The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem

The carriage raced through the Shenwu Gate, speeding straight into the palace.

With Jiang Xinyue's token hanging at the front of the eldest princess's carriage and Jiang Chuan, the chief eunuch of Kunning Palace, at the reins, who would dare to stop them?

Master Yu cowered in the corner, muttering, "Could Empress Dowager Jiang be holding a grudge against me for hunting down her uncle all those years ago? Is she luring me into the palace to kill me? My daughter is perfectly fine—how could she possibly need a blood transfusion?"

Back when he had nowhere to stay in the capital, his daughter had even begged the Emperor to let her leave the palace to settle him and his wife. She had been full of energy then!

The eldest princess, anxiously caressing her belly, thought to herself, "If Empress Dowager Jiang wanted to kill you, she wouldn’t need to trick you into coming to the palace. She could have simply erased your name during the general amnesty, and you would have died quietly in prison."

Empress Dowager Jiang could have kept her hands clean, free from any sin. Why go through all this trouble?

What Jiang Chuan said must be true because she had seen her mother, Consort Liang, poisoned, and it had been truly life-threatening.

She had also heard a few words from Yan the Imperial Physician about her mother's condition, though at the time, her mother was no longer in critical danger, so she thought it might not be as serious as it seemed.

Moreover, every time she visited her mother in the palace, Consort Liang appeared perfectly normal, just as she always had. This made the eldest princess think that Yan the Imperial Physician might simply be overly cautious, as was his duty.

Everything had been complicated by her recent marriage. The Jiang family and the Princess Mansion had kept her busy, leaving her with little time to spare.

Then she became pregnant, and her morning sickness was particularly severe, causing her to neglect her mother's health.

"Your Highness, we've arrived at Dongzhimen. Please disembark and switch to the palanquin."

To save time, Jiang Chuan had driven the carriage directly to Dongzhimen. Beyond this point, carriages were not permitted, a rule established in ancient times to protect the Emperor and Empress from potential assassins hiding in carriages.

The footstool was already in place, and with Jiang Chuan's assistance, the eldest princess stepped down from the carriage and into the waiting palanquin.

Master Yu and Madam Yu were not so fortunate. They had to follow the palanquin on foot, panting and running all the way to Shunan Palace.

Eager to see her mother, the eldest princess rushed into Consort Liang's chambers as soon as she stepped out of the palanquin.

"Your Majesty, why trouble yourself over a dying woman like me? Giving my blood to my family would only harm them. Why bother? Didn’t Yan the Imperial Physician say the chances of success are only fifty-fifty? What if the transfusion fails..."

"Are you determined to die, Mother?"

The eldest princess, supported by a maid, glared angrily at Consort Liang. "By your logic, since death is inevitable, none of us should bother living. We might as well die now. Should I dash my head against your bedside and spare my unborn child the pointless journey of life, since he too is destined to die?"

Consort Liang, startled by her daughter's sudden outburst, reached out to stop her. "Mingyu, how... how did you get here?"

"If I hadn’t come, were you planning to leave without even saying goodbye to me for the last time?"

The eldest princess collapsed by the bed, one hand clutching her belly, the other grasping Consort Liang's hand. She wept bitterly. "How could you be so heartless? Are you abandoning me? Didn’t you promise to retire to the Princess Mansion and live out your days in peace? How can you break your word?"

Consort Liang struggled to sit up with Shu Xiang's help and embraced her daughter. "No, that’s not what I meant. My dear child, please don’t cry. Your tears are breaking my heart."

Master Yu and Madam Yu, initially hesitant to enter the room filled with noblewomen, finally overcame their fear upon hearing their daughter's despairing words. With reddened eyes, they approached the bed.

Jiang Xinyue had already stepped aside, allowing Consort Liang's family to take center stage.

The eldest princess nudged her grandmother and gave her a meaningful look. Madam Yu knelt by the bed, crying, "You heartless girl! Didn’t Empress Dowager Jiang say the transfusion could save you? Why are you giving up? Why refuse? Are you determined to make your father and me bury our own child? You’re tearing out my heart!"

"That’s right, my child. Don’t be afraid. Your father and I can give you our blood. We’re not afraid. You must survive, okay?"

The three of them wept uncontrollably. The eldest princess was inconsolable, but her parents' pleas finally swayed Consort Liang. Refusing now would be unfilial.

Seeing Consort Liang's resolve waver, Jiang Xinyue spoke up. "Your closest relatives are your parents and children. The eldest princess is pregnant and unsuitable for the transfusion, but your parents can donate their blood. I promise that Yan the Imperial Physician will check on them every year. Does that reassure you?"

Consort Liang, looking at the hopeful faces of her parents and daughter, finally nodded in agreement.

Yan the Imperial Physician had already prepared everything. After a quick test, it was determined that Madam Yu's blood was more compatible with Consort Liang's, and the transfusion began immediately.

All non-essential personnel were asked to wait outside the chambers, leaving only Yan the Imperial Physician and a few medical maids to assist.

Once outside, the eldest princess attempted to kneel before Jiang Xinyue, but Xi Que and Shuang Jiang quickly stopped her. "Your Highness!"

The eldest princess leaned weakly against Xi Que. "Empress Dowager Jiang, it’s all thanks to you. Truly... thank you so much!"

Jiang ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‍Xinyue smiled gently and guided her to a chair. "It’s been a long time since anyone called me Empress Dowager Jiang. For the sake of that sentiment, it’s only right that I look after Consort Liang."

Regardless of whether Consort Liang's past kindness had been genuine or not, when Jiang Xinyue had been framed and sent to the cold palace, the princes and princesses had protected her servants, ensuring that Shuang Jiang and Jiang Chuan were unharmed.

The younger ones had always been sincerely good to her.

"This isn’t solely my doing," Jiang Xinyue said, gesturing to Noble Consort Ye. "If it weren’t for Noble Consort Ye's sharp eyes and keen sense of smell, reporting to me in time, I wouldn’t have arrived so quickly."

The eldest princess nodded slightly to Noble Consort Ye in gratitude. "It’s my mother’s good fortune to have a friend like you in the palace."

"No, no... Your Highness flatters me too much. It’s my honor to be friends with Empress Dowager Jiang, Consort Liang, and Consort Shu. Otherwise, this cutthroat palace would have devoured my conscience, turning me into a heartless monster like Consort De."

The Emperor, having finished reviewing memorials in his study, noticed that the main members of Kunning Palace were absent. He found Nanny Xiang in the twins' room, wiping the Seventh Prince's bottom.

The Third Princess slept soundly in Nanny Lü's arms.

Truly, the boy was a handful, while the girl was a delight.

"Your Majesty, are you here to see Empress Dowager Jiang?"

He couldn’t very well admit he was here to see the Seventh Prince’s backside, could he?

The Emperor cleared his throat. "Yes. Why is the main hall empty?"

"I believe Noble Consort Ye mentioned that Consort Liang has caught a cold and is unwell. Her Majesty rushed over in a hurry."