Frightened her?

What kind of joke was Han Ziqing trying to pull!

Was she really the type to be frightened by anything?

Frightened her, so she had to take responsibility for it, so it was deliberate?

“How did I frighten you? I didn’t even do anything to you!” Chu Feiyan protested.

“You raised that mirror to throw at Imperial Physician Gu, and it scared me, that’s why I fell! Either way, I don’t care—the wound on my forehead is your doing, and you owe me an explanation!” Ziqing said provokingly. If she’d had reservations before, back at the Prince Yao estate, forced to simply send Chu Feiyan away rather than truly deal with her, now that Jun Beiyue had brought her here himself tonight, she no longer needed to hold back at all!

“Scaring you wasn’t deliberate either—you’re being completely unreasonable!” Chu Feiyan choked with fury. She’d always been the unreasonable, domineering one herself—today was the first time she’d ever been on the receiving end of it.

Ziqing had no intention of continuing to argue with her, wrapping her small hands around Jun Beiyue’s neck, pouting coyly. “Beiyue, she’d already hit me once before, right when I’d just arrived at the door, she threw a teacup at me!”

“I got hit by you too! Right on my face!” Chu Feiyan immediately shot back loudly.

“I’m injured, you’re not!” Ziqing insisted stubbornly, a flash of cunning in her eyes.

“How am I not injured, my whole face is covered in wounds! Prince Yao, take a good look—if Prince Nanzhao sees this face, won’t it look like you failed to protect me properly?”

Chu Feiyan was practically driven mad with fury, leaning her face forward for Beiyue to inspect.

Seeing the layers of caked powder on her face, Jun Beiyue’s expression showed nothing but disgust, saying coldly, “Qing’er doesn’t take fright easily. Princess Imperial, you’d best sit back down—wouldn’t want to frighten her further.”

Chu Feiyan was stunned, not quite understanding Jun Beiyue’s meaning. “I… you… don’t worry, I never meant to do anything to her.”

“In the dead of night, the princess imperial’s heavy makeup might frighten people,” Jun Beiyue explained, his tone still just as cold.

At this, Chu Feiyan froze completely. He… he had actually… after all the careful effort she’d put into her appearance, he found it this repulsive? Chu Feiyan instinctively stepped back, her eyes welling with tears instantly. How could this man be so cruel!

Ziqing was stunned too, then couldn’t help but bury her face in Jun Beiyue’s chest, stifling a laugh. This man’s insults were so cold, and his jokes were even colder.

Letting Ziqing laugh freely against him, Jun Beiyue’s expression remained utterly frigid, clearly not joking at all. “Princess Imperial, whether it was intentional or not, you’re the one who caused Qing’er’s wound. Shouldn’t you offer this king some kind of explanation?”

Chu Feiyan, filled with grievance, her voice choked with tears, immediately invoked her strongest backing. “She hit me too—then shouldn’t you be offering Prince Nanzhao and my royal father some kind of explanation as well?”

“You hit me first! You hit me twice, and I only hit you once—shouldn’t I hit you one more time!” Ziqing immediately retorted, reaching for a teacup as if to throw it!

Chu Feiyan flinched back in fright. “Han Ziqing, if you dare try it, I won’t marry, I’d rather die than marry, and I’ll complain to Prince Nanzhao myself!”

This wasn’t invoking backing anymore—this was a direct threat!

Ziqing had only been bluffing, and set the teacup back down.

Seeing Ziqing back off, Chu Feiyan stopped flinching too, knowing her final trump card had worked. She glanced smugly at Han Ziqing before turning to Jun Beiyue. “Beiyue, West Chu and Da Zhou are treaty nations, after all. I never once intended to make things difficult for you. It’s just that Han Ziqing, being so unreasonable and pushing things too far—it was all a misunderstanding. She insisted on making a scene here in the dead of night, and you really ought to teach her a proper lesson.”

Only then did Ziqing understand—Chu Feiyan had assumed all along that she was the one who’d brought Jun Beiyue here!

What a pity for Chu Feiyan, so infatuated with Jun Beiyue, yet utterly unaware that he despised nothing more than being threatened—especially by a woman!

Jun Beiyue watched coldly, his voice betraying neither anger nor rage, yet cold without a single ripple of warmth. “Whether the princess imperial marries or not is a matter between West Chu and Nanzhao—it has nothing to do with Da Zhou. My kingdom is merely lending passage to the princess imperial; this king is simply traveling to Nanzhao and bringing the princess imperial along on the way. This is not an escort mission. Please don’t misunderstand, Princess Imperial.”

By the time Jun Beiyue finished speaking, Chu Feiyan’s face had already gone pale. He wasn’t afraid of her threats at all—what exactly did he mean by this?

Jun Beiyue paused, then picked up the teacup Ziqing had set back down and handed it to her, continuing coldly, “As for the princess consort’s injury, this king doesn’t care how it happened—only who caused it. Princess Imperial, either let the princess consort throw it back at you, or offer three cups of tea in apology. Otherwise… princess imperial, please take your leave. Da Zhou does not welcome you.”

What!

Chu Feiyan could scarcely believe her own ears. Jun Beiyue wasn’t afraid of her threat at all—he actually wanted her to leave!

Throw it back at her—he actually meant to let her be struck!

And even the apology tea required three cups, when Han Ziqing’s own apology to her had only taken one!

Truthfully, Ziqing knew Jun Beiyue had come to avenge her, but she’d had no idea he would go this far—if this escalated into an open breach, it would bring absolutely no benefit to Da Zhou at all!

Was it really worth all this, over such a small wound on her forehead?

Ziqing couldn’t help but look up at Jun Beiyue, and found his stern face utterly resolute, coldly awaiting Chu Feiyan’s answer.

Chu Feiyan was stunned, utterly at a loss, before finally recovering and roaring furiously, “Jun Beiyue, don’t push this too far! Don’t think I won’t leave!”

With that, she truly turned to walk away. But even as she reached the door, Jun Beiyue made no move to stop her!

Chu Feiyan halted, her hands clenched into fists, so furious her lungs might burst, yet she never took that final step out the door.

Watching this, Ziqing suddenly understood—if this arrogant, willful princess truly held real leverage over Jun Beiyue, would she really only be threatening him with words? Back at the Prince Yao estate, she’d fled in disgrace; now, why would she hesitate to simply leave?

This marriage mission wasn’t something she controlled herself—someone was surely backing her from behind!

Yet Chu Feiyan couldn’t leave, dared not leave. West Chu’s power had already declined significantly from before—defeated by Da Zhou, and now mired in war with West Jing, its national strength was a shadow of its former self. Her royal father, however much he doted on her, could no longer indulge and pamper her the way he once had. Aging and no longer able to rest easy with West Chu’s diminished strength, he needed to rely on Chu Tiange—otherwise, West Chu would fall into permanent decline!

If she returned home now, Chu Tiange would surely have her whipped for it!

What could truly ignite war between Nanzhao and Da Zhou wasn’t whatever happened to her during Jun Beiyue’s escort—it was the secret of Han Ziqing’s true origins!

What should she do?

Bow her head? She refused to accept that!

But what else could she do?

No—she had to keep fighting. Whatever happened, she had to reclaim the moral high ground.

With this thought, Chu Feiyan immediately turned back around. But just as she turned, Jun Beiyue suddenly snatched up the teacup from the table and hurled it straight at her head with a resounding crack!

No one had seen this coming at all!

At last, all the fury Jun Beiyue had been suppressing beneath his icy composure erupted at once. He slammed his palm on the table and stood. “Chu Feiyan, coming to my Prince Yao estate to harm someone? How dare you! Whether you leave or not, this debt will be settled before you go!”

With that, he took Ziqing’s hand and strode off without so much as a backward glance at Chu Feiyan, leaving her standing alone in the main hall, utterly stunned, blood trickling slowly down her forehead…