Xi Xizhi enjoyed An Honghan's service and comfortably closed her eyes.
Throughout history, she is probably the only one who dared to be served by a tyrant!
Because the bathing pool was converted from a hot spring, the water here remains very warm no matter how long you bathe. Xi Xizhi lay on An Honghan's palm, her eyes half-closed, taking a nap, feeling drowsy.
Time passed unnoticed, and Xi Xizhi's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. After a while, her eyelids finally closed, and she gradually drifted off to sleep.
Seeing that the little ferret had fallen asleep, An Honghan stood up, picked it up, and carried it out of the bath.
In order not to wake the ferret, An Honghan was extremely careful and gentle when drying its fur.
If others saw this scene, they would certainly not believe that the person moving so gently was the fearsome Emperor.
The stars twinkled brilliantly in the dark night sky. Rows of lanterns hung along the palace corridors, shining brightly like the stars in the night sky.
That night, some people slept soundly, while others couldn't sleep at all.
The next morning, the matter concerning Wu Lingyin had become known to all the officials in the court. However, due to An Honghan's imposing manner, no one dared to plead for Wu Lingyin. Therefore, the morning court session was exceptionally dull, with the ministers only saying a few words before falling silent.
An Honghan sat quietly, holding the little sable, his eyes occasionally sweeping over the ministers below.
Although it's somewhat unfair that Wu Lingyin was punished simply for shooting Feng Yunshao, An Honghan didn't think it was a good idea to let him hold military power for a long time. Taking this opportunity to strip him of his military power was a better choice.
"You all know about yesterday's trip to Yunshan Mountain, right?" Although he asked this question, An Honghan knew in his heart that the matter had probably been found out by all the ministers overnight.
If they can't even grasp the winds and trends of the court, how can these ministers possibly stand firmly in the Golden Palace?
Because Wu Lingyin had a wide network of connections, many people in the court were related to him. Once he fell, the power dynamics of the court would change. For their own future and the sake of their own future development, these ministers had to come up with a plan.
"We understand," the ministers shouted.
An Honghan nodded in satisfaction, "In that case, no matter how I punish General Wu, none of you will object, right?"
Although it was a question, everyone knew that His Majesty had already made up his mind. He was just saying this to appease them. If they dared to plead for Wu Lingyin, their fate would definitely be the worst.
"We have no objection."
Everyone knows An Honghan's methods. Now that Wu Lingyin has fallen into his hands, even if he manages to come back alive, he will probably only suffer a fate worse than death.
"In that case, all of you ministers, please come with me to the martial arts arena." An Honghan stood up from the dragon throne, carrying the little sable, and walked down from the high platform.
Xi Xizhi's eyes were still blurry from just waking up. She tried to open them wide and glanced at An Honghan a few times, wondering why he wanted to go to the martial arts arena. Weren't they just talking about Wu Lingyin? Why did he suddenly mention going to the martial arts arena?
The so-called martial arts training ground was a place in the palace specifically used for martial arts training. Young princes, as well as some high-ranking guards and generals, could train in the martial arts training ground.
Xi Xizhi had heard the eunuchs talk about this place, but because she wasn't interested in it, she never went there.
Not only Xi Xizhi felt strange, but the courtiers below also felt the same way.
His Majesty's thoughts have always been unfathomable. Just now, his thoughts were jumping around so fast that no one could keep up with him.
“You’ll understand once you get there,” An Honghan said slowly, his tone leaving a lingering impression.
Xi Xizhi gently patted An Honghan's hand with her little paws, hoping he could tell her something.
To everyone's surprise, the only response they received was a slightly amused look in An Honghan's eyes.
The news of An Honghan's strange order quickly spread.
Dongfang Youyu was also curious about An Honghan's intentions upon receiving this news.
“Let’s go take a look too.” Dongfang Youyu said to his two personal guards, shook his fan, and walked out of the palace where he was temporarily staying.
The martial arts arena was some distance from the palace where the court was held, so it took them quite a while to get there.
"Your Majesty, where are you headed?" Pretending to bump into him by chance, Dongfang Youyu greeted him with his signature smile.
How could An Honghan not know what the other party was thinking? If they were just here to join in the fun, he certainly wouldn't interfere.
"I plan to go to the martial arts training grounds. If Your Highness the Crown Prince wishes to go, you may accompany me."
Dongfang Youyu was waiting for this very sentence, and immediately followed An Honghan's lead, saying, "Since Your Majesty has said so, I would certainly like to go and see for myself."
Dongfang Youyu closed his folding fan with a faint smile on his lips, though the smile didn't reach his heart.
When Dongfang Youyu's gaze fell on the little sable in An Honghan's arms, he couldn't help but chuckle. No matter how you compared them, this Phoenix Cloud Sable was worlds apart from the one he kept.
Those bright, expressive eyes are something not all animals can imitate.
Seeing Dongfang Youyu staring at her, Xi Xizhi politely made two noises as a greeting.
No matter what, this person had never done anything to harm her; on the contrary, he had helped her a lot. In life and in business, one should always leave some room for maneuver.
Since the other party did not regard her as an enemy, Xi Xizhi naturally would not seek trouble by opposing him.
An Honghan did not miss the interaction between Dongfang Youyu and Xiao Diao.
His possessiveness has always been extremely strong, and he reached out and patted the little ferret's bottom as a warning.
Xi Xizhi, a monk standing two feet tall, was completely bewildered. She bared her teeth and yelled at An Honghan, thinking to herself, "She didn't provoke you, so why did you spank her? Besides, so many ministers were watching. Couldn't you have given her a little face?"
Ignoring the proud little ferret, An Honghan lifted his leg and stepped into the martial arts arena.
The servants working in the training grounds had already received the news that His Majesty was coming, so they were all on high alert and dared not slack off in the slightest.
The civil and military officials all stood together, walking in perfect unison behind An Honghan.
"Welcome, Your Majesty." The martial arts instructors and the guards who were training all knelt down to pay their respects.
An Honghan glanced at him once before looking away. "Rise."
At the sound, hundreds of people stood up from the ground.
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