Chapter 557 A Dream of Youth 89

A sudden gust of wind arose, and flakes of snowflakes flew through the air, falling without a trace.

Xie Ning was held in Xie Wangzhi's arms, looking at the imperial city of Tokyo through the swirling snow.

Contrary to her expectations of grandeur, the imperial city, though scenic, was relatively small compared to other imperial cities she had ever seen. This was because it was a direct inheritance of the previous dynasty's palace, and expanding outwards was now extremely difficult.

It's not that they lack money, but that it's difficult for merchants to relocate.

After all, the closer to the palace, the more prosperous the area becomes. This area is practically worth its weight in gold. Families who own property here have a natural advantage if they want to do business, and even renting out property is extremely expensive.

Who would be willing to give up their house in this bustling city center and move to another area?

No matter how much subsidy they receive, no one is willing to move. And since the government is unwilling to force the people, they can only live in cramped quarters in the small palace.

The eunuch led the group to an open pavilion, which was bustling with activity. Not only the emperor, but also the empress, several concubines, and Prince Duan and his wife were present.

The eunuchs and palace maids were roasting meat and brewing tea, and the rising steam mingled with the white snow, resembling clouds and mist.

Snow was falling outside, but there was no cold.

Xie Wangzhi led his wife and daughter forward to pay their respects.

"Are you Xie Ning?" a crisp voice came from above.

Xie Ning looked up and met the starry eyes of a little girl. Neither of them said anything, but the little girl suddenly smiled and said, "Daddy, I like her."

Before the emperor could speak, Prince Duan said with a smile, "Yan Xi, I knew you would like this child. She is also very intelligent. You two will definitely get along well."

Princess Duan tugged at Prince Duan's sleeve and gave him a glare.

The emperor, however, didn't seem to care. "Yan Xi likes it? Then how about she become your study companion?"

Xie Wangzhi noticed that the emperor's voice had softened considerably, which seemed to confirm the rumors that the emperor doted on his eldest daughter. However, this companion was absolutely out of the question, as the saying goes, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and even a princess is a ruler.

His child is so innocent; he can't possibly enter this cannibalistic palace.

Just as Xie Wangzhi was pondering how to politely decline, Princess Yanxi shook her head and refused, "I don't need her to be my study companion. Didn't my royal uncle say she's studying medicine? I'm not studying it, so it would only delay her."

These words deeply saddened the emperor.

The Empress calmly interrupted the Emperor's outpouring of fatherly love, "So that's a wolf?"

At this moment, the wolf cub was in a cage with a thick quilt inside and a cloth covering it, so it wouldn't be cold. The wolf cub smelled Xie Ning's scent nearby, but it didn't howl or howl in unease.

Xie Ning brought out the white wolf, and everyone was somewhat surprised, "It really is the white wolf."

"Can it bite?" Yan Xi asked curiously.

"No, it's still small and weak."

The emperor ordered a eunuch to bring the white wolf over, but before the eunuch could even touch it, the wolf hissed and tried to bite someone, startling everyone.

Xie Wangzhi hurriedly said, "This white wolf is somewhat selective about who it is. It only allows my daughter to get close. As for others, even if we get close, it will do the same."

"Is it because they recognize people?"

If Xie Ning were an adult, they might suspect that she had trained the wolf, but Xie Ning was still a little girl, so naturally she wouldn't have mastered any animal taming techniques.

Be good.

Xie Ning gently patted the little wolf's head.

"Waaah~"

The little wolf's obedient appearance surprised the emperor, who exclaimed, "This child is indeed blessed with good fortune and virtue."

The Empress nodded as well.

"Child, come here." The Empress beckoned to Xie Ning.

Xie Ning carried the wolf forward, and the eunuch tried to stop him, but the emperor stopped him.

"It's quite docile in your arms," ​​Princess Yanxi said, reaching out halfway before asking, "If I touch it, will it bite me?"

"No, it's very well-behaved."

Princess Yanxi felt relieved and began to pet the wolf cub. Perhaps because it was winter, the wolf cub's fur was exceptionally soft and thick, and it felt wonderful to the touch.

"That's really strange." The emperor and empress couldn't resist their curiosity and reached out to stroke it.

Then the emperor asked Xie Ning, "I heard that besides studying medicine, you also read books at home. What books did you read?"