Chapter 162 Gang Crime! Three People Sharing Forbidden Fruit

Zhao Bailu stared wide-eyed in disbelief, looking at Meng Yanzhi as if she were meeting her for the first time.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Bailu immediately nodded: "Yes, I've never had it before!"

"Let's be quiet and not get caught." Meng Yanzhi looked around to make sure no one was watching, then immediately took off her shoes and socks, intending to go into the river to catch fish.

Meng Yanzhi grew up in the village, so she was already used to catching fish in the river. These koi carp were usually silly, so she could catch them every time!

Soon, Meng Yanzhi caught a plump koi carp, held it in her hand, and cleaned it up cleanly and efficiently with a swift and precise cut.

This...this...what kind of behavior is this?

Inside the pavilion, Wang Huanhai stood beside Xiao Xingyuan, having witnessed the entire process. He could hardly believe his eyes. Every single koi in the palace was carefully selected and extremely precious. How could they have been eaten? And with such silky smooth flesh?

He glanced at Xiao Xingyuan and found that not only was Xiao Xingyuan not angry, but there was even a faint smile on his lips.

What's so funny about this?

In Xiao Xingyuan's eyes, a koi carp is nothing special, but such a vibrant Meng Yanzhi is a rare sight.

Normally, Meng Yanzhi is either gentle and obedient or pitiful, and rarely does she have such a lively and playful moment. She is absolutely gorgeous.

Meng Yanzhi quickly pulled Zhao Bailu into a nearby artificial cave to start a fire and grill fish.

"You, you, you haven't eaten it several times already, have you?"

Zhao Bailu looked at Meng Yanzhi's action and realized it certainly didn't seem like the first time.

Upon hearing this, Meng Yanzhi made a shushing gesture and said with a smile, "I assure you, this tastes absolutely top-notch!"

"Really? Then I'll try some too?"

Xiao Xingyuan appeared behind the two of them at some point, speaking in a strong voice.

"ah!"

Zhao Bailu screamed in terror, turned around, and collapsed to the ground: "Your Majesty? Your Majesty, I pay my respects! Your Majesty, please forgive us...we..."

"Your Majesty, would you like to eat together?"

"This humble woman can catch another one!"

Meng Yanzhi waved the half-cooked grilled fish in her hand, smiling as she looked at Xiao Xingyuan, as if she was completely unaware of the preciousness of these koi.

Zhao Bailu was terrified, but she still couldn't resist gossiping. She looked at Meng Yanzhi's natural demeanor and was puzzled. She never expected that Meng Yanzhi, who was always cautious in her words and actions, would be like this.

Xiao Xingyuan casually found a rock to sit on and snorted, "You two have quite the nerve to steal koi fish from the palace!"

"Your Majesty, I know I have made a mistake and beg for punishment!"

Zhao Bailu immediately knelt on the ground, trembling again.

"Your Majesty, it's almost ready. How about we eat it first before punishing him?"

Meng Yanzhi looked at the grilled fish in her hand carefully, afraid that it would burn.

Seeing this, Zhao Bailu couldn't help but swallow hard, looking pitifully at Xiao Xingyuan, and whispered, "Yes, Your Majesty, it's almost cooked."

The aroma soon wafted over, and even though Xiao Xingyuan was deliberately trying to scare them with a stern face, he couldn't help but swallow hard before letting out a cold snort.

Soon, the grilled fish was ready. Without any hesitation, Meng Yanzhi gave the belly part of the fish to Xiao Xingyuan and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, try it, it's delicious!"

Xiao Xingyuan nodded, took a bite, frowned, and then snorted, "The taste is indeed quite good."

"Then this humble woman will go and get another one?" Meng Yanzhi's eyes sparkled as she looked at Xiao Xingyuan with a smile. "Your Majesty, would you like it?"

"Let me try some." Zhao Bailu tugged at Meng Yanzhi's skirt, looking at her expectantly.

The smell was so strong. She had eaten grilled fish before, but none of them tasted like this.

Meng Yanzhi smiled and gave the rest of the grilled fish to Zhao Bailu.

"Today, the three of us are considered to have committed a crime as a group, so none of us can tell anyone, otherwise, we'll have to spit out what we've eaten!" Meng Yanzhi said, glaring fiercely at Xiao Xingyuan.

As emperor, Xiao Xingyuan had never been threatened like this before, but for some reason, looking at Meng Yanzhi's fierce appearance, Xiao Xingyuan still couldn't help but obediently nod.

this……

Zhao Bailu truly felt as if she had accidentally seen a ghost!

Is His Majesty colluding with them?

Meng Yanzhi dusted off her hands, then extinguished the fire, took out a handkerchief, and handed it to Zhao Bailu.

"Wipe your mouth clean, we should go back."

As she spoke, Meng Yanzhi turned around and looked at Xiao Xingyuan.

"Your Majesty, you haven't seen us today, have you?"

Zhao Bailu silently wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, looking at Xiao Xingyuan expectantly, wanting a definite answer.

Xiao Xingyuan simply smiled, said nothing more, wiped his mouth clean, and turned to leave.

"From now on, the koi in the pond can be used in cooking."

After Xiao Xingyuan walked out, he left behind these words.

The air pressure in the cave instantly returned to its previous level. Zhao Bailu grabbed Meng Yanzhi's arm and asked, "How did you do that?"

"I've known His Majesty for so long, and I've never seen him so easygoing. You're amazing!" Zhao Bailu could hardly believe her eyes.

Meng Yanzhi smiled and said, "I told you, no one can resist delicious food. Tell me, isn't this grilled fish delicious?"

"Delicious, it leaves a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth."

"This koi fish tastes different; no wonder the Emperor let you eat as much as you want!"

Zhao Bailu nodded sincerely, thinking that she should also fish out the koi from the pond and try eating them when she got home!

Soon, Meng Yanzhi pulled Zhao Bailu back to her small room.

She took out a small bundle filled with many bottles and jars: "I made these for you when I had nothing else to do. There's honey, vinegar, and some water with a special flavor. Try them all when you get back and give me feedback, okay?"

"So many?" Zhao Bailu looked at her with some surprise as she filled the small bundle to the brim. "You, you, you, aren't you usually very busy?"

"Yes, I've been busy doing all that!"

"There's so much waste in the palace, but it's all good stuff, so I made these. If you like them too, I'll turn all the scraps into these in the future. It's better than throwing them away and wasting them, don't you think?"