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

Noble Princess Consort Rong picked up the bowl, then set it down again.

Her long, slender fingers, as delicate as jade, lightly tapped the bowl of medicine. "I considered splashing this on you, but medicinal ingredients are expensive, so I thought better of it." In truth, no matter how precious the ingredients, for the Rong Family, they were nothing more than standard remedies.

"For all these years, my father and brothers have worried about my childlessness. The Rong Family clansmen have traveled far and wide, collecting countless precious prescriptions. Only those appraised by Song Yuanzheng are sent to me, to ensure they aren’t harmful. This particular one is what Doctor Sun believes is most suitable for your constitution."

"This is just enough for two people."

Noble Princess Consort Rong’s gaze fell upon the two empty bowls beside them. "You ladle it out. One bowl for each of us. Come to Zhaoyang Palace every other day to drink it. This way, it won’t pass through others’ hands and cause me unnecessary trouble."

Born into a great aristocratic family and having been a Noble Consort for many years, Noble Princess Consort Rong was no fool.

Having Jiang Xian ladle the soup herself from a single pot might have seemed like an order, making her do a servant’s work. But in reality, it was to put her at ease, ensuring there were no tricks involved, since they would both drink from the same batch. Zhaoyang Palace had its own small kitchen, and the Noble Consort ruled with a strict hand; drinking medicine here was safe.

Jiang Xian was stunned.

She thought the Noble Consort had summoned her to try some new tonic, not that it would be a secret fertility recipe. "Noble Consort..."

"Someone once mocked me for being unable to conceive and provide an heir for the Emperor. My brother had him dealt with, and the precious bloodline he boasted about was passed on to another family."

"But I can’t let the Rong Family meddle in other people’s affairs."

"However, this is a prescription the family gave me, and I accidentally brewed too much. There’s no harm in sharing a bowl with you."

"Getting your health in order should be the priority."

Seeing Jiang Xian still in a daze, the Noble Consort grew a little anxious. "Right now in the harem, whoever becomes pregnant, whether with a Prince or a Princess, is an extremely precious event. If someone else is going to be first, I would rather it be you who conceives... Forget it. Qiu Yun, Qiu Tang!"

The Noble Consort’s patience bar had run out.

Qiu Yun and Qiu Tang curtsied, then one pressed Jiang Xian down into a chair while the other picked up the bowl of soup, blowing on it to cool it before preparing to feed it to her.

[Force-fed medicine by a high-ranking concubine, Palace Fighting Points +100]

Just as Jiang Xian came to her senses and was about to say she would drink it herself, she heard the system notification announcing the new points.

Suddenly, she was in no hurry. She calmly let Qiu Tang "force-feed" her the medicine mouthful by mouthful. Before each one, Qiu Tang even blew on the medicine to cool it, lest it scald Lady Gu.

As for Noble Princess Consort Rong, she waited until the medicine wasn’t so hot, then picked up her bowl and drank it all.

As Jiang Xian drank, she asked the system: ’Does this medicine actually help with fertility?’

[No. It only nourishes the body.]

[According to the system’s scan of this era, ovulation-promoting fertility drugs such as Clomiphene or Letrozole do not exist. The closest equivalent with fertility-aiding properties is the Innate Unity Soup.]

’That makes sense, considering the medical standards of this era.’

Even in modern times, with all our advanced technology, plenty of men and women struggle to have children, let alone in ancient times.

※

Accepting the Noble Consort’s kindness, Jiang Xian went to Zhaoyang Palace every other day to drink the fertility medicine that she had "accidentally" brewed too much of.

But Noble Princess Consort Rong soon discovered that the woman had a strange quirk.

She refused to drink her medicine properly; she insisted on having her palace maids feed it to her.

Noble Princess Consort Rong: "What is wrong with you?"

"I just enjoy it when Your Ladyship is forceful."

Jiang Xian said, feigning cuteness with a high, girlish voice.

Noble Princess Consort Rong shot her a sideways glance. "Oh? You want me to feed you your medicine? In your dreams. Drink it yourself. Qiu Tang, no need to be so gentle. It’s fine if she chokes."

Qiu Tang obediently acknowledged the order, but her movements remained gentle and careful.

Zhaoyang Palace was a picture of peaceful tranquility, but in the harem, influenced by events in the outer court, an undercurrent was stirring.

Lu Ronghua had been anticipating the New Year’s harem promotions, fairly certain she’d be elevated to a higher rank. Her family, the Lu, were among those who supported the rumor that Gu Pin was a ruinous temptress, and Lu Ronghua herself was one of the people who despised Gu Pin the most. So, she seized an opportunity, deliberately blocking Jiang Xian in the Imperial Garden. She summoned Jiang Xian to hold a parasol and fan for her, remarking that since she was unable to bear children for the Emperor, she should at least do something practical.

Jiang Xian didn’t take the matter to heart.

However, the next day at Jianzhang Palace, Noble Princess Consort Rong brought her up, laughing, "Listen to Lu Ronghua. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she’s given the Emperor countless princes and princesses. With her track record? And she has the nerve to lecture others. It’s hilarious."

It left Lu Ronghua so ashamed she was speechless.

Following that, the New Year’s harem promotions were announced. Thanks to her father’s merits in the court, Guo Cairen was restored to her position as Consort Guo. Zhang Daying, however, saw no change in her status. Chen Daying, on the other hand, was promoted to Changzai, becoming the harem’s prime example of successfully latching onto a powerful patron.

There were no other promotions.

Princess Consort Zhang ate hot pot for two days straight to cope with the disappointment of not being promoted to Noble Consort.

So close, yet so far.

The higher rank Lu Ronghua had desperately hoped for had instead materialized as some ordinary jewelry.

The New Year passed quietly. The one thing everyone in the harem was thankful for was that Jiang Xian had not been promoted.

If she were promoted again, it would leave no path for the rest of them to survive!

Lu Ronghua had thought that after a few sharp words from the Noble Consort and being passed over for promotion, the matter would be over. But then the Emperor went to the Hot Spring Villa for seven days. He named the Noble Consort, Ma Wan Yi, Gu Pin, Hui Pin, and Feng Liangyuan to accompany him, pointedly leaving Lu Ronghua behind.

Lu Ronghua felt as if she’d been struck by a bolt from the blue, and she cried in her palace for two days straight.

When she heard that Chen Daying had pleaded to go to the hot springs, offering to keep the Emperor company in his studies and share his worries, Lu Ronghua felt even worse. The Emperor had agreed to let her come along for Gu Pin’s sake—though the part about studying with him was deemed quite unnecessary. To think that even a mere concubine could go! This made Lu Ronghua feel even more miserable.

What was even more heart-wrenching was that before taking everyone to the Hot Spring Villa, the Emperor had ordered the Imperial Household to renovate a palace, naming it Bihua Palace, ready for Gu Pin to move in as soon as she returned.

※

But no one in the harem, including Jiang Xian, could have expected that she wouldn’t have time to move into Bihua Palace upon her return.

The day before they were scheduled to return, the Emperor fell ill.

Between convalescing at the Hot Spring Villa and returning to the palace, the Emperor chose the latter.

During his time at the Hot Spring Villa, the Emperor had not been completely idle; he had received two foreign envoys. It was assumed his illness was simply due to accumulated fatigue from overwork.

But on the day of their return to the palace, a red rash broke out on his body.

Upon seeing the rash, Song Yuanzheng examined him again and concluded it was an illness caused by scabies mites, which was contagious and required absolute rest.

The Emperor’s reaction, however, was denial.

Contagious? Fine, then he wouldn’t hold court. He could still discuss state affairs from a distance.

Self-isolate, work from home, and absolutely refuse to take sick leave.

The Emperor considered himself young and strong, and he was normally very careful about his health. He was still lucid—why couldn’t he work? He refused to accept the diagnosis. The consequence of his denial was that he became even more exhausted and miserable. The rash spread into large patches, and he developed a high fever.

The New Year had just ended, and both the harem and the court were thrown into chaos by the Emperor’s sudden illness.

Jiang Xian didn’t even have time to go to Bihua Palace before she was snatched up by the Noble Consort.

"Your only backing is the Emperor’s favor. Now that he has fallen ill, it’s the perfect opportunity for anyone who wants to make a move on you. My Zhaoyang Palace is the safest place in the entire harem, aside from Changle Palace and Jianzhang Palace."

Sure enough, she had just set foot in Zhaoyang Palace when the Empress Dowager issued an edict forbidding all concubines from leaving their residences without a decree.

This meant Jiang Xian was effectively quarantined in Zhaoyang Palace.