Chapter 41 The Evil Cat Princess Who Bewitched the Kingdom 2

Perhaps it was the red cloth covering the cat, or the dark and cramped environment that made it lower its guard, and with its belly full of goat milk, Xie Rong snored, rolled over, and continued to sleep soundly with its paws in the air.

He was frantically chasing butterflies in his dream when he saw his cat paws swat their wings onto the grass, only to be startled awake by a blinding light.

Xie Rong suddenly flipped over and jumped, his hind legs tensed, his back arched, and his eyes scanned his surroundings.

"Meow?!"

The red cloth was suddenly torn off, and two nimble eunuchs lifted the iron cage, stepped over the threshold of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and gently placed it in the center of the hall without making a sound.

"Your Majesty, the auspicious omens presented by the Western Regions have arrived and await Your Majesty's grace to view them." The chief eunuch walked to the dragon throne and bowed respectfully.

The steady footsteps approached slowly. Xie Rong raised his kitten head and saw a huge creature standing in front of his new den.

His fur stood on end, and he took a few steps back, growling fiercely at the giant creature.

They were just too young and their voices were high-pitched, so they didn't sound very intimidating.

"An auspicious omen?" The man wore a twelve-tasseled hat, and his dark, cold eyes were visible beneath the beaded curtain. He was over eight feet tall, and as soon as he approached, the palace servants around him dared not even breathe.

He reached into the iron cage, grabbed Xie Rong by the scruff of his neck, and pulled him out. He glanced at the so-called auspicious creature, its four paws flailing and baring its teeth at him, and sneered, "Just a wild cat."

It's still just a little stray cat with not all its teeth yet.

What utter nonsense about auspicious omens.

The chief eunuch, Wang, stood to the side, head bowed, not daring to speak.

Everyone in the palace knows that the Imperial Advisor can know the Mandate of Heaven, but he was appointed by the late emperor and can easily shake the hearts of the people in the court. The current emperor not only does not believe in this so-called Mandate of Heaven, but has also been dissatisfied with the Imperial Advisor for a long time.

[Ding! Main character profile activated! Current world protagonist: Lu Wenjing; Identity: Monarch of the Dafeng Dynasty.]

The protagonist ascends the throne at a young age. His easy access to the throne and his smooth-sailing life make him arrogant and unruly, forbidding anyone from disobeying him. Little does he know that undercurrents are swirling within the court, and the meritorious officials left by the previous emperor have become a source of trouble, plotting a rebellion. How can an emperor who hasn't experienced hardship stabilize the situation and bring prosperity to the nation?

[Main Quest: The host must play the role of an evil cat demon, posing as an auspicious omen to absorb the protagonist's luck, bringing misfortune and trouble, causing the protagonist to constantly experience pain, fall from heights and rise again, and finally become an excellent emperor... Host, I haven't finished yet!]

"Meow!" A fierce meow rang out, and Xie Rong's right claw extended, scratching down at the face beneath the emperor's twelve tassels.

[The protagonist has lost face, and his pain level has increased by 3!]

"Protect His Majesty! Quickly, protect His Majesty! A cat is trying to assassinate him!" Eunuch Wang cried out in alarm, and the hall instantly descended into chaos.

"Shut up, all of you."

A scratch mark was clearly visible across Lu Wenjing's entire face. He raised his hand to wipe the blood off his face, glanced at the little stray cat that had vanished in an instant by the window, and his face darkened frighteningly.

Eunuch Wang knelt on the ground, pleading, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! That is an auspicious omen presented by the Western Regions; it must not be killed!"

With the war in the north now tense, and the Western Regions willing to show goodwill to Dafeng and pay tribute every year, wise people know how to consider the overall situation.

“They dare to send such a mediocre cat to fill the ranks? If they can do it, so can I,” Lu Wenjing said coldly. “Issue the order to catch this assassinating cat within a day. We must find the cat alive or dead.”

Eunuch Wang bowed his head even lower: "This servant obeys the decree."

“If the envoy from the Western Regions asks, bring a hundred local cats and let him find out which one is their auspicious omens,” Lu Wenjing said, picking a tuft of cat fur from his shoulder. His eyes, beneath the twelve tassels, swept calmly over the eunuch on the ground. “Go.”

It was already late at night, and the eunuchs and maids of the six palaces were all hurrying around, carrying lanterns, just to catch a cat that was no bigger than the palm of their hand.

"Master, what should we do?" a little eunuch said with a distressed expression. "It's been four hours, and we haven't even seen a shadow of that kitten."

The eunuch Wang looked disdainful, but when he looked away from the emperor, he was filled with fear. "Didn't you hear what His Majesty said? If you really can't find one, just go outside the palace and find a stray cat. Who can tell the difference?"

"Master, this—" the young eunuch hesitated, "Given His Majesty's temperament, if he finds out, we're afraid..."

"His Majesty is still young, and has hardly ever left the palace. He probably can't even tell whether this cat is male or female. What are you afraid of?" Eunuch Wang flicked his whisk. "I have served the late Emperor since then. Do I need someone else to teach me how to serve the Emperor?"

The young eunuch hurriedly smiled obsequiously, "Master is right."

The next morning, Eunuch Wang brought a wooden box to the Emperor. "Your Majesty," he said, "the cat struggled and fell off the artificial hill into the Thousand Carp Pond. By the time it was pulled out, it had already drowned."

Lu Wenjing opened the wooden box, glanced at it, and his expression remained unreadable.

Eunuch Wang continued, "Offending His Majesty can be considered its retribution."

The hall remained silent for a long time. Sweat gradually appeared on Eunuch Wang's forehead, but he dared not wipe it away, and he lowered his body even further.

Lu Wenjing glanced at him indifferently: "You can go now."

The eunuch responded and placed the wooden box at the emperor's feet.

"Take the things down with you," Lu Wenjing said.

"Yes." Eunuch Wang picked up the wooden box and left the main hall.

"Master, what did His Majesty say?" The little eunuch hurriedly came forward and took the wooden box from his hand.

"What else could I do? They dismissed me without even giving me a second glance," said Eunuch Wang, rubbing his lower back, only then realizing that his back was soaked with sweat.

Although their emperor is young, he already shows signs of the late emperor's influence; his moods are unpredictable and he is particularly intimidating.

But it's nothing but a paper tiger.

Meanwhile, inside the palace.

Lu Wenjing walked around the screen and into the inner hall, where he saw a plate of overturned pastries on the dragon bed, with crumbs spreading all the way to the bottom of the bed.

He crouched down and peered under the bed, and sure enough, his eyes met a pair of big, round eyes.

Even the little stray cat had crumbs of pastry stuck to its whiskers.

"Meow!" Xie Rong clearly still remembered the ugly, hairless cat that had pinched the back of his neck, and meowed fiercely at the man.

Her voice was soft and gentle, almost like she was pouting.

"You scratched my face, did you think you could get away with a few sweet words?" Lu Wenjing examined the kitten's fluffy, soft fur, approached silently, and then, with lightning speed, grabbed one of the little stray cat's paws and dragged it away.

"Meow!" Xie Rong was caught off guard and grabbed by him, letting out a shrill scream.

The ugly hairless cat's large paws pressed against his soft belly, ruffling his beautiful white fur.

"Meow!!!" Xie Rong's cat eyes widened, and its other three paws struggled fiercely as it opened its mouth and bit Lu Wenjing's wrist viciously.

“Tsk,” Lu Wenjing casually pried open the kitten’s mouth with his fingers, his fingertip resting on the kitten’s rounded baby teeth, and chuckled slightly, “Big teeth, but quite a temper.”