On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 63

Liu Qinglan curiously extended a paw and poked the pink, fluffy peach in front of her. “When did this grow out?”

“Take it back with you. If the need arises, take it out and share it with the Empress,” the Peach Blossom Fey said, her voice full of mystery and temptation.

“What happens if I eat it?” Liu Qinglan became even more curious. Her furry head rubbed against the peach, but she didn’t quite dare to pluck it yet.

Exhaling a sweet fragrance, the Peach Blossom Fey said with a smile, “You will give birth to a baby that belongs to the two of you.”

Liu Qinglan was so excited she nearly fell off the branch. “Is that really possible?”

“As long as you and the Empress share the joys of the bedchamber, then divide this peach in two and each eat half, you will get your wish.” Seeing how seriously the little cat was listening, the Fey added a bit more: “Normal babies are born of conception. Since you are one human and one fey, and both women, the baby you conceive will be born from the fusion of bone and blood, which is different from the usual way.”

“Born from the fusion of bone and blood?”

“Naturally, it’s impossible for ordinary people, which is why you must share this ‘Seed Bearing Peach.’ However, the Yin energy varies in strength and your constitutions are vastly different. A small beast can produce seven or eight offspring, while a human usually only has one per pregnancy. That is the difference.”

Liu Qinglan listened, feeling a bit dazed. “Actually, I still don’t quite understand…”

The Peach Blossom Fey let out a soft laugh. “It is a bit complex, but once you give birth to the baby, you will understand what I’ve said today.”

Liu Qinglan carefully plucked the pink peach from the branch, took it in her mouth, and hurried back to Qinglan Palace, placing it right by her pillow.

Next, she just had to wait for the beautiful Empress to lure her onto the bed and do… this and that.

Tugging at the edge of her small blanket with her teeth, Liu Qinglan waited with a mix of anticipation and shyness.

At that moment, Xie Xuanzhao remained in the main hall. The Emperor had suddenly passed away, and the news had to be kept secret for now. It could likely only be hidden for one night, once the court assembled the next morning, the civil and military officials wouldn’t be as easy to fool as the palace eunuchs. After the head of the Xie family hurried into the palace to assess the situation, he immediately headed to the Prince of Ding’s residence, preparing to bring the young heir into the palace tomorrow to announce the Emperor’s passing and the selection of the new monarch.

Xie Xuanzhao ordered her confidants from Xinchen Palace to clean the hall while she sat behind the desk, looking at the mountain of petitions that were only half-processed.

Previously, her mind had been entirely focused on keeping Liu Qinglan safe, and she felt little emotion regarding the Emperor’s death. Now that things had quieted down, thinking of her romantic and passionate sleeve-breaking cousin, she felt a touch of sentiment. Indulging in beauty wasn’t the tragedy, the tragedy was his inability to judge character and his indecisiveness in failing to pull up the weeds by their roots.

Xie Xuanzhao picked up an unread petition. Her brother’s words still rang in her ears: “The heir is young, you, as the Empress Dowager, must attend to state affairs from behind the curtain. I will assist you in court, but I am ultimately an outsider to the imperial family. The Xie family’s dominance has already sparked resentment among the ministers, and I see that the Prince of Ding is quite dissatisfied. Troubles will only increase from here, you must not let your guard down.”

Xie Xuanzhao looked at her elder brother and, with a bit of her own selfishness, suggested: “Brother, you possess great strategy and the talent to rule the world. Why don’t you…” If her brother became Emperor, then she, his sister, could reclaim her identity as a daughter of the Xie family, become a carefree noble princess, and take her little cat Liu to travel the world in leisure.

The head of the Xie family looked at his sister calmly. “A change in dynasties inevitably leads to bloodshed and conflict. Not all the generals guarding the borders belong to our Xie family, and the Confucian scholars in court would never agree to a change in the imperial surname. We might hold victory in our hands, but it would be the innocent commoners who suffer. Therefore, stability in the court ensures peace under heaven. Usurping the throne has never been the wish of the Xie clan.”

Xie Xuanzhao felt momentary shame. “It was my lack of consideration.” In her heart, however, she grumbled: Clearly, Brother just doesn’t want to be tied down by these constraints, yet he finds such high-sounding excuses.

“Sister, things will be hard for you from now on. You must listen to politics behind the curtain until the young Emperor comes of age.” The head of the Xie family patted her shoulder and then left the palace as elegantly as a breeze.

Xie Xuanzhao sighed and resignedly sat back behind the desk, picking up the brush to continue reviewing the petitions.

Lying in bed, Liu Qinglan was imagining how they would be intimate, how they would share the peach, and how they would have babies later. Her mind wandered wildly, the more she thought, the redder her face became and the faster her heart beat. She rolled around in her blanket countless times. She waited and waited until dusk, when the golden sunset hit the window, bathing the entire bedroom in a dim yellow glow like it was plated in gold. She suddenly snapped out of it…Huh? Why isn’t the beautiful Empress back yet!

She scrambled up, hid the peach under her pillow, tidied her appearance, and stepped out of the room.

Lu Lu was in the courtyard distributing winter clothes to the servants of Qinglan Palace. Seeing her mistress come out, she hurried forward and said, “Your Ladyship, you’ve finished your rest? Would you like dinner?”

Liu the little fey, who hadn’t actually rested at all but had spent the afternoon fantasizing, rubbed her ear sheepishly and asked, “Is the Empress back?”

Lu Lu’s expression shifted instantly. She fidgeted with the hem of her clothes and said shyly, “Oh, Auntie… I mean, Miss Yan Mo came by just now. She said the Empress won’t be back until late and told Your Ladyship not to wait up.”

Liu Qinglan looked at Lu Lu strangely. The girl who usually talked too much now seemed to find her words difficult to say. “Why aren’t you calling her Auntie Yan Mo anymore?”

“She’s so young. Calling her ‘Auntie’ makes a young girl sound old,” Lu Lu said matter of factly.

“Pfft, you’re a young girl yourself, yet you call her a young girl.” Liu Qinglan’s eyes twinkled, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Lu Lu immediately lifted her skirt and ran off. “I’m not saying any more! I’m going back to work!”

Liu Qinglan leaned against the palace gate, looking at the empty path. She had originally planned to go to the front hall to find the Empress, but she realized the Empress must be very busy and wouldn’t have time to talk. Besides, she didn’t understand politics and would likely just be in the way.

Thinking of the sweet pink peach under her pillow, Liu Qinglan hurried back to the room. She decided to take a fragrant rose bath first and then wait in bed for the Empress to return.

Soon, the rose bath was finished, the “sexy” little palace dress was on, and the candles were extinguished. The little fey chose the most “alluring” posture, reclining on the bedding, and began her focused wait.

After counting countless “little mice” on her fingers, Liu Qinglan suddenly had an idea. She sat up, sat on the quilt, and quietly transformed her cat ears and cat tail. In this half-beast state, she lay back down on the bedding.

The moon rose above the willow trees. From the first lighting of the lamps to the cold, deep night of the stars, the Empress finally finished arranging everything. She left her confidants to watch the hall and had Yan Mo carry a palace lantern ahead of her as they walked toward Qinglan Palace.

As usual, Lu Lu was sitting on the cool steps guarding the door. Seeing Yan Mo arrive, she stood up, performed a natural salute, and watched the Empress enter the bedroom.

Yan Mo placed the palace lantern on one side of the steps and beckoned to Lu Lu, who was standing there dazed.

Lu Lu sat down beside her, her mind blank, placing her hands on her knees like a well-behaved student in a classroom.

Amused, Yan Mo looked at her and pulled a long wooden box from her sleeve. With a click, she opened it under Lu Lu’s curious gaze, revealing exquisitely styled pastries inside.

“These are kidney bean rolls and jujube paste lotus cakes,” Yan Mo introduced them one by one. Then, using fingers as white as jade, she picked up a piece of pastry and held it to Lu Lu’s lips. “Try it.”

Lu Lu looked at her uncomfortably. Yan Mo moved it a bit closer, her eyes focused on her. Lu Lu gave in, parted her lips, and took a modest bite, then covered her mouth with her hand to chew slowly like a lady.

Yan Mo watched her with a smile, then picked up a piece of pastry herself and ate it in one big bite, looking up leisurely to admire the night sky.

Lu Lu’s heart felt itchy with curiosity. She dropped her reserve, reverted to her true nature, and mimicked Yan Mo, taking a big bite of the pastry. While eating, she said, “It’s so delicious. As expected of the Empress’s pastries.”

Yan Mo burst out laughing because the sentence Lu Lu just said was exactly what her own little mistress had said to the Empress once upon a time.

Inside, the Empress was holding a small candle, making her way familiarly to the little beauty’s bedside.

Seeing the lump under the covers, Xie Xuanzhao smiled. she reached out to lift the small blanket while holding the candle in her other hand to illuminate the figure on the bed.

At the sight beneath the blanket, Xie Xuanzhao’s breath hitched. A small flame ignited in her heart, and the blood beneath her skin surged with heat.

Under the blanket, the little beauty was wearing a thin palace gown. Her snow white legs were partially visible, and beneath the gown was a snow-white tail, the tip of which curled into a cute arc. On her head, two furry ears peeked out from either side, currently drooping softly.

Liu Qinglan had fallen asleep while waiting. Feeling the intense gaze, she woke up with a start.

Xie Xuanzhao sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes burning as she stared at the little beast person before her. She reached out to hook the tip of the tail, weighing it in her palm. With a lowered gaze and a smile, she said, “Transformed like this just to wait for me, are you?”

The little fey rubbed against her and rolled into the Empress’s fragrant embrace. Still in her half-beast state, she said coquettishly, “Quick, look at what I’m wearing. Does it look good?”

Xie Xuanzhao made her sit face to face on her lap, wrapping her arms around her slender waist. By the candlelight at the bedside, she finally saw the hidden detail in the thin palace gown.

It was specially designed for the fey in her half-beast state, with an opening in the back for the snowy tail to emerge. And the fabric was so thin that a single tug would make it slip away effortlessly.

The more Xie Xuanzhao looked, the hotter the flame in her heart burned.