The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem

Chapter 432

how could this be?

is it really possible?

that’s unmistakably... the empress dowager!

and if she weren’t, she wouldn’t be sitting behind the emperor... no...

in the past, when the emperor and empress needed to leave the palace together, the empress dowager never rode in a separate carriage. she always shared the imperial dragon carriage with the emperor.

the eyes of the minister of rites grew wider and wider. could it be...

jiang yankun let out another scoff. “even you thought she was the empress dowager. those who don’t know her would surely mistake her.”

“is she really a palace concubine? she’s so beautiful!”

“her clothes are glowing, so stunning. no wonder she’s a concubine—her beauty is extraordinary.”

“she’s so majestic!”

...

countless women below gazed up at mu qianqian. their chatter gradually reached her ears, feeding her vanity.

she felt as though a bright path was beckoning her...

fame, favor, wealth, power...

the envy, jealousy, and adoration of the people... all the things that once belonged to the empress dowager would soon be hers.

she would become the most powerful woman in the great yan dynasty.

“evil empress! pay with your life for my master!”

“thud!”

“ah—”

“protect his majesty! protect his majesty! there’s an assassin!”

amid the chaos, the emperor stood up and shouted, “capture him alive!”

zhu qianyi had been working under ma yiyang in the ministry of punishment ever since he joined the jiang family.

jiang yankun followed the emperor’s instructions: he couldn’t treat zhu qianyi too well or too closely, nor could he offer too much substantial help. yet, he had to make sure zhu qianyi understood that it was the jiang family who saved him, gave him new hope, and humbled his pride.

only then would he submit wholeheartedly to the crown prince and the empress dowager.

when the assassin shouted “master,” zhu qianyi already sensed something was wrong.

because during his father’s lifetime, only those under his command referred to him as “master.”

only by capturing the assassins and interrogating them could he uncover the true mastermind and put his mind at ease.

as for mu qianqian, the scapegoat, he had given her a choice. she chose to stay in the palace, insisting on being jiang xinyue’s decoy.

no!

it was all an act. the emperor had never loved her.

“one night... one night as husband and wife, a hundred days of...”

“who was your husband? i never touched you. you remain untouched.”

mu qianqian’s pupils contracted sharply as realization dawned. “you deliberately... deliberately... made me...”

before she could finish, another gush of blood spilled from her mouth. the pain began to fade, and the light before her eyes dimmed.

she knew she was dying...

it had all been the emperor’s scheme. she thought she was the clever one, but the moment she revealed her face, she had already fallen into his trap.

all to protect the empress dowager!

the emperor didn’t want jiang xinyue to face even the slightest danger. even though the palace was heavily guarded, and the assassins couldn’t possibly breach it, the emperor refused to let her take any risk.

he chose a decoy to lure the snake out of its hole.

he succeeded... hahaha... he succeeded.

and so, she would die.

“your majesty, six assassins—four are dead, and two are captured alive.”

zhu qianyi stepped forward. “i can assure you, these men are not remnants of the zhu family. someone is impersonating them.”

someone wanted the empress dowager dead, using the amnesty as a cover to pin the blame on the recently released zhu family.

he would never allow it!

the emperor didn’t spare another glance at mu qianqian’s lifeless body. his voice was cold and detached. “take them to the ministry of justice. order the ministry of justice and the ministry of punishment to jointly investigate this case. they must uncover the mastermind. and if these assassins die or are silenced before i return, the minister of justice can resign.”

his words sent a chill through the crowd.

the emperor intended to uproot this conspiracy entirely.

a thorough investigation...

would implicate countless officials.

even those uninvolved but closely associated would be dragged into the mess.

as their eyes fell on mu qianqian’s face, many officials gasped in horror. “who... who is that? that’s not the empress dowager?”