The old man had never mentioned his surname since entering the palace. Upon hearing An Honghan say it, his eyes widened slightly.
It seems An Honghan has investigated him in private. This is understandable, as imperial physicians frequently enter and leave the palace, and if their identities are unclear, it can easily cause chaos.
This man was cautious in his actions and rarely gave his enemies a chance to turn the tables. He also never thought he could keep the deception secret for long. "How could I dare to doubt Your Majesty?"
If you really did this, that little ferret would probably be dead by now.
"Imperial Physician Xu, I don't care about your previous status, but since you accepted the imperial edict, you are temporarily the Imperial Physician of Fengze Kingdom. If you want to leave, I will not stop you. If you want to stay in the palace, you must abide by the palace rules, and I will certainly treat you as an honored guest." An Honghan gently stroked the little sable's forehead, his tone icy and full of authority.
Xi Xizhi blinked. This old man was indeed someone important. Who was he? He spoke fluently with An Honghan, showing no fear whatsoever. He had an air of nonchalance about him, as if he could face anything with a smile, even if the sky were to fall or the earth were to crack.
"Chirp chirp..." Stop chatting, I'm in pain all over.
She nudged An Honghan with her paw, drawing their attention back. This sick weasel was still lying there; they couldn't be so heartless. Even if they wanted to chat, they should wait until she finished her appointment.
Xi Xizhi's claws weren't sharp; they were fine for poking tender skin, but when they encountered something slightly harder, it was uncertain whether they were the egg or the stone.
"Let me take a look at the Phoenix Cloud Sable first." The old man reached out and took the little sable, letting it lie on the table with its limbs outstretched.
Xi Xizhi cooperated perfectly, using her two fat paws to part the fur, revealing the tender flesh that had been ravaged. The wounds were a mix of blue and red, and in severely affected areas they had turned blackish-purple. The person who did it was truly ruthless; in many places, the marks of fingernails were still visible.
The old man had no other hobbies but loved raising animals, and he kept many rare birds and beasts in his own home. Upon seeing the ferret covered in wounds, he angrily said, "Your Majesty, the ferret is your pet, and I shouldn't have said anything, but with these wounds all over its body, if it gets hurt a few more times, this ferret won't be able to live a long life in the palace."
The old man was telling the truth; few of the women in the palace were kind. Xi Xizhi's injuries were the best proof of that.
"You just focus on treating the patient." The implication is that it's none of your business to worry about anything else.
An Honghan stood coldly beside the desk, his fist clenching tightly within his sleeve. He rarely paid much attention to matters of the inner palace, and the number of times he went there to sleep was negligible. An Honghan turned a blind eye to the Empress Dowager's meddling in the inner palace, as they couldn't cause much trouble, so he didn't bother with them. But he would never let the bullying of Xiao Diao go unpunished.
The old man took out a small porcelain bottle from his medicine box, uncorked it, and poured out a thick plaster.
"Apply externally, wipe it once a day, and it will heal in three days." The old man's withered fingers, like dry twigs, covered and applied the ointment to Xi Xizhi's wound.
When she was being pinched by those concubines, Xi Xizhi didn't have time to think about anything else. Now that she had some free time, and the other person was an old man, Xi Xizhi felt embarrassed. It was one thing for An Honghan to touch her, but did she really have to let the old man touch her entire body?
Feeling increasingly embarrassed, Xi Xizhi rolled over on the table to avoid the old man's hand. She chirped at An Honghan, her voice still childish and endearing, as she was still a kitten.
"I'll take care of it. Physician Xu can go back now." An Honghan reached out and snatched the small porcelain bottle from the old man's hand, picked up the little ferret, and let it stay comfortably on his lap.
I scooped out a small amount of ointment with my index finger, covered it on the little mink's chubby belly, and gently rubbed it in a circular motion.
The cool ointment touched the burning wound, releasing a refreshing sensation. It hurt a little at first, but then became more and more comfortable. Xi Xizhi squinted her eyes in enjoyment.
The atmosphere between the man and the sable was quite subtle.
As the old man watched this scene, a smile gradually crept onto his lips. This little ferret, just like a newborn baby, learned to recognize people after only a few months. It wouldn't let anyone it didn't know touch it.
Wiping his hands with a handkerchief, the old man bowed to An Honghan and took his leave. The cold-blooded and ruthless emperor of Fengze Kingdom, who showed no emotion to anyone, was utterly devoted to a little sable. How could such a thing not be interesting?
The old man, who had originally planned to leave in a few days, couldn't resist staying to watch the excitement.
Someone feeds it, someone waits on it, someone strokes its fur... what a joy in life. Xi Xizhi smacked her lips, letting An Honghan apply ointment to it over and over, occasionally glancing at his handsome face. Why did she find him so exceptionally handsome the more she looked at him?
An Honghan raised an eyebrow and poked Xiao Diao's forehead hard. "Don't look at me with those lecherous eyes. You're not a beauty, and I'm not interested in you."
"Chirp chirp..." Xi Xizhi bared her teeth and glared at him.
The ferret's entire body was coated with ointment. Its tufts of fur clumped together, standing up in bunches. It looked like a failed attempt to imitate a hedgehog, resulting in a rather oddly shaped animal.
Xi Xizhi thought it would damage her image too much. Seeing that An Honghan's robe was slightly open, she secretly climbed inside while the surrounding eunuchs and maids weren't paying attention. It was a matter of image, and she didn't want to be ridiculed by the eunuchs and maids again.
The laughter of the palace maids when she watched An Honghan change clothes in the bathing pool last time seemed to linger in Xi Xizhi's ears again.
An Honghan did not stop the little animal from burrowing around inside his clothes.
But as soon as Xi Xizhi crawled inside, she discovered a huge problem! An Honghan was only wearing a single layer of clothing, and nothing underneath!
Therefore, it made zero-distance contact with An Honghan's chest for the first time in history.
Startled, Xi Xizhi tried to dart out, but the seam of her clothes had somehow disappeared. In her haste, she lost her balance and lurched forward, her head slamming into An Honghan's chest. A small bump brushed against her lips; even without thinking, Xi Xizhi knew it was An Honghan's nipple.
Xi Xizhi stepped back and slumped there, her limbs stiff and she dared not move anymore.
An Honghan hadn't expected the little sable to be so restless after it crawled inside. Just as he was about to grab it out, something cool brushed against the bump on his chest, sending a tingling sensation through his entire body.
Then, a large hand pulled the little ferret away.
Xi Xizhi curled up into a ball, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into. Time passed by, and Xi Xizhi thought the other person would fly into a rage and throw a tantrum.
An Honghan didn't say anything, he just held it in his arms and gently pinched its pointed ears.
What's going on...?
Xi Xizhi was stunned. An Honghan wasn't going to pursue the matter?
Regardless of An Honghan's thoughts, this lesson served as a stark reminder to Xi Xizhi that men's clothes should not be haphazardly slipped on.
"You're such a pervert, and you won't admit it. What did you do just now?" After a long while, An Honghan stroked his chin and teased Xiao Diao.
She grinned again, but Xi Xizhi resolutely refused to admit that she was being lewd. It was just an accident, an accident!
"Prepare the carriage for Fengxiang Palace." Having finished treating Xiao Diao's injuries, it's time to settle accounts with the Empress Dowager.
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