Chapter 1547: Chapter 1554: Apology (1)
Xiang Yun ate with great relish, so much so that she didn’t even have the time to praise the chef’s skill. This fish was truly delicious—better than anything she had ever tasted before.
In no time, she finished the fish. Only then did she lick the corner of her mouth and ask with lingering craving, "Which restaurant made this? What kind of fish is this? How could it taste so good?"
The man wiped the oil stains from the corner of her mouth with a soft smile and replied, "This is Phoenix Golden-Scaled Fish. It was roasted by the guard earlier for you. If you like it, let him roast you another one tomorrow."
"Phoenix... Golden-Scaled Fish..."
Xiang Yun’s tongue stumbled over the words, and she stammered, "How could it be... Phoenix Golden-Scaled Fish? Isn’t it incredibly rare? How could someone eat it? What a waste!"
Having spent several months in the palace, often aimlessly wandering about during her free time, she had become familiar with the sights and things in the entire palace. Naturally, she knew about the renowned Phoenix Golden-Scaled Fish.
The Phoenix Golden-Scaled Fish was a tribute from the Feng Chi Kingdom, prized as an ornamental fish. Its whole body was golden, with smooth and glistening scales. A golden fleshy bump resembling a rooster’s comb adorned the center of its forehead, while its pectoral fins were large and long, sharp and pointed. Its wide tail fin gracefully flowed like a phoenix’s tail, earning it its name.
This fish inhabited the heavenly pool at the summit of Cangmeng Mountain in Feng Chi Kingdom. It was extremely rare and had stringent environmental requirements for its survival, needing icy water close to freezing temperatures to live. During transport, many fish often perished due to unsuitable temperatures. Given that Feng Chi Kingdom was thousands of miles away from the Qing Luo Kingdom, the arduous journey killed over half of the fish, which were only suited for living in icy water. By the time the fish reached Qing Luo Kingdom Palace, merely a handful of the original dozens remained.
The palace allocated special eunuchs to care for the fish, as they were difficult to keep alive. To provide them with a suitable cold environment, a fish pond was constructed in a shaded area of the palace. Each year, tens of thousands of ice blocks were used to maintain the fish pond, underscoring the preciousness of the Phoenix Golden-Scaled Fish.
Yet this exceedingly rare fish had ended up being eaten by her.
Xiang Yun was deeply regretful. Once the fish was cooked, its original appearance was unrecognizable. If she had known earlier that it was Phoenix Golden-Scaled Fish, she would not have let the man prepare it for her. Though the fish was indeed exceptionally delicious, being so rare and hard to obtain, every fish eaten meant one less in the world. Such a waste!
"There’s nothing to feel sorry about. A fish is either looked at or eaten. If you like it, I’ll have Feng Chi Kingdom send over more," the man said coolly, with an air that implied Phoenix Golden-Scaled Fish was as ordinary as carp or crucian carp.
Upon hearing this, Xiang Yun glared at him, shaking her head repeatedly as she said, "No, no, no! I won’t eat it anymore. Really, I’ll never eat it again! Please don’t waste resources and burden the people just for my fleeting appetite. I don’t want to become a cursed consort reviled by all!"
Wanyan Jing Chen chuckled at her words. Looking down at her rounded cheeks from his elevated position, he said with a sly, half-teasing smile, "A cursed consort usually refers to a seductive and alluring woman. As for you... hehe, you don’t qualify as one. At best, you might be a ’cursed plump consort.’"
"What did you say? Wanyan Jing Chen, how dare you call me fat?"
Xiang Yun raised her voice sharply, rolling up her sleeves and baring her arms in a declaration that she was going to "settle the score" with him. Wanyan Jing Chen, fearing she might strain herself, quickly pulled her into his arms, restrained her flailing arms, and gently said, "Calm down, Yun’er. Don’t cause a scene. If the people downstairs catch a glimpse of you like this, you’ll only end up feeling embarrassed later. Best to sit quietly and enjoy the show instead!"
Xiang Yun heard his words, guiltily darted a glance downstairs, and sure enough, saw that many people were looking their way.