Cui Mi looked at Shen Tang, whose anger was plain for all to see, and kept smiling. "Mother spent so many years among the outlaws that it's only natural she doesn't know the situation in Qi Country. Not every country in these troubled times is like Kang to the northwest. Do you understand?"
The moment he mentioned Kang Country, Cui Mi saw his future begin to sway violently once more, bloody scenes flickering back and forth before his eyes. That meant his life or death had shifted—and the person who had caused the change was standing right in front of him.
Cui Mi said, "Surviving is what matters most."
That was true for the common folk at the bottom and the nobility at the top alike.
In these troubled times, it was hardly unusual for their positions to be reversed overnight.
The royal court's approach seemed cold and heartless, but it was the best solution available. It was a lesson and experience bought through the downfall of one country after another. Cui Mi spoke with a weight that did not suit his age.
"When an entire continent is about to capsize, everyone wants to scramble aboard a ship and escape. Who cares if the fighting leaves the great ship battered, or even sinks it? No one cares about the ship's fate or where it's headed. They only care whether they can get aboard, whether they can be the captain at the helm, and whether they can grab hold of that last straw!" Cui Mi's analogy made Shen Tang's heart skip. She wondered whether he knew something or was merely speaking metaphorically. "Sister Shen, you have to board first if you want a chance to repair the ship. Unfortunately—"
"Unfortunately, repairing a ship means taking planks from one place to patch