At the early court session the next day, His Majesty issued an imperial edict, dispatching Feng Yu to Haixing County. The ministers were left bewildered by this sudden decree, their anxiety growing.
First, the eldest prince, then the second prince—both of the emperor’s sons were sent away from the capital. Which prince did His Majesty actually favor? Even a slight hint would be helpful, allowing the veteran ministers at least some direction for speculation!
Feng Jue offered no further explanation. He had always been intimidatingly authoritative in court. Once a decision was made, even if a minister were to dash himself to death on the steps, he would not change his mind.
The matter between Xiangyi and Feng Yu did not leave the palace walls. After sighing for a while, the old ministers could only assume that His Majesty was unwilling to relinquish power and wanted to further evaluate both princes.
Zheng Xiangyi paid little mind to the shifting winds in the court. When she heard that Feng Yu had been sent away from the capital, she merely snorted softly, muttering “serves him right” under her breath, before turning to enthusiastically prepare for her own flower-viewing banquet.
After several days of continuous rain, most of the peonies in the garden had surprisingly survived. Though not as vibrant as before, they could still manage to create a decent scene.
Of course, no one would dare be so tactless as to give Zheng Xiangyi any trouble during the banquet. The noble ladies chatted and laughed merrily, all praising the princess for her clever ideas and the elegance of the gathering. In the end, the flower-viewing banquet concluded without major incident, with both hosts and guests enjoying themselves, further spreading the reputation of Princess Deyi.
Having not returned to Cuwei Garden for a long time, the steward He Fang felt uneasy, fearing he might be forgotten by the princess. He racked his brains to think of ways to please her. From somewhere, he managed to procure a pure white lion cat kitten.
The little cat had long, soft, fluffy fur, like a cloud of white snow, yet its temperament was gentle and affectionate. As soon as it saw Zheng Xiangyi, it actively approached, its slender tail lightly wrapping around her wrist, lifting its face to let out a soft “meow.”
This gift truly struck right at Zheng Xiangyi’s heart. She reached out to stroke the kitten’s warm, soft fur, her fingertips sinking into its fluffy warmth. Her entire heart seemed to melt at that single meow.
Keeping cats had always been forbidden in the palace.
During the previous emperor’s reign, Consort Zhuangshu, while pregnant, was once startled by a cat and nearly miscarried. Since then, keeping cats had been explicitly prohibited in the palace. After His Majesty ascended the throne, though he never reiterated the ban, everyone tacitly continued the old rule.
Zheng Xiangyi carefully cradled the snow-white ball of fur in her arms, gently stroking its back again and again. The kitten, comforted by the petting, began purring contentedly in its throat, even rolling over in her arms to expose its belly.
—So adorable!
He Fang still stood nearby, watching her eagerly, hoping for some reward and also hoping to be taken back to the palace like Ruowei. Look at Ruowei—since returning from the palace, it was as if she had been reborn, her entire bearing transformed.
After playing enough with the cat, Zheng Xiangyi looked up and saw his expression, finding it somewhat pitiable. Casually, she asked, “Do you know how to care for cats?”
She had never been close to such small creatures since childhood, and this kitten was so young and delicate. She was truly worried she might inadvertently harm it.
Upon hearing this, He Fang was nearly moved to tears of gratitude, repeatedly assuring her, “This servant knows! I will definitely take good care of this little master, ensuring it stays healthy and its fur remains shiny!”
Only then did Zheng Xiangyi nod. That day, when she returned to the palace, she brought him along, as well as the snow-white lion cat.
As expected, Muqin and the palace maids also adored this snow-white lion cat. In their spare time, they loved to gather around, playing with it using pom-poms or ribbons.
Muqin even specially found soft cloth and cotton padding, sewing a warm, soft cushion for the kitten with her own hands. She placed it in a corner of the warm chamber, allowing the cat to lie there whenever it wished.
One day, as Feng Jue stepped into the palace gate, a snow-white shadow suddenly darted from the side, leaping straight toward him. Feng Jue’s expression remained unchanged. He merely raised an eyebrow faintly, his hand moving as fast as lightning, accurately grabbing the fluffy white ball by the scruff of its neck.
The palace maids who hurried after it gasped in fright, their cries stuck in their throats. Seeing that he hadn’t been pounced on, they finally relaxed in relief, hurriedly kneeling to beg for forgiveness.
Feng Jue held the kitten by the scruff of its neck, lifting it in his hand. Perhaps sensing the unusual aura of authority, the little creature—who had been spoiled and unruly by everyone lately—surprisingly remained still, not moving a muscle. Only its long tail lightly hooked around his wrist.
“Your Majesty, please let it go quickly!”
Hearing the commotion, Zheng Xiangyi rushed over. Seeing the scene, her heart ached with worry. She hurried forward, carefully rescuing the kitten from his hand and tightly cradling it in her arms.
Feng Jue’s deep, silent eyes rested on her face, revealing no emotion.
Zheng Xiangyi felt somewhat guilty under his gaze. She quickly pretended to pat the kitten’s bottom, putting on a stern face to scold it. “So naughty! This is His Majesty. How dare you be so presumptuous? Don’t you dare jump on him again next time, understand?”
The kitten let out a soft “meow” in her arms, as if understanding. It buried its fluffy head against her chest, rubbing against her coquettishly.
Zheng Xiangyi’s heart nearly melted. She held the kitten tightly in her arms, unwilling to let go for a moment.
Only then did Feng Jue speak, his voice flat. “Where did this cat come from?”
Zheng Xiangyi glanced at him quickly, then lowered her long eyelashes. Her voice unconsciously softened, sounding somewhat guilty. “It’s… it’s from Cuwei Garden.”
Seeing that His Majesty’s expression was calm, as if he weren’t particularly interested in the kitten, she had originally planned to secretly keep it for a while and find a suitable opportunity to tell him later.
Upon hearing this, Feng Jue did not scold her. He only sighed softly. “Have you had the imperial physician examine it?”
Zheng Xiangyi didn’t react immediately, letting out a confused “Ah?”
“If this cat carries an illness, what if it transmits it to you?” His tone was steady. Although not knowledgeable in medicine, he knew some common sense—if an animal was unwell, it could easily pass it on to humans. He didn’t care much about the kitten’s condition, but Xiangyi’s health could not be taken lightly.
Zheng Xiangyi felt even more guilty, her gaze shifting restlessly, not daring to meet his eyes. “I… haven’t had the imperial physician examine it yet. But it’s so lively and clever, surely it’s healthy. It should be fine.”
Feng Jue, however, wasn’t reassured. He immediately ordered a palace attendant to summon the imperial physician. Turning back and seeing her still tightly holding the kitten, with a defensive posture as if fearing he might forbid her from keeping it the next moment, he couldn’t help but soften his expression.
“Be good, Xiangyi,” he said gently. “Wait until the imperial physician examines it. If it’s confirmed to be clean, I’ll allow you to keep it, alright?”
His gaze held a nearly indulgent gentleness, much like how she looked at the kitten in her arms—patient and affectionate, as if his eyes had transformed into soft, delicate threads, wrapping around her densely and gently.
After a moment’s hesitation, Zheng Xiangyi finally, under his gaze, slowly placed the kitten on the ground.
The newly freed little lion cat coiled its tail and, with a few light leaps, swiftly darted away. Eventually, it settled comfortably on the soft cushion Muqin had sewn for it, curling into a fluffy white ball and closing its eyes contentedly.
The imperial physician hurriedly answered the summons, his heart in his throat along the way, thinking Princess Deyi must be unwell. Upon seeing the situation in the hall and learning he was to examine a snow-white kitten, his tense nerves finally relaxed.
It was a relief that the princess wasn’t ill. Recalling the few times the princess had fallen sick—when the entire Imperial Medical Bureau was thrown into chaos and His Majesty’s expression turned stormy—it had nearly taken half their old lives.
Collecting himself, he set down his medicine chest and carefully parted the kitten’s thick, dense fur, examining it inch by inch, not daring to overlook anything.
The little kitten seemed remarkably intelligent, as if understanding the person before it was there to help. It remained exceptionally docile, allowing itself to be handled without making a single anxious sound.
The physician carefully examined its paw pads, inside its ears, and even gently opened its mouth to check its teeth and tongue, inspecting it thoroughly inside and out.
By the time he finally confirmed the kitten was healthy, lively, and free of any hidden ailments, he was so tense he had broken into a cold sweat, his inner robe slightly damp.
“I told you it must be fine!” Zheng Xiangyi immediately beamed with joy, eagerly scooping the kitten back into her arms and affectionately nuzzling its soft white fur.
Now that the kitten was confirmed healthy, Feng Jue fully relaxed, watching indulgently as she played with the little snow-white creature.
His gaze rested on her bright, radiant smile, and a subtle reflection stirred within him. Xiangyi clearly adored such small creatures. Why, over all these years, had he never thought of finding a gentle, adorable pet to keep her company?
It truly was an oversight on his part.
Thinking this, a trace of imperceptible remorse flickered in his eyes. He raised his hand and gently stroked the top of her head, his movements tender.
Zheng Xiangyi couldn’t help but curve her lips. In the past, she hadn’t noticed, but now that she was raising a cat herself, she suddenly realized that the way His Majesty treated her was quite similar to how she treated the kitten in her arms—both carrying a wholly accepting, gentle doting.
“Your Majesty, look at its paws—so pink and tender, how adorable,” she said, smiling as she lifted one of the kitten’s front paws, showing him the soft, pink paw pad. “How about… you personally give it a name?”
Hearing this, Feng Jue’s gaze shifted from her joyful face to the docile, snow-white bundle in her arms.
He pondered for a moment, his slender fingers gently scratching the kitten’s chin as it comfortably squinted its eyes.
“I recall a line of poetry,” he said slowly, a knowing and gentle smile in his eyes as he looked at Zheng Xiangyi. “‘I would liken West Lake to a Western beauty; whether in light or heavy makeup, she is always lovely.'”
He deliberately slowed his pace, especially when reciting the last two words, his gaze resting softly on her face.
“Your name is taken from the phrase ‘always lovely,'” he paused, tapping the kitten’s nose with his fingertip. “This little creature is entirely snow-white and carries a lazy grace, somewhat reminiscent of a beauty’s charm. Since you adore it and it shares the same origin as your name…”
He smiled slightly and made a decision. “How about calling it ‘Xizi’?”
“Xizi…” Zheng Xiangyi murmured, an indescribable flutter and delight instantly filling her heart. “Xizi, did you hear that? His Majesty has given you a name!”
She lowered her head, lightly tapping the kitten’s head with her finger, her eyes sparkling with a brilliance brighter than the kitten’s white fur.
“This name is so lovely!” She lifted the kitten a bit higher, letting its fluffy cheeks cover her chin, her curved brows and eyes filled with unconcealed joy.
Feng Jue lowered his eyes, feeling a slight warmth in his ears.
Xiangyi’s name was, of course, even more beautiful than “Xizi.”