The eldest princess rarely left her residence. The imperial concubine Li seemed not to expect to see her here. Her expression flickered slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Sister imperial princess, you've come at a good time. Such filth has emerged from the sweating salt pool. Sister, in your opinion, what should we do?"
She was biding her time, waiting for the eldest princess's order to snatch Mao Mao from Li Ying's arms.
Mao Mao arched its back angrily, puffing up like a fluffy dandelion. Li Ying stroked it gently, but the kitten wriggled restlessly. Seizing an opportunity, it nimbly jumped out of her arms.
"Mao Mao!"
Li Ying exclaimed. But the kitten's nimble body darted around the on - lookers' feet and then disappeared.
"This kind of evil creature must not be spared. Sister imperial princess always prioritizes the overall situation. I'm sure you understand my meaning, right?"
The imperial concubine Li narrowed her eyes and was about to order her subordinates to search every corner to catch Mao Mao back.
But Mao Mao emerged unhurriedly from somewhere. It rubbed affectionately against Li Ying's ankle and let out a lazy meow.
Li Ying looked down and saw that it was proudly carrying a gray ball in its mouth. It tossed it on the ground triumphantly.
The little "captive" had sleek fur, but it was rather gaunt, looking like a disheveled big rat.
Mao Mao growled from its throat and pushed it forward, right in front of the filth on the ground.
Sure enough, the little beast whimpered pitifully twice, then tucked its tail between its legs and lay still obediently.
Mao Mao, on the other hand, held its head high proudly. It jumped onto Li Ying's shoulder in a few steps, as if to say, "See? I've caught the culprit!"
Its cute appearance made the on - looking ladies feel a bit of tenderness.
The imperial concubine Li's face changed. She covered her face with a handkerchief and coughed lightly.
"So it was this stray cat from nowhere causing trouble? Boss Li, you should probably arrange more guards in this salt therapy club."
"Now that the stray cat has been caught, you must make a good apology to the guests. Boss Li, you must handle this matter properly. Don't disgrace the eldest princess."
She casually dropped these words, gave a few more lukewarm instructions, and then was reluctant to stay any longer.
Li Ying looked at the "stray cat" held down by Mao Mao. It had a gray little face, a pointed mouth, and very lively eyes. It resembled a mink but wasn't one. It looked rather familiar.
The eldest princess seemed to suddenly remember something. Frowning, she sized up the "stray cat" and exclaimed, "Imperial concubine Li, this cat looks quite similar to the Song Zi you usually carry with you?"
The "stray cat" was very intelligent. When it heard its name being called, it immediately looked aggrieved. It tucked its tail even tighter and stared tearfully in the direction of the imperial concubine Li.
As soon as Mao Mao released its paw, Song Zi rushed straight towards the imperial concubine Li like an arrow from a bow.
The imperial concubine Li felt quite embarrassed, and her smile was a bit forced.
"Ah... this..."
Li Ying sneered. Before she could speak, Lu Xunguang stared at the imperial concubine Li impolitely and asked calmly, "Imperial concubine Li, it turns out that it was your beloved pet acting recklessly. What should be done about this?"
Li Ying couldn't help but laugh. This petty man would never allow anyone to bully those under his protection, not even this little kitten Mao Mao.
The imperial concubine Li blushed. With the eldest princess sitting beside her and in full view of everyone, and Song Zi looking so affectionate towards her, how could she deny it?
"Good - for - nothing beast!"
The imperial concubine Li scolded and kicked Song Zi viciously.
Song Zi whined in pain but still obediently lay still on the spot, not daring to move.
"Although this beast was raised by me, now that it has caused trouble, I certainly can't just protect it blindly. I'll beat this beast to death with sticks. That should be an explanation to everyone!"
She didn't want to stay any longer and just wanted to leave quickly.
But as Li Ying looked at the disheveled little beast, a flash of inspiration suddenly hit her.
"Imperial concubine Li, please calm down!"
"Today's incident was just a misunderstanding. I will be more careful about the hygiene in the club in the future. Please rest assured."
"I'm bold enough to ask, imperial concubine Li, could you please be kind enough to let me handle this spiritual cat? There are so many ladies here today. It would be hard - hearted to kill such a cute cat."
Li Ying pleaded. The imperial concubine Li didn't want to waste any more words. She waved her hand and let Li Ying do as she pleased.
Since this incident was caused by the imperial concubine Li's pet, the guests in the club naturally couldn't be too picky.
Li Ying politely apologized to all the guests again and again. As for the lady who had the "big surprise", she was given a free service and a lifetime 30% - off membership card. Only then did she leave the club happily.
When only Li Ying and Lu Xunguang were left in the room, the eldest princess frowned, and a look of worry flashed across her eyes.
"Today's incident with the imperial concubine Li is probably not an accident."
The imperial concubine Li was a tribute girl sent from the southern border to the capital. She had red lips and white teeth, was very sophisticated, and was deeply favored by the emperor. Although she had no children, she was already the most favored concubine in the harem.
The emperor indulged her very much and even granted her the privilege to leave the palace incognito. But unexpectedly, her first stop was to cause trouble for Li Ying.
After listening to the eldest princess's explanation carefully, Li Ying understood.
The queen had given birth to the legitimate son of the middle palace. This imperial concubine Li must be restless. She probably came to the salt therapy club today to find out about Li Ying's situation. But unexpectedly, by accident, she even lost her beloved pet.
It seemed that a feud had been formed.
Li Ying turned to look at Song Zi. Mao Mao was waving its paws threateningly at it, scaring Song Zi into shivering.
She couldn't help but laugh. She picked up the struggling Mao Mao and bent down to gently stroke Song Zi's fur.
"A Ying, although Song Zi is intelligent, it's not from our Central Plains. It's a strange beast brought by the imperial concubine Li from her hometown. You'd better be careful."
Seeing Song Zi's rows of white teeth, the eldest princess kindly reminded Li Ying to be on guard.
Li Ying thanked her but just smiled.
"Your Highness, the eldest princess, please rest assured. It can't hurt me."
To the imperial concubine Li, Song Zi was just a plaything for entertainment. But if it came into her hands, it would clearly be a great help!
Li Ying could see clearly. This was no ordinary stray cat. It was clearly a full - grown civet cat!