My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

Clad in palace attire, even though the plain green fabric muted her natural allure as a courtesan, she still could scarcely believe that one day she would don the garments of the palace.

Snow had fallen in the Capital City, fine white blossoms scattered gently, the distant snow-covered peaks looming faintly beneath the oppressive, dark sky. Not far from the lakeshore stood a modest pavilion reserved for leisure and viewing, its columns coated in vermilion lacquer.

The lamps inside were lit, while palace attendants clad in red and green strolled about outside; from the vantage point of the second floor, their movements looked like a procession of jubilant koi fish. Palace maids carried a few dishes upstairs, followed by an elderly matron dressed in plain and coarse garments. She held a crimson-glazed porcelain flask. Min Ming merely had to glance at it to imagine the thick, fragrant aroma of fine wine within.

An imposingly elegant lady of the palace lounged diagonally against the soft couch. If not for her insistence that Min Ming remain seated, Min Ming might have already knelt submissively before her. Even seated now, she fidgeted uneasily, her head bowed so low it nearly buried itself in the folds of her garments.

One palace maid poured the fragrant yet understated "Exquisite Brew" from the crimson flask into a pitcher. She warmed it gently over the iron-meshed brazier, while another maid arranged four white jade wine cups. Before long, wine was poured into two of the cups—one presented to the Empress Dowager and, after her dismissal with a wave, the other carried to Min Ming.

Min Ming, like sitting on needles, accepted the cup but dared not take even a sip.

"What's wrong? Afraid there's poison in the wine, that it's a cup of lethal draught?"

The Empress Dowager's voice was languid and idle, teasing yet not fully teasing—leaving Min Ming uncertain of her intent.

"How could this humble girl dare to speculate at His Majesty's kind intention…" Min Ming's voice trembled, her lips curling into what looked like a bitter smile.

"Then why haven't you drunk?" The Empress Dowager chuckled. "Or are you implying the 'Exquisite Brew' in this palace pales compared to the flower wine at Baihua Building?"

Min Ming froze in fear, gritting her teeth and gathering her nerve. She carefully lifted the cup to her lips and drank it all in measured gulps.

Nervously, a drop of clear wine escaped from her lips, gliding down her neck and slipping beneath the palace attire, soaking into her chest. Min Ming shivered faintly.

The Empress Dowager watched the path of that wine droplet, a faint and ambiguous smile rising to her lips. This courtesan, if nothing else, truly lived up to the word "voluptuous"—even her neck exuded a soft, alluring vulnerability.

Turning away, the Empress Dowager no longer looked at Min Ming, allowing the latter an exhale of relief. Staring at the faint snowfall through candlelight, she suddenly asked:

"Were you not Chen Yi's concubine? How could you have returned to Baihua Building again?"

Upon hearing the question, Min Ming, who had just relaxed, felt her throat tighten once more. She glimpsed the quiet, unmoving elderly matron, standing as still as a statue, and immediately understood.

She remembered when the matron led troops to raid Wuyong Building, entering Chen Yi's courtyard. At that time, Chen Yi had claimed she was his concubine as a cover.

Evidently, the matron had recognized her and informed the Empress Dowager of the full details.

Under such circumstances, concealment was pointless. Min Ming could only lower her head and reply: "To Her Majesty… this humble girl was indeed gifted to Chen Qianhu by Wuyong Building as a personal chambermaid… Yet due to unforeseen complications, I did not reside in his quarters but remained at Baihua Building, though exclusively at Chen Qianhu's service."

From nearby came the dignitary's soft laugh. "Wuyong Building knows how to handle matters. One wonders how many times schemes like this have been repeated."

Min Ming fell silent. She naturally understood what the Empress Dowager meant—Wuyong Building, operating brothels and entertainment houses across the Capital City, often fostered connections with high-ranking officials by luring them with courtesans. They'd then find excuses to keep the courtesans confined to the brothels, untouched by others, and well cared for, thus establishing binding ties.

The Empress Dowager's gaze lingered on the drifting snow outside, her thoughts seemingly elsewhere as she murmured:

"Tell me, why do girls like that snow seem to captivate him so?"

Min Ming naturally understood who the question concerned. She had probed around through Min Ning before regarding the concubine's identity. Now she hesitated for quite a while, unsure how to respond. Seeing the Empress Dowager's phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, she hastily replied:

"Perhaps, because the girl is a beauty."

"And you're not a beauty?" The Empress Dowager's gaze shifted toward her, a smile inquiring yet sharpened.

Min Ming struggled to answer. To affirm would risk being accused of arrogance; to deny might provoke the charge of dishonesty toward royalty.

Seeing her skittish indecision, the Empress Dowager remarked coldly: "Three days in the palace, and you've yet to understand—I would rather have simple, honest souls than pretentious cunning ones?"

Min Ming hurried to reply: "To Her Majesty, this humble girl would say she counts as one."

"You either count or you don't. What vagueness is 'would say she counts'—are you trying to deceive me?"

"I… I count as a beauty." Min Ming, faced with the sudden pressure, was nearly crushed, her shoulders trembling, her entire form almost bowing deeply.

Soon after, she heard the Empress Dowager utter a satisfied "hm." Thinking the matter was resolved, Min Ming was caught off guard when the Empress Dowager added:

"You do not count."

Min Ming froze momentarily, daring not to reply.

Taking a sip of wine, the Empress Dowager reclined against the couch leisurely, saying: "In this world, beauties are never judged merely by appearance, but also by their tales and status. Consider Wang Zhaojun crossing into exile or Bao Si causing a kingdom's downfall—for all their allure, if they cannot truly move nations or topple cities, they are no more than ordinary beings."

The brazier bubbled with wine as the Empress Dowager pontificated on beauties. Min Ming's face grew dim—hailing from a brothel, of lowly birth, she naturally grasped the deeper implications behind the Empress Dowager's words.

"A fallen princess, no matter if her features fall short by a margin, still far surpasses any courtesan in a brothel. Besides, you might win in figure, but in face, you fall slightly short."

The Empress Dowager's phoenix gaze shifted to Min Ming, her tone unhurried: "Am I wrong?"

"…Her Majesty is correct," Min Ming replied softly.

She turned her face slightly aside, catching glimpses of the drifting snow outside.

Whether it was the Empress Dowager or Chen Yi, both had overtly and covertly expressed that her once-prized beauty was, in truth, of little worth.

A courtesan in palace attire, her expression bleak.

For three to four days since being summoned into the palace by the Empress Dowager, aside from the initial mention in Jingren Palace of a matter that would lead to Chen Yi's demise, the Empress Dowager had met with her repeatedly without elaborating further, instead conversing about topics seemingly trivial, such as today's.

When Min Ming came back to herself, she faced those commanding phoenix eyes once more.

"If I were to have that princess adopted into the Prince Mansion to absolve her of criminal status and name her a Commandery Princess, don't you think that would better emphasize the gulf between you and her—as vast as clouds and mud?"

The Empress Dowager's voice drifted softly to Min Ming's ears.

Startled, Min Ming promptly bowed her head and said: "This humble girl dares not comment."

"But you must comment," the Empress Dowager sneered coldly. "Having observed you these past days, your spineless compliance is utterly stagnant—like a pool of dead water. What man would favor a lifeless pool? Min Ming, I'll speak plainly today: the palace requires you, to make you his instrument. Should you continue this way and spoil palace plans, the consequences will be unkind..."