On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 60

The autumn scenery in the deep palace was bleak, with withered leaves fluttering down. Several palace maids were busy clearing dead branches and fallen leaves along the paths between the various palaces.

Liu Qinglan emerged from the Imperial Kitchen, her mind far from calm. She walked steadily toward Chenxin Palace.

“Little Prince, slow down!”

“Oh dear, the ball rolled away! Someone go fetch it quickly!”

Hearing a rush of footsteps and voices, Liu Qinglan stopped in her tracks. A glass marble had already rolled to her feet.

She leaned down to pick up the ball. The maid who had rushed over to retrieve it immediately bowed. “Greetings, Concubine Yue. This is the glass marble the Little Prince was playing with, it somehow rolled all the way here. I came to collect it.”

Liu Qinglan toyed with the exquisite little sphere in her hand and looked at the stumbling little boy running toward her. She flashed a smile. “So, the Little Prince is in the palace today. Are you also here to visit the Empress?”

The maid quickly replied, “Indeed.”

The Little Prince was as delicate and pretty as a child immortal from a painting. Liu Qinglan took an immediate liking to him. She bent down, intending to give the fair, chubby, dumpling-like child a hug. The boy also beamed, seeing the beautiful older sister before him, he lunged into Liu Qinglan’s arms.

“Zhen’er, do not be rude! This is Concubine Yue, greet her properly at once.” A sharp voice suddenly rang out. Following closely behind was a well-maintained noble lady who hurried over and snatched the Little Prince away.

Though she was polite and formal, she was filled with distance and guardedness.

Liu Qinglan withdrew her hands. She felt a twinge of regret at not getting to hug the human cub.

Having been pulled back by his mother, the Little Prince could only stare longingly at the glass marble in her hand.

“Oh, right. Here is the ball back.” Liu Qinglan stepped forward and handed the ball to the maid.

The Princess of Ding stepped forward and performed a salute, still shielding her young son as if he were a precious treasure.

Liu Qinglan sensed that the Princess did not like her and was extremely wary, so she dropped back a few paces, choosing not to walk to Chenxin Palace alongside them.

“Zhen’er, this is the palace. Do not let just anyone touch you. Your status now is incredibly precious.”

Liu Qinglan’s ears were very sharp; even though the Princess of Ding had walked quite a distance away, she could still hear what she was saying to the Little Prince.

The Little Prince’s aggrieved voice drifted back: “I don’t want to enter the palace! I hate it here!”

“What are you saying?” The child’s complaining voice was muffled.

Liu Qinglan stood beneath a plane tree, idly playing with a withered leaf. Previously, she hadn’t understood, but after hearing the Peach Demon say the Emperor didn’t have long to live, it meant the throne would soon be vacant. The Emperor favored men and had no interest in heirs, so he remained childless to this day.

She had heard the Beautiful Empress mention this before but hadn’t taken it to heart. Only now did she realize how important this issue was. The heir the Xie family had selected was the young son of Prince Ding, the son of the Emperor’s younger brother. The bloodline remained intact, and the Emperor had tacitly approved.

In other words, this Little Prince would eventually be raised under the Beautiful Empress’s care.

Liu Qinglan sighed softly, feeling a blockage in her chest that made her uncomfortable. Looking at the water lilies ahead, she simply sat down and pulled out the book gifted by Huaidan from her sleeve. She focused on searching for a way to share “the same longevity and the same fate,” waiting for the Beautiful Empress to finish her meeting before heading to Chenxin Palace.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon. Because Liu Qinglan was sitting behind a thicket of shrubs, she hadn’t been discovered. Maidservants passed back and forth, occasionally gossiping.

With her sensitive cat ears, Liu Qinglan overheard quite a bit of palace gossip.

“I heard His Majesty has been unwell lately, yet he still spends every night in revelry. I wonder what tricks those young lords are using.”

“The other day while I was cleaning the floors in the imperial presence, I caught a glimpse of one young lord. He actually had more ‘flavor’ than a woman.”

“Hush, don’t talk nonsense.”

Liu Qinglan rubbed her ears. What a mess. She settled her mind and continued reading the book spread across her knees.

Not long after, footsteps sounded from behind again. The Princess of Ding’s sharp voice returned: “This was a gift from the Empress. Give it to mother for safekeeping; do not lose it.”

Thud. It sounded like something had been dropped.

“How can you be so mischievous!” The Princess of Ding wanted to scold him but didn’t dare make a scene, fearing they would draw a crowd.

The Little Prince sounded very hurt: “Ever since the Empress saw me, Mother is always harsh with me. Zhen’er doesn’t know what he did wrong. Now it feels like even walking is a mistake.”

The Princess ordered her maid to pick up the shattered colorful porcelain. She simply said, “We will speak more once we return home.”

Curious, Liu Qinglan peeked over the bushes and happened to lock eyes with the Little Prince.

She blinked. The boy’s eyes lit up, and he looked as if he wanted to speak, but he was promptly pulled away by his mother.

It looked like the little guy was in for a lecture once he got home.

Liu Qinglan touched her ears and hopped out from the bushes, watching them disappear. Being a Little Prince wasn’t so easy after all. For a moment, she actually felt a bit of sympathy for the kid.

Regardless, it wasn’t her business. After waiting a long while, the visitors finally left, and she immediately hurried to Chenxin Palace.

From a distance, Yan Mo saw Concubine Yue approaching alone. She looked like a mischievous child returning home after playing outside. Yan Mo couldn’t help but smile as she rolled up the curtain.

Xie Xuanzhao was standing by the window admiring flowers. Seeing Yan Mo lift the curtain, she turned her head and asked, “Is there another visitor?”

Earlier, the Little Prince had seemed unhappy. She had brought out many trinkets to cheer him up, but to little effect. Finally, the Princess of Ding couldn’t sit still any longer, claiming the boy had caught a bit of a chill and was likely falling ill, which explained his mood. Xie Xuanzhao had allowed them to leave.

Now that they were gone, Xie Xuanzhao finally had some peace to appreciate the pot of autumn begonias Yan Mo had just brought in.

Yan Mo said with a smile, “Your Majesty, the person to accompany you in flower viewing has arrived.”

Liu Qinglan entered the courtyard, swinging a plane tree leaf and skipping along. She moved through the curtains with practiced ease and instantly saw the Beautiful Empress leaning against the redwood window, a pot of vibrant begonias beside her.

A beauty paired with flowers, truly a perfect match.

Seeing this beautiful sight, Liu Qinglan’s mood brightened instantly. She hopped right over to Xie Xuanzhao.

Xie Xuanzhao tapped the tip of her nose. “You… have you forgotten everything Nanny Gao taught you about how to walk?”

“I’m just releasing my true nature~” Liu Qinglan took the opportunity to wrap herself around her, clinging to her side. “Beautiful Sister, are you going to paint?”

On the desk lay an open scroll. Liu Qinglan stood on her tiptoes to peek and found it strangely familiar.

It was a painting of a cat playing with butterflies. The snowy-white kitten with its long, fluffy tail looked exactly like her!

Xie Xuanzhao took her hand and led her to the desk. “Yan Mo painted this to amuse me. I feel it’s missing something, so I plan to add to it.”

She handed the brush to Liu Qinglan. “Do you know how to paint?”

“I am very good at painting!” the little fox spirit claimed confidently.

Seeing her so self-assured, Xie Xuanzhao believed her completely.

The autumn sky outside was crisp and the sun was warm, perfect for an afternoon in the courtyard.

Thus, Yan Mo led several attendants to set up the daybed, fruit, and snacks. They prepared the painting tools and brought out the carefully tended potted plants to create a scenic atmosphere.

Liu Qinglan stood solemnly before the scroll, picking up the brush with great poise. She looked at the Beautiful Empress and asked, “What is missing from the painting? I’ll draw it for you~”

Xie Xuanzhao held an ivory fan. She rested her head on her hand, reclining on a purple sandalwood daybed carved with dragons, looking as if she were lying amidst a sea of flowers. She looked at Liu Qinglan, her eyes full of smiles, and her red lips parted slightly: “Me.”

What? Paint the Beautiful Empress? Liu Qinglan’s hand shook. She hadn’t expected to start with an “Epic” level challenge!

Seeing her hesitation after she had already struck a pose, Xie Xuanzhao suddenly felt uneasy. “Do you really know how to paint?”

Liu Qinglan waved her hand, indicating it was no problem at all. However, she touched her ears. “Can I draw a few flowers first?”

“You may.”

So, Liu Qinglan began to paint seriously, while Xie Xuanzhao held Xuetuan (the cat), sipping tea and admiring the flowers while she waited.

“May I have a look first?” After waiting a while, Xie Xuanzhao grew curious and asked.

Liu Qinglan quickly used her hand to partially cover the paper, looking very mysterious. “No, you can only look once it is completely finished.”

Xie Xuanzhao continued to wait patiently. She placed Xuetuan down by the flower pots to let him sniff around. Watching the kitten roll around and chase its tail under the flowers, another thought occurred to her. She looked at Liu Qinglan and said, “The kitten Yanmo drew is playing. How about you paint me teasing the cat? How does that sound?”

Liu Qinglan’s face flushed. Wasn’t that just painting the Beautiful Empress teasing her…

She looked up, her watery eyes gazing at the reclining Xie Xuanzhao. Even though her clothes were neat and her makeup impeccable, her posture still exuded a thousand charms, even more alluring than if she were disheveled.

“Is it… is it the ‘Beautiful Sister on the bed’ version?”

Xie Xuanzhao nearly choked on her tea. The tips of her ears turned red. This little spirit had actually learned to speak such suggestive words.

Seeing her reaction, Liu Qinglan realized that wasn’t it. She said with a serious and puzzled expression, “But Beautiful Sister has only teased me on the bed.”

Xie Xuanzhao slowly swallowed her tea, sat up, and beckoned to her with her fan.

The little spirit put down her brush and scurried over.

Xie Xuanzhao hugged her with a mischievous grin, pressing her down onto the autumn-fragrance colored cushions. After stealing a bit of “tofu” (affection), she spoke: “Quickly, transform back into your original form.”

“Why?” Liu Qinglan blinked.

“So you can see how I tease a cat. That way, you’ll know how to paint it,” Xie Xuanzhao said playfully, stroking her bright red ears.

Liu Qinglan let out an “Oh,” and then looked at Xuetuan crouching under the flowers. “Isn’t there a cat right there? He’s a real, genuine little kitten!”

Xie Xuanzhao pinched her soft, fair cheek. “That’s different. How can teasing one’s own wife be the same as teasing an ordinary cat?”

It would definitely be much more exciting.