The Male Lead's Harem Belongs to Me (GL) - Chapter 42
Qi Ze’s face was gloomy, his features twisted with anger. He tore the divorce agreements on the table to shreds, coldly saying, “Guards, from today onwards, confine the princess and the concubines to their bedrooms. Without my order, they are not to leave or see each other.”
He spoke through gritted teeth, his gaze towards Jiang Han particularly harsh. If she hadn’t taken the lead, how would these concubines dare to ask for a divorce? And Weiwei… Qi Ze thought, suddenly turning to look at Liu Shuwei.
Seeing Liu Shuwei’s still calm expression, Qi Ze became even angrier. He prided himself on never mistreating Liu Shuwei, but what about her? She actually wanted to divorce him for Jiang Han? Could she not see his efforts? Did this woman have a heart?
Jiang Han didn’t say a word as she was taken away. She had long known that Qi Ze would never agree to a divorce so easily, especially not with so many people at once.
She had imagined Qi Ze’s current behavior, but fortunately, she had a plan. Since the night Jiang Mai and the others beat up the prince, Jiang Han had been writing a letter home every seven days, updating her family on her situation and complaining about the prince.
In one of her letters, she mentioned that if she didn’t write back within ten days, it meant she was confined by the prince. So, she asked her third brother to secretly bring her some food.
Therefore, even if she couldn’t leave the mansion now, the Jiang family would come when the time came, and she would be saved.
••••
After confining them, Qi Ze felt even more irritable. Throughout the day, Liu Shuwei’s cold expression kept replaying in his mind.
When he returned to the mansion in the evening, he couldn’t figure out where he had mistreated Liu Shuwei, so he went straight to her room.
When Qi Ze arrived, Liu Shuwei was sitting on a stool, seemingly not surprised by his arrival. She even poured him a cup of tea as usual, saying, “Your Highness, you’re here.”
Apart from the lack of a smiling expression like when they first met, her words and actions made Qi Ze wonder if this morning was just a dream. But he knew it wasn’t.
He didn’t know when it started, but the gentle look in Liu Shuwei’s eyes was gone, and her smile became more of a formality than an expression of love.
Qi Ze sat down, unable to speak for a moment.
After a long time, Liu Shuwei put down the teacup, saying to Qi Ze, “Your Highness, I’ll offer you a toast with tea instead of wine.”
Qi Ze’s eyes flickered, looking up at her.
Liu Shuwei slowly smiled, “This cup is to thank Your Highness for saving me when I was in trouble, and for taking care of me.”
Qi Ze watched her quietly, his breathing slightly trembling, asking, “You never loved me, did you?”
Liu Shuwei drank the tea in one gulp, saying, “I have always been grateful to Your Highness. I have no talent or virtue to repay you. Since Your Highness wanted to marry me, I agreed.”
“So, you didn’t want to marry me at all?” Qi Ze asked, his eyes darkening, taking a deep breath.
“Yes,” Liu Shuwei replied.
“Okay,” Qi Ze said, his suppressed emotions almost bursting out, his eyes gradually filled with madness, “Then, what if I don’t agree?”
Liu Shuwei looked at him steadily, not replying. She didn’t speak, her expression calm, but Qi Ze still read her meaning from her eyes: you will, you will divorce me.
Qi Ze’s rationality completely collapsed. Why, why did he give so much only to be abandoned in the end? Why did he give his love and even lose his mind, while she remained so calm?
Qi Ze smashed the teacup on the ground, the sound of shattering echoing, but Liu Shuwei remained unmoved, even sighing softly. Qi Ze trembled, feeling like a clown. He took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions, but the red in his eyes was completely ignited.
“Okay, I agree to the divorce,” Qi Ze said calmly. Liu Shuwei frowned instinctively, but then saw Qi Ze stand up, his possessiveness and obsession almost overflowing, “But before that, how about we consummate our marriage?”
Qi Ze slowly stood up, not touching Liu Shuwei immediately, but slowly undressing. He smiled grimly, looking at Liu Shuwei’s expression, wanting to see panic, fear, or even make her beg for mercy.
But Liu Shuwei didn’t. She just changed her expression, lowering her eyes, not looking at him. Qi Ze seemed to be greatly satisfied, grabbing Liu Shuwei’s wrist, pulling her towards the bed.
Liu Shuwei finally changed her expression, struggling to break free. Qi Ze laughed excitedly, but suddenly, his expression changed, and he released Liu Shuwei, stepping back.
Qi Ze’s face turned very ugly, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. If you looked closely, you could see his legs trembling slightly.
Liu Shuwei didn’t know what was wrong with him, but she shrank into the corner. In just a moment, Qi Ze’s back was soaked with sweat. He staggered, picked up his clothes from the ground, and rushed out the door.
After a long time, Liu Shuwei slowly regained her senses, slowly releasing her fingers from the dagger she was holding under her pillow.
The reason she wasn’t afraid was that Jiang Han had hinted many times that Qi Ze was impotent. Although they were all joking, Liu Shuwei noticed something unusual.
Qi Ze’s behavior just now confirmed Liu Shuwei’s guess: Qi Ze was indeed impotent.
••••
On the other side, Qi Ze, after returning to his room, curled up in a corner, sweating profusely. It took him a long while to recover. After smashing several vases, he finally summoned his guard, Liu Feng.
“Tomorrow, send the concubines back to their families, and then tell their parents about today’s events, that they want to divorce me,” Qi Ze ordered, his eyes flashing.
He knew his words wouldn’t sway them, but what about their parents? Their parents had betrothed their daughters to him, which implied their support. If their parents knew about this, would they still dare to divorce him?
Liu Feng acknowledged the order and was about to leave, but Qi Ze suddenly stopped him, saying, “Wait, don’t send the princess and Concubine Liu back yet. To the people of the General’s Mansion… just say that the princess seems to want to divorce me, and test their attitude first.”
The General’s Mansion was different from the others, his greatest support. He could more or less guess their attitude. He knew they didn’t like him, which was why he wanted to test them first.
If they didn’t approve of Jiang Han’s actions and persuaded her on his behalf, that would be fine. But if they agreed, then he would never divorce Jiang Han. In a sense, he was gambling that the people of the General’s Mansion wouldn’t be blind to their own interests.
The next day, Qi Ze sent the concubines back to their families and spread the news, while also sending a message to the General’s Mansion. Things went as he expected.
When the Gu family learned the news, Father Gu was so angry that he immediately slapped Gu Hanyun. Looking at his stubborn daughter kneeling on the ground, Father Gu face darkened, saying, “Lock the young lady in her room to reflect. Don’t give her food until she no longer wants a divorce.”
The Chang family was also shocked and angry when they first heard the news. However, Father Chang didn’t immediately reprimand her. Instead, he asked why she wanted to divorce the prince. Chang Qianjiao told him about the prince’s suspicion of her having an affair, and then told him everything that had happened, saying, “I have no feelings for the prince, and now he suspects and humiliates me like this. Why should I continue to be trapped in the backyard?”
Father Chang was silent for a moment before saying, “Jiaojiao, you’re an adult now. You can’t just think of yourself. You have to think of our Chang family…”
In the end, Father Chang did not agree to Chang Qianjiao’s divorce from the prince. Instead, he asked someone to watch her and let her rest at home for a few days to think things over.
On the other side, in the Yu family, Father Yu face darkened the moment he heard the news. After seeing off the prince’s messenger, he picked up the family law stick and beat Yu Weiwan severely, cursing as he hit her, “I sent you to the prince’s mansion to seduce him and have children, but you’re good, you actually want a divorce?”
Yu Weiwan was beaten black and blue, but she didn’t say a word. Only when Father Yu was exhausted did he ask someone to carry Yu Weiwan back, apply some medicine, and say a few kind words to coax her. He had done this many times before, giving a beating and then a treat. Yu Weiwan had always chosen to submit in the past, and he expected this time to be no exception.
As for the General’s Mansion, everyone there was shrewd. They understood the prince’s hints and realized that Jiang Han had finally decided to divorce the prince.
However, since the prince didn’t say it explicitly, he must be testing them. After thinking about it, they came up with a plan: they would pretend to oppose the divorce and then secretly rescue Jiang Han.
Qi Ze received the messages one after another. The last reply came from the General’s Mansion. It wasn’t until the afternoon of the next day that they replied, telling Jiang Han to be sensible. Qi Ze narrowed his eyes, feeling very pleased. The fact that they took so long to reply showed that the General’s Mansion had fully considered the pros and cons. He had gambled correctly.
So, the next day, he asked someone to send Jiang Han back to the General’s Mansion for them to persuade her.
When Jiang Han first arrived home, she inquired about the others and her face turned grim. Qi Ze was truly cunning. Instead of persuading them, he put pressure on them by giving the matter to their families. He knew how those families would react if they insisted on a divorce.
They would undoubtedly remove them from the family tree and expel them from their homes. They might even become more loyal to Qi Ze out of guilt. No matter what, he wouldn’t lose.
At this point, Jiang Han felt confused. Women in ancient times had a stronger sense of family. If their families threatened to expel them, she couldn’t predict or decide what they would do. It was up to them.
••••
While Jiang Han was in the General’s Mansion, she kept inquiring about the others. Finally, on the third day, she learned about Gu Hanyun. It was said that after Gu Hanyun was confined, no one brought her food. After three days of starvation, she fainted. Old Master Gu was furious, cursing that he must have done something terrible to have such a rebellious daughter in the Gu family, a family of scholars for generations.
Old Master Gu even said he would rather let Gu Hanyun starve to death, but he couldn’t refuse Madam Gu’s pleas. They would wait until Gu Hanyun woke up.
On the fourth day, news came from the Chang family. It was said that Chang Qianjiao had reflected for four days, but when Old Master Chang asked her, she still insisted on the divorce. Old Master Chang had no choice but to send her back to reflect again.
On the seventh day, news came from the Yu family. Compared to the other two, Jiang Han was more worried about Yu Weiwan because she knew Yu Weiwan’s father was selfish and often beat and scolded her.
The Yu family reported that Yu Weiwan still insisted on the divorce. Yu Weiwan’s father said that if she dared to divorce the prince, she would be expelled from the family and the Yu family would no longer care about her life or death.
And Yu Weiwan compromised.
Jiang Han’s mood sank. She knew some things couldn’t be changed by her alone, but she still felt sad when she heard the news.
Liu Shuwei was the safest in the prince’s mansion. Qi Ze was busy with official duties during the day and went out to see the doctor at night. He didn’t have time to see Liu Shuwei, seemingly trying to avoid her.
These things were embarrassing to talk about, so no one outside their families knew about them.
On the tenth day, Gu Hanyun woke up and still refused to change her mind. Old Master Gu threatened to remove her from the family tree, but Gu Hanyun said without hesitation, “Okay, if Father removes me from the family tree, then don’t interfere with what I do in the future. I will get a divorce, whether by agreement or being abandoned. I will no longer suffer in silence.”
In the Chang family, Father Chang, having no other choice, also used the family tree as a threat. Chang Qianjiao simply nodded and said, “Okay, since Father doesn’t consider my feelings, then I don’t need to consider Father’s.”
When the news reached Qi Ze, he was so angry that he smashed many teacups and porcelain. But after hearing the reactions of the families, he calmed down and ordered to bring them back to the mansion the next day.
On the eleventh day, the carriages bringing them back to the mansion met at the gate of the prince’s mansion. Qi Ze stood at the gate, watching the old masters of the families apologetically bow to him. He smiled hypocritically, “It’s nothing. Since that’s the case, I won’t force it.”
Old Master Gu and Old Master Chang both looked ashamed, but only Yu Weiwan’s father stepped forward with a fawning smile, about to tell Qi Ze that his daughter wouldn’t divorce. However, Yu Weiwan, who was standing behind him, suddenly knelt down and kowtowed several times.
Almost instantly, Father Yu sensed something was wrong, but before he could stop her, he heard Yu Weiwan straighten up and say, “Father, your daughter is unfilial. With the General and the other lords as witnesses, I hereby request to be removed from the family tree. From now on, my life and death will be determined by fate, and I will have no connection with the Yu family.”
In that instant, Jiang Han clearly saw the flash of coldness in Father Yu’s eyes and the throbbing veins on Qi Ze’s forehead.
Father Yu was anxious, but with so many people present, he couldn’t scold her. He said sternly, “Have you thought this through? Once you’re removed from the family tree, no one will care about your life or death.”
It was a blatant threat, but Yu Weiwan’s expression remained unchanged. She said, “I have thought it through. Please remove me from the family tree, Father.”
“Good!” Before Father Yu could speak, Qi Ze said, “Since the ladies are so determined, then Liu Feng…”
Before he could finish, the General interrupted him, “Your Highness, we’ve thought about it for a long time, and we’ve also heard that you don’t like our Han’er. In that case, we won’t force it anymore. Please prepare another divorce agreement.”
Qi Ze almost gritted his teeth to pieces. At this moment, he finally understood the General’s true intention. It was all a trap to lure him in.
Qi Ze took a deep breath and said with great effort, “Liu Feng, bring paper and ink.”
“Hold on.”
Interrupted again, Qi Ze’s eyes flashed with undisguised coldness. He looked at Jiang Han and asked, “What is it now?”
Jiang Han slowly took out Liu Shuwei’s contract from her hand, saying, “Miss Liu’s contract of servitude is with me. If I leave, Miss Liu should come with me.”
“Impudent!” Qi Ze shouted, but he couldn’t say anything else. Marrying a concubine was essentially buying them. He had always treated Liu Shuwei as his only princess and lover, so he didn’t care about such things as contracts. But this gave Jiang Han an opportunity.
The contract! How could he forget the contract?
Seeing this, the General immediately stood in front of Jiang Han, saying, “Your Highness, although you are noble, the law of Qi is that whoever holds the contract owns the person. Surely Your Highness wouldn’t…”
He didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: Surely you wouldn’t want to usurp the throne and change the law?
Qi Ze’s rationality returned. He calmed down for a long time before saying, “Fine! Liu Feng, bring paper and ink, and invite Miss Liu out.”
Jiang Han’s eyes moved, and a hint of joy welled up in her heart. However, before the joy could fully bloom, she heard Qi Ze say, “However… I’ve changed my mind.”
Qi Ze continued after saying that, “I won’t write divorce agreements for you. I’ll write… letters of abandonment!”
Author’s Note:
Qi Ze: You think you can scare me?
There were a few words missing in the copy, now they are added.