On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 57

Xie Xuanzhao galloped back, finding a scene of peace and harmony, it seemed she had returned just in time. She dismounted and first escorted Liu Qinglan back to the Phoenix Carriage.

Yan Mo immediately jumped down from the carriage to greet them, followed by Lu Lu and Jiang Wenwen.

“Your Majesty, you’ve finally returned!” Yan Mo looked as if she had seen her savior, nearly grasping the Empress’s hands.

Knowing full well what was happening, Xie Xuanzhao glanced at Jiang Wenwen behind her. Because Liu Qinglan had told her this was a pit viper, she couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances. “Yan Mo, I need to visit my elder brother. Come with me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Yan Mo breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to temporarily escape the person behind her.

Liu Qinglan stood to the side and winked at the beautiful Empress, signaling that she would wait obediently for her return. Only then did Xie Xuanzhao feel at ease enough to head toward the head of the Xie family.

Once they were gone, Lu Lu rushed over to carefully inspect Liu Qinglan for injuries. “My Lady, where have you been with the Empress these past two days?”

Liu Qinglan gave a cheeky grin. “Doing good deeds~”

“I could only sit here and wait dryly. Oh, and the Old Madam waited with me too.” Lu Lu suppressed her gossiping expression and looked toward Jiang Wenwen.

Liu Qinglan felt a bit guilty because she had revealed Jiang Wenwen’s true identity to the Empress. Her eyes darted around as she said, “Lu Lu, my mother is… rather playful, so things might be hard on you moving forward. For now, take the Old Madam back to my carriage.”

Jiang Wenwen looked amusedly at the little “Liu Goblin” and her schemes. She knew the girl just wanted to clear the area so she could continue sharing a private carriage with her beautiful Empress.

Thinking of the surging malevolent spirit energy nearby, which seemed to be increasing and gathering. Jiang Wenwen realized that this Feifei spirit (Liu Qinglan) had only attained her human form a few hundred years ago. Her spiritual cultivation was too shallow to deal with such demonic qi. Jiang Wenwen decided to seek out the Peach Blossom Demon to discuss this. Now that Liu Qinglan was back, she could temporarily leave with peace of mind.

Thus, Jiang Wenwen spoke: “I’ve stayed here a few days and found there are too many rules. I really can’t adapt. Forget it, I suppose I wasn’t born for a life of wealth. I won’t be joining you in the palace to enjoy blessings.”

Lu Lu was surprised. “Does the Old Madam have somewhere to go?”

“Once we reach the Capital, I’ll naturally find a place to rest. Don’t worry.” Jiang Wenwen waved her hand and turned to walk away with a deliberate, trembling gait.

Liu Qinglan watched her back with curiosity. Why the sudden change of heart? The way she looked, it seemed she was off to do something important.

“My Lady, why didn’t you try to keep your mother? I see she is up in years, it’s worrying for her to be out alone.”

Liu Qinglan snapped out of it, coughed, and said, “My mother’s constitution is very robust, she’ll be fine. Keeping her here would only restrain her, which isn’t good.”

Lu Lu said no more and began to ask in detail about the events of the last two days.

The Warning and the Little Bird

Before Xie Xuanzhao even entered the carriage, she heard the “chirp-chirp-chirp” of a bird. She lifted the curtain to find her elder brother sitting by the window, a small, plump bird perched on his fingertip. The bird was incredibly well-behaved, looking quite dazed and cute.

“A-Yin.”

The head of the Xie family pulled back his hand, and the little bird flew onto his shoulder, chirping a few more times.

“Is this a bird you raised?” the Xie Patriarch asked, seeing the bird’s sudden excitement.

Xie Xuanzhao shook her head with a smile. “She was raised in the mountains and forests, accustomed to freedom. I have a friend who knows her and calls her A-Yin. She came to deliver a message for us. Why has Brother detained her? It’s better to let her return to the woods.”

The Xie Patriarch spread his hands. “I feared she would fly out alone at night and fall into the hands of bad people, so I kept her for one night. But this morning, when I opened the window, she refused to fly away. She just lingered and hovered by my side.”

Xie Xuanzhao couldn’t help but reach out and stroke the little bird. Seeing that she stayed of her own volition, she said nothing more. This bird had already become a spirit and possessed intelligence, she had her own reasons for staying or leaving.

“Brother, I’ve returned from Qingfeng Town. Those evil spirits seem to have been intentionally nurtured by Lin Yulang. He has fed them with the aggrieved souls of people dying from the plague. His target seems to be the Emperor.”

The Xie Patriarch’s expression froze. “I have already reminded His Majesty, but unfortunately, he cannot get past his lust. Lin Yulang’s methods are clever, he has the Emperor’s head spinning. We have reminded him once. If we do it again, I fear it will breed suspicion and resentment. He would only think you are jealous of his male favorite. This matter should not be mentioned again.”

Xie Xuanzhao’s face was grim. “I only fear for the Emperor’s life. Our clan placed him on the throne hoping he would favor the Xie family and protect his mother’s kin. Now he is so muddled and incompetent, it is truly disappointing.”

“Fortunately, we still have the little Prince. There is still hope for the future,” the Xie Patriarch said calmly. “Sister, you must not go to the Emperor to criticize Lin Yulang yourself. This matter of evil spirits is too ethereal. If it spreads to the court, it will cause panic. For now, we can only remain calm and watch for changes. Once we find something is wrong, we will act immediately.”

Xie Xuanzhao pursed her lips, fearing it might be too late by then.

Returning to the Palace

Yan Mo helped her down from the carriage. Xie Xuanzhao stood on the mounting block, gazing toward the Emperor’s royal carriage.

“Miss, the Patriarch has already risked suspicion to warn him. If you go to advise him now, it will likely be a thankless task. Lady Yue is still waiting for you to return. In this harem, there is now someone you want to protect, so you should think of yourself as well.”

Xie Xuanzhao nodded. “Yan Mo, let’s go back. We won’t mention this again.”

Whether it was a blessing or a curse would depend on fate.

The rest of the journey back to the palace was peaceful. Xie Xuanzhao thought perhaps she had overthought things and felt much more at ease. This year’s autumn hunt ended smoothly with the court officials and royalty all returning safely, it was time for a period of rest.

Along the way, Liu Qinglan had been wondering how to find the Peach Blossom Demon, but strangely, she never appeared. If it weren’t for the fact that Tao Xi was still there, she would have thought the demon had left. But as the demon had said, she was bound to Tao Xi and could go nowhere else. Her absence was likely a deliberate attempt to hide her tracks. Indeed, with so many people around, it wasn’t wise for a peach blossom to appear frequently.

Liu Qinglan had many questions she wanted to ask the demon, she was practically itching with curiosity. Lately, she had been frantically flipping through ancient books she’d borrowed from Huaidan, trying to find a way for a human and a spirit to share the same lifespan.

The result, naturally, was nothing. Liu Qinglan was distressed. After returning to Qinglan Palace, she could only squat on a chair, staring into space and sighing.

Xie Xuanzhao, however, had no time for staring. As soon as she returned, a pile of matters awaited her, including visits from concubines who hadn’t accompanied the hunt and were now coming to pay their respects and seek rewards. By the time the lanterns were lit, the crowd finally dispersed.

Seeing her mistress’s fatigue, Yan Mo said, “Your Majesty, why not take a bath and rest?”

Xie Xuanzhao looked at her dress, it really wasn’t suitable to visit Liu Qinglan like this.

The Surprise Visit

Amidst the swirling steam, Xie Xuanzhao finally relaxed, closing her eyes in the warm water. Naturally, Liu Qinglan came to mind. The girl had been distracted and listless all the way back. Surely she was blaming Xie Xuanzhao for neglecting her, as she wasn’t as clingy as usual.

Thinking of that little expression, the “evil fire” Xie Xuanzhao had been suppressing for so long began to spread from her heart. Having recently tasted “meat,” it was only natural to crave the flavor. Surely Liu Qinglan felt the same.

Imagining the girl suffering in Qinglan Palace just as she was, Xie Xuanzhao bathed as quickly as possible and changed into a light palace gown. There’s no need to wrong myself, she thought, holding a stack of “treasures” from the bottom of a chest.

Lu Lu, guarding the door, saw a familiar glazed palace lantern from afar. Her heart jumped. She stood up and realized she hadn’t miscounted, the Empress Dowager (Wait, the Empress!) was here again!

Terrified, Lu Lu bowed and blocked the door. “My Lady is currently bathing. I’m afraid she cannot come out to receive Your Majesty.”

Xie Xuanzhao gave a slight smile. “Then I’ve come at just the right time.”

Lu Lu stood there stunned. It was the first time she had seen the Empress smile so warmly, like a spring breeze. She could only watch as the Empress lifted the curtain and stepped lightly into the steamy bedchamber.

All was quiet, the incense smoke curling a sweet, delicate scent of rose petals and ice flakes. Xie Xuanzhao walked softly. Before she could see the beauty bathing, she heard a long, ghostly sigh from behind the pale red gauze curtain.

That sigh from the little “Liu Goblin” was so melodious and full of longing, like a lonely girl in a boudoir. The Empress, feeling she had neglected her little beauty for too long, was instantly filled with guilt and a vast amount of tenderness. She reached out to pull back the curtain.

Liu Qinglan was soaking in the warm water, her snowy shoulders visible through the mist. She was currently holding a yellowed book, sighing after almost every sentence she read.

Seeing this, Xie Xuanzhao looked at the book she herself was holding and felt heartened, thinking the girl’s “awareness” was quite high. She crept up and covered Liu Qinglan’s eyes, her voice low and tender. “Let me see what this is.”

Startled by the sudden embrace from behind, Liu Qinglan scrambled to hide the book. She didn’t want the Empress to know she was looking for a way to share a lifespan. If there was a way, she wanted it to be a surprise if not, she didn’t want to cause disappointment.

Xie Xuanzhao only assumed she was shy about being caught reading “that” kind of book. She poked the girl’s nose. “What are you ashamed of? You have to learn it all eventually anyway.”

“Eh?” Liu Qinglan was confused. Learn what? Then she realized she was naked in the water, looking at the beautiful Empress in her thin gown. She understood instantly.

The beautiful sister is finally here to have some fun with me!