Rong Kingdom, Luo Capital, Eastern Suburbs.
It was dusk, the time of day when night replaced day. A young maidservant in an emerald round-collar, eight-panel skirt hurried through the courtyard.
Xiangyue carried a food box from the kitchen on her left arm, rushing toward the main house.
A sudden breeze wafted over, carrying the sweet fragrance of osmanthus. She looked up, her gaze following the osmanthus petals as they danced on the wind.
Amidst the indistinct shadows not far away, a frail, slender figure leaned against the window lattice. Xiangyue quickened her pace even more.
As she drew closer, the figure in her vision became clearer, revealing a captivating melon-seed-shaped face with peach-blossom eyes—a face of extreme beauty.
That was her young mistress, the legitimate daughter of the second branch of the Duke of Rui’s household, Jiang Zhuoying.
“My lady, the weather is getting chilly. You shouldn’t sit by the window.”
Jiang Zhuoying was leaning against the window, admiring the osmanthus and inhaling its fragrance. Hearing the voice, she lazily lifted her eyes to look at her little maid. “Good Xiangyue, go to the kitchen and fetch some wine.”
Xiangyue frowned and shook her head. “My lady, you don’t look well. You should refrain from drinking today.”
How could she not know that her mistress was feeling down? But she had already drunk more than enough recently.
Jiang Zhuoying let out a soft laugh and slowly stood up, supporting herself on the windowsill. At some point, her cherry-red lips had lost all their color.
Her gaze shifted to the right, toward the dancing osmanthus petals in the courtyard. “Xiangyue, I miss Mother.”
“This servant knows, but my lady, you still must—”
Before Xiangyue could finish, she heard a thud and watched in horror as the slender figure before her suddenly collapsed to the ground.
“My lady! Someone, quickly! Xiangxing…”
…
When Jiang Zhuoying awoke, her vision was hazy and indistinct. Her whole body felt as if it were submerged in water, a slight upward buoyancy caressing her.
She shook her head and immediately heard a conversation next to her ear.
“Your Highness, look! Zhuozhuo moved! Zhuozhuo really moved!”
A flurry of hurried footsteps followed. Jiang Zhuoying couldn’t help but look up in the direction the voice had come from.
“Glug, glug, glug!”
Jiang Zhuoying was first startled by the strange man before her, then jolted in fright by the sound she herself had made.
She flapped the pectoral fins at her sides, swimming around in chaotic circles in the water.
Why couldn’t she make a sound?
What was going on?!
She was extremely anxious and panicked. Her movements became a flustered mess of fins, her actions chaotic…
But to an onlooker, this nonsensical behavior was simply an unforeseen “relapse.”
Jiang Zhuoying’s agitation caused the water in the tank to splash everywhere. The voice of another man sounded from above her.
His tone was frigid and chilling. “Why is Zhuozhuo so frantic? Is it because you used too much medicine?”
“This… Your Highness, this subordinate was extremely cautious with the dosage! Perhaps Zhuozhuo has been ill for so long that she is overly excited upon waking? I implore Your Highness to allow this subordinate to observe a while longer…”
Wang Yue wiped the fine sweat from his brow with his wide sleeve. He was a palace veterinarian and had been staying at this private estate for nearly three days for the sake of this bright red carp.
Every official in the court knew that this red carp was the Second Prince’s treasured possession.
Although the Second Prince was not heavily favored by the current emperor, as a prince, it would still be an effortless matter for him to take Wang Yue’s life.
For this very reason, he dared not be careless. But although he was a veterinarian, he had never treated an aquatic animal before!
In his view, this red carp’s chances had been slim to none.
He had been standing guard here day and night, thinking that when the red carp finally passed, he might at least lessen the Second Prince’s anger.
On account of his diligent service, he might just be able to keep his life.
But who would have thought that by treating this dead carp as if it were alive, he had actually succeeded!??
Qi Fan’s expression was displeased upon hearing this, but Zhuozhuo had indeed come back to life…
He observed for a moment and noticed that after a bout of agitation, the red carp in the tank gradually calmed down.
He relaxed slightly, and his voice softened. “It is thanks to Lord Wang’s care that Zhuozhuo was able to awaken. I will have to trouble Lord Wang with what comes next as well.”
Wang Yue bowed deeply. “Your Highness is too kind. This is this subordinate’s duty.”
…
After the sudden shock and her subsequent “frenzy,” Jiang Zhuoying was tired from all the swimming.
She paddled her caudal and pectoral fins, listening to the conversation between the two men above her.
Although the situation was too bizarre to be believed and she was utterly unwilling to accept it, it was, in the end, the truth.
She had become a carp!
She had just felt a little dizzy, then seemed to lose consciousness and fainted. How did she wake up as a carp?!!
Fortunately, judging from their conversation, she wasn’t just any ordinary carp.
She had a name and a dedicated person to care for her. One of them was even addressed as “Your Highness.”
In the Rong Kingdom, the title “Your Highness” was not something an ordinary person could enjoy. It had to be one of the most important masters in the palace; otherwise, it was reserved for princes, princesses, and royal uncles.
The man before her wore a dark long robe. He was tall and slender, and hadn’t even had time to put on his belt ribbon. He had sword eyebrows and cold eyes, and his bearing was composed and solemn.
At his age, he certainly couldn’t be one of the royal uncles. He must be a prince.
But she had been away from the circle of aristocratic elites for several years, so these guesses couldn’t be considered accurate.
“Glug, glug, glug…”
Jiang Zhuoying: “…”
It was bad enough to have inexplicably turned into a finned creature, but why was she also deprived of the right to speak?
Could she still be in a nightmare?
The more Jiang Zhuoying thought about this sudden speculation, the more plausible it seemed. She thus resolved to test it!
She looked around. She seemed to be in a porcelain tank. It wasn’t very large, only about three times her body length.
She had heard that one doesn’t feel pain in a dream. She would muster her courage and ram the tank wall. If she could go back, it would be worth it!
Jiang Zhuoying gathered her strength for a moment, then suddenly shot forward.
Thud~
Amidst the astonished cries of the people beside her, she saw stars and fainted…
When Jiang Zhuoying came to again, she opened her fish eyes and knew she was still in that white porcelain tank.
“Your Highness, has Zhuozhuo ever shown such symptoms before?”
“Never. Why do you ask?”
“Your Highness, please forgive this subordinate for being blunt.” Wang Yue suddenly kowtowed, prostrating himself on the floor tiles.
Qi Fan’s brow twitched, a bad premonition rising in his heart. He looked at the man on the floor. “Speak.”
Wang Yue didn’t dare to raise his head, merely staring at the cracks between the floor tiles as he slowly chose his words. “Zhuozhuo seems to be… somewhat dim-witted.”
The room was quiet. Jiang Zhuoying heard this too, and it made her furious. How was she dim-witted?
“Glug, glug, glug!”
She blew bubbles in the water to express her dissatisfaction, but neither of the two men outside the tank paid her any attention.
The little plump carp swam to the surface, aimed in the direction of the kneeling man, and in the next moment, slapped the water’s surface hard with her tail—
“Aiyo!”
A splash of cold water drenched Wang Yue’s face, yet the fish in the tank continued to slap the water relentlessly.
Wang Yue was soon soaked to the bone.
The Second Prince before him didn’t say a word, so he didn’t dare to move an inch, simply enduring this sudden mishap.
“Glug, glug!”
This is what you get for badmouthing me behind my back!
“Tch…” The man chuckled softly, rubbing his temple with his index finger. “It seems Lord Wang has misjudged.”
“Look, isn’t my Zhuozhuo quite clever?”
“Yes, this subordinate misjudged. Zhuozhuo is indeed sharp-eared, clear-eyed, and exceedingly clever.”
Hearing these obviously fawning words, Jiang Zhuoying’s anger subsided a little. She wagged her tail again and sank to the bottom of the tank.
Wait a minute… Zhuozhuo?
Which “zhuo” was this fish’s name?
It couldn’t be that it was the exact same one as hers, could it?
“Lord Wang’s clothes are soaked. You should go and change.”
“Yes, thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. This subordinate will go at once.”
…
Sunk at the bottom of the tank, Jiang Zhuoying personally heard one person leave, followed by the approaching footsteps of the other.
Qi Fan walked to the porcelain tank and stopped. He lowered his eyes, staring at the red carp in the clear water. This red carp was fiery red all over; it had been his mother’s beloved pet when he was young.
Now, this carp was over ten years old and had grown to a length of fifteen inches. It was the only memento his mother had left him.
The man’s voice, as cold as frost, sounded from above. “The peach tree is young and elegant, brilliant are its flowers. Mother-Consort once said your body is as vibrant as fire, and that this name suits you best. I hope you will not fail her wishes and will live on well.”
Jiang Zhuoying: “!”
It really was her ‘Zhuo’!
Were the nobles in the palace this particular even when naming a fish?
Qi Fan stared at the motionless red carp for a long while, then bent down to pick up a palm-sized ceramic jar nearby. He used a pair of wooden tweezers to pick out an earthworm from inside.
Jiang Zhuoying had just personally heard the words “Mother-Consort,” which settled the identity of the man before her in her mind.
He was a prince, but she didn’t know which one.
She looked up at the man standing by the porcelain tank, originally intending to get a better look at him, but what did she see!
“Glug, glug, glug!”
Jiang Zhuoying frantically wagged her tail. Don’t throw it, don’t throw it!
The thing she feared most since childhood was these kinds of bugs, especially this soft-bodied kind!
The man glanced at her. “So excited? Don’t be anxious. I know your favorite. I had someone catch this fresh for you.”
“Glug, glug, glug, glug!”
Favorite? She would never like such a terrifying bug!
Don’t throw it, sob sob. Jiang Zhuoying was so anxious she swam in circles on the spot…
She kept her eyes fixed on the man’s movements until he really did toss an earthworm down toward her.
To say he tossed it wasn’t quite right. Perhaps not wanting to splash the water, the man personally used the wooden tweezers to ‘place’ the earthworm on the water’s surface before withdrawing his hand.
The moment Qi Fan pulled his hand back, the little plump carp in the tank went wild, frantically swimming around the edge of the tank while continuously slapping the water.
The waves splashing from the porcelain tank unexpectedly wet the man’s cheek. His face instantly darkened.
He raised his arm to wipe the water from his face, but at that very moment, the carp shot out of the water, leaping clean out of the tank!
The man’s expression tightened, and he instantly flew forward to catch the fiery red carp.
Jiang Zhuoying was still struggling in the man’s arms. A moment ago, it was out of fear of the earthworm in the water; now, it was because she was out of the water and her body felt awful.
Qi Fan held the slippery red carp in his arms, his expression uglier than it had ever been.
He knew that a carp could not live out of water. With a flex of his arms, the plump carp in his embrace was thrown back into the large porcelain tank in an arc.
“Glug, glug, glug!”
Seeing the earthworm before her, Jiang Zhuoying shivered in fright and, with a swoosh, leaped out of the water again…
As expected, she was caught by the man, but this time she didn’t struggle.
She had made it so obvious. This person should know what she was afraid of now, right?!
Qi Fan’s long, narrow eyes half-closed, his face grim. He barked toward the door, “Someone!”
Footsteps quickly sounded at the door, and the voice of the man who arrived was slightly soft and tinged with surprise. “Master, what are you…?”
Qi Fan’s face was as dark as water. “Get that earthworm out of the tank.”