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

A stern-faced Emperor was an intimidating sight.

He gripped Jiang Xian’s wrist. His dark eyes narrowed as he looked down at her, his chiseled features exuding a cold detachment, like a displeased tiger that had been disturbed and offended.

But Jiang Xian wasn’t afraid of him. With her free hand, she picked out one of the flowers she had just cut and held it out to him. "This night-blooming jasmine is the most beautiful. I wanted to pick it for you, Your Majesty."

Xie Che stared at her, stunned.

He looked a little dazed, like a cat forced onto its back by its owner, paws in the air and utterly bewildered. He still wore a sullen, angry expression, but his imposing aura had all but vanished. "You..."

"Does Your Majesty not want it?"

Jiang Xian tilted her head, looking at him.

He took the night-blooming jasmine. Any flower that could be in the Emperor’s garden was of the highest quality. This particular one had simply been growing in a spot Jiang Xian found unsatisfactory, which was why she’d snipped it... As for claiming she picked it for the Emperor because it was blooming so beautifully, that was pure improvisation.

At first, Xie Che felt an involuntary flicker of joy. But then he glanced at the other flowers in her hand and instantly realized she was messing with him again. The look in his eyes shifted several times before he finally released his grip. "I never said I didn’t want it." He summoned Liang Yuyin and had him take the flower to be dried and preserved.

Then, he asked, "And what about the rest? Did you also think they were blooming so beautifully that you wanted to pick them for me?"

Jiang Xian had cut quite a few flowers—enough to make a bouquet if she held them all together.

Seeing the Emperor’s expression, the legs of the palace attendant on duty in Xuanzhu Garden were trembling. Jiang Xian, however, smoothly stuffed all the flowers into his arms. "All my flowers are for Your Majesty. You wouldn’t refuse my heartfelt gesture, would you?"

Xie Che was so exasperated he almost laughed.

’Every tribute presented to the Emperor was of the finest quality, yet she dared to give him flowers she’d cut just to throw away. Does this woman have a heart at all?’

He deliberately refused to take them. After holding them out for a moment, Jiang Xian simply turned and handed them to Liang Yuyin. "You take these as well. Preserve them carefully. They are all tokens of my affection for the Emperor."

"..."

This was the second time today Liang Yuyin had been put on the spot by a concubine.

He stared at the bouquet, not knowing whether to accept it or not.

He hesitated for just a moment, and the Emperor shot him a glacial glare. "If Gu Zhaoyi gives them to you, then you take them."

"Yes, this servant will see to it at once."

Liang Yuyin respectfully took the flowers and left. As he went, he thought, ’Who did I offend? The Emperor didn’t say he would accept the flowers, so how could I dare take them on my own? But just for making Gu Zhaoyi hold them out a little longer, I get a glare from His Majesty.’

’Sigh, it’s not easy being a servant!’

With all the cut flowers given away, Jiang Xian’s hands were empty. Catching sight of Lu Ronghua in the corner, she asked, "Is Your Majesty going to stroll through the garden with Lu Ronghua?"

Only then did Xie Che remember someone else was there.

Lu Ronghua stepped forward at the right moment. "I went to the West Warm Pavilion to invite the Emperor to enjoy the scenery. Would Sister Zhaoyi care to join us?"

Liang Yuyin, who had returned with surprising speed, peeked at the Emperor’s face and found his thoughts easy to read this time. ’What is this? What’s going on? When did I ever agree to enjoy the scenery with her? I was in such a hurry to find Jiang Xian that I didn’t even notice Lu Ronghua had followed me. I thought she was just a messenger.’

’Ridiculous.’

But then something even more ridiculous happened. Before Xie Che could frown and dismiss Lu Ronghua, Jiang Xian actually nodded. "Then let’s go together. You two enjoy the view. I’ll just tag along. Don’t mind me."

Xie Che: "..."

Lu Ronghua: "..."

They both thought the situation was ridiculous.

Xie Che couldn’t understand how he had suddenly been assigned the task of enjoying the scenery with Lu Ronghua.

From Lu Ronghua’s perspective, though she had never received much imperial favor, she did have a connection with the Emperor. When he was still a Prince, he had been close with her father. Now that the Emperor was about to stroll with her, her invitation to Gu Zhaoyi was merely a power play. ’Couldn’t she understand that? How could she be so thick-skinned as to actually agree to come along? This is outrageous!’

"But... with Sister Zhaoyi present, how could I dare to ignore you?"

Lu Ronghua put on a delicate, wronged expression and looked pitifully at the Emperor.

"Since Gu Zhaoyi has already made the decision for me, I suppose I will go along with your wishes."

Xie Che raised an eyebrow, wanting to see just what tricks she had up her sleeve.

Jiang Xian readily agreed.

But Lu Ronghua’s face screamed one thing: she was miserable.

Xie Che had imagined the three of them strolling together, but Jiang Xian consciously fell half a step behind, maintaining a distance that was neither too far nor too close. She was actually closer to Liang Yuyin.

Lu Ronghua delightedly took the Emperor’s arm, but before two seconds had passed, he gently and discreetly pulled it away.

They had only taken a few steps before sitting down at a table and chairs under a large tree. Jiang Xian immediately asked, "Your Majesty, Lu Ronghua, what do you two think of the viewing experience here? Are there any areas for improvement?"

Lu Ronghua: "Ah? Er, the environment is very serene. As for improvements..."

She was about to elaborate when she suddenly remembered that the Emperor had commissioned this garden. How could a garden built for the Emperor have any flaws? ’Gu Zhaoyi is trying to trap me!’ she thought. She cleverly changed her tune. "It is the best garden I have ever seen. It is perfect and flawless, with no need for improvement. By asking, are you suggesting you don’t like it, Sister Zhaoyi? There are many gardens in Xihua Garden. You are free to admire other scenery."

Liang Yuyin understood. She was telling Lady Zhaoyi to get lost if she couldn’t appreciate it.

After saying it, Lu Ronghua herself felt she had gone too far. She worried that making a scene in front of the Emperor would be unseemly.

So she glanced at Gu Zhaoyi’s expression.

Gu Zhaoyi...

...was visibly delighted!

"Is that so? Does Your Majesty think so as well?" Jiang Xian looked at Xie Che. Seeing her expectant expression, his hand itched with the desire to pinch her nose, but he refrained with Lu Ronghua present. "The design and layout of Xuanzhu Garden are thoughtful. I like it very much."

’The boss had approved of her project’s results,’ making Jiang Xian genuinely happy.

The three of them strolled for a while longer, during which Jiang Xian incessantly questioned Lu Ronghua about the garden’s details, annoying her to no end. It wasn’t rare for two concubines accompanying the Emperor to vie for his attention. She had seen them fawn and flatter, but she had never seen one turn it into such a farce!

In just half an hour, she had asked at least thirty questions!

And every question was followed by a demand for more details!

’Shouldn’t you be talking to the Emperor if you’re trying to win favor? What’s the point of talking to me?’

By the thirty-second question, Lu Ronghua finally snapped. "Sister Zhaoyi, with so many things you don’t understand, can you even find any pleasure in strolling and admiring the scenery? Why be so fixated on one garden! It’s not often I get to enjoy the scenery with the Emperor, and I must say, Sister Zhaoyi, you’re rather spoiling the mood."

A thousand words could be summed up in one: Get lost.

[Host has successfully angered another concubine while accompanying the Emperor with her. Palace Fighting Points +20]

The system said, gratified: [Host’s palace fighting skills are truly superb.]

Its host was confused: [’We didn’t fight. Where was the fight?’]

Jiang Xian said, "But many parts of Xuanzhu Garden were designed for a group of three to enjoy together. That’s why I wanted to take this rare opportunity to test it out. Since Lu Ronghua also wanted to stroll through it, I thought it was perfect."

Lu Ronghua was incredulous. "How do you know that?"

Jiang Xian: "Because I designed Xuanzhu Garden!"

This was the most ridiculous thing she had heard all day.

The order to "get lost" died in Lu Ronghua’s throat. She suspected that Gu Zhaoyi’s million questions had scrambled her brains and made her mishear things.

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