On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 46

This snow white tail was sleek and glossy, its fur thick and feeling incredibly smooth and soft to the touch.

Xie Xuanzhao caught the tail, letting it glide through her palm. The places her fingers gripped dipped slightly, and the snow white animal fur passing through the gaps between her fingers felt like tiny velvet fans.

After playing with it for a while, she lowered her gaze to look at Liu Qinglan, whose cheeks were white with a rosy tint. Beneath her loose, flowing hair, two furry ears had already popped out, she was in a semi-demon state.

Deep within Liu Qinglan’s half-closed eyes, a hint of ghostly green flickered uncontrollably. Her red lips were vivid and enchanting. Perhaps because she was in a “special period,” she possessed an air of innocent seduction that was incredibly alluring.

Xie Xuanzhao gazed fixedly at the little beauty in her arms, her fingers sliding over the girl’s delicate skin, her eyes full of deep affection as she watched her step into the ultimate peak of joy.

Finally, the battle ceased and the dust settled. The phoenix carriage gradually slowed down before coming to a complete stop.

Yan Mo’s voice came from outside the window: “Your Majesty, we have arrived at the riverside.”

The procession had stopped to rest. Yan Mo looked up, puzzled, at the carriage compartment obscured by floor length veils and gauze curtains. There wasn’t a single sound coming from inside.

Xie Xuanzhao hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed. She had originally wanted to linger in the tenderness a bit longer but was forced to restrain herself.

In the beginning, Liu Qinglan could still let out a few whimpers and twist her body, but later, she uselessly fainted from the Empress’s “tempestuous” caresses and provocations.

After all, it was her first time, and she couldn’t withstand such a fierce storm of affection. The only silver lining was that she hadn’t reverted to her full animal form throughout the encounter, maintaining her semi-demon state. Her cheeks still bore the residual flush of passion as she leaned dependently against the beautiful Empress, falling into a deep sleep using the Empress’s jade-like arm as a pillow.

She was surrounded by a swirling spiritual aura unlike anything before. This spiritual energy seeped into her marrow, gradually intertwining and blending with the demonic power inside her body, turning it into her own use.

A Change in Perspective

Xie Xuanzhao, busy serving her “wife,” didn’t feel exhausted at all. As she leaned over to pick up the clothes from the floor, she thought back to the plots she had read in storybooks. They always described women as being weak and fragile afterward, their bodies aching so much they couldn’t get out of bed for half a day. She rotated her wrist, feeling full of energy and refreshed, completely different from what was written in those books.

She couldn’t help but look again at the little beauty sleeping on top of her own robes. Liu Qinglan’s face was as rosy as a peach blossom, and she was sleeping soundly. She didn’t look tired at all rather, she looked nourished, as if she had just enjoyed some celestial nectar.

Holding Liu Qinglan’s undergarments, Xie Xuanzhao pondered seriously. Is it because we didn’t do it enough? It seems next time I can be even more intense… it seems the words in those books can’t be fully trusted.

Having set her mind at ease, Xie Xuanzhao began to enjoy this feeling.

She first draped the clothes loosely over Liu Qinglan, then pulled back a tiny sliver of the carriage curtain, showing only half of her face as she instructed Yan Mo outside: “Wait out there. If anyone approaches, tell them I am tired and will speak later.”

Yan Mo hurried to comply, watching as the curtain fell again, concealing a carriage full of romance.

The Empress’s Service

Xie Xuanzhao poured some room temperature water from the teapot into a cup, pulled a silk handkerchief from her sleeve, and dipped it into the water. Then, taking the task upon herself, she picked up the handkerchief and began to wipe the slumbering little demon.

Liu Qinglan’s body was exquisitely curved, her skin fair and delicate, currently like a peeled egg, incredibly smooth and tender.

Halfway through the cleaning, Xie Xuanzhao had to take a deep breath to suppress the rising “evil fire” in her heart. To make matters worse, the unconscious little creature was restless in her sleep, constantly rubbing against her.

Midway through the rubbing, Liu Qinglan even curled her lips into a sweet smile while dreaming.

Looking at that smile, Xie Xuanzhao stroked her lips with her fingertip, feeling both annoyed and amused. She must be dreaming of dried fish.

While the little one continued to sleep and smile, the Empress Dowager resigned herself to her fate of serving her. She lifted the back of Liu Qinglan’s snowy neck and carefully began to help her put on her crimson floral patterned silk brassiere.

Having never served anyone in her life, the Empress’s movements were green and clumsy. Her fingers even got snagged in Liu Qinglan’s long hair.

Feeling the tug, the little demon uncomfortably slapped out a paw, hitting the beautiful Empress’s arm. Simultaneously, because of the startle, her ears and tail tucked themselves back in.

Xie Xuanzhao chuckled but didn’t want to give up, so she braced herself to put on the little bellyband.

The Secret of Dual Cultivation

Liu Qinglan opened her eyes blearily and saw the beautiful Empress seemingly trying to dress her. Her heart skipped a beat in surprise, followed by a surge of joy.

She’s actually dressing me!

So, she tilted her head, pretending to go back to sleep, while actually observing in secret.

Palace gowns are complex, it is truly no easy task to dress someone in them. Having always been meticulously served by others, the Empress looked at the intricate ribbons and buttons of the palace dress and fell into a rare moment of silence.

Liu Qinglan’s “climax” had been too intense, which is why she fainted, but she recovered quickly. Coupled with the nourishment of the spiritual energy, she actually felt more energetic than before. Her limbs felt powerful and her consciousness cleared rapidly.

What she didn’t know was that there is something in this world called Dual Cultivation.

Many Taoists or demons adopt dual cultivation techniques to rapidly increase their power. She already had cultivation experience, and while the beautiful Empress hadn’t practiced, she naturally carried an aura of “providential blessing.” This worked invisibly and was even more effective than the deliberate efforts of others.

Thus, this was a process of mutual benefit and growth for both of them.

Liu Qinglan continued to rest on the Empress’s arm, curling up her fair, tender long legs and peeking through a tiny slit of her eyelids, watching the Empress stare solemnly at the complicated palace gown in her hands.

So, it turns out the omnipotent and beautiful Empress has things she’s not good at too!

Liu Qinglan suppressed her secret delight and closed her eyes again, quietly waiting for the Empress to dress her. This was a rare treatment that had to be cherished! She could guess that if she “woke up,” the beautiful Empress would certainly stop dressing her.

Xie Xuanzhao seriously observed the autumn-scented, floral-patterned ruqun (skirt) in her hands. Tearing it off had been easy, but putting it back on was proving difficult.

Liu Qinglan remained still, obediently “sleeping” by her side.

A pair of soft hands lifted her up, followed by the sound of rustling fabric. Then, her arm was raised and stuffed into a sleeve. The entire process was stiff and laborious, it wasn’t pleasant at all.

Liu Qinglan could now confirm one thing: Her Majesty truly does not know how to serve others!

Despite her thoughts, the little demon kept her eyes closed, letting the Empress fumble with her. After a long period of rustling, it seemed she was finally dressed.

Fine beads of sweat had formed on Xie Xuanzhao’s forehead. She never imagined that helping someone into a palace gown could be this hard! She lowered her gaze, preparing to tie the silk sash around the waist, when she suddenly realized…

It seemed she had put it on backward!

Xie Xuanzhao was on the verge of a breakdown, and Liu Qinglan was right there with her.

After another bout of rustling, the palace gown was pulled back off. The Empress was now drenched in sweat; she had underestimated the difficulty of this cursed gown! But she was not one to surrender, especially not to a piece of clothing. She rolled up her own sleeves, preparing to start over!

Liu Qinglan, lying limply on the seat beside her, finally opened her eyes just as the beautiful Empress attempted to dress her again.

She feigned an innocent look: “Sister Empress, what are you doing?”

Xie Xuanzhao swiftly hid the gown behind her and set it aside. “Nothing, I wasn’t doing anything.”

If she had succeeded, she certainly would have claimed credit and sought some “romantic rewards” in return. But since she failed, Xie Xuanzhao was not about to admit to something so embarrassing.

Liu Qinglan sat up. Currently wearing only the crimson silk brassiere, her skin looked even whiter than snow. Faint red marks remained on her chest and wrists, she had no idea how alluring she looked.

She looked down and tugged at the crookedly worn brassiere. Needless to say, the Empress must have put this on her too.

Ahem. Her face flushed with shame as she adjusted the brassiere herself. Xie Xuanzhao watched her look of “disdain” from the side, while her face remained stoic, she was thinking to herself that she must practice well in the future, she couldn’t let her wife look down on her!

Liu Qinglan obediently pulled the discarded gown toward her and put it on piece by piece right in front of the Empress. Her movements were practiced and the whole process was quiet.

Xie Xuanzhao’s phoenix-like eyes grew deep, watching the way she dressed, though her mind was filled with images of how to strip them off again, one by one.

When Liu Qinglan finally finished dressing, her gaze suddenly caught a wet patch on the seat cushion. Realizing what it was, her cheeks instantly caught fire. she quickly grabbed a handkerchief and placed it over the spot to hide it!

Xie Xuanzhao curled her lips into a smile. Her wife was still so shy! She leaned closer to Liu Qinglan and asked pointedly, “How do you feel?”

The little demon, who felt as though she had been reborn, pretended not to understand. “About what?”

Xie Xuanzhao rested her hand on Liu Qinglan’s thigh, the heat of her palm seeping through the skirt in an ambiguous manner. “Do I have to say it plainly? It’s…”

“Ah, um…” Liu Qinglan leaned against her and whispered, “It was okay.”

Xie Xuanzhao narrowed her eyes. What did “okay” mean? Was she criticizing her performance?!

Liu Qinglan, the expert at “reading the room,” immediately added in a small voice: “It was okay… meaning it was great!”

That’s more like it. Looking at the girl’s bright red earlobes, Xie Xuanzhao couldn’t resist teasing her further. “Then shall we do it again tonight?”

“Uh…” Again? Wouldn’t that be a bit much? She had heard that doing “this kind of thing” too often was very draining on one’s energy. Liu Qinglan began to agonize over the decision.

“I served you this time; next time it’s your turn.” Xie Xuanzhao poked her waist, beginning to ask for her “reward.”

Liu Qinglan thought back… she had to… she had to do this and that to the Empress, just like the Empress had done to her?

Her face showed hesitation and struggle, but her heart was beginning to stir. Thinking about it actually seemed quite exciting!

Liu Qinglan looked at the beautiful Empress beside her and suddenly asked with a serious face: “Can I see what you look like when you’re… moved by passion?”