Zha Muxi never expected that she would stumble upon gossip about herself. One of them held her family status, and the other controlled her financial lifeline. No matter which one she chose, something would go wrong, right? But only children make choices; adults want both.
Zha Muxi grabbed each of them by the hand and said earnestly, "Father, Brother, you are adults now. Adults should have adult ways of solving problems. How about this: give me some perks. Whoever gives the most is the most important person in my heart."
Zha Zhengcheng suddenly exchanged a glance with Zha Yanyu, and just like that, they made up, returning to their gentle and refined demeanor as if the childish bickering of a moment ago had never happened.
"Wait, you haven't given me your answers yet! How can you just laugh off your grievances like that?" Zha Muxi wore a heartbroken expression. Her little stash of money was gone. She felt so aggrieved, but she couldn't say a word.
The two men looked at Zha Muxi with expressions that clearly said, *As if you're worthy.* She knew that love could fade, but no one had ever told her that love could fade so fast.
After they bantered a little longer, Zha Muxi turned serious and asked, "Father, Brother, is there anything you want to ask me?"
The expressions on both men froze, and they fell silent instantly. Zha Muxi didn't rush them; she simply waited quietly for what would come next.
After a long while, Zha Zhengcheng slowly spoke, "No matter what happens, you will always be my daughter, and this home will always be your refuge."
"That's right, Sister. Even if the sky falls, your brother will hold it up for you."
Zha Muxi looked at them with a touched expression. For the first time in a thousand years, she felt familial warmth, and it really was comforting.
"Oh please, with your height, even if you wanted to hold it up, you wouldn't reach," Zha Yanyu said regretfully.
*Hmph, pfft!* So much for damn family love. Not that Zha Muxi was short, but as the saying goes, the damage was minimal, but the insult was immense.
"Father, Brother, I want a divorce," Zha Muxi said calmly, as if it had nothing to do with her.
When the two men heard this, they immediately grew agitated, but a second later, their faces clouded with worry. Zha Muxi naturally knew they were afraid that the secret imperial decree would be made public.
"Father, Brother, don't worry. Someone will destroy that secret decree for me."
"What? Really?" Zha Zhengcheng asked in surprise. You had to know that besides the Emperor, only the Prince would dare to secretly destroy that decree. The Emperor had no friendship with Xier, and the Prince had abandoned her for another woman.
So, Zha Muxi briefly recounted her conversation with Mo Xuanjing from that night, her tone full of confidence. "The Prince utterly detests his father's actions, and on top of that, he feels guilty toward me. Once he investigates everything that happened back then, he will destroy that secret decree."
"Xier, I never imagined that you had been playing the pig to eat the tiger all along," Zha Zhengcheng said with a sigh of emotion.
*No, I wasn't acting. In the past, I really was just stupidly naive,* Zha Muxi muttered silently to herself.
"Then what are your plans for your next step?" Zha Yanyu looked at Zha Muxi.
"The law of the jungle has never changed in this world; the only thing that can change is continuously growing stronger yourself. That's why I want to borrow the family's power to build my own faction." Zha Muxi's eyes burned with fierce determination.
To build a massive faction, manpower, material resources, and financial resources were all indispensable. But what Zha Muxi lacked most was time; she didn't know when those people's revenge would arrive, so she had to prepare in the shortest time possible. And borrowing the family's power was the fastest route.
Moreover, although Zha Zhengcheng and Zha Yanyu had been joking around with her on the surface, deep down they were still deeply worried about her, afraid she would suffer grievances and refuse to speak of it. Now that she was proactively asking for help, both of them were overjoyed.
"Alright, Xier, just say the word if you need anything. Your brother will definitely help you." A flash of amusement crossed the depths of Zha Yanyu's eyes. *That's my sister!*
"Indeed, Xier. As long as it's not murder or arson, no matter how huge the disaster is, Father will smooth it over for you," Zha Zhengcheng laughed.
Zha Muxi's eyes lit up, a hint of glee in her voice. "Then I want to go check out the pleasure house."
"You scoundrel, is that how your father taught you? If you dare to go, from now on... from now on, whenever you come here, you'll only eat vegetarian food!" Zha Zhengcheng scolded angrily. Although he was furious, he couldn't bring himself to severely punish his precious daughter.
Zha Muxi widened her beautiful eyes in disbelief that her dear father could be so ruthless, and she quickly fawned over him, "Father, I was just making a joke! Oh right, I'm attending the celebration banquet tonight."
Zha Zhengcheng gave her a look that said, *You'd better be joking, or family discipline awaits you.*
"Xier, you..." Zha Yanyu said with a trace of worry.
"Brother, don't worry. Since I've decided to step out of my comfort zone, I must bravely face those malicious gossips. Furthermore, I will use my formidable strength to prove to the world that I am a shining pearl." Confidence shone brightly in Zha Muxi's eyes.
Finally, Zha Muxi chatted a bit more with the father and son about her plans and then departed.
"Xier, you're finally back!" Mo Xuanjing ran over to Zha Muxi, beaming with joy.
Zha Muxi paused. Looking at him like this, could it be that he had been waiting for her at the entrance the entire time?
Zha Muxi gave a light hum and intended to walk around him to go inside.
Suddenly, Mo Xuanjing grabbed Zha Muxi's hand and said with a wronged expression, "This Prince has been waiting for you until my neck is sore."
Zha Muxi cast a cool glance at Mo Xuanjing. "Actually, the Prince didn't need to do that."
Mo Xuanjing quickly said, "I just wanted you to see me the very first moment. I'm so happy to see you."
Zha Muxi was stunned, thinking to herself, *I don't care whether you're happy or not, but seeing you—whether I'm happy or not is hard to say.*
Seeing Zha Muxi remain completely unmoved, Mo Xuanjing had no choice but to hurriedly change the subject. "Princess, shall we enter the palace now?"
Zha Muxi nodded. "I'll go change my clothes first."
"Alright." Mo Xuanjing watched Zha Muxi leave with a gaze full of infatuation. As expected of his woman, even her back view was so breathtaking.
"Alright, Prince, let's set off," Zha Muxi said softly.
Mo Xuanjing turned around and was instantly frozen in place. She wore a light blue long dress, her waist bound with a plain silk ribbon. Three thousand strands of dark hair cascaded over her shoulders like brocade. A pair of willow-leaf eyebrows curved like crescent moons, yet a faint, cool detachment was tinged between her brows. Her skin was crystal-clear and translucent—she was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Prince, snap out of it. The palace banquet is about to begin," Zha Muxi said, helpless.
Only then did Mo Xuanjing snap back to reality, murmuring, "Xier, you are truly so beautiful."
"I know, you don't need to tell me, because I think so too."
Mo Xuanjing was taken aback. He hadn't expected Xier to actually agree with him. Just as he wanted to say something else, he noticed that the moment Zha Muxi got into the carriage, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
In truth, it was because Zha Muxi didn't want to endure any more awkward small talk. When you don't love someone, even having them breathe near you feels annoying.
Watching Zha Muxi close her eyes, Mo Xuanjing had no choice but to refrain from talking to her, sitting beside her and gazing at her with burning eyes.
Normally, anyone stared at by such a wolf-like gaze wouldn't be able to sleep, but Zha Muxi was no ordinary person—nothing could stop her from sleeping.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace, Zha Muxi quickly hopped down; she certainly didn't want to keep holding Mo Xuanjing's hand. Mo Xuanjing naturally understood that Zha Muxi was dodging him, and could only offer a bitter smile.
Everyone had expected to witness the pathetic sight of Zha Muxi being abandoned, but instead, they saw the God of War Prince following behind Zha Muxi like an obedient little wife, which secretly startled them. What was going on here? Wasn't the Prince always cold toward the Princess?
In truth, everyone knew the Prince loathed the Princess, so they hadn't been surprised at all when he chose Ye Shuxin. They had rushed to the banquet early purely to watch Zha Muxi's downfall. People, as it turned out, always hoped for their own happiness while simultaneously loving to watch others suffer.
The imperial grand hall was magnificently decorated, adorned with fresh flowers and opulent ornaments. Gourmet delicacies were served, and palace maids danced gracefully. It was lively beyond compare, yet how much malice lay hidden beneath this beauty?
A shrill voice rang out, "His Majesty has arrived!"
"Greetings, Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor, long live, long live long live!" everyone chorused in unison.
"Rise. Tonight is a joyous occasion marking the triumphant return of my younger brother. Everyone, dispense with the formalities and enjoy yourselves. Xuanjing, I wonder what reward you desire?" Pride was unmistakably evident on Mo Xuanyi's face.
"Your Majesty, this subject desires no reward. I only ask that Your Majesty bestow rewards upon those soldiers. They fought bloody battles on the battlefield and are all heroes of our Mo Kingdom," Mo Xuanjing said without hesitation.
"Naturally. They are all fine men, and every single one of them deserves our respect. Someone, bring out their rewards!" Mo Xuanyi proclaimed loudly.
All the generals looked toward the Emperor and the Prince with deep gratitude, their loyalty to the Mo Kingdom solidifying even further in their hearts.
After taking their seats, Mo Xuanjing kept talking to Zha Muxi, but Zha Muxi simply kept eating, offering only perfunctory replies. Seeing this, Mo Xuanjing placed everything she liked to eat right in front of her.
Zha Muxi stood on no ceremony and began eating in small bites. Her cheeks puffed out, adding an extra touch of cuteness to her appearance.
Mo Xuanjing let out a chuckle. "Princess, you really are so adorable."
With that, he reached out, wanting to pat Zha Muxi's head. With lightning-fast reflexes, Zha Muxi dodged out of the way instantly.
Mo Xuanjing could only awkwardly retract his hand and smile helplessly. This entire scene was taken in by everyone present: the Prince had tried to show goodwill to the Princess, only to be spurned by her?