Huazhi was a brocade-furred mouse.
When he first met the king, he was a brocade-furred mouse who had yet to take human form. When he met the king again, he had suddenly turned into the very person the king hated most.
The king had not always been king, either. At first, he was locked in an underground prison, shut away from the light. He had no say in what he ate or drank, and depended on Huazhi, still in mouse form, to steal food from the palace above and keep him alive.
Back then, the little king would hold him in his arms, and the two of them curled together for warmth, passing many seasons side by side.
The king even said they would be friends for life, that they would be together forever and ever.
But Huazhi had only gone away to take human form. When he came back, everything had changed!!!
Somehow, Huazhi had become a traitor. Somehow, he had grown so audacious. Somehow, the king had locked him up by his side and kept him under constant watch.
The king wanted to kill him when he walked, and kill him when he sat. Every day, he tried to pry a great secret out of Huazhi's mouth, then kill him.
But Huazhi didn't know anything about any great secret. He had only hidden a lot of sweet honey!
To save his life, poor Huazhi had no choice but to humble himself and beg for mercy at every turn.
From then on, such scenes became a common sight in the palace:
The king furrowed his brow in thought, and Huazhi hurriedly kowtowed. "Your Majesty, please don't kill me!"
The king stretched, and Huazhi hastened to his knees. "Your Majesty, please don't kill me!"
The king shouted, "How dare you!" and Huazhi bowed again and again. "Your Majesty, please don't kill me!"
In the end, the king recognized him, lifted his confinement, quelled the turmoil in the capital, and brought peace to the people. But it seemed he still hadn't given up on killing Huazhi.
One night, Huazhi curled up at the foot of the bed and watched the king draw closer and closer. His eyes reddened, and he couldn't help saying,
Huazhi: "Your Majesty, please don't kill me!"
Xiao Zhang stopped and considered it. "I could spare you, if you become my wife."
What a bargain! Huazhi happily nodded yes!
[Reading Guide]:
● Mad tyrant x naturally airheaded
● Fictional dynasty with lots of original worldbuilding, absolutely nothing like real life
Theme: Be a self-reliant little mouse who never gives up!
