Injured and picked up again

His thin, cold lips parted, and he commanded sternly, "Keep searching."

The shadow guard cupped his fists and bowed his head. "Yes, Master!"

Not a single lamp burned inside the hall. The curtains and windows were tightly shut, keeping out all sunlight and leaving not even the slightest gap for the wind to slip through.

The Crown Prince's hair hung loose and disheveled. The dark shadows beneath his eyes seemed to reveal that he had gone two nights without sleep.

He gripped his thumb ring so hard that his slender fingertips turned white.

His voice was hoarse, tinged with exhaustion, as he murmured:

"No matter where you are, I will find you."

They entered the imperial palace without obstruction. Shen Yangge had been forced to hide inside Xue Pingyuan's sleeve. He was light and small, so unless someone stared closely at the sleeve, it was difficult to tell that a kitten was hidden inside.

Xue Pingyuan went to the emperor's study for an audience, while Shen Yangge stayed quietly inside his sleeve, bored out of his mind.

[-I'm never coming into the palace with this bastard again. What the hell are they even talking about? Why is it taking so long?]

[-I want dried fish tonight.]

[-Are they still not done?]

"That concludes our discussion for today, Minister Xue."

Xue Pingyuan bowed with his hands clasped. "This general takes his leave."

Just then, the drowsy kitten let his guard down and accidentally slipped halfway out of the sleeve.

The emperor looked surprised. "Minister Xue, what is this?"

Seeing that he could no longer hide him, Xue Pingyuan had no choice but to lift the kitten out. "This is a cat I adopted a few days ago."

"What a beautiful cat you have, Minister Xue. Much prettier than Concubine Ru's, though he looks a little frail. Does he have a name?"

Xue Pingyuan said, "This little fellow likes to make a fuss, so I gave him the nickname Yangyang."

?

Since when had he had that nickname? Why hadn't anyone told him?

[-Well, well, you've actually got the nerve to deceive the emperor! Drag him out and beat him bloody!]

"Meow, meow."

The emperor chuckled. "Yangyang?"

As he spoke, he reached over to tease the kitten.

Any other cat might have bristled by now and lunged at the emperor to bite him. But Shen Yangge wasn't actually a cat, and he knew that biting the emperor would have unthinkable consequences!

Not just for him, either. The unlucky Xue Pingyuan would be implicated too.

He obediently let the emperor stroke him.

Xue Pingyuan, who was holding him, breathed a sigh of relief.

"What a good little fellow. All right, Minister Xue, you may leave."

Xue Pingyuan carried Shen Yangge out of the imperial study.

The palace maids and eunuchs standing by the door stared at the cat in his arms. They had never seen such a beautiful cat before, with slightly long white fur and two large blue eyes like sapphires.

Only the backs of his ears and his tail were shaded a pale, inky gray.

He sat quietly in his owner's arms, neither making a fuss nor looking around, perfectly well-behaved.

Once Xue Pingyuan had carried the cat some distance away, the maids and eunuchs began whispering among themselves. "Heavens, that cat is gorgeous. I've never seen that breed before. Have you?"

"Neither have we!"

"Just looking at him makes me want to pet him."

"Me too."

Even from far away, Shen Yangge could hear their discussion.

"You're quite popular, little fellow. If I'd known, I wouldn't have brought you. Yangyang, why aren't you meowing anymore?"

[-Can't be bothered with you.]

Shen Yangge turned his head away and ignored Xue Pingyuan.

Halfway along their route, Consort Xue invited Xue Pingyuan to Wanci Palace. He told Shen Yangge to stay put in his sleeve, then went to pay his respects.

"Greetings, Consort Xue. May Your Grace enjoy good health."

"You're still so formal, child. Just call me Aunt when we're in private."

Consort Xue smiled and stepped forward, making a gesture to help Xue Pingyuan rise. Looking more closely, she suddenly noticed something concealed in his sleeve and exclaimed in surprise, "Yuan'er, when did you start keeping a cat?"

Discovered again, Xue Pingyuan sighed and resigned himself to taking the kitten out. "I adopted him a few days ago."

"Oh?"

Consort Xue lovingly stroked the kitten's head. "Cats that look like this are rare. You're very lucky. Look, he doesn't even scratch."

"Aunt, what did you want to see me about?"

Xue Pingyuan asked with a serious expression. Consort Xue, who had been smiling just a moment before, grew solemn and gave the maid beside her a meaningful look.

The maid nodded and stepped forward, holding out her hands.

"Allow this servant to attend to the little master."

Xue Pingyuan hesitated only briefly before handing the kitten over.

Being held by a stranger made Shen Yangge feel a little uncomfortable.

After they left the main hall, the colorful flowers and trees caught his attention.

Consort Xue's little garden was beautifully arranged. There were several kinds of flowers he couldn't even name. His mother loved flowers more than anything. If only he could take a few plants home to grow...

The kitten's ears drooped. The maid carefully stroked them, then gave them a little pinch. "You're so well-behaved."

The pinch brought Shen Yangge back to his senses. He was just about to meow when a child's voice rang out nearby. "Shaoyao, where did you get that kitten?"

The child pattered over to the maid, blinking his large eyes. "He's so pretty! I want to hold him too. Let me hold him!"

Shaoyao said, "Your Highness, General Xue brought this kitten. This servant..."

Before she could finish, the maid beside the child slapped her. "What, is a cat more important than your master?"

Shaoyao froze at the slap. After a moment, she could only hand the cat over with trembling hands. Shen Yangge hated spoiled brats like this most of all. The instant he landed in the brat's arms, he struggled free and jumped down.

The brat shouted furiously, "Catch him for me!"

Shen Yangge's heart skipped a beat. Which prince was this little boy with such an explosive temper?

Two princes were being raised in Consort Xue's palace. One was frail and sickly, unable to leave his rooms for most of the year. The other...

So this child was the eleventh prince, Chu Hengchuan?

He was the minor villain in the novel who loved abusing animals!

Shen Yangge didn't know whether this little villain already enjoyed abusing animals, but he absolutely couldn't let this animal-abusing little bastard catch him!

The kitten darted here and there with all his strength, a crowd of maids and eunuchs scrambling after him. In the end, Shen Yangge plunged headfirst into a hole and vanished.

The child stamped his feet in fury. "My cat! My cat!"

[-My ass I'm your cat. Bye!]

Shen Yangge emerged from the hole, then realized he didn't know the way. He decided to wait by the opening until Xue Pingyuan finished talking, then go back.

But things never went as planned. A dog appeared from who knew where, fixed its gaze on him, and charged. Shen Yangge failed to retreat into the hole in time, and the large dog clawed his back.

A burning pain spread through his entire body. Cursing his rotten luck, Shen Yangge swiftly darted into a narrow space.

The dog chased behind him as he ran ahead.

Eventually, he had no idea where he had ended up. All he knew was that it was somewhere fairly secluded.

Completely lost, Shen Yangge licked his wound and curled into a tiny ball, trying to think of a way out.

He had no idea how much time passed...

"Where did this cat come from?"

By the time the shadow guard picked Shen Yangge up, he had already lost too much blood and briefly fallen unconscious.

"Never mind. I'd better go back and report the news about Lord Shen to His Highness first."

With that, the shadow guard carefully tucked the kitten into his sleeve, then turned and leaped toward the Eastern Palace.