The Female Psychology PHD Got Time Travelled To The Royal Harem

Chapter 21

Empress Zhu had never thought of hiding her inner thoughts from the Xuanwu Emperor, for she knew that in the harem, there were no secrets from the Emperor.

Her every action and deed were known to him.

But she was the Empress of the Central Palace, and if the concubines were disrespectful to her, she had the right to discipline them, regardless of whether her methods were proper or not. This was the dignity and respect that the Xuanwu Emperor had bestowed upon her as his principal wife.

He was well aware of her distaste for the likes of Concubine Li.

The Xuanwu Emperor looked at Jiang Xinyue with an unnoticed tenderness in his eyes: "Zhenji... is indeed wonderful."

She had never spoken ill of any concubine in front of him, nor had she tried to turn others against them.

Those she thought were good, she treated with sincere affection, like the Empress, Consort Liang, and Consort De.

Those she deemed unworthy, she didn't even bother to put on a pretense, maintaining a respectful distance from them.

For instance, at today's roast meat banquet, had it been for other concubines, even if she disliked Concubine Li, Consort Jiang, and others, she would have invited them since the Empress and others had already been invited, to maintain her image of benevolence and magnanimity.

But with Jiang Xinyue, she displayed her likes and dislikes openly.

The Xuanwu Emperor appreciated this fresh and unmasked honesty.

The sound of music and dance drifted from the Hexi Palace, filled with the aroma of roasting meat.

Concubine Li, who had come to the Chengqian Palace to deliver a nourishing soup to the Xuanwu Emperor, looked up at the swirling white smoke above the Hexi Palace, her eyes growing increasingly cold.

Layue cautiously glanced at her: "Your Ladyship, shall we..."

"Return to the palace."

Concubine Li took Layue's hand and stepped into the palanquin: "This consort does not eat leftovers."

If she had come to the Chengqian Palace and the Emperor had accompanied her, it would have been Zhenji's loss of face. But if she had forced her way into the Hexi Palace and caused such embarrassment, where would her own dignity lie?

Cries could occasionally be heard from the Yanqing Palace: "She did it deliberately to slight me. She knew I was residing in Consort De's Yanqing Palace, yet she invited Consort De but excluded me. She did it on purpose to humiliate me, trying to win over Consort De against me."

Shuhua, thinking her mistress's thoughts were too extreme, tried to reason with her: "My lady, you shouldn't overthink it. The Empress Zhu doesn't know you, so how could she slight you on purpose? This servant has heard that Zhenji is the Empress's woman, so it's only natural for her to have good relations with Consort De and Consort Liang."

"When she moved into her palace, the Emperor came to see me. Who knows, he might have been plotting his revenge against me!"

Lost in her thoughts, Concubine Su began to cry again.

Jiang Xinyue was unaware of the events unfolding outside the Hexi Palace. She didn't end the lively "family banquet" with the Eldest Princess, the second princess, and the third prince until late at night when the young masters were all exhausted.

Within the Hexi Palace, there was a room called the "Ear Room," which was a hot spring pool built by the Internal Affairs Department to curry favor with the Emperor when the palace was first constructed.