On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 25

Xie Xuanzhao covered her startled chest and leaned back, looking at the little beauty in front of her who was almost crying. She stretched out her long leg and nudged Liu Qinglan’s pale, tender calf hidden beneath her palace dress. “You don’t dare to look at me?”

As she spoke, she mischievously leaned closer to her, her damp long hair falling onto Liu Qinglan’s knee.

Liu Qinglan cowardly moved aside, saying with her mouth, “Don’t dare, don’t dare,” but in reality, she nervously darted her dark, cat-like eyes left and right, intentionally or unintentionally landing on the Empress’s snow-white bosom.

Xie Xuanzhao watched her little movements with amusement, then rubbed her calf against her again. “If you want to look, just look openly. Why be shy? We are both girls. I have what you have too.”

Liu Qinglan’s eyes were fixed on the two full, round mounds right in front of her, which looked particularly tempting wrapped in the wet, thin fabric. She swallowed, then quickly looked down at her own little bun chest to ease the shock to her eyes.

They were both women, but they were definitely not on the same level! Sigh!

Liu Qinglan resigned herself and rubbed her small hands together, pleading, “Empress Sister, please hurry and put on your outer robe, I beg you.” If this keeps up, I’m going to turn into a wolf and eat this plump little white rabbit in one gulp, you know? I’m telling you seriously, our Feifei (a mythical creature, referring to herself), our… urges are very strong…

Seeing the little beauty look like she was about to cry, Xie Xuanzhao, completely unaware of the unspeakable thoughts swirling in her mind, reluctantly put on her outer robe, and casually smoothed her wet hair, gathering it behind her neck.

After Liu Qinglan finished speaking, she saw the beautiful Empress completely wrapped up again, and her heart immediately felt a sense of regret. She truly was conflicted and contradictory to death.

Just then, Yan Mo arrived with clean clothes. Ignoring the fact that both mistresses were wet, she presented the clothes to Xie Xuanzhao. “Mistress, it’s getting late. It’s time to return to your room and rest.”

Xie Xuanzhao looked up at the darkening night sky. It was indeed getting late. She nodded, took the clean clothes, and looked at them in her hands.

Yan Mo was meticulous. She had specifically chosen a palace dress with an ordinary style and simple pattern so that Liu Qinglan could wear it when leaving Chenxin Palace without being recognized as the Empress’s clothing.

Yan Mo’s handling of affairs was always reassuring. Xie Xuanzhao handed the clothes to Liu Qinglan. “Hurry and change. Don’t catch a cold.”

These were clean, brand-new palace dresses that had been kept at the bottom of a chest and never worn. Liu Qinglan knew it as soon as she touched them.

She looked at the beautiful Empress, blinking her eyes, hesitant to speak.

Yan Mo, sensing the unusual atmosphere between the two mistresses, very perceptively prepared to bow and retreat.

When Liu Qinglan saw that she was about to be alone with Xie Xuanzhao again, she quickly stood up, trying to call out to Yan Mo, since she was going back soon anyway. However, she stood up too quickly and didn’t notice the puddle of water at her feet. The moment she stood up, her foot slipped, and she stumbled straight towards Xie Xuanzhao.

She landed right in the soft, fragrant embrace of the beauty.

Yan Mo heard the movement, looked back, and immediately turned around, thoughtfully drawing the curtain down.

Liu Qinglan’s cat body stiffened. Her limbs were rigid. She slowly raised her eyes and looked at the mound of snow-softness pressing against the tip of her nose. This must be what they call being “buried in the bosom”…

Xie Xuanzhao lowered her head and looked at the little beauty whose whole head was buried in her chest. The little girl always managed to surprise her when she got passionate.

She raised her hand and gently dug Liu Qinglan’s face out. When her deep, loving phoenix eyes met hers, Xie Xuanzhao froze.

Liu Qinglan gave her an awkward yet polite smile, and then, with lightning speed, picked up the clothes on the floor, and conveniently snatched the outer robe draped over the beautiful Empress as well.

Before running away, she remembered to add, “You… you said you would give it to me. I… I’m leaving. Don’t you dare follow me!”

Then, under Xie Xuanzhao’s unspoken gaze, the little monster Liu hugged her snatched clothes, running away in a panic while vigorously wiping the profusely flowing nosebleed with her hand.

She was so embarrassed!

Liu Qinglan sprinted through the night, her internal monologue progressing from the initial, “How could I be so useless, I actually got a nosebleed! Where did my willpower, which survived countless springs, go?! Where did it go?!” to “What kind of mood should I be in to face the beautiful Empress tomorrow? I might as well just run into a block of tofu and kill myself, oh dear, oh dear,” and finally losing control of her words, completely sinking into a desperate wail of “Meow wuwuwu.”

With such complex feelings, Liu Qinglan finally ran all the way to the gate of her own palace.

She stopped, hugging the outer robe, which was filled with the beautiful Empress’s scent, tightly in her arms. It was a good thing I shamelessly snatched the clothes before leaving, oh ho ho~

“Mistress!”

An anxious and reproaching voice suddenly rang out. Lu Lu, holding up her skirt, rushed out from the palace gate, looking at the missing person she and a group of palace servants had searched for all afternoon and almost reported to the Emperor. She was utterly exasperated.

Liu Qinglan quickly reined in her lewd smile and instantly became serious. “Lu Lu, you were looking for me?”

“Mistress, where have you been all afternoon? This servant has been looking for you for a long time and almost reported it to His Majesty!” Lu Lu chattered around her. “Do you know how dangerous the inner palace is? You went out without a word and without any palace maids. If something happened, how could we servants bear the responsibility… Eh, what are you holding in your hand, Mistress?”

Liu Qinglan quickly hugged it tighter, fearing Lu Lu might confiscate it. Fortunately, the outer robe was wrapped in the plain palace dress, so Lu Lu didn’t see it. “I just went out to play in the water and got wet. I’m going in to change clothes first.”

“Play in the water?” Lu Lu widened her eyes and followed Liu Qinglan, starting her barrage again. “How could you go out to play in the water alone? What if you fell into the lake? What if a big fish ate you?”

Liu Qinglan dug in her ear. Please, I’m the only one who eats fish; how could a big fish eat me?

“Ah, Mistress!” Lu Lu suddenly exclaimed again.

“What is it now?”

“Why is there blood? Mistress, are you injured? Where? Let this servant see quickly! Should we call the Imperial Physician?” Lu Lu looked terrified and worried, pulling at Liu Qinglan’s sleeve, which was stained with nosebleed.

Liu Qinglan pointed to her nose. “Just a little internal heat, a nosebleed. Don’t be nervous.”

“How could you have internal heat?” Lu Lu looked at her with concern. She was slightly relieved when she saw it really was just a nosebleed. “Mistress should eat more lotus seeds and mung beans in the future.”

“Mhm, okay. Now I need to change clothes. You wait here; don’t come in.” Liu Qinglan finally stopped the verbose Lu Lu outside the door.

The palace fell into silence again as night descended.

Mei Mei quietly walked out of the back door of Chenxin Palace, hiding along the wall to avoid the patrolling guards, and expertly headed toward the residence of Consort Yu.

Since the last time she was entangled by the black aura while spying, Mei Mei had been afraid to step foot here again. Only after confirming she was unharmed did she dare to come back and investigate.

This residence for the Consort was in a remote location in the rear palace. It was said that a long time ago, this land was where palace maids and eunuchs were buried. Later, after renovations, it became a palace courtyard for lower ranking concubines. Therefore, it always gave off an eerie feeling.

Mei Mei pursed her lips and quietly crouched on the eaves. Then, with nimble movements, she grabbed the corner of the flying eaves, her whole body sticking to the tiles as she slid onto the wooden beam inside the room.

The scene inside the room was clearly visible with a glance down.

Consort Yu was only wearing a simple bandeau top, kneeling in the center of the room. A bronze censer was placed in front of her, emitting curls of smoke.

A hand slid onto Consort Yu’s fair shoulder. Lin Yulang held her from behind, gazing at the bronze censer with her.

“I have already arranged for His Majesty to ignore Liu Qinglan these past few days, so your opportunity will come very soon.”

Consort Yu pouted. “His Majesty only likes you, not us women.”

“But he is still the Emperor, and he has a throne to inherit. The issue of the Imperial Heir is so significant that even the Emperor himself cannot avoid it. But His Majesty has already figured out a way. We just need to cooperate well,” Lin Yulang said with a wicked smile. “You must seize this opportunity I’m giving you.”

A hint of panic flashed in Consort Yu’s eyes, but something seemed to be guiding her, making her nod obediently. “I will follow all of Yulang’s arrangements.”

Lin Yulang revealed a gentle, almost evil smile: “Such a good girl.”

A chill ran down Mei Mei’s spine. She clearly saw a ball of black aura emanating from Consort Yu, appearing to be nourished and becoming increasingly active.

She concentrated her inner force in her palm, attempting to shatter the black aura.

The seemingly sentient black aura suddenly gathered, immediately spotting the person crouching on the wooden beam.

Mei Mei knew it was bad and quickly flipped over and slipped away. The black aura followed closely. Having learned her lesson from last time, Mei Mei knew she could not confront this intelligent black aura head on.

But this time proved that ambushing it from behind was also ineffective. This black aura was truly cunning.

“How insidious, crafty, deeply plotting, and mischievous…”

Mei Mei muttered curses while desperately fleeing for her life.

The black aura chased relentlessly, unwilling to give up.

Even after Mei Mei had exhausted every idiom in her mind, the black aura was still in hot pursuit.

“Get lost, you black-hearted ghost! Are you done yet?!” Mei Mei leaped over a treetop. Chenxin Palace was now in sight, and she couldn’t lead it there, or it would implicate her sister and the Empress.

Mei Mei was momentarily distraught. Her eyes darted around, and she suddenly spotted the Qinglan Palace next door.

That’s right, I can divert the disaster!

Mei Mei snapped her fingers, made an immediate decision, and dashed along the wall towards the Qinglan Palace.

The black aura hovered in mid-air, hesitating as it looked at the direction the person was running.

It sensed the presence of demon power nearby, and more than one source. One of the demon powers was deep and still, concealing boundless strength. It knew it was no match at all.

But…

Liu Qinglan was enjoying a warm bath. Her long hair was spread out, and the Empress’s outer robe was placed beside her, emanating residual spiritual energy in the hot, steaming water.

Liu Qinglan closed her eyes in enjoyment, her fingers rubbing it, absorbing the spiritual energy little by little, and circulating her years of accumulated demon power. Lately, she had been too absorbed in the beautiful Empress to cultivate diligently like this.

She had nearly exposed her tail today, which showed her power was still insufficient. It was truly a huge disgrace due to her lack of skill, so she closed her eyes, focused her mind, and began to cultivate seriously.

With no one around during her cultivation, Liu Qinglan happily let out her tail and ears, shaking and wagging them~