The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem

My mother is the queen of the imperial harem, but she is the only one in the harem, so she has no one else to rule over.

My father is revered by the people as a wise and benevolent emperor, a ruler for the ages, but he is also a henpecked man who listens to everything my mother says.

Of course!

After all, my father is the emperor. He says he knows that my mother is also a diligent and compassionate queen, which is why he allows her to wield such authority.

Everyone believes that my mother is fortunate, having easily obtained everything she desired.

But my father told me that my mother is extraordinary, a strong person who never complains about her circumstances, which is why people overlook her efforts.

He said, "If it weren’t for this, your mother would have run away long ago!"

Even though my father is willing to spoil my mother, it is because she won his heart through her own strength. How could anyone say it was easy?

My elder brother is the crown prince, showered with endless love and expectations.

Every day, my mother and father examine his studies, and I feel exhausted just watching him.

I also have a twin brother, and he is my favorite.

Actually, I’m not sure if I’m the older sister or if he’s the older brother, but my father told me that I was born to be adored by everyone, so I was made the youngest sister.

The monks at the temple outside the palace say that my twin brother and I are immortals reincarnated into my mother’s womb, destined to ensure the eternal peace of Great Yan.

I don’t know about being immortals, but we are often treated as mascots by my father, paraded around the court, city walls, and altars from time to time.

My father says this helps to win the hearts of the people.

There isn’t a single citizen who doesn’t wish for their homeland to be blessed by immortals.

I think my father is just spouting nonsense with a straight face.

He once said he doesn’t believe in gods or spirits, that he is an atheist.

He’s just making excuses. He can’t let everyone know that he adores my twin brother and me so much that he wishes he could carry us around in his pocket!

My mother often says that my life is like that of a Mary Sue princess.

I’m not entirely sure what a Mary Sue is, but I think it means I was lucky to be born to the most powerful parents in the world.

I also thought my life would be smooth sailing, with everything I desired at my fingertips.

Until I met the top scholar, that man named Pei Ji.

He is ridiculously handsome, and I happen to be a bit of a hopeless romantic.

Honestly, I once dragged Meng Yixuan and Yan Qingqing to spy on my elder brother while he was bathing!

Unfortunately, we were caught, and my elder brother grabbed me by the neck and threw us out of the Eastern Palace.

I knew he didn’t grab Meng Yixuan’s neck because he has a crush on her.

I asked Meng Yixuan to check out his eight-pack abs to help him win her over, okay?

He just doesn’t appreciate my efforts as a good sister.

But thankfully, he has me, the best sister in the world, always singing his praises in front of Meng Yixuan, which eventually made her fall for him.

Yan Qingqing?

I never considered her as a potential sister-in-law. Her personality is too similar to mine.

I know she values freedom more than life itself. If she were to become the crown princess, my elder brother would probably spend half his time chasing her down outside the palace.

But I never expected her to end up marrying my fifth brother.

I thought she would become my third brother’s consort!

I guess even I can be wrong sometimes.

I’ve digressed too far…

Let me get back to Pei Ji.

Outside the window, the bright spring sunlight bathes everything in warmth. My little bird, for some reason, has been having diarrhea all day.

Yesterday, only a few of my study companions spent half the day at Tinglan Palace, keeping me company to pass the time.

No one else would dare touch my beloved pet, except for one of the companions—Lin Jingru, who happens to be Pei Ji’s cousin.

Lin Jingru is the daughter of Pei Ji’s maternal aunt. Her mother died during childbirth, and Lin Jingru was entrusted to Pei Ji’s mother.

I heard that Madam Pei planned to have Pei Ji marry Lin Jingru in a grand ceremony after he became the top scholar.

Thinking back to a month ago, when I was drunk during the new scholars’ parade and was egged on by Yan Qingqing to confess my feelings to Pei Ji, I can’t help but want to cut ties with her.

I am the most noble princess of Great Yan. No matter how much I like a man, I would never ruin someone else’s relationship.

The painting I made to express my love for Pei Ji has already been thrown away. No matter how much I like him, if he belongs to someone else, I won’t pursue him.

It’s just… a little heartbreaking.

This ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‍is the first time I’ve ever liked a man so much.

My poor bird has suffered enough, so today I asked Chunxin to summon Lin Jingru to the palace.

Some things are better clarified.

If she harbors ill will toward me, then she should leave the palace. I can’t keep a potential threat by my side.

“Your Highness, Miss Lin has arrived.”

I lazily sat by the window and turned around upon hearing the announcement.

A delicate young woman in a pale yellow dress stood before me, her demeanor gentle and fragile, evoking a sense of pity.

She curtsied slightly. “Your humble servant greets Her Highness, the Princess.”

Her voice was as melodious as a nightingale’s, truly pleasing to the ear.

As expected of a noble lady raised in the scholarly Pei family, her manners were impeccable.

I’m not one to beat around the bush, so I got straight to the point. “Did you feed my bird laxatives?”

Lin Jingru’s head shot up, her eyes betraying a hint of panic at being exposed.

“Do you hate me?”

“Is it because I expressed my feelings for Pei Ji without knowing about your engagement to him?”

Lin Jingru’s heart was in turmoil, but she dared not show it on her face.

She forced a smile. “To Your Highness, this is surely a trivial matter, but to me, it is a matter of life and death.”

Considering the recent rumors, I guessed that the Pei family, upon learning of my feelings for Pei Ji, had begun to look down on Lin Jingru’s background.

She is an orphan, after all, with no connections to aid Pei Ji’s career or elevate the Pei family’s status.

It’s a harsh reality.

I didn’t intend to punish her, but hearing from Lin Jingru that Pei Ji is indeed engaged to her made my heart sink a little further.

“This is my fault,” I admitted awkwardly.

“That day, I was drunk and captivated by Pei Ji’s beauty. I acted impulsively and made you unhappy. I apologize for that. However, I didn’t do anything too outrageous. Now that I know about your engagement, I won’t be so shameless as to interfere with your relationship. I hope you can let go of any resentment toward me. Is that acceptable?”

Tears glistened on Lin Jingru’s eyelashes like dewdrops. “Thank you, Your Highness. I… I wish to leave the palace. I hope Your Highness will grant me this request.”

She had already shown such vulnerability, and I didn’t want to see her anymore. Since she volunteered to leave, I had no reason to refuse.

I hope that from now on, we can go our separate ways. I won’t show any special concern or favor toward Pei Ji anymore.