The Entire Harem has Transmigrated - Chapter 6

In a spacious apartment in the city center, Ruan Qingqing stretched languidly and yawned deeply.

They say the sea of knowledge is boundless, and there’s simply too much to learn in a lifetime. Even with her photographic memory, it would be nearly impossible to absorb the entire cartload of books.

Slow and steady, she thought.

After tidying up the books, Ruan Qingqing rose to wash up and go to bed. But when she reached the door, she discovered the Noble Consort had locked her in.

Why would she do that?

Had she done something wrong? Could it be that drinking too much milk tea had displeased the Noble Consort?

Ruan Qingqing knocked on the door. It opened quickly, revealing Li Qianxuan with damp hair and an unreadable expression.

Ruan Qingqing blinked, calling out in confusion, “Noble Consort?”

“Hmm,” Li Qianxuan replied. “What does Your Majesty want?”

“To rest,” Ruan Qingqing answered, studying her expression. She ventured cautiously, “Qianxuan, am I causing you trouble by staying here? If so, I can leave and find another place…”

Before Ruan Qingqing could finish speaking, Li Qianxuan seized her wrist and pinned her against the wall.

“Ugh.” The impact of her back against the hard wall stung, and Ruan Qingqing let out a muffled groan. Tears welled up in her round, almond-shaped eyes.

Yet Li Qianxuan pressed closer, her own eyes even more tear-filled, their rims flushed with a feverish red. She demanded, “How could Your Majesty be so heartless? Leaving only a divorce decree and vanishing without a trace! Where do you think you’re going now? Will you abandon me again?”

Ruan Qingqing looked bewildered. “Divorce decree?”

Li Qianxuan tightened her grip. “Didn’t you personally write the letter severing our ties?”

Ruan Qingqing glanced at her wrist, now red from the pressure, and frowned. Despite the pain, she spoke softly to Li Qianxuan, “Sister, please loosen your grip. I only wanted to avoid causing you trouble. If you don’t want me to leave, I’ll stay here. Don’t be upset.”

The girl’s voice was soft, yet it carried a refreshing, invigorating quality like a clear mountain spring, gradually calming Li Qianxuan’s frayed nerves. It was then that she finally noticed the striking red mark on the delicate wrist and hastily released her grip.

“I’m so sorry,” Li Qianxuan said, her voice filled with remorse.

Ruan Qingqing, however, stood on tiptoe and patted Li Qianxuan’s head reassuringly, smiling. “It’s alright.”

Despite her words, Li Qianxuan insisted on applying pain-relieving ointment to Ruan Qingqing’s wrist, gently massaging the bruised area.

Ruan Qingqing lowered her gaze, still pondering Li Qianxuan’s earlier mention of a “letter of divorce for wives and concubines.” This wasn’t a topic she could directly ask about; she would need to find the right moment.

Glancing at the damp strands of hair framing Li Qianxuan’s radiant face, she casually suggested, “Want me to blow-dry your hair?”

Li Qianxuan blinked in surprise. “What?”

“Your hair,” Ruan Qingqing replied, her eyes crinkling with innocent amusement. “A-Yun and her assistant have blow-dried my hair before. It was quite fun, and I’ve been wanting to try it myself.”

A-Yun, she called her, her tone overly familiar.

Li Qianxuan scoffed inwardly, but her expression remained composed. She asked with feigned concern, “Can Your Majesty’s wrist handle it?”

“It didn’t hurt much to begin with,” Ruan Qingqing replied.

Li Qianxuan’s expression turned serious, her face solemn as she asked, “Am I the first person Your Majesty has ever dried hair for?”

“Huh? Is that important?” Ruan Qingqing hesitated, puzzled. “Does drying hair here have some special meaning? If it does, I’d rather not…”

“No, it doesn’t,” Li Qianxuan interrupted firmly, rising to fetch a hairdryer. She pressed it into Ruan Qingqing’s hand, then adopted a coquettish tone. “Please dry my hair, Your Majesty. Your humble servant thanks you in advance.”

Having been so fierce moments ago, Li Qianxuan’s sudden docility was striking. Ruan Qingqing smiled and didn’t refuse, only saying, “Then you’ll have to teach me first. I’m not very good at this.” Li Qianxuan readily showed her how.

Drying hair wasn’t a complicated skill, and Ruan Qingqing learned it quickly. She applied her new knowledge with surprising skill, and as the long, dark hair neared dryness, Li Qianxuan’s emotions finally calmed. It was then that Ruan Qingqing ventured to ask the question that had been weighing on her mind.

“Qianxuan,” she said, “were you pretending not to recognize me earlier because of that divorce decree?”

“Is that all it was?” Li Qianxuan retorted. “I was angry that you left without a word.”

“I’m sorry,” Ruan Qingqing apologized softly. “Speaking of which, what exactly did that divorce decree say? It’s clearly still bothering you, even now.”

Li Qianxuan turned to glare at her playfully. “Your Majesty wrote it yourself! How can you still be asking me about it?”

Ruan Qingqing pinched her shoulder and coaxed, “It was so long ago, I can’t remember! Please tell me again, dear sister.”

Li Qianxuan couldn’t resist such persistent flattery. Her shoulder felt numb, and she grew dizzy, so she finally told Ruan Qingqing everything.

In the divorce decree, the Emperor revealed her true identity as a woman, revealing her real name, Qingqing. She detailed the hardships of living disguised as a man for so many years, declaring her refusal to continue hiding her true self. Having made all necessary arrangements and secured her escape route, she announced her intention to transform her appearance and start anew in a place where no one knew her, pursuing the Great Dao of Metaphysics she had always yearned for.

Afterward, she declared that her fate with the concubines of the Imperial Harem had run its course, and that they could never be husband and wife again in this lifetime. She issued divorce papers, severing all ties and allowing them to leave and remarry as they pleased, saying, “Let us part in peace, each finding our own happiness.” She even wished her elder sisters and younger sisters lasting joy and a lifetime of health and contentment.

“No wonder…” Ruan Qingqing murmured unconsciously, biting her lip.

No wonder the Noble Consort hadn’t been surprised to learn she was a girl, nor had she pressed for answers. But the crucial question remained: she hadn’t written that letter of divorce.

When she had been inexplicably sucked into the void years ago, it had been without warning or anticipation. Naturally, she hadn’t been able to react or prepare.

The only person who could have known her true name was Qingqing, her female identity, and who could have imitated her handwriting and tone so convincingly in that lengthy letter, convincing the Noble Consort and the others of its authenticity, was the Imperial Preceptor.

But why would the Imperial Preceptor do such a thing?

Why?

Moreover, the Imperial Preceptor’s divination skills were legendary, and she possessed the power of prophecy. Could she have foreseen Ruan Qingqing’s sudden disappearance long ago?

If so, why hadn’t she warned her? Or was it that heavenly secrets could not be revealed, and she was forbidden from telling Ruan Qingqing?

Among the books she had just seen were history texts, but she hadn’t had time to read them yet. Perhaps she should study what happened after the End of the Qian Dynasty to gain some insight.

Just as she was thinking this, Ruan Qingqing realized her hands were being held. The Noble Consort’s usually bright and spirited face was flushed crimson, and she asked shyly, “Why doesn’t Your Majesty answer?”

Ruan Qingqing genuinely hadn’t heard the question. “What was that?” she asked.

“I said,” Li Qianxuan said, gazing intently at her, her voice measured, “whether you’re male or female, I love you. This era is different from the Qian Dynasty. You no longer need to bear the burden of being a cross-dressing Emperor. Here, women can marry women—the Same-s3x Marriage Act has already passed. If you’re willing, once you’re of age, we can register our marriage and be together forever.”

Ruan Qingqing was so startled she immediately pulled her hands away.

She firmly rejected the proposal. “Qianxuan, I don’t know where you got this idea, but I’ve always seen you all as sisters and family. I’ve never harbored such feelings. When I brought you into the Imperial Harem in the past, it was out of necessity—a desperate measure entangled with countless political considerations, not out of love. I deeply regret having wasted your lives. Now that we’re in a new era, I sincerely hope you can all find new lives.”

Li Qianxuan’s eyes reddened again. “So, after all this, you just don’t want to be with me.”

Ruan Qingqing didn’t mince words. “Yes, because I don’t have romantic feelings for you.”

“Then who do you have romantic feelings for?” Li Qianxuan grabbed Ruan Qingqing’s shoulders, demanding, “Consort Shu? She’s the best at playing the victim. You always pitied her humble origins and the hardships she endured, showing her special favor. Even when we transmigrated to the modern era, you rushed to her side first.”

If that idiot Consort Shu hadn’t forgotten her past life, would I still have a chance to see my Little Majesty again?

Ruan Qingqing looked puzzled. “I’ve always treated everyone equally. When have I ever shown Consort Shu special favor?”

She had just finished reading a book on internet slang. According to it, she considered herself a “water-balancing master,” believing she treated all her sisters well.

“Then it’s the Virtuous Consort, isn’t it?” Li Qianxuan’s voice grew increasingly bitter. “You always praise her for being well-read and refined, possessing a rare scholarly aura. In your heart, a crude woman like me, who spends her days wielding swords and spears, could never compare to a cultured lady from a noble family, right?”

“If I had known this sooner, I would have climbed over the wall to her house the moment she was born and strangled her to death.”

Ruan Qingqing: “……”

Ruan Qingqing patiently explained again, “I’ve never thought you were crude, Noble Consort. On the contrary, I’ve always admired your strength and spirit, seeing you as a woman who rivals any man in prowess. But whether it’s you, Consort Shu, or Virtuous Consort, in my heart, you’re all my dear sisters, as close as family—nothing more. Besides, even though you and Xiao Yu come from different backgrounds—one martial, the other scholarly—you both possess unique qualities that make comparison pointless.”

Ruan Qingqing continued, “If we were to compare, your martial prowess and Xiao Yu’s scholarly pursuits, your dynamic energy and her serene composure… when you think about it, you complement each other perfectly. If you’re looking for a lifelong partner, Xiao Yu would actually be an excellent choice. I wonder if she’s even in this era…”

Li Qianxuan gritted her teeth in fury. “I only love you! Don’t lump me together with that pretentious, good-for-nothing Ye Shiyu!”

With that, Li Qianxuan swept Ruan Qingqing into her arms, carried her to the bedroom couch, and made a show of tearing at her clothes, declaring that this wasn’t the Qian Dynasty anymore—no one would come to her rescue. Once the deed was done, Ruan Qingqing would surely come to her senses and accept her advances.

Ruan Qingqing didn’t struggle, only sighed.

Li Qianxuan had just unbuttoned one button when she saw Ruan Qingqing’s reaction and frowned. “Aren’t you afraid at all?”

Ruan Qingqing shook her head, her eyes shining brightly, but her voice was firm. “Qianxuan, I trust you. I know you wouldn’t do that to me.”

Li Qianxuan punched the wall by the bed, but ultimately released her grip.

She left, locking the bedroom door behind her. She declared that Ruan Qingqing wouldn’t be allowed to leave unless she agreed to be with her.

“How can you force something like this?” Ruan Qingqing protested, slightly annoyed. She even threatened, “If you keep this up, I’ll be angry.”

Li Qianxuan remained unmoved.

Frustrated and irritated, Ruan Qingqing tore down the seashell decorations in the room and used them to cast a divination.

To her surprise, the divination revealed a favorable omen: someone would come to rescue her, and she would escape her confinement by tomorrow.

Someone will come to rescue me?

With this thought in mind, Ruan Qingqing no longer felt any urgency to escape. After washing up, she settled down and fell into a peaceful sleep.