The two sides remained deadlocked, and the eunuchs, not daring to bully Little Sable, stomped their feet back and forth with bitter faces.
The head eunuch suddenly turned his gaze to the two palace maids, his attitude changing drastically, and said obsequiously, "Sisters, you spend every day with the Phoenix Cloud Sable, why don't you persuade it to return the fish's carcass to us, so we can report back?"
The death of a fish is already a grave sin. If they can't even preserve the fish's carcass, then they certainly have no way to survive.
The two palace maids had already broken into Qingyuan Pond and were in the wrong, so they spoke politely, "Besides His Majesty's words, no matter who else says it, Feng Yun Diao will not listen to them. How could we have that ability?"
They were merely palace maids, their status in the palace even lower than that of the pet Phoenix Cloud Sable. Given their lowly status, they dared not interfere in too many matters.
They say you can't hide fire with paper. Judging by the time, Xiao Liuzi should report this to His Majesty. If they don't hurry, their lives are truly over.
Compared to the restless eunuchs, Xi Xizhi was much more comfortable. The imperial chef, fearing the little ferret would cause trouble, specially brought it a bowl of pastries, hoping it would stay quiet. Xi Xizhi held the fish down with one paw, stuffed the other into its mouth, and chewed incessantly, scattering pastry crumbs everywhere.
The imperial kitchen was filled with the smell of cooking oil, and dozens of chefs were busy with their own tasks.
The eunuch mustered his courage and took a step forward.
Xi Xizhi immediately became alert and shielded the dead fish behind her.
"Phoenix Cloud Sable, I'm sorry, but this fish is a matter of my life and must be retrieved." The eunuch stretched out both hands, trying to catch it.
Xi Xizhi wasn't about to stand still and give someone a chance to make a move. She rolled over while holding the fish, dodging the hands.
The man and the ferret played a chase game. The ferret, carrying a dead fish, jumped over the steamer and then leaped towards another stove.
The eunuch gave chase relentlessly, following the little sable every few steps it took, determined to retrieve the dead fish.
The fat chef stomped his foot in frustration, threw down the wok, and rushed off towards the little sable.
His worst fears came true...
The imperial kitchen was where cooking took place. While the stove itself wasn't particularly dangerous for humans, it posed a significant risk to the small, delicate Phoenix Cloud Sable. If the flames accidentally burned the little sable, the Emperor would surely punish the imperial kitchen.
Many of the imperial chefs stopped what they were doing as soon as they saw the little sable running over, for fear of disturbing its pace.
The little ferret was light and agile; every time it leaped over a stove, the vegetables placed on it flew everywhere. Like locusts sweeping through a wheat field, it left a trail of chaos in its wake.
The imperial chefs felt like dying. Everyone watched helplessly as the man and the sable turned the imperial kitchen upside down.
Xi Xizhi accidentally stepped on the plate, lost her balance, her four legs slipped, and she swayed from side to side, seemingly about to fall.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats. Next to the little ferret was a pot of boiling oil. The oil sizzled and crackled, with occasional drops splashing out. If the little ferret fell in, it would probably be fried alive.
Some timid people covered their eyes, afraid of actually seeing that scene.
The two palace maids screamed in fright...
Just as everyone was filled with fear and anxiety, Xi Xizhi suddenly moved to the right, stepping over the plate and landing safely without any danger. The plate spun rapidly twice in place before suddenly flying towards the door.
Many people breathed a sigh of relief. Having learned from their near-miss, the imperial chefs reached a consensus and quickly pushed the plates off the stove to the ground. They didn't care about the freshly cooked dishes on them; the sound of plates shattering filled the air.
Just when the imperial chefs thought the danger was over, a shrill voice kept echoing in the imperial kitchen.
"Ouch! Who's so blind? We just walked in the door and a saucer flew at us. Ah... blood... our head." Lynn's distinctive voice instantly drew everyone's attention.
The eunuchs were stunned for a moment, then quickly turned around. They saw that Lynn had a cut on his forehead, from which blood was flowing continuously. The wound wasn't large, but the blood still startled everyone.
"What brings Steward Lin here?" someone shouted.
The eunuch who was chasing Xi Xizhi also stopped and looked at Lin En with a pale face.
Now that the Grand Steward has arrived, His Majesty must know about the matter.
Lynn took out a handkerchief and covered her forehead. Because of the injury, she was angrier than usual. "You dare ask why we're here! Look what you've done! Not a single one of you can put our minds at ease."
Xi Xizhi was filthy, and her once pure white fur had turned grayish, making her almost unrecognizable.
The chubby imperial chef asked, puzzled, "The imperial kitchen should have made no mistakes today."
At this point, Lynn was filled with rage, forgetting even the wound on his forehead. He pointed at everyone in the Imperial Kitchen and yelled, "You still say there was no mistake! On my way to the Imperial Kitchen, I saw the palace maids delivering food to His Majesty, all of them crying and wailing, crowding together in the corridor. Look at the time! They've delayed His Majesty's mealtime! Who's responsible? Who's going to pay the price!"
When Lynn unleashes his power, he should not be underestimated.
Xi Xizhi covered her ears, unable to bear Lin En's high-pitched voice. Having held the corpse of the Phoenix Golden Scale Fish in her mouth for so long, her teeth ached. Seeing that no one was coming to snatch it away, Xi Xizhi lazily put the fish down and sat on the stove to watch the show.
Lynn berated the royal chefs for a while, then suddenly gasped in pain, "Who smashed the plate? Step forward! You're getting more and more unruly, daring to smash our dishes!"
All eyes were on a little ferret watching the commotion, and Xi Xizhi shrank back in embarrassment.
It was definitely not intentional; seeing the wound on Lynn's forehead, he felt even more guilty.
"Why are you looking at the Phoenix Cloud Sable? Do you dare to do it but not admit it?" Lynn walked towards the little sable. The imperial kitchen was in such a mess just now, he didn't know if the little sable was injured.
If they get injured, His Majesty will certainly not forgive them.
The imperial chefs complained bitterly, "Steward Lin, it was Little Mink who smashed it."
"If you're going to lie to us, at least come up with a better excuse. The ferret is just a pet, how could it break a plate!" Lynn refused to believe it, but as soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered that the ferret was more intelligent than other pets.
But even the smartest pet couldn't possibly throw the plate that far and hit him so accurately.
"Chirp chirp..." Xi Xizhi was a good child who dared to take responsibility. She raised her right foreleg and used this action to tell Lin En the truth. The little ferret's silly and cute appearance was extremely endearing. Just looking at its pitiful eyes, no one would really blame it.
As it turned out, Lynn was very unlucky; it was all an accident.
Lynn's lips twitched. Was he and the Phoenix Cloud Sable destined to clash? Why was he always the one who got hurt? The injury from the caning last time had barely healed, and now he had another wound because of the Phoenix Cloud Sable.
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