The night was pitch black, and a row of lights illuminated the silent corridor.
The little ferret tossed and turned restlessly in An Honghan's arms, its body reeking of medicine, which was unpleasant to smell. It would raise its front paws to sniff, then sniff the tuft of fur on its belly.
Looking up at An Honghan, why didn't he find the strong medicinal smell on his body bothersome? Or was his nose blocked and he couldn't smell anything? Thinking of the latter, Xi Xizhi immediately rejected the idea.
"If you move again, I'll throw you down and make you walk by yourself." An Honghan held down the little sable in his arms. Ever since they left Panlong Palace, the little sable hadn't stopped fidgeting. Several times, it almost fell to the ground.
Peeking out with her little head, Xi Xizhi looked at the ground, shook her head, and obediently nestled in An Honghan's arms. With An Honghan as her mode of transportation, she was too lazy to walk. Besides, she would have to run to keep up with everyone else, and by the time they reached Fengxiang Palace, she would probably be exhausted.
Thinking about that old empress dowager, Xi Xizhi was quite curious about how An Honghan would avenge her.
Normally, An Honghan would have already gone to bed by this time. However, when they arrived, a tragic scene was unfolding in Fengxiang Palace.
As soon as Xi Xizhi stepped into Fengxiang Palace, she heard a series of heart-wrenching screams.
Why is she crying so bitterly in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Is she trying to scare people? Xi Xizhi couldn't help but complain in her heart, but then she thought that it must be the wicked Empress Dowager punishing someone again.
It turns out that it wasn't just this animal that suffered at the hands of the Empress Dowager, but also countless other animals!
"Chirp chirp..." Let it be a hero and rescue its compatriots from their suffering! Xi Xizhi used all four limbs, like a koala, to climb down An Honghan's thigh.
The eunuch who followed saw this and his eyes widened like saucers. Could this animal have mistaken His Majesty's thigh for a tree trunk?
An Honghan's expression was also unpleasant. He watched as the little ferret secretly hid behind the door, peeking into the main hall with its little head, but hesitated to go in.
"You were so fearless just now, what's wrong? Lying here, too scared to go in?" An Honghan gently kicked the little mink with his toe, his sword-like eyebrows slightly raised.
That glance was full of sarcasm, but upon closer inspection, a hint of playfulness could be seen deep within his eyes.
Despite knowing it was a provocation, Xi Xizhi shamelessly fell into An Honghan's trap. With An Honghan backing her up, Xi Xizhi straightened her back, puffed out her chest, and swaggered in, becoming the first to enter the main hall.
Inside the main hall, two guards were torturing a palace maid. They were repeatedly slapping her buttocks with a thick stick, and the screams came from her mouth.
The palace maid's voice was shrill and her screams were incredibly piercing. Xi Xizhi covered her ears with both hands and chirped softly.
Its appearance quickly attracted everyone's attention. The Empress Dowager, seated on the throne, sharpened her gaze and looked behind the little sable. Sure enough, as expected, An Honghan was walking towards them.
"It's getting late. Why is Your Majesty coming here instead of spending the night with your concubines?" The Empress Dowager stood up and was helped to walk by a palace maid. She wore a pointed jade finger guard on her pinky finger, symbolizing her noble status.
"I heard screams coming from the palace, so I came to check." An Honghan beckoned to the guards, instructing them to stop so as not to disturb his conversation with the Empress Dowager.
Although the guards served in the Fengxiang Palace, who would dare disobey the king's orders? They immediately stopped all their actions.
The Empress Dowager didn't believe this nonsense. Fengxiang Palace and Panlong Hall were far apart; even the loudest noise couldn't reach An Honghan. An Honghan wouldn't come here without a reason; there must be one. Smelling a medicinal scent in the air, the Empress Dowager's gaze fell on the little sable.
"His Majesty knows?" It seems that no matter how well they try to conceal their actions, they cannot escape An Honghan's eyes.
"Your Majesty, I believe... we need to talk alone."
The chilling words sent a cold sweat down the Empress Dowager's spine.
The palace maids sobbed softly, their cries filling the hall.
Xi Xizhi paced closer to the palace maid, raised her furry paw, and wiped away the tears on her face. Two chirping sounds seemed to say, "Don't cry."
The palace maid was only fifteen or sixteen years old. Her small face, streaked with tears, stared in astonishment at the little sable, unable to believe that a sable would comfort her. However, the little sable's kind gesture temporarily made her forget her pain and stop crying.
Xi Xizhi glanced at her buttocks, where a bloody red patch was visible.
"Chirp chirp..." Xi Xizhi chirped at An Honghan, but he was only focused on arguing with the Empress Dowager. Xi Xizhi tugged at his clothes and pointed her claws at the palace maid.
An Honghan glanced at it and said, "My compassion is not excessive."
He came here only to seek justice for Little Mink. He had no time to concern himself with other people's affairs.
The saying goes, "Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda." How could Xi Xizhi, a well-educated woman, ignore such a situation? She chirped again, circling around An Honghan, and finally, seeing that he remained unmoved, she resorted to her trump card…acting cute.
She rubbed against An Honghan's leg obediently, her big, bright eyes blinking as she looked at him.
This tactic was clearly effective. An Honghan turned his gaze back to the palace maid and asked, "Want me to save her? Sure, but first, lick my boots?"
lick? ……
Grasping at this word, Xi Xizhi saw An Honghan pick it up with both of his large hands.
It's not like she's never licked before. Xi Xizhi very proactively stuck out her tongue and licked the back of An Honghan's hand.
It's that warm, moist sensation again...
An Honghan suddenly had a strange idea. He raised the little sable and looked at it at eye level.
"I didn't say lick my hand. If you lick my cheek, I'll spare that palace maid, how about that?"
Upon hearing this condition, Xi Xizhi's anger surged. After all, it was a ferret with thoughts; licking its paw was one thing, but licking its face was tantamount to kissing its cheek?
"Unwilling?" An Honghan read the fury in those beastly eyes and continued, "Then what does her life or death have to do with me?"
He was a ruthless killer, and human life was the least valued thing to him. In his eyes, a mere palace maid was nothing at all.
She glanced at the palace maid again, and when she met her pitiful yet yearning eyes, Xi Xizhi compromised once more. If a mere lick could save a life, Xi Xizhi would certainly make the choice without hesitation.
She leaned close to An Honghan's cheek, extended her pink and tender tongue, and gently brushed it across his face like a feather falling into water.
Although Xiao Diao was unwilling, An Honghan was very happy to have tasted the sweetness. He waved his hand and ordered two eunuchs, "Take this palace maid away and find a royal physician to treat her."
The Empress Dowager was furious at being ignored by the man and the fur coat. However, intimidated by An Honghan's imposing aura, she dared not confront him.
“Your Majesty, that palace maid clumsily knocked over the teacup, and I was merely giving her a little lesson. If I were to let her off this time, it would only encourage the lazy and gluttonous habits of these palace maids.”
An Honghan frowned slightly and said coldly, "Does the Empress Dowager have any objections to the decision I have made?"
The word "Empress Dowager" froze the other person in place. An Honghan only addressed her that way when he was angry.
The Empress Dowager noticed the change in the other party's attitude and dared not utter a word of rebuttal. "How could I possibly have any objections? His Majesty is the ruler of the country, so whatever he says is law."
"The palace maid spilled the teacup, angering you, Your Majesty. Then, what caused my pet sable to be abused by the Empress Dowager, leaving it covered in bruises?" The questioning tone, every word pierced the Empress Dowager's heart.
The phrase "my pet sable" lingered in the Empress Dowager's mind... It was just a sentence, but it highlighted how much An Honghan valued his pet sable.
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