On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 54

Xie Xuanzhao held the little “hand warmer” that was the Liu Fairy. To prevent her from tossing and turning again, she simply pinned down her feet and pulled her slender arms close, tucking her completely into her embrace before finally falling into a peaceful sleep.

Liu Qinglan was fast asleep. Just as she was habitually about to stretch her limbs, she found herself pinned down, unable to move. Normally, if someone disturbed her sleep, she would surely have struck out with a claw. However, catching the scent of the Beautiful Empress, she felt at ease. With a slight shimmer, she transformed back into a small kitten, curled her tail and paws, and burrowed deeper into Xie Xuanzhao’s arms to continue her slumber.

As dawn broke, Xie Xuanzhao having matters on her mind, slept lightly and woke early. Feeling the warmth in her arms with her eyes closed, the corners of her mouth curved upward. Subconsciously, she leaned down to steal a kiss.

Wait… what is this mouthful of fur?!

Instead of the soft, sweet cherry blossom lips of the little beauty, Xie Xuanzhao was poked by fluffy fur. Opening her eyes, she looked helplessly at the little Liu cat in her arms. No wonder she had been so well-behaved in the latter half of the night, she had reverted to her original form.

Having failed to steal a kiss, the Beautiful Empress showed no mercy, reaching out to pinch the cat’s ears and running her hand down the snowy white tail from base to tip.

Liu Qinglan whimpered as she was groomed, refusing to open her eyes. Like a little kitten, she lay on her back with her paws in the air.

Xie Xuanzhao couldn’t help but lean in close. “Quickly, change back to your human form.”

Liu Qinglan obediently shifted back into her teenage form, and then…

Feeling the smooth, tender, naked body beneath her hand, a flare of “wicked fire” rose in Xie Xuanzhao’s heart.

To start the morning with something this stimulating, she truly is a little vixen.

Liu Qinglan intentionally rolled over, pressing closer to her while keeping her eyes shut, murmuring muzzily, “I’m cold, hold me.”

Xie Xuanzhao covered the snowy-white body with a small wool blanket, but her hand remained beneath it. She held her tight as requested, letting the girl cling to her like a sloth gripping a tree trunk.

“It’s late autumn and the frost is falling, the morning is quite chilly. You should put on some clothes lest you catch a cold.”

Instead, Liu Qinglan hugged her tighter, rubbing her head against the Empress’s soft chest and saying matter of factly, “I’m a fairy. I’m not afraid of the wind or cold.”

“Have you forgotten? Last time in the palace, you played in the water and ended up sickly. It seems even you fairies can fall ill.” Xie Xuanzhao stroked her smooth back, again urging her to dress.

With their bodies so soft, warm, and perfectly matched, clinging together like this… something is bound to happen sooner or later.

Seeing the faint dawn light appearing outside the window, Liu Qinglan reluctantly conjured her clothes and crawled out from under the blanket. Her long, unstyled hair spilled like ink over her lower back and across Xie Xuanzhao’s frost white wrists, creating a sharp contrast of black and white.

Leaning against the pillow, Xie Xuanzhao smiled at the sight. “Let us wash up. Since there are no maidservants to attend us, we shall dress and comb each other’s hair before heading out to work.”

Liu Qinglan took a serious look at the Beautiful Empress. The great beauty, having just woken, still carried a hint of lingering sleepiness in her eyes. Dressed only in a snowy white inner robe, the collar wrinkled from the “cat’s” kneading, her usually elegant makeup was half-faded. She looked different from her usual dignified and solemn self, exuding a lazy charm and charisma.

The two flipped out of bed, dressed, and sat before the copper mirror to style each other’s hair into buns, securing them with wooden hairpins.

Since they were traveling, they skipped the rouge and powder. Liu Qinglan rarely wore makeup anyway; her skin was naturally fair and youthful. However, as she looked at the reflection of the Beautiful Empress in the mirror, she became a bit dazed.

Without makeup, the Empress’s face was pure and clean, like a refreshing frost flower. Lacking her usual vivid colors, she gained a grace reminiscent of wind-blown snow. Her rippling phoenix eyes appeared even more striking, restrained and profound.

Xie Xuanzhao raised a hand to adjust the wooden pin in her hair and sighed at her reflection. “It has been a long time since I dressed this simply. It feels as though I’ve returned to my days as a young lady in the boudoir.”

Seeing the familiar wooden pin, Liu Qinglan couldn’t help but touch it. With a thought, she conjured an identical wooden pin for her own hair.

The two shared a tacit smile and stepped out the door together.

Outside, the morning light broke through, though the lingering chill of the night remained.

Seeing this, Liu Qinglan quickly conjured a snowy white cloak with a layer of fluffy fur. Standing on her tiptoes, she draped it over the Beautiful Empress, who had forgotten her own. “This is woven from the fur I usually shed. I’m giving it to you now.”

Xie Xuanzhao touched the fine, white as first snow fluff. It indeed felt familiar. She paused, pondering, and asked, “To weave a cloak this size would require a lot of fur. Qinglan, are you suffering from hair loss? We should consult the imperial physicians for some formulas to nourish you when we return.”

Liu Qinglan: “…”

I don’t stay up late and I don’t have worries! Who has hair loss?! She was famously thick-furred!

“This took hundreds of years of gathered fur to weave! I rarely shed, really!” To prove her innocence, Liu Qinglan followed the Empress, pumping her small fists in self-defense.

Seeing the “bristling” little fairy, the Empress realized she had misspoken. She personally drew a basin of well water and said with a smile, “Then I was mistaken. The little cat does not shed.”

That’s more like it. Liu Qinglan contentedly bent over to scoop up a handful of water. Halfway through washing, Xie Xuanzhao suddenly added, “Hm, gathered over hundreds of years… wouldn’t it have gone sour?”

Liu Qinglan quickly grabbed a corner of the cloak and took a deep sniff. “It hasn’t! It clearly smells like warm sunshine.”

It seems she aired it out in the sun often. Xie Xuanzhao felt relieved and finally stopped teasing the bristling cat.

After washing with the cold well water, Xie Xuanzhao looked at the overcast sky. “It will likely rain soon. We should bring umbrellas.”

“Ordinary umbrellas will be quickly corroded by this demonic rain, so you’d better take mine. They can offer some protection.” Huaidan’s voice came from behind. At his feet, besides the herbs gathered last night, was a basket of red umbrellas.

Xie Xuanzhao and Liu Qinglan walked over. Inside the basket, the herbs had already been crushed and wrapped into medicinal packets.

Huaidan explained, “Later, simply place the packets in boiling water for a moment to make the decoction. There are too many patients in town, so we don’t have enough herbs. We must reuse them until the last bit of medicinal property is exhausted before we discard the dregs.”

“I see. Mr. Huai has truly gone to great lengths. This matter should have been handled by the imperial court.” Xie Xuanzhao took the initiative to lift the basket. “I will go with you to deliver the herbs first, then head to the yamen (government office) to inquire.”

Huaidan nodded. “Very well.”

Liu Qinglan held the basket of red umbrellas in one hand and opened one with the other, shielding Xie Xuanzhao. “I’m a fairy, I’m not afraid of the rain. Beautiful Sister, I’ll hold the umbrella for you. You just walk ahead boldly.”

Xie Xuanzhao couldn’t help but laugh. Given the urgency, she didn’t tease her back and stepped under the red umbrella.

The streets of Qingfeng Town were paved with bluestone. Due to the persistent rain, moss grew along the edges. The journey was damp and gloomy under a dark sky with few people about, the scene was quite desolate.

Occasionally, a pedestrian passed by, also carrying a bright red umbrella. Seeing Huaidan, they bowed respectfully before tightening their clothes and hurrying home.

Huaidan led them to a ruined temple. The temple was filled with people afflicted by the plague, their moans echoing everywhere. Several people dressed as medical apprentices hurried between them, looking exhausted. The scene was wretched.

Holding the red umbrella, Liu Qinglan looked curiously at this bleak human landscape. When she first left the mountain, she entered the luxurious, flower-filled world of the palace. Everything she had seen was prosperity and splendor. In her mind, the human world was a place of vibrant bustle. Witnessing this, she finally realized that the human world also had a side as terrifying and deathly as hell.

Xie Xuanzhao noticed the little fairy’s mood. She knew she was inexperienced and that facing such tragedy so suddenly must be difficult to process.

She handed the basket of herbs to an apprentice and asked a few questions about the situation before turning to Liu Qinglan. “Birth, old age, sickness, and death, these are the constants of humanity. Since you have chosen to live in the human world, you must learn to face them.”

Liu Qinglan looked at the Beautiful Empress. She knew about death, but she had never felt it so directly. She suddenly felt sad. “Beautiful Sister, will you be like this too?”

It was a redundant question, and she knew it.

Xie Xuanzhao patted her back, calm and composed. “Yes, I will age and I will get sick. When I am lying in bed unable to move, I might need you to take care of me. Would you be willing?”

“Of course I would take care of you, but just thinking about that picture makes me want to cry.” Liu Qinglan couldn’t help but grasp her hand. Being in this place brought up thoughts she had never entertained before.

Xie Xuanzhao squeezed her fingers firmly. “The many facets of the human world, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, are all things we must experience. It may be painful while we are in the midst of it, but when we reach the end and look back, we will realize how wonderful life was. Often, what is most unforgettable is not just the moments of supreme joy, but also the tears we shed and the bitterness we tasted. Such a life is complete.”

Liu Qinglan stared at her blankly, tears still in her eyes. “But I want you to be like me, to live a very, very long time. I don’t want you to age, get sick, and die so quickly.”

Xie Xuanzhao reached out and gently wiped her tears. “You forgot, we have already tied our fates together. We will meet again soon and start a brand new life. Thinking of it that way, isn’t it better than thousands of years of unchanging existence?” She looked down at her seriously. “Just as long as you don’t forget to come find me.”

While Liu Qinglan insisted she wouldn’t forget, she thought to herself that the Peach Blossom Fairy had guarded Tao Xi for many lifetimes, perhaps she could learn a thing or two from her.

Before, she had no concept of human death and felt nothing. But now that she had witnessed it, she found it far more tragic than she had imagined. She could not just sit by and numbly accept it.

Standing under the red umbrella amidst the lingering autumn rain, Liu Qinglan thought: There must be a way!