Hustle Queen in the Harem: My Consort Won't Stop Grinding

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Surround Stereo Sound

As a career-focused King Juan, Jiang Xian spent every spare moment studying for certifications.

She rarely scrolled through short-form videos on social media. But thanks to a coworker who always played them on speaker and occasionally dragged her in to watch a few, she’d absorbed some popular internet memes by osmosis, like "It’s that time again, time to get emo."

Among them, "Mercury Record" and "Alaska Bay" were the king and queen of emo anthems.

The former didn’t fit the current situation.

The latter had a line that was perfect for this very moment.

With her Little Pitiful Halo active and the Fan Filter cranked to the max, the sight of Jiang Xian entering the Emperor’s view made the world itself seem to fade. She completely overshadowed Ma Wanyi, who stood beside her batting her eyes so hard they were about to cramp. Delicate snowflakes dusted her lashes, and her normally cunning, fox-like eyes now gazed at him with heart-wrenching pity, as if she had suffered some terrible injustice.

At this moment, a piece of music popped into the Emperor’s mind.

Surround sound, Dolby audio.

"Alaska Bay" began to play.

It was a celestial melody the likes of which the Emperor had never heard. The lyric, "Oh, heavens, are you watching and laughing in secret?" was followed by, "Knowing full well I still lack the power to protect her." As his gaze fell upon Jiang Xian’s profile, the song struck a chord deep in his heart.

Background music is extremely important for setting the mood.

A good score can turn a mediocre plot into something magical.

The Emperor didn’t even wait for the Noble Consort to finish her curtsy. He frowned and demanded, "Rise. What exactly did Shu Changzai do to deserve standing in the heavy snow for half an hour?"

He had originally intended to just check on the situation and get Jiang Xian out of Zhaoyang Palace.

Now that the BGM had started, his pity magnified from a three out of ten to a seven.

’Just think,’ he mused. ’The ones who came to the imperial court for help were not only Shu Changzai’s palace maid but also another concubine, Chen Daying. For a fellow concubine to cast aside her pride and risk My displeasure to save her, it just shows how kind Shu Changzai must be, and how well-liked she is.’

’It must be the Noble Consort, with her intolerant nature.’

"Your Majesty, I..."

Seeing the Emperor’s genuine anger, Noble Princess Consort Rong had no choice but to find a scapegoat. "A servant neglected to announce her. I had no idea Shu Changzai was waiting outside for so long; I simply assumed she was delayed on the way. I thought that with such heavy snow, if no one invited her in, she would surely ask someone to announce her presence."

The implication was that Jiang Xian had deliberately used a self-pity ploy to frame the Noble Consort.

"Shu Changzai, you tell me what happened."

Jiang Xian’s eyes were red. "Qiu Yun delivered a message from the Lady, summoning me. I came to Zhaoyang Palace, but after Qiu Yun went inside to announce me, she never returned. Half an hour passed before a little eunuch finally called me in. The Lady said... it was because Sister Ma Wanyi had kept her occupied in conversation, and she simply forgot about me."

’Their stories don’t match.’

’In his heart, the Emperor believed Jiang Xian. This little one might be a bit of a schemer, but she was always honest with me and relied on me completely.’

He glanced at the Noble Consort again.

When the Noble Consort saw the Emperor question Jiang Xian right after her, her heart filled with extreme hatred. ’What a slut, daring to bad-mouth me to the Emperor right in my face. She’s got some nerve.’

She failed to conceal her expression. The Emperor sighed inwardly and asked Ma Wanyi, "You, tell your side."

Ma Wanyi, having been called out, was a little stunned.

’To be fair, I was just summoned by the Noble Consort this morning to shower her with flattery. It wasn’t my idea to call Shu Changzai over to be tormented, and leaving her outside had even less to do with me—this is Zhaoyang Palace, the Noble Consort’s territory. Would I dare overstep the Noble Consort and call someone in? Do I have keys to Zhaoyang Palace? How many keys could I possibly get made?’

In her panic, she stopped batting her eyes, and her voice trembled. "I... I..."

’I’m just here to watch the drama!’

Ma Wanyi didn’t dare to say that. She forced herself to say, "I was having a very pleasant conversation with Sister-in-law."

The Emperor glanced at Doctor Qi, who was kneeling to the side. "Have you examined Shu Changzai?"

"Your Majesty, Shu Changzai’s pulse is steady and strong. In my opinion, there are no symptoms of having caught a chill, nor are there signs of excessive internal heat."

With the Emperor’s arrival, Doctor Qi was both terrified and relieved.

After all, since the Emperor himself was asking, he could tell the truth without offending the Noble Consort.

Hearing that Shu Changzai was fine, the Emperor’s expression softened. "Since there’s nothing seriously wrong, there’s no need to remove her nameplate."

’She’s really not hurt?’

The Noble Consort couldn’t believe it. She stared daggers at Jiang Xian, because she distinctly remembered the burning hot sensation when she had touched her. Her own hand couldn’t be lying.

Then a thought struck her, and she curtsied. "It must be the protection of Your Majesty’s draconic aura. I was just terribly worried myself, fearing that if Shu Changzai caught a chill, it would be my fault. Today, I only invited Shu Changzai to admire the snow because the Empress had excused us from morning greetings. I did not expect to cause her this unforeseen trouble, and I am deeply uneasy about it."

The Noble Consort was no stranger to suppressing other concubines.

When her schemes were exposed, she would feign weakness, and the Emperor usually wouldn’t do much to her. Her rank and their shared history were always there to protect her.

But today was different. Today, "Knowing full well I still lack the power to protect her" was playing on a loop in his imperial brain... ’The pain! It’s too much! I, the ruler of all under heaven, can’t even protect one vulnerable woman?’ The Emperor, picking up on her words, said, "Since you have asked for punishment, I will grant your wish. You are fined two months’ salary and will reflect on your actions in confinement for one month. You are not to leave Zhaoyang Palace unless it is for an urgent matter, and you should also stop inviting unfamiliar concubines over for company. Ma Wanyi, you are close to the Noble Consort, yet you failed to advise her against this. You are fined one month’s salary. The two of you will copy the Palace Rules for seven days and submit them to the Empress for inspection."

Having dispensed justice, the Emperor finally felt a bit better.

But the pain didn’t disappear; it merely transferred from Shu Changzai to Noble Princess Consort Rong. The Noble Consort was in real pain, and she was truly humiliated. She had thought that by acting weak, the Emperor would let the matter drop, but she never expected him to actually embarrass her so publicly. She was instantly mortified.

The Noble Consort knew she couldn’t crush Jiang Xian in one go.

She just wanted to put her in her place.

Who could blame her? Jiang Xian was as slippery as a loach. Every time after paying respects at Jianzhang Palace, before the Noble Consort could even set the stage with her lines, she would have already grabbed Chen Daying and fled. This time, she had finally managed to catch her, only to be outplayed.

The fine didn’t matter; the Noble Consort wasn’t short on money.

The confinement was also acceptable; it meant she wouldn’t have to go and pay respects to the Empress.

But being forced to copy texts, and then having that lazy good-for-nothing Chu Siyun inspect them—that was what really hit the Noble Consort’s sore spot.

’That Chu Siyun... she was probably in cahoots with Shu Changzai from the beginning, deliberately setting a trap for me.’

Furious, Noble Princess Consort Rong shot her a sideways glare.

Jiang Xian let out a deliberately theatrical "Ah!" and leaned against the Emperor. "Emperor, Sister-in-law is glaring at me!"