"When have there ever been such a beautiful cat in the palace?" Xiao Jingzhao recognized it at a glance; this cat was not one of the tabby cats sunbathing in the Imperial Garden.
"Your Majesty is wise. Perhaps it is because of the cold weather that the wild cats in the palace have all gone to warm places. This cat was given to the Empress Dowager by Young Master Lin."
Xiangyang squatted down and put Xue'er on the ground.
As soon as the little guy's feet touched the ground, he darted under the desk with a "whoosh".
It hid underneath and wouldn't come out no matter how much Xiangyang called it.
"Master, what should we do? The little guy is all soft and weak, and I dare not use force."
Xiao Jingzhao calmly sat down and picked up the memorial on the desk. "Have the Imperial Study fry a plate of dried anchovies. Remember, don't make it too oily, and don't add any seasonings."
That day, when Lin Xiangzhi was talking to him about how most women like cute cats, he mentioned how to feed cats so that they don't get sick.
He was also advised to find an adorable cat and send it to the Jiang residence, which would quickly bring the two of them closer.
He's a true buddy, always there for you when you're feeling sleepy.
Xiangyang accepted the order and went to the imperial kitchen, but Eunuch Ma had gone to do other things and had not yet returned.
There was no one else in the imperial study. Unable to contain his curiosity, Xiao Jingzhao bent down to look at Xue'er, who was squatting under the desk.
The two stared at each other for a while. The imperial study was warm and cozy, so Xue'er simply closed her eyes and took a nap.
A moment later, Xiangyang brought over the fragrant fish.
"My lord, the imperial kitchen didn't have any dried anchovies, so I had the imperial chefs fry two crucian carp. They were delicious."
Xue'er smelled the aroma of fish and, regardless of whether she was familiar with it or not, slowly walked out from under the desk.
As it passed by Xiao Jingzhao's feet, it rubbed its squirrel-like tail against the hem of his robe before walking straight toward the sun.
Xiangyang put the plate on the floor, and the cat went over and started munching away.
"Master, your method is really effective."
Xiangyang watched the cat eat with such relish that he couldn't help but swallow hard.
As dusk approached, Lin Xiangzhi returned to his residence and collapsed onto the soft couch.
Seeing his gloomy expression, Zhu Xi quickly brewed some hot tea and brought it over.
Seeing that the young master's arms were empty, she asked, "Young master, when will Xue'er be back? Who is our young mistress? Does she know that Xue'er likes to eat fish?"
Lin Xiangzhi let out a wail, "I was careless and let that black-hearted bastard intercept it. Xue'er was never even delivered to her."
Zhu Xi knew perfectly well who the "black-hearted bastard" her young master was talking about was, but she had no idea who "she" was.
"Young Master, do you mean Xue'er is enjoying herself with the Emperor?"
Lin Xiangzhi said weakly, "That guy has such a cold face, it's a mercy that he didn't scare my Xue'er, let alone let her enjoy herself."
"Is our young mistress a palace maid?" Zhu Xi grasped the key point by following the train of thought.
Lin Xiangzhi shook his head dejectedly, "It's not even close to being a done deal, don't talk nonsense."
To propose marriage, one must first inform that heartless bastard.
Thinking that the emperor was still single, and that it would be useless for him to petition, Lin Xiangzhi felt a headache coming on.
...
The clouds on the horizon gradually darkened, resembling a blurred ink painting.
Weary birds return to their nests, and the last rays of sunset disappear into the clouds, like a vast veil falling.
The clinic was packed with people today, and Jiang Shuyue and the female doctors were busy until nightfall.
By the time they returned to the manor, it was already dark.
Qiuju felt sorry for her mistress being too tired, so she quickly asked someone to prepare hot water for her to relax.
A short while later, the maid and Lan'er brought hot water.
After Lan'er and the maid left, Jiang Shuyue said to Qiuju, "Just have Lan'er bring over a bowl of vegetable porridge. You're tired today, so eat your meal and go back to rest."
Jiang Shuyue dislikes having someone serve her while she bathes, but Qiuju has gotten used to it.
After Qiuju left the room, Jiang Shuyue went into the bathroom and slipped into her spatial dimension.
When your whole body is immersed in the hot spring, you feel relaxed and comfortable all over, and your fatigue disappears instantly.
After showering, change into clean nightgowns, and then put on a loose outer robe.
He slipped out of the space and put the clothes he had changed out of in the bathroom.
Sitting in front of the bronze mirror, she gently removed her hairpin, and her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall.
Jiang Shuyue did not notice the tall and slender figure outside the curtain.
Through the curtain, one could see a woman in the bronze mirror, with delicate eyebrows, beautiful eyes, red lips and white teeth, and skin as smooth as jade, like a lotus emerging from the water.
"Cough cough!"
"Moon Lady, shall we have dinner in the warm pavilion?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Shuyue quickly turned around. Through the curtain, she could vaguely see Nangong Zeyue holding a tray.
She looked surprised. "Nangong Zeyue, it's you! Where is Lan'er?"
“I went to the Su residence to pick up Sui Sui. Since you haven’t been home for a long time, I arranged for him to sleep in the next room.”
Nangong Zeyue paused for a moment and then replied, "I sent Lan'er away."
Seeing that Nangong Zeyue didn't intend to go inside, she pointed to the direction of the soft couch, "No need to go to the warm pavilion, just put it there."
Jiang Shuyue picked up a silk ribbon and gathered her hair behind her head. She glanced down at her loose robe and made sure there was nothing amiss before walking over.
Besides two bowls of porridge, the tray also contained a bunch of grilled skewers, and two small dishes of side dishes.
Jiang Shuyue looked up. "You haven't eaten yet?"
After putting down the tray, Nangong Zeyue sat down opposite her and took out the food from the tray one by one and placed it in front of Jiang Shuyue.
He looked at Jiang Shuyue with gentle eyes and said, "I've been practicing with Sui Sui for a while and I feel hungry. I'll eat with you."
Nangong Zeyue's words were half true and half false. He did accompany Sui Sui to practice martial arts, but in order to wait for Jiang Shuyue to have a meal together, he actually didn't eat at all.
"Let the child practice martial arts naturally. We don't expect him to be very good. As long as he can protect himself in case of danger, that's enough."
As Jiang Shuyue spoke, she picked up a meat skewer and ate a piece.
Nangong Zeyue gently shook her head, "Yueniang, you underestimate Suisui. Don't be fooled by the fact that he's not a natural martial arts prodigy. He learns internal energy very quickly. Once his internal energy is good, even ordinary masters will have a hard time getting close to him."
"How powerful are ordinary experts? Can they defeat Gao Mu and Cang Yun?"
Jiang Shuyue knew that Nangong Zeyue's martial arts skills were rather poor, so she compared Gao Mu and Cangyun.
Nangong Zeyue nodded. "Gao Mu and Cang Yun are considered top-tier experts. Ordinary experts are quite common in the martial arts world."
“A top-notch master not only needs unpredictable and agile moves, but also profound internal strength. Sui Sui has mastered the internal strength cultivation method at such a young age. As long as he continues to study and practice diligently, in time, even Gao Mu and Cang Yun may not be his match.”
After Nangong Zeyi's explanation, Jiang Shuyue roughly understood that if she didn't practice hard later on, she would just be mediocre.
After the two finished their meal, Lan'er came in and cleared away the dishes.
Knowing that Jiang Shuyue was a little tired today, Nangong Zeyue stood up and said, "Yue Niang, you should rest. I'll send Sui Sui directly to the Imperial Academy tomorrow morning."
"Wait, I'll go with you to see Sui Sui."
With Jiang Shuyue by his side, Nangong Zeyue naturally couldn't take shortcuts by climbing over the wall.
The two had just reached the gate when they heard a knock.
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