Chapter 8

In front of him was a large courtyard, where numerous iron cages were placed, housing fierce beasts such as tigers and leopards. The roars that he had heard earlier came from these animals. When Zhao Yan first entered, he smelled a foul odor, similar to that of a modern zoo.

At the entrance of the courtyard, Cao Ying was talking with several maids and old women. Not far from them, a man with many small braids was hugging a small animal and sobbing softly. The small animal in his arms occasionally let out a whimper, as if in great pain.

Zhao Yan knew that in ancient times, some nobles liked to keep fierce beasts, such as leopards in the Tang Dynasty and probably leopards in the Song Dynasty as well. The place in front of him, which resembled a private zoo, was likely where Zhao Yan used to keep his beasts. He never expected that the former Zhao Yan had such a hobby. However, to raise so many animals, with just the tigers numbering four or five, the daily expenses must have been considerable. This was just a small part of Zhao Yan's luxurious life, no wonder he had to borrow so much money.

Unexpectedly, he could also have a private zoo, which greatly improved Zhao Yan's mood. He stepped into the garden, intending to admire the animals. As for Cao Ying's affairs, he had no intention of interfering, nor the authority to do so. After all, Cao Ying was now in charge of the household. Cao Ying, who was talking with the maids and old women, glanced at Zhao Yan as he entered, but she only gave him a brief, indifferent look without saying anything. The maids and old women, however, all bowed to him.

"Prince, you have finally come! Please persuade the Princess to not sell these fierce beasts. They are the ones you have collected with great effort!" Before Zhao Yan could approach the cages, the man with the small braids suddenly knelt and ran over, crying out to Zhao Yan.

"Sell them?" Zhao Yan was taken aback by this. At this moment, he also got a clear look at the man with the small braids. The man had a wrinkled face, dark skin, and white hair, looking to be around sixty years old. His cheeks were flushed, and his strange hairstyle and clothing clearly indicated he was not Han Chinese. The small animal in his arms was a small black dog, which seemed to be sick and was whimpering in pain.

"Get up quickly. Why do you want to sell the animals here?" Zhao Yan asked with a stern face. He had just been happy about having a private zoo, but now it was about to be sold, which made his mood turn sour. Most importantly, Cao Ying had not consulted him about this matter beforehand.

"The Prince's residence needs to cut expenses, which you are aware of. The expenses for the animal garden are too high, consuming a large amount of meat daily. Moreover, it is too close to the inner quarters, where all the women live. Hearing the roars of the beasts every day can easily frighten them. Therefore, I decided to sell the animal garden," Cao Ying answered as soon as Zhao Yan asked.

"This..." Zhao Yan was at a loss for words upon hearing Cao Ying's response. Cao Ying had indeed mentioned cutting expenses due to the large debts he owed, but he did not expect her to be so decisive, selling such a large animal garden so easily.

"Suma, I know you have feelings for the animal garden and are an old servant of the Prince's residence. However, the animal garden must be sold. You can go to the estate outside the city to help raise some livestock. I will not let you end up on the streets!" Cao Ying then turned to the kneeling Suma and said.

Suma, hearing Cao Ying's words and looking at Zhao Yan's expression, finally understood that the Princess was now in charge, and the animal garden would definitely be sold. Thinking of the countless efforts he had put into the garden, where each animal was like his own child, he could not help but feel deep sorrow. He knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face, and hugged the small black dog that was whimpering in pain even tighter.

Seeing Suma's state, Zhao Yan felt helpless. It was all because of the huge debts he owed. He did not have the face to ask Cao Ying to keep the animal garden, so he turned his gaze elsewhere. However, when he saw the empty ground behind Suma, his face changed. On the ground lay a large beast with black fur, resembling a lion or a tiger, but Zhao Yan, from the future, immediately recognized it as a Tibetan Mastiff. The beast was already stiff, indicating it had been dead for some time.

Although Zhao Yan had never owned a dog in the future, he was familiar with the famous Tibetan Mastiff. In parks and on streets, he often saw people walking their dogs with golden chains around their necks and dog leashes in their hands, the golden chains and dog leashes reflecting each other, making them look like brothers.

The other end of the dog leashes were usually large dogs, with those walking Tibetan Mastiffs being the most prestigious. Whether purebred or mixed, as long as they looked like Tibetan Mastiffs, they were considered high-status. People and dogs would strut around the streets, causing pedestrians to scatter, and if they could scare children to tears, it was even more prestigious.

Zhao Yan quickly walked to the Tibetan Mastiff and looked at the dead beast, feeling a sense of regret. This Tibetan Mastiff was larger and had a more lustrous coat than any he had seen in the future. Even Zhao Yan, who knew little about dogs, could tell that this Tibetan Mastiff was of a rare breed. If it were in the future, it could easily fetch tens of thousands of dollars.

"Suma, how did this Tibetan Mastiff die?" Zhao Yan asked Suma loudly.

However, Suma was taken aback by this, and even Cao Ying looked at Zhao Yan with surprise. After a moment, Suma finally answered with great sorrow, "Prince, Buhuer was your most beloved pet. It... it..."

Tears streamed down Suma's eyes as he spoke, indicating that this Tibetan Mastiff was also his favorite. However, when it came to the cause of its death, he became hesitant, as if there was something he dared not say.

"This dog was poisoned by me!" Cao Ying interrupted, her gaze sweeping over the dead Tibetan Mastiff with a look of disgust.

"Why?" Zhao Yan asked angrily. If the dog had died of illness, it would have been understandable, but now that it had been poisoned by Cao Ying, Zhao Yan was confused. After all, a dog is a life, and he did not want to live with a woman who did not respect life.

"Hmph, Prince, you are truly forgetful. If you do not understand, you can ask around on the streets of Tokyo to see how many people have been bitten by this dog and how many people wish to skin and flay it," Cao Ying replied angrily. In the past, Zhao Yan's favorite activity was to walk this large dog named Buhuer on the streets. The Tibetan Mastiff was fierce and often injured people. Many people had been bitten, and Zhao Yan not only ignored it but also cheered and laughed. Much of Zhao Yan's bad reputation came from this vicious dog.

Zhao Yan broke out in a cold sweat and looked embarrassed upon hearing Cao Ying's words. After all, a dog is still a dog, no matter how fierce. The key was the dog's owner. Cao Ying was ostensibly scolding the dog but was actually criticizing Zhao Yan for being hated by people. Although these actions were done by the previous Zhao Yan, the current Zhao Yan could not defend himself.

"Cough, cough... Well... Since it's a vicious dog and has injured people, its death is not to be pitied. By the way, has it ever killed anyone?" Zhao Yan, trying to shift all the blame onto the dog, asked with some concern, fearing that the previous Zhao Yan might have left him with some serious legal issues.

"Prince, rest assured. Buhuer was usually very obedient, but sometimes playful and liked to play jokes on people, accidentally injuring them. But it has never killed anyone!" The old Suma, hearing Zhao Yan call Buhuer a vicious dog, quickly defended his beloved pet.

"Good, as long as it hasn't killed anyone!" Zhao Yan finally felt relieved. Although he was not a kind person and would seek revenge on those who wronged him, he did not include innocent people who had not provoked him.

"Whimper, whimper..." At this moment, the small dog in Suma's arms let out another painful whimper, its eyes opening slightly, revealing a pitiful look.

"What's wrong with this small dog?" Zhao Yan asked again.

Upon hearing Zhao Yan's question about the small dog, Suma immediately burst into tears again, "Your Highness, it's all my fault. When Buhuer left today, I wanted to give him a good meal, so I mixed arsenic with egg whites and fed it to him. After Buhuer died, I was so sad that I didn't clean up. The puppies born recently ate the remaining arsenic. The other puppies that ate it earlier have already died, and this one is the only one left, but it won't last much longer. These puppies are Buhuer's children, and now Buhuer has no descendants. I have failed him!"

Suma's sobs grew even more heart-wrenching, as if he had lost a son. He was not Han Chinese but had only half Han blood, the other half being Tibetan. He grew up in Tibet with his Tibetan mother and had a deep affection for Tibetan Mastiffs. Buhuer was raised by him, and the pain of killing Buhuer himself was unimaginable.

"Then what are you waiting for? Quickly find a veterinarian to treat it!" Zhao Yan, feeling both pity for Suma and sympathy for Buhuer, who had a bad reputation due to a ruthless owner and whose descendants were also affected, said.

"It's no use. Suma is a good veterinarian himself, and this dog ate arsenic. It has been almost two hours, and the poison has already entered its internal organs. Even a great immortal could not save it. But it's for the best; without such a vicious dog, some people will have less to criticize!" Cao Ying said lightly.

Cao Ying's repeated subtle criticisms made Zhao Yan angry. He glared at her, took the small dog from Suma's arms, and coldly said, "This is still a life, and I am not as cold-blooded as some women. I will save it today!"

After saying this, Zhao Yan turned and left the animal garden. Cao Ying, looking at his back, smiled disdainfully. She did not believe Zhao Yan's words, knowing that arsenic is a highly toxic substance. After two hours, even a tiger would not survive, let alone a small dog.