The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem

According to Consort Liang's temperament, if she were to find out that the Emperor suspected them, she would likely spend the next few days grumbling and complaining.

The Emperor was already in a bad mood because of this matter, and if he were to find out, Consort Liang would not fare well. She might even face some punishment.

Noble Consort Ye was not quick to react, but she was thoughtful. After careful consideration, she agreed with Consort Shu: "Yes, Sister Consort Liang, we shouldn't cause trouble for Her Majesty. There might be eunuchs or guards coming to search the palace soon! You should be prepared and avoid any conflicts with them. This must be the Emperor and Her Majesty's intention."

Consort Liang sighed, "The Empress has really gone through so much hardship."

Back when she used to scheme against the Empress, she always felt that the Empress had exceptionally good luck, always managing to escape unscathed while those who plotted against her ended up suffering.

Now that they had grown closer and become sisters who shared everything, Consort Liang realized just how much effort the Empress had put into avoiding these schemes.

For example, just moments ago, everyone thought that the hundreds of Kongming lanterns rising into the sky were a surprise from the Emperor for the Empress.

But the Empress immediately turned to the Emperor and, upon receiving a negative answer, quickly realized that someone was trying to harm the two young royals.

She was always on guard.

This was something Consort Liang felt even the late Empress had failed to do, which was why she couldn't protect her two children.

With a major incident occurring in the palace, the first birthday celebration of the Seventh Prince and the Third Princess was abruptly cut short.

After the guests had left, Consort Liang was about to go to sleep when, just as Noble Consort Ye had predicted, the palace guards arrived to conduct a search.

If it hadn't been for Noble Consort Ye's reminder, Consort Liang wouldn't have even put away her private belongings. If they had been ransacked, she would have been furious.

However, the people conducting the search seemed to have received instructions from the Empress, as they didn't throw things around or create a mess. Shu Xiang, along with a few palace maids, quickly tidied up, and everything was restored to its original state.

Shu Xiang, while putting away the clothes, asked, "Your Highness, why is the Emperor searching our palace when the Seventh Prince and the Third Princess were targeted? Are we the only ones being searched?"

Consort Liang glared at her, "Don't speak nonsense. How could it be just our palace? Consort Shu's, Noble Consort Ye's, and the other consorts' quarters must have been searched as well."

If it were only her palace being searched, she would have gone to Kunning Palace to complain the next day. But since the Emperor was targeting everyone indiscriminately, there was no issue.

Kunning Palace—

Tonight, many palace servants were injured, especially Nanny Lü, whose entire left arm was badly burned, and her hair was singed to shoulder length.

When the imperial physician applied medicine to her wounds, she bit her lips so hard that they bled.

Nanny Xiang wasn't faring much better either. Her eyes were swollen shut, and her face was covered in severe burns.

Both of them could be ruled out as suspects, as if they had wanted to harm the two young royals, the Seventh Prince and the Third Princess would have been dead long ago.

"Your Majesty, white phosphorus powder was found in this room."

Jiang Xinyue looked up, and Shuang Jiang's eyes widened in shock, "That's my room."

The entire Kunning Palace fell silent; no one dared to speak.

How could it be Shuang Jiang?

Both Nanny Xiang and Nanny Lü wanted to say it was impossible, but given the gravity of the situation, they didn't dare vouch for her lightly.

What if... what if it really was Shuang Jiang?

No one spoke, and the atmosphere was eerily quiet. Shuang Jiang knelt down with a thud, "Your Majesty, Empress, please believe me! I may have had a troubled past, but I have long since turned over a new leaf. I would never help outsiders harm the young royals. Please, Your Majesty, believe me!"

She kowtowed repeatedly, each time harder than the last, until her forehead was bruised and bleeding, "I'm innocent! Those things aren't mine!"

"Help her up."

The Emperor waved his hand, and Tang Shiliang quickly stepped forward to assist Shuang Jiang, "Miss Shuang Jiang, His Majesty and the Empress will not let any wrongdoer go unpunished, nor will they wrong the innocent. Please calm down."

Xi Que's mind was in turmoil. Her rational side told her that she was the Empress's person and should firmly protect her mistress's interests, even if it meant punishing the innocent to ensure no guilty party escaped.

But...

Her ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‍bond with Shuang Jiang. Apart from Xiao Xiangzi, Shuang Jiang was the closest to her, always offering guidance and support, like an elder sister.

More importantly, Shuang Jiang had always been wholeheartedly devoted to the Empress and the young royals. How could she possibly be the one trying to harm them?

The idea that she was a spy from the Jin Kingdom didn't hold water either.

Shuang Jiang had been planted in the Empress's service by Lady Ye, who had used her family to threaten her into poisoning the Empress. But Shuang Jiang had chosen to smash her head against a pillar rather than harm her mistress.

After Lady Ye's family was executed for treason, and Lady Ye herself was drowned in a manure pit by the Emperor, Shuang Jiang had devoted herself entirely to serving the Empress.

The Jin Kingdom couldn't have foreseen that the Empress would rise to such prominence and become the Emperor's most beloved woman, planting a spy so early on.

Jiang Xinyue had remained silent not because she doubted Shuang Jiang, but because she was recalling small details she might have overlooked or forgotten.

The floors of Kunning Palace were swept daily, so the large amount of white phosphorus powder couldn't have accumulated over several days. It must have been placed there within a single day.

The person responsible not only had free access to Kunning Palace but also enjoyed the trust of everyone there, managing to move about unnoticed.

Someone deeply trusted yet able to remain inconspicuous.

In Jiang Xinyue's mind, the identity of this person was almost clear.

But without concrete evidence, she didn't want to alert the suspect prematurely.

Just as she was about to speak, Xi Que, with her eyes tightly shut, knelt on the ground, looking as if she had resolved to take a stand, "Empress, I believe Shuang Jiang is innocent. I... I can vouch for her."

Despite her fear of Jiang Xinyue thinking she was being disloyal, she still spoke up. This was Xi Que, always standing up for her friends, even at great personal risk.

And it was precisely this loyalty and sense of justice that Jiang Xinyue valued and wanted to protect.

"When did I say I didn't believe her?"

Then why did the Empress look so heartbroken, as if she couldn't bear the thought of Shuang Jiang's betrayal?

Her expression was so clear that Jiang Xinyue didn't need to ask to know what Xi Que was thinking.

"I was just pondering something else."

She glanced at Xi Que before walking over to Shuang Jiang, "You are someone I personally trained. I trust you, and everyone in Kunning Palace, completely. Even if such a situation arises again, don't kneel or kowtow. You'll only hurt yourself, and I would feel heartbroken. What you need to do is take care of the young royals, just as Nanny Xiang and Nanny Lü did today, protecting them with your lives."

"We will obey the Empress's decree."

Having such a mistress, the servants of Kunning Palace felt as if they should go and thank the heavens for their good fortune, being assigned to such a wonderful place.