Chapter 8, The Little Fox of the Tie Family

Tie Xin believed he had a massive poisonous mushroom hammer, yet he had no suitable nails to test it, which left him quite frustrated. He would never dare to let his mother try the fly agaric, of course, and as for the fox, being loyal, he certainly could not use it as a test subject

A snow-white fox is swiftly dashing through the forest filled with fallen leaves

Before long, the fox came back in from outside, holding a yellowed stone in its mouth and placing it in front of Zhao Zhen

Alright, I see you are eyeing that chicken, Xiao Jian, give it the chicken's head

Tie Xinyuan really wants to say that he does not like eating at all, but if he does not eat, he might starve to death. In order to survive, he has no choice but to exhaust his stomach to the limit.

The eunuch Xiao Jian picked up a large pine cone and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, it seems that winter has arrived, and all the beasts are huddled together. Your guests are unable to catch any live creatures, so they have brought a pine cone as a substitute."

Zhao Zhen took a careful look at the stone in his hand and smiled, "This is indeed the Shoushan stone that I threw away in anger last year. I did not expect it to be found by a fox. In any case, it is always good to have something lost returned. Since it was found by a fox, let us reward it. Command the artisans in the palace to carve this stone and hang it around the fox's neck, so that the world may know that this fox is also one of my subjects."

Tiexin Yuan actually prefers to eat protein; it was his mother who misunderstood the meaning, which is why he had to develop a liking for egg yolks. Supplementing with iron is also a good choice

In a corner of the imperial garden, there is a greenhouse that is my favorite. Due to the geological conditions, it remains warm as spring even in the cold winter. Outside the greenhouse, rows of green vegetables continue to grow, and it is only here that the weary Zhao Zhen can feel a hint of vitality.

It seems there is little hope of relying on breast milk as a meal. With a sigh from the depths of his heart, Tie Xinyuan picked up the wooden spoon, which was as large as his fist, and began to eat.

Every day during meals, he feels as if he is being punished

Zhao Zhen smiled and said, "Xiao Jian, let it in. In front of me, it is probably the only one that can still show some courtesy."

Even during today's morning court session, the ministers did not debate the matter of the post-disaster reconstruction of Tokyo, but rather criticized the demand that he must not transfer the remains of his biological mother, Consort Li, to Dingling.

Nowadays, the mother prides herself on her excellent cooking, yet she has completely spoiled Tie Xinyuan's appetite. Nevertheless, he continues to feed himself without pause, until he has cleaned the bowl of noodles completely before finally stopping. Perhaps, after spending enough time eating, he might even come to like the meals prepared by his mother.

Sitting in the somewhat cold sunlight in front of the door, Tie Xinyuan turned around and stared blankly at the guards on the palace wall. These individuals were the most suitable test subjects; however, considering their silly smiles that amused him, he decided to let them off the hook.

In order to wean herself, the mother even applied turmeric to her nipples to diminish the desire of Tie Xinyuan to consume breast milk

Another walnut has fallen from the sky

The fox stood up from the basket, stretched a big yawn, and then jumped out of the low fence that Wang Rouhua had made, diving into the hole in the city wall.

The fox, which was eating, suddenly jumped down from the chair, lifted the door curtain with its mouth, and dashed out. The emperor gazed longingly at the departing fox, unable to help but sigh once more.

The little fox arrived in front of the warm greenhouse and began to whimper.

Unknowingly, Zhao Zhen had finished a bowl of rice. Seeing that the fox was still eating chicken, he hesitated for a moment, feeling that he had not quite had enough to eat, and asked Xiao Jian to serve him another bowl of rice

Looking at the lunch brought by his mother, Tie Xinyuan had no appetite at all. Every meal consisted of bland noodles, and his mother, fearing that her son would not like it, poured a lot of sesame oil on top. Even plain boiled noodles were far more delicious than this dish

After emerging from the cave, I called out a couple of times to the guards on the wall. Seeing one of the guards wave at me, I crossed a patch of withered grass and ran towards the Imperial Garden. At this time every day, there are people waiting to have a meal with me.

Tie Xinyuan sighed, these bastards treat themselves as monkeys to be paraded around

The eunuch Xiao Jian stepped aside at the entrance, and the little fox swiftly darted in, habitually jumping onto a chair and stretching its neck, waiting for the eunuch Xiao Jian to serve it food.

The black-clad man is merely more talkative; he does not yet have the courage to truly act disrespectfully towards Your Majesty

The emperor let out a bitter laugh and said: "Three consecutive edicts of self-criticism have already caused me to lose all face. For each edict of self-criticism, I lose one son; with three edicts of self-criticism, I have lost three sons. Is it truly the case that all the calamities in this world are a result of my moral failings?"

One is too small, therefore everything comes to an end

A month ago, the Emperor encountered this fox in the bamboo forest. The fox did not shy away upon seeing the Emperor. As the guards approached, it timidly presented a large rat it had just caught to the Emperor, which greatly pleased the imperial countenance

The fox let out two soft cries, seemingly a bit impatient

Since that cry of "mother" was uttered, life has undergone a complete transformation, and the clean, hygienic, and nutritious goodness of breast milk has become unattainable for me

Xiao Jian bowed and said: "Your Majesty, you have already opened the granary, and the people will naturally have food to survive the winter. Moreover, the flood outside the city has receded. Although we have lost some population, it has created tens of thousands of acres of silted fields. I was originally from a farming family, and I know that silted fields are the best farmland. With just a little rest and recovery, next year will surely be a year of abundant harvest."

Yuan'er eats very well, your father loves the soup pancakes made by your mother the most, he always wants to eat a full basin, Yuan'er should also eat more, so that in the future he can grow up as strong as your father

What delicious protein this is, why doesn't this child like to eat it?

Xiao Jian saw the emperor in unbearable pain and did not dare to speak recklessly, standing quietly by his side to share in the emperor's sorrow

Zhao Zhen finished his second bowl of rice, rinsed his mouth with tea, and smiled at the fox, saying: "What gift have you brought me this time?"

Faced with the powerful gentry class, Zhao Zhen could only feign illness to withdraw from court.

A red date fell from the sky, and Tie Xinyuan stood up, humming to himself, picked up the date, and placed it in the basket beside him. He smiled at the top of the palace wall, considering it a reward for those ignorant brutes.

Tie Xinyuan lay in the bathtub, continuing to sleep, when a fox sneaked in from outside and naturally settled down beside him. A rich aroma of roasted chicken wafted through the air. Tie Xinyuan pried open the fox's mouth to take a look and sighed, saying: "Damn it, even the fox has chicken to eat, while I can only have noodles..."

Xiao Jian exclaimed softly, picked up the stone, and after carefully cleaning it, presented it to the Emperor, saying in a low voice: "Your Majesty, this is the Shoushan stone you discarded last year"

Wang Rouhua frowned slightly. Seeing her son looking at her with a smile, she ate the egg white and placed the yolk in Tie Xinyuan's bowl. Only then did Tie Xinyuan scoop up the yolk with a spoon and swallow it in one go, nearly choking and rolling his eyes. Wang Rouhua hurriedly gave him a mouthful of noodle soup, thus averting the fate of choking to death

Seeing his mother enjoy her food, Tie Xinyuan tossed a peeled boiled egg from his plate into his mother's bowl. It was a daily requirement from his mother for him to have one egg each day

Saliva has splattered on my face, and yet he claims to be courteous? Very well, I understand that you, my servant, have good intentions. Now, please hasten to invite my guest in. Look, saliva is already flowing out; this is certainly not the way my royal family treats guests.

The palace guards were strictly ordered not to harm this interesting fox, and half a plump chicken was bestowed upon the fox as a reward. Unexpectedly, the fox thereafter became attached to the emperor, bringing gifts each time it saw him, whether it be a field mouse, a hibernating hedgehog, or a wilted mushroom; in short, it never came empty-handed.

A long time ago, Tie Xinyuan was famously difficult to please when it came to his appetite. Although the foods he enjoyed were not particularly extravagant, they had to be meticulously prepared, and the flavors had to be just right; otherwise, he would fly into a rage

Little by little, great joy emerged; this was the first time in half a year that the Emperor had actively requested an extra serving of rice. After serving the Emperor, he quietly placed a piece of braised beef in the fox's food bowl, hoping that the fox would accompany the Emperor and eat a bit more.

Zhao Zhen chuckled and said, "So, has your master still not provided you with better food today?"

The simple lunch for the mother and child concluded amidst the mother's complaints

The fox disdainfully curled up in a dilapidated basket to bask in the sun. Ever since this fellow became beautiful, it has hardly touched the food at home. The hole in the palace wall has provided it with great convenience, and it has always been eating royal food.

The lunch at the Tie family has always been served relatively early. Wang Rouhua continues to uphold the customs of a farming household, having only two meals a day. Although it does not reach the point of eating thick porridge during busy times and thin gruel during leisure, simple meals with plain tea are unavoidable.

During that period, the only thing he could look forward to each day was three meals. Only with food in his stomach could he truly feel that he was still alive

The fox remained unfazed, perked up its ears, and pushed aside the curtain to rush out again. Having already eaten its fill, what was there to stay here for?

After Zhao Zhen gave his instructions, he began to use his chopsticks. Meanwhile, Xiao Jian removed the head of the chicken and placed it in the fox's food bowl, prompting the fox to immediately dive into the bowl, eating messily.

Zhao Zhen sighed as he looked at the fox still standing on the chair and devouring its food, saying: "Spring planting, summer growth, autumn harvest, and winter storage are the natural laws of heaven and earth. If we lose the summer growth and autumn harvest, we naturally cannot speak of winter storage. The fox can at least find a pine cone to peel and eat the pine nuts inside, but for the common people outside Tokyo, it is difficult to find enough pine cones."

Emperor Zhao Zhen of the Song Dynasty has recently been in an extremely bad mood. Since ascending the throne, he has wanted to restore the honor of his biological mother, Consort Li Chen, but he cannot forget the kindness of Liu E in raising him. This has trapped him in a terrifying dilemma between the importance of biological ties and the significance of nurturing.

A hint of a smile finally appeared on Zhao Zhen's face. The young eunuch Wang Jian, who was in attendance, chuckled softly as he lifted the curtain of the warm pavilion. Since this little fox has arrived, His Majesty's gloomy mood will surely improve somewhat

Xiao Jian bowed and replied, turning to look at the fox that was continuously spinning on the ground, and said with a smile: "Aren't you going to express your gratitude for the imperial grace?"