The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem

How could this be?

Is it really possible?

That’s unmistakably… the Empress Dowager!

And if she weren’t, she wouldn’t be sitting behind the Emperor… No…

In the past, when the Emperor and Empress needed to leave the palace together, the Empress Dowager never rode in a separate carriage. She always shared the imperial dragon carriage with the Emperor.

The eyes of the Minister of Rites grew wider and wider. Could it be…

Jiang Yankun let out another scoff. “Even you thought she was the Empress Dowager. Those who don’t know her would surely mistake her.”

“Is she really a palace concubine? She’s so beautiful!”

“Her clothes are glowing, so stunning. No wonder she’s a concubine—her beauty is extraordinary.”

“She’s so majestic!”

…

Countless women below gazed up at Mu Qianqian. Their chatter gradually reached her ears, feeding her vanity.

She felt as though a bright path was beckoning her…

Fame, favor, wealth, power…

The envy, jealousy, and adoration of the people… all the things that once belonged to the Empress Dowager would soon be hers.

She would become the most powerful woman in the Great Yan Dynasty.

“Evil Empress! Pay with your life for my master!”

“Thud!”

“Ah—”

“Protect His Majesty! Protect His Majesty! There’s an assassin!”

Amid the chaos, the Emperor stood up and shouted, “Capture him alive!”

Zhu Qianyi had been working under Ma Yiyang in the Ministry of Punishment ever since he joined the Jiang family.

Jiang Yankun followed the Emperor’s instructions: he couldn’t treat Zhu Qianyi too well or too closely, nor could he offer too much substantial help. Yet, he had to make sure Zhu Qianyi understood that it was the Jiang family who saved him, gave him new hope, and humbled his pride.

Only then would he submit wholeheartedly to the Crown Prince and the Empress Dowager.

When the assassin shouted “master,” Zhu Qianyi already sensed something was wrong.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Because during his father’s lifetime, only those under his command referred to him as “master.”

Mu Qianqian’s smile froze on her face as a long dagger pierced her chest, running through her frail body. Blood gushed out, staining her silver-glowing, moon-white robes, blossoming into vivid, crimson flowers.

“The Evil Empress is dead! The Evil Empress is dead, hahaha…”

“Why… kill me?”

“Evil Empress, you conspired with the Emperor to kill the late Empress and assassinate my master. Now, you’ll pay for their deaths.”

A general amnesty had been declared in the capital, and many prisoners who had behaved well were released.

This included the Zhu family, relatives of the late Empress, who had been confined to the narrow alleys of the city.

If it weren’t for the Jiang family’s support, the Zhu family would have been crushed by other influential families long ago. How could they have survived until the amnesty?

Zhu Qianyi was certain that no one in the Zhu family opposed the Empress Dowager. Aside from him, the only surviving male member, the rest of the family had perished.

The women in the family weren’t all weak and helpless. Some were ambitious, hoping to restore the Zhu family’s glory on their own.

The Empress Dowager’s new policies benefited them. How could they possibly incite old family servants to assassinate her?

Mu Qianqian collapsed in the carriage, blood pouring from her mouth. She watched as a lean, black-clad young man subdued the assassin. She convulsed, “But I… I’m not… not the Empress Dowager!”

Her dreams of wealth, her pride, her elaborate schemes… all of it… was it all for nothing?

The searing pain in her chest scattered her thoughts, yet her mind remained painfully clear. The Emperor, clad in his dragon robes, approached, his handsome face devoid of any sorrow.

Mu Qianqian reached out, “Your… Your Majesty…”

The Emperor stepped over her blood, walking closer, looking down at her with disdain.

“Did you… ever… ever love… love me?”

Had all the affection and joy she experienced during this time been nothing but a lie?

“Hah!”

The Emperor even chuckled. “You’re so foolish, I almost pity you.”

From the very beginning, the Emperor had been informed of an assassination plot against Jiang Xinyue during the eastern mountain trip.

If Jiang Xinyue didn’t leave the palace, the assassins planned to infiltrate the palace and kill her while the Emperor was away at the ancestral tombs.

If Jiang Xinyue accompanied the Emperor, they would create a diversion and strike before leaving the imperial city.

The assassins had assumed Jiang Xinyue would ride in the imperial dragon carriage with the Emperor. But rumors suggested she had quarreled with the Emperor over a palace maid and was traveling alone in a separate carriage.

The Emperor deliberately distanced himself, riding ahead with most of the guards, as everyone feared an attempt on the Emperor’s life.

Who would have thought anyone would target a concubine?

They didn’t realize this was the Emperor’s calculated move—a deliberate flaw to lure them out, waiting for them to reveal themselves so the guards could capture them alive.

Because the Emperor didn’t believe the Zhu family was behind this.

Only by capturing the assassins and interrogating them could he uncover the true mastermind and put his mind at ease.

As for Mu Qianqian, the scapegoat, he had given her a choice. She chose to stay in the palace, insisting on being Jiang Xinyue’s decoy.

No!

It was all an act. The Emperor had never loved her.

“One night… one night as husband and wife, a hundred days of…”

“Who was your husband? I never touched you. You remain untouched.”

Mu Qianqian’s pupils contracted sharply as realization dawned. “You deliberately… deliberately… made me…”

Before she could finish, another gush of blood spilled from her mouth. The pain began to fade, and the light before her eyes dimmed.

She knew she was dying…

It had all been the Emperor’s scheme. She thought she was the clever one, but the moment she revealed her face, she had already fallen into his trap.

All to protect the Empress Dowager!

The Emperor didn’t want Jiang Xinyue to face even the slightest danger. Even though the palace was heavily guarded, and the assassins couldn’t possibly breach it, the Emperor refused to let her take any risk.

He chose a decoy to lure the snake out of its hole.

He succeeded… hahaha… he succeeded.

And so, she would die.

“Your Majesty, six assassins—four are dead, and two are captured alive.”

Zhu Qianyi stepped forward. “I can assure you, these men are not remnants of the Zhu family. Someone is impersonating them.”

Someone wanted the Empress Dowager dead, using the amnesty as a cover to pin the blame on the recently released Zhu family.

He would never allow it!

The Emperor didn’t spare another glance at Mu Qianqian’s lifeless body. His voice was cold and detached. “Take them to the Ministry of Justice. Order the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Punishment to jointly investigate this case. They must uncover the mastermind. And if these assassins die or are silenced before I return, the Minister of Justice can resign.”

His words sent a chill through the crowd.

The Emperor intended to uproot this conspiracy entirely.

A thorough investigation…

Would implicate countless officials.

Even those uninvolved but closely associated would be dragged into the mess.

As their eyes fell on Mu Qianqian’s face, many officials gasped in horror. “Who… who is that? That’s not the Empress Dowager?”