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

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Great Hero-Level Qinggong

Meanwhile, outside Yizhu Pavilion.

Though Consort Guo cursed Jiang Xian’s name, she was also dying to know what gift the Emperor’s favorite was preparing for the Longevity Festival. So, she sent her palace maid, Xingzi, to Yizhu Pavilion with some Silver Tael to gather intelligence.

As the daughter of a second-rank official, Consort Guo had brought a great deal of Silver Tael into the palace, and she wasn’t shy about spending it.

Xingzi spotted a eunuch emerge from Yizhu Pavilion to sweep fallen leaves. She casually strolled over. "Little Yangzi, don’t you normally wait on Shu Changzai? Why are you out here sweeping?"

No matter how favored Jiang Xian was, she was still just a Changzai. She didn’t have many Palace Attendants, so they had to do all sorts of menial tasks. Xingzi’s question was clearly just an excuse to strike up a conversation.

"It’s my turn on duty today," Little Yangzi said in a meek voice. "It’s been a while, Xingzi. What brings you over here?"

When Palace Attendants were assigned to the newly arrived concubines, Yizhu Pavilion was the "cold stove" everyone scrambled to avoid. In contrast, Zhongcui Palace—home to Consort Guo, the highest-ranking of the new arrivals—was the "hot stove" that everyone spent silver and offered smiles to get assigned to. Xingzi had landed this plum job thanks to some connections in the Imperial Household. In the past, Little Yangzi wouldn’t have dared utter a word in her presence.

"I won’t beat around the bush. Do you know what gift Shu Changzai is preparing for the Longevity Festival?"

"Well..."

Seeing Little Yangzi’s hesitation, Xingzi knew her gambit would work. Little Yangzi said, "Xingzi, it’s not that this servant intends to hide anything, but Shu Changzai treats us servants so well, like our own parents..."

"Enough with the pleasantries," Xingzi interrupted impatiently. "Eunuchs don’t get to talk about parents!"

"You misunderstand, Xingzi,"

Little Yangzi said, "Betraying a parent-like benefactor... well, that costs extra."

Xingzi understood. She had originally planned to skim some of the Silver Tael Consort Guo gave her for herself, but seeing Little Yangzi’s greedy face, she realized he couldn’t be fobbed off so easily! Still, she managed to buy some concrete information from him: "The Emperor sent a female instructor from the Music Bureau to Yizhu Pavilion to teach the two young mistresses how to dance, so they can perform at the Longevity Festival."

When Xingzi heard this, she thought, ’This makes things even easier.’

Two people practicing the same dance... The side hall wasn’t as secure as the main hall. There were places people couldn’t enter, but one could still peek in. With a little effort, the dance Shu Changzai was practicing would be in Consort Guo’s hands!

Having completed her task, Xingzi left, satisfied.

What she didn’t know was that this piece of intelligence was available for any palace maid or eunuch from Yizhu Pavilion to sell. They just had to give half of the proceeds to their young mistress.

Inside the main hall, after listening to Mian Xia’s report, Chen Daying was stunned. "You’re just letting your servants sell you out? Aren’t you going to establish your authority?"

Jiang Xian just laughed. "Managing servants is all about balancing kindness and authority. This is the ’kindness’ I’m bestowing upon them. The only difference is that the money comes from the purses of the other concubines." ’It saves me the trouble of paying out rewards. A worker understands the capitalist mindset.’

"And the ’authority’?"

Jiang Xian replied, "The disobedient ones will have to join me for extra training sessions."

Chen Daying recalled when she first entered the palace and saw Mrs.Jiang leading her palace maids and eunuchs on a run around Yizhu Pavilion in the middle of the night. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. Since the mistress was doing it too, it couldn’t be considered corporal punishment—just a healthy exercise routine with her Palace Attendants.

With the Concubines of the various palaces showing unprecedented interest in Yizhu Pavilion, Jiang Xian also took the opportunity to make a hefty profit, filling her pockets.

Her Palace Attendants became even more convinced of her abilities.

A cruel master inspires fear and resentment. A lenient master inspires admiration and laziness.

Only a clever master inspires the heartfelt, willing, and long-lasting loyalty of her followers.

Now that she was in on the secret, Chen Daying didn’t mind helping with the cover-up.

And so, two days passed. Everyone in the Six Palaces knew that Shu Changzai was preparing a dance—the most basic, entry-level beginner’s dance. According to the spy eunuchs’ observations, Chen Daying’s practice was an unsightly mess.

"I heard they’re practicing the simplest dance."

"Haha, even the Dancing Girls from the Inner Music Bureau don’t bother with that one anymore."

"With a dance like that, even if Shu Changzai performs it perfectly, it’s not going to be very impressive."

"I heard Chen Daying is all left feet when she dances, completely clumsy."

Just as Chen Daying heard this last rumor, the extra meal that Jiang Xian had personally paid for and ordered for her from the Imperial Kitchen arrived at the side hall. With a full stomach, the "human shield" calmed down.

Naturally, such rumors also reached the Emperor’s ears.

When he heard that the dance Shu Changzai and Chen Daying were practicing was exceedingly simple and unremarkable, his smile faded a little.

But then he remembered the hardships he’d seen Shu Changzai endure at Yizhu Pavilion.

’Forget it,’

The Emperor commanded, "Bring me the name plates of the newly entered concubines."

The Longevity Festival was approaching, and his mother was about to make an appearance.

If he kept lingering at Yizhu Pavilion, once the Empress Dowager came out, he would get a lecture from his mother, and the little one would get into trouble too.

The Emperor stopped exclusively favoring Shu Changzai, so the buzz around Jiang Xian died down a bit. Everyone’s focus shifted to the Longevity Festival, which was ten days away.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xian had finally practiced the [Qinggong] from her system to the Hero Level.

[Name]: Qinggong

[Type]: Course

[Function]: Allows one to leap onto a tree from a standstill and run up walls and across rooftops with ease. At Hero Level, one can inhale and exhale to become as light as a swallow. At gang leader level, one can walk on water.

[Note]: A course borrowed from the neighboring Martial Arts System. The other system was very confused: "Wait, so your ’palace struggle’ is a *physical* struggle?"

After mastering Qinggong to the Hero Level, Jiang Xian could make herself as light as a swallow simply by inhaling, exhaling, and circulating her Inner Strength beforehand. She could even attempt the Palm Dance of Zhao Feiyan.

However, the Palm Dance was a private entertainment for the bedchamber, not suitable for presentation at the Longevity Festival.

She had demonstrated it once for Chen Daying during a private practice session.

After watching her finish the dance, Chen Daying squatted down and covered her face with her hands.

He Xiang asked with concern, "What’s wrong, my lady?"

"I’m so embarrassed... When I think about how everyone in the Six Palaces is saying I’m learning the same dance as Sister Shu..."