Now that His Majesty has asked, Lynn must go along with His Majesty's wishes and play along. If he goes against His Majesty's wishes, he will suffer the consequences.

"Your Majesty, this servant has heard that this imperial chef's specialty is... Kung Pao Mink Meat. His mink meat is incredibly flavorful, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, with a delightful crunch. Everyone who has tasted it praises its exquisite flavor." Lynn, having served as the chief steward for many years, often had to guess the Emperor's thoughts. If he guessed correctly, all was well. But if he guessed wrong, whether he could keep his head was a question worth considering.

The round, fluffy ball of fur stiffened, its two paws gripping An Honghan's clothes even tighter. It was terrified that An Honghan would hand it over to the imperial chef, and then, in front of so many ministers, stage a scene of skinning and dismembering it.

Not wanting to attract An Honghan's attention, Xi Xizhi lifted her weak limbs and secretly slid down. If she didn't run away now, would she really just wait to become someone else's food?

The little sable's subtle movements did not escape An Honghan's eyes. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he suddenly grabbed Xi Xizhi's foreleg and said in a sinister tone, "Trying to run now? Isn't it too late?"

An Honghan meant that the little ferret had successfully piqued his interest, and now it was too late for it to try and escape. Even if it tried to run away, he would hold on tight. How boring would it be not to have such an interesting pet by his side?

The ambiguity of those words was too great, and when Xi Xizhi heard them, they became... "You can't escape now, just wait to be deep-fried."

Shrinking its head trembled slightly, Xi Xizhi chirped softly and rubbed its fluffy head against An Honghan's palm. Every movement was filled with pleading. As long as its meat wasn't cooked, even if it became a pet, it would accept it!

Her pitiful eyes stared straight at An Honghan, and if you looked closely, you could see that her eyes were glistening with tears.

Can a pet's eyes really look so pitiful? An Honghan thought he was being incredibly neurotic. But seeing the little ferret so frightened, even his hardened heart was touched.

"Lin En..." An Honghan had barely uttered a word when Xi Xizhi's entire body trembled.

An Honghan picked up the little ferret from his lap...

Xi Xizhi thought An Honghan was going to hand her over to Lin En and then send her to the imperial chef to be cooked, so she clung tightly to An Honghan's arm with all four limbs, like an octopus, and couldn't be pulled off.

This dramatic scene, witnessed by the assembled officials, left them all utterly bewildered. Whether human or animal, wouldn't they all flee at the mere sight of His Majesty, keeping as far away as possible? Why was this little ferret so attached to him? Or had His Majesty's affability increased, causing his pet to adore him so much?

All the ministers, upon meeting An Honghan's cold, emotionless eyes, immediately abandoned the idea. How could His Majesty possibly possess any charisma?

The envoy was the first to laugh out loud, "This little sable seems to have a fondness for His Majesty."

I don't like it at all!

Hearing this for the second time, Xi Xizhi couldn't help but curse inwardly. If her life weren't in danger, would she be clinging so tightly to An Honghan's arm? Do you think that's tiring?

"Is that so?" Hearing this, An Honghan felt a sense of satisfaction. He picked up the little sable and asked, "You like me?"

Would Xi Xizhi dare say 'no'? Her life is in your hands, old man! She nodded her little head like a pestle being pounded, "Chirp chirp..." She likes it...she likes it...

Perhaps it was this nod that sealed their fate, making their relationship inextricably intertwined from then on.

Seeing the little sable's intelligent side, the courtiers were stunned and speechless.

"Can the Phoenix Cloud Sable understand human speech?" Without a doubt, the little sable nodded, which was its response to His Majesty's question.

"What an amazing pet! No wonder so many people would give up their entire fortune to have one."

These are conversations between the ministers...

At the banquet, many women were also seated. Some were the wives of ministers, and some were princesses from Fengze Kingdom.

Years ago, An Honghan slaughtered all his brothers, but spared these princesses. No one could fathom his intentions. The ministers all thought that no matter how capable these women were, they posed no threat to His Majesty's throne, which was why he had chosen to spare their lives. But could that ruthless man truly show such compassion, considering blood ties? The ministers' resolve wavered once more.

Women love cute little animals, and seeing how well-behaved the ferret was, they all looked over at it.

"What an adorable little ferret! I really want to pet it."

"Me too, even my third sister's long-haired dog isn't as cute as the little ferret."

"Oh my god! I'm about to faint from cuteness!"

A group of excited princesses were having a lively discussion.

"Sixth Sister, Your Majesty dotes on you so much. He sends you almost anything you want the next day. Why don't you go and ask him to give you the little sable?" someone suggested.

All the princesses turned their gaze to a woman dressed in pale pink silk. The woman was exceptionally beautiful, with captivatingly bright eyes and a delicate, oval face. Compared to the other princesses, she stood out in both temperament and appearance.

"It's just a little ferret, why would I keep it?" Princess An Ruoyan, under the scrutiny of everyone's gaze, looked at them with disdain. She had never liked small animals, especially fluffy pets.

Pets shed a lot. She once owned a cat, and at that time, animal hair was everywhere in her palace, sticking to her gorgeous clothes, which was extremely annoying.

"Sixth Sister, that's a Phoenix Cloud Sable, a rare sight in a century! There might only be one left in the world." A clear, timid voice came from behind.

The speaker was very small, only about ten years old, with a pair of bright, clear eyes.

An Ruoyan seemed to really hate the voice. "Fourteenth Sister, what do you know? If you like it, you can ask the Emperor for it yourself. Why are you trying to persuade me here?"

The little girl pursed her lips, timidly gazing at the little sable in her brother's arms on the golden dragon throne, and finally swallowed the rest of her words.

She adored the little sable, but her brother, the Emperor, had never even glanced at her in all these years. Even if she asked for it, he wouldn't give it to her. Only her sixth sister had obtained the Phoenix Cloud Sable, so perhaps she would have a chance to touch it. But she never considered encouraging her sixth sister; she simply found the little sable extremely cute.

Many princesses tried to persuade An Ruoyan, but all their efforts ended in failure, leaving them only to stare helplessly at the little sable.

I can't help but exclaim, they're so cute...

Seeing that An Honghan did not hand her over to Lin En, Xi Xizhi finally felt relieved.

“Lin En…” An Honghan called out, stroking the little mink’s fur with one hand.

Xi Xizhi's heart skipped a beat again in fright.

Seeing the little sable's startled behavior, An Honghan couldn't help but smile.

What a fragile little guy!

"Just have the imperial chef prepare a few simple dishes, but the taste absolutely cannot be bad," An Honghan coldly ordered.