Chapter 1: The Little Fox Transforms into a Little Prince! A Silly Fox, a Local Product of the Mountains...

"Wow, it's so lively!" Ji Qing poked his head out of the car window; it was the first time he had ever seen so many people.

The streets of the capital city finally shed their summer heat at the end of September. Crowds thronged the streets, and the air was filled with the aroma of osmanthus and fried sugar cakes. For a fox, there was simply no better smell.

Those people weren't scammers after all; they really did bring me to a huge city... If that's the case, being that prince or something doesn't seem so bad.

There are many people here, so the ordeal will surely go smoothly.

The fox secretly reached into its sleeve and touched the embroidered money pouch with a few white hairs stuck to it. It thought happily that it would buy some good food to fill its stomach later.

I've never tried any of these before, so I'll have one, no, two, of everything. I also want to take some back for my sister to try.

The other person in the carriage, seeing that he was completely unaware of the impending doom, felt a pang of conscience and a sense of guilt for taking advantage of the fool... After all, the boy in front of them was indeed innocent, but for the sake of all their lives, they had no choice but to sacrifice the boy.

Although becoming a prince in the palace sounds like an enviable stroke of luck, it's not actually that simple.

In recent years, the struggle for the crown prince has become increasingly fierce. Some of the princes have died, and others have been imprisoned. There are only a few left. Logically, the matter should have been settled, and the crown prince should have been able to ascend the throne smoothly. However, His Majesty suddenly remembered that there was a child outside the palace in the past.

This caused an uproar in the palace, as no one could fathom the emperor's thoughts.

They searched all the way here, but the woman from back then had already taken her child and gone overseas without a trace. They were caught in a dilemma, and the emperor's intentions were unpredictable. In order to save their lives, they had no choice but to grab someone from the roadside at random.

As luck would have it, there happened to be a stunningly beautiful but silly little girl lying on the road.

The emperor was handsome when he was young, and it is said that the prince's mother was also a great beauty. With the little fool's appearance, anyone would believe it to some extent. Such a beauty is not like a cabbage in the field, which you can find anywhere.

Furthermore, they had already obtained the emperor's token from back then, so it was practically foolproof. In any case, they were going to die anyway, so they might as well take a gamble.

Anyway, the little fool isn't smart, and he doesn't know anything about his parents' hometown. He probably won't live long in the palace, and the truth won't be exposed... Even the princes with their maternal clans have a hard time in the palace, let alone this fool who has nothing.

To ease his troubled conscience, the man prepared to give Ji Qing a few more instructions, then stiffly turned his head away, "Have you remembered everything I told His Highness?"

Ji Qing nodded and shook his head blankly. This person talks so much every day, who can remember it all...?

The person opposite him was speechless for a moment, then suppressed his displeasure and repeated, "Now that you're entering the palace, you'll be the thirteenth prince. No one in the palace knows anything about you, so it won't be difficult to deceive them."

Ji Qing blinked.

Thinking Ji Qing had taken his words to heart, the other person continued, "His Majesty won't care about you. As for the other princes... you'll just have to be careful yourselves. Right now, your biggest threat is the Grand Eunuch Tinglan. He's known as the Nine Thousand Years Old, wielding immense power and possessing a ruthless heart. If he gets hold of your true colors..."

Before the other person could finish speaking, the fox suddenly stood up, clutching his backside.

Oh no!! My tail!

He carefully felt his tailbone, making sure no fluffy tail was sticking out, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. He slowly sat back down, clutching his bottom. "It's okay, you can continue."

You people are really strange. Why do you have to bring up us foxes when you're talking? It's not like our tails are on your butts. What did we do to you?

Ji Qing angrily huddled in the corner of the carriage, afraid that his tail might actually stick out.

The person opposite was still chattering on, probably talking about how scary Tinglan was...

The fox shrugged. "I'm not stupid. I don't believe it. The Taoist priests on the next mountain all look fierce, but they're actually very easy to get along with."

He simply leaned his head against the window, staring intently at the fried cake vendor outside.

What is this? Is it tasty?

It looks crispy, fragrant, sweet, and chewy.

I've never tried it before, but I want to.

The person opposite him felt inexplicably sad when he saw him like this. This little fool didn't know he was going to his death, and was still thinking about eating some cheap snacks.

Well, this might just be his last meal outside the palace...

"parking."

The man got out of the car, ignoring Ji Qing's gleaming gaze, and spent a few copper coins to buy him a bag of fried cakes.

The warm, sweet cakes, wrapped in oil paper, emitted a sweet aroma.

Ji Qing gave a small cheer, hugged the fried cake and began to enjoy it, not forgetting to say, "Thank you."

Looking at the overjoyed Ji Qing, the person opposite him stood there stunned for a long time. He sighed and felt increasingly conflicted. Nobles in the palace would ever look at street food like this. Only a little fool like him could be fooled to death by a bag of fried cakes... He is dressed so well, he must be pampered by his family.

It's hard not to feel sorry for someone like him to end up like this, but as much as it's sad, the man would never release Ji Qing.

The fox, unaware of what the man was thinking, was still enjoying the fried cakes. While chewing, it would secretly glance up and, taking advantage of the moment when the man was lost in thought, it would secretly wrap a few pieces in a handkerchief and stuff them into its sleeve.

This is for my older sister.

hey-hey.

The fox ate the last piece of fried cake, and the carriage entered the palace. The lively sounds outside had stopped at some point, replaced by a deathly silence, with only the occasional sound of the imperial guards changing guards, their orderly footsteps sounding indescribably oppressive.

There isn't even a single fallen leaf here; there are no mountains or water, only cold, hard bluestones covering the ground.

Ji Qing jumped out of the car and looked around.

He was still immersed in the joy of eating, with the last piece of cake in his mouth and the empty oil paper bag in his hand. He tilted his head and asked blankly, "Are you coming in with me?"

Ji Qing's voice still carried a hint of childish innocence. Her long eyelashes drooped down, leaving a small drooping shadow at the corner of her eye, which neutralized the vibrancy of her eyebrows and eyes, leaving only a pool of clear innocence.

He was a little flustered. He had hardly ever seen anyone before. This was his first time coming down the mountain. He had only planned to buy a steamed bun in the small town and then wander around in preparation for his ordeal, but he ended up in such a big city without even realizing it.

Upon hearing this, the other person opened and closed his mouth, looked back at the leader and his brothers in the distance, then at the fool standing there, and uttered, "Your Highness, please take care of yourself." Finally, he added in a low voice, "Be careful of Tinglan."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the side door suddenly opened without warning.

The man straightened up abruptly, and upon recognizing the leader's appearance, he broke out in a cold sweat. The autumn wind chilled him to the bone. He managed to suppress his trembling voice and stiffly bowed, "Greetings, Your Excellency."

As he spoke, the faces of his entire family flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of sorrow. Was this the end for him?

The others behind them also bowed in unison.

It was unclear whether Tinglan had heard the words or not, but the atmosphere froze, leaving only a bewildered Ji Qing. He was folding the oil paper bag containing the fried cakes into a small square when he saw a section of deep red hem. The brocade shimmered as the person moved, and the person stopped in front of him.

The fox was exceptionally sensitive to sight; he looked up and was immediately met with a pair of emotionless eyes.

In fact, His Highness's upturned eyes, combined with his flawless face, deserve to be praised with all sorts of ornate verses, but his eyes are also very deep, and looking at them always gives the feeling that there is a cruel undercurrent flowing in them.

Some people dared to catch a glimpse of the Ninth Prince's face, after all, his reputation for beauty and his fearsomeness went hand in hand, but after a quick glance, before they could even feel amazed, a chill began to run down their spines.

Is this the legendary Nine Thousand Years Old, who speaks with imperial authority but has a jade-like face and a beastly heart? Everyone tacitly lowered their heads, wishing they could just bury themselves in a crack in the ground.

Only Ji Qing stood straight, his eyes unwavering, staring directly at the newcomer, sketching the features of the Thousand-Year-Old Lord with his gaze.

Why does this person look different from other humans? They all have two eyes and a nose, just like everyone else. The fox remained unfazed, staring at the newcomer and lost in thought, seriously considering its own problem.

This action caused the eunuchs and guards behind Tinglan to gasp in shock. No matter how handsome you are, you can't just stare at the Ninth Prince like that. You're really a fearless young man...

Facing Ji Qingming's piercing gaze, Tinglan's expression remained unchanged. "Is it His Highness the Thirteenth Prince?"

His voice was soft, with a hint of androgyny; to be fair, it was absolutely pleasant to listen to.

Ji Qing nodded, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she looked at Ting Lan.

He finally understood why the person in front of him looked different from the others.

This one is even prettier!

Tinglan looked at the young new prince, and after a moment her eyelashes drooped, covering her dark eyes, and she said slowly, "Your Highness is indeed handsome and elegant. Please come with me."

Ji Qing turned to look at the deep red palace gate, shoved the oil paper bag in her hand into the hand of the person next to her, and without panicking, quickly moved herself to Ting Lan's side.

He praised me, saying he's a good person!

Although I couldn't understand the specifics of what was being praised, it was definitely something positive.

Ji Qing followed him through the side door with great excitement.

The sedan chair that the Ninth Prince rode in was not large, and usually only he rode in it.

The carriage prepared for the new prince was parked at the corner, but Tinglan acted as if he knew nothing and led Ji Qing straight into his sedan chair.

Ji Qing carefully and precisely tucked his bottom into the corner, afraid that the fox's tail might misbehave and cause him trouble.

Once he was comfortable, he tilted his head to look at Tinglan, who was sitting upright to the side, and took out a bright red fruit from his sleeve and handed it to him.

"Do you want some? It's very sweet." He held a small, bright red, unidentified fruit in his jade-like fingers. The fruit was so fresh, as if it had just been picked.

The fox wanted to make some new friends, but all he knew was how to share food. So he clumsily offered fruit, thinking that since he liked it, others should like it too.

Tinglan's eyes finally moved. "Where... did this come from?"

"It was picked from the mountain." To be precise, it was picked from the mountain near his home.

Tinglan looked up, paused for a moment, and then said, "Thank you, Your Highness, but it's not necessary."

"Oh." Ji Qing didn't care at all, and threw the fruit into his mouth and chewed it.

The fresh, sweet and astringent aroma of the fruit was particularly noticeable in the cramped sedan chair, mixed with the original sandalwood scent, creating a novel and pleasant fragrance.

Seeing that he was enjoying his meal, Tinglan pushed the snacks on the side table toward Ji Qing. Perhaps out of pity for the other's impending fate, the Ninth Prince did something unnecessary today.

He was just a good kid from an ordinary family, but because he had some blood ties to the family, he was forced into this game against his will. It's pitiful.

After the fox finished eating the fruit, it looked at Tinglan, then at the table, and finally couldn't resist reaching out and taking the smallest piece of pastry.

It looked delicious, so he just tried a little and didn't eat much.

The pastries in the palace were much more exquisite than those sold outside. Ji Qing, a simple-minded fox from the mountains, had hardly ever eaten anything sold outside. He held the small pastry in his palm and looked at it like a treasure for a long time before reluctantly stuffing it into his mouth.

The moment the pastry touched his lips, his eyes lit up. He didn't take another piece, but instead rested his chin on his hand and leaned close to Tinglan, saying cautiously, "Thank you, brother."

His older sister taught him that, according to human etiquette, younger people who are older than him should be called "brother," which shouldn't be wrong, even though he is actually much, much older than Tinglan...

Never mind, they've shared the food, and he and Tinglan are already good friends!

The Ninth Prince looked at the people approaching and tried to move aside, but the sedan chair was only so big, and there was no way to avoid them.

He glanced past Ji Qing's face, staring at the swaying tassels of the sachet on the sedan chair, and said in a gentle tone, "I dare not, Your Highness may simply call me Tinglan. Your Highness is of royal lineage and of incomparably noble status."

Unsurprisingly, the fox didn't understand.

Humans are such a hassle, their speech is so complicated.

Tinglan continued, "The Imperial Wardrobe has already prepared the attire for His Highness. His Majesty, deeply devoted to his son, is already in the Imperial Study, eagerly awaiting the reunion of father and son."

These words sound nice, but even a shrewd and experienced palace person could sense something was amiss. The young prince was still young, and after a long journey of hundreds of miles to the capital, he was not allowed to rest or be given a welcome feast. Instead, he was urged to quickly change his clothes and go to meet the emperor.

Putting aside other factors, the emperor certainly didn't care much about this "son".

But the fox's little brain couldn't understand; he even felt guilty.

They actually deceived an innocent elderly father who longed to reunite with his son...

Oh, he's such a wicked fox.

A note from the author:

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My lord, please check out my upcoming novel, "Does the Kitten Really Have to Redeem the Immortal Venerable?" A boisterous, clingy, talkative, and beautiful kitten (top) x a rigid but love-struck, easily embarrassed, and seemingly unreliable master (bottom).

The kitten accepted a redemption mission, descended to the mortal realm with an air of superiority, and, carrying dried fish on its back, scurried to the mountain gate.

Dear Master, the cat is here to save you.

But they happened to witness Si Jianming punishing a disciple who had acted as an accomplice to demons, with the sound of whips cracking and snapping.

Upon seeing it from afar, the cat immediately fled in terror, running away overnight.

Demons, demons! The cat happens to contain the character for "demon," so it's bound to get beaten up!

Halfway there, they stumbled upon a person who was seriously injured and lying in a pool of blood.

The cat looked closely and exclaimed, "Wow, this person has patterns on their face!"

It's a human-shaped calico cat! So beautiful!

The cat loves it! The cat wants to stick it in!

So the cat picked up a person and was very proud of himself. "I am the boss cat, and this is my little brother cat."

He began to impart his experience, saying, "That Si Jianming is incredibly fierce. If you run into him, stay far away from him."

The cat bid farewell to its little brother with tears in its eyes, and went up the mountain alone with a small bundle to seek a master. Afraid of being beaten, it wore three layers of fleece pants to protect its bottom.

Looking up, I realized that the person sitting above looked a lot like my younger brother, except that his face was clean and not as handsome as my brother's.

Thus began Si Jianming's chaotic cat-raising career.

What's the story with this vase?

The cat stammered, "...It jumped down by itself and sanded itself."

Why are you walking around in the middle of the night?

The cat declared confidently, "I'm on patrol. What if a bad guy sneaks in? I need to protect you!"

In the end, the cat protected its little brother, but don't worry about how the little brother felt. In any case, the cat was very pleased with itself.

*

Si Jianming, the leader of the righteous path, a role model for the world, is taciturn and extremely strict, and is respected by all.

Everyone thought that with him holding things together, the sky wouldn't fall.

One day, a person appeared in his mind, claiming to be his past life.

The man said, "You will die at the hands of your apprentice."

Si Jianming looked at the cat that was rolling over onto its back.

His eyes gradually darkened.

...

Even you are going to betray me?

Si Jianming's heart was ashen.

Fine, it's better to die at your hands than at someone else's.

Later, the disciple proved with his life that he had never been disloyal to his master.

However, Si Jianming has already gone mad.

The cat will come back to life!

Then the master sacrificed his own leather drum (the kitten arrogantly stands with its hands on its hips and squeals).