Recently, everyone in the palace knows that His Majesty dotes on Feng Yun Diao. They have long wanted to see Feng Yun Diao in person, but given their lowly status, they are destined to never have that chance.

Many eunuchs rushed over to join in the fun, surrounding the little sable in layers.

Startled by such 'enthusiastic' behavior, Xi Xizhi jumped behind the palace maid to hide.

The two palace maids, being employees of the Panlong Palace, cleared their throats and asked, "Have you finished your work? Are you all trying to slack off?"

Those palace maids and eunuchs who could serve His Majesty were of a higher status. Even if the eunuchs wanted to take a second look, they dared not go against them and dispersed.

Xi Xizhi poked her little head out and rushed into the Imperial Hospital.

A strong smell of medicine filled the air, and more than a dozen middle-aged men sat inside. Xi Xizhi recognized one of them; he was the imperial physician who had shown them the Empress Dowager's remains.

"Huh? How did this sable end up in the Imperial Hospital?" Zhong Weitong stopped fiddling with the medicinal herbs and said in surprise.

"Chirp chirp..." Xi Xizhi chirped politely twice as a greeting. Her gaze swept around the room, finally settling on the old man, and she calmly ran towards him.

The other imperial physicians laughed heartily: "So you're looking for Old Man Xu."

The old man treated animals, which didn't require as much work as the imperial physicians. He sat leisurely in his chair, sipping tea. "So, you little sable have finally had a change of heart and come to visit this old man?"

Xi Xizhi retorted twice. She had originally planned to give a gift, but unfortunately it caused a lot of trouble instead. She just happened to have some free time, so she came over.

Xiao Xunzi and the two palace maids stood quietly to the side, their eyes never leaving Xiao Diao, as if afraid that Xiao Diao would disappear right under their noses.

"Alright, alright, look at you. I'm not blaming you, so why are you nagging?" The old man picked up the little ferret and let it sit on the chair next to him.

He poured a cup of tea and offered it to Xiao Diao. His smiling face made it seem as if he were treating a longtime friend. "Try this fine Biluochun tea. I went to great lengths to find it in the palace."

Xi Xizhi blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected that this old man was doing even better than her. Not only did he have a rosy and radiant complexion, but he could also drink such fine tea.

The tea was a clear, bright green, with a delightful aroma. Just smelling it made Xi Xizhi want to stick out her tongue and lick it. The taste was cool and sweet, refreshing and thirst-quenching—truly a top-notch tea.

"You seem to know a lot about tea. How is it? Is it good?" The old man smiled, his eyes crinkling with wrinkles.

Xi Xizhi nodded repeatedly. Her master used to enjoy tea, so she knew a little about it.

The interaction between the two attracted the attention of the other imperial physicians. Zhong Weitong walked over and stared at the little sable, "It also knows how to drink tea? That's amazing."

"It's a mink with a soul..."

"No wonder His Majesty likes her so much, she's really likable."

...

The continuous praise reached Xi Xizhi's ears.

The ferret seemed not to hear, holding the teacup with both paws and licking it slowly.

"How are you doing in the palace?" After dealing with the group of imperial physicians and sending them away, the old man continued to ask Little Marten.

Shouldn't Xi Xizhi be asking this question? You've only been in the palace for a few days, why are you asking her this instead?

"Chirp chirp..." Not bad.

Aside from the unpredictable nature of people here, the material life is quite good.

"Do you like it here?" The old man raised his teacup and took a sip.

Like it? Not really. Xi Xizhi pondered deeply. If she had a choice, she would rather cultivate in the deep mountains and forests. Just as her master said, the mortal world is full of too many temptations; if one doesn't hold on tightly, one can easily make a fatal mistake.

Without answering for a long time, Xi Xizhi stared blankly at the tea leaves bobbing up and down in the cup.

Without pressing further, the old man beckoned to the little ferret, "Let me give you a physical examination to see how well your injuries are healing."

Xi Xizhi bumped into the table and jumped down to sit in front of the old man. The wounds had long since healed completely, leaving no trace. However, given the old man's kindness, Xi Xizhi couldn't refuse.

"Your injuries have healed, and you've gained weight again." The old man examined the little ferret from head to toe, drawing his conclusion.

Eating and sleeping every day, then eating again after waking up, how could she not gain weight? However, Xi Xizhi looked in the mirror and was quite satisfied with her round figure.

Xi Xizhi remained there until the sun set. Every now and then, she would chat with the old man for a few moments, exchanging glances, like close friends despite their age difference.

The palace maid gently nudged Xiao Xunzi and whispered, "Tell Xiao Diao to hurry back to Panlong Palace, or His Majesty will be back soon."

If His Majesty doesn't see Xiao Diao after returning to the palace, I wonder how angry he will be.

Xiao Xunzi pondered for a moment, nodded, and took a few steps forward. "Imperial Physician Xu, it's getting late. This servant would like to take Fengyun Sable back to Panlong Palace."

The old man smiled again and casually stroked the little sable's fur a few times. "I won't see you off any further."

Xi Xizhi and the old man were having a very pleasant conversation when Xiao Xunzi suddenly interrupted them, leaving her with no choice but to sigh helplessly. Being a sable is truly not free; one has to be watched over every day.

Jumping off the chair, Xi Xizhi landed steadily on all four legs and ran out of the Imperial Hospital with small steps.

As soon as she stepped outside, she bumped into a golden figure. Xi Xizhi was dumbfounded, watching An Honghan walk towards her, looking travel-worn.

He grabbed the little ferret and pulled it into his arms. "What are you doing at the Imperial Hospital? Are you injured again?"

An Honghan's eyes darkened, and his gaze shifted to the two palace maids and Xiao Xunzi.

Xiao Xunzi trembled with fright and quickly knelt down. "Your Majesty, the little sable is not injured. It came to the Imperial Hospital to chat with Physician Xu."

An Honghan's face grew even more grim. His robes were still covered in mud from his recent return from outside the palace. He guessed that after returning to Panlong Palace and not finding Fengyun Diao, he had immediately come looking for her.

He knew the little ferret would wander off once it memorized the map. But it had only just left the palace to attend to the Empress Dowager's funeral, and it couldn't resist the urge to run away. If he were to be away for an extended period, wouldn't the little ferret vanish without a trace?

The thought of this possibility made An Honghan's expression even more terrifying.

The eunuchs and palace maids shrank back and lowered their heads, fearing they would become the emperor's punching bag.

"Back to Panlong Palace." An Honghan stroked the little sable's fur and turned to return the way he came.

Exhausted and drenched in sweat, Lynn wiped the sweat from her forehead and quickly caught up with An Honghan.

Wu Jianfeng didn't understand why His Majesty was angry, so he patted Lin En on the shoulder and asked, "What's wrong, Your Majesty?"

Lynn glanced at him; this guy was all brawn and no brains.

"How could this servant possibly understand Your Majesty's thoughts?" But he knew in his heart that His Majesty's emotional changes were definitely related to Feng Yun Diao.

"So you didn't know." Wu Jianfeng glanced at Lin En with disdain, stepped past him, and walked forward. He cursed inwardly, "He's just a eunuch, thinking he's superior just because he's a favorite of His Majesty."

Lynn's fingers trembled with anger; Wu Jianfeng was far too arrogant.