On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 17

In the past, Liu Qinglan never understood why humans bothered to go through the extra effort of setting up a small room for their needs. Now, she finally understood profoundly.

Being caught, especially by an acquaintance, while you’re doing that it’s truly, truly too embarrassing!

At the critical moment, the little enchantress Liu tensed her small backside, forcefully holding it in, and then with the fastest speed in her life, she bolted out of the small bush. Like a flash of lightning, or more like a prey fleeing for its life, she swiftly vanished from the spot, her heart still screaming: They can’t see me, they can’t see me…

It was practically a race against death.

Xie Xuanzhao had just finished her business and was preparing to return to Chenxin Palace. Because Yan Mo suddenly appeared with something to report, she and Yan Mo were discussing the matter in this quiet spot by the small bridge. Halfway through their conversation, they suddenly heard rustling sounds from under a clump of tea bushes.

In the palace, the slightest disturbance demands caution. Xie Xuanzhao thought someone was eavesdropping on their conversation, so she stepped over.

She ended up seeing the snow-white cat she had a fleeting glimpse of on the peach tree before. Previously, it was too far away, but now that she got closer, she realized this cat was a bit unusual. It had a tuft of mane on the back of its neck, sleek and glossy, looking majestic. And the white tail behind it subtly revealed ancient markings. Xie Xuanzhao was momentarily surprised and delighted. Just as she was about to take a closer look, the cat suddenly bolted as if startled, then escaped from right under her nose like lightning, leaving her only a hasty, shy backside and a perpetually swishing, fluffy cat tail.

For some reason, it greatly resembled that little favored concubine. Xie Xuanzhao felt a bit reluctant; she had originally intended to catch it and take it back for Liu Qinglan. This way, she would have a snowball, and Qinglan could also have a little pet cat. Raising cats together would surely add another layer of fun.

As Xie Xuanzhao imagined the scene of them raising cats together, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up, smiling in an indescribable way.

Yan Mo coughed softly on the side, “Mistress, your servant has prepared the floral cards.” She pulled out two light-colored floral cards from her sleeve and handed them to Xie Xuanzhao.

The elder sister is skilled in literature, and the younger sister is skilled in martial arts; the sisters each perform their duties, coordinating very well. Xie Xuanzhao opened the good quality paper cards. Both invitations were written by the elder sister, but the handwriting was completely different, which was due to imitating someone else’s script.

Xie Xuanzhao nodded in approval, “Yan Mo, your skill has improved another level.” She returned the checked floral cards to Yan Mo, “Take these to your sister and have her deliver them.”

“Yes,” Yan Mo replied, head bowed, gathering the floral cards into her sleeve, her expression composed, revealing no emotion.

Liu Qinglan sprinted back to Yuefei Palace, transforming back into her human form right before the palace gate, which led to the scene Green witnessed.

She was squatting on the chair, recalling the moment her eyes met those of the beautiful Empress. Her face immediately turned red. Aargh, I want to die! How did I bump into her of all times!

Green watched her worriedly, wanting to speak but hesitating. Mistress, you’re about to carve wood shavings out of the chair’s armrest!

Liu Qinglan finally couldn’t stand it, jumped up, rushed into the inner room, and dove completely under the covers. She decided to punish herself by not having dinner tonight. Meow~

When the eldest daughter of the Xie family took residence in the palace, the Xie family patriarch specifically requested that their own craftsmen renovate Chenxin Palace, which meant it contained hidden secrets. Although the Emperor disliked this, his own mother was a daughter of the Xie family. As a child, the Emperor once lived in the Xie family’s home to avoid disaster, so it was impossible that he had absolutely no affection for them. Furthermore, later the entire Xie clan exerted full effort to push him onto the Emperor’s throne. Their daughter renovating her residence in the harem was not overly excessive.

The Emperor could only turn a blind eye and endure it.

Yan Mo took the floral cards and entered a secret room through the hidden passage of Chenxin Palace.

Her younger sister was sitting on a stone table, eyes closed in meditation, a sword resting horizontally across her knees.

Hearing footsteps, the younger sister abruptly opened her eyes. In the dim light, her cold, icy eyes met her older sister’s gentle, watery gaze.

The younger sister relaxed, her voice indifferent, “What are you doing here?”

Yan Mo pulled out the floral cards she had prepared from her sleeve and handed them to her, “Half a month from now, His Majesty will go hunting outside the city. You should follow along then. Give this one to Imperial Concubine Yu and the other to Lord Lin, so they can arrange to meet each other.”

The younger sister’s gaze fell on the two floral cards. She slowly reached out and took them. “Will His Majesty allow Imperial Concubine Yu to accompany the entourage?”

“Our Mistress will have a way,” Yan Mo explained, staring at her sister’s pale face, “Have you been… practicing too fiercely lately…”

Her younger sister didn’t let her finish, closing her eyes again to meditate. “I understand. I need to practice now, you may leave.”

Yan Mo paused, looking at her worriedly, “What’s wrong with you lately?”

No one answered her. The secret room fell into a dead silence.

Yan Mo sighed and turned to leave, disappointed. Although the sisters rarely saw each other before, her younger sister was never this cold.

After Yan Mo left, the younger sister finally opened her eyes, looking down at her hands. The black aura she had been struggling to suppress began to emerge again.

She knew she wouldn’t live much longer. The younger sister cried inwardly, shedding her usual cold demeanor.

After crying for a while, the younger sister decided to go out and see if there was any way to detoxify herself.

The palace grew quiet as night fell. The glazed tiles reflected the octagonal fringed palace lanterns, glittering brightly. A snow-white cat lightly leaped across the eaves, familiar with the route, and soon landed on a peach tree in the corner of the Imperial Kitchen.

It was the little enchantress Liu, starving because she had punished herself by not eating. She had avoided the Emperor’s summons but couldn’t resist her cravings, ultimately coming to find the Peach Fairy for food.

The beautiful cook, Tao Xi, was holding bean sprouts that had just sprouted. She first tied a palace lantern to a peach branch, then brought over a small stool and sat under the peach tree, carefully picking leaves off the sprouts. The Peach Fairy was perched on a small green peach, watching her the entire time, occasionally letting a leaf drift down to brush Tao Xi’s hair.

Tao Xi looked up in confusion; there was no wind around. She smoothed her hair back down and focused on sorting the bean sprouts again.

On the peach branch was a celadon container of Xiangru (Aromatic Madder) drink, which Tao Xi had placed there according to the instructions on the cloth strip.

Liu Qinglan dipped a paw into it, confirmed it was the flavor she liked, and happily lowered her head to lap it up.

One human, one cat, and one flower coexisted in harmony like this.

Liu Qinglan ate her fill, stretched her limbs, and lay sprawled on the peach branch. She looked at the Peach Fairy, remembering all the spiritual energy she had gained today. So, she climbed up again, walked to the Peach Fairy, and said in a voice only spirits could hear, “I’ll transfer some spiritual energy to you. I just got this from Chenxin Palace.”

The Peach Fairy looked at Liu Qinglan. Perhaps due to the nourishment of the spiritual energy, this Feifei (a mythical animal resembling a fox/cat) was much more spirited than when she last saw her, and her cat eyes were even more emerald and nimble. She said with a smile, “How did you, little enchantress, get these benefits from the Empress?”

Liu Qinglan rubbed the peach leaves with her paw and said matter of factly, “I rubbed off on her myself!” She could be described as shamelessly rubbing off!

“Then why did she easily let you rub off on her?” The Peach Fairy looked at her suggestively, her eyes charming.

Liu Qinglan was stunned. She really hadn’t thought about this question. That’s right, why did the beautiful Empress let me rub off on her like this? Holding hands, feeding me…

She shook her cat head, “I don’t know.”

The Peach Fairy chuckled softly a few times, then slowly said, “You little silly cat, you’ll have to figure that out yourself.”