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

The visitor was none other than Consort Guo, who was on the verge of giving birth.

When Jiang Xian heard that it was Consort Guo visiting Bihua Palace, a look of surprise crossed her face. "I thought for sure it would be Lu Ronghua." ’Doing something that offered no benefit, offended others, and only served to satisfy a sharp tongue... that was Lu Ronghua’s style.’

"After Lu Ronghua learned of your promotion to Zhaoyi, she claimed to be ill and has shut herself away,"

Chen Changzai, who went to Jianzhang Palace daily to pay her respects, had picked up some gossip. "The Lady said that Lu Ronghua’s illness might be one she never recovers from."

Mian Xia asked, "Should we send her away?"

But Jiang Xian said there was no need.

’She was going so stir-crazy from this postpartum confinement that she was more than willing to have someone to talk to.’

’If Consort Guo was here to cause trouble, Jiang Xian was confident she could send her away feeling even worse.’

Then, before Zhenqiu could even show Consort Guo in, Chen Changzai slipped in ahead of her.

Jiang Xian said, "If you have something to discuss with me, we can have Consort Guo wait outside."

"My dear sister, I’m just here to listen to you two talk. Just think of me as a kitten or a puppy and let me sit off to the side." Chen Changzai plopped down on a nearby chair, looking as if she had taken root and had no intention of leaving.

Zhenqiu looked to her mistress, waiting for her command.

"Since Chen Changzai wishes to listen, let her stay. Haven’t we opened a box of bird’s nest? Zhenqiu, share some with her, and then go invite Consort Guo in."

...

Due to her pregnancy, Consort Guo’s retinue was comparable to that of a higher-ranked concubine. Palace maids supported her on either side as she walked. Her belly hung heavy, indicating a large, well-nourished baby, yet she herself wasn’t particularly heavy. With her slender limbs, she looked just like a blood-engorged mosquito.

Seeing the grand display, Jiang Xian preemptively excused her from the usual courtesies and offered her a seat.

After thanking her, Consort Guo unabashedly scrutinized her for a moment before saying with a smile, "Sister, your complexion is so rosy. It seems you’re recovering well. There’s just a hint of anxiety in your expression. Did some careless servant displease you?"

Pregnancy brings many strange changes.

Consort Guo, for instance, had become more sensitive to smells and other people’s emotions. Relying on this sixth sense, she had rooted out two spies in her own Zhongcui Palace. This guaranteed that the Noble Consort, all the way in Jianzhang Palace, could no longer casually mention what tea she favored, which had caused her great embarrassment.

And so, on this trip to Bihua Palace, Consort Guo had sensed Gu Zhaoyi’s agitation.

She immediately connected it to the Eldest Prince being taken away to Changle Palace.

With a faint, unreadable smile, Jiang Xian parried her question. "Thanks to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, we have more restorative tonics in Bihua Palace than I could possibly finish... But the quality of the bird’s nest from the latest tribute is quite good. Has Consort Guo had any?"

’She didn’t actually believe swallow saliva had any medicinal properties.’

But since the Noble Consort believed in it and kept sending it over, Jiang Xian simply had Zhenqiu add some rock sugar to make it more palatable. In the eyes of a lady from an aristocratic family, however, this was a sacrilegious way to consume it. Consort Guo glanced at the half-covered dish of bird’s nest on the table. It had the color of unpolished rice, a sign of its superb quality. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for it. "Pure things should be enjoyed in their pure state. Bird’s nest is the epitome of purity. To add such a common ingredient, Sister, actually ruins its elegance." She paused, covering her mouth with a smile. "I suppose Sister had few opportunities to enjoy bird’s nest before entering the palace. Forgive me, I have been thoughtless."

The implication was clear: Jiang Xian had been dirt poor before entering the palace and couldn’t afford such delicacies.

’They say pregnancy makes you foolish for three years, but for her, it just made her arrogant for ten months.’

’She was so full of herself she’d lost all sense of direction. Her every word was laced with a cloying, feigned innocence, and she just had to flaunt her superior birth at every opportunity. It reminded Jiang Xian of her past life, of a male coworker who, despite living in a modern republic, acted like a landed aristocrat. He was a local who looked down on anyone from out of town, talking about "us city-center folks" with the same smug superiority as some ancient nobleman talking about his pure bloodline, as if the class system was a religion he held dear.’

’Consort Guo was making her move now because she simply couldn’t get over the fact that I, who had entered the palace in the same cohort, was now outranking her.’

’On what grounds?’

Jiang Xian smiled. "Oh, I don’t know the first thing about all that!"

Consort Guo took the bait, her condescension swelling. "What could you possibly not understand, Sister? Just ask. I will be sure to teach you everything I know."

Jiang Xian lowered her head, admiring her exquisite, jewel-encrusted armor. "All this bird’s nest, donkey-hide gelatin, and ginseng from the tributes... I have so much I couldn’t finish it if I ate it for three meals a day. They’re just common little things, really. No need to treat them like some treasure and get all particular about the proper way to eat them. Wouldn’t you say so, Chen Changzai?"

Seeing the smile freeze on Consort Guo’s face, Chen Changzai, who was sitting to the side, excitedly chimed in, "Gu Zhaoyi doesn’t even believe they do any good! She rarely eats them. I’m the one who has to coax her into having even a little."

’Ginseng and donkey-hide gelatin were fine, but she truly didn’t believe bird’s nest did a thing.’

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