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

Chapter 59: Chapter 49: Little Pitiful Halo

At the same time, she found what she was looking for in the single-use consumables category.

[Name]: The Vapors

[Type]: Single-use Consumable

[Function]: After use, the host can exhibit a hyper-realistic sickly state for a one-hour duration.

[Note]: While you appear sick, it does not diminish your beauty. An Imperial Physician will only be able to diagnose you with a heart weighed down by sorrow or a fit of extreme agitation.

At the same time, she asked the system, ’I want a sickly Beauty. Are there any recommendations in the Blame Template category?’

The system recommended two.

One was Xi Shi, the other was Lin Daiyu.

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Xian chose Xi Shi.

’Both are intelligent, sickly Beauties, but Xi Shi endured humiliation for a greater purpose. She was offered by Gou Jian to King Fu Chai of Wu, and she proceeded to throw his harem into chaos, luring him into an obsession with her beauty and causing him to neglect his courtly duties. Clearly, she had some talent for palace intrigue. Lin Daiyu, however, was far too proud. A single line from her poetry—"From purity I came, to purity I shall return"—is enough to know that while Lin is a Beauty, she would disdain using her own frailty to curry favor with anyone.’

’In terms of personality, she’s even more defiant than Ye Lanyi.’

’It’s just that her constitution couldn’t keep up.’

Only after purchasing Xi Shi’s Blame Template did Jiang Xian feel she had a solid plan. In her past life, she had been exceptionally healthy, falling ill fewer than five times in over twenty years. She had absolutely no experience faking sickness.

Where acting failed, her Golden Finger would prevail.

After finishing her preparations, Jiang Xian’s face suddenly turned deathly pale, startling Chen Daying. "My dear sister, you look even worse than I do! I won’t disturb you. Mian Xia, see that your mistress gets some proper rest."

Jiang Xian shook her head. "You stay here. Mian Xia, go and request an audience with the Emperor. Beg him to summon an Imperial Physician for me. Tell him that I’m feeling a bit unwell but am unwilling to trouble the Imperial Physician. Say that you were worried I would ruin my health, so in your desperation, you went straight to the Emperor for help."

’Mian Xia is my personal palace maid, so Liang Yuyin should recognize her. He’ll probably agree to announce her arrival.’

"You won’t be idle either," Jiang Xian mused, then instructed He Xiang, "When the Emperor arrives... just press down hard on your mistress’s knees and make her cry."

"Huh?"

Chen Daying was dumbfounded.

After a moment, she came to her senses. "Wait, you’re bringing the Emperor here for my sake? You can’t! There’s no need! So what if I knelt for an hour? It’s just a superficial injury." As she spoke, the realization that Jiang Xian was willing to take such a risk for her moved her so deeply she wanted to become sworn sisters with her on the spot.

Jiang Xian shook her head.

"I know you’re touched, but don’t be. I’m using your injury to win the Emperor’s favor."

It took a moment for Chen Daying to process this. She didn’t mind being used—’it means I’m useful!’ She only pleaded, "I can cry on my own! Please don’t press on my knees, I’m scared of the pain."

"Then you’d better try your best. In short, when the Emperor arrives at Yizhu Pavilion, I want him to walk into a scene of utter gloom and misery."

After hearing this, Chen Daying’s eyes did indeed begin to well up with tears.

When Mian Xia went to Weiyang Palace to request an audience with the Emperor, Liang Yuyin saw that she was from Yizhu Pavilion and, just as Jiang Xian predicted, made things easy for her by announcing her arrival.

When the Emperor heard that a palace maid from Yizhu Pavilion was requesting an audience, he had her brought in.

Upon hearing that Jiang Xian was feeling unwell but refused to see an Imperial Physician, he immediately set out to see her. Of course, she would never have received such treatment if the Emperor had been busy; Jiang Xian had checked on his schedule beforehand and knew he was resting, which was why she dared to take such a risky gamble.

But right before the Emperor reached Yizhu Pavilion, Chen Daying still hadn’t managed to squeeze out any tears.

It seems being too optimistic can really mess things up.

Jiang Xian and He Xiang each took one of her bruised knees and pressed down. Chen Daying let out a sharp yelp, and tears immediately started streaming down her face.

Worried about his beloved concubine, the Emperor didn’t even wait for the Palace Attendants to finish their greetings before striding directly into the inner chamber.

Well before the Emperor stepped through the door, Jiang Xian had already activated her Little Pitiful Halo and cranked the effect to the maximum.

The moment the Emperor walked in, he saw the pair: one silently weeping, the other deathly pale. It was a truly pitiful sight.