Huoshan Mountain is a continuous mountain with many paper mulberry trees. In autumn, the fruits are orange-red. From a distance, the green and red colors look like flames burning into balls among the branches and leaves.
Xie Xuanzhao lifted the car curtain and looked at the mountain scenery not far away. He didn't think much of Huoshan before, but looking at it today, he felt it was very special.
Yan Mo said from the side, "The ladies have already gone to the designated rooms. His Majesty and his ministers have gone to the high pavilion to discuss matters. The guards and soldiers are patrolling everywhere. Miss, do you plan to return to your bedroom first or..."
Xie Xuanzhao looked at the beautiful Huoshan Mountain in front of him and said, "I'll take a look around first."
"Yes." Yan Mo helped her lift the curtain and helped her get off the carriage.
The royal palace is built halfway up the mountain, hidden among ancient trees. It is low-key yet exquisite.
There is a high pavilion, built in the air. Standing on it, one can overlook the mountain scenery and watch the hunting scene conveniently. Therefore, the emperor sat here very early, surrounded by his ministers. It seemed that they were discussing important matters, but in fact they were just enjoying the scenery, drinking tea, and flirting with the young and handsome ministers.
The concubines were placed in side rooms and could not move around freely, waiting to be summoned.
Lulu ordered the palace maids to clean the side rooms and then make the bed curtains.
Liu Qinglan sat by the window, hugging his knees, gazing at the mountains and forests where he had lived for hundreds of years. He felt relaxed and couldn't help but feel eager to move. "Lulu, I want to take a nap first, so I won't go over for dinner."
"Your Majesty, this is a royal banquet. Not only you, your Majesty, but also the court ministers have to attend." Lulu walked over and advised.
Liu Qinglan held his forehead and pretended to have a headache. "The carriage was shaking all the way and it gave me a headache. I want to sleep. I won't go anymore." As he spoke, he jumped off the windowsill, lay directly on the bedding that Lu Lu had just laid out, and closed his eyes.
Lulu looked at her own queen who was acting like a spoiled child and had to give up. "Then I will go and tell His Majesty that the queen is not feeling well and cannot attend."
Liu Qinglan continued to pretend to sleep with his eyes closed, and waved his hand, signaling Lulu to go quickly.
There was a grand banquet in the evening, and the royal chefs were busy as hell.
Tao Xi was in charge of the dessert after the meal. Because she wanted to make a sweet soup, she went to the mountains specially and planned to use clear spring water as the raw material.
She was carrying a small wooden bucket in her hand, humming a song as she walked on a path covered with fallen leaves. In the distance was the setting sun, which was about to set. It was round, big, golden, and very beautiful.
Tao Xi searched for several places and finally found a pool of spring water that satisfied her. She squatted down, scooped up some water with a wooden spoon, and put it into her mouth.
It is sweet and refreshing, perfect for making pear juice.
She bit the edge of the wooden spoon, her eyes curved, and then she saw a peach tree growing next to the spring.
This peach tree looks very familiar, almost exactly the same as the one growing in front of his house.
At this moment, the setting sun shines golden light on the peach trees. The branches are full of blooming peach blossoms, and the petals flutter in the evening breeze, gentle and affectionate.
The wooden spoon in Taoxi's hand fell into the bucket. She stared blankly at the peach tree that suddenly appeared, and the peach blossoms blooming in the autumn.
She walked slowly over, her fingers brushing against the branches, filling her hands with peach blossoms. The branches seemed to have spiritual energy, and the breeze tickled her palms.
"Meow~"
Suddenly, a meowing sound came from deep in the branches. Tao Xi looked over quickly and saw a snow-white cat standing on the branch, but it looked a little different from ordinary kittens.
She had a tuft of mane on the back of her neck, and her long, snow-white tail was shiny and smooth, with faint, ancient patterns on it.
A pair of emerald green cat eyes seemed to be able to read people's minds and were looking at him.
Tao Xi looked around, but there was no one. She had heard that these forests were filled with ghosts, and the appearance of the flower and the cat was truly bizarre.
"Look, you scared her." This cat is Liu Qinglan's original body. She followed the instructions given to her by the Peach Blossom Demon all the way and finally found the Peach Blossom Demon's hiding place.
Wow, she actually turned into a peach tree again.
Later, Liu Qinglan learned that wherever Tao Xi went, the peach blossom demon would follow her and grow a peach tree nearby.
"I can't go anywhere except to her. So there's nothing I can do about it." The Peach Blossom Demon lay deep in the branches and leaves, seemingly helpless, but actually very happy.
Liu Qinglan nudged her with his tail and said, "I think the beautiful chef doesn't dare to go back alone."
"As soon as you came back, those little animals smelled your presence and started clamoring to break into the palace to see you. I helped you stop them, so now you have to help me." The Peach Blossom Demon rolled over and said lazily, "And your beautiful queen, I saw that the black aura was inseparable from her and also came to Huoshan. You must be careful and protect her well."
Liu Qinglan watched Tao Xi fetch water and quickly asked, "What is the origin of that black energy?"
"I've been investigating all along the way, and finally figured it out," the Peach Blossom Demon said seriously, "Do you know what our Peach Blossom God is in charge of?"
"What's in charge?"
"I'm in charge of peach blossoms, that is, the bonds of love." The Peach Blossom Fairy narrowed her charming eyes. "Although I'm not a matchmaker, I'm still a Peach Blossom Fairy after all. I have some connection to the harem and know everything about love."
Liu Qinglan was confused. "Love? What would happen if there was love?"
"Just like Tao Xi and I, we will be together forever. Wherever she goes, I will go."
Liu Qinglan suddenly fell silent. She thought of herself and the Beauty Queen, wondering if they had any romantic connection...
The Peach Blossom Demon looked at her mischievously, but deliberately kept silent, continuing to discuss the black energy. "The harem is complex, and relationships are multifaceted. There's always a chance of bad karma. Plus, pregnancy for women in the harem is incredibly dangerous, so miscarriages have been common throughout the dynasties. Over time, this has formed infant spirit energy."
"Infant Spiritual Energy?"
"They themselves have no harmful power, as they are formed from the condensation of fetal energy. Many have died unjustly, so their greatest wish is to be reborn in another woman's womb. However, human spirits have different paths, so relying solely on their power is impossible. Entering a woman's body, they can only create a false pregnancy, deceiving themselves." The Peach Blossom Demon said this with a sigh, "Ultimately, they are all pitiful."
Liu Qinglan thought: So it's about reproduction. This is indeed a matter of great importance.
"So what are these people trying to do by nurturing the infant spirit energy?"
The Peach Blossom Demon continued, "The Emperor dislikes women and is unable to produce children. These people are trying to find a crown prince. Lately, I've noticed that this group of infant spirit energy seems to have its own ideas and keeps heading towards Chenxin Palace. Perhaps it has chosen a loved one and is ready to enter their body."
"Ah, you mean the Beauty Queen..." Liu Qinglan couldn't help but feel a little anxious. She couldn't imagine what would happen if the Queen woke up one day and found out she was pregnant...
The Peach Blossom Demon said in a deep voice, "So, this depends on you. Now only you can help the Queen escape this disaster."
Liu Qinglan quickly asked, "What should I do?"
"Now help me send Taoxi back, and then I will tell you what to do." The Peach Blossom Demon seemed tired and slowly closed his eyes.
As she closed her eyes, the peach blossoms on the branches folded up, withered, and fell to the ground.
Tao Xi scooped up spring water with a wooden spoon and filled a bucket, which was still filled with pale pink peach petals. After her initial surprise, she was able to accept it calmly.
I even started thinking about making peach blossom soup.
Tao Xi was lifting the wooden barrel when she saw the cat on the branch jump down, roll into a snow-white ball, and land at her feet.
The cat seemed to be smart. It climbed the edge of the barrel with its claws, looked at it curiously, and then followed closely at its feet.
Seeing her lively and cute little appearance, Tao Xi was no longer afraid and took it back to the imperial kitchen.
The kitchen where Taoxi worked was full of cooks, who had an orderly division of labor and were busy as hell.
In the lingering smoke, no one noticed that there was a cat lying next to Taoxi's wooden barrel.
Tao Xi rolled up her sleeves and looked around. She quickly packed a small raw fish and some corn and placed them in front of the cat. "Just eat here and don't run around."
When Liu Qinglan saw the corn, his cat eyes widened. He nodded vigorously when he heard the words. It was great to rub against the beautiful cook and there would be delicious food.
Tao Xi smiled. It was amazing that this cat could understand human speech.
Willow Kitten wagged its tail and began to concentrate on eating.
The cooks chatted while they worked, and the conversation turned to tonight's banquet.
"It's a pity that Concubine Yue is not coming, otherwise there would be something interesting to watch."
"I see that young master is handsome, really good."
"But everyone is speculating that His Majesty will not let the Empress raise the young prince, and he will still have to be raised by Concubine Yue."
Liu Qinglan, who was eating corn, almost choked. What? He wanted her to raise a human child? What was the emperor thinking?! And why didn't he discuss it with her?
"The food is served, stop chatting."
"This is a royal matter. Stop discussing it in private. Are you going to waste your head?"
They chatted for a few more words, and finally calmed down after they were satisfied.
Liu Qinglan was no longer in the mood to eat. What she had heard today was too shocking, and she needed to go back and digest it slowly.
In the darkness of the night, the snow-white kitten jumped over the window, ready to jump back to the west wing of the palace.
At this moment, she suddenly saw a familiar figure sneaking across the courtyard and running towards the back mountain.
As fast as a ghost, no one noticed.
If the cat's eyes had not been exceptionally bright at night, Liu Qinglan would not have noticed her.
My sister was dressed in black with a dagger hidden in her sleeve. She passed the palace and went to the back mountain.
There was a wisp of black air in front of her.
This black energy was really strange. It was not as ferocious as the previous times and it did not attack him anymore.
Finally, the black energy led her to a peach tree.
Liu Qinglan hurriedly stopped and observed secretly.
Under the moonlight, the peach trees are full of flowers again, light pink and tender, swaying in the wind.
The sparse branches are slanted, the fragrance is floating in the air, and the atmosphere is just right.
The peach blossom demon was awakened. She followed Tao Xi on a long journey to Huoshan and grew the peach tree within one day, which took a lot of effort.
My sister opened her eyes slightly and looked at the peach blossoms blooming in the autumn in front of her. She was very surprised and wondered if this was a ghost tree.
Ever since she'd seen the black energy with her own eyes, she'd finally come to believe that the ghosts and gods described in those books her sister had kept were real. She felt a sense of wonder. But she firmly grasped her dagger, ready to engage the black energy if it became restless.
All was silent. Suddenly, a clear and tender voice was heard under the moonlight. It sounded like an eight-year-old human girl, but the words she said were shocking.
"Peach Blossom Demon, ah Peach Blossom Demon, I know you are in charge of the relationship between us demon spirits, so I brought her here specially to register with you."
Liu Qinglan felt the blood rushing to his head, and only at this moment did he know the true origin of this peach blossom demon!
The author has something to say: Beauty Queen: I’m not happy because I didn’t flirt today.
Willow Fairy: Ahem, love! Do you want it?
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