The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem

Xie Chenghui glanced at her father with displeasure: "In any case, you should stay out of such matters in the future. Grand Preceptor Jing is the Crown Prince's teacher and holds the position of Chief Grand Councilor. He has already made an exception to bring Lord Jiang into the cabinet. Whose side do you think he's on?"

Only then did Grand Secretary Xie realize that in this matter, Grand Preceptor Jing had been as invisible as a ghost—why hadn’t he spoken up at all?

Whether he agreed or disagreed, he had never clearly stated his position.

But every time someone vehemently opposed the Empress, he would always bring up the Crown Prince.

He would say that the young prince was lively, sensible, and had a strong sense of autonomy. Despite his young age, he was articulate and good at expressing his emotions, and he would undoubtedly grow into an excellent heir to the throne.

In doing so, he subtly reassured everyone that there was no need to worry about the Empress ruining the Crown Prince, as the young prince still had his own ideas.

But no one believed that the Empress, who had tasted the pinnacle of power, could ever let go of the sword of authority in her hands.

The next day—

While Xie Huai was on his way back from court, he heard that his brother-in-law had gotten into trouble and had already been imprisoned by Ma Yiyang, the Minister of Justice.

Upon hearing this devastating news, his wife had fainted.

Her brother was her only sibling and the sole male heir to continue the family line.

Madam Pang, being eighteen years older than her brother, had practically raised him as her own son.

Xie Huai knew that he had offended the Empress, and now his wife’s family was suffering the consequences.

He rushed to the Ministry of Punishment, only to be stopped at the prison gates: "Grand Secretary Xie, this place is filled with vicious criminals. You come from a noble scholarly family—what business do you have in such a filthy place?"

Hadn’t he criticized the Empress, saying that her humble origins made her prone to clinging to power?

The officials at the Ministry of Punishment had already received orders from Ma Yiyang to humiliate Grand Secretary Xie.

So what if he came from a prestigious background?

Did that give him the right to insult others?

Even those of humble origins knew the principles of propriety, righteousness, and shame—they knew what was right and what was wrong.

No wonder Grand Preceptor Jing hadn’t included Xie Huai in the cabinet but instead chose the Empress’s father. It seemed the old man had good judgment.

If someone like Xie Huai, who divided people into classes, had been selected, he would have only worked for the benefit of the noble families, leaving the common people to suffer.

Xie Huai was unaware that his inappropriate remarks, made when he mistakenly thought his son was fond of the Empress, had already been spread far and wide by Jiang Xinyue.

The Emperor had always suppressed the noble families and prioritized the imperial examinations, promoting talented individuals from humble backgrounds. Xie Huai’s statement that those of low birth were shortsighted and prone to greed was essentially questioning the Emperor’s judgment.

The Ministry of Punishment was a place of chaos, and Ma Yiyang himself came from a humble background. When selecting officials, he didn’t care about their origins—only their abilities mattered.

Xie Huai’s words had struck a nerve.

Madam Pang’s younger brother, Young Master Pang, came from the Pang family, which had once been a respected noble family. However, since the Emperor’s ascension, the noble families had fallen out of favor, and the Pangs had declined.

Over the years, the Pang family had been plagued by illness and death, leaving only Young Master Pang as the last remaining heir. Madam Pang had spoiled him rotten.

In the capital, he was known as a troublemaker, always causing mischief, teasing women, and stirring up trouble.

Out of respect for Grand Secretary Xie, people in the capital usually turned a blind eye to his antics and didn’t hold him accountable.

He was also a coward at heart, only daring to make suggestive remarks and never taking any real action.

But this time, Jiang Xinyue had set a trap for him, and how could he escape?

The girl selling herself to bury her father by the roadside was actually a tea-serving maid from a brothel, hired for twenty taels of silver. With her tearful demeanor and fragile appearance, she easily stirred Young Master Pang’s mischievous side.

He insisted on taking the girl by force, and in broad daylight, he and his friends tried to drag her away in front of the entire capital.

The girl, though seemingly delicate, had a fierce spirit. She immediately dashed her head against the stone lion at the entrance of a nearby house and died on the spot.

Young Master Pang was terrified on the spot and was promptly arrested by the Ministry of Punishment, thrown into the prison without delay.

To make matters worse, the family whose stone lion the girl had used to end her life was now demanding compensation, claiming that Young Master Pang had ruined their feng shui.

These were minor issues, but the real problem was that after Jiang Yankun joined the cabinet, the new Minister of Justice, Ma Yiyang, was a ruthless man. It was said that the number of tortures in the Ministry of Punishment’s prison had increased by more than a dozen since Jiang Yankun’s time.

Each one was designed to inflict unbearable pain.

That was why Madam Pang had fainted upon hearing that her brother had been thrown into the Ministry of Punishment’s prison.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

That place was easy to enter but hard to leave.

If something happened to him, the Pang family line would come to an end.

"You... you..."

Xie Huai’s hand trembled as he pointed at the group of rough-looking constables from the Ministry of Punishment, his face flushed with anger.

He knew full well that his brother-in-law’s public arrest was a trap set by the Empress through the Ministry of Punishment.

He knew exactly what kind of person his brother-in-law was—even if he were given a hundred chances, he wouldn’t dare to cause a death.

But what could he say?

His brother-in-law had caused a death in front of everyone. Knowing it was a trap was useless; the people wouldn’t believe him.

If the Ministry of Punishment executed his brother-in-law according to the law, they would have no grounds to protest.

The Empress’s methods were truly formidable, leaving him in utter misery.

If his brother-in-law lost his life, his wife would likely hang herself.

This was a plan to destroy his family!

"Grand Secretary Xie is a man of integrity, but it seems there has been some misunderstanding regarding our Empress. Her Majesty is willing to give you a chance to clear up this misunderstanding. What do you say?"

Xi Que had left the palace today with the Internal Affairs Department’s procurement eunuch. Sometimes, when the Empress wanted small trinkets or snacks, Xi Que would accompany the eunuch, and it wouldn’t attract much attention.

Especially since she was already engaged to Meng Qingyu, and everyone in the palace knew it. Even if she requested permission to leave the palace to meet with Meng Qingyu, it wouldn’t raise any eyebrows.

No one would have guessed that Xi Que’s trip outside wasn’t for romance but to carry out an important task for the Empress.

With the Empress’s most trusted lady-in-waiting personally delivering the message, how could Xie Huai refuse?

In a teahouse by the street, Jiang Xinyue emerged from her cloak, revealing her stunningly beautiful face.

Jiang Chuan poured her a cup of tea: "Your Majesty, will Grand Secretary Xie come?"

"He has no choice."

If even his wife’s fainting couldn’t make him reconsider and he insisted on siding with those stubborn old fools, then Young Master Pang’s fake crime would become a real one.

She would grant him his wish to remain loyal to his principles—and let his family be destroyed.

Reform always requires bloodshed.