The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem

Jiang Xinyue was not a "local." She was unfamiliar with the Cavalry General's Mansion and had only heard about it from the emperor.

Second Yan seemed to have avoided military service, preferring a carefree, wandering lifestyle. He had yet to settle down or marry.

Third Yan, the third son of the Cavalry General and the fiancé of her younger sister Jiang Xinyan, was the brilliant strategist Shi Ruojun had spoken of.

The idea seemed to be that Shi Ruojun wanted to go to the battlefield to fight, but feared the old ministers in the court would oppose a woman taking such a role. Thus, she proposed having Third Yan take the title of commander-in-chief.

However, when it came to actual combat, she, as the deputy general, would charge at the forefront, ensuring Third Yan would not face any danger.

"Why can't you be the commander-in-chief?"

Jiang Xinyue replied, "If, after all my efforts to change the status of women, you still cannot stand on your own merits in this world and must rely on men to showcase your talents, then my efforts would have been in vain."

Shi Ruojun's eyes sparkled as she looked at her. "Your Majesty means..."

Would she be appointed as a female general?

This had been her dream since childhood!

"It's only a matter of time," Jiang Xinyue declared confidently. "The era when women can hold up half the sky will not be far off."

But not yet.

Goguryeo clearly underestimated Jiang Xinyue, believing that as a woman, she could not override the emperor's authority. They deliberately chose this moment to provoke through their envoys.

If Jiang Xinyue remained silent, the other vassal states would perceive Great Yan as cowardly and timid. In the future, if they sought help from Great Yan, they might doubt whether they would receive it.

Once such doubts took root, it would be difficult to regain their loyalty to Great Yan's new laws and regulations.

They might even follow in the footsteps of Fusang and Goguryeo, defecting to enemy states.

If Jiang Xinyue did not remain silent, any reasonable action she took would be met with further excuses and provocations.

Given this, why not strike first?

Stirring up public opinion, fabricating stories, and exploiting the tendency of the masses to follow the crowd—these were tactics Jiang Xinyue had long mastered.

Not only could she fabricate stories, but she could also present herself as the perfect victim.

Truth often lies in the hands of a few.

The more people who criticized and slandered her, the better.

The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Punishment jointly conducted arrests, leaving the streets so deserted that not a single loiterer could be seen.

A few street vendors gathered in small groups, chatting and complaining. "Have they caught the Goguryeo spies yet? This chaos is ruining our business."

"I was hoping to have a good New Year, but with this going on, it's hopeless."

A group of officials dressed in their respective national robes emerged from the Ministry of Rites, their expressions grim. "This can't go on. The Emperor of Great Yan must give us an explanation. Princess Lihua cannot have died so mysteriously."

"I heard the Empress is now in charge in the palace, implementing new laws. How can the Emperor let her act so recklessly?"

"Huh?"

The official from the Ministry of Rites responsible for receiving them spoke sternly. "I understand your urgency to know the truth, but the Empress is the mother of Great Yan. You should respect her as much as you respect the Emperor. If you cannot do so and dare to speak ill of the Empress, I’m afraid you’ll have to spend a few days in the Ministry of Punishment."

The envoys' faces turned pale. "That’s not what we meant. Please don’t report us. It was a slip of the tongue. How could an ordinary woman compare to the Empress?"

They had heard that the Minister of Punishment in Great Yan was a ruthless figure, someone who killed without batting an eye. They had no desire to end up like Princess Lihua, dying far from home.

The Great Yan official’s expression softened slightly. "Then you must watch your words. What do you mean by 'ordinary women'? You should treat everyone equally."

The envoys fell silent.

It seemed no matter what they said, it was wrong.

They didn’t realize their own prejudices were the root of the problem.

Deep down, they believed women were inferior to men, which was why they spoke of the Empress and "ordinary women" in such terms.

Did they compare their own emperors to others? Who would dare?

As the officials from the Ministry of Rites left, the envoys prepared to return to their quarters. But after a few steps, they heard the clash of weapons.

Turning around, they saw several figures leap over their heads.

Pursuing them were young men shouting, "Goguryeo spies, where do you think you're running?"

Spies?!

Had Goguryeo spies really infiltrated Great Yan?

The spy exchanged blows with several guards dressed in Ministry of Punishment uniforms. The spy was skilled, and the fight reached a stalemate.

"Quick! Hide! We don’t want to get caught in this."

The envoys scattered, but the spy seemed to have eyes everywhere. Wherever they hid, he seemed to crash nearby.

He shouted in the Goguryeo language, "You Great Yan vermin! Goguryeo is the true heavenly kingdom. You’re nothing! And you weaklings, you’re vermin too, clinging to Great Yan like parasites."

The envoys, who understood some foreign languages, could at least recognize the insults.

"You dog! How dare you insult us?"

Immediately, some hot-tempered envoys rushed out to help the Ministry of Punishment guards beat the "spy."

When the Great Yan officials scolded them, they had to endure it—their kings had to bow to the Emperor of Great Yan, after all.

But who did Goguryeo think they were?

Why should they endure such insults?

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍Ministry of Punishment guards made a "please stop" gesture to the young man being beaten on the ground. They hadn’t expected the envoys to react so fiercely to the taunts.

"Long live Goguryeo! May Goguryeo endure for millennia! One day, our assassins will kill your Empress, and Great Yan will be crushed beneath the hooves of our king’s cavalry!"

Since he was already being beaten, he might as well escalate the hatred.

"And you bootlickers! When Goguryeo conquers Great Yan, we’ll deal with you one by one. You’ll all become our dogs, and we’ll humiliate you thoroughly. Why did you side with Great Yan? If you’re smart, switch to Goguryeo, and we might throw you a bone."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Calling them dogs!

The envoys were livid, beating the "spy" mercilessly.

The Ministry of Punishment guards covered their faces, unable to watch.

This was too much, simply too much!

"Stop! Stop! Who are you? This is a Goguryeo spy. We need to take him back to the Ministry of Punishment for interrogation. If you kill him, how will we explain this to our superiors?"

Finally managing to pull the envoys away, the guards quickly helped the "spy" to his feet and hurried him away.

The envoys straightened their clothes, dusting off the dirt and wrinkles. "We’re nobody, just passing by."

They couldn’t reveal their identities in front of the Ministry of Punishment guards. If the man really died from their beating, they’d be imprisoned.

They had heard Great Yan’s laws were strict, and they had no desire to test them.