She lowered her head to the base of her neck, holding back her tears, afraid to cry out.
It was her inferiority complex that fostered her timid personality. Compared to these princesses of noble birth, her background was far inferior. The other princesses' mothers were daughters of high-ranking officials, while her mother was merely a maid.
Xi Xizhi deeply understood the feeling that one's identity was not something one could choose; otherwise, she wouldn't have transmigrated into a little ferret. She felt that these princesses were making a mountain out of a molehill and were too petty. They were all wearing the radiant title of 'princess,' yet they were so stingy.
"We know it in our hearts, why are we shouting so loudly? Do we want our imperial brother to hear us?" Princess An Ruoyan shouted, brushing off her robes.
Every movement she made exuded charm. Her beautiful face was like that of a fairy descended to earth.
"Six...Sixth Sister," the little girl murmured helplessly.
"What sixth sister? Call me sixth imperial sister? Where did you learn all the royal etiquette!" An Ruoyan was most hostile to the little girl, and every word she said was aimed at her.
"Sixth Imperial Sister." The little girl was forced to change her address.
Another princess standing nearby said angrily, "Back when your mother was a servant of Consort Hua, how did Consort Hua mistreat her? She actually took advantage of the late emperor's drunkenness to climb into his bed. If you ask me, your mother was shameless."
Consort Hua was the sixth princess's birth mother. It was for this reason that An Ruoyan hated the little girl's face, which resembled that vile woman's.
Many princesses scorned her and glared at the little girl with their noses in the air.
The little girl was so upset she was about to cry. She stood there motionless with her hands behind her back.
"Chirp chirp..." They're all princesses born into royalty, can't they watch their mouths?
It's not the little girl's fault that she has such a mother. The little girl is purely innocent and has been dragged into this. Who can choose what kind of person their mother is?
"Say less, everyone. The mistake was that Mother Consort misjudged people back then and raised an ungrateful dog. The Empress Dowager has suddenly fallen ill with a strange disease. We need to discuss what gifts to send to comfort her." An Ruoyan was about to step into the palace when she stopped halfway.
She slowly turned around and walked towards the little ferret.
Startled, Xi Xizhi took a step back, turned around, and ran away as fast as she could. She hadn't offended anyone, so she didn't want anyone to come after her. Taking advantage of her four legs, she rushed forward quickly. Running so fast, she bumped into someone's calf with a thud.
Not only was the other person in pain, but the little ferret also fell to the ground in pain.
"It's just a little sable, what's so special about it? Not only do you like it, even my imperial brother treasures it." An Ruoyan's sharp, beautiful eyes scanned Xi Xizhi back and forth, and she snorted disdainfully.
The little girl, thinking the other person intended to bully the Phoenix Cloud Sable, snapped back to reality and stood in front of the sable to shield it. Having been ostracized and ridiculed for years, the little girl lacked courage; her body trembled, and her voice quivered as she said, "Sixth Imperial Sister, it's my Imperial Brother's pet..."
"Don't try to intimidate me with your brother's name. Do you think I'm afraid?" She is the most beloved sister of her brother. How can a mere little sable be as important as her? In some ways, An Ruoyan could be described as arrogant.
Xi Xizhi was so disoriented from the impact that she couldn't tell which way was which. She had just recovered a little when she heard those words.
He gritted his teeth and thought to himself, "Wait until An Honghan looks at you with a cold face, then let's see if you're scared!"
Xi Xizhi rubbed her sore bottom and slowly stood up. This sixth princess was no pushover...
"An Yunyi, get out of my way! I just want to see the Phoenix Cloud Sable, why are you so nervous?" An Ruoyan said to the little girl by her full name, the more she looked at her face, the more displeased she became. Especially that little face, full of timidity and fear.
Xi Xizhi didn't believe her nonsense, rubbed her buttocks, and backed away.
An Yunyi, however, was less cunning and asked softly, "Really?"
"Why would I lie to you? It's just a little sable. I wouldn't lower myself to argue with it." Pushing aside An Yunyi's small body, An Ruoyan looked down at the sable and said, "It's just a sable with a tuft of fiery red fur, why is Your Majesty holding it in your hands?"
In recent days, the news of An Honghan's doting affection for the little ferret has become common knowledge. An Ruoyan looked at it carefully for a few moments but couldn't see anything special about it. She slowly squatted down, wanting to pick up the little ferret and continue to examine it closely.
Just then, a eunuch's loud shout rang out—"His Majesty has arrived!"
The princesses all bowed slightly in excitement, greeting An Honghan, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
An Honghan casually replied, "Rise."
The two palace maids who had been with Xiao Diao had noticed something was wrong earlier and, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, ran back to Panlong Palace to report to His Majesty. Thankfully, they arrived in time. They couldn't afford to take any responsibility should Xiao Diao have been harmed.
"What brings you to Yanyou Palace, Your Majesty?" An Ruoyan quickly changed her tone and asked softly. A faint smile graced her face, enhancing her charm even more.
But An Honghan ignored them, walked straight to the little sable, and hugged the mischievous ferret into his arms. "I just came to see it." His gaze fell on the dozen or so princesses, and he frowned. "What brings you all here?"
An Ruoyan was about to answer when a voice barely audible spoke before her: "Sixth Imperial Sister instructed us to come over and discuss what tonics to send to the Empress Dowager to help her recover."
"What kind of medicines does the Imperial Medical Academy lack? You don't need to worry about this. Just stay in your own palaces." The cold voice, chilling to the bone, reached everyone's ears.
An Yunyi's reply was unintentional, her voice barely audible, yet An Honghan had actually heard it. She pursed her lips and looked up; this was her first conversation with her elder brother. In her heart, An Honghan was like an unattainable god.
Overjoyed to be able to stand face to face with her brother for the first time, she smiled broadly.
If... if she could also receive the emperor's favor like her sixth sister, how wonderful that would be?
Seeing that the crisis had passed, Xi Xizhi breathed a sigh of relief. Why did she have this feeling... that apart from being with An Honghan, she was safe, everywhere else was fraught with danger?
Ultimately, it was because her body was too fragile. This instilled in her an unprecedented sense of crisis; only a powerful man like An Honghan could protect her. Otherwise, in the ruthless imperial palace, she certainly wouldn't survive long.
I must try my best to please this man from now on...
An Ruoyan was so angry that she twisted the hem of her dress and glared at An Yunyi resentfully after someone else answered her first.
Taking two steps forward, An Ruoyan feigned intimacy and tugged at An Honghan's robe, shaking it playfully, "Since Your Majesty is here, why don't we have a meal at Yanyou Palace?"
An Honghan frowned slightly, seemingly a little impatient. "You all eat, I'll go back to Panlong Palace first."
Withdrawing his arm subtly, An Honghan, carrying the little sable, left with a group of palace maids and eunuchs.
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