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

Chapter 44: Chapter 40: Portrait of the People After the Banquet

The Emperor’s tone relaxed. He had drunk a fair amount of wine today and, feeling its warmth, was not as cold as usual. Instead, he seemed more casual and at ease. "You’ve worked hard this time, Empress. If the Noble Consort can behave herself through the New Year, I will restore her palace authority so she can help share your burdens."

"Actually, dealing with the Noble Consort is quite exhausting..."

At this, the Empress paused and found a more pleasant way to put it. "The Noble Consort has always loved to vie for favor and come out on top. If you give her sole authority over palace affairs, she will likely forget the lesson she just learned. She’ll think the Emperor is happy to indulge her nature and will revert to her old ways. It would be better to entrust some matters to Princess Consort Zhang. She is also one of the old-timers from the imperial mansion, and in all these years, I have observed that she knows her place and understands when to advance or retreat."

’With power split between the two, I can sit securely in the Judge’s seat and watch them tear each other apart.’

After a moment’s thought, the Emperor agreed to her proposal.

But he couldn’t help but smile. "Empress, when you were learning to manage a household, I suspect you mastered the art of delegating work with such grandeur!"

The Empress tucked the covers up a little higher.

’I just want to pull the covers over my head and hear nothing, but that would be improper.’

The lights in Jianzhang Palace went out, but the lamps of Yizhu Pavilion were still lit.

Because of the joyous occasion of their mistress’s promotion to Noble Lady, the palace attendants were too excited to sleep. Even the most composed Zhenqiu was radiant with joy. "Your dance was so exquisite, my lady! This servant’s eyes grew moist watching from below. What fortune have I accumulated over lifetimes to be able to serve a fairy!"

"Congratulations, my lady!"

Chen Daying was also in the main hall, looking utterly smug. "I am exceptionally clever and have always been an excellent judge of character."

Mian Xia said cheerfully, "Miss Chen has a keen eye for talent. We hope you will continue your friendship with our lady for a long, long time."

’A keen eye?’

’Exceptionally clever?’

’An excellent judge of character?’

He Xiang, who had followed Chen Daying, stood at the back. It was as if she were listening to a tale from the Arabian Nights; she was the second calmest person in Yizhu Pavilion, after Jiang Xian herself.

The palace attendants were all full of sweet talk. Jiang Xian rewarded them with silver but paid their words no mind.

Zhenqiu noticed and said with concern, "You don’t seem very happy, my lady."

Hearing her say that Jiang Xian wasn’t happy, the crowd fell silent for a moment and looked at her.

"I am happy. Of course I am. Just not to the point of ecstasy,"

Jiang Xian smiled faintly and took a sip of hot tea.

Normally, the rations of a Changzai did not include tea leaves. But the Emperor was a tea lover and had gifted her a canister during one of his visits. "I was a little happy when I first heard the Emperor was promoting me past the usual ranks," she said. "But the road ahead of me is much longer than this. I won’t take the nice words or the slander of others to heart. The same should go for all of you. Whatever the outside world says about Yizhu Pavilion, just hear it and let it go."

’The workplace is a marathon, not a sprint.’

In her actions, Jiang Xian could muster the energy of a hundred-meter dash, but her mindset was prepared for a long, drawn-out campaign.

She continued, "Now that I have received such great favor, there will only be more people who can’t resist trying to eliminate me. You must all be more careful when you are on duty from now on."

At her words, everyone felt a chill and sobered up slightly from the ecstatic joy of their mistress’s promotion to Noble Lady.

Mian Xia asked, "But the Noble Consort..."

"The Noble Consort suffered a setback from her attempt to seize power in the Forbidden Palace, and her prestige has taken a blow. Her most urgent task is to re-establish her authority within the circle of high-ranking concubines. Confronting me offers her no advantage, and besides, she isn’t confident of the outcome."

With the Noble Consort’s power, taking down a mere Noble Lady would normally be all too easy.

However, Jiang Xian currently enjoyed the Emperor’s deep favor, making the risk of dealing with her immense.

If Noble Princess Consort Rong has any sense at all, she should rein in her arrogance after this setback.

"If I were Noble Princess Consort Rong, the first thing I would do after my confinement is lifted would be to go after that group of high-ranking concubines who outrank me but are less favored."

This was Jiang Xian’s line of thinking.

In Yizhu Pavilion, Jiang Xian was the undisputed brains of the operation. This was a level of prestige she had built up through one incident after another since being assigned there, earning the heartfelt admiration and obedience of her subordinates.

This was especially true after she had gone to Zhaoyang Palace alone, without a single palace maid in tow.

The hearts of the palace maids and eunuchs were not made of iron. If not for the ban on casually burning incense in the palace, they would have felt their ancestors had truly blessed them for letting them follow such a good mistress, and they would have burned some in thanks. Mian Xia, in particular, later felt a growing regret and made a secret vow: if there was ever a next time, she had to follow her mistress, no matter what. So what if it meant being drenched and frozen in the snow by her side?

Jiang Xian could more or less understand why her palace attendants were so moved.

’Workers have to stick together.’ She wouldn’t become a traitor to the cause just because she was a boss now; she wasn’t that shameless.

Meanwhile, in Zhaoyang Palace, Noble Princess Consort Rong’s face was grim as she spoke to the person beside her.

"This Noble Lady Gu... it seems I can’t touch her for now."