Chapter 1778 – Young Master Panda
“Big Lulu: I don’t know whether to envy the streamer for having a panda to pet or to envy the panda for being petted by the streamer! QAQ”
“Tree-climbing Cosimo: We’re all adults here, obviously, we can envy both!”
The dried fish folks were chatting and joking around when a newbie in the livestream room raised a question.
“Exodus: I’ve heard about this livestream room for a long time. This is my first time grabbing a seat, but I did my homework beforehand. If I remember correctly, the streamer’s panda was obtained during the campaign against Meng Zhan, right? It’s been so many years, why hasn’t Young Master Panda grown up yet? I’m a Young Master fan, eagerly awaiting the little Young Master to sweep away the weaklings. Or did they change pandas?”
According to Baidu’s theory, pandas typically live to about twenty-five.
The panda in Jiang Pengji’s hands, from its debut until now, has roughly been around seven or eight years, and it still looks like a cub.
“Fairy Queen’s Crimson: Above, the Young Master has just never changed; it just hasn’t grown up.”
While to outsiders every panda looks the same, seasoned panda enthusiasts can confidently identify each one by name. This no-growing panda cub is indeed the internet celebrity among pandas, no exception.
They were quite sure that the panda hadn’t been swapped; it had always been this one, but they just didn’t know why it wasn’t growing.
Of course…
Not growing up also has its perks—pandas are soft and adorable when they’re just a few months old!
Jiang Pengji also smiled and replied to the dried fish’s question.
“It hasn’t grown up; perhaps it’s become a spirit.”
This statement immediately drew “critical attacks” and teasing from the dried fish community.
“Rich Beans: Do you all understand that animals aren’t allowed to become spirits after the establishment of the state?”
“Northern Ice Soda: Can our laws even control a panda becoming a spirit from another plane?”
Of course not! So this panda must have become a spirit!
“I’m willing to blend in with the masses: Speaking of which, if this little one were to become a spirit, wouldn’t she be the first female panda empress in history? I think that’s a nice angle; how about someone sketches a scene of all the common people and officials bowing to Panda Empress?”
“One Leaf in Autumn: The one above must be a newbie who joined recently, right? When the Panda first debuted, the streamer called it her daughter and humorously dubbed it the Young Master, many skilled artists have already drawn it! Let me introduce a few great artists; you can see their work.”
Although the panda rarely made appearances, thanks to the national treasure aura boost, it had plenty of fans.
Unfortunately, the appearance fee for the Young Master Panda was way too high, and Jiang Pengji often ran around, so it seldom appeared, making each appearance incredibly valuable.
For the dried fish dimension, pandas are probably the cutest creatures loved by people worldwide.
Jiang Pengji gazed at the discussions on the screen, a light smile curling her lips.
She held the little one up to eye level, “They say you’ve become a spirit; why don’t you transform for Mommy to see?”
The panda, not quite understanding, thought Jiang Pengji was just playing with her.
With soft, cute cries, its chubby, pink paws rubbed its cheeks, almost adorably blood-oozing!
Jiang Pengji once again felt that having a panda as a family emblem was the right decision.
With such a little companion, she could play all afternoon without getting bored.
Seeing the ears on its head twitch, Jiang Pengji couldn’t help but scratch it.
Feeling the touch, the little one raised its paws to its head, tilting its head toward Jiang Pengji, surprised with its small mouth slightly agape.
At that moment, a message floated across the livestream.
“Rainbow Candy: No matter how cute it is, what does it matter? It can never snap a color photo in its lifetime—this is its forever shortcoming compared to babies!”
Jiang Pengji chuckled inwardly, holding the little one up to face the livestream, and said, “Sweetheart, open your mouth.”
The dried fish folks were baffled, the little one suddenly lifted off the ground, with its feet dangling in confusion.
“Who told you that my big girl can only have black-and-white photos?”
Look at the little one’s pink tongue—how adorable!
Dried fish: “…”
After playing with her little girl for a while, the girl’s father came looking for her.
Jiang Pengji said, “What kind of father lets his little girl run around like this? Aren’t you afraid she’ll get caught and thrown into a pot?”
Seeing the prominent figure with the familiar Iron-Eating Beast in her arms, Wei Ci’s previously tense expression eased up.
He regained his composure, a confident smile shining at the corners of his lips.
“If she gets lost, it’s no worry; who would dare eye the Eldest Lady?”
The Iron-Eating Beast is more feared than loved; people’s impression remains fixed on their fierce power and explosive speed.
Aside from Wei Ci, not even the whole Xiangyang County, let alone the entire Wanzhou, would find another family raising Iron-Eating Beasts.
Wei Ci’s family’s Iron-Eating Beast daughter has long become a well-known tale, and the little one not growing up has also turned into an extraordinary story.
If someone spotted such a young Iron-Eating Beast cub within Wanzhou, there’s no doubt—it must belong to Wei Ci’s “Eldest Lady.”
Wei Ci is indeed the master of setting the rhythm.
If someone touches Wei Ci’s treasure, that person must be looking for trouble!
Wei Ci caught sight of the exam papers scattered on the ground and unceremoniously picked them up and organized them.
“This is?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “The graduation exam paper from the Golden Scales Academy.”
Wei Ci sighed, “How could the Lord just leave this lying around? There are plenty of people watching closely now.”
What are they watching for?
A handful are looking to do better on the exam, while most want to expose a cheating scandal and ruin Jiang Pengji’s plans.
Who these scoundrels are, best not to mention. Without having caught their little tails, Jiang Pengji couldn’t indiscriminately create trouble.
Jiang Pengji said, “So what if they’re watching? Their eyes are on their own faces; where they want to focus, can I stop them?”
Wei Ci said seriously, “The graduation exam and subsequent selection of officials is attracting more public dissent than expected.”
The aristocrats are like the dead camel that’s bigger than a horse—even if Jiang Pengji is currently very strong, the nobles still dare to murmur behind her back.
If Wei Ci’s team of novelists is Jiang Pengji’s mouthpiece in public opinion, then the circle of famous scholars is indeed the nobles’ voice.
The latter’s influence is certainly not what it used to be, but its legacy still lingers.
Back in the day, Jiang Pengji used the Golden Scales Pavilion’s assessments to recruit talents, where those who had opportunities to rise included both humble and noble households.
This could be seen as a legal gray area; the nobles’ opposition was slight, and Jiang Pengji’s strong attitude quickly quashed it.
Now, however, with this batch of students from the Golden Scales Academy’s graduation exam, things are different.
With over two hundred students, aside from a handful who hail from noble families, the majority are the heroic offspring of commoners.
Hmm, these students are, in fact, the best kind of commoners!
Now Jiang Pengji wants to make use of these folks on a large scale—how could those nobles possibly sit still?
