The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem

She smoothed her hair and did not answer Concubine Shi's question.

Forget it, the Emperor's current behavior was already quite good, and she had no complaints for now.

Concubine Shi sneered, her heart filled with despair, but she would never reveal that she had originally planned to poison Jiang Xinyue. Before she could act, someone else had already taken action—Nanny Yun.

Her plot to harm Jiang Xinyue was now set in stone, and she would never tell the Emperor or Jiang Xinyue that there was someone else behind Nanny Yun.

She hoped that person would be able to bring down Jiang Xinyue.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

As for Concubine Shi's fate, she would be sent to the cold palace to keep Tong Jia company. This pair of "good sisters" surely had much to say and many things to confront each other about.

Kunning Palace was illuminated by dim yellow lights, and the main hall was particularly lively.

The Fourth Prince held the Crown Prince's small hand as the two of them leaned over the cribs of the Seventh Prince and the Third Princess, reaching out to touch the two little bundles of joy.

The Fourth Prince, being several years older than the Crown Prince, had longer limbs, and his hand easily reached the soft, chubby cheek of the Third Princess.

The Crown Prince, with his short arms and legs, couldn't quite reach no matter how he stretched. His lips quivered, and he was on the verge of tears. Spotting a small stool nearby, he quickly toddled over, dragged it back, and climbed into the crib, gently reaching out to touch the Seventh Prince and the little princess.

"Aiyo!"

Nanny Xiang turned around and noticed the two little ones' antics. She quickly scooped up the Crown Prince: "My little ancestor, you can't go in there! The little ones are still too fragile and could easily get hurt."

The Crown Prince hugged Nanny Xiang's face and patted it: "No pain, no pain. Tuan Tuan will pat Nanny to make it better."

Nanny Xiang couldn't stop smiling: "Ah! The Crown Prince is so thoughtful. He thought Nanny was hurt and wanted to comfort her!"

Xi Que and the others gathered around the crib, entertaining the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince while watching the nannies feed the Seventh Prince and the Third Princess.

The Emperor had gone to the side hall to review memorials, and Jiang Xinyue's primary task now was to recover from childbirth.

Although her poisoning wasn't severe, it had frightened the Emperor greatly. Such incidents kept happening, and he felt his previous methods of dealing with them hadn't been harsh enough, which made people think they had a chance if Jiang Xinyue were to die.

Coincidentally, her giving birth to twins was a joyous occasion, and the Emperor ordered proclamations to be posted, granting amnesty to the empire. The people were celebrating, believing that the heavens had sent down celestial children, a sign that the Great Yan Dynasty would prosper for at least another century.

"What does the proclamation say?"

"It says that Empress Jiang Xinyue is the Heaven-ordained mistress of the imperial harem, but there are always ambitious people in the palace who seek to harm her. This time, after giving birth to celestial twins, she was nearly killed by Concubine Shi, the daughter of the General of the Northern Garrison. Therefore, the Emperor has declared that after Empress Jiang Xinyue, there will be no more empresses. If anything happens to her, the Emperor will disband the harem and erect a longevity monument in her honor, so that it may accompany him in his old age."

This was the most severe warning and the most romantic declaration.

As long as she lived, there would be an empress. If she were gone, the harem would be meaningless, and no other woman would ever set foot in the place she once ruled.

She was the Emperor's one and only.

Jiang Xinyue listened to Xi Que's excited chatter: "My lady, from now on, no concubine will dare harm you. The Emperor said that if anything happens to you, he will send them all home."

Jiang Xinyue's first reaction wasn't joy but a furrowed brow: "Then wouldn't any concubine who wants to escape the harem just kill me to get out?"

Was the Emperor trying to shorten her lifespan by giving her more threats to deal with?

Xi Que's cheerful voice faltered, and she looked conflicted: "So... is that good or bad?"

Jiang Xinyue smiled: "For me, whatever the Emperor does is good."

Even if it wasn't, she could turn those threats into opportunities to make the Emperor feel even more heartbroken and protective of her.

With his affection, she could push for even more radical reforms, and he would find a way to accept them.

In the side hall—

Mu Qianqian followed the Emperor's orders and brought in a pot of warm wine: "Your Majesty, let this servant pour you a drink."

The Emperor's gaze flicked toward Tang Shiliang, who gave a slight nod and gestured for the servants in the side hall to leave.

Mu Qianqian's heart raced, her breathing grew uneven, and her intuition told her that something would happen between her and the Emperor tonight.

Otherwise, why would the Emperor dismiss all the servants?

As the wine flowed into the cup, the Emperor lifted her delicate chin with his finger, a charming smile on his lips: "Have you thought it through? Are you truly willing to serve me? If not, I can let you leave the palace. With your beauty, you could easily become the legitimate wife of a wealthy family."

Mu Qianqian glanced timidly at the Emperor, her legs weak from his devilishly handsome smile.

Her hands trembled with excitement as she took the cup of wine from him and drank it all in one go: "Your... Your Majesty, this servant... this servant admires you. I wish... to become your woman."

The handsome face before her blurred and swayed: "Your... Your Majesty, this wine... it's so strong! This servant..."

"Thud!"

Her body went limp, and she collapsed to the floor.

The Emperor looked at her without a trace of affection, stepped over her, and walked out the door.

Outside, Tang Shiliang caught the Emperor's glance and immediately bowed his head before entering the side hall.

"My lady, look at this..."

Shuang Jiang approached with a wine pot and whispered in her ear: "The side hall... the maid... I suspect..."

Jiang Xinyue chuckled softly: "She must be feeling quite smug now, thinking Concubine Shi took the fall for her. Let her enjoy her triumph for a few more days. What about Nanny Yun?"

Shuang Jiang set the wine pot down: "My lady, you were right. After I released her, she went straight to that person—exactly who we suspected."

"His Majesty is—"

The eunuch outside hadn't finished announcing when the Emperor presumably cut him off. Shuang Jiang quickly tossed the wine pot under the bed, pulled the blanket over Jiang Xinyue, and knelt on the floor.

Jiang Xinyue closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side. The Emperor sat on the edge of the bed and asked softly: "Has your lady not woken yet?"

"Mmm..."

Jiang Xinyue opened her dazed eyes and weakly propped herself up. Her white undergarments hung loosely, revealing one smooth shoulder.

She pulled her clothes up, exuding an alluring, coy charm. The Emperor's nose grew warm, and he wrapped her tightly in the blanket: "Xinyue, you need to stay warm. You're still recovering from childbirth. Dress warmly and don't catch a cold."

Jiang Xinyue was bundled up like a dumpling, blinking her large eyes in confusion.

What was this?

Since when did the Emperor have such self-control?

Or had her charm lost its effect?