These fish are incredibly resilient. Living in such frigid water, they swim so joyfully. Sunlight shines into the clear pool, making the fish's scales shimmer and dazzle, so bright that Xi Xizhi can't open her eyes. Swallowing hard, Xi Xizhi sighs... These fish are truly beautiful. Each scale is almost identical, as if carved from stone.
Its body is covered in golden scales, reminiscent of a high and mighty king. Every swish of its tail is incredibly elegant. This fish is truly an aristocrat among fish.
Xi Xizhi suddenly remembered An Honghan, who had offended it, and looked at the fish as if she were looking at a stand-in for An Honghan.
Despite its extreme beauty, the more I look at it, the more irritating it becomes. You all can swim freely, while it has signed an unfair treaty that cedes its rights.
The two claws swiftly extended, touching the slippery fish body. Losing its grip, the fish slid away between its claws.
The fish has a relatively large head with a golden, comb-like growth on its forehead. Its abdomen is small and firm, and its pectoral and pelvic fins are large and long, giving it a streamlined appearance. When it swims, it resembles a golden dragon soaring through the sky.
Xi Xizhi had no other hobbies except for eating fish. Back in the deep mountains and forests, she liked to go to the river every few days to catch a few fish to satisfy her craving. Watching the fish constantly swishing their tails, Xi Xizhi's appetite was completely whetted.
The pool is fifty or sixty square meters in size, and because the water is so clear, you can see everything inside clearly.
Looking around, there were more than a dozen fish scattered in various places.
Once Xi Xizhi's cravings are aroused, there's no going back to reason. Her four legs kick incessantly, and whichever fish gets close, she stretches out her wicked claws towards it.
Water splashed everywhere, ripples rolled and droplets splattered onto the land with a loud crackling sound. Xi Xizhi missed one grabbing at a pool, then lunged at another. The pool was like boiling water, droplets splashing erratically.
The Phoenix Golden-Scaled Fish in Qingyuan Pond are specially raised ornamental fish. This extremely cold pond has existed for hundreds of years. In order to transform the pond into an ornamental pond, Fengze Kingdom spent a fortune, transporting a batch of Phoenix Golden-Scaled Fish adapted to the cold environment from Luyun Kingdom every year.
Phoenix-scaled fish are already precious and extremely rare. Moreover, they cannot withstand long-distance transport, and often more than half of them die en route. In order to take care of these twenty Phoenix-scaled fish, there are eunuchs in the palace who are specially responsible for feeding them.
Hearing the commotion at Qingyuan Pond, several eunuchs rushed over, their eyes wide with shock.
"What's going on! Why is water splashed everywhere?" The eunuch rushed over anxiously.
If even one of the Phoenix Golden-Scaled Fish dies, none of them will survive. His Majesty, in his leisure time, loves to admire the fish at Qingyuan Pond, and has even built a pavilion there. Apart from a few princesses, no one else is allowed to set foot in Qingyuan Pond.
Qingyuan Pond is much harder to enter than the Imperial Garden. If anyone else is found to have entered, it's a matter of losing your head.
"Wait...wait a minute!" A eunuch suddenly tugged at the sleeve of the person in front of him. "There's something in the pool!"
They were startled and all stopped in their tracks.
Many golden-scaled fish, unable to withstand the turbulence of the pond, leaped out of the water, like carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, jumping very high, drawing an arc in the air, and then falling back into the pond.
Xi Xizhi exerted a great deal of effort but failed to catch a single fish. The fish were very cunning; every time it was about to succeed, it would suddenly leap out of the water. Xi Xizhi was so angry that its teeth itched. It caught sight of the fish between its claws and wanted to try the same trick again. Xi Xizhi didn't care about anything else and leaped out of the water with the fish, determined to catch it.
Following a golden arc, a silvery-white, plump ball closely pursued it.
Several eunuchs stared dumbfounded at the scene, and after a long while shouted, "Whose pet is this? Is Qingyuan Pond a place where pets can just come in like that? Quick... quick, catch it!"
The eunuchs dared not hesitate and rushed forward to grab the little sable.
His hair was soaked, and the bright red downy hair in the center of Xi Xizhi's forehead was not very noticeable.
Just as it caught the fish in its mouth, it turned around and saw several eunuchs running towards it. Xi Xizhi wasn't stupid; she saw the fierce look in their eyes and was about to run away when two eunuchs saw through its intentions and quickly stood in front of it, blocking its path.
"Quickly put down the Phoenix Golden Scale Fish, hurry!" The eunuch was sweating profusely, his eyes never leaving the fish in the little sable's mouth.
Xi Xizhi's teeth weren't sharp, so the fish's surface remained smooth and new. Listening to the eunuch repeatedly calling it "Phoenix Golden Scale Fish," Xi Xizhi thought to herself, "That's quite a name." No wonder this fish looked so noble; its name contained the character for "phoenix."
"Fool! What are you talking to a pet about? Do you think it can understand you? Fish can't live without water. Catch it, or if the Phoenix Golden Scale Fish dies, none of us will survive!" The head eunuch roared immediately, sweat dripping down his forehead.
As the fish's struggles grew weaker, the eunuchs panicked and were about to pounce...
Suddenly, two palace maids ran over. They were also covered in sweat. When they saw the wet little sable, their eyes immediately filled with hope. Then, when they saw what the little sable was holding in its mouth, the two palace maids trembled with fright.
Oh no! Oh no! We've made a huge mistake!
"What do you want to do?" Seeing that the eunuch was about to attack Xiao Diao, the two palace maids quickly blocked Xiao Diao behind them.
The little ferret, with a fish in its mouth, couldn't utter a single word. The eunuchs' actions made it realize that the fish seemed very valuable. Killing one might cost several lives. Just as it was about to carry the fish back to the pond, the fish, ungrateful, suddenly struggled violently and leaped half a meter away.
Because the fish was held in her teeth, when it jumped away, Xi Xizhi's teeth chattered in pain.
Ungrateful! Utterly ungrateful! With old and new grudges surging in his heart, Xi Xizhi caught the fish again. This time, he was going to deep-fry it and make it into a braised fish!
The eunuch did not recognize the two palace maids. Seeing that the maids were even more arrogant than the other two, he shrieked, "Who are you? How dare you disregard the rules of the palace and trespass into Qingyuan Pond! Do you believe I will report this to Chief Steward Lin and have him punish you severely?"
The two palace maids panicked when they realized their scheme had been exposed, but they refused to back down. "We work for the Panlong Palace! If you dare touch a single hair on Fengyun Marten, you can expect His Majesty to chop off your heads."
"Phoenix Cloud Sable?" Upon hearing these three words, the eunuchs all turned to look at the small animal. There was indeed a little red on its forehead, which had been obscured before because its fur was wet and matted together, but now everyone recognized it.
His Majesty's recent favoritism towards the Phoenix Cloud Sable is known throughout the palace. If that mischievous pet were the Phoenix Cloud Sable, they really wouldn't dare to catch it again.
As they pondered what to do, Xi Xizhi had already taken off on all fours and rushed towards the door. Fish, of course, taste best when they're fresh. Before they were completely dead, they needed to get them to the imperial kitchen quickly.
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