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

Chapter 78: Chapter 63: Winning Over the Empress

Jianzhang Palace.

Upon hearing that the Empress had fainted, the Emperor immediately put down his documents and rushed over. He strode into the inner chamber, his expression grim, and asked, "Doctor Lin, how is the Empress?"

"Your Majesty, I have already taken the Empress’s pulse,"

Doctor Lin was a trembling old man.

After taking the Empress’s pulse, he reported to the Emperor that her constitution had never been robust. The sudden, strenuous exercise was more than she could bear, which caused her to faint. As long as she rested well, there would be no major issues. Then, he added in earnest, "If Her Majesty wishes to strengthen her body, she must do so gradually. It is crucial to avoid rushing for quick results."

The matter of the Empress’s health was of utmost importance, so Doctor Lin and the Head Imperial Physician had both taken her pulse before daring to make such a diagnosis.

Just then, the pale Empress slowly came to. "Emperor..."

Upon seeing the flash of imperial yellow, the Empress subconsciously tried to rise and pay her respects.

The Emperor immediately urged her back down. "There is no need to rise, Empress. Lie down and rest." He then looked up at the palace maids. "How do you attend to her? You actually allowed the Empress to collapse from exhaustion! Any who were not diligent in their duties shall be sent to the Imperial Prison!"

All the palace attendants in Jianzhang Palace dropped to their knees.

The Empress said, embarrassed, "It is not their fault. I wanted to follow Noble Lady Gu’s example and strengthen my body, but I overestimated my condition and caused Your Majesty to worry. I am to blame."

"Everyone’s constitution is different. Noble Lady Gu’s physique is stronger than most. You should have acted within your limits, Empress."

At this, the Empress felt even more embarrassed.

’But I did act within my limits.’

They had done the same dance routine. Jiang Xian danced for an hour and a half, while she only danced for half an hour, reducing the intensity by a full two-thirds. Besides, while Jiang Xian danced, she barely looked strained aside from breaking a sweat. She even had the energy to chat with the Empress as she moved.

’But in the end, I was the one who couldn’t take it.’

The Empress was utterly baffled. The movements seemed so simple, and it didn’t feel particularly strenuous while she was doing them. So how did she suddenly faint? The truth was, Jiang Xian had been leading her in a "Pamela" workout from a future generation. The moves seemed deceptively easy to start, and not at all tiring, but their true challenge was revealed the longer one persisted. It was the Empress’s first time, and she had both underestimated Jiang Xian’s physical fitness and overestimated her own endurance, which led to her collapse.

Under the attentive care of the palace maids, she would be fine after a couple of days’ rest.

Since the Empress was unwell, the Emperor should have stayed to keep her company. But state affairs were truly pressing, and he could only stay for a short while before having to return to Qiankun Palace. The Minister of Military Affairs was still waiting for him. He sighed. "I cannot stay long. Is there anything you desire, Empress? Tell me, and I shall grant it."

Hearing this, the Empress’s eyes lit up. "Anything?"

"An emperor does not make idle promises."

Seeing that the ever-virtuous and reserved Empress actually had something she desired, the Emperor couldn’t help but grow curious.

The next second, the Empress said, "Then please summon Noble Lady Gu to keep me company!"

"..."

In that moment, the same question that had once occurred to Chen Daying now surfaced in the Emperor’s mind.

But the Emperor was the Emperor, after all. He did not ask his question aloud, simply giving his assent and ordering Liang Yuyin to fetch Jiang Xian. He then returned to Qiankun Palace to resume his discussion of state affairs.

※

By the time Jiang Xian arrived at Jianzhang Palace, the Emperor had already left.

All the palace attendants in Jianzhang Palace had been punished over the incident, and the looks they gave her were tinged with resentment. This was especially true for Fu Jin. She didn’t resent the beating, nor the fine on her monthly silver; her heart simply ached for her mistress. "Noble Lady Gu, I must trouble you to persuade Her Majesty. Please, don’t let her impulsively try anything so dangerous again!"

Jiang Xian nodded. "Rest assured. I already have a foolproof plan for this."

Only after hearing this did Fu Jin relax and let her inside.

Jiang Xian paid her respects to the Empress, who was already sitting up. Her face was a little pale, but otherwise, she looked no different than usual. She smiled and asked, "Were you frightened, Noble Lady Gu? My body is weaker than I realized, and it seems I’ve caused you to bear a great deal of blame."

"Not entirely,"

Jiang Xian said, "Noble Princess Consort Rong, on the other hand, probably wants to thank me."

Such a disrespectful statement surprisingly made the Empress crack a smile. "My constitution isn’t actually frail. If I were truly born weak, the position of Empress would never have been mine." An Emperor’s family inevitably chooses daughters-in-law of sound health. "It’s just that since I became mistress of the Central Palace, my worries have only multiplied. My energy can no longer keep up. I’m afraid I won’t be able to endure it much longer, which is why I wanted to learn from you."

The Empress gave a bitter smile.

Jiang Xian completely understood her predicament. ’Her problem is that she’s just a normal person who needs a regular amount of sleep.’

’In her past life, in the modern world, plenty of HR departments and bosses had similarly harsh standards. They wanted to hire loners who didn’t need personal time or family activities—preferably with no elderly parents or young children—who could get by on six hours of sleep and be on call 24/7.’

’The Empress was being held to the same standard.’

’Her only fault was that she was an ordinary person.’

"Regarding this matter, I have come prepared,"

Jiang Xian explained in a mesmerizing tone as she pulled a loose-leaf notebook from her sleeve. "After I heard Your Majesty collapsed from exhaustion, I designed a gradual, body-strengthening routine that you can easily handle."

Behind Jiang Xian, Fu Jin’s eyes widened.

’So, when she said to rest assured, it wasn’t a promise to persuade the Empress to give up exercising—it was because she’d already made a new plan!’

"The Pamela routine was too much, too soon for you, Your Majesty. Given your current fitness level, Liu Genghong’s workouts would be a better choice. Once you have recovered, I will join you in strengthening your body."

"Only with a strong body can you better manage the affairs of the palace."

Jiang Xian boldly took her hand.

Jiang Xian was now using the same persuasive tone from her summer job selling gym memberships, that classic "Interested in a fitness plan?" pitch. Her ’Fan Filter’ was on full blast, and the Empress was moved. "That may be true, but after today, I already want to give up..."

’Managing palace affairs is exhausting, and exercising is exhausting too.’

’The Empress just wanted to give up on it all!’

"How could you possibly give up?"

Jiang Xian saw the Empress as her female boss in the harem. It was like that old joke: ’Your loyal subjects are ready to work overtime, so why is Your Majesty sneaking off early?’ Naturally, she had to drag her boss into the grind with her. If the Empress pulled herself together, took back the palace duties that had been delegated to Noble Princess Consort Rong, and solidified her own power, it would benefit Jiang Xian immensely. "Once you get used to exercising, Your Majesty, you’ll fall in love with the feeling. You’ll discover that tasks you once found exhausting have become effortless."

’A true master of the grind even motivates their own boss.’

The Empress was skeptical. "The routine I did today... will that also become easy?"

"Yes. Once you’re accustomed to it, you’ll even grow to love managing the affairs of the palace."

This was a path the Empress had never imagined.

After all, to her, palace authority was a responsibility, a daily torment she had to endure. And now, someone was actually telling her that if she just exercised hard enough, she would come to... love her job?

’System,’ Jiang Xian thought, ’do you have any mind-persuading Golden Fingers I can exchange for?’

The system replied, ’I do, but that shouldn’t be used on the Empress.’

’To capture the bandits, you must first capture their leader,’ Jiang Xian retorted. ’Before I win over the Emperor, I have to win over the Emperor’s woman. The currents of the harem run deep; this is beyond your grasp. Just listen to me.’