The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem

A warm, moist breath brushed against her ear as the Emperor's voice, dripping with tenderness, whispered, "My dear Xinyue, sleep if you wish. I’m holding you. You won’t fall."

"Mmm..."

Jiang Xinyue didn’t hesitate. She nestled into his chest, finding the most comfortable position, and drifted off peacefully in the Emperor’s arms.

"Your Majesty..."

"Shh!"

Xi Que, worried that the Emperor might be too weak to carry her mistress and risk dropping her, had intended to remind him that a palanquin was available to carry Jiang Xinyue. But the Emperor’s gentle "shh" silenced her, and she couldn’t bring herself to take her mistress away.

Shuang Jiang watched the Emperor’s retreating figure as he carried Jiang Xinyue, and for some reason, the phrase "under the stars and moon" came to mind.

The long stone path was pristine, with only the intertwined figures of the Emperor and Empress, their love and affection evident in every step. Their unspoken intimacy was something only the palace servants could truly witness.

The cold moonlight bathed them, casting a soft, gentle glow that made the scene even more enchanting. It was a harmony so perfect it stirred envy in anyone who saw it.

Putting everything else aside, ever since the Emperor had fallen for her mistress, he no longer seemed like the cold, indifferent ruler he once was.

Had he noticed it himself? In any crowd, his eyes always sought her first, and his steps always led him to her. It was as if his heart and soul were now entirely filled with her.

And this was a good thing!

The Emperor rarely let himself be moved by a woman, let alone become utterly devoted to a concubine. Yet, Jiang Xinyue had somehow achieved both.

The Kunning Palace was ablaze with light as the Emperor carried Jiang Xinyue back to her chambers. He carefully wiped her face and hands with warm water before instructing Xi Que and Shuang Jiang to gently let down her hair and remove her outer garments.

The early days of March still carried a chill!

The Emperor wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling her close. They didn’t need to do anything more; just being together like this, tightly entwined, was enough to bring him immense satisfaction.

Holding her seemed to erase all the troubles of the day.

As the Emperor, he had held countless concubines in his arms, and he could no longer remember how many had shared his bed.

When the Palace Eunuch Office presented him with the selection of concubines, he would simply choose one at random. Those with pleasant dispositions might enjoy his favor for a few days, making their lives a little easier, while those with difficult temperaments were forgotten after a single visit.

Before Jiang Xinyue came into his life, he had shared fleeting romances with the likes of the Noble Consort Wu and the Radiant Consort, but none had ever made him feel this way.

Of course, he wasn’t comparing Jiang Xinyue to his past lovers. What he wanted to express was the profound sense of peace she brought him.

The woman in his arms wore a serene smile, and the Emperor couldn’t resist kissing her cheek, murmuring softly in her ear, "Xinyue, you must stay healthy, free from illness, and live a long, long life."

---

"Donate all our wealth?"

In a small fishing village in Fusang, Tiao Ye Tailang’s voice was a mix of anger and disbelief. "Are you joking? My Koko worked so hard to earn this fortune, and she was even poisoned and made mute by those Great Yan people. My son only just returned to Fusang, and we’ve barely had a few good days. Now you want us to give up everything to support the King’s war?"

"You’re no better than bandits!"

"Get out! Get out of my house!"

After shooing the persuaders out, Tiao Ye Tailang—no, Li Dalang—felt a pang of guilt. "Third Yan, are you sure they’ll believe us? Will they come back?"

For days now, they had been putting on this act, with Shi Ruojun flaunting their wealth to attract the attention of the authorities.

So far, it had worked perfectly.

But just as they had successfully drawn the officials to their doorstep, Third Yan had instructed Li Dalang to chase them away.

Uesugi Natsuka and Koko Hisana crouched beside Third Yan, waiting for his explanation.

Third Yan smiled. "Next time, it won’t be these small fry. I’m waiting for someone with real authority."

Li Dalang scratched his head. "But how do you know it won’t be them again?"

"Because the world is full of smart people."

"But ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‍if they’re smart, wouldn’t they see through our plan?"

Third Yan fell silent, his trademark enigmatic smile returning.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Shi Ruojun paused, then chuckled, patting Li Dalang on the shoulder. "I think what Third Yan means is that the world is full of fools who think they’re clever."

First, he said there were many smart people, and now he was talking about fools who thought they were smart. So, were the Fusang people smart or stupid?

"Why are you worrying so much?"

Wan Niang smacked Li Dalang on the head. "With the General and Third Yan here, all we need to do is follow orders."

Forty years ago, Fusang had been struck by a massive tsunami that left nearly half the population homeless and countless children orphaned.

Li Dalang and Wan Niang, just three or four years old at the time, had been trained as spies and placed among the orphans, assigned to new families by the local authorities.

Forty years had passed since then. She and Li Dalang had pretended to marry, and Great Yan had even provided them with a "son" and a "daughter-in-law."

Once their "son" grew up, they arranged his marriage and sent him and his wife across the sea to Great Yan to do business.

It had been a full forty years since Wan Niang had last set foot in Great Yan.

In her dreams, she often yearned for her homeland.

The arrival of Shi Ruojun and Third Yan had rekindled her hope of returning.

So no matter what they asked of her, she obeyed without question.

She trusted that General Shi would bring her home.

But...

She patted Shi Ruojun’s firm chest. "General Shi, with a bit of powder and some makeup, you can almost pass for a woman, but..."

Her gaze lingered on Shi Ruojun’s chest, her meaning clear.

It was too flat and hard to resemble a woman’s.

Wan Niang pulled Shi Ruojun aside. "How about I steam two buns for you to stuff inside? That’ll give you some curves."

And since the buns would be soft, even if someone touched them, they wouldn’t suspect a thing.

Shi Ruojun forced a smile. "No, that’s... not necessary. It’s cold, and everyone’s bundled up. No one will notice."

Wan Niang shook her head disapprovingly. "That won’t do. Didn’t Third Yan say we have to make the act convincing? What if someone tests you and finds out you’re a man? All our efforts would be wasted."

"That... wouldn’t happen, right?"

After all, she *was* a woman.

But in the end, Shi Ruojun was dragged into the room by Wan Niang.

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