On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 34

The Huo Mountains stretched endlessly, home to many paper mulberry trees. As autumn arrived, they bore orange-red seeds from a distance, the landscape was a blend of blue-green and red, as if tiny flames were burning into spheres among the branches and leaves.

Xie Xuanzhao lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the mountain scenery not far away. In the past, she hadn’t thought much of Mt. Huo, but looking at it today, she found it quite special.

Yan Mo spoke from beside her: “The ladies have already headed to their assigned guest rooms. His Majesty and the ministers have gone to the high pavilion to discuss affairs. The guards and soldiers are patrolling everywhere. Miss, do you plan to return to your sleeping quarters first, or…”

Looking at the beautiful Mt. Huo before her, Xie Xuanzhao replied, “I’ll take a stroll around first.”

“Yes.” Yan Mo helped lift the curtain for her and supported her as she stepped down from the Phoenix Carriage.

The Royal Imperial Villa was built halfway up the mountain, hidden among ancient trees, low-key yet exquisite.

There was a high pavilion built suspended in mid-air. Standing upon it, one could overlook the mountain scenery, making it convenient to watch the grand spectacle of the hunt. Consequently, the Emperor had seated himself there early on, surrounded by ministers. On the surface, they appeared to be discussing major state affairs, but in reality, they were merely enjoying the view, drinking tea, and occasionally flirting with the young and handsome officials.

Meanwhile, the concubines were settled in guest rooms and were not allowed to move about freely while awaiting a summons.

Lu Lu directed the palace maids to sweep the rooms clean and then laid out the bed curtains.

Liu Qinglan sat by the window with her knees hugged to her chest, gazing at the forest where she had lived for hundreds of years. Her mood was pleasant, and she couldn’t help but feel a restless urge to move. “Lu Lu, I want to take a nap in a bit, so I won’t be going over to eat.”

“My Lady, this is a royal banquet. Not only must the concubines attend, but the court officials will be present as well,” Lu Lu walked over to persuade her.

Liu Qinglan held her forehead, feigning a headache. “The carriage ride along the way made my head ache. I want to sleep. I’m not going.” As she spoke, she jumped down from the windowsill and lay directly on the bedding Lu Lu had just spread out, closing her eyes.

Seeing her mistress acting spoiled, Lu Lu had no choice but to give in. “Then I shall go inform His Majesty that My Lady is unwell and cannot attend.”

Liu Qinglan kept her eyes closed in feigned sleep, waving her hand to signal Lu Lu to leave quickly.

With the grand banquet taking place that evening, the accompanying imperial chefs were working with bustling heat.

Tao Xi was responsible for the post-meal desserts. Because she was making a sweet soup, she specifically ran into the mountains, intending to use clear spring water as her base ingredient.

Carrying a small wooden bucket, she hummed a song as she walked along a path covered in fallen leaves. In the distance was the setting sun, large and round, a golden-bright mass that was exceptionally beautiful.

After searching several spots, Tao Xi finally found a spring she was satisfied with. She crouched down, scooped some up with a wooden ladle, and tasted it.

It was crisp, sweet, and refreshing, perfect for boiling pear water.

She bit the edge of the wooden ladle, her eyes curving into smiles, and then she noticed a peach tree growing beside the spring.

This peach tree looked incredibly familiar, almost identical to the one growing in front of her own house.

At this moment, as the sun set, the golden light shone upon the peach tree. The branches were full of peach blossoms in full bloom, their petals fluttering with the evening breeze, tender and lingering.

The wooden ladle in Tao Xi’s hand fell into the bucket. She stared blankly at this peach tree that had suddenly appeared, and at the… peach blossoms blooming in autumn.

She walked over slowly, her fingers brushing against the branches, catching a handful of petals. The branches seemed to possess a spiritual energy, tickling her palm as they swayed in the breeze.

“Meow~”

A cat’s cry suddenly drifted from deep within the foliage. Tao Xi quickly looked over and saw a snow white kitten standing on a branch, yet it looked slightly different from an ordinary cat.

There was a tuft of mane on the back of its neck, and its snowy long tail was sleek and glossy, faintly revealing ancient patterns.

A pair of ghostly green eyes, like emeralds, seemed capable of reading one’s heart as they watched her.

Tao Xi looked around, there was no one. She had heard that these mountains were full of ghosts and monsters; the appearance of this flower and this cat was truly too eerie.

“Look, you’ve scared her.” This cat was indeed Liu Qinglan’s original form. She had followed the guidance given to her by the Peach Blossom Demon all the way and finally found the demon’s hiding place.

Good heavens, she had actually manifested another peach tree.

Only later did Liu Qinglan learn that wherever Tao Xi went, the Peach Blossom Demon would follow and grow a peach tree nearby.

“Except for by her side, there is nowhere else I can go. So, there was no other way,” the Peach Blossom Demon lay deep within the leaves, appearing helpless but actually enjoying it immensely.

Liu Qinglan nudged her with the tip of her tail. “I think the beautiful chef won’t dare go back by herself.”

“As soon as you returned, those small animals caught your scent, and every single one of them is clamoring to break into the villa to see you. I was the one who helped you hold them back, so now you have to help me,” the Peach Blossom Demon turned over and said lazily. “Also, regarding your beautiful Empress. I saw it. That clump of black Qi is inseparable from her and has come to Mt. Huo as well. You must be careful and protect her well.”

Watching Tao Xi fetch the water, Liu Qinglan quickly asked, “What exactly is the origin of that black Qi?”

“I’ve been investigating secretly throughout this journey, and I’ve finally figured it out,” the Peach Blossom Demon said solemnly. “Do you know what we Peach Blossom Spirits are in charge of?”

“In charge of what?”

“In charge of ‘Peach Blossoms’ which is to say, romantic destiny and emotional entanglements.” The Peach Blossom Demon’s narrow, enchanting eyes squinted. “Although I’m not the official one who pulls the red strings of fate, I am a Peach Blossom Demon after all. I’m related to it, and I know the romantic affairs of the inner palace like the back of my hand.”

Liu Qinglan was confused. “Romantic destiny? If there is a romantic destiny, what happens?”

“It’s just like Tao Xi and me, never to be separated, life after life. Wherever she goes, I go.”

Liu Qinglan suddenly fell silent. She thought of herself and the beautiful Empress, wondering if they shared a “peach blossom” destiny…

The Peach Blossom Demon looked at her teasingly but deliberately remained silent on that front, continuing to discuss the black Qi. “The inner palace is complex, and romantic destinies grow many tangled branches, inevitable ‘evil karmas’ (bad fates) appear. Furthermore, pregnancy is fraught with danger for palace women. Throughout history, miscarriages have been common, and over time, this accumulated to form ‘Infant Soul Qi’.”

“Infant Soul Qi?”

“In itself, it has no real power to harm. Because it is condensed from fetal energy and most died with grievances, its greatest wish is to borrow a womb to be reborn. However, the paths of humans and spirits are different, it’s impossible to achieve this through their strength alone. If they enter a woman’s body, it only results in a state of false pregnancy, nothing more than self-deception.” At this point, the Peach Blossom Demon sighed with emotion. “Ultimately, they are all pitiable.”

Liu Qinglan thought to herself: So it’s a matter of reproduction. This is indeed a serious affair.

“Then why are these people nourishing and growing this Infant Soul Qi? What do they intend to do?”

The Peach Blossom Demon continued, “The Emperor has no interest in women and cannot produce an heir. These people want to manufacture a Crown Prince. Recently, I discovered that this mass of Infant Soul Qi seems to have its own will, it keeps drifting toward the Chenxin Palace. Perhaps it has chosen a target and is preparing to enter a body.”

“Ah, you mean the beautiful Empress…” Liu Qinglan couldn’t help but feel anxious. She couldn’t imagine the Empress waking up one day to find herself “pregnant”…

The Peach Blossom Demon’s tone turned serious. “So, this depends on you. Now, only you can help the Empress escape this calamity.”

Liu Qinglan hurriedly asked, “What should I do?”

“First, help me see Tao Xi back. After that, I will tell you what to do.” The Peach Blossom Demon seemed exhausted, her eyes slowly closed.

As she closed her eyes, the peach blossoms covering the branches folded up, withered, and fell to the ground in a flurry.

Tao Xi used the wooden ladle to scoop up the spring water, filling her bucket. Pale pink peach petals floated inside. After her initial surprise, she had come to accept the situation calmly.

She even began planning to make a peach blossom soup.

As Tao Xi lifted the wooden bucket, she saw the kitten jump down from the branch, rolling into a snowy ball at her feet.

This cat seemed spiritual, its claws hooked onto the edge of the bucket as it looked in curiously, then it followed closely at her heels.

Seeing its lively and adorable appearance, Tao Xi was no longer afraid and brought it back to the Imperial Kitchen.

The kitchen where Tao Xi worked was filled with female cooks, organized and working with bustling energy.

In the swirling steam, no one noticed a cat crouching beside Tao Xi’s bucket.

While rolling up her sleeves, Tao Xi looked around. With lightning speed, she grabbed a small raw fish and several ears of corn, placing them before the cat. “Be good and eat here, don’t run or jump around, okay?”

When Liu Qinglan saw the corn, her cat eyes went wide. She nodded her head vigorously at the words. Being close to the beautiful chef is great, there’s even good food.

Tao Xi smiled, it was truly magical that this cat could understand human speech.

The Liu-cat wagged her tail and lowered her head to focus on eating.

The other cooks chatted as they worked, eventually turning the conversation toward tonight’s banquet.

“It’s a pity Lady Yue isn’t coming otherwise, there would likely be a good show to watch.”

“I saw that young Prince, his appearance is beautiful, truly quite nice.”

“But everyone is speculating that His Majesty won’t let the Empress raise the young Prince. He’ll likely be sent to be raised under Lady Yue.”

Liu Qinglan, who was eating corn, nearly choked. What? Let me raise a human cub? What is the Emperor thinking?! And why wasn’t I consulted?

“The food is going out, stop chatting.”

“These are royal matters, stop discussing them privately unless you want to lose your heads.”

They muttered a few more sentences before finally quieting down.

Liu Qinglan no longer had the heart to eat. The news she heard today was too much of a shock, she needed to go back and digest it slowly.

In the night, the snowy little cat leaped through a window, preparing to jump back into the west guest room of the villa.

Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure gliding through the courtyard, heading toward the back of the mountain.

The figure was as fast as a ghost, unnoticed by anyone.

If not for her cat eyes being exceptionally bright in the dark, Liu Qinglan wouldn’t have spotted her.

The younger sister (Meimei), dressed in black martial attire with a short sword hidden in her sleeve, bypassed the villa and headed for the back mountain.

Directly ahead of her was a wisp of black Qi.

This black Qi was truly strange, it wasn’t as fierce as the previous times and didn’t attack her.

Finally, the black Qi led her to a peach tree.

Liu Qinglan stopped immediately, observing from the shadows.

Under the moonlight, the peach tree was again in full bloom, its light pink blossoms swaying in the breeze.

With slanted branches and a subtle fragrance floating in the air, the atmosphere was just right.

The Peach Blossom Demon had been startled awake. She had traveled a long distance following Tao Xi all the way to Mt. Huo and had grown this tree in a single day, which had cost her much energy.

Meimei’s eyes widened slightly as she looked at the peach blossoms blooming in autumn. She was greatly astonished, wondering if this was a ghostly tree.

Since encountering that black Qi with her own eyes, she finally believed that the ghosts and gods recorded in the books her sister kept were real. She couldn’t help but find it wondrous. However, her hand did not hesitate to grip her short sword, ready to fight the black Qi if it became restless.

In the dead silence, a crisp and tender voice suddenly rang out under the moonlight. It sounded like an eight-year-old human girl, but the words were shocking:

“Peach Blossom Demon, oh Peach Blossom Demon, I know you govern the bonding of destinies for us spirits, so I specifically brought her here to register her with you.”

Liu Qinglan felt her blood rush to her head. Only now did she realize the true origin of this Peach Blossom Demon!