The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem

After seeing off Empress Zhu and the other two, Xi Que pouted, "We're confined here to ensure a peaceful pregnancy, but now look! You've learned everything you should and shouldn't know. How will you ever find peace from now on, Your Highness?"

Jiang Xinyue smiled, seemingly unbothered. "Are there ever any lasting secrets in the palace? I never expected to prevent the news from spreading. What I'm guarding against are the schemes of the lower-ranking concubines."

Those in high positions are especially wary of taking risks, fearing that one wrong step could lead to losing everything.

Even if they knew about Jiang Xinyue's pregnancy, none of them would dare to act rashly.

Especially now that she had revealed her trump card, Nanny Li. Even those with ill intentions would be powerless.

But their reluctance to act personally didn't mean they wouldn't incite others to do so. Lower-ranking concubines might be tempted to take risks if offered sufficient rewards.

These were the ones Jiang Xinyue was guarding against.

With her confinement, those lower-ranking concubines who weren't close to her couldn't enter her Hexi Palace.

With Nanny Li and Nanny Xiang present, it was impossible for anyone to harm her attendants.

Now, when the palace maids of Hexi Palace left and returned, they underwent thorough body checks to prevent them from bringing in anything harmful that could endanger Jiang Xinyue's child.

These maids were given by the emperor and served as his eyes and ears. While Jiang Xinyue trusted them to an extent, she remained cautious, maintaining the same level of discomfort in front of the emperor as before.

The Xuanwu Emperor's iron-clad protection made Consort Shu the most jealous.

In Kunning Palace—

The Dowager Empress, startled by the sound of shattering mirrors from the side hall, quickly stood up. "What's happening? Who dared to place mirrors in Consort Shu's chambers again?"

Granny Gui supported the Dowager Empress, explaining, "It wasn't an outsider, but Noble Consort Rong. She said she received a new Western mirror from the Emperor and didn't dare to enjoy it alone, so she sent it to pay respects to you, Your Highness. However, Consort Shu saw it being delivered and thought it was for her, so she had it taken to the side hall."

The Dowager Empress's face darkened. "I knew Noble Consort Rong wasn't on our side. She's been jealous of Consort Shu for a long time and wouldn't miss this chance to upset her. Sending it to me was just a pretense; her real intention was to distress Consort Shu. The Emperor gave her the title of Noble Consort, and now she thinks she's invincible. If we don't teach her a lesson, she'll forget her place."

With a wave of her hand, the Dowager Empress whispered some instructions to her head eunuch, so quietly that even Granny Gui couldn't hear.

"How can this person in the mirror be me? This isn't me! Get out, all of you!"

The shattered mirror on the floor clearly reflected a face with a double chin. The once delicate and refined Consort Shu had become as round as a ball.

At first, when Consort Shu was forced to eat more than she could handle, she thought it wouldn't be a problem as she would throw up most of it afterward.

But as time went on, her appetite grew. Before, half a bowl of rice was enough to fill her, but after leaving Concubine Li's palace, half a bowl barely satisfied her. She often needed two bowls of fragrant rice to feel content.

Having grown accustomed to the rich, heavily seasoned food from Concubine Li's palace, she lost her appetite for the bland dishes she used to eat.

Unconsciously, Consort Shu had the imperial kitchen change her menu to include more oil-rich dishes.

Being pregnant, she couldn't see the changes in her body and assumed the growing belly was just a natural part of pregnancy.

But later, when the Dowager Empress removed all the mirrors from her chambers, she began to suspect something was amiss.

It wasn't until today, seeing herself in the mirror, that she nearly broke down.

How could that fat person be her?

The Emperor loved slender, willowy beauties. How could she captivate the Emperor's heart looking like this?

Although the Dowager Empress consoled her, saying she could lose weight and regain her former figure after giving birth by controlling her appetite, Consort Shu still couldn't accept her current appearance.

Her sister had told her that Concubine Zhen, who was also pregnant, was now the most favored in the palace. The Emperor unfailingly spent half a day with Concubine Zhen, reportedly telling stories to the child in her womb.

Not only that, but to ensure Concubine Zhen's peace of mind during her pregnancy, the Emperor had sent Nanny Li to Hexi Palace to care for Concubine Zhen and her unborn child.

In the palace's history, who had ever received such treatment during pregnancy?

Perhaps only when the Empress was carrying the late Crown Prince Duanhui, the Emperor's first son, did the Emperor cherish and favor them enough to send Nanny Li to care for them for a while.

Jiang Xinyue—what right did she have to enjoy the same treatment as the Empress?

As for the child in her own womb, Consort Shu had an ominous feeling that it might not survive. The imperial physicians kept gently suggesting that she eat less and exercise more to avoid difficulties during childbirth due to the baby's size.

She had become pregnant three months before Concubine Zhen, and now at six months, her belly was as large as someone about to give birth.

A large baby leading to a difficult birth...

Her belly was already oversized.

This child... couldn't be kept.

She feared a difficult labor, and in the past, she wouldn't have worried about the Emperor choosing to save the child over her. But with her current appearance, she feared... her chances of survival were slim.

Consort Shu's hand gripped her belly tightly, her eyes cold as she addressed her maid, "Lianxin, prepare the sedan chair. I'm going to Changxin Palace."

She couldn't harm Concubine Zhen now, but her child couldn't come into this world for nothing, leaving her in this state. The root cause of her misery had to pay the price.

"Your Highness..." Lianxin's face showed deep concern. "Concubine Li is already so arrogant. Why should you..."

"I left something important in Changxin Palace, a token of love between the Emperor and me," Consort Shu said quickly. "Go and ask the Emperor to come to Changxin Palace immediately!"

Before leaving, Consort Shu took a slice of hundred-year-old ginseng and held it in her mouth.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yankun and Minister of Personnel Jiang Hewei, accompanied by Jiang Yanxi, were in the imperial study, meticulously listing dozens of crimes committed by Prime Minister Song and Minister Song.

These included selling official positions, cheating in imperial examinations, murdering officials, intercepting memorials to the throne, and deceiving the emperor. Each offense was serious enough to warrant execution of the entire clan.

After three months of rigorous investigation, several officials in the Song faction were found to have engaged in corrupt practices. The Song family had suppressed all these incidents, never allowing them to reach the Emperor's attention.

"Bang!"

The inkstone on the desk in the Imperial Study flew down, crashing heavily onto Prime Minister Song's forehead. "Song Jiangming, We think your Song family is trying to rebel. To betray Our trust like this, you truly deserve death!"

Black ink mixed with blood, and the illustrious Prime Minister Song appeared in such a wretched state for the first time.

But he had no mind to maintain his image. Kneeling on the ground, he cried and pleaded his innocence: "Your Majesty, I have not done these things. These are false accusations, Your Majesty. Someone must be... someone must be framing me. I beg Your Majesty to investigate clearly."

He was implying, of course, that it was Jiang Yankun and Jiang Hewei who were behind this.