Chapter 156 - 136: Turning the Tables
Jiang Xian had a long, deep sleep.
By the time she woke up, the sky outside was completely dark.
"Awake?"
A familiar male voice sounded beside her. She turned to see her boss—the Emperor—sitting in her room. An extra table had been brought in, laden with official scrolls, a prepared inkstone, and brushes. Jiang Xian instinctively tried to push herself up with her usual hand to get into work mode, only to find it bandaged. Switching to her other hand, she declared, "Your Majesty, this concubine is completely and utterly awake!"
She snapped into work mode in a second.
And then her boss held down her power button. The moment Xie Che saw her trying to get up, he stood and pressed her shoulder, pushing her back onto the bed. "You’re awake, that’s all. I was just asking. No need to get up."
"There are so many official scrolls on the desk. Is Your Majesty still working?"
Xie Che grunted. "They piled up over the last few days. I couldn’t just leave them."
"If Your Majesty hasn’t rested, how could I dare to? It’s just one injured hand. It’s nothing compared to the sword wound from before. Please let go, Your Majesty, and let this concubine get up!"
Xie Che didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Most women in the harem came from aristocratic families or were, at the very least, daughters of minor officials. They grew up with maids attending to their every need and had little to do in their chambers. How had one of them turned out so unable to sit still? His mind had only wandered for two seconds before Jiang Xian used his arm to pull herself into a sitting position, even trying to move the heavy table over herself so they could share it.
"Let go. I’ll do it."
Xie Che felt helpless but had to indulge her.
’He couldn’t possibly let an injured pregnant woman lift something as heavy as a table!’
Jiang Xian, however, didn’t think it was a big deal. Back at her old job, she’d had pregnant coworkers. The ones who were already diligent just worked even harder—a baby was coming, and household expenses were about to double. Eventually, the other women in the office couldn’t bear to watch any longer. They told her she could keep coming to work, but she had to call out if she ever needed to stand on her toes or bend over to grab something. Anyone who saw would help.
Xie Che let her sit with him while he reviewed memorials for a while before finally speaking.
"You’ve been asleep for nearly a full day. It’s time you ate something. I’ve also summoned Doctor Sun to check your pulse again." He called Zhenqiu in and told her to have the Imperial Kitchen prepare some of the Wanyi’s favorite dishes.
Jiang Xian was slightly taken aback.
’I’m a Wanyi now?’
’Was my fake fall that effective?’
On second thought, it was more likely that after she fainted, the imperial physicians had been summoned, and Song Yuanzheng had taken the opportunity to announce her pregnancy. That must be why the Emperor promoted her.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." She rose to offer her thanks.
"Is one imperial meal worth all this thanking?"
"This bow is to thank Your Majesty for promoting me to the rank of Wanyi."
Seeing her so happy made Xie Che smile too, but he couldn’t help scrutinizing her. "You treat me well, you try to please me... is it really all just for a promotion?"
"Your Majesty has it backward," Jiang Xian said. "I seek promotion so that I can treat you even better and please you more effectively!"
’A promotion and a raise are for doing a better job.’
Words guaranteed to please any boss.
However, Xie Che was no boor from the city docks or some country bumpkin who’d happily marry any fertile woman and call it a day, regardless of whether she was willing or even liked him. As long as circumstances permitted, he could spend ages agonizing over the most trivial details.
Others might mock a man for being lovesick, but as long as it didn’t disrupt his life, the torment of love could be a thrilling experience for the one suffering. He was the Emperor, the Son of Heaven—what kind of person was beyond his reach? Yet he was foolishly fixated on her, all for the sake of this emotional roller coaster.
While Xie Che was wrestling with his own sentimental drama, Jiang Xian was sizing him up, trying to figure out what on earth he wanted. When she couldn’t, she reluctantly paid for some outside help.
She opened the System Mall and re-downloaded the Blame Template: Daji.
Daji: [It’s you again!]
Daji: [How are things with you now?]
Jiang Xian: [Thanks to you, I’m a Wanyi now!]
Daji: [...Don’t you dare say you’re ’just a Wanyi’ thanks to me. If word of that gets out, my reputation will be ruined. You’d be better off going to the front court and digging out a few hearts to feast on.]
She didn’t get angry at Daji’s sarcastic remarks.
From her perspective, Daji had been able to run wild not just because she was beautiful and cunning, but because she’d happened to meet a clueless emperor during a failing dynasty. In that respect, her Emperor was definitely a better man than King Zhou.
Jiang Xian explained her confusion, which only made the Beauty laugh coquettishly. [I see I underestimated you. You’ve got your King wrapped around your little finger, too! In my opinion, you don’t need to be so obedient anymore. Why not just be bold and tell him what you’re really thinking?]
Jiang Xian replied that her mind was filled with nothing but treasonous thoughts.
A single one of them could get her entire clan, right down to the neighbor’s dog, an appointment in Yama’s Mansion.
Jiang Xian was skeptical. [Didn’t you keep telling me to flatter him last time?]
[That was then, this is now. The secret to winning at love isn’t being heartless; it’s about taking control... Honestly, what a man loves is never set in stone. He gets tired of sweet beauties and suddenly decides that a cool, heroic general’s daughter is the ideal woman. Then he gets tired of her and wants a delicate, scholarly maiden. Now that you’ve secured a place in the King’s heart, you don’t have to be so careful. You can let him think you’re difficult, that he can’t figure you out. When he asks you for something, only give it to him one out of every three times.]
After Daji’s lesson, Jiang Xian had an epiphany.
’When I first entered the palace, it was the company choosing me. Of course I couldn’t be picky or put on airs; I had to display all my strengths at once. But now I’m past the probation period. I’m not just a top performer, the Chairman himself can’t live without me... It’s my turn to call the shots!’
While she was consulting Daji, the Emperor’s mood had already twisted and turned a thousand times.
He felt her sweet words were insincere, which made him both angry and disheartened. He was convinced she didn’t love him, but she wouldn’t admit it, instead using these pretty lies to placate and please him. It felt like she was treating him as a stranger. He would rather she just be honest.
"Your Majesty, I have a confession to make."
Just then, he heard Jiang Xian adopt a different, more cautious tone. "In the education I received, love was never mentioned. So these things Your Majesty talks about... I don’t actually understand them well. If you ask whether I love you... perhaps I don’t."
Xie Che: "Hn. Go on."
Jiang Xian watched him from the corner of her eye and saw that his expression had softened.
’Daji’s advice actually worked?’
’Then it’s my turn to stir things up a bit.’
Her boss had been hounding her about whether she loved him until her brain overloaded. It was time to be bold and turn the tables. "Your Majesty, don’t make me say any more. Instead, I’d like to ask you: do you love me?"
’A man of letters doesn’t go around talking about ’love’ all day. It’s absurd.’
Xie Che meant to say "I love you" as he always did, but he faltered when he met Jiang Xian’s clear, bright eyes. The words swirled on the tip of his tongue, but it felt tied in knots. He couldn’t get them out.
’But I’m the Emperor!’
’What could an Emperor possibly not be able to say to one of his concubines?’
Jiang Xian prompted, "Your Majesty?"
Her Emperor raised a hand to cover his face and turned away, revealing an ear so red it looked like it might bleed. "...Do not make wild guesses about the imperial will."
Jiang Xian was dumbfounded.
’He hounded me with that question so many times, but when it’s his turn, he can’t even give a straight answer.’
’So it didn’t matter if they were ancient or modern—bosses were all the same kind of dog!’