On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 2

The Emperor was still only wearing his middle garment, his strong chest slightly exposed, and the lingering scent of the recent debauchery still clung to him.

Liu Qinglan’s nose was sensitive, and she caught the scent. So, it wasn’t a hearty meal, but a recent mating.

Animals take the heavens and the earth as their home, and every breeding season, they frolic freely, striving for procreation. This is nothing to be ashamed of on the contrary, it is a proper, important matter.

Liu Qinglan suddenly understood what the palace maids had stammered and couldn’t quite say when they referred to “serving.”

Though there was some lingering fear, there was mostly relief. Liu Qinglan didn’t like this human Emperor because he carried a trace of turbid energy that was neither fresh nor pleasant.

As a Fei Fei (a mythical creature), she was also quite reserved in choosing a mate and not promiscuous.

The Emperor didn’t know the seemingly ignorant and naive young woman before him was secretly disliking him. He walked to his dragon bed with a casual, lazy air and said indifferently, “Come down.”

Liu Qinglan obediently climbed down from the bed, not even wearing shoes.

The Emperor was satisfied. He lay straight down on the now vacant dragon bed, closed his eyes to invite sleep, and his voice remained cold, “Just make a simple bed on the floor. Don’t come up.”

Liu Qinglan hugged her quilt, leaned against the bed, and settled down on the spot to sleep.

She didn’t find this bad at all, as she used to sleep on the ground in the mountains and wilds, without so many formalities.

Seeing that she was compliant and obedient without a word of complaint, like a puppet whose strings he held in his own hand, the Emperor became even more satisfied.

The next day, the Emperor bestowed lavish gifts. Gold, silver, and jewels continuously flowed into the Moon Averting Palace (Yuefei Gong).

Palace matrons (Shang Gong) and low-ranking concubines from all parts of the palace came bearing gifts to pay their respects and offer endless flattery.

Liu Qinglan sat above them. These concubines were not the ones the Emperor had shown her last night.

Because their ranks were extremely low, they were not worth mentioning and were practically non-existent to the Emperor. Only the high ranking consorts, led by the Empress, had prominent families behind them and stirred up political forces, so the Emperor had no choice but to pay them attention. However, to him, these women were just pretty vases in the harem, used to fool the court officials there wasn’t much difference between them.

Liu Qinglan didn’t understand human etiquette, so she let her attendant maids handle everything.

Lu Lu, the head maid, introduced everyone one by one, “This is the momo (matron) from the Garment Office (Shangyi Gong). All court attire is under her charge.”

Liu Qinglan looked carefully. She was a woman in her thirties, still graceful and attractive, with a plump figure.

“This is the momo from the Imperial Kitchen (Shangshan Fang). The daily menu is under her management.”

The person before them was a young cook, with a proper, capable look about her.

Liu Qinglan became a little interested, as a faint pink aura of peach blossom surrounded this beautiful cook.

Ordinary people couldn’t see this aura, but as a cultivated Fei Fei, Liu Qinglan could see it clearly.

This was the aura of a Peach Blossom Demon, yet the beautiful cook was a genuine human. The Peach Blossom demonic power swirling around her formed a gentle, curving arc, constantly protecting her with tender affection.

Liu Qinglan guessed that this Peach Blossom Demon must be a gentle and kind spirit. She couldn’t help but ask, “Is there a peach tree where you live?”

The cook was slightly surprised and nodded, “There is indeed a peach tree in my hometown, nubi (your servant’s) old home. I heard that when I was born, that peach tree suddenly burst into full bloom, covering every branch, even though it was the season of chilly autumn winds. Therefore, my father named me Taoxi (Peach Joy).”

Just as expected. Liu Qinglan felt her eyesight had improved.

“Then, where you live now, has a peach tree grown there?”

The cook, Taoxi, was even more astonished, “Indeed. Nubi has always wondered who planted this peach seed right outside my door. My Lady, do you perhaps know something about it?”

Liu Qinglan looked at the cook’s rosy skin and captivating peach blossom eyes. It seemed this was all cultivated by the Peach Demon’s spiritual energy, which nourished her. The demon must be deeply fond of the cook. Thinking she could help the little Peach Demon, she said, “Taoxi, when you go back, water that peach tree more often, and when you are free, sit under it for a while. That peach tree is the source of your luck, so you must take good care of her.”

The cook nodded in assent. Although she found the Lady a bit strange, she had always been very fond of the peach tree growing by her window its leaves were lush green, and its peaches were large and plump. Even if Liu Qinglan hadn’t said anything, she would still tend to it diligently every day.

After everyone left, Lu Lu couldn’t help but ask, “Does my Lady also know how to read fortunes?”

Liu Qinglan shook her head, “I can’t read fortunes, nor can I read geomancy.”

She had merely encountered one of her kind a fellow demon.

“Then how could you tell at a glance that a peach tree was growing outside Taoxi’s door? Also, you stared at Consort Yu (Yu Cainu) for a long time just now, but in the end, you didn’t say anything. Did you see something?” Lu Lu was full of questions and couldn’t resist asking.

A faint layer of black mist was indeed surrounding Consort Yu. Liu Qinglan had stared at her for a long time, but since she was sent by the Emperor to participate in the palace intrigue, there was no reason for her to warn anyone.

The Emperor had said that all his women were dangerous and wicked. So Liu Qinglan held back and said nothing. This Consort Yu might have offended other concubines in the palace, and someone might have cast a malicious spell on her.

Liu Qinglan herself wasn’t afraid. She had demonic power, so ordinary humans couldn’t harm her. Therefore, her current goal was just to protect herself; the safety of the other concubines was none of her business.

She didn’t answer Lu Lu’s question, turned around, and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from a low side table.

The mountain forest where she lived had a field of wild sunflowers, and she enjoyed the warm autumn days most by lying beneath the flowers, shelling and eating the seeds.

A Fei Fei’s paws are like a kitten’s; she could cup the seeds to nibble them.

Since coming to the palace, this was the first time Liu Qinglan had eaten roasted sunflower seeds, and she found them delicious!

Liu Qinglan skillfully used her sharp little canine teeth on the left side to crack the shells, while vaguely changing the subject, “Lu Lu, should we go visit the Empress?”

She heard this was the Emperor’s official wife, the boss of the harem women. Now that she had intruded into the Empress’s territory, according to the rules of the mountain, the Empress was like the Mountain King, and she herself was like a little minion under her, so she definitely had to bring a gift and pay homage.

But Liu Qinglan knew very well that she was the Emperor’s person, a small spy, so it was necessary to fulfill her duty.

Liu Qinglan thought to herself with a solemn expression: Hmm, it’s just this complicated identity.

Lu Lu quickly said, “According to etiquette, we should go, but the Empress ordered early this morning that we don’t need to offer morning greetings today and to go tomorrow instead.”

She leaned in, cupping her mouth with her fingers, and whispered, “My Lady, you must be careful. The Empress comes from an illustrious family, she’s a proper young lady. Even the Emperor is slightly wary of her. Everyone says the Empress smiles on the surface but hides a dagger, and she’s secretly calculating against the ladies. You must not be tricked into being sold by her and still counting the money for her.”

Liu Qinglan quickly spat out the seeds in her mouth and asked curiously, “Who has the Empress sold?”

“Too many. For example, Consort Kang (Kang Zhaoyi). She was very favored by the Emperor, and everyone said the first heir of this dynasty would probably be born to her. Later, the Empress provoked her with a few words, and guess what happened?”

“What happened?”

“Consort Kang seemed to be under some sort of spell. Every time the Emperor summoned her for the night, she excused herself by saying she wasn’t feeling well and refused to comply! This Lady’s rank stopped at Zhaoyi and she has been neglected ever since. Who would believe the Empress wasn’t behind this?” Lu Lu was worried, “My Lady, your current situation is very similar to Consort Kang’s back then!”

Liu Qinglan started cracking seeds again. So this was the situation. Wasn’t this normal? The Emperor didn’t actually need them to “serve” him. He had others hidden behind his bedchamber!

But the Emperor said it was a secret, so Liu Qinglan wouldn’t tell anyone.

Seeing her unconcerned, Lu Lu continued, “And that’s not all. The Empress has not only ordered someone to be beaten to death, but she also unilaterally decided to send Noble Lady Hui (Hui Meiren), who had only been favored by the Emperor for a few days, out of the palace! People say that not long after Noble Lady Hui was sent out, she was married off to a peasant in the mountains, and her life is miserable.”

Liu Qinglan struggled to swallow the seeds in her mouth. She thought the palace was beautiful and the food was good, and she didn’t want to leave. “Then I must be careful not to be driven out by her.”

“Exactly. In short, when facing the Empress, you must be respectful and polite, with impeccable manners, so she can’t find any fault with you.” Seeing her start cracking seeds again, Lu Lu quickly put the rest away, “My Lady, eating too many sunflower seeds can cause internal heat, and internal heat leads to pimples, which is not beautiful.”

Liu Qinglan touched her face, uncaring. “It doesn’t matter.”

“How can it not matter? If you’re not beautiful, the Emperor won’t like you anymore.” Lu Lu quickly offered a cup of rose dew drink, urging Liu Qinglan to drink it.

Liu Qinglan sniffed the tea. It was fresh and sweet, and she took a few sips as told. But the sunflower seeds were still tastier. They were fragrant.

She suddenly remembered something and asked, “Lu Lu, do we have brush, ink, and paper here?”

“Yes, we do. Does My Lady practice calligraphy or painting?”

“I can draw. Hurry up and prepare them.” Liu Qinglan was delighted to hear this and immediately ordered Lu Lu to prepare the materials. She didn’t mean painting, but drawing talismans.

Daoist priests draw talismans to catch demons a demon draws talismans to protect herself. By injecting demonic power into the paper, the talisman gains various functions, though they are non-offensive and purely for self-defense.

Liu Qinglan knew a few talismans that could enhance beauty and strengthen the body, but drawing them took a lot of effort. Unlike the Peach Blossom Demon, who inherently possessed nourishing spiritual power, she could only rely on the power of the paper talisman.

Now that she had free time, she would start drawing them as a precaution.

Holding the writing brush, Liu Qinglan frowned in thought, then couldn’t help but ask Lu Lu beside her, “What would you say the Empress’s temperament is like?”

“She appears gentle on the surface, but everyone in the Starry Court (Chenxin Gong) fears her, like mice seeing a cat. In fact, even His Majesty is a little afraid of the Empress!” Lu Lu recalled having seen the principal Empress from afar. She was indeed very imposing, majestic, beautiful, and generous, with an aura that made people dare not look her straight in the eye.

Liu Qinglan had an idea in mind. “Lu Lu, first go prepare a gift. It will be good to give it to her during the morning greeting tomorrow.”

Lu Lu was overjoyed. “My Lady, you’re finally seeing the light!” She then went to prepare the gift meticulously.

Liu Qinglan lowered her head and began to draw a talisman called “Warmth and Generosity.” She planned to hide the talisman under the gift box. Once the Empress touched the talisman, her personality would change. Although it wouldn’t be an instant transformation that completely changed a person’s nature, it could calm her heart to a certain extent, and at least she wouldn’t speak harshly to her.

Halfway through the drawing, the less than masterful Liu Qinglan suddenly hesitated. She hadn’t been very diligent when following a Book Spirit to learn magic, and half-way through her practice, the book was suddenly picked up by a passing Daoist priest.

This was because the Book Spirit’s true form was a copy of the Laozi (Tao Te Ching).

Thus, its catchphrase was “This Laozi (meaning ‘I,’ but also the name of the sage) is like this and like that,” and Liu Qinglan had practiced magic under the influence of this language. The past was too painful to recall, so Liu Qinglan shook off the memories and racked her brain to continue drawing the talisman.

Fortunately, the talismans the Book Spirit taught her were all gentle and benevolent in nature. Even if she drew the wrong thing, it wouldn’t have any malicious effects. Liu Qinglan meticulously checked the finished talisman, thinking it should be correct.

Lu Lu presented the prepared gift. She had prepared a jade ruyi scepter made of emerald. “My Lady, for the first morning greeting, it’s best to give a gift that is less likely to cause offense. I heard the Empress loves jade, so nubi specially prepared this jade ruyi. Please take a look.”

“Very nice, Lu Lu. Put it here. I will personally give it to the Empress tomorrow.” Liu Qinglan also thought the treasure was good; a dense aura of auspiciousness surrounded it.

After Lu Lu left, Liu Qinglan reached out and touched the emerald ruyi placed on the stand, quietly injecting some spiritual energy into it, causing the emerald’s color to deepen, with a faint green light flowing within. At the same time, she attached the newly drawn talisman to the handle of the ruyi. In just a moment, the talisman melted into the jade and disappeared.

Liu Qinglan felt much calmer after completing everything. This way, when she paid her respects to the palace’s boss tomorrow, she wouldn’t have to worry about her suddenly making trouble.