Chapter 20
Li Yu felt that his legs weren’t very strong. Perhaps it was because he had been a fish for a long time and was used to swimming. At first, his steps were light and he staggered, but this feeling didn’t last long before he got used to it.
Because he didn’t have suitable shoes, he was barefoot the whole time. Fortunately, the weather was mild and he didn’t feel cold. King Jing Mansion’s floor was very clean, and he paid extra attention to the soles of his feet. After leaving the rockery, he walked for a long time without encountering any accidents.
However, his attire, with only his underclothes and bare feet, was really too horrible to look at. It was also because of this that several servants didn’t dare to come forward and question Li Yu when they bumped into him.
Today was the King Jing Mansion’s banquet, and there were many guests in the mansion, all of
whom were nobles. There were imperial bodyguards outside the mansion, and only with an invitation could one enter. Therefore, there weren’t any unidentified people in the mansion. Daring to dress like this, it was probably some family’s young master who was throwing a tantrum.
However, it wasn’t appropriate to let this young master walk around. King Jing Mansion’s servants had already rushed to ask Eunuch Wang to deal with this matter, while others followed Li Yu from a distance.
There was a soft-hearted old woman who saw Li Yu walking barefoot all the way. She couldn’t stand it anymore, so she walked out and asked softly, “Which family’s young master are you? Why are you dressed like this?”
Li Yu listened to Wang Xi talk a lot, so it wasn’t a problem for him to talk to ancient people. He vaguely said, “Auntie, I … I’m here as a guest, and I accidentally got lost.”
When he planned, he felt that everything was safe, but in reality, he frequently encountered problems. It wasn’t that he didn’t have any clothes or shoes, so he solved it with great difficulty.
Next, he thought that it would be easy to find the kitchen, but King Jing Mansion was too big. It was very difficult for him to find his way around the rockery. He didn’t dare to ask for directions, so he was a little anxious.
The old woman saw that his clean face was delicate and likable, and his dark eyes were like a pair of black balls raised in mercury. They were exceptionally spirited, so she liked him a little.
The old woman said, “Since young master is lost, how about I take you to Eunuch Wang?”
How could Li Yu possibly meet Wang Xi? She hurriedly said, “There’s no need. Eunuch Wang must be at the Congealing Hall right now. I should be able to find him after walking around … Auntie, do you know where the kitchen is?”
Li Yu rubbed his stomach, and the old woman understood. She smiled and said, “Young master, are you hungry? If you trust me, please come with me.
The old woman’s’ surname was Xu. She brought Li Yu into the kitchen. Li Yu saw many of the dishes that he had been yearning for day and night, and his eyes widened.
Old Madam Xu smiled and took out a plate. She asked Li Yu what he liked to eat. Li Yu looked at the dishes and drooled. He bluntly named a long list of dishes.
Old Madam Xu picked some dishes according to his preferences and filled two whole plates.
“These dishes have already been served to the mistress. She won’t ask for any more. This is an extra portion that no one has touched. Young master, please eat as much as you want.”
Old Madam Xu took out a wooden bowl and filled it with fragrant white rice. She placed it all on a tray and gave it to Li Yu.
Ever since Li Yu turned back into a human, this was the first time someone had been so kind to him. The steam from the food made his eyes dry. He thanked Old Madam Xu, took the bowl, and began to eat in big mouthfuls.
The unique taste of human food bloomed on the tip of his tongue. It made him feel that his life as a fish in the past was like a dream, but – –
He lowered his head and looked at his bare… ankles. This was only a temporary transformation medicine. It shouldn’t take long for him to turn back into a fish.
Old Madam Xu saw him wolfing down the food as if he had been starving for several days. She urged him to slow down, afraid that he would choke. Li Yu smiled and didn’t explain.
“Young master, why are you alone?”
Old Madam Xu asked hesitantly. The young man in front of her was about the same age as her youngest son. Old Madam Xu couldn’t help but want to show some concern.
Li Yu remembered something sad, but he couldn’t rashly mention King Jing’s name. Thus, he made a random insinuation and said, “My master … master is about to find a second… wife. He can’t take care of me, so I came out for a walk.”
Old Madam Xu heard this and paused. This young man was both a master and a wife. So he was actually a concubine of a noble family?
No wonder he ran out with his clothes disheveled. He must have been chased out by his future mistress. His stomach must have been hungry for a long time.
Old Madam Xu imagined a scene of the first wife taking care of the concubine. Li Yu said it pitifully, but she didn’t look down on Li Yu because of it. Instead, she kindly patted his hand and comforted him, “It’s okay. You can stay here for a while and eat more.”
However, it wasn’t a solution to keep wearing his inner clothes. Old Madam Xu looked at Li Yu’s figure and gave him her youngest son’s clean cloth clothes and a pair of cloth shoes. The clothes were emerald green, the color of seaweed that Li Yu liked. Li Yu was worried that he couldn’t find suitable clothes to change into and didn’t have any shoes to wear. Seeing this, he was overjoyed.
However, when he changed his clothes, he thought about it and still wore the inner clothes and pants that he took from King Jing.
Old Madam Xu was afraid that Li Yu would feel awkward, so she didn’t continue to ask.
It was rare for Li Yu to eat human food. He ate until his stomach was slightly bloated. Only then did he reluctantly put down his chopsticks. After eating, he followed Old Madam Xu to the kitchen in the back of the kitchen to digest his food. This was a habit that had formed after being raised by King Jing. He still kept it even after becoming a human.
The kitchen in ancient times looked very lively. Li Yu found the chopping board and the kitchen knife very fresh. However, he was very sensible and knew that some cooks and kitchen maids would avoid it. Therefore, he only looked at it with his eyes and didn’t touch or touch it.
Li Yu found a fish basket. He remembered that when he first transmigrated, he heard about the imperial concubine’s thousand carp soup. His curiosity was piqued. “Auntie, do you also want to cook thousand carp soup?’
Old Madam Xu burst out laughing. “That’s for the palace to celebrate birthdays. The prince’s residence doesn’t pay attention to it. His Highness used to drink fish soup often, but I don’t know why he doesn’t drink it recently.”
Towards the end, Old Madam Xu seemed to be talking to herself. Li Yu’s ears were sharp and he heard it. He wondered if it was because of him.
After all, King Jing still doted on him quite a bit.
Thinking back to all the benefits that King Jing had given him, Li Yu couldn’t help but feel a little sad.
Old Madam Xu smiled and asked him, “Young Master, you mentioned fish soup. Do you want to drink fish soup?”
Li Yu quickly shook his head. How could a fish like him drink fish soup? He quickly stopped talking and asked Old Madam Xu about the location of the stage.
According to his plan, he should return after eating and watching the children’s play. Because of his clothes and getting lost, he had delayed a lot of time. He didn’t know how long the transformation medicine would last.
Old Madam Xu told him that the prince’s stage was set up in the Elegant Sound Court near the Congealing Hall.
Li Yu planned to rush to the Elegant Sound Court. Before he left, he caught a glimpse of several bamboo boxes on the kitchen counter.
Li Yu found the appearance of these bamboo boxes somewhat familiar. Old Madam Xu generously opened the boxes for him to see. “This is the fish food that His Highness specifically asked for.
There are several types, so it’s not anything rare.”
Li Yu’s nose twitched for no reason. He pointed at the box filled with red fish food and said, “Can I take some?”
Old Madam Xu said, “Of course you can. The kitchen has prepared a lot, so there’s no need to worry about not having enough. However, this is for the fish. Does Young Master also want it?”
Li Yu nodded his head carelessly. “… Yes, yes.”|
Old Madam Xu thought that he also raised fish, so she took out an empty box and filled it with fish for him.
Li Yu copied the ancient people and stuffed the box into his sleeve. He thanked Old Madam Xu and walked towards the Elegant Sound Court.
As he passed by the Congealing Hall, Li Yu cautiously thought that he definitely couldn’t resist going in to take a look. The main character’s meeting had nothing to do with the fish, so he didn’t need the fish to do anything.
He resolutely didn’t look in the direction of the Congealing Hall. When he arrived at the Elegant Sound Court, he could hear the sound of music from afar. However, the imperial bodyguards outside the Elegant Sound Court stopped him and wanted to check his waist token.
Li Yu thought that this was bad. Just now, no one checked him in the kitchen. Why would they check him for listening to a play?
Besides, where would he have something like a waist token?
Li Yu didn’t know that because he was wearing Old Madam Xu’s son’s old cloth clothes and cloth shoes, he looked like an ordinary servant. According to the prince’s estate’s rules, ordinary servants weren’t allowed to enter the Elegant Sound Court. That was why the imperial bodyguards stopped him.
Li Yu didn’t dare to argue with the imperial bodyguards. In any case, he didn’t have to listen to the play. There wasn’t much time left for him. If he didn’t stay here, there would be other places. Li Yu cleverly wanted to change places. When he turned around, he saw an acquaintance – Eunuch Wang Xi.
.. Wasn’t this Wang Xi?!
Before Li Yu could greet him, Wang Xi waved his hand and ordered the surrounding imperial bodyguards to surround Li Yu.
“Quickly catch this person!”
Wang Xi was still panting. It was obvious that he had been running for a long time. He was originally following King Jing to look for someone in the garden and didn’t pay much attention to the news from elsewhere. Later, he heard a servant say that a young master was walking around the estate in his underwear. No matter how Wang Xi thought about it, he felt that this person was most likely the thief who stole King Jing’s clothes.
Thinking further, the clothes and the fish disappeared together. Wasn’t the person who stole the clothes the same as the person who stole the fish? He immediately informed King Jing and had him rush over to take a look.
When Li Yu saw Wang Xi stop him, he was shocked. Then he remembered that he was in human form. His arrangement in King Jing’s room shouldn’t be discovered so easily. He couldn’t reveal his fear and let Wang Xi see that something was wrong.
Li Yu asked with a smile, “What’s the matter, Eunuch Wang?”
Wang Xi snorted coldly, “You thief, you stole His Highness’ fish, and you still dare to ask what’s the matter!”
Li Yu, “!!!”|
Eunuch Wang was always pleasant to him. He was not used to being scolded all of a sudden.
Wait, Li Yu realized. Could it be that the fish pillow and the window he deliberately opened had been seen through?
There wasn’t much time left. If Wang Xi caught him and turned him into a live fish in front of so many imperial bodyguards ..
Li Yu wanted to calm down, but this wasn’t something that could be solved by calming down. He had to find a place to hide first. He couldn’t turn back into a fish in front of so many people!
Li Yu had an idea. He took something out of his sleeve and shouted, “Over there!”
He threw the thing out of his sleeve and ran away while Wang Xi and the imperial bodyguards were still in a daze!
Wang Xi wasn’t sure whether the young man in front of him was a thief or not, so he tried to trick him first. Who knew that this person would run away … Didn’t this mean that he was a thief?
However, this person moved too fast and didn’t see clearly what he threw out. Wang Xi gritted his teeth. He was really afraid that this person had thrown the fish pillow out. He hurriedly ordered a few imperial bodyguards to find out what happened, and he led the rest of the people to chase after the young man.
Li Yu ran very fast and hurriedly found a room to hide in.
King Jing originally brought people to look around the garden. When he received the urgent message from Wang Xi, he also rushed over to meet with Wang Xi. Together, they trapped Li Yu in the room.
The thing that was thrown out was confirmed to be a bamboo box containing fish food. This made Wang Xi even more certain that this person had stolen the fish. He was so angry that he could wait to catch this person and torture him as much as he wanted. This person not only ruined King Jing’s banquet, but also stole His Highness’s clothes and the lively and cute fish pillow. He should be cut into pieces!
“Come out quickly and hand over His Highness’ fish, or you’ll have to bear the consequences!” Eunuch Wang slammed the door and shouted.
King Jing’s face was as calm as still water as he stood outside the room with his sword in hand. Li Yu poked a hole in the paper window and looked outside. When he saw King Jing’s fish nature acting up, he subconsciously wanted to go out and wag his tail.
However, he immediately remembered that he was a human and King Jing didn’t recognize him. If he met him directly, wouldn’t he be killed by the sword? Wang Xi wanted him to hand over the fish.
On one hand, Li Yu was touched, but on the other hand, he was shocked.
The fish was right in front of them. How could he hand it over!
He originally wanted to wait until the people looking for him left before leaving the room. However, looking at the situation, King Jing and Wang Xi were watching him covetously, and he couldn’t leave for a while.
Li Yu’s face was full of tears. … It was just a meal. How did it become like this?
There was also a sudden beep from the system!
“Host, there’s not much time left to maintain the human form ….”
The system was used to pretending to be dead, but now it was actually counting down to him!
He was going to change back to his human form soon!
It wasn’t easy for him to change back to human form, but he was gone after a meal. This wasn’t the main point. The main point was that he was trapped in the room by King Jing. If he changed back to a fish in the room, how could he explain the sudden disappearance of a living person like him when the fish appeared?
Li Yu thought of an idea. He counted down and shouted to the people outside, “I’m not going out.
If you have the ability, come in and catch me. If you catch me, you’ll hand over the fish!”
Li Yu was taking a gamble. He was buying time for himself and also preparing for the aftermath.
Usually, if someone took the initiative to ask the people outside to rush in, the other party would definitely think that there was a trap and wouldn’t enter easily!
He thought that King Jing would hesitate for a while, but who knew …
As soon as he finished speaking, King Jing burst through the door and barged in.
Li Yu was startled. “Ah!” she exclaimed softly.
Mu Tianchi saw a young man in green clothes that he had never seen before. The young man looked back at him and hurriedly ran to a window in the room.
Mu Tianchi had suffered a loss before. Because of the open window, he mistakenly thought that the thief escaped through the window. In the end, he didn’t catch the thief. He guessed that the thief deliberately made him look in the wrong direction.
This time, to trap the person in the room, several guards were placed at each window in advance.
After making sure that they were all guarded, Wang Xi was ordered to knock on the door.
Mu Tianchi chased after him with big strides. The young man had already jumped to the window sill and looked back at him with a mischievous smile.
Mu Tianchi was stunned. He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but looking at this young man …
This was a handsome and clean boy. His eyes were as bright as colored glass. The way he curled his lips was a little unbelievably familiar.
Mu Tianchi paused for a moment. His hand movements were a little slow. He wanted to catch the suspicious young man, but he only had time to catch the corner of his clothes.
The figure flashed and the young man jumped out of the window sill.
Mu Tianchi wasn’t in a hurry. He quietly waited for the guards to catch the young man, but after waiting for a while, there was no movement at all.
