The Entire Harem has Transmigrated - Chapter 9

Tears still clung to Ruan Qingqing’s curled lashes, the corners of her eyes flushed red. Ye Shiyu’s actions had left her utterly bewildered. After sobbing alone for a while, she splashed a handful of water at Ye Shiyu and asked, her voice thick with grievance, “Are you sick in the head?”

“Perhaps,” Ye Shiyu replied.

She reached out to wipe Ruan Qingqing’s tears with her fingers, but Ruan Qingqing slapped her hand away, her cherry-red lips pursed as she burst into tears again. “Why? Xiao Yu, you weren’t like this before…”

“Your Majesty, I’ve always been this way. I simply never showed it in front of you before,” Ye Shiyu said, her gentle willow-leaf eyebrows curving into a smile. “Just as Your Majesty has grown more capable. You used to hide and cry secretly behind our backs, but now you dare to weep openly before us.”

Ruan Qingqing choked, unable to resist retorting, “It’s not that We didn’t dare before.”

“I know,” Ye Shiyu continued. “It’s just that you couldn’t.”

Her voice was soft and gentle as she looked at Ruan Qingqing, her expression returning to its usual serene composure. This unconsciously lowered Ruan Qingqing’s guard, her body relaxing from its tense posture.

“Your Majesty must have endured so much hardship in the past,” Ye Shiyu said, picking up a strand of Ruan Qingqing’s long hair, her tone tender and solicitous.

She had to guard her secret, masquerading as a man day and night without a moment’s respite. She had to balance the court, revive the war-torn Great Qian, and diligently care for the Imperial Consorts in the harem.

Ye Shiyu’s eyes glistened with tears, her voice filled with pity. “Back then, Your Majesty, didn’t you always feel exhausted, yet unable to stop?”

“I…” Ruan Qingqing’s heart ached as Ye Shiyu’s words struck a nerve. A wave of emotion threatened to surface, but Ye Shiyu’s voice cut through it again: “This humble servant aches for Your Majesty. That’s why, even if it takes all my skill, I’ll ensure Your Majesty finds comfort and joy.”

Ruan Qingqing: “!!!”

Ruan Qingqing was furious. How could the Virtuous Consort always pull these sudden, unexpected reversals?

“Don’t come any closer… I-I’m warning you… It’s not that I can’t defeat you. I’m a Metaphysics Master now, with extraordinary abilities and top-tier power. I’m only holding back out of consideration for our childhood friendship. But if you take another step, don’t blame me for abandoning our past ties!” Ruan Qingqing closed her eyes, forming hand seals, practically ready to cast a spell on the spot. Yet after waiting for what felt like an eternity, she sensed no further encroachment.

Had Ye Shiyu been frightened off?

Ruan Qingqing cautiously opened one eye and saw Ye Shiyu had moved to the side, apparently gathering shampoo and fragrant oils, preparing something.

“You—” Ruan Qingqing stammered, utterly bewildered. “What exactly are you up to?”

Ye Shiyu gathered her long, silky hair into a ponytail at the nape of her neck with a hair tie, winked at Ruan Qingqing, and said, “This humble servant wishes to wash Your Majesty’s hair and give you a scalp massage. It’s truly relaxing and delightful.”

Ruan Qingqing: “……”

After a long, speechless pause, Ruan Qingqing finally found her voice. “You… you just want to do this to me?”

“Of course! This humble servant is quite skilled. Such a privilege is rarely afforded to ordinary folk,” Ye Shiyu replied, arranging her tools on the vanity. She pulled up a small stool and sat at the foot of the bathtub, asking Ruan Qingqing, “Would Your Majesty care to try it?”

Ruan Qingqing was so choked up she couldn’t speak.

After a moment, she managed, “I’ll pass.”

Ye Shiyu sighed dramatically. “Very well, I understand. A scalp massage isn’t what Your Majesty truly desires. Perhaps Your Majesty secretly wishes for me to do… other things?”

“Absolutely not!” Ruan Qingqing retorted, her anger flaring. To prove her innocence, she declared emphatically, “Just the scalp massage! I love scalp massages!”

I’ve fallen into a trap, Ruan Qingqing thought with a sense of resignation. But it’s too late to back out now. I’ll just have to go along with it.

Ye Shiyu had indeed intended to tease Ruan Qingqing, but she hadn’t lied about one thing: her massage skills were genuinely excellent.

At first, the Little Emperor stared wide-eyed, as if facing a formidable enemy. But when he realized Ye Shiyu was genuinely focused on washing his hair and massaging his scalp, he gradually relaxed.

Ye Shiyu’s slender fingers glided through his dark hair, working the shampoo into a rich lather. She gently scrubbed from root to tip, her fingertips occasionally pressing into acupoints on his scalp, moving in gentle, circular motions. Ruan Qingqing felt a tingling sensation spreading across his head, and the fatigue seemed to melt away with each stroke.

Ruan Qingqing let out a small, contented yawn, his eyes half-closed. “You know…”

“What is it?” Ye Shiyu asked.

Ruan Qingqing had almost said, “The Imperial Preceptor used to give me massages like this too,” but remembering Ye Shiyu’s earlier mischievous behavior, he quickly stopped himself.

Never mind.

What if the Virtuous Consort reacted like the Noble Consort, flying into a jealous rage at the mention of another person and locking him up?

“It’s nothing,” Ruan Qingqing said, changing the subject and grasping for conversation. “I just thought the water felt a bit cool.”

Ye Shiyu tested the water temperature and immediately called out her bluff. “Your Majesty, this is a temperature-controlled bathtub. The water temperature adjusts automatically.”

“Ah? Really?” Ruan Qingqing touched the tip of her nose and murmured softly, “Then maybe I was just imagining it.”

Ye Shiyu couldn’t help but smile.

She didn’t genuinely mean to tease Ruan Qingqing; it was just an occasional impulse she couldn’t resist.

She was different from Li Qianxuan. In their previous lives, although Li Qianxuan’s family had been neighbors with hers, the two hadn’t really grown up together.

Li Qianxuan had only spent a brief childhood in the Capital before following her parents to the distant border garrisons. She only returned to the Capital when it was time for her to marry. Later, she reluctantly accompanied her grandfather to a palace banquet, where she fell head over heels for the young emperor seated high above. From that moment on, she couldn’t take her eyes off him and insisted on marrying into the palace.

Her grandfather, the Loyal and Valiant Great General, tried to dissuade her, saying, “The Empress has already been chosen, and the decision cannot be changed. If you enter the palace, no matter how high your rank, you will only be a concubine. Qianxuan, are you truly willing to accept that?”

Li Qianxuan stubbornly turned her head aside and declared, “My granddaughter’s mind is made up.”

The Loyal and Valiant Great General continued to persuade her, “Since childhood, you’ve been skilled at riding and wielding the whip. As you grew, your martial prowess became unparalleled. You’ve always yearned for freedom and unrestrained living. How can you bear to be confined within the Imperial Harem? Your elder martial brother, who grew up with you, is renowned for his valor and has already earned numerous military merits at such a young age. And the young generals under my command—all sturdy, robust men—any one of them would be a far better match for you than His Majesty.”

Ye Shiyu happened to be assisting Old Madam Li back to the estate when she overheard this exchange. Her eyebrows arched slightly.

“Enough,” Old Madam Li rapped her cane, attempting to halt the conversation. But Li Qianxuan suddenly knelt, kowtowing to her grandfather. “The candidates you suggest may be excellent,” she declared, “but Qianxuan does not desire them. Qianxuan’s heart belongs solely to Your Majesty. She is unlike anyone else—her appearance is delicate and pitifully endearing. From the moment I saw her, I’ve longed to stay by her side, protecting her always. Grandfather, my resolve will not waver. Please grant your granddaughter’s wish!”

With both elders of Marquis Zhongyong’s Estate present, and Ye Shiyu having been close to them since childhood, she couldn’t reveal her true feelings. She stood there calmly, supporting Old Madam Li with quiet grace, but inwardly, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of disdain.

Born into a noble and distinguished family, Ye Shiyu’s grandfather held the esteemed position of Grand Tutor, while her father was a renowned scholar of the Hanlin Academy. Raised in a scholarly household, she possessed a firm set of values. In her eyes, it was better to be the wife of a poor man than a concubine to a wealthy one. She couldn’t understand Li Qianxuan’s determination to enter the palace and even regarded it with disdain.

Even though she was acquainted with the Little Emperor and found him to be a decent person, Ye Shiyu never entertained the slightest desire to enter the palace.

She would never become someone’s concubine, nor would she ever compete for the Emperor’s favor with a crowd of women.

Thus, Ye Shiyu watched with detached indifference as Li Qianxuan schemed her way into the Imperial Harem. At that time, she genuinely believed she would never set foot in the Imperial Harem.

But fate had other plans.

A year after Li Qianxuan entered the palace, Ye Shiyu believed she had found her true love. Her heart stirred with spring’s awakening, and she quickly became engaged to him.

The man was a student of her father’s. Though of humble origins, he was handsome and refined, with an elegant demeanor and profound knowledge. That year, he achieved the highest honor, becoming the new Zhuangyuan, the top scholar of the imperial examinations.

Riding high on the spring breeze, his horse’s hooves flew swiftly, allowing him to see all the blossoms of Chang’an in a single day. The Zhuangyuan, at the peak of his glory, still blushed shyly when he stood before her.

He said, “Miss Ye, I will cherish you.”

He said, “Miss Ye, I will marry only you in this lifetime and never take a concubine.”

He said, “Miss Ye, I will hold your hand and grow old with you. I, Li, will never betray you in this life.”

But ah, it was all just empty words.

At the time, Ye Shiyu knew nothing of this. She waited eagerly in her chamber, full of joy as she prepared for her wedding. Little did she know that she would soon be ambushed and kidnapped by bandits outside the city. After a harrowing escape, she finally returned, only to find the Zhuangyuan staring at her with suspicion. “Shiyu,” he asked, “are you… tainted? Are you still a virgin?”

Ye Shiyu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over her. Worse still, the next day, rumors spread like wildfire through the Capital, claiming the bandits had flaunted her hairpin, boasting of spending a night with the noble lady.

All lies. It was all lies.

Her father and brothers frantically tried to resolve the situation, but it was already too late. Overnight, she had transformed from the Capital’s renowned literary prodigy into the subject of idle gossip and ridicule.

The Zhuangyuan, who had always professed deep affection for her, now sneered, “Shiyu, you’ve been defiled and lost your honor. By rights, you’re no longer fit to enter my family’s gates. But out of gratitude for my mentor’s years of care, I’m still willing to take you back as a concubine.”

He asked, “Shiyu, would you be willing to become my honored concubine?”

Ye Shiyu’s heart sank into despair.

The relentless blows left her utterly overwhelmed. With no will to live, she resolved to end her life with a white silk cord. Yet in the end, she was rescued.

When she awoke, the Emperor—a delicate-featured youth who resembled a young girl—came to visit her with Li Qianxuan. He said, “Xiao Yu, you mustn’t do this.”

His voice was clear and gentle, yet carried an unexpected force. “If someone wrongs you, you should repay them a thousandfold. Suicide is the act of a coward.”

He took care of everything for her.

The rumors vanished in an instant. With a single Imperial Edict, the Emperor declared her virtuous, elegant, and of impeccable character, bestowing upon her the title of Virtuous Consort and summoning her to the palace immediately.

Rumor transformed into the tale of her encounter with bandits, from whom she was rescued by the Little Emperor during his incognito visit, thus forging a beautiful marriage.

No one dared fabricate stories again.

Before long, the Little Emperor uncovered the truth about her abduction: the mastermind behind the plot wasn’t some stranger, but the very Zhuangyuan who had sworn to grow old with her.

He had found a new love—a woman of similar social standing but more worldly and charming than Shiyu, who was seen as aloof and haughty. The pair quickly conspired to harm her and immediately put their plan into action.

How utterly laughable.

In just a few days, Ye Shiyu’s emotions were trampled, her pride shattered, and her entire being felt like a broken vessel beyond repair. She spent her days in a pitiful, haggard state.

It was Ruan Qingqing who eventually helped her emerge from this darkness.

The gentle yet formidable Empress showered her with endless care and encouragement, urging her not to dwell on the slander and reminding her of life’s many joys. She advised Shiyu to move on quickly and seize the moment.

Shiyu finally rose to her feet, avenged herself, and utterly crushed the treacherous couple beneath her heel, reclaiming her former radiance.

After that, she proactively requested to share the Emperor’s bed, but Ruan Qingqing refused.

Ye Shiyu would never forget the sight of the Little Emperor’s flushed face that day. Torn between his fear of hurting her and his need to make an excuse, he blurted out, “To be honest with you, I can’t… I really can’t. Even with daily medicinal treatments, it’s still not satisfactory. So… so I’ll take my leave now.”

Ye Shiyu couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“What are you laughing at?” Ruan Qingqing asked. The scalp massage was nearly finished, and she began shooing Ye Shiyu away, saying she needed to bathe.

This time, Ye Shiyu didn’t tease her further and left obediently.

When Ruan Qingqing emerged from her bath, she found the Virtuous Consort waiting at the door, having changed into fresh robes. The Virtuous Consort smiled gently at her and said, “Who could possibly not adore you?”

Ye Shiyu gazed at her intently and replied, “Qingqing, even straight women would be swayed by you.”

Ruan Qingqing: “……”

She had to leave. She had to leave immediately.

Ye Shiyu and Li Qianxuan were both dangerous. She should return to Consort Shu’s quarters first.