The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem-Chapter 474

By November, the palace maids and eunuchs began preparing winter clothes. Any delay, and they would suffer the cold by December.

Jiang Xinyue had been keeping an eye on Shuang Jiang for some time, but no suspicious figures had appeared around her.

Xi Que was growing impatient. "Your Highness, that person is too composed. I feel guilty every day for bullying Shuang Jiang. My conscience is killing me."

During the day, Shuang Jiang would weep pitifully, but at night, back in Kunning Palace, the same maids and eunuchs who tormented her would serve her tea and smile apologetically.

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Xi Que even moved into Shuang Jiang's room to brainwash her: "Shuang, don’t blame me! I really don’t want to bully you, but that villain is too cunning. They’re waiting to see you suffer even more. You still love me, right?"

Every night, Shuang Jiang would pat Xi Que’s head and say, "Yes, yes, I love you... So, what cruel trick are you planning for me tomorrow?"

"Maybe we should go all out and force their hand..."

It turned out Xi Que’s aggressive coquetry was deadly.

The next day—

The seamstresses from the Bureau of Palace Affairs arrived to take measurements for the palace staff, starting with the Emperor and Empress’s quarters.

However, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‍Shuang Jiang was locked in her room. When the seamstresses inquired, someone claimed that Shuang Jiang had taken up fasting and frugality, refusing new clothes.

Everyone in Kunning Palace knew that Shuang Jiang’s family was poor. In previous years, she had sent her old clothes home to support her parents and siblings, who relied on her generosity to survive.

If she didn’t get new winter clothes this year, she would freeze to death.

A group of maids giggled nearby, discussing how to torment Shuang Jiang. Other maids, waiting to be measured, overheard their conversation.

Some thought they were going too far, but no one dared to speak up. These were maids from the Empress’s palace, clearly acting under Xi Que’s orders. Survival in the palace was hard enough; no one wanted to invite trouble.

In the palace, self-preservation was the wisest course of action.

"Get out of here!"

"This is no place for you!"

Shuang Jiang finally managed to escape her room, but by the time she reached the measurement area, the seamstresses had already left.

A group of maids lounging nearby sneered at her: "A traitor like you doesn’t deserve new clothes!"

"Her Highness hasn’t killed you yet only because she’s been deceived. But you’re pushing your luck. It’s time you learned a lesson."

Several maids grabbed Shuang Jiang and dragged her to a secluded corner. Others, fearing they might be implicated, quickly left the scene.

"Slap, slap, slap..."

One maid pulled out a piece of pigskin hidden in her chest and began slapping it loudly.

Another stuffed cotton into Shuang Jiang’s mouth, while a third smeared red rouge on her face.

"Where’s the pigeon blood?"

"Here, here..."

After some effort, Shuang Jiang’s hair was disheveled, her cheeks swollen, and her mouth smeared with what looked like fresh blood.

To make it more convincing, Shuang Jiang used her nails to scratch her lips, making it appear as if she had been beaten.

"Poor Shuang Jiang!"

Shu Xiang, who often visited Kunning Palace and was close to Shuang Jiang, sighed as she sat with Mu Tan. "Don’t you think Xi Que is going too far? Her Highness has already said she believes Shuang Jiang is innocent, and our mistress has also vouched for her. Why is Xi Que so relentless? Does she want to drive Shuang Jiang to her death?"

Mu Tan nodded. "So... what if... Xi Que is actually the Jin Kingdom spy? What if she tried to harm the Seventh Prince and Third Princess, failed, and now wants to eliminate Shuang Jiang to gain Her Highness’s trust? Without Shuang Jiang in the way, it would be easier for her to carry out her plans."

Shu Xiang’s jaw dropped in shock. "No... that can’t be true, can it?"

Such words were dangerous!

Xi Que was the Empress’s most trusted confidante. If she were a spy from the Jin Kingdom, Mu Tan couldn’t even imagine the risks the young princes and princesses would face.

There would be no escape.

"What are you two talking about?"

Noble Consort Ye’s maid, Lüxiu, approached from the corridor, skipping over to sit beside them. "I saw you from afar. It looked like you were discussing something interesting?"

Mu Tan repeated her theory to Lüxiu. "Tell me, does my reasoning make sense?"

Lüxiu was terrified. Her mistress often warned her that trouble came from careless words. She didn’t dare open her mouth.

"Speak up! Does it make sense or not?"

"Well... um..."

Shu Xiang and Mu Tan were the chief maids of the Consort and Noble Consort, respectively. Even if they stirred up trouble, their mistresses could protect them.

But Lüxiu was just a maid of a low-ranking noble. She had no right to weigh in on such matters.

Lüxiu regretted her curiosity. As the old saying goes, curiosity killed the cat.

She forced an awkward smile and changed the subject. "I think Shuang Jiang is done for this time. When I went to get measured earlier, I saw some maids from Kunning Palace teaching Shuang Jiang a lesson. Tsk tsk... Her mouth was bleeding, and I overheard them saying they were going to throw her into the dry well behind the Palace of Exile."

It was truly horrifying.

How could people in the palace be so heartless?

Shu Xiang and Mu Tan exchanged worried glances. If this continued, Shuang Jiang would surely be tormented to death.

The night was eerily quiet—

"Coo, coo, coo..."

The cries of an unidentified black bird seemed like an omen of death.

The cold autumn wind howled through the night, and in the Palace of Exile, Lady Shi and Lady Tong were at each other’s throats again.

Their screams and curses drowned out the commotion behind the palace.

When Shuang Jiang regained consciousness, she was hit by a wave of cold. A blurry figure appeared before her.

The sound of the wind and the women’s curses filled her ears. The dry well above her was uncovered, and a faint moonlight shone down.

"You wretch! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been exiled to this place!"

"You’re the real wretch! If you hadn’t tricked me into framing Jiang Xinyue, I wouldn’t be in this mess! After all these years of pretending to be my friend, aren’t you tired?"

"Who’s your friend? The daughter of a mere fourth-rank official dares to call herself my sister? My father is the Northern General!"

"Hahaha... That’s hilarious! Didn’t you hear the eunuch who brought our food today? The Northern General has been replaced. Your foolish father dared to threaten the Emperor to release you from exile. He’s been stripped of his rank and sent back to his hometown. You’re not even my equal now—just a commoner!"

Even though the Tong family had been stripped of their official status, they were still wealthy. The Northern General, on the other hand, had no fortune to speak of. Now, he was just an ordinary civilian.