On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 21

Inside the Chenxin Palace, gauze curtains hung to the floor, the doors and windows were half-closed, and all was quiet, save for the occasional murmur from the main hall.

“This is wrong, tuck in your feet.”

“Your hands are in the wrong position again.”

Liu Qinglan was currently following the instructions on how to perform a court bow that Elder Gao had taught her, placing her hands to the side and slightly bending her knees. She hadn’t expected the Empress to be serious about this and even more earnest than Elder Gao!

Elder Gao would at most give a few instructions at the start, and then sit in the shade to rest and drink tea. But the Empress…

Liu Qinglan secretly peeked at the Empress beside her. Not only did Her Majesty stay by her side the entire time, but she also used her hands to guide her.

She was literally teaching her hand in hand.

“Snap out of it. No zoning out.” Xie Xuanzhao saw her mind wander, her eyes flickering. She couldn’t help but raise a hand and stroke the top of her head, urging her to refocus on the bowing ceremony.

Liu Qinglan felt the beautiful Empress’s breath puffing right on her earlobe. It was probably already red by now!

“Wrong position again.” A warm hand suddenly pressed against Liu Qinglan’s fair, soft little hand, causing her ear tips to shoot up again.

The beautiful Empress half-enfolded her with her arm, gently correcting her posture. “It should be like this, understand?”

Liu Qinglan nodded with a flushed face and obediently said, “I understand.”

Xie Xuanzhao stood behind her, half-hugging her from the back, and began to correct every detail, not neglecting the lower legs.

“Your feet are also in the wrong position,” Xie Xuanzhao said earnestly, like a serious female tutor.

Liu Qinglan felt the beautiful Empress’s calf brush against hers. She quickly placed her feet properly, which drew a round of low laughter from Xie Xuanzhao, a soft, tingly sound that was incredibly gentle.

Liu Qinglan felt that the current situation was completely different from what she had imagined. She had imagined the practice to be very formal, with the Empress teaching her rigorously, perhaps even holding a small pointer to occasionally tap her.

But now, she was practically nestled in the beautiful Empress’s embrace. This was not the strict, formal court etiquette they were practicing; it was clearly a lovey dovey ceremony…

But, she loved it so much!

The Empress not only possessed abundant spiritual energy but also a faint, natural fragrance, not like the scent of rouge. Also, to amuse her cat, Snowball, she often kept a small catnip sachet in her sleeve.

Gradually, her clothing became infused with a trace of the scent. It wasn’t strong, but for a sensitive-nosed Fei Fei like Liu Qinglan, it was alluring enough.

Thus, the entire cat-spirit, Liu Qinglan, indulged in the sensation of being embraced by the beautiful Empress, not forgetting to inwardly sigh, “What a warm and soft embrace.”

Xie Xuanzhao watched her expression pretending to be reserved, yet completely immersed and secretly chuckled.

This little concubine definitely liked her touch, and perhaps even more than she had imagined!

After guiding her through the basic etiquette, Xie Xuanzhao was about to let her rest and have some tea and snacks before continuing.

Liu Qinglan was still lost in the beautiful Empress’s soft, fragrant embrace. Seeing that the practice was about to end, the little vixen, who was still craving more, presented an earnest face and volunteered a suggestion: “A-actually, Elder Gao also taught me kneeling postures. Empress sister, would you like me to kneel and show you?”

To keep the beautiful Empress by her side, Liu Qinglan was willing to do anything. She blinked her large, round, dark eyes, her expression expectant and sincere.

Xie Xuanzhao glanced at her and drew out a long “Oh,” then asked, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Empress sister, please don’t leave yet. I haven’t finished practicing,” Liu Qinglan said earnestly.

This kind of unconscious flirtation and invitation was utterly captivating.

Xie Xuanzhao coughed lightly. Realizing the girl misunderstood that she was leaving (when in fact she was planning to get tea and snacks), the Empress played along, saying with a perfectly straight face, “Since you insist on showing me, and I can’t refuse your kind offer, then I shall watch.”

Liu Qinglan turned around and gave a knowing smile, secretly giving herself a victory sign.

“Wait, which type of kneeling posture are you practicing?” Xie Xuanzhao suddenly remembered something, her gaze falling on the palace dress Liu Qinglan was wearing today.

Perhaps to match the flirtatious peach blossom makeup, Liu Qinglan was wearing a two-piece palace dress today. The skirt was somewhat low-waisted. If she…

Liu Qinglan didn’t take this seriously, or rather, she hadn’t considered these implications at all. She casually tugged at her skirt and said, “I’ll kneel for you now.”

The late Emperor had a certain fetish for female kneeling postures. Therefore, to cater to the sovereign’s preference, court ladies ingeniously developed various kneeling styles, aiming to display the beauty’s charm and elegance to the fullest.

The one Elder Gao taught Liu Qinglan was the most alluring of them all.

Xie Xuanzhao had anticipated it, but when Liu Qinglan knelt before her with such graceful charm, she was caught off guard, her heartstrings being strongly tugged.

The beauty before her knelt sideways, hands resting on her thighs. As she bent over, the top of her dress rode up a few inches. Coupled with the low-waisted skirt, a large expanse of snow-white skin on her waist was unexpectedly exposed to Xie Xuanzhao’s sight.

Liu Qinglan’s original form was pure white all over. Now in human form, her skin was radiant and smooth as jade. Her ink-like long hair was scattered down her back, the slightly curved ends landing exactly in the small dimple on her lower back, a world of allure concealed within.

Liu Qinglan placed her hands on her forehead and completed the entire action of bowing down.

Xie Xuanzhao’s mind was now filled with the image of her snow white, soft lower back. This little vixen must be doing this on purpose, intentionally kneeling to show her.

Liu Qinglan maintained her bowed posture and quietly raised her little head. Hmm, why is the beautiful Empress not reacting?

She blinked her eyes, secretly trying to read the Empress’s expression.

Xie Xuanzhao noticed her little movement. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly noticed that due to Liu Qinglan’s prone position, her little perky behind was quite noticeable.

Xie Xuanzhao made a quiet “hiss,” taking a deep breath.

She felt like she was truly finished, to actually find a girl’s… ahem… rear end cute.

To make matters worse, the little vixen unconsciously wiggled slightly. She felt tired from kneeling and couldn’t help but move a bit.

“Stop moving,” Xie Xuanzhao called out to her.

Liu Qinglan immediately stopped wiggling and stayed kneeling sideways on the floor, looking at her pitifully. “Is that all right now?”

She had never knelt for so long.

Xie Xuanzhao finally reacted. “You may get up.” She looked away, trying to let her overactive imagination calm down and figure out what to say next.

Liu Qinglan was greatly relieved, letting out a whoosh of breath, and then scrambled up from the floor. While getting up, she paused for a long time bending over to brush the dust off her knees and straighten her skirt.

Xie Xuanzhao watched intently, feeling that every small action of hers was full of hidden meaning.

“How was it? I’m very good, right? I learned so quickly.” Liu Qinglan smoothed out the last wrinkle on her skirt and eagerly sought praise.

Xie Xuanzhao was now slow to react, looking at the proud little beauty puffing out her chest in front of her, feeling an overwhelming fondness.

You are incredibly good.

Xie Xuanzhao got up without saying a word, moving like a ghost, slowly walking around the screen. She desperately needed to calm down, or she was going to explode.

Liu Qinglan watched her leave without a sound, tilting her head: ???

What is going on?!

Behind the screen, Xie Xuanzhao raised her hand to touch her cheek, which felt burning hot.

“Yanmo.”

Yanmo, who had been waiting by the waterside pavilion feeding the swans, immediately came in at the sound. “Your Majesty, what is it?”

Xie Xuanzhao stood with her back to her and said, “The weather is too hot. Go fetch a basin of well water from the courtyard. I need to wash my face.”

Yanmo looked outside at the cool, heavily overcast sky and scratched her head, confused. “Very well, Your Majesty, I’ll go now.”

Liu Qinglan was still confused. Seeing Yanmo come out from behind the screen, she quickly stepped forward and asked, “What’s wrong with the Empress?”

Yanmo didn’t know what had just happened. She respectfully lowered her head and said, “Our Empress has something to attend to. Consort Yue, please wait here. She’ll be back shortly.”

“But…”

Yanmo ignored her, as fetching the cool water for the Empress was more important right now.

Liu Qinglan stood frozen in place, her gaze slowly turning to the cat that had come out of the inner room at some point. But… your Empress’s cat has run out…

The pure white Persian cat opened its deep blue eyes. Since it was daytime, its cat eyes were narrowed to a slit, looking long, narrow, and calculating.

Of course, this calculating feeling was Liu Qinglan’s own perception.

Snowball followed the familiar scent, leaped up with a spring, and its slender little body landed on the spot where Xie Xuanzhao had just been sitting. It then stretched out its four paws and lay down, declaring its ownership.

Liu Qinglan understood.

She looked at that spot. Sigh, she really didn’t dare to sit there…

Snowball even flaunted itself by wagging its tail back and forth in front of her, from one side to the other, and back again.

Liu Qinglan let out a soft cry and couldn’t resist darting forward to grab Snowball’s tail!

The swans by the waterside pavilion stretched their elegant long necks. Since the person feeding them had left, they all began to swim toward the shore, trying to snatch the food.

A figure suddenly jumped down from a tree. The younger sister, who had been meditating, heard the commotion and realized her elder sister had gone inside at some point, leaving behind this large group of hungry swans.

The sister, holding her sword, faced the group of swans with a calm expression. After a moment of thought, she very nonchalantly stole a bag of water chestnuts.

Water chestnuts were sweet and crisp this season.

Yanmo returned with a basin of icy well water for the Empress.

Xie Xuanzhao didn’t want Yanmo to see her flushed face, so she sent her away again. “I keep hearing those swans by the waterside pavilion crying out. Go check on them quickly.”

Yanmo nodded. “I shall continue feeding them right away.”

Yanmo hurried back, simultaneously comforting the swans and looking for the water chestnuts she had prepared to feed them, only to find the basket completely empty.

Huh, where are my water chestnuts?