Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 23 Giant Snake

Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Giant Snake

"You’ve definitely never seen it before." Zheng Haoyuan said proudly, carefully setting down the wooden box. His mysterious actions indeed attracted the attention of everyone in the sleeping chamber. Nanny Yun and Fu Dong both crowded around curiously, making Zheng Haoyuan swell with pride.

"Fourth Prince, please lift it and let us have a look," Nian Xia could not help but say.

"Watch closely," Zheng Haoyuan suddenly lifted the lid of the wooden box, immediately a shriek filled the air, and Nanny Yun clutched at her chest.

"Oh dear, Fourth Prince, are you trying to scare us to death?"

Zheng Nianru lifted her eyelids and saw a giant python coiled inside the wooden box, its yellow and white body as thick as her forearm. The box’s sides were embedded with transparent colored glaze, revealing the giant python’s form clearly to everyone.

Zheng Haoyuan looked on with admiration. See, our cousin is not scared at all, not in the slightest, just like our second brother.

Initially, when he first saw this giant python, he was a bit creeped out, but after watching it for a while, he realized that this Yellow Dragon was a masterpiece of nature’s incredible craftsmanship.

"Cousin, look." Zheng Haoyuan quickly took a mouse from another box held by Shun Zi and stuffed it into a small hole on the lid, The previously lazy python instantly sprang into action, striking the mouse like lightning.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak." The mouse hadn’t even reacted before it was swallowed whole by the python. The mouse,—swallowed by the snake—wriggled in its throat; this burst of power from the giant python contrasted starkly with the fragility of the small mouse, leaving the group of girls too shocked to scream. Their feelings were hard to describe.

Zheng Nianru was drawn in as well and wanted to try it herself. She gestured for Eunuch Shun Zi to bring the box of mice closer.

Eunuch Shun Zi came forward, his expression like he wanted to cry but had no tears. Why weren’t they scared? It was a real giant snake, capable of swallowing a chick whole.

Zheng Nianru grabbed a mouse, and Fu Dong and Nian Xia gasped and backed away. Nanny Yun called for Xing Yu, who had already slipped in, her eyes fixed on the mouse in Zheng Nianru’s hand.

"Put it in through this hole." Zheng Haoyuan carefully lifted the lid, his face full of hope, waiting for Zheng Nianru to push the mouse in. Amidst its squeaking, the mouse immediately started panicking inside the box. The python quickly lunged and coiled around the mouse.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak—" The mouse struggled madly; gradually, its limbs were enveloped, leaving only a frantically twitching tiny head visible. Gradually, the sound grew fainter until it stopped after a trail of fresh blood spurted from the long nose of the mouse.

The onlookers fell silent, stunned by the splash of red blood. Zheng Nianru stared at the smear of blood on the colored glaze, feeling somewhat familiar.

This was the joy of power, being able to control the life and death of others at will. She was initially very pleased, but humans are never satisfied. Slowly, she became numb and felt it was nothing special.

"Commandery Princess, let me try too," Xing Yu was eager to have a go.

"Xing Yu, you’re going mad—" Xue Liu immediately slapped the speaking Xing Yu, while Fu Dong and Nian Xia shook their heads, smiling. Xing Yu was always bold.

"Go ahead," Zheng Haoyuan generously said, although she was a servant, she was much more interesting than his own servants.

Xing Yu picked up a mouse and impatiently stuffed it inside the box. The mouse scurried around inside, but the giant snake seemed indifferent, as if it didn’t see it at all.

"Why isn’t it eating?" Xing Yu grew impatient.

"Xing Yu, it sees you’re a servant and won’t eat your offerings," Nian Xia immediately said.

"It doesn’t know that," Xing Yu retorted, not believing her, and started to tickle Nian Xia, who giggled and tried to escape.

Zheng Haoyuan looked at his Little Eunuch, wondering why it wouldn’t eat. His cousin was also curious.

"Your Highness, the Yellow Dragon won’t eat once it’s full," Shun Zi, in charge of feeding these illustrious creatures, knew a bit about their habits.

"So that’s how it is."

"So that’s how it is." Nanny Yun and the others suddenly nodded in realization.

The noise from the other side increased with Xue Liu’s involvement, and the sounds of joy and laughter spread from inside to outside, where the sunlight was warmly shining.

Zheng Haoyuan, followed by Shun Zi who carried a wooden box, reluctantly left Qishun Building. He moved through the Imperial Garden like a thief, although it was within the bounds of Xingqing Hall. Since the Empress Dowager always preferred quiet, she seldom allowed disturbances; thus, not many servants were around, and the typical guard wouldn’t dare to casually question the Fourth Prince. Zheng Haoyuan sneaked around, but no accidents ever occurred.

As soon as he left the vicinity of Xingqing Hall, Zheng Haoyuan straightened his back, only to be unexpectedly met by a large group of people standing at the garden entrance, the sole path out, waiting for him.

Zheng Haoyuan’s face immediately fell, and he approached with a dejected look.

"This son pays respects to Mother Consort." Zheng Haoyuan neatly performed a bow. Though currently residing in Chenhe Hall, Noble Consort Wen now managed the affairs of the Imperial Palace; even there, Zheng Haoyuan was under her control for all three meals a day, and every twelve Shichen.

"Where have you been?" Noble Consort Wen barely contained her anger. Coming from that direction, where else could he have been? Her repeated earnest advisements seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"Reporting to Mother Consort, I went nowhere, just basking in the sun here in the garden," Zheng Haoyuan said somewhat sheepishly, noticing Kang Ning signaling frantically with his hands.

"Nonsense—" Noble Consort Wen’s stern rebuke cut off Zheng Haoyuan mid-sentence. Kang Ning frowned; my word, this was in public, she should at least, at least maintain some decorum.

Zheng Haoyuan then kept silent, looking utterly indifferent as if resigned to his fate.

Eunuch Ho Sheng’s whisk trembled in his arm; he, he had just dozed off, oh dear, his troublesome little master.

"What is that?" Before Noble Consort Wen could continue, Eunuch Shun Zi behind her shuddered, scrambling to his feet only to kneel again with a thud, and the wooden box in his hands fell to the ground with a crashing sound. A large yellow and white snake leisurely slid out, poking its head.

"Ah—"

"Ah— a snake—"

A group of palace maids screamed and immediately knelt down in fright.

Zheng Haoyuan, seeing this, kicked Shun Zi and rushed to support the box.

"Useless, can’t even hold a box properly."

"Your Highness, be careful, what are you doing? Quick, hurry..." Eunuch Ho Sheng couldn’t care less about his fears as he directly went to pull Zheng Haoyuan, who was trying to collect the snake. Several eunuchs clumsily hoisted the box back up and attempted to capture the snake.

Noble Consort Wen was startled, her face turned pale and the corners of her mouth trembled with rage, especially ignited by the striking red inside the box.

"Stop retrieving it, kill it now."

"Mother Consort, don’t—" Zheng Haoyuan cried out in desperation, grabbing Noble Consort Wen’s sleeve, "The Yellow Dragon doesn’t bite people."

"You, you, I haven’t settled with you yet. Instead of attending to your duties, you indulge in these foul activities. Kill it, kill it now..."

Kang Ning wanted to intervene, but he didn’t dare.

"Don’t, Mother Consort, the snake is mine!" Zheng Haoyuan knew the situation was dire and tried to seize the snake, but he was firmly held back by the surrounding eunuchs.

"Your Highness, it’s dangerous." That creature might bite,

"Don’t kill it, don’t kill it..." Zheng Haoyuan’s eyes were bloodshot as he struggled desperately to save his pet, but he was held back by the eunuchs and could only watch helplessly as the snake was nailed directly to the ground, its tail frantically thrashing.