The disappearance of the little ferret caused widespread panic.

But did that lazy, chubby little ferret really disappear? Of course not.

After absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, Xi Xizhi was so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping, so she lay down under the leaves of the canna lily to catch up on sleep.

The sun blazed fiercely, its rays filtering through the dense foliage, casting shimmering, coin-sized patches of light on the ground. So hot was it that even dragonflies dared only fly close to the shade, as if afraid the sunlight would burn their wings.

The palace maids and eunuchs, drenched in sweat, searched everywhere inside the Panlong Hall.

Lynn paced anxiously, "Have you found it yet? The time it takes for an incense stick to burn is almost up. You all need to hurry up. If His Majesty doesn't find Little Mink when he returns, none of us will be able to keep our heads."

He had only been away from Panlong Palace for one night, and these palace maids and eunuchs had already caused such a huge lapse. His Majesty was very fond of that little sable, teasing it from time to time. If the little sable really disappeared, he truly didn't know how he would bear His Majesty's wrath.

It's rare to see His Majesty so fond of a pet...

Wu Jianfeng wiped the sweat from his forehead. The weather in the dog days of summer was too hot and humid. "Steward Lin, we've searched the entire Panlong Hall. There's not even a mouse to hide in, let alone a sable."

"Have you searched outside the palace? Are you sure Little Mink didn't go out?" Lynn was also sweating profusely, his vest already soaked with sweat.

"They probably didn't run away." Wu Jianfeng's voice was a little weak, and he wasn't sure himself. He wasn't on duty that morning, so he hadn't seen the specifics.

"What do you mean 'should'? Send some men to search outside the palace!" Lin En shouted. He thought Wu Jianfeng was usually quite smart, so why was he so useless at crucial moments?

Another palace maid chimed in, "Chief Eunuch Lin, Guard Wu, it might be too late. The guards outside reported that His Majesty is about to arrive at Panlong Palace."

The world seemed to collapse, and Lynn almost fainted.

A high-pitched voice rang in everyone's ears, and they heard... "His Majesty has arrived!"

All the palace maids and eunuchs' knees buckled, and they knelt down in a trembling voice, shouting, "Welcome, Your Majesty!"

The palace maids and eunuchs turned pale, as if foreseeing their miserable end, and trembled like leaves.

Not seeing Xiao Diao early in the morning made An Honghan absent-minded during the morning court session. He simply said, "If you have something to report, report it; otherwise, the court is adjourned," and then dismissed the group of officials.

An Honghan glanced around the Panlong Hall, but not seeing the little white ball he was hoping for, he said coldly, "Didn't find it?"

Those three words, chillingly penetrating to the very core of one's being.

Lynn knelt, not daring to raise his head: "Please, Your Majesty, grant us some more time. We will definitely find it."

An Honghan took a few steps forward, his gaze falling on the small nest beside the bed. Was it really gone? Why did he always feel like something was missing, a void in his heart?

"Have you forgotten what I said before the morning court session?" An Honghan gently flicked the hem of his robe, causing a slight ripple in his wide sleeves.

The palace maids and eunuchs crawled on their knees, crying out in fear, "Your Majesty, spare our lives..."

Immediately, cries and screams erupted.

An Honghan seemed not to hear, his expression as cold as ice. "Guards, drag these palace maids and eunuchs outside the palace. I want to watch them be beaten to death with my own eyes."

As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen guards stepped forward to arrest the palace maids and eunuchs, ignoring their pleas for mercy, and escorted the group out of Panlong Hall.

Lynn was also implicated. He had spent five years living in fear and trembling, but this day was finally coming for him.

Five eunuchs were pressed down onto wooden frames, heads down. Behind them, two guards, holding canes, swept through the air with a sharp whistling sound before landing menacingly on the eunuchs' buttocks.

A series of heart-wrenching screams filled the air, sending chills down everyone's spines. The eunuch's shrill voice, as if being torn apart, pierced the ears with a sharp, stabbing sound, making everyone wish they could plug their ears and not hear it. But no one dared to do so; in front of His Majesty, they all lowered their heads. With each scream, their bodies trembled.

The only one who remained unfazed was An Honghan. He watched the cane fall one after another without blinking.

Xi Xizhi dreamt that she was floating above the clouds, a flock of cheerful larks flying past her. Just as she was about to catch them, a piercing scream startled her, and she lurched off the clouds. Below her was a vast expanse of sky.

She thought she was going to fall and be smashed to pieces, and screamed in terror...

Startled awake in a cold sweat, I raised my furry paws to wipe the cold sweat from my forehead. Before I could even recover, I heard another scream.

Heartbreaking, excruciating pain.

ah?

Isn't it a dream?

Puzzled, Xi Xizhi brushed aside the large banana leaf in front of her and peeked out with her small head.

When did so many people gather here?

The eunuchs and palace maids surrounded them in layers. The screams came from the center of them.

Xi Xizhi kicked her legs, stretched, and darted out of the flowerbed. She ran straight towards the crowd. What was going on? What a big commotion!

Everyone's attention was focused on the eunuch being flogged, so no one noticed a tiny mink, no bigger than the palm of a hand, squeezing past their feet.

Taking advantage of her small size, Xi Xizhi moved freely through the crowd. But there were too many people; each person has two legs, so a hundred people would have two hundred legs. Before long, she lost her bearings.

However, she was lucky and eventually managed to squeeze to the very center of the crowd.

As soon as she appeared, everyone felt a glimmer of hope and shouted, "The Phoenix Cloud Sable is here! Your Majesty, the Phoenix Cloud Sable has been found!"

The palace maids and eunuchs were all overjoyed and wept, pointing at where the little sable was and cheering incessantly.

Meanwhile, Lynn was lying on the shelf, having already received ten slaps on the bottom. When she saw Little Mink appear, she was almost in tears.

Xi Xizhi stood there dumbfounded, not understanding what the intense looks in everyone's eyes meant.

He retreated in fear.

Don't all stare at me! I haven't done anything wrong. I'm absolutely a fine mink with impeccable character.

A shadow fell over Xi Xizhi's figure, just enough to block out the glaring sunlight.

Xi Xizhi had a bad feeling. She slowly raised her head and saw An Honghan's gloomy handsome face looking down at her.

"You're quite adept at hiding. None of the palace maids and eunuchs in the entire Panlong Palace could find you. Where were you hiding just now?" An Honghan picked up the little sable and made it sit in the center of his palm as if confronting him.

hide……?

No, that's not true. She just used a banana leaf to block it.

Xi Xizhi blinked, chirped, shook her little head, and tried her best to deny it. Afraid that An Honghan wouldn't believe her, she pointed her paw at the canna lily.

An Honghan walked towards the flowerbed and saw many pink flowers that had been trampled, and only then did he believe what Xiao Diao had said.

The little ferret nestled in An Honghan's palm, feigning sleep.

You said you were sleeping here?

He's truly a smart person; with just a glance or a gesture, he can understand what Xi Xizhi is trying to say.

Xi Xizhi nodded in response to An Honghan's question.