On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 18

The night wind swept by, and the peach leaves rustled. The Peach Blossom Demon sensed approaching footsteps and quickly signaled Liu Qinglan to burrow further into the foliage, lest they be seen and captured.

A pair of embroidered shoes suddenly appeared in front of Taoxi. Taoxi looked up and, getting to her feet, said with some astonishment, “Consort Zhaoyi?”

Consort Kang Zhaoyi was wearing a simple, unadorned palace dress, entirely without hairpins or jewelry, and she held a single Buddhist lamp. She shushed Taoxi, “Don’t alarm anyone. I need to borrow your peach tree for a while. You go back inside.”

Taoxi looked at the Buddhist lamp in her hand and knew she had come to make a secret wish. This peach tree grew exceptionally well; in spring, its blossoms were vividly and fiercely red, a spectacular sight. Thus, the women in the palace had gradually come to regard it as a lucky tree for making wishes, often coming to pray beneath it.

The Peach Blossom Demon lived there year-round and occasionally helped them out, which is how the rumor of the tree’s powerful spiritual energy spread.

Taoxi understood. She put away her small stool and the small bean sprouts she had half-sorted, and then returned to her room.

The Peach Blossom Demon craned her neck, sighing internally only after the girl’s cute figure was out of sight. Her little Taoxi had been shooed away just like that…

Consort Kang Zhaoyi carefully lit the lotus-base Buddhist lamp and placed it on the bare ground beneath the peach tree. She then clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and began to pray: Oh, Peach Blossom Tree, Peach Blossom Tree, please bless me so that I may win the Empress’s favor, be in her company, and enjoy the beauty of the palace gardens with her. I do not ask to be born in the same year and month as the Empress, but I pray that I may die in the same year and month as her.

Upon hearing her wish, the Peach Blossom Demon let out a mental “Whoa!” then mischievously looked at the tightly coiled cat next to her, Liu Qinglan, “Did you hear that?”

Of course, she heard it. Liu Qinglan couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart, but she was definitely unhappy, like something that belonged to her was being coveted.

“Are you feeling a bit sour now, like you’ve drunk vinegar?” the Peach Blossom Demon coaxed, her seductive eyes full of teasing smiles.

Liu Qinglan lowered her head and used a paw to press down on a passing mosquito. She didn’t say a word, just kneaded the poor little mosquito, her posture looking aggrieved.

A fluffy white tail also lashed against the branch where the Peach Blossom Demon was perched.

The Peach Blossom Demon blew a puff of spiritual energy to push the cat’s tail away from herself, her eyes crinkling with laughter, “Aiya, aiya, a cat is getting angry.”

Liu Qinglan huffed, turning completely around to face away from her, leaving her with an arrogant cat back.

Below the peach tree, Consort Kang Zhaoyi had already tied the red wish strip onto a branch, a look of satisfaction on her face.

Liu Qinglan looked down at her, staring blankly and thinking: Does she also covet the Empress’s spiritual energy? She’s not a demon, what would she want it for? She’s so annoying.

She couldn’t articulate why, but she just felt uncomfortable.

Liu Qinglan then felt bad, thinking how wicked she was for disliking the other person when she hadn’t done anything wrong. Sigh. She irritatedly scratched her ear, but her ears still drooped submissively, signaling her owner’s very poor mood.

After finishing her prayer, Consort Zhaoyi clasped her hands together again and devoutly bowed to the peach tree before turning and disappearing into the dense night.

The Peach Blossom Demon looked at the little cat still sulking, the smile in her eyes undiminished, but her tone became difficult and tangled as she asked, “Big Sister, do you think I should help Consort Zhaoyi?”

Liu Qinglan’s heart cried out the answer: Of course, you mustn’t help!

But, uncharacteristically reserved, she didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she asked, feigning profoundness, “Do you still recognize me as your Big Boss?”

“You tell me,” the Peach Blossom Demon suppressed a laugh, seeing through her little trick, “I’ll listen to whatever you say.”

Liu Qinglan gently coughed, “One person’s wish doesn’t count. If the Empress also comes someday and makes the exact same wish as her, then… then you can help. But not yet.”

The Peach Blossom Demon drew out a long, slow “Oh,” “So you know that for two people to be together, it requires mutual affection and reciprocal admiration.”

Liu Qinglan’s cat face flushed, “I… I naturally understand a lot! Certainly more than you. You have to listen to me, do you understand?”

“Oh my, the Empress is here!”

Liu Qinglan whooshed and jumped to a higher branch, the entire cat utterly cowardly. Beautiful Empress, I absolutely did not ruin your love match just now!

She hugged the branch, nervously peering down, but there was no sign of Xie Xuanzhao!

The Peach Blossom Demon laughed softly, “Little scaredy-cat.”

“You… you…” Liu Qinglan’s face turned even redder. Her large, azure green cat eyes widened, and she angrily let out a roar at the Peach Blossom Demon, “Meow!”

The Peach Blossom Demon laughed even more happily, “I misspoke. It’s the Empress’s head maid, Miss Yanmo, who is here. See for yourself.”

Liu Qinglan poked her cat head out and looked carefully. Indeed, there was a person standing beneath the peach tree.

The person who arrived was wearing a simple palace gown with a sash tied at her waist, narrow sleeves, and the skirt reaching her ankles, giving her a very capable appearance.

Liu Qinglan noted her expression: her eyes were calm and waveless, her face cold and proud, not the gentle look Yanmo usually wore.

She suddenly remembered that Yanmo was a name shared by a pair of sisters. The one who had arrived must be… the younger sister?

The Peach Blossom Demon conjured a wisp of gentle, lingering peach red energy and quietly enveloped the younger sister. A moment later, she retracted it.

Liu Qinglan immediately leaned closer to her, “Peach Blossom Demon, what’s wrong?”

“I saw black energy on her. It’s strange. This black energy is different from the one that tried to attack us at the Chenxin Palace last time; it seems to be inert,” the Peach Blossom Demon checked her own aura, which hadn’t been invaded at all, meaning the black energy on Miss Yanmo had absolutely no offensive power against her.

“Is that so? Why can’t I see it?” Liu Qinglan again scrutinized the younger sister standing beneath the tree, but indeed, she couldn’t see anything amiss on her.

The Peach Blossom Demon pondered, unable to think of a reason right away. She guessed it was because Liu Qinglan was unskilled and her spiritual power was still too shallow, which was why she couldn’t perceive it. But saying it directly would probably make the cat explode. So it was better not to say. She smiled, “Let’s first listen to why she came. Maybe we’ll find the answer.”

The younger sister stood in the chilly night wind, clutching her personal sword, alone and aloof, exuding an air of purity and isolation.

She hadn’t brought anything else.

Liu Qinglan couldn’t help but say, “I don’t think she came to make a wish. She just came out to catch some air.”

“I’ve never seen her come here to pray before. This suggests she’s not someone who believes in such things. Her sudden visit tonight must be out of the ordinary,” the Peach Blossom Demon was also filled with curiosity.

One cat and one demon, inexplicably filled with curiosity and tension, waited for the younger sister’s next move.

The moonlight was cold, shining on the younger sister’s clear and delicate face, making it appear somewhat pale.

The younger sister slightly raised her head, her eyes cold and proud, carrying a mix of stubbornness and indignation, struggling to hold back tears.

Gradually, a stream of clear tears slipped from her eyes. Then, as if a floodgate had opened, the younger sister’s tears began to fall like broken pearls, dripping non-stop.

“To think that a young maiden of twenty-six, in the prime of her beauty, who has yet to savor the world’s wonders, must perish like a fading flower, letting go of this world forever, separated from others by heaven and earth…”

The younger sister began reciting, then paced to the peach tree and raised her hand to caress the trunk with deep emotion, “I shall now write a final testament for my older sister.”

Liu Qinglan’s cat body trembled. She suspected she had misheard and misjudged. Was this really the silent, cold eyed, aloof younger sister? And the idioms she was reciting, why did they sound so strange…?

The Peach Blossom Demon took a deep breath. Where did this little drama queen come from?

She had just checked the younger sister’s body it was perfectly fine and healthy. Barring any accidents, she would probably live to be eighty.

But the younger sister had already started tearfully writing her final testament.