Chapter 8. That kind of fox is quite intelligent, and it especially likes handsome...

“You…” How awful.

Xiao Wenqi is as annoying as ever! He's always pushing his luck!

But whatever, she thought, since she had already bowed down to him, what difference would it make if she bowed down a little more: "Please...please..."

Xiao Che raised his eyes, his smile deepening: "You've been quite clever today."

He looked at her and asked, "If I help you, can you walk?"

Yan Jiarou placed her hand on his arm, trying to use him to stand up, but as soon as she exerted force, a piercing pain shot through her wound, making her face turn pale: "No... I can't... it hurts..."

Yan Jiarou was always delicate, so he wasn't surprised by her reaction. He turned around, lowered his back to her, and said, "Get on, I'll carry you."

Xiao Che has broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with a wide back and good lines, making him look like someone you could lean on and be very reliable... But, should she really let him carry her?

Just as I was hesitating, I moved my foot and was struck by an excruciating pain...

She really couldn't endure any hardship; between suffering and losing face, she shamefully chose the latter.

—Anyway, I've already lost enough face today, so what's a little more?

She shifted her body, her arms trembling as she reached out and encircled Xiao Che's neck...

Xiao Che smiled and helped Yan Jiarou to her feet.

Yan Jia lay softly on his back, her chin resting on his shoulder and neck.

The faint scent of agarwood lingered around his nose, and Yan Jiarou's ears felt slightly warm. She struggled to sit up, trying not to get so close to him.

Xiao Che raised an eyebrow: "What?"

"N-nothing..." Yan Jiarou mumbled softly, her face flushed, "I was afraid that if I pressed too hard on you... you would feel that I was too heavy..."

"What?" Xiao Che chuckled. "You only weigh a little bit? What's the difference between carrying you on my back and lifting a little rabbit?"

"I'm not that weak."

Yan Jiarou was stunned for a moment, her voice muffled, angry but not daring to speak: "...Then before, you said I was fat...You were the one who said that."

"Fool, you believe everything I say? There's nothing wrong with a little extra flesh on a child's body."

"What?!" Yan Jiarou protested, "I'm not a child anymore, okay? I've already come of age!"

"Oh?" Xiao Che's eyes darkened for a moment as if he had thought of something, and he said thoughtfully, "He has grown up."

Since Xiao Che didn't find her heavy, she leaned against him without any hesitation. His shoulders were broad, his back was thin, and his scent was pleasant, so it was quite comfortable to lean against him.

Once people relax, they start talking more. Yan Jiarou, as if thinking of something, suddenly asked, "Xiao Che, do you like Shen Jialang?"

"What?" Xiao Che frowned. "Which Shen Jialang? I don't remember her. Who told you I like her?"

"Don't you remember her? She's the second daughter of Lord Shen, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. She even handed you tea during the halftime break after your horse race at the training ground last time."

Xiao Che's tone was indifferent: "I don't remember. Why bring her up?"

"Hmm, I thought you liked her. She's the thinnest among those young ladies from noble families."

"What?" Xiao Che was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized what he meant and chuckled, "You still remember when I said you were fat before? You care that much?"

Yan Jiarou snorted and turned her face away, saying, "I didn't, I was just asking casually!" She slowly turned her face back, still curious, "Don't you dislike women who are chubby? Shen Jialang is thin, why don't you like him either?"

"Who says I don't like being chubby in the front?"

Yan Jiarou blinked, looking confused, and said, "You clearly just now..."

Xiao Che chuckled: "I already told you, I was just teasing you, how could you believe everything I said... The one I don't like is you... Never mind. Anyway, with the way you were acting just now, avoiding me like the plague, of course I wouldn't say anything nice. Do you expect me to say I like you? My dear sister, I'm not that shameless."

Yan Jiarou seemed to understand but not quite: "So you actually like him?" After asking, she wished she could bite off her own tongue. How strange, whether he liked her or not... what did that have to do with her? She didn't care at all.

Realizing she had asked the wrong question, she quickly coughed before Xiao Che could react and changed the subject: "Xiao Wenqi, speaking of which, did you see what that wild fox looked like just now? It had a flame mark on its forehead, which is not found on ordinary foxes. I don't think it's an ordinary wild fox."

"It's said that Mount Li is where the dragon vein lies, a place where spiritual energy gathers, and there are many rare and exotic beasts, which are very intelligent. Maybe that wild fox is a spirit beast that can understand human nature. It's true, I've seen the way it looked at you in the eyes of many people, such as that Miss Shen I just mentioned..."

"Ah, maybe that wild fox will transform into a human in a few years and become a fox spirit. I think it will definitely come down the mountain to find you then. Aren't you afraid?"

Xiao Che gave a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth and said, "Royal sister, you should read less of those storybooks. You're not exactly a bright person to begin with, and reading those nonsensical stories will only make things worse."

"Xiao Wenqi, you're making fun of me! I'm serious! That fox is strange from head to toe. Did you even see what it looked like? It was pure white, but on its forehead was a fiery mark, as red as blood. If you stared at it for too long, the mark seemed to move, just like a burning flame. Don't you find that strange?"

"And the way it looks at you is just like a woman's. I've seen that kind of look too many times, I can't be mistaken."

Xiao Che initially thought she was joking, but seeing her serious tone, he couldn't help but recall the appearance of the wild fox. Upon recalling it, he realized that it looked somewhat familiar.

He seemed to have seen this fox before.

No, it wasn't just the fox that was familiar, but also the phrase, "The way it looked at you was like a woman's"... Yes, Yan Xiao had said that to him before.

That happened a year ago.

A year ago, he also went hunting on Mount Li, accompanied by Yan Xiao. Yan Xiao was from a military family. His father, Yan Shan, had taught Xiao Che riding and archery, and was considered his teacher. He and Yan Xiao grew up together and had known each other since childhood.

Later, Yan Shan died in battle, and the Yan family's military power was taken away. Yan Xiao was also almost exiled because he offended Empress Cui's relatives. It was Consort Jiang, Xiao Che's birth mother, who pleaded for him. Although the harem was not allowed to interfere in politics, Emperor Wei Yuan's favor towards Consort Jiang had reached the point where she would do anything. Moreover, Yan Xiao and Xiao Che had such a childhood friendship. Consort Jiang had a legitimate reason for pleading for him, and no one could find fault with her.

Speaking of which, Emperor Yuan of Wei's favoritism towards Jiang Chenyu had reached an unbelievable level.

She didn't need to scheme or plot; she could simply stand there and receive the emperor's complete favor.

Without Jiang Chenyu, Emperor Wei Yuan probably wouldn't even want to be emperor anymore, nor would he want the world.

For this reason, although the Xuanlong faction, led by Cui Shoujie, had many grievances against Jiang Chenyu, they had no choice but to give up because they knew Emperor Wei Yuan's character well.

On one point, the crown prince must be a legitimate son, and they are unwilling to compromise on this point.

Emperor Wei Yuan loved Xiao Che so much that he naturally wanted to make him the crown prince, but the resistance was too great. Every official in the court who had made great contributions to the founding of the country had the blood of the former Qi royal family on his hands.

Xiao Che's lineage is a mystery. If Jiang Chenyu is indeed the princess of the Qi Kingdom from the previous dynasty, wouldn't the Wei Dynasty be in chaos if her son became emperor?

If the rumors are true, Xiao Che has the blood of two dynasties' royal families. Once he ascends the throne, the former Qi army can be restored to power without bloodshed or losing a single soldier. What would that leave for the founding heroes? Wouldn't that be a huge joke?

This is something that the Xuanlong faction absolutely cannot tolerate.

Emperor Yuan of Wei had no choice but to appoint Xiao Jue as crown prince, and both sides compromised, which was the best outcome for both at the moment.

Although Emperor Wei Yuan felt regretful that he could not make his most beloved son his heir, it was only regret. After all, the person he loved most was Jiang Chenyu. As long as she could stay by his side, nothing else mattered much.

He even felt indebted to Jiang Chenyu because of this, and thus doted on her even more.

Once, Consort Jiang caught a cold. Although it was a minor illness, many imperial physicians were summoned and she took a lot of medicine, but she did not get better. If it was delayed any longer, the minor illness might turn into a serious one. Emperor Yuan of Wei was extremely anxious. He heard from somewhere that there was a folk remedy that required dragon meat as a medicinal guide, along with other medicinal herbs, in order to cure the illness.

But dragons are just legendary rare and exotic creatures; how many people in the world have actually seen a real dragon?

Without finding the true dragon, he could not obtain the medicinal ingredient and could not save his beloved concubine. When he was desperate, he thought that he was the emperor, and wasn't he the true dragon emperor?

He then cut off a piece of flesh from his own arm to decoct medicine for Jiang Chenyu. The emperor's health was precious and could not be compromised in the slightest. Yet, he actually harmed his own body for a folk remedy of unknown authenticity. When this news spread, the entire court was in uproar.

Cui Shoujie, the Minister of Personnel and concurrently Right Vice Minister, not only ranked first among the thirty-six meritorious officials of Yunxiao Pavilion, but also had known Emperor Yuan of Wei since his early days as a commoner. Their friendship was extraordinary. Later, Emperor Yuan of Wei made Cui's daughter his empress, which further strengthened their relationship.

Normally, Emperor Wei Yuan would consult him on any political decisions, but when it came to matters involving Consort Jiang, he always went his own way.

When Cui Shoujie learned of this, his attempts to persuade him were unsuccessful, and he became so angry that he fell ill at home for seven days and did not attend court.

When this story reached the common people, it caused quite a stir. Many women used it to test their husbands' sincerity. If even an emperor could cut off his own flesh to save his wife, how could you not?

In reality, among millions of men in this world, very few can achieve such a feat.

This shows how much Emperor Yuan of Wei favored Consort Jiang.

After she saved Yan Xiao, he became a servant in Xiao Che's household, and usually accompanied him on horseback riding and sword practice.

After the storm had passed, she helped him find a position in the army. Later, when Emperor Wei Yuan was inspecting the military camp, he was assassinated. It was said that there were remnants of the previous dynasty lying in ambush. At the critical moment, Yan Xiao blocked the sword for him. He was promoted to the rank of Imperial Guard Commandant for saving the emperor.

Yan Xiao is from a military family and has practiced martial arts since childhood. He is extremely skilled with the Yan family spear.

Yan Xiao's numerous military achievements aroused the suspicion of Emperor Yuan of Wei, who stripped him of his military power. However, Yan Xiao was still young at the time and did not show off much. Emperor Yuan of Wei did not have a very deep impression of him to begin with, and after saving the emperor, he further dispelled the emperor's suspicion of Yan Xiao's descendants.

Yan Xiao gradually gained his trust, and with Jiang Chenyu speaking highly of him, he was soon promoted to the rank of Imperial Guard General, in charge of the Northern Palace Guards.

From then on, Yan Xiao's relationship with Consort Jiang and her son deepened. Yan Xiao was not only Xiao Che's playmate and close friend, but also his mother's confidant and right-hand man.

Last year, Yan Xiao accompanied Xiao Che on a hunting trip to Mount Li. By chance, Xiao Che saved a fox from the jaws of a hyena. By some strange twist of fate, seeing the fox with tears in its eyes, which seemed to have some humanity, he felt compassion and shot an arrow through the hyena's head.

The fox he saved was pure white, with a fiery mark on its forehead that seemed to burn brightly. Looking back now, it seemed to be the same fox that had bitten Yan Jiarou.

When Yan Xiao saw the fox, he said the same thing as Yan Jiarou: "Look at the way that fox looks at you, just like those women. I say, Xiao Wenqi, your romantic prospects are not only increasing, but also becoming more and more bizarre."

Xiao Che ignored him, glanced at him with his eyelids, and said only, "I think you're the one getting weirder and weirder. That was just a fox. Are you crazy?"

“Hey, you can’t say that,” Yan Xiao suddenly leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of mystery, “Have you forgotten? This is Mount Li, the place where the dragon vein is said to be located. It is full of spiritual energy. The birds and beasts on this mountain are very different from those on ordinary mountains. They have been absorbing the energy of the dragon vein for many years, and they may have become half-spirited and half-monster. Who knows?”

Xiao Che looked up and stared intently at Yan Xiao, his eyebrow twitching slightly: "Are you crazy, Yan Xiao? You actually believe such supernatural talk?"

Yan Xiao smiled mysteriously: "This world is full of wonders. It's not always right to conclude that something doesn't exist just because you haven't seen it before. You'll understand in the future."

In his early years, Yan Xiao traveled extensively with Yan Shan, seeing all the mountains and rivers. He went to the remote northwest, experienced the local customs and culture of Sichuan, and even went to the Miao region of Hunan and Sichuan, where he witnessed witchcraft and prayer. His knowledge was indeed beyond that of ordinary people.

Xiao Che believed some of the strange tales he had heard, but the claim that the fox looked at him with the same gaze as a woman was utterly absurd.

It's just a fox, how could it look at him like that? Could it have cultivated into a spirit or monster?

Yan Xiao said, "That's not necessarily true... When I traveled with my father in Sichuan, I heard an old man say that wherever spiritual energy gathers, there are often some beasts that can understand human nature and become half-spirits and half-monsters. Foxes are especially so. There is a kind of white fox that is pure white, but has a flame mark on its forehead. This is the mark of becoming half-spirits and half-monsters."

"Tsk, this description is exactly the same as that fox from before. I've heard that those foxes are quite lustful, and they love handsome men. Once they see one, they have to mate with him, otherwise they won't give up. Xiao Wenqi, you even saved it. It's no wonder it's eyeing you. You'd better watch out for it coming after you, hahaha..."

Xiao Che: "…………"

He glanced at him coldly and ignored him completely, walking straight ahead: "If you're sick, go get treatment."

Yan Xiao laughed and led his horse after them, still half-jokingly saying, "Don't disbelieve me, I've also heard that because this fox only cultivated to be half-spirited and half-monster, it can't take human form. So it attaches its addiction to men to other women. How does it attach? It bites or scratches them, and the addiction becomes like bone, seeping into the woman's marrow, making her unable to resist the man and unable to quit. It's just like the Gu magic of the Hunan and Guizhou regions, nothing could be more magical."

"You mean this fox can use witchcraft? Yan Xiao, I can't believe you could come up with something like that—I'm telling you, it's a waste of your talent that you're not a storyteller in a teahouse, telling tales of the strange and supernatural."

"Don't disbelieve me, it's recorded in the local strange tales of Sichuan... so it's not just a fabrication..."

...

Xiao Che came to his senses and belatedly realized that the fox he had just seen seemed to be the same one he had encountered with Yan Xiao last year...

Recalling Yan Xiao's words, I thought they were absurd at the time and quickly put them out of my mind. Now, by chance, I think of them again and they still seem absurd.

Therefore, he didn't think much of it, only that it was quite a coincidence to meet that fox again.