Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 227: Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Nine

After having lunch, Zhao Yao returned to his tent to rest.

Tong Xi brought over sliced raw lamb. Zhao Yao took it, picked up a small piece with chopsticks, and fed it to Xiao Bai.

”Your Highness, Xiao Bai is like it’s part of you.” He had never seen Xiao Bai leave the prince’s side. ”Now Xiao Bai is still small and can wrap around your arm, but what will you do when it grows bigger?” Tong Xi imagined Xiao Bai growing into a large snake, coiled around Zhao Yao, and got frightened.

”When Xiao Bai grows up, it won’t be so shy anymore.” Zhao Yao extended his finger and gently stroked Xiao Bai’s little head.

Xiao Bai felt very comfortable from the touch, and even proactively rubbed its little head against Zhao Yao’s finger.

”Your Highness, it seems Xiao Bai has grown a bit bigger again.”

Zhao Yao carefully looked at Xiao Bai, then extended his hand to gesture its size.

”It has indeed grown a bit, almost a foot long now.”

Tong Xi stared at Xiao Bai, suddenly noticing there seemed to be a character on Xiao Bai’s head, and exclaimed, ”Your Highness, look, does Xiao Bai have the character ’King’ on its head?”

Hearing Tong Xi say this, Zhao Yao lowered his head to closely examine Xiao Bai’s head and indeed discovered a faint ’King’ character, visible only upon close inspection.

”Xiao Bai, how do you have the character ’King’ on your head?”

Xiao Bai tilted its little head, asking with a puzzled tone: ”King? What character is that?”

Zhao Yao suddenly thought of a possibility and said excitedly, ”Xiao Bai, could you be the Snake King?”

”Snake King?” Xiao Bai said, ”I’m not the Snake King, but I should be the leader of our clan.”

”The leader of the White Snake Clan?” Zhao Yao said enthusiastically, ”Isn’t that the Snake King?”

Xiao Bai didn’t quite understand, as its parents were gone shortly after it was born. The reason it grew up safely was thanks to the help of a White Deer.

”Xiao Bai, I didn’t expect you to be the Snake King.” Zhao Yao said with a smile, ”I picked up a treasure.”

”Your Highness, Xiao Bai really is the Snake King.” Tong Xi was also very excited, ”If... Xiao Bai is truly the Snake King, does that mean it can command all the snakes?”

Zhao Yao asked, ”Xiao Bai, can you command all the snakes?”

Xiao Bai: ”I don’t know, I’ve never tried.”

”Try it when you grow up.” Zhao Yao imagined Xiao Bai commanding all the snakes, and felt very excited.

Xiao Bai obediently said: ”Okay.”

”Come, keep eating the meat.” Zhao Yao picked up another piece of lamb for Xiao Bai.

Though Xiao Bai was small, it had quite an appetite and finished an entire large bowl of lamb.

After feeding Xiao Bai, Zhao Yao prepared to lie down and rest. At that moment, Lingyun flew in.

Seeing Lingyun, Xiao Bai was so scared it quickly crawled into Zhao Yao’s sleeve, wrapping itself around his arm again.

Lingyun had eaten many snakes before. Being snakes’ natural enemy, Xiao Bai naturally felt afraid when seeing it.

The emperor was sure to bring Lingyun for the spring hunt.

During the morning’s hunt, Lingyun caught several hares and foxes.

It split half of the hares and foxes it caught with Zhao Yao, keeping the other half for itself.

Lingyun had just finished its feast, with traces of blood on its beak, chest, and claws.

”Lai Fu, you stink, get away from me.” Zhao Yao smelled the bloody stench on Lingyun and showed disdain.

Lingyun unhappily said: ”How do I stink?”

Zhao Yao pointed at Lingyun’s mouth, ”You still have blood, did you just finish eating a hare?”

”Yes.”

”Filthy.” Zhao Yao said to Tong Xi, ”Go bring a basin of warm water.”

”This servant will go right away.”

After a moment, Tong Xi brought a basin of warm water.

Zhao Yao pointed to the basin and said to Lingyun, ”Fly in, I’ll wash you, or else I won’t hold you.”

Lingyun reluctantly said: ”Such a hassle.” Despite its words, it obediently flew into the basin.

Zhao Yao squatted by the basin, carefully cleaning the blood off Lingyun’s beak, chest, and claws with a handkerchief.

”By the way, Lai Fu, fly to the northern forest later and see if there are any people or things there?”

”The northern forest?”

”I went hunting in the northern forest in the morning, and besides birds, there were no other animals. Isn’t that strange?”

”That is quite strange, I’ll check it out for you later.”

After cleaning Lingyun, Zhao Yao got another cloth to dry its feathers.

Zhao Yao yawned and said, ”I’m sleepy, going to take a nap. Tell me when I wake up.”

”Okay.” Lingyun said, and then flew out, flapping its wings.