The embroidery produced by Jinxiu Manor is the finest in the world. Even a noble concubine in the imperial palace would only receive three bolts of cloth every six months. Yet His Majesty bestowed one bolt upon them, to be used as bedding for a little sable. What they found most unacceptable was the jade phoenix basin.
The jade phoenix basin is carved from warm jade, keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer. It is said that because it is so precious, His Majesty has kept it to this day and has not bestowed it upon the beauties of the harem.
Is it worth using such expensive items for a ferret?
An Honghan squatted down, pulled the small cotton quilt from the wooden basin, and wanted to cover the little mink with it.
Xi Xizhi quickly rolled over, landing on her back with her feet in the air, gesturing for An Honghan to cover her stomach. Her clear, innocent eyes blinked twice, and she looked at everyone with a surprised expression.
An Honghan got up, his eyes still fixed on Xi Xizhi's sleeping posture.
Don't animals usually sleep lying down? This mink is like a human, with its four legs flat, a cotton blanket covering its belly, and its furry head sticking out and strutting around.
The eunuchs and palace maids were all astonished; it was the first time they had ever seen an animal resting in a human-like sleeping position. Could it be that because of the different breeds of ferrets, their habits had changed so drastically?
"Your Majesty, would you like to sleep in Panlong Palace tonight, or at the concubines' quarters?" The old eunuch from the Imperial Household Department, seeing that An Honghan was about to rest, brought over a large silver tray containing dozens of green-headed plaques.
Although Xi Xizhi lived a secluded life in the mountains and rarely ventured out, she had heard her master speak extensively about the rules and regulations governing emperors in the mortal realm. Seeing the plate, she strained to straighten herself, wanting to examine it more closely.
"No need to bring it up. I will rest in Panlong Palace today." An Honghan didn't give Xi Xizhi a chance to see it clearly and quickly dismissed the eunuch.
Feeling bored, Xi Xizhi reluctantly lay back down in her small room, closed her eyes, and soon fell asleep.
No matter what upset her, Xi Xizhi would forget it in the blink of an eye. In her words, if you're unhappy, why dwell on it? Every time you think about it, you're just making yourself miserable again.
Therefore, someone like her has an incredibly strong ability to adapt. No matter how much her circumstances change, she can face them positively and never get discouraged.
An Honghan was the ruler of the country, so even when he was resting, there would still be plenty of palace maids and eunuchs waiting in Panlong Palace. The eunuchs and palace maids took turns on duty so that if His Majesty woke up in the middle of the night, someone would be there to serve him.
As the first rays of morning sunlight streamed in, the tiny particles drifting in the air became clearly visible.
A breath of fresh air wafted over her, and Xi Xizhi groggily turned over.
My master once said, "The early bird catches the worm."
Therefore, the morning is the time when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is most abundant, and cultivating in the morning often yields twice the results with half the effort. In his previous life, Xi Xizhi was too lazy and often missed this most precious time.
And now...
Being a pet, while providing for one's basic needs, comes with no dignity; one is forever dependent on others for survival. Xi Xizhi's greatest wish right now is to re-cultivate into a human and shed the label of 'pet'.
Although she really wanted to sleep in, Xi Xizhi kept in mind the most urgent task at hand.
She slapped her cheeks repeatedly with her paws, trying to clear her head. It hurt a bit, but the effect was significant. Finally, she managed to open her eyes a tiny slit, and in a daze, Xi Xizhi threw off the small quilt and jumped out of her little nest.
Xi Xizhi felt very unsteady on her feet and swayed unsteadily as she walked.
His dazed and bewildered appearance completely charmed the group of palace maids in the hall. However, although the maids were laughing, they dared not make a sound. His Majesty was still asleep, and if they woke him, their heads might be on their hands.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes with her two paws, Xi Xizhi forced herself to wake up and finally found the location of the threshold.
After dawdling along the way, Xi Xizhi finally climbed over the high threshold. Gazing at the world enveloped in golden light, Xi Xizhi chirped a couple of times.
Upon spotting the canna lily in the flowerbed, Xi Xizhi rushed straight towards it.
The flowerbed was planted with many pale pink flowers. Xi Xizhi walked along the flowerbed, and wherever she passed, the sight was heartbreaking.
Plop... A drop of dew fell from the broad oval leaf.
Xi Xizhi was thirsty, and besides, dew was a good thing that shouldn't be wasted, so she opened her mouth, caught it, and swallowed it.
Xi Xizhi could clearly feel the spiritual energy floating in the air, which was spontaneously gathering around her. Without further delay, Xi Xizhi lay down and guided the wisps of spiritual energy into her dantian.
Although Xi Xizhi was reborn as a little sable, this body possessed even greater talent for cultivation than her previous life.
Because Xi Xizhi was very small, she was difficult to spot when hiding behind a banana leaf. Therefore, she could absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth here without anyone noticing.
Little did she know that during her cultivation, a great upheaval was brewing within the Panlong Palace.
An Honghan had to attend the morning court session, so he gradually woke up not long after Xi Xizhi left. The first thing he did upon getting up was to check on how Little Mink was sleeping. Seeing that the little nest was empty and the adorable little guy was not there, An Honghan's face immediately turned gloomy.
"You saw it run away and none of you stopped it. Don't you want to live?" An Honghan sat in his chair and reprimanded in a deep voice.
All the palace maids and eunuchs knelt in a ball, prostrating themselves on the ground and begging for mercy.
They didn't think much of it at the time, and seeing that it was dazed, they assumed it wouldn't run away. Who knew that in the blink of an eye, the little weasel had vanished without a trace…
The palace maids sobbed softly, "Your Majesty, please spare our lives! We didn't mean to."
"Not intentional? You think you can get away with this with just a word? Is that even possible? Since you have eyes but are useless, you might as well gouge them out. If I haven't found the Phoenix Cloud Sable by the time I finish the morning court session, none of you will live." An Honghan stood up and beckoned two palace maids to help him dress.
Even An Honghan didn't understand why he felt a surge of anger as soon as he heard that Xiao Diao had disappeared.
What a bunch of useless lackeys! Dozens of them can't even keep an eye on a little ferret!
"Summon Lynn and order the guards to search for Little Sable. You only have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn." The implication was that he would end the morning court session within that time. If you didn't hurry, your lives would be in danger.
The palace maids and eunuchs were all in a panic, searching everywhere and leaving no corner of the Panlong Palace unchecked.
Lynn knelt in the Liuyun Palace all night, worried that His Majesty might have forgotten his existence, when a eunuch rushed toward him.
"Chief Eunuch Lin, hurry back to Panlong Palace! His Majesty is furious again!" The eunuch, still sweating profusely, shouted to Lin En.
Lynn pounded his knees and slowly stood up; his legs were numb from kneeling.
"This isn't the first time His Majesty has been angry. Is there any need to panic?"
The eunuch stamped his feet in frustration, "This time it's different, the Phoenix Cloud Sable is gone!"
Lynn's heart skipped a beat. "Go, go quickly!"
He limped toward the Panlong Hall.
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