Tong Xi first smiled apologetically at Zhao Yao, then pointed at the tiger cub in Zhao Yao’s arms, lowering his voice, he said, "Your Highness, it’s a tiger!"
"I know it’s a tiger, there’s no need for you to emphasize it repeatedly."
Tong Xi couldn’t understand why Zhao Yao looked so calm, "Your Highness, this is a tiger, how co you’re not surprised at all?" Actually, this was the first ti he saw a live tiger, even though it was a small tiger.
Zhao Yao pretended to be calm and said, "What’s there to be surprised about?" As he spoke, he gave Tong Xi a disdainful look, "Look at you making such a fuss over nothing."
Tong Xi: "..." Was he really making a fuss over nothing?
Zhao Yao carefully examined the tiger cub in his hands and noticed that its back was injured. The wound on its back appeared to have been caused by claws, probably by Xiao Jin.
"Go get the dicine and gauze."
"This servant will go get it right away."
The little tiger made a whining sound with its mouth, weakly expressing its pain.
Zhao Yao stroked the little tiger’s head while comforting it, "Once we apply the dicine, it won’t hurt anymore."
Xiao Jin stood on the table, looking at Zhao Yao with dissatisfaction: "Yao Yao, I brought you a tiger, why aren’t you thanking ?"
Hearing this, Zhao Yao quickly poured a cup of tea for Xiao Jin, "Thank you, Lord Xiao Jin, for catching a little tiger. Hurry and have so tea to quench your thirst."
Xiao Jin snorted proudly: "Now that’s more like it." Then it lowered its head to drink the water.
Tong Xi moved quickly, not only bringing dicine and gauze but also bringing a basin of water.
Zhao Yao first used the water to clean the little tiger’s wound, which made the little tiger tremble all over in pain, continually letting out whimpering sounds, making Tong Xi feel very distressed.
"Your Highness, the little tiger is in pain, please be gentle." Even listening to it made him feel the pain.
Zhao Yao ignored Tong Xi and skillfully and quickly cleaned and then gently applied dicine and bandaged the little tiger’s back wound.
Because Zhao Yao could understand animal language, many injured animals would co to him for help. From a young age, Zhao Yao had treated countless injured animals. He had perford tasks like cleaning and bandaging wounds nurous tis.
The little tiger obediently lay in Zhao Yao’s arms, still making weak cries, though the wounds on its back had been dicated, they hadn’t beco painless imdiately.
Seeing the little tiger as docile and cute as a kitten, Tong Xi couldn’t help but want to touch it.
"Your Highness, may I touch it?"
"You have to ask Lord Xiao Jin, since it brought the little tiger back, it needs its consent."
Tong Xi smiled ingratiatingly at Xiao Jin, "Lord Xiao Jin, may I touch the little tiger?"
Xiao Jin made a sound at Tong Xi.
Zhao Yao translated for Xiao Jin, "It said no."
Tong Xi could only retreat in disappointnt. He had suffered at Xiao Jin’s hands before, being pecked several tis. Xiao Jin’s beak was extrely sharp, and getting pecked was really painful. His hand had been pecked till the skin broke, causing a lot of bleeding. He didn’t want to be pecked by Xiao Jin again.
Zhao Yao caressed the little tiger’s head while looking at Xiao Jin, "So, where did you catch this little tiger, and is this tiger cub a month old?" The tiger cub in his arms was about the size of a cat, he wasn’t sure if it was even a month old.
Xiao Jin replied: "Of course, I caught it in the forest, I don’t know if it’s a month old."
Zhao Yao asked, "Which forest, are there tigers in the forests near the capital?"
Tong Xi, seeing Zhao Yao looking at him for answers, quickly shook his head, "This servant doesn’t know if there are tigers in the forests near the capital."
"Not in the capital, further south, there are many forests there, lots of mountains, and also many tigers and wolves."
Zhao Yao thought of the deep mountains and forests in Lingnan, with its wolves and tigers, and asked in amazent, "You didn’t catch it in Lingnan, did you?"
"I don’t know what that place is called, I initially wanted to catch a snake to eat, but the snake got away, then I saw this tiger cub, and then I caught it back."
Xiao Jin often left the capital, flying far away to hunt for food, frequently catching snakes, rabbits, and wild chickens to eat.
"Wasn’t there a mother tiger with this cub?" This tiger cub probably wasn’t a month old, it should’ve been hidden sowhere by the mother tiger to raise.
"Didn’t see one, I just saw this one."
Zhao Yao speculated that the mother tiger might have gone out for food while the little tiger, hungry and looking for its mother, wandered out of the cave and was caught by Xiao Jin.
"Yao Yao, you’re not going to make take this tiger cub back, are you?"
Zhao Yao considered that since the little tiger was injured and had his scent on it, even if they returned it, the mother tiger probably wouldn’t want it anymore.
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