Chapter 74: The Fox Pet of the Eunuch
There have been some changes in Yuxuan Palace recently. The news has not spread outside the palace, and outsiders have no access to it. Only a few people know about it.
Lord Pei, who originally worked in the palace, now works in a small study in the side hall.
This made the civil official who was promoted to take over Pei Sheng's job a little panicked, fearing that he might have done something wrong and displeased Pei Duo, which would affect his future promotion.
But after two days, everyone realized that it might be because the weather was getting colder and Lord Pei just wanted to make changes. Since there was nothing wrong in the past two days, Lord Pei seemed to be in a good mood.
The people in Yuxuan Hall calmed down and continued to do their own things as usual.
There was no incense burning in the study, but a charcoal basin was lit and placed in the corner to make the room warm.
Pei Duo was reading memorials while Lin Zhi was eating snacks beside him.
This snack is called candied haws in the folk, but it has a nice name in the palace. It is not skewered with bamboo sticks. The pitted hawthorns are wrapped in shiny sugar coating and dotted with sesame seeds. The bright red and round ones are piled in an exquisite small plate.
Although the room was warm, it was still autumn and only a charcoal basin was lit, so the temperature inside was not high enough to melt the rock sugar.
Lin Zhi appeared in human form, with her long hair tied behind her head with a black headband. The headband was Pei Duo's, and the loose brocade robe she wore was also Pei Duo's.
Ever since he kissed Pei Duo in the carriage that day, Pei Duo's attitude towards his human form became more obvious.
Pei Duo first moved to the small study to handle government affairs. Seeing that he was still lying on the desk like a fox, he asked him if he was still feeling unwell.
Lin Zhi changed into a human form and got intimate with him for a while, then heard Pei Duo say that there was no need to change back. Pei Duo also specifically said that when it was just the two of them, he could adapt more in human form, which would make it more convenient for him to travel in the human world in the future.
Pei Duo clearly had a plan in mind, but he still spoke in a serious manner, completely trying to deceive the young fox who was inexperienced in the world.
Of course Lin Zhi nodded in cooperation and was deceived obediently.
When the situation gets better and better, it will be close for him to close the net.
Hawthorn candy balls are sweet and sour and delicious. The last time Lin Zhi ate them was when he was a child. However, his family was worried that he would damage his teeth, so they didn't let him eat too much and rarely allowed him to eat street snacks.
Lin Zhi didn't have a strong desire for food, so he never ate it again.
The taste of the food made in the imperial kitchen is somewhat different from that of later generations. The food made by the imperial chefs is more delicate and tastes better, and the sugar balls are not wrapped with a layer of rice paper.
Lin Zhi was not a person who would cling to the past. He pulled himself away from his memories, held the candy ball in his mouth and flicked it between his teeth with the tip of his tongue, while reading the storybook in front of him to pass the time.
He was almost done absorbing the Peach Blossom Demon's magic pill, which would have restored his original owner's power to 90%.
He absorbed two demon pills. The first one was weaker, and it was estimated that the Peach Blossom Demon had only been cultivated for 10 to 20 years. The Peach Blossom Demon had been cultivating for longer than the original owner, but because of the serious injury, his energy was not as good as that of the Peach Blossom Demon in his prime when he swallowed it.
Although he has not fully recovered yet, Lin Zhi's strength is already better than the original owner before he was injured. He is good at weaving webs to play with people's hearts, and he has a better grasp of the fox clan's magic than the original owner. In addition, Lin Zhi has also mastered some of the peach blossom demon's magic. The combination of the two can unleash greater power.
Lin Zhi sorted out the current situation. Before Pei Duo decided to attack Wucheng, he needed to be stronger.
There are many monsters in Wucheng. At that time, it will not only be a fight between soldiers, but also a fight between monsters and the Monster Suppression Bureau.
Therefore, we must first quell the internal troubles to avoid being stabbed in the back when we go out.
Lin Zhi was thinking about something and did not turn the page.
This slightly long pause attracted Pei Duo's attention. He did not let Lin Zhi come back to his senses, but just looked at him in a daze.
The little fox pushed the round hawthorn candy ball to this side and that side, and his cheeks bulged slightly in turn. The tip of his bright red tongue was faintly visible between his opening and closing lips.
Pei Duo was not interested in the sugar balls on the plate, but when he looked at Lin Zhi, he had the idea of trying it. Of course, what he wanted to eat was still not what was on the plate.
"What are you looking at so intently?"
Pei Duo walked to Lin Zhi's side and leaned over to look at the notebook in his hand.
This was originally an excuse, but Pei Duo happened to see the contents of the storybook.
"The Fox and the Scholar?"
Pei Duo's voice rose slightly and he narrowed his eyes.
Lin Zhi came back to her senses and blinked at Pei Duo with a look of innocence.
He just picked up this notebook casually. Of course, there were no such things in Pei Duo's palace. Pei Duo was afraid that he would be bored, and seeing that he could recognize human characters, he asked someone to buy it for him.
The person who bought the book probably didn't expect that the reader would be a fox, so he chose a popular storybook in Beijing, which contained the story of a fox demon and a scholar.
However, in order to make the story more interesting, it still tells the story of a fox who can be either male or female and a scholar who disguises himself as a man to take the imperial examination for his brother.
Pei Duo pulled the storybook out of Lin Zhi's hand, intending to tell him not to read this kind of stuff and not to believe the storybook's ideas about taking advantage of the scholar.
But when he took another look, he found something wrong.
The section that Lin Zhi turned to was about a male fox in women's clothing and a female scholar in men's clothing being intimate, and the words used were very bold and unrestrained.
Pei Duo looked at Lin Zhi thoughtfully, as if trying to figure out something from his long pause.
Under his gaze, Lin Zhi spoke incoherently while holding a candied haws in her mouth: "This fox demon must have used an illusion. We fox demons cannot change our gender at will."
Pei Duo put down the storybook. He knew, of course, that he had no intention of asking Lin Zhi to turn into a woman for him to see, so he could just look like a little fox.
He was just thinking about what the little fox would look like in a silk skirt, but no matter what he wore, the scenery would definitely be good.
"Speaking of magic, try using your charm on me. I'll test your abilities."
Pei Duo thought of this incident, sat back on the chair, put his hand on his chin and looked at Lin Zhi.
After witnessing the snake demon's soul-stealing and the painted skin's illusion, he also wanted to see the fox demon's charm and see if he could resist his magic.
Of course, you can also take a look at the little fox performing the spell.
Lin Zhi did not refuse. She crushed the hawthorn in her mouth, chewed it and swallowed it. She licked her lips which were covered with sugar residue, and then looked at Pei Duo.
He stood up and walked towards Pei Duo, but did not go into his arms. Instead, he sat beside his legs and rested his head on them.
His white fingertips drew circles on the young man's legs. He raised his eyes and looked at Pei Duo who was looking down at him.
"grown ups."
The lips opened and closed, drawing out some lingering tones.
There is always a frank innocence, directness and eagerness in the desire of young people.
The purple light in the narrow fox eyes deepened, and a faint purple light appeared in Pei Duo's light brown eyes.
It was like a blazing fire falling on a sea covered with combustible materials, turning darkness into brightness.
Reason is clouded, thoughts are distorted, and clarity is covered.
Lin Zhi didn't expect that he could really succeed. Although Pei Duo didn't look like he was bewitched, he felt that he could control Pei Duo.
He thought about it and gave Pei Duo a hint.
He looked at Pei Duo's face and said, "Sir, smile?"
If it were an ordinary person, he would have started grinning foolishly a long time ago, but Pei Duo didn't laugh. Not only did he not laugh, Lin Zhi even felt dizzy for a while.
He was held in Pei Duo's lap, his light brown eyes were deep, like a swamp from which there was no escape.
Pei Duo came to his senses when Lin Zhi started talking. He was a little surprised. He was indeed bewitched by Lin Zhi.
Even if it was just a few brief moments, it was enough for him to die once.
But this did not surprise him at all. Lin Zhi could influence him without any magic, let alone under the influence of magic.
It is a crazy thought that almost wants to love someone to death, like an inescapable love net.
The stacked memorials were brushed to the ground, making a loud noise.
The bowl and plate containing the sugar balls also shook, and the sugar balls rubbed against each other in the plate, making a gurgling sound, which lasted for a while before calming down.
Lin Zhi rested her head on the table, with her slender waist hanging in the air.
The robe he was wearing, made of expensive brocade by Pei Duo, was stained with scarlet spots of the red ink used for the inscriptions.
Pei Duo's aura was dangerous, but the fox demon whose wrist was held by the demon-suppressing master smiled and said, "My lord is really amazing. I will wake up in a while."
His eyes were bright, as dazzling as the sky.
Pei Duo's heart was beating very fast. He felt that he was alive like a real person, not a seriously ill body entangled with the death energy of karma.
"What hint did you give me?"
Pei Duo had already noticed Lin Zhi's previous little action, but he was not too angry.
Even if the little fox gave him hints to make him like and love him more, he didn't think it was a big deal. Instead, he felt a strange sense of pleasure. But he still had to ask to see what the little fox's mood was.
"I want you to take care of yourself and not overwork yourself. From the first day I saw you until today, I have never seen you really stop and rest."
This was indeed what Lin Zhixia hinted at, but he didn't know if it would work or not, and whether it would succeed.
Although he knew in his heart that a machine that was used to running at high speed would easily feel at a loss when it slowed down, people are not machines.
In his world, when his death came, Lin Zhi had no regrets or regrets, but rather a sense of relief.
When the system found him, he felt that it was okay to be alive, but it was not that important. Mingyao ignited his interest, and the purpose behind redemption aroused his continued interest.
For Lin Zhi, this endless travel through time and space is more like an interesting journey than saving others. He knows that there will always be someone waiting for him at the next stop, and that feeling is not bad.
Lin Zhi also gradually hoped that his arrival was really meaningful, at least it could bring some comfort to the target of the mission and help heal the scars in his heart a little. However, he always knew that he could only promote what he ignited, and the real healing depended on himself.
This answer surprised Pei Duo. He whispered, "You miss me."
"Many people miss you, sir. For example, Master Pei and your niece. Many people care about you, so you must take good care of yourself."
Lin Zhi did not intend to make his feelings special. He hoped that Pei Duo could perceive richer emotions.
Love is not the only thing that exists in this world. There are also family affection, friendship, gratitude, admiration and following and other emotions. It is true that Pei Duo is a disliked eunuch, but not all those who follow him are sycophants and cowards. Besides power, there is also some sincerity among them.
Pei Duo's heartbeat did not decrease, but became louder and even a little painful.
It turned out that he had misunderstood, but the little fox's words were a true hint of love that was planted in his heart.
It was strange, shouldn't this kind of thing make people happy, but why did he feel such a sharp pain in his heart?
Pei Duo held Lin Zhi's wrist tightly, as if trying to absorb as much warmth as possible from his high fever.
Inch by inch, it sucked the bones and marrow until it was completely devoured.
Pei Duo has a gentlemanly and noble air about him. He comes from a noble family and has been exposed to the world in the palace for a long time. Although he has been lurking in the quagmire for a long time, he has climbed out without breaking his spine, like a pine or a cypress.
He was bent over the table, with a bit of the elegance of someone burning incense and sipping tea. Although the tea he was sipping was not some expensive tea, it was still rare in the world.
It is full of juice, just like a beautiful plum blossom in the snow.
"Last time I destroyed that thing, you looked so reluctant. I said at that time that I would give you something better. Now I have fulfilled my promise, little fox, take a look, isn't it?"
Pei Duo was gentle even when talking and laughing, but he was not harboring any murderous intentions, but was just being playful.
Pei Duo's body temperature was low, and the things he gave were no exception.
Seeing the little fox having difficulty eating, Pei Duo sighed again, but his brows were smiling.
At first he thought he would not give such mean things anymore, but he didn't expect that he would end up giving something even better.
But things change with time.
Pei Duo's brows were relaxed, with a hint of indulging.
The patterns on the fox's body were bright, rising and falling with its breathing, and felt hot in the palms of people's hands.
Lin Zhi's thoughts were a little slow, and he inevitably felt dizzy after shaking for a long time. Moreover, the spiritual energy that Pei Duo had accumulated in his body was thick, waiting for him to refine.
The monster's ferocious instinct quietly emerged, urging Lin Zhi to bite Pei Duo's throat, drink his blood and eat his heart. That would definitely be something that would greatly increase his power.
Lin Zhi suppressed this thought, but soon he didn't need to distract himself to suppress his ferocity, as the thought was shattered before it could take shape.
Pei Duo's patience was extraordinary, and the fox was in its mature stage, so Lin Zhi finally tied the hairband on her head to the bell, and lay in Pei Duo's arms with her long black hair loose.
The charcoal basin in the room had gone out silently, and the hawthorn sugar balls on the plate had become sticky together due to sugarification and were no longer edible.
It was not until the eunuch knocked on the door and quietly reminded Pei Duo that it was time to attend the morning court that Lin Zhi realized that a whole day had passed.
Pei Duo's face was ruddy, and he looked better than usual. He didn't look like someone who had spent a day and a night with a monster at all.
Pei Duo responded and asked someone to prepare some water. He looked down at the beautiful flowers filled with flowers and said, "Will you come with me to the court?"
Of course it won't be in this appearance, but in the body of a fox.
Although Pei Duo took Lin Zhi with him wherever he went, he had never brought her to court. Now he planned to do so.
Lin Zhi shook his head and said in a hoarse voice: "Sir, I want to rest quietly."
He was already sleepy, and the spiritual energy accumulated and was waiting for him to refine.
Pei Duo originally wanted to chuckle at the uselessness of the little fox. When the snake demon in the Demon Suppression Prison was captured, there were more than a dozen men in the cave, and she did not absorb them one by one. On the other hand, the little fox was useless even if she was alone.
But in the end Pei Duo didn't say it out loud, for fear that Lin Zhi would try the same thing one day.
Pei Duo put away the messy memorials, took a bath in the morning, and changed into new official robes.
Looking back, he saw a purple-haired fox lying on the table. Pei Duo saw that the fox had grown a little bit.
Pei Duo carried Lin Zhi to the bedroom behind Yuxuan Hall to rest before attending the morning court.
He arrived a little late, but no one said anything. The court was harmonious, but there were undercurrents beneath the surface.
In autumn, crabs are fat, so the empress held a crab feast in the imperial garden.
This is a normal thing, but what is unusual is that some people suffer from constant abdominal pain after eating.
Although no one was injured, several concubines suffered the same fate. The emperor ordered an investigation and found that someone had mixed incompatible ingredients into two dishes at the banquet, causing the concubines in the harem to suffer from abdominal pain, but fortunately the amount was not too great.
Among the concubines, the one who felt the most pain was Jieyushi Pei. Shufei also felt a little uncomfortable. She secretly criticized the empress for her poor performance in front of the emperor. Such a thing happened in a small crab feast. It was really due to her lack of ability.
No matter how stupid the emperor was, he could see that this was directed at the empress as well as him. Thinking of Pei Yunzhi, whose face was pale when he went to visit her, and the aggressive Concubine Shu, he felt dejected.
Pei Duo did not show up in this incident, but it seemed that everything was done by him.
This was the most helpless situation for the emperor. He knew the enemy was in the dark and knew what he was going to do, but he could not hide from him, and he couldn't even find a reason to blame others.
The emperor punished the empress for this matter, but it was only a superficial punishment, one month's salary and three days of house arrest, which was not a big deal for the empress.
The Queen still held the power over the harem, and Concubine Shu muttered a few words but said nothing more.
In the Heyong Palace, Pei Yunzhi was lying on the bed holding a hot water bottle, looking normal.
She did eat some of that stuff, but she had recovered long ago, and the rest was just fake.
"It seems that His Majesty is not so stupid that he does not intend to make me the second concubine."
Pei Yunzhi was not panicked. Sometimes the trend of the times was beyond one's control. Although the emperor seemed to value her somewhat because of his fifth uncle, he mostly avoided her. Every time he entered her palace, he was reluctant to do so. Pei Yunzhi knew it very well and didn't care at all.
"Zhizhi, give this to Uncle Wu later."
Pei Yunzhi put the written letter in a small bamboo tube, intending to let the fox take it to her. She found this to be a good way of communication, but it couldn't be used frequently because the little fox didn't come all the time.
Lin Zhi nodded. Pei Yunzhi was already used to the fox's human nature and was not surprised.
Pei Yunzhi thought of his relatives far away: "I hope things can progress before the New Year. I don't know how Uncle Qi is doing and whether he is living well in Fengzhou."
Lin Zhi answered in his heart that it was neither good nor bad. It would take time to completely infiltrate Fengzhou.
However, Lin Zhi felt that Pei Yunzhi's progress should not have to wait until before the New Year.
Pei Duo's trick was just an appetizer to test the emperor's attitude. Now it seems that the emperor does not intend to alienate himself from Prime Minister Huo, whom he had won over with great difficulty, nor does he want to have another Pei party member in the harem. After all, unlike the complicated relationship with Concubine Shu, Pei Yunzhi's identity is more direct.
Pei Yunzhi is the eldest daughter of the eldest son of the main branch of the Pei family. Shufei's mother is the half-sister of Pei Duo's grandfather. Therefore, Shufei is Pei Duo's cousin and Pei Yunzhi's great-aunt, so the degree of closeness is different.
However, there are some things that the emperor cannot decide on or off. After all, the world is a game, not just a game of chess, and it is not just a game between two groups of people.
Originally, according to the plan of the emperor and the two princes, they could have steadily suppressed Pei Duo, but unfortunately there was a drought in Yizhou, and Pei Duo played a trick of letting the chess piece explode and then making a major replacement. He laid the groundwork for a long time and dragged it out until the autumn to catch them off guard.
But Pei Yunzhi has already entered the capital, and the emperor can neither take him nor let him go.
Lin Zhi returned to Yuxuan Palace holding the small bamboo tube in her mouth. In fact, Pei Yunzhi's recovery was not so fast. This little girl was also very cruel to herself. In order to achieve the effect, she ate a lot even though she knew it would hurt. It was Pei Duo who gave her good medicine that made her less painful.
Pei Duo is just a demon-suppressing master, not an immortal, and he cannot heal people. People can only rely on medicine.
Lin Zhi does have some magic, but to heal, he can only let the magic energy enter Pei Yunzhi's body, which may cause more serious damage to Pei Yunzhi than cold objects.
Of course, he could also cast a spell to make Pei Yunzhi feel less uncomfortable, but the disease doesn’t disappear just because the pain stops.
Before Lin Zhi arrived at the Yuxuan Hall, he heard the faint sound of chanting in the air. This was not the chanting of ordinary monks. Lin Zhi felt the Zen energy.
Lin Zhi looked in the direction where the scripture came from, it was the Yangxin Palace.
He took a detour and walked forward, and when he stood on the wall of a palace, he saw a monk walking below.
The monk also saw him and saluted him with one hand.
Mingwu looked calm, and he looked up at Lin Zhi and said, "Donor, how are you?"
Lin Zhi spit out a small bamboo tube and let it float in the air, covering the space with illusion.
"Except for the brief encounter last time, I don't think we have ever met before."
Mingwu thought for a while and answered, "Indeed, we didn't really meet that time. I moved forward due to the illusion and missed the opportunity."
Lin Zhi didn't expect that he knew this. The last time he went to Fanjing Temple, he had already digested most of the Peach Blossom Demon's demon pill and had wrapped it in demonic energy. Mingwu shouldn't have known this.
"Everything has its own destiny. Whether she was eaten by the donor or suppressed by this poor monk, it was all her fate. I called the donor this time because I have something to give him as a gift."
Mingwu took out a piece of peach branch. Different from the peach branch Lin Zhi found at Zheng Jialing's place, this piece of peach branch was slightly longer and thicker, with no flowers or leaves, and a blood-red line in the middle.
"This is the root of the peach tree. It is useless to keep it here. I would rather give it to you as a short sword. You have her magic power and can use it better."
"Why did you suddenly give it to me?"
Lin Zhi was a little confused. Why would this monk give weapons to a monster?
"Monsters and humans should not be together. Disasters are bound to happen in the northwest. The donor and Master Pei are companions. Instead of keeping your belongings, it is better to help each other."
Mingwu threw the peach branch to Lin Zhi, clasped his hands together in greeting, and walked away silently.
northwest? Wucheng is in the northwest.
Speaking of which, there are many monsters living in Wucheng, which is not a good thing for the residents in the city. Perhaps one day it will completely become a city of monsters. After all, even the city lord has half a fox heart, which makes him not a human being.
Lin Zhi thought that he might have figured something out, so she didn't refuse and rushed back to Yuxuan Palace with the things.
Pei Duo was not in a hurry to read Pei Yunzhi's letter, but asked about the peach branch with Zen meaning.
After listening to Lin Zhi's retelling, Pei Duo threw away the peach branch.
"No need to use this, I have already prepared it for you."
The reason why he was not broken was out of consideration for Wu Chen's face. Next time, such kindness can be directly presented to him. He will definitely thank him on behalf of Lin Zhi.
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