On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 15

Xie Xuanzhao naturally didn’t sense a wisp of energy resting on her arm. She recalled the little concubine waiting for her at the waterside pavilion, and decided to temporarily set aside these troubling matters to go and relax her mind with her.

As the Empress rose, Liu Qinglan floated up with her. Following the direction the Empress was heading, Liu Qinglan was slow to realize that she was going to find her.

Liu Qinglan immediately realized something, her face changed dramatically, and she returned to her main body with the fastest speed possible.

The waterside pavilion was cool and breezy. Liu Qinglan’s actual body had been sitting on a couch by the water, but she had overestimated her control. With most of her consciousness dedicated to the phantom energy she had created, her body had become like a three year old child who understood nothing.

She had been too focused on eavesdropping on the conversation earlier, causing her to forget to spare any attention for her main body here. She had also thought that no one would disturb her for the time being, which was why she was so reckless.

The result was indeed that no one disturbed her, but she mechanically ate a lot of cherries, staining her lips and teeth rosy, and splashing a few drops of cherry juice on her front, looking very much like a baby feeding itself.

Liu Qinglan weakly covered her forehead. Looking at the porcelain plate in front of her, only two or three lonely cherries remained; the rest had all entered her stomach. She quickly used a silk handkerchief to wipe the stained front of her garment, while also checking her body for any discomfort, feeling like an idiot.

Xie Xuanzhao rounded the screen and saw Liu Qinglan sitting obediently on the soft couch by the water, with only a few cherries left beside her. Imagining the little girl secretly eating cherries by herself just now, a smile appeared in her eyes. No wonder the little girl was giggling foolishly when she left it turned out she was happy because she could eat cherries to her heart’s content.

She must have been too shy to eat in front of her, so she only dared to eat boldly after she had left.

Thinking this, the smile in Xie Xuanzhao’s eyes grew even more intense. However, being this shy wasn’t good. She couldn’t always let her hide away to eat, as that would deprive herself of much enjoyment.

It seemed necessary to start training her courage right now.

“So you like cherries this much. Why didn’t you dare to eat them in front of me just now?” Xie Xuanzhao walked to the side of the soft couch, personally picked up the remaining few cherries with her fair, slender fingers, and ate them one by one, watching the little concubine whose face was so flushed she looked like she wanted to drill into the ground.

Liu Qinglan’s face was flushed pink. She couldn’t help but refute internally that it wasn’t true, but she didn’t dare to reveal the truth on her face. Well… then she would generously admit it! So what if she ate many of her cherries!

She puffed out her small chest, trying hard to look as if it were the most natural thing, “I… I just like eating cherries secretly by myself. Is that not allowed?”

If it weren’t for the sudden stutter, she would have sounded quite imposing.

Xie Xuanzhao suppressed a laugh and nodded seriously, “Allowed, allowed. Anything you want is allowed.”

As she spoke, she was already standing in front of Liu Qinglan, reaching out and tapping her perky little nose, “You little gluttonous kitten!”

The smile on her face was utterly doting.

Liu Qinglan’s spine stiffened. Heavens, she actually called her a cat. She looked uneasily at the beautiful woman in front of her, who was radiant with a spring breeze smile, ready to run away at any moment.

But her slender, snow white wrist was suddenly clasped by the other person. Liu Qinglan let out a meow in her heart, her big eyes filled with panic and unease.

Xie Xuanzhao paused upon seeing her expression. It seemed she had been too intimate just now, scaring this little creature. Xie Xuanzhao reflected for a moment, took a deep breath, and knew that haste makes waste. Being too eager could easily startle this simple, blank slate of a young girl, so she loosened her grip slightly, smiling gently and innocuously, and reining in her deep affection, “I’ll take you to eat. You still have to practice etiquette with wet nurse Gao this afternoon. You need to eat well to have strength, right?”

She was practically coaxing a child. Liu Qinglan felt strange, but seeing that the Empress did not seem to have truly recognized her as a demon, she relaxed a little and had the presence of mind to argue back, “I’m not a three year old child. Of course, I know I need to eat to have the strength to do things.”

“Mm, you’re not three,” Xie Xuanzhao agreed calmly, but then couldn’t help adding, “Five at most.” Hearing this, Liu Qinglan immediately bristled, letting out a humph from her mouth to express dissatisfaction, yet was too timid to retort.

In the midst of their conversation, the two had already arrived indoors. Xie Xuanzhao didn’t think much of it, and since she was walking in front, she naturally lifted the door curtain for her. Looking at the little way Liu Qinglan was ruffled by her teasing, all her previous troubles vanished, and she smiled with her eyes curved.

Liu Qinglan didn’t find the act of her lifting the door curtain for her to be shocking at all, and she quite naturally enjoyed being served by the beautiful Empress, stepping into the dining hall one step ahead of her. At this moment, she had completely forgotten the self-discipline that a lower-ranking concubine should possess.

Yan Mo, who was standing nearby, was utterly stunned. She hadn’t misread, had she? Her Empress had actually personally lifted the curtain for this little concubine! One must know that Miss Xie, since birth, held the noble status of the legitimate eldest daughter, grew up with a silver spoon, and married into the Crown Prince’s palace at age fifteen, never once humbling herself before others in her life not even the Emperor had received such courtesy from her. Now, a mere low ranking concubine, how could she be so deserving as to have the Empress raise her noble hand to hold the curtain for her, and she didn’t even show a shred of fear or respect.

Yan Mo suddenly felt a little indignant, thinking that her mistress should not be misled by this little enchantress.

Xie Xuanzhao, who was already greatly smitten, was completely unaware that her behavior just now was inappropriate. She led Liu Qinglan to a seat, with no distinction between the superior and inferior positions.

Yan Mo watched from the side, wanting to speak but holding back. Finally, seeing the Empress’s delighted demeanor, she knew her mistress was immersed in her enjoyment at the moment, and anything she said would be useless. She could only let the Empress have her way.

Yan Mo looked at the Empress, whose eyes were curved in a smile. Since entering the palace, she hadn’t seen the Empress smile so genuinely for a long time. This was a smile from the bottom of her heart.

Liu Qinglan sat down on the finely carved chair, her big, round eyes wide, gazing at the table laden with delicacies as if she had never seen the world before.

Wow, not only was the palace where the Empress lived vastly different from her own, but even the food was so much better!

Especially the variety not only were there many dishes, but they were also exquisite and pleasing to the eye. It was clear they had been meticulously prepared. And there were many dishes she didn’t even recognize, which she had never seen at Yue Fei Palace!

Xie Xuanzhao had achieved her goal. She had specifically instructed the imperial chefs of Chen Xin Palace to use all their best skills to prepare this meal today. Therefore, the chefs dared not be negligent, using all their creativity to prepare this table full of exquisite dishes.

“Qinglan, try this.” The Empress’s fair, slender fingers held a golden chopstick, helping her place a piece of food into her bowl.

Liu Qinglan stared intently at the rich, juicy shredded meat in front of her, not because of the dish, but because this bite of food was placed there by the Empress using her own chopsticks.

Will there be the beautiful Empress’s saliva on it…

Liu Qinglan’s heart fluttered for a moment, and then she couldn’t wait to gobble it up in one bite. Sure enough, it was already brimming with spiritual energy. Truly worthy of being a dish picked up by the Empress’s used chopsticks!

Xie Xuanzhao’s mood was greatly uplifted watching her look of utter satisfaction, so she began to feed this little concubine again.

“This dish has a nice name, it’s called ‘Cloud Dream Meat Wrapped in Flowers.’ And this one, ‘Bird’s Nest Fat Chicken Shreds,’ try it.” Xie Xuanzhao was tireless and busy, thoroughly enjoying herself.

Liu Qinglan was very cooperative, unceremoniously eating everything with awu awu sounds. She ate until her stomach was round, her eyes glazed over, and she wished she could just die in the food fed by the great beauty.

Full of spiritual energy, overflowing with rich flavor, it was comfort and enjoyment from body to soul.

Finally, Liu Qinglan took another awu bite of a dessert named ‘Silk Nest Tiger Eye Candy,’ which was so sweet it made her want to wag her tail~

People with a good appetite have good fortune. Xie Xuanzhao thought so, and was also very satisfied with her feeding. She looked at the young girl beside her who looked drowsy from being full, seeing her completely unguarded and defenceless little appearance. Xie Xuanzhao felt a warmth in her heart. She leaned closer and asked in a soft, gentle voice, “Qinglan, how is the food here?”

“It’s truly too delicious,” Liu Qinglan smiled sweetly, her eyes as bright as candy, smiling a little foolishly.

Xie Xuanzhao was so charmed her heart felt ticklish. Since they were very close, she smelled the faint scent of grass and wood on her, which was very pleasant. “Then how about coming here to dine every day from now on?”

“Will there be this much delicious food every day from now on?” Liu Qinglan blinked, asking very seriously, not feeling at all that her question was silly.

Xie Xuanzhao curved the corner of her lips, nodded affirmatively, and coaxed, “And the dishes will be changed up too.”

If Xie Xuanzhao were to glance behind her right now, she would see that the little demon Liu was already so happy her tail was showing.