An Honghan's palace is named Panlong Palace. Just hearing the name tells you how majestic and imposing it is.
All the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the Panlong Palace were exceptionally beautiful. The flowerbeds lining the roads were bursting with vibrant blooms. The varieties were numerous, all extremely rare and precious. A riot of colors displayed their splendor.
Xi Xizhi's head was spinning, and she let An Honghan hold her in his arms without resisting. As they passed the flowerbed, she kept chirping.
Suddenly, she let out a loud burp, which was especially clear in the quiet night.
The eunuchs following behind An Honghan couldn't help but chuckle softly.
This little ferret is so adorable! Look at how cute it looks when it's drunk.
The Panlong Hall was extremely spacious, with golden curtains hanging everywhere, and the golden dragons carved on the pillars were particularly eye-catching. There were dozens of palace maids serving inside. Wisps of sandalwood incense wafted through the air, and one could smell the fragrance of ambergris as soon as they stepped into the hall.
Ambergris was a precious spice in ancient times, known for its long-lasting and extremely pleasant fragrance. Many high-ranking officials and nobles loved it, but unfortunately, this spice was extremely rare and was usually only available to the imperial palace.
"Your Majesty, would you like to undress and bathe?" a eunuch asked in a high-pitched voice, bending over.
Normally, it was Lin En who served His Majesty. When the eunuch didn't see the Grand Eunuch, he had no choice but to go up and ask. Under His Majesty's icy gaze, the eunuch lowered his head to the base of his neck in nervousness.
“Mm.” An Honghan uttered a single syllable.
He always spoke concisely and disliked saying unnecessary things. He teased the little sable in his arms with his fingers, "Prepare a small nest so that the Phoenix Cloud Sable can also live in the Panlong Palace."
The eunuchs looked at the little sable in surprise. News of the envoy from the Kingdom of Jiu presenting the Phoenix Cloud Sable had already spread throughout the palace. Everyone knew His Majesty was cruel and cold-blooded; they assumed that even if the Phoenix Cloud Sable was extremely precious, His Majesty wouldn't personally raise it. Hearing this, the eunuchs were stunned into silence.
"This servant...this servant will go right away." The eunuch hurriedly ran out, fearing that his impolite behavior would be seen by His Majesty.
Xi Xizhi rolled over and hiccuped, feeling uncomfortable all over. She let herself slump in An Honghan's arms, not wanting to move at all.
An Honghan held the little sable close to his nose and shook his head, saying, "It smells awful."
The ferret smelled strongly of alcohol, but from a distance, you couldn't detect it. However, if you got closer, you could smell the alcohol clinging to its fur.
Seemingly understanding that the other person was talking badly about her, Xi Xizhi squeaked twice in dissatisfaction...
The side hall contains a bathing pool reserved for the emperor. Originally a hot spring, it was later transformed into the bathing pool it is today. The Panlong Hall was the residence of emperors throughout history, so everything inside is a treasure trove.
An Honghan carried the little ferret and walked towards the bathing pool.
A eunuch who had recently arrived at Panlong Palace saw this and, emboldened, said, "Your Majesty, why don't you give the little sable to this servant? It's inconvenient for you to hold it while you bathe."
Seemingly displeased with the other party's meddling, An Honghan glanced sideways, his eyes filled with icy coldness as he looked at the eunuch, "Take him away and execute him."
The eunuch stood there dumbfounded, not understanding what he had done to offend His Majesty.
The eunuchs standing around looked at him with pity. Two guards grabbed his shoulders and dragged him away.
One of the guards, not expecting that the eunuch wouldn't even know what he had done wrong after his death, said, "Who told you to meddle? What His Majesty wants to do is not something we can interfere with."
Xi Xizhi sobered up a bit. With just one sentence, he had declared a person's death sentence? This man simply treated human life like dirt!
"Chirp chirp..." Let him go...
Xi Xizhi didn't think the other party deserved to die; on the contrary, the little eunuch's words were well-intentioned. She tugged at An Honghan's sleeve with her little hand; her eyes, moist with alcohol, were clear and bright.
The movement from his arm caught An Honghan's attention. His eyes, dark and deep, were fixed on the little ferret, and he guessed why it was calling.
"You're begging me to spare him?"
The fluffy head nodded a few times, proving that An Honghan had guessed correctly.
Seeing that the little sable was so intelligent and even pleaded for the other eunuch, the eunuchs couldn't help but secretly observe it.
With his large, strong hands, he gently stroked the ferret's fur, and did not retract his command even though the ferret cried out twice.
"Why should I listen to a mere sable? Don't forget, you are nothing but a plaything. What right do you have to ask anything of me?"
An Honghan asked three questions in a row, all of which hit Xiao Diao's sweet spot.
As An Honghan said, Xi Xizhi had no right to say such a thing. The other party was an emperor, possessing unparalleled power, holding the power of life and death over others; everything in Fengze Kingdom belonged to him alone. She, on the other hand, was merely a young sable cub, having no right to criticize his actions, much less the right to stop them.
Xi Xizhi hung her head dejectedly. Even if she was human, she was powerless to stop all of this, wasn't she?
Turning her back to An Honghan, Xi Xizhi didn't want to see his face at this moment. In his eyes, she was nothing more than a plaything. If he wanted her to live, she would live. If he wanted her to die, she would die without a doubt.
What a tragic fate...
"Are you trying to anger me?" An Honghan asked, enunciating each word clearly.
How could she not be angry? Xi Xizhi thought to herself.
The temperature in An Honghan's eyes grew lower and lower. The surrounding eunuchs all lowered their heads. This little sable is truly audacious; how dare it be so disrespectful to His Majesty? Isn't it courting death?
Sensing the unease around her, Xi Xizhi trembled and shrank back, slowly turning her head to meet An Honghan's icy gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and she inwardly cursed. Were other people's lives more precious than hers? At a time like this, could she possibly show this emperor such disrespect?!
He cursed himself as an "idiot" and lowered his head even further.
What a losing proposition! Not only did it fail to save someone else's life, it also cost me my own!
"Scared? I thought you were very brave." An Honghan pinched the little sable's ear, his words calm and unreadable.
"Chirp chirp..." I'm very timid.
Xi Xizhi was telling the truth this time; she had always been very timid. Usually, if her master hit her with a ruler, she would obediently submit and go to practice her skills.
"You really want to save that eunuch? You won't regret it?"
Confused by An Honghan's words, Xi Xizhi blinked, looking at him with a puzzled expression. If she could save one person without risking her own life, of course she would. As for those who sacrificed themselves to save others, Xi Xizhi had always viewed them with disdain…
If you can't even save your own life, how can you talk about saving others? Isn't that just overestimating yourself? Even if trading one life for another doesn't result in a loss, you might save someone else's life, but what about your own? Doesn't your own life matter?
This question is too profound...
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