Who exactly was the current sovereign, Xie Che?
All land under heaven belongs to the king; all people within its shores are his subjects.
Jiang Xian had observed it before. Whether in a remote village in her old hometown, a high school in a small town, or a mega-corporation in a big city, men were always more prone to confidence than women. So many of them were so ordinary, yet so self-assured. And what could be said, then, of a true sovereign who possessed the entire world?
Xie Che's confidence was well-founded.
System: [Host's analysis is sound. The 'Redeem the Emperor' achievement in the system has always been grayed out and untriggerable.]
Why?
Because this Emperor had no childhood trauma and no unforgettable first love. His path to the throne had been a smooth, brilliant, and wide-open road. If any woman in the harem claimed she wanted to "redeem" him, she would surely be banished to the Cold Palace.
'Who do you think you are? Your family's estate isn't even as large as one of Our palaces, yet you think you're worthy of redeeming Us? Why don't you first figure out how to afford a decent house in the Capital City.' The attitude of this second-generation emperor was truly unyielding, his words infuriating.
Xie Che had been on the throne for several years. Those who tried to put on airs or manipulate him with their personalities—even the beautiful ones—might find favor for a day or two, but by the third day, the Emperor would have lost interest.
But a worker didn't know how to manipulate men. She only knew that you had to take your work seriously and make sure the boss knew just how serious you were.
And so, that night, Mr. Liang stood guard outside the bed curtains, yet for a long, long time, he heard no call for water from the Emperor.
While other harem concubines were reserved and demure with the Emperor, Jiang Daying wrapped her arms around his neck. "Your Majesty," she asked, "can we go again?"
Jiang Xian didn't actually know how to manipulate men.
She only knew that clocking out too early would make her anxious.
While other harem concubines acted coy with the Emperor, Xie Che was pulled into one round after another by Jiang Daying. He smelled a faint, captivatingly ethereal fragrance on her, one unlike any he recognized. It seemed to emanate from her very body—the more vigorous their activities, the more lethally alluring the scent became.
The consumable item purchased from the system was proving its worth. With Jiang Daying, Xie Che had an unprecedentedly superb experience, and for once, he was thoroughly satisfied.
Jiang's body was also different from the other concubines. Her limbs were slender and soft, but her arms, thighs, and slender waist were not loose. They were firm and toned—the result of workouts built on sweat and effort.
In a daze of passion, Xie Che sighed, "Jiang Daying, this figure of yours... it's truly a gift from the heavens."
'The big boss has approved my project's results.'
Joy blossomed on Jiang Xian's face, her eyes burning bright. "No matter how good my figure is, it exists for Your Majesty."
'The high-EQ response of a corporate drone: when a project makes progress, don't take the credit. Attribute all the benefits to the boss, praise his brilliant leadership, and only then share the spoils with the subordinates.'
Xie Che was confident, not stupid.
He could tell that when Jiang Daying said this, the sincerity came from the bottom of her heart.
'To think there's a woman in the harem who loves Us this much!'
Xie Che decided to tease her. "Are We that important in Our beloved concubine's heart?"
Unexpectedly, she took the Emperor's hand in hers, her tone solemn. "This servant cannot be without Your Majesty." 'Otherwise, who would pay my monthly salary?'
Even the worldly Emperor Xie was moved by the earnestness in her eyes.
Perhaps the purest emotion in the world was a worker's longing for promotion, a raise, and the chance to strike it rich!
"Your Majesty, this servant doesn't want to sleep." 'She wanted to keep on grinding.'
Outside the curtains, Mr. Liang stared down at the tips of his shoes, thinking to himself that this Jiang Daying was truly a bewitching creature.
Princes had to master the Six Arts of the Gentleman, to say nothing of the Emperor. Xie Che was, after all, a man, his stamina far surpassing that of any woman in the harem. Usually, he held back, but today he found himself competing with a mere low-ranking concubine, and what he heard left the Sleeping Nanny utterly dumbfounded. Mr. Liang glanced at the nanny's expression and recalled his own apprentice reporting that Jiang Daying had been relentlessly seeking the Sleeping Nanny's guidance on her way here in the Spring Enfeoffment Phoenix Carriage. The saying "A great teacher produces a brilliant student" couldn't help but flash through his mind.
At midnight, Mr. Liang thought, 'This Jiang Daying... she's really something.'
By 1:00 AM, Mr. Liang felt that not only was Jiang Daying something, but she was quite a lot of something.
They were at it until 3:00 AM. Jiang Xian couldn't believe someone could out-grind her. Drenched in fragrant sweat, physiological tears welled in the corners of her eyes. She was about to pass out from exhaustion, but her lotus-like arms still clung tightly to Xie Che. "Your Majesty..."
'Leaving work before the boss is a disgrace for a King Juan.'
But Jiang Xian was simply too tired. Her eyelids felt glued together and refused to open again. She was forced into shutdown mode.
The concubines in the harem respected and feared him. Even when they acted coquettishly in bed, they were gentle and obedient. None were like this Jiang, who was insatiable, whose love burned like a raging fire. Even after fainting, she still clung to him. Her sticky, sweaty body wasn't particularly comfortable to have draped over him, but Xie Che didn't mind.
He found it rather novel.
Candlelight filtered through the bright yellow gauze curtains, illuminating her small, exhausted face.
When it came to concubines serving him in bed, Xie Che had seen them all: the nervous and fearful, the coy and flirtatious, and the tender and meek who begged for his pity. But he had never seen someone who demanded him with a passion that seemed to want to burn a hole through her own soul.
Although it was against protocol, Xie Che was in an excellent mood.
And for the concubines who put him in a good mood, Xie Che was never stingy with his rewards. He called for water and had palace maids come in to wash Jiang Daying. He then gave her special permission not to be carried back to Yizhu Pavilion, allowing her to stay by his side and sleep until dawn.
This was a first in the harem.
It wasn't that Xie Che had fallen for Jiang Xian at first sight or was showing her special favoritism.
It was simply that in the entire palace, she was the only concubine who could keep up with him until the latter half of the night.
The Emperor didn't voice his thoughts, so in the eyes of others, it appeared that the concubine Jiang had earned his special affection, thus being granted permission to spend the night in Weiyang Palace. Feeling a bit tired himself from all the activity, Xie Che wrapped his arms around her and, for once, didn't think about any matters of state. He slept soundly.
A concubine who accompanied the Emperor until dawn was supposed to wake up first to help him dress.
Xie Che recalled how she had fainted from exhaustion the night before, so he hadn't planned on waking her, wanting to let her sleep in. But just then, Jiang Xian's eyes fluttered open. Enduring the full-body ache that made her feel like she was about to fall apart, she got up and dressed him neatly.
The Emperor watched her do all this without a word. "You didn't have to get up."
'The big boss is saying I shouldn't have.'
The worker, Jiang Xian, analyzed this in her mind. 'Hmm, can't take that at face value.'
"This servant simply wanted to help Your Majesty dress, and spend a little more time with you," she said, her voice terribly hoarse.
This time, Xie Che truly felt a pang of tenderness for her.
"You should rest some more. We will send word to the Empress to excuse you from today's morning greetings. Later, We will have Liang Yuyin send a palanquin to take you back so you can rest well."
As he spoke, he pressed on her shoulders, personally tucking the quilt around her.
Jiang Xian's heart settled, and she no longer refused. "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your grace."
The Emperor was very pleased with her attitude. He was not one of those stereotypical emperors from a romance novel who wanted his concubines to treat him like an ordinary man. He could choose not to wake her, but she had to know her place. The moment she opened her eyes, she was expected to get up and serve him according to the rules.
These were things the Emperor would never say out loud. He might even coax her with sweet words, but in his heart, he kept a clear and precise ledger.
Most young women new to the palace would have believed him.
But Jiang Xian did not.
She understood a boss's subtext all too well.
Jiang Xian's perceptiveness earned her first night serving the Emperor a high score in the little notebook he kept in his mind. And so, as Xie Che boarded his palanquin, he casually bestowed gifts upon the woman of the Jiang family, raised her rank, and granted her the title "Shu".