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

"Get up. Sit down and speak."

In the presence of others, Xie Che was adept at controlling his emotions.

Although the palace attendants and Prince Xie knew he had just thrown a fit, his expression was as spotless as the newly cleaned floor, leaving no hint of his earlier anger.

Only the slight rasp in his voice betrayed the fiery outburst that had just passed.

After Prince Xie was seated, the Emperor took a seat as well. When he spoke again, even that last ember of anger had vanished. Xie Che began with official business—the initial stages of the cowpox inoculations had been handled by the Rong Family. Now that the method was proven effective, it certainly couldn’t be left entirely in the hands of a family with a different surname.

"For Your Majesty to entrust such an important matter to me, I am deeply honored." Prince Xie’s tone shifted. "However, I only hold a sinecure at court. How could I possibly be capable of such a great responsibility? Being punished for failure is a small matter, but I fear I might impede Your Majesty’s grand plans."

He casually named several high-ranking court officials, his lips curling into a subtle smile. "Letting Lord Guo atone for his mistakes is another option. I’m sure he wouldn’t dare act so presumptuously again anytime soon."

"I’ve considered all the candidates you mentioned. There’s just one problem,"

Xie Che paused. "None of them are named Xie."

’Just how important was a surname?’

If the Rong Family were to perform this good deed, then no matter how much they proclaimed their loyalty to the throne, the common people would remember that it was the Rongs who had done something great for the nation. The current General Yun Hui and his son both served Yan Chi faithfully, one at court and the other on the battlefield. Their loyalty was clear, but the same could not be said for the next generation of the Rong Family.

No matter how much Xie Che trusted the Rong Family, he could never tolerate another name gaining enough prestige to challenge the throne’s authority.

But if Prince Xie were to do it, the credit could be directed back to the Royal Family with a bit of maneuvering. Although the Emperor wasn’t keen on his brother gaining too much personal prestige, in the eyes of the common folk, all royal nobles named Xie were one and the same.

Prince Xie froze.

He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Xie Che said casually, "No need to wrack your brain. Any other Xie is either incapable of the task or I’d have to dig them out of their graves to employ them."

Prince Xie threw up his hands in feigned defeat. "Well then, I have only one suggestion."

"Speak."

"Have Guo Ruikuo change his surname to Xie."

Nearby, a cold sweat broke out on Liang Yuyin’s brow.

’How can His Highness be so audacious!’

Xie Che raised an eyebrow and laughed heartily. "Daring to joke with me... that’s a good start. Come, bring a jug of fine wine. Let the two of us have a proper brotherly talk."

"This servant understands."

Before leaving, Liang Yuyin glanced back repeatedly, scrutinizing the Emperor’s expression. He needed to be sure His Majesty truly wanted a jug of fine wine, and not a jug of poison to "beautifully" send the Prince on his way.

After the fine wine was served, Prince Xie eyed the two cups on the table. "Pardon the trouble, Mr. Liang, but could you bring one more cup and a pot of Pu’er tea?"

After receiving the Emperor’s silent consent, another cup and a teapot were added to the table.

Prince Xie filled all three cups. He then gently pushed the one filled with tea toward the screen. "It must be terribly boring for the Empress Dowager to only listen from behind the screen. Since Your Majesty doesn’t treat me as an outsider, I’ll take the liberty of inviting Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, to come out and join us."

The current Empress Dowager was the former Lady Shufei.

Behind the screen, Prince Xie detected a type of incense favored by the late Emperor—one impossible to find elsewhere. During his glory days, he had been a favorite of the late Emperor, often summoned to his side. The scent was therefore etched into his memory: a cool, clear top note; a gentle middle note; and a base with a hint of ambergris.

In the past, when Prince Xie went to discuss matters with the late Emperor, he was always greeted by the gentle middle note of the incense.

Later, no matter how early he arrived, he could only wait outside the door until that distinctly cool top note wafted from the seams, boring into his mind and chilling him to the bone, as if a cold wind were blowing through his very organs.

"I wonder if Your Ladyship would grant me this honor?"

The other imperial concubines had no particular rapport with the Emperor, so he would never have allowed them to listen in.

The only one left was the Empress Dowager.

"Could I have been mistaken?"

When he saw Xie Che staring at him in disbelief, wine cup in hand, Prince Xie’s own expression turned to surprise. He had been so certain after smelling that familiar fragrance.

Xie Che cleared his throat. "Alright, there are no outsiders here. You can come out."

The person behind the screen replied with a soft affirmative.

From that single syllable, Prince Xie knew he was wrong. The Empress Dowager’s voice was neither so young nor so melodious. The person who emerged from behind the screen was none other than the famously Unrivaled Gu Zhaoyi. The screen itself had been modified, preventing any shadow from showing through.

This was the third time Prince Xie had seen Gu Zhaoyi.

The first was at the Longevity Festival banquet.

The second, a brief glimpse while on his way to rescue the Empress Dowager.

And the third time was now. She wore the magnificent robes befitting the highest station of a Zhaoyi. Every aspect of her posture and appearance was beautiful. Her features were enchanting, yet her aura was cool and detached, radiating a vibrant life force.

"To bear even a slight resemblance to the Empress Dowager is my good fortune," Gu Zhaoyi said, directing her words to the Emperor. Her eyes curved into a slight smile, making her all the more radiant. She then turned her head. "Greetings, Prince Xie."

...

The distinction between ruler and subject was paramount. According to the customs of Yan Chi, a consort could not use the self-referential ’this concubine’ before a prince or high minister. Seeing her trouble over the switch in address, Xie Che told her to dispense with the formalities, permitting them both to simply use ’I’.

Jiang Xian sat and offered her thanks.

Prince Xie was still reeling from the shock, completely zoned out.

Xie Che was surprised as well. "I’ve never thought you resemble Mother Empress in the slightest. Wait... he didn’t even see you. Prince Xie, what on earth made you think Mother Empress was behind the screen?"

This made Prince Xie even more awkward.

He had made the guess because he’d smelled the incense the late Emperor used to burn and assumed the Empress Dowager had paid her respects to him that morning. In itself, the logic was sound. But with an imperial consort now before him, sniffing around was highly inappropriate. He could only say, "It was merely a wild guess. I’ve made a fool of myself before Your Majesty."

It was rare to see his elder brother so genuinely flustered. Xie Che laughed heartily, not bothering to dwell on the details.

Jiang Xian, on the other hand, immediately thought of her own [Fragrance Floating] skill. ’Could it be... the scent Prince Xie was looking for was the one the Empress Dowager burns...?’

However, Jiang Xian wasn’t interested in gossip about royal impropriety. She filed the thought away and quickly changed the subject. "The Emperor said I could watch Lord Guo’s scolding from behind the screen to help me vent my anger."

Seeing Jiang Xian speak so casually before the Emperor, Prince Xie was inwardly astonished. His estimation of Gu Zhaoyi’s importance in the Emperor’s heart rose even higher.

Such forward behavior would normally be grounds for criticism.

But Prince Xie, ever mindful of his ’slacker’ persona, gave it his full endorsement. "I saw Guo Ruikuo slinking away with his tail between his legs. I imagine he has thoroughly reflected on his mistakes. I was not aware it was Lady Zhaoyi behind the screen. In retrospect, my actions were quite abrupt and discourteous. I hope Your Majesty and Her Ladyship will not take offense."

"I don’t blame you. We’re all family here, so what’s a little discourtesy between us? Besides, I was the one who asked Gu Zhaoyi to come meet you and sit for a talk."

The Emperor’s casual words sent a jolt of alarm through Prince Xie.

Then Jiang Xian continued, "Yes, as the Emperor has already told you, this is an excellent opportunity. If you handle it well, you’ll earn a promotion and a title that will benefit your children for generations. His Majesty is only offering this to you out of consideration for your brotherly bond. He wouldn’t mention it to anyone else. Perhaps he wasn’t thorough enough, so allow me to explain the details."

’It was up to her, a corporate drone who had endured countless ’passion-fueled,’ brainwashing training sessions, to motivate the ’unmotivated employee’ the ’boss’ was complaining about.’

’—No more slacking! Everyone, get grinding!’

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