The next morning, Nan Shiying was woken by a tiger's roar.
She sat up abruptly, her sleepy eyes sharpening like knives. Lu Wan heard the commotion in the room and pushed the door open to enter. Bai Zhi hurried to fetch hot water, pouring it into a basin, and together with Lu Wan, they attended to Nan Shiying's grooming.
"What was that tiger roar just now?" Nan Shiying asked.
Lu Wan and Bai Zhi both shook their heads. Nan Shiying called out to Xuan Yi, "Do you know?"
Xuan Yi landed from the roof. As Nan Shiying was grooming and it was inconvenient to enter the room, he answered from outside the door, "Your subordinate does not know, but..." Nan Shiying frowned. "Speak directly, why are you hesitating!"
Sensing Nan Shiying's impatience, Xuan Yi was about to voice his speculation when his peripheral vision caught sight of a tall and slender figure striding in from outside the door. Accompanying him were not only Xuan Shisan but also Jia Huan and others.
Seeing the situation, Xuan Yi immediately closed his mouth.
Nan Shiying did not get an answer from Xuan Yi, but she did hear the sound of chains whipping against metal, and the suppressed exclamations of the servants outside the house.
She waved to Lu Wan. Lu Wan, seeing her hair was not yet styled, had no choice but to pull out her hairpin, letting her black hair cascade down.
Nan Shiying stood up and pushed open the window. The scene outside made her pause for a moment.
"What are you doing?" Nan Shiying asked Ji Jinmo, perplexed.
Ji Jinmo said, "Don't you want to raise animals? The tribute procession won't reach the capital until after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month at the earliest. I can't get you a snow fox for a while, but what do you think of this white tiger?"
Nan Shiying: "...???"
Because she wanted a snow fox, they gave her a white tiger first?
Yes, the fur of both animals was pure white, and the last characters of their names were homophones with different tones. But in what way were these two animals comparable or substitutable from head to toe?
Nan Shiying was momentarily at a loss as to where to even begin complaining.
Seeing her stunned expression, Ji Jinmo seemed a bit puzzled.
Did the historical records not mention that Empress Nan Fengluan of the Great Yuan dynasty kept a white-browed tiger named Xiao Hua in her harem?
Could the historical records be mistaken?
"What, you don't like it?" Ji Jinmo asked.
Nan Shiying opened her mouth. It wasn't that she disliked it; she just felt that the lifespans of these little animals were too short.
She shook her head and peered into the cage. She had thought it was an adult tiger upon hearing the roar, but it turned out to be a small cub no longer than a meter. It certainly had a strong roar.
Nan Shiying turned and walked towards the door. Lu Wan quickly picked up a fur coat and draped it over her.
Pushing the door open, a crisp chill permeated the air. She pulled her coat tighter and walked to the cage, squatting down. She tilted her head to look at the little creature inside.
Her unstyled black hair fell softly to her side, softening the sharp lines of her usual eyebrows. Ji Jinmo stood beside her, looking down at her. From his angle, he could clearly see her long, curled eyelashes and the high bridge of her nose.
He squatted down beside her and asked, tilting his head, "Give it a name?"
Nan Shiying stroked her chin, thought for a long time, and then said, "Let's call it Xiao Hua!"
Ji Jinmo's pupils flickered, but he said nothing, silently accepting the fact. Xuan Yi and Xuan Shisan exchanged a look, seeing the shared amusement in each other's eyes.
The Princess Consort thought for a long time and only came up with this name??
"Awooo~"
The little tiger cub seemed to dislike the name, pawing at the cage and emitting an angry roar.
Nan Shiying extended her index finger and wagged it left and right at it, a sly curve at the corner of her lips. She clicked her tongue and said, "Objections are invalid!"
The little tiger cub cried "awoo-awoo," clearly angered.
Nan Shiying said to Ji Jinmo, "Open the cage. If the child is disobedient, just give it a good beating!"
Ji Jinmo raised his hand. Jia Huan bent down, unlocked the cage, and pulled open the door. Seeing the light of freedom, the little tiger cub lifted its head and let out a triumphant roar, then stepped out with a powerful stride.
As it moved, the chains on the cage clanked.
The maids in Xin Yuan Pavilion were petrified. If they hadn't been afraid to make a fuss in front of the Prince and Princess Consort, they would have screamed.
The moment the little tiger cub stepped out of the cage, it pounced like a hungry tiger towards Jia Huan, who was closest to it. If it had been an adult tiger, it might have been intimidating, but a little cub only a meter long, its thrashing and clawing did not inspire fear but rather a sense of cuteness.
Jia Huan stepped back, raising the sword in his hand. He placed the scabbard against the cub's mouth, then sidestepped and turned, seizing the little tiger by the neck.
The little tiger let out an angry roar, shaking its big head in futile fury.
Nan Shiying stood up and lunged towards the cub. Jia Huan immediately let go, and Nan Shiying's arms encircled the little tiger's neck.
The little tiger lowered its head, trying to bite the arm of the human daring to ride it. However, due to the angle, it couldn't reach, and it stomped its feet in frustration.
Nan Shiying buried her face in its fur, rubbing against it. Its fur still felt like down, soft and warm, like a plush carpet.
Nan Shiying's brazen actions made the little tiger even angrier.
The little tiger, with Nan Shiying on its back, suddenly began to run. It reached the wall, forcefully planted its paws against it, and leaped high into the air. Just as everyone thought it was trying to escape, it suddenly changed direction. As it was about to land, it abruptly turned, as if intending to throw Nan Shiying to the ground and pin her beneath it. The moment the little tiger flipped, Nan Shiying grabbed the fur at its throat, squeezed hard, and pulled in the opposite direction of its rotation. Then, with a slight nudge of her knee, she turned her entire body to the tiger's belly.
Lu Wan's worried cry was cut short by the little tiger's wail.
With a "thump," the little tiger landed on the ground on its back, its eyes widening instantly. A hint of crystal tears seemed to well up, moistening the fur around its eyes.
It shook its head, saw that the detestable human had grabbed its belly, and flailed its paws, raising its sharp claws. Its hind legs kicked towards her, and its front legs swiped at her.
Nan Shiying kicked off, using the force of its hind legs to leap into the air. The little tiger missed its grab. Before it could react, the person who had flown into the air smashed down towards it.
It roared, opening its mouth wide, and lunged at her.
"Ah..."
The maids hiding in a corner let out a frightened scream, not daring to witness the bloody scene that was about to unfold.
Lu Wan and the other maids' hearts skipped a beat, and they took a step forward, about to rush over. Ji Jinmo waved his sleeve, stopping them. He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm, but his hands were clenched tightly within his sleeves.
Just as the little tiger's sharp teeth were about to bite Nan Shiying, Nan Shiying suddenly retracted her feet and then kicked out forcefully, her foot hitting the little tiger's chin, sending it flying through the air.
The little tiger's wail tumbled through the air, echoing, and with a heavy thud on the ground, it turned into a mournful sob.
The maids in Xin Yuan Pavilion realized for the first time that when pushed to the extreme, even tigers could cry.
And they could cry "ao ao!"