhuo Mu even felt like these gazes were about to kill him.

Why?

Why was this happening?

He clearly…

He clearly hadn’t arranged things this way.

His eyes slowly swept over the crowd.

There were looks of disdain, of amusement, of confusion, of frustration that someone didn’t live up to expectations, and faces pale as death…

Zhuo Ya was covering her face, crying so hard she could barely breathe.

Zhuo Zhuo looked pained, while Zhuo Xi was utterly bewildered.

Zhuo Mu opened his mouth to speak to Zhuo Ya and Zhuo Zhuo, as if to say, save me…

But Zhuo Zhuo only glanced at him coldly.

Zhuo Mu shivered.

Though they shared the same mother, they were rivals too.

Was it really true, as Zhuo Zhuo had said himself, that he would wholeheartedly help Zhuo Mu rise without a hint of selfishness?

And Zhuo Ya—covering her face and crying—hadn’t shed a single tear.

Zhuo Mu was about to look away when he saw that glittering, extravagant, and beautiful yet aloof princess from the common folk.

The princess he had always looked down on, yet never found an opportunity to approach.

Zhuo Mu looked at her.

And Jiu Yue looked back at him.

Eyebrows slightly raised, a faint, almost imperceptible curve on her lips, showcasing disdain and contempt to the fullest.

A cord snapped in Zhuo Mu’s mind.

If…

If Jiu Yue had known from the start what he would do today…

Then perhaps this was the outcome he deserved.

Reaping what he sowed!

Finally, Zhuo Mu was dragged away.

The Emperor of Fengyuan left in a fury.

The palace banquet, already near its end, concluded immediately.

Jiu Yue slowly dragged her heavy skirts past the Northern Barbarians envoy.

Each of them looked as if their parents had just died.

They couldn’t leave the palace; after all, the Emperor of Fengyuan had spoken.

Zhuo Ya felt her palms heat up.

She immediately clenched the object in her hand tightly—it was the antidote Jiu Yue had given her.

Everyone knew they would be sent back, leaving only the Northern Barbarians emperor to decide whether to start a war or demand compensation.

Their pride was at stake.

But this trip to Northern Barbarians had gone so disastrously wrong that punishment from their emperor was inevitable.

Zhuo Zhuo glanced at Zhuo Ya.

“Little Sister Jiu…”

Zhuo Ya shivered slightly, timidly looking at Zhuo Zhuo.

Gone was the arrogant, domineering demeanor she had at the city gate.

Her slightly raised head, eyes brimming with tears, revealed she had truly been scared.

Zhuo Zhuo had wanted to question why Zhuo Ya had brought up Zhou Fang at that moment, but now he couldn’t.

He gently patted her shoulder. “Don’t be afraid. The Emperor of Fengyuan won’t dare harm us, right?”

Tears streamed down Zhuo Ya’s face.

“I… I’m sorry. I was only thinking of survival at the time. I thought if I mentioned Zhou Fang, the Emperor of Fengyuan might not spare us. I didn’t think of anything else.”

“Fourth Brother, did Zhuo Ya say something wrong?”

Zhuo Ya glanced at the Northern Barbarians envoys behind her.

Both the envoys and Zhuo Zhuo were momentarily at a loss for words.

A young girl had thought that admitting her mistakes bravely at that moment would earn forgiveness.

Little did she know, it wasn’t merely a mistake—it was a political one.

It involved matters between two nations.

A tactic that should have appeared in the inner palace’s petty squabbles had been used on international affairs.

It seemed utterly absurd and intolerable.

One envoy, seeing Zhuo Ya trembling with red-rimmed eyes, felt some pity. “The matter has already happened. Saying more now is useless. Fourth Prince, we should consider how to proceed next.”

Zhuo Zhuo lightly gestured with his fingers.

They claimed to be guests in the palace, but in reality, they were locked in.

With such heavy guards surrounding them—who has that many just to host a guest?

Zhuo Zhuo’s eyes slowly swept over all the Northern Barbarians envoys.

This envoy group was now entirely under his lead.

Zhuo Mu had been completely neutralized.

Zhuo Zhuo knew that if he could resolve this perfectly, the ministers would respect him even more.

“Let me think this through.”

This couldn’t be rushed.

The incident had just occurred, and the Emperor of Fengyuan was still angry.

Rushing to speak now might incur the emperor’s displeasure.

Better to wait until things cooled down before addressing other matters.

“Zhuo Ya, you should go back and rest properly.”

Zhuo Zhuo looked at her.

With a face as breathtaking as hers, it was crucial to win her over properly.

Zhuo Ya nodded and bowed.

As she turned, her face darkened.

She hated that gaze—a look that treated a person as a toy.

No matter how beautiful or perfect a toy, it’s still just a toy.

She had seen this in Zhuo Mu’s eyes and now again in Zhuo Zhuo’s.

She would not be anyone’s plaything.

Zhuo Ya didn’t avoid anyone.

Before many envoys in the courtyard, a princess of a nation would not beg.

She merely kept asking if she could see her elder brother, Zhuo Mu, to ensure he was safe.

She insisted it was the fault of Northern Barbarians and that they were willing to give an explanation to Da Qi.

But Da Qi couldn’t just lock them up—it was unlawful, it was imprisonment.

She spoke neither arrogantly nor meekly, calmly and logically.

Many envoys in the room watched the development quietly.

Compared to Zhuo Zhuo, who had thought about solutions but remained inactive,

Zhuo Ya’s reasoned and firm stance showed how a true princess should behave.

No one expected that she would ultimately be allowed to see Zhuo Mu.

Though the incident occurred in the Da Qi palace, Zhuo Mu was still a prince of Northern Barbarians.

The Emperor of Fengyuan wouldn’t dare harm him.

The envoys, hearing that Zhuo Ya was allowed to see Zhuo Mu, were all thrilled.

Zhuo Zhuo was still inexperienced. Though Zhuo Mu had gotten into trouble, his strategic cunning couldn’t match Zhuo Ya’s.

Many wanted to accompany her, but the guards stated only Princess Zhuo Ya could go.

The envoys argued about what guarantees Zhuo Mu could give.

If he could save himself, Northern Barbarians needn’t intervene—everyone would be happy.

If not, at least minimize the consequences.

Zhuo Ya wore a hood as she left.

Her scalp had sprouted very short, fine hair—the hair growth pills Jiu Yue had given her.

Just as she left the courtyard, her scalp tingled sharply.

She pressed her lips together and walked quickly.

The two maids following her looked shocked.

Jiu Yue glanced at them, and they went pale.

When had Princess Zhuo Ya gotten involved with Jiu Yue?

Before they could think further about Zhuo Mu, a warmth spread across her neck.

Zhuo Ya turned in alarm.

The two standing behind her were still her maids—but not the same people.

Her two maids had been replaced.

Jiu Yue looked at Zhuo Ya.

“Princess, please don’t mind. In Da Qi, we value tit for tat. This is merely an act of reciprocation.”