“It is indeed a very fortunate coincidence…” An Honghan said meaningfully, rubbing the mark in the center of the sable’s forehead with his fingers. “Lord Fan has really put in a lot of effort for this banquet. I’m afraid you can’t buy this Phoenix Cloud Sable for less than 100,000 taels of silver, right?”
An Honghan spoke slowly and deliberately, each word making everyone feel flattered.
Many ministers stared wide-eyed at the Phoenix Cloud Sable.
"No...is it not true?"
"Deceiving the emperor is a grave crime!"
"Lord Fan is too audacious! He actually dared to try to fool His Majesty with a fake sable."
Below, the atmosphere was like a boiling oil pot, with all the ministers' mouths opening and closing, talking incessantly.
An Honghan frowned. "All of you, shut up."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Flowing Cloud Palace fell silent; it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Fan Yi's face instantly stiffened and turned ugly.
“This Phoenix Cloud Sable is real, but it’s not the one I keep.” An Honghan’s fingers gradually moved to the sable’s neck. He was never merciful to people or things. With just a little force from him, that sable would surely die.
Xi Xizhi saw through his intention and reached out to snatch the ferret away. "It's one of my kind, after all. Why do you have to kill it?"
Xi Xizhi spoke very softly, only addressing An Honghan, so to outsiders it appeared that Xi Xizhi had taken the Phoenix Cloud Sable by force.
Just when the ministers thought An Honghan would punish the child for his insubordination and lack of respect for hierarchy, they saw that An Honghan did not try to take the sable again. Instead, he glanced at the ministers below, and finally looked at Fan Yi, saying, "Lord Fan, how do you intend to explain this matter?"
Fan Yi was so frightened that his hands and feet turned ice-cold, and he knelt down trembling. "It...it's not true? Your Majesty, I only wanted to help you find your beloved pet. I never thought that this ferret was a fake. Your Majesty, I have served Fengze Kingdom for decades. Don't you trust my character? I absolutely did not lie."
Fan Yi spoke with righteous indignation, a stark contrast to his smug demeanor just moments before.
Consort Ning had been paying close attention to the commotion throughout the room. Seeing that her father reacted quickly, she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.
Consort Hua glanced at her and said, "If your father is deceiving someone else, that's fine, but if he's deceiving His Majesty, what kind of consequences do you think there will be? I advise you to be prepared. Don't think that a simple excuse can stop His Majesty from continuing to investigate."
Consort Ning was filled with anxiety. Her current power in the harem was mostly due to her father's connections. If something were to happen to her father, her own status would decline.
The palace is the most pragmatic place; if you have power and wealth, everyone will vie to curry favor with you. If you have nothing, you'll be met with ridicule and scorn. Look at that fourteenth princess—isn't she the best example?
I used to be ostracized and never had a comfortable day.
And today... he demolished An Ruoyan's palace and became the most popular princess.
"Do you really think I would believe your lies? If I just follow up a little, do you think I wouldn't know the origin of this sable?" An Honghan refused to give up, clinging to Fan Yi's weakness.
Which minister in the imperial court doesn't scheme and plot to gain An Honghan's attention? However, it's far more reliable to showcase one's talents and attract An Honghan's attention than to resort to opportunistic methods.
Fan Yi knew that once the matter was exposed, His Majesty would not easily forgive him.
"Your Majesty, I truly did not know that this sable was not your beloved pet. I was deceived by others, and this matter has nothing to do with me! My loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon."
Hearing this vulgar tale, Xi Xizhi couldn't help but sneeze. Storytellers had told this line countless times, yet she never expected someone to actually say it.
“Lord Fan, I will not wrong an innocent person. Since you keep saying that you know the truth, I will not take your life now.” An Honghan said calmly. “Guards, take Lord Fan to the prison first. I will make a decision after I find out the truth. For the sake of your innocence, I believe Lord Fan will not mind a few days in prison.”
Although it was said in a consultative tone, anyone who saw An Honghan's cold and ruthless face knew that it was an order.
Fan Yi dared not say anything, "Your humble servant obeys."
And indeed, the truth was just as An Honghan had guessed. Fan Yi had only tried to gain An Honghan's favor by deliberately using connections to smuggle a Phoenix Cloud Sable from the Kingdom of Jiu. However, Fan Yi never expected that the sable would be exposed as soon as it reached His Majesty's hands.
Both are Phoenix Cloud Sables, so what's the difference?!
Two guards escorted Fan Yi out of Liuyun Palace, holding him by the shoulder.
As if the heavens and earth had collapsed, Consort Ning watched her father's disappearing figure, not daring to turn back. Regardless of whether this matter could be over, Fan Yi's status in the court would inevitably decline.
"I warn you, don't try anything funny under my nose. It's not hard to get rich and powerful, but you have to be valuable. The court doesn't support useless people." An Honghan's voice was laced with a hint of domineering.
All the ministers present were intimidated by An Honghan's imposing aura, and they all knelt down, bowing their heads and saying, "Your Majesty, we understand."
Understand? I reckon you'll forget it soon enough.
An Honghan didn't want to say more about it, and waved his hand, "Get up, all of you. I'm tired today, so this banquet is over."
Originally, I had no expectations for the so-called banquet. Staying in Liuyun Palace and getting entangled with these ministers was not as good as taking my furry child back to Panlong Palace to sleep.
Compared to the young and strong An Honghan, Xi Xizhi was truly exhausted. She couldn't stop yawning while sitting in An Honghan's lap.
Looking at the little mink in Xi Xizhi's arms, An Honghan felt a bit uncomfortable.
Some things, one is enough.
"Lynn, take this mink and throw it away."
The cold words reached Xi Xizhi's ears, making her hug Feng Yundiao even tighter.
Others may not understand the tragedy of being a pet, but surely Xi Xizhi knows? Just by looking at this ferret, it has no spirit; it's just an ordinary animal. If it were thrown away, it probably wouldn't live more than a few days.
"I want to raise it." Since they are all the same kind of people, Xi Xizhi certainly couldn't just leave it unattended.
Lynn also thought Miss Xi's decision was quite good, and chimed in, "Your Majesty, I believe the Phoenix Cloud Sable also wishes for a companion, and it would be even better if it were a male and a female..."
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