Xuanxia

Chapter 405 Purple Concubine
In the palace, the sky is just beginning to brighten.

A luxurious carriage slowly drove out of the side door of the palace, and the guards at the gate bowed slightly.

Although the carriage was luxurious, it was not very grand. There was only a coachman and several palace maids accompanying it - of course, these palace maids were not wearing palace costumes at the moment, but were dressed like maids in ordinary wealthy families.

After leaving the palace, the carriage did not merge into the traffic on the avenue, but instead moved slowly and steadily along a small path.

Soon, a lazy and charming yawn was heard from the car.

"Tian'er, where are you?"

After yawning, the female voice in the car asked lazily.

"My dear Concubine Zi..." A palace maid approached the carriage window and said softly, "We still have half an hour to go."

"Okay." Concubine Zi said leisurely in the car: "I am very bored, come in and talk to me."

"Yes."

The palace maid named Tian'er responded, swiftly stepped onto the shaft and got into the carriage.

In the carriage, a woman who looked to be in her thirties was leaning against the cushioned backrest of the seat, playing with her exquisite bracelet out of boredom.

She wasn't actually stunningly beautiful, but she had a charm that emanated from her bones.

She was actually dressed very conservatively, a long purple brocade dress that tightly wrapped her body, not even a trace of skin was exposed on her neck and wrists. The dress was not slim-fitting either, and the outer layer of purple gauze hung loosely.

But even so, Zi Fei raised her eyes slightly and gently supported her head. Her weak and lazy figure made the palace maid Tian'er blush, and she couldn't help but look at her face a few more times.

"What are you looking at?"

Concubine Zi blinked and said with a smile, "Is there something on my face?"

"No, no..." Tian'er's face turned even redder: "Tian'er was just thinking, how could the queen's earrings be so beautiful..."

Concubine Zi smiled charmingly and reached out to touch the wind chime-like earring under her earlobe, which made a pleasant and crisp sound: "Is the earring beautiful, or is my ear beautiful?"

"Empress..." Tian'er bit her lips, and the redness on her face spread to her ears.

"Okay, I won't tease you anymore."

Zi Fei waved her hand: "Come here and sit down."

"Yes." Tian'er breathed a sigh of relief, responded, and carefully sat down next to Zifei, placing her hands neatly on her knees and sitting upright.

"Let me ask you." Concubine Zi raised her lips and said, "How long has it been since the emperor came to visit us?"

"Yes, it's been nearly two months."

Tian Er was a little nervous when she heard this: "But the emperor doesn't seem to have visited other concubines recently..."

"That's nothing." Zi Fei smiled and said, "He's just approaching his 20s. Although he's full of vigor and vitality, there are too many interesting things in this world... Love between men and women, no matter how much you enjoy it, will get boring in a year or two. At his age, he shouldn't be too obsessed with women."

But as she spoke, her eyes suddenly became stern: "But, we must know what the emperor is interested in?"

"My Lady, Tian'er heard that His Majesty has been paying close attention to the Northern Barbarians recently."

Tian'er said quickly, "The Northern Barbarians were too rampant a few days ago. His Majesty lost his temper in the Imperial Study and even sent Master Xiangjian out to investigate the Northern Barbarians... I guess His Majesty is probably worried about the war in the Northern Frontier recently."

Zi Fei narrowed her eyes slightly: "What happened in the north... is good. Those barbarians really deserve to be killed. If our little emperor has the courage to kill those barbarians, he can be regarded as growing into a charming and good man..."

Tian'er didn't dare to respond and could only lower her head.

"Let's not talk about these things in the palace."

Zi Fei yawned again: "Tell me, is there anything interesting happening in the capital recently?"

"My lady, there is." Tian'er raised her head and smiled, "Just two days ago, the Dali Temple judged a case. It was said that a disciple from an aristocratic family falsely accused a student from Qingteng Yayuan of theft, but he was beaten and paralyzed. In the end, the truth was revealed and he committed suicide out of fear of punishment... I heard that this incident also involved the story of the newly appointed Bai Yushi."

Zi Fei smiled and said, "It's quite interesting. Tell me in detail."

The carriage continued to move forward slowly, and gradually arrived at a remote place in the southwest of the capital. There was nothing else here, but there was a small Taoist temple.

"My lady, it seems we have arrived."

Tian'er lifted a corner of the curtain and looked out, saying softly.

Upon hearing this, Zi Fei's spirit perked up a little.

Soon, the carriage stopped at the gate of the Taoist temple. Several Taoists stood in front of the carriage, waiting respectfully. Zi Fei helped Tian Er get off the carriage with her arm. She glanced at the Taoists and smiled slightly, saying, "Are all the things ready?"

"My lady, everything is ready."

The old Taoist priest in the lead nodded and said, "They are all in the alchemy room."

"Very good." Concubine Zi smiled with satisfaction, turned to Tian'er and the group of palace maids and said, "You can walk around here, and don't disturb me."

"Yes." The palace maids bowed and responded.

Zifei stretched lazily and walked into the Taoist temple under the guidance of several Taoists.

The Taoist temple was neither big nor small. During the walk, several Taoists turned around and left, and in the end only the old Taoist who was in the lead was left.

When he and Zi Fei stood at the door of the alchemy room, the old Taoist priest suddenly turned around and bowed slightly to her: "Ziyun Zhenren, someone from Ziqi Xianfeng Temple... is here."

Zifei's eyes suddenly lit up!
"Where!" she asked.

The old Taoist chuckled, raised his whisk and pointed to the alchemy room.

Zi Fei showed an unconcealable smile on her face: "Very good, don't let anyone else in."

After saying that, she couldn't wait to push open the door and enter the alchemy room.

There was obviously a huge alchemy furnace in the alchemy room. Something was being burned in the furnace at this moment. The fire was very strong and the air was filled with fragrance.

Next to the alchemy furnace stood several women... and a man.

"Uncle Ziyun!"

Seeing her coming, the women's eyes all lit up and they all came forward to greet her. Only the man remained guarding beside the alchemy furnace, with his arms folded, looking at the furnace with interest.

This man was naturally Fu Qingzhou.

Qiu Chan told her yesterday that her uncle in the palace, that is, Zi Fei, suddenly contacted the Taoist temple under the jurisdiction of their Ziqi Xianfeng Temple, saying that he wanted to come here to make elixirs.

As for why she wanted to make the elixir, what kind of elixir she wanted to make, and why she didn't do it in the palace... the Taoist priests in the Taoist temple naturally would not ask.

So they rushed to the Taoist temple early in the morning and waited for Zifei to arrive.

Taking this opportunity, he also got to know some of Qiu Chan's fellow sisters... well... these women didn't look like Taoist nuns or would-be Taoist nuns at all. They were making a lot of noise, chattering around him, and were extremely curious about him, which annoyed him so much that his head hurt.

At this moment, Concubine Zi finally came and they were all attracted over. Fu Qingzhou finally got a moment of peace.

"Do you still know how to make alchemy?"

He asked in his mind, "What did you just say was being refined?"

The smoker laughed and said, "Aphrodisiac."

Fu Qingzhou raised his eyebrows: "I seem to understand why Concubine Zi didn't make this elixir in the palace... Tsk tsk tsk, I wonder if the emperor can withstand it..."

"This elixir is actually quite good." The smoker said leisurely, "It's not a strong medicine, but it can nourish yin and yang, strengthen the kidneys and replenish essence. This concubine is quite good to the emperor."

Fu Qingzhou smiled and said nothing more.

Because, on the other side, Qiu Chan and the others had already briefly talked to Concubine Zi.

At this time, the imperial concubine in the palace was walking through a group of young women and came slowly to Fu Qingzhou.

"This is Qianlong Fu Qingzhou?"

She chuckled and asked, "It was you who destroyed the Fanyin Temple and captured the little prince of Beiyi?"

"Fanyin Temple is courting its own destruction; Mannar is also walking into a trap, and I am just following the trend." Fu Qingzhou responded and bowed to Concubine Zi: "I am Fu Qingzhou, the humble man, meeting Her Majesty Concubine Zi."

"Haha, no need to be so polite."

Concubine Zi smiled and said, "I am not in the palace right now, so you can just call me senior."

"Yes." Fu Qingzhou raised his head and said with a smile: "Senior, we came to see you today because of an important and extremely secret matter."

"Well, I heard from Chan'er and the others."

Zi Fei turned her head and glanced at the faces of Qiu Chan and other young female disciples, and asked softly, "You, want to deal with Hui Xin of Jin Chan Temple?"

(End of this chapter)