"I don't want you to help me leave the palace. If you truly wish to repay me, it would be better to help me win the Emperor's favor and become a noble consort or Empress..."
The Fox Immortal gave a curious glance at the woman before him and finally nodded, saying, "Very well, but if I help you fulfill your wish, consider my debt to you settled, and I shall not come to see you again."
From that moment on, the palace beauty Xue suddenly possessed an enchanting fragrance. One day, as the Emperor passed by Yikun Palace, he was struck by a peculiar and exotic scent, akin to the fragrance of flowers, yet more profound and captivating.
The Emperor followed the scent and eventually discovered Lady Xue surrounded by a swarm of butterflies in the back garden.
The Emperor asked Lady Xue why she had such a fragrance, to which she smiled gently and said, "Since my youth, I have had a natural fragrance. Without need for scented powders, butterflies have always gathered around, perhaps mistaking me for a flower on a branch."
"A flower? Hahaha!"
"Then today I shall pluck this delicate blossom!"
After this, the Emperor would visit Lady Xue to spend the night nearly every few days. In just a month, Lady Xue rapidly rose through the ranks to become Consort Xiang.
This day, the blue-furred fox came again to Consort Xiang's chamber.
"So, now that you have become the favored consort of the Emperor, I have kept my word."
Having received the Emperor's favor, Consort Xiang now had a beauty fully apparent, her every glance alluring.
"I must thank Mr. Fox." She took a teacup to offer tea to the Fox Immortal, who declined, saying, "I am not a male fox. Do not call me 'Mr. Fox,' and besides, I have repaid my debt to you. As agreed, I will not come to see you again."
Hearing this, Consort Xiang hurriedly spoke up, "My gratitude to the Fox Immortal is a life-saving debt. If Fox Immortal is truly sincere in repaying, merely helping me become a consort is not enough..."
Seeing the Fox Immortal staring intently at her, Consort Xiang raised her head even higher.
She said confidently, "Fox Immortal must help me ascend to the position of a nation's mother before leaving, or it would be ungrateful."
The blue-furred fox widened its eyes, looking at this shameless human, but finally, it relented, saying, "Humans have a fate. Your position as a consort was your destiny. I merely sped it up by a few years with a gust of wind, but you may not be destined to become Empress."
Saying so, the blue-furred fox stood upright, extended a paw, and started calculating.
After a few moments, the fox spoke, "You cannot bear the position of a nation's mother. I cannot assist you in this matter."
Consort Xiang's face immediately changed, "I don't believe you. You are the Fox Immortal and have magical power. How can you not help me? Do not forget, I am your savior..."
The Fox Immortal looked at Consort Xiang, pondered for a moment, and said, "I can give you a hint. If you are determined to strive for it, you might become Empress, but you must bear the consequent price yourself."
Hearing this, Consort Xiang's eyes lit up, and she automatically ignored the mentioned price and backlash.
"To become a nation's mother, you must first acquire the essence of the imperial fortune. If you can give birth to an Emperor's son before the Empress does, you naturally have a chance to become a nation's mother."
Before Consort Xiang could revel in her joy, the blue-furred fox spoke again, "However, if you first give birth to an Emperor's son, there will inevitably be calamities in the future. Let me give you another piece of advice: if you encounter difficulties, you may burn incense and pray, hang the portrait of Yu Qian, a virtuous official from the former dynasty, and recite the Ode to Integrity, which will naturally invoke divine power to alleviate your worries."
Consort Xiang was overjoyed, but when she wanted to express her gratitude, the Fox Immortal had already vanished before her eyes.
Only from outside the window came the voice of the Fox Immortal—
"I have repaid my debt to you, and I will not come to see you again. Take care of yourself."
After the Fox Immortal's departure, Consort Xiang devised ways daily to gain the Emperor's favor, never repeating any technique when serving him at night!
In all, Xu Qing was greatly astonished.
About two months later, just as the inner circle of the Empress's relatives and the key ministers of the court were preparing to petition the Emperor to restrain his indulgence in songs and colors, news spread in the palace that Consort Xiang was pregnant.
After ten months of pregnancy, Consort Xiang gave birth to a son, while on the Empress's side, there remained only one daughter, and no further royal sons were born.
Consort Xiang's influence grew, and within the Three Palaces and Six Courtyards, she had quietly surpassed the Empress, becoming the most prominent favorite.
However, just as Consort Xiang was becoming overly complacent, strange phenomena began to occur in Consort Xiang's chambers, with many palace maids and eunuchs claiming to see ghostly figures flitting about, and in the dead of night, there were often murmurs and whispers, sometimes sharp scolding, sometimes laughter, and sometimes sobbing coming from Consort Xiang's sleeping quarters.
Rumors spread that Consort Xiang was transformed by a demon, and her unusual fragrance was the evidence.
As for what kind of demon, some said it was a butterfly demon, others a flower demon, and even some suggested she was a ghost of a concubine who had thrown herself into a well in the former dynasty.
Consequently, the child born to Consort Xiang was also viewed through a lens of misfortune.
For two consecutive months, the Emperor did not spend the night at Consort Xiang's place, and the Prince, who should have been the Crown Prince, was sent to be raised by the Empress Dowager, during which the Empress Dowager even invited a Celestial Master from the Celestial Master's Mansion to hold an exorcism ceremony.
The Celestial Master plainly stated that indeed there was a dark entity causing turmoil in the palace, located precisely in Consort Xiang's dwelling.
But the Celestial Master, citing the inappropriateness of venturing into the inner sanctum of the palace, refused to enter Consort Xiang's chambers to investigate further.
Consort Xiang was anxious day and night. One afternoon during a nap, she had a nightmare, waking up drenched in sweat, soaking her mattress.
Consort Xiang intended to call a palace maid to clean up, but called three times with no response.
Angered, Consort Xiang reached out and lifted the bedding, uncovering the mat beneath as well.
Right then, she saw a white-haired tortoise bound with a red string appear within the bedding.