The Male Lead's Harem Belongs to Me (GL) - Chapter 6

In the Cining Palace, the solemn-faced Empress Dowager Jiang was holding a teacup. The hazy mist blurred her features, making it difficult to see her expression. One could only vaguely discern her elegance and grace from her every move.

A eunuch presented a delicate box to the Empress Dowager with both hands. She put down her teacup, took the box brought up by the eunuch, and a slow smile appeared in her eyes.

“Han’er came to give this to me?” The woman’s crimson lips curled into a gentle smile, and her fingers lightly lifted the lid, revealing a delicate and exquisite hairpin that immediately caught her attention.

Seeing the satisfied expression on the Empress Dowager’s face, Jiang Han felt relieved. She replied, “I mainly came to see my aunt, and giving you this hairpin is secondary.”

“Oh?” The Empress Dowager’s bright eyes moved slightly. She looked into Jiang Han’s eyes and her lips curled into an ambiguous smile, “Finally remembered to come see me?”

The Empress Dowager was only in her early forties, and her beautiful face was still captivating. Time seemed to be particularly kind to her, leaving no traces on her face but instead deepening her temperament, making her appear more elegant and intellectual.

Jiang Han secretly admired her for a moment, then coquettishly said, “Aunt, what are you saying? I think of you every day, but I’ve only had time to come today.”

The Empress Dowager raised her slender eyebrows slightly, looking at Jiang Han with a teasing smile, “Only had time today?”

Jiang Han suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. Sure enough, the next second the Empress Dowager teased, “Ze’er has already complained to me, you don’t have time to see your aunt, but you have time to go to those frivolous places?”

Jiang Han: “!” Why does the male lead love to tattletale!

Jiang Han laughed awkwardly and glanced at Liu Shuwei beside her, thinking how embarrassing it was that the Empress Dowager had revealed her embarrassing matter in front of Liu Shuwei.

However, seeing Liu Shuwei, Jiang Han remembered the main thing.

She coughed lightly and said to the woman on the main seat, “Aunt, why did you summon Miss Liu today?”

Liu Shuwei had entered the Cining Palace together with Jiang Han. Jiang Han was given a seat, but Liu Shuwei had been standing in the hall. She had been exposed to the sun for a long time at the palace gate, and now she had been standing for so long. Seeing Liu Shuwei’s pale face, Jiang Han felt very anxious.

Reminded by Jiang Han, the Empress Dowager seemed to remember that there was another person in the hall. She casually withdrew her gaze and her expression was clearly not as amiable as it had been towards Jiang Han.

She glanced at Liu Shuwei lightly, then casually ordered, “Give her a seat.”

Liu Shuwei’s legs were already stiff. She had been holding on just now, but now that the Empress Dowager had granted her a seat, she naturally had to curtsy to express her gratitude. She bent her legs with difficulty, and before she could say “Thank you, Your Majesty,” she felt her ankles suddenly go weak, and she almost fell forward.

Just before she was about to fall, Liu Shuwei thought of many things. It would be a great disrespect to fall in front of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager already disagreed with her marriage into the royal family, and if she made such a blunder, the Empress Dowager would probably have an even worse impression of her.

Liu Shuwei was indeed very scheming, but after all, she was just an unmarried girl. How could she not be afraid of the Empress Dowager?

Just before she was about to fall, a pair of strong arms suddenly held her up. Accompanied by a sweet fruity fragrance and a familiar voice, she fell into the arms of the person in front of her.

“Be careful.”

Liu Shuwei was prepared to fall. But she didn’t expect someone to catch her in time. Especially, the person who caught her was the Princess.

So she was momentarily stunned.

Liu Shuwei was very thin, and when she fell into Jiang Han’s arms, Jiang Han only felt a very light weight and a faint, delicate fragrance. Without thinking too much, she quickly released Liu Shuwei, helped her up, looked her up and down, and softly asked, “Are you okay?”

When her eyes met Jiang Han’s concerned gaze, Liu Shuwei felt a sense of relief.

Whether it was because of panic or something else, Liu Shuwei’s heart was beating very fast. She shook her head and replied, “I’m fine, thank you, Princess.”

Jiang Han nodded, and just then, a eunuch brought over a chair. She reminded her to “be careful” and then returned to her seat.

Liu Shuwei sat down, but her mind was filled with the moment when Jiang Han had held her in her arms. She lowered her eyes to hide her emotions.

The near accident naturally startled the Empress Dowager. She looked at Jiang Han hesitantly, then withdrew her gaze and looked at Liu Shuwei who was sitting in the hall, and said sarcastically, “Miss Liu is really frail.”

Liu Shuwei lowered her eyes and said nothing. Jiang Han hesitated, and finally mustered up the courage to say, “It’s really hot outside, and your niece has been standing under an umbrella for a while, and she still feels hot.”

The Empress Dowager looked at Jiang Han faintly, and Jiang Han immediately closed her mouth, pursed her lips, and smiled obediently.

Seeing that Jiang Han was quiet, the Empress Dowager turned her gaze to Liu Shuwei, “The prince came to me today to tell me something. Why don’t you guess what it is, Miss Liu?”

Liu Shuwei’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly. She naturally knew what the Prince had come to the Empress Dowager for, but…

Liu Shuwei shook her head and replied, “I don’t know, Your Majesty.”

The Empress Dowager didn’t know whether to believe her or not. She said indifferently, “The prince wants to marry you as a concubine, don’t you know about it?”

“I don’t know,” Liu Shuwei replied again.

The Empress Dowager snorted, “You don’t know? Then let me ask you, now that you know, what do you think?”

She threw the question to Liu Shuwei. No matter how Liu Shuwei answered, she would have countless reasons to pick on her and make her feel ashamed of marrying the Prince. The Empress Dowager’s eyes showed a hint of mild sarcasm.

Jiang Han also looked at Liu Shuwei. In the original book, Liu Shuwei was humiliated greatly during this part, not only because of the Empress Dowager but also because of the original owner’s involvement. Although the male lead arrived in time later, it still left a shadow in Liu Shuwei’s heart.

Liu Shuwei lowered her eyes and slowly said, “It’s entirely up to the Empress Dowager. If the Empress Dowager wishes, I will naturally marry.”

Liu Shuwei didn’t answer the question directly but instead threw it back to the Empress Dowager. No matter how she answered the Empress Dowager’s question, it would be wrong. But if it was the Empress Dowager’s intention, then it would be different. If the Empress Dowager wanted her to marry, then she could marry openly. If the Empress Dowager didn’t want her to, then she wouldn’t. It’s just that even if she didn’t marry, the Prince would surely make a fuss if he knew about it. And since the Empress Dowager was the Prince’s mother, she would eventually compromise.

Liu Shuwei was very clever. From beginning to end, she didn’t express her feelings for Qi Ze. Whether she married or not, it was the intention of the Prince and the Empress Dowager. As an ordinary commoner, she was merely following orders.

The Empress Dowager clearly understood Liu Shuwei’s thoughts. Her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of sharpness, “I don’t want that answer. I’m asking you, will you marry or not?”

Liu Shuwei’s eyes moved, and she immediately knelt down, saying, “It’s entirely up to the Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager didn’t want to pick up on Liu Shuwei’s words, and Liu Shuwei couldn’t pick up on the Empress Dowager’s words either. There seemed to be a silent confrontation between the two, and the air was filled with a sense of tension. However, it was clear that Liu Shuwei was at a disadvantage.

The Empress Dowager’s narrowed eyes showed a hint of anger. The air was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

At this moment, a light cough interrupted them. Jiang Han saw the Empress Dowager’s displeased gaze and said with a bit of embarrassment, “Aunt, I think it’s better if Miss Liu marries in.”

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly. How could she forget that her niece usually didn’t like this Liu girl? Why was she doing everything to protect her today?

“Oh?” The Empress Dowager glanced at Jiang Han and motioned for her to continue.

Jiang Han boldly said, “The Prince’s mansion is so big, it would be more lively with a few more sisters. Moreover, with Miss Liu here, I won’t have to worry about not having enough to eat.”

“Not enough to eat?” The Empress Dowager said, “How can you, a princess, not have enough to eat? Do you need Miss Liu for that?”

When it came to this, Jiang Han thought of the damned male lead. She suddenly had an idea, and her face showed some sadness, “Aunt, you don’t know, it’s… it’s because my cousin, the prince, doesn’t let me eat.”

The Empress Dowager was furious when she heard this, “He doesn’t let you eat?”

Jiang Han acted aggrieved and added fuel to the fire, “Sometimes, I only make a small mistake, and the prince will punish me by not allowing me to eat for a day. I’m scared every day, afraid that if I upset the Prince, he won’t give me food. If it weren’t for Miss Liu, I would probably be starving today.”

The Empress Dowager felt a mix of emotions at this point. She was both amused and angry. She knew why Jiang Han was being punished today, but then she felt sorry and angry. Her gaze softened as she looked at Jiang Han and said, “Han’er, you’ve suffered. Aunt will definitely get justice for you.”

Then she ordered, “Go and invite the Prince here.”

When Jiang Han saw how protective the Empress Dowager was, she couldn’t help but smile. If that dog could complain, couldn’t she?

Liu Shuwei was still kneeling on the ground. She could see that Jiang Han was defending her, and she felt a mix of emotions. Sending food to Jiang Han was not simply out of fear that she would be hungry, but more to show kindness and perhaps to show off her privilege of being able to disobey the Prince’s orders.

However, she didn’t expect Jiang Han to help her again and again for this matter.

The Empress Dowager finally remembered Liu Shuwei who was still kneeling on the ground. She knew everything, but because of Jiang Han’s defense, she didn’t want to make things too difficult. She simply said, “Get up.”

Liu Shuwei thanked the Empress Dowager and sat back down.

Soon, Qi Ze arrived hurriedly. When he saw the people sitting in the hall and Liu Shuwei’s pale face, his expression changed drastically. He suppressed his anger and said, “Mother, I never thought you would join forces with the Princess to bully Weiwei. She’s just an ordinary woman. It was my idea to marry her, why do you have to make things difficult for her?”

Then he turned to Jiang Han, his eyes filled with a hint of coldness, “As the Princess, you should be magnanimous. It’s just a matter of taking a concubine, and you’re already jealous and even come to the Empress Dowager to make a fuss. Have you forgotten the three obediences and four virtues?”

Faced with Qi Ze’s accusation, Jiang Han rolled her eyes inwardly but maintained a pale and pitiful expression. She looked at the Empress Dowager pitifully, looking like a deserted puppy.

The Empress Dowager’s heart softened, and she became even more dissatisfied with Qi Ze. She looked at Jiang Han and said, “Han’er, go back with Miss Liu first. Your aunt will get justice for you.”

Jiang Han’s eyes were slightly red, and she said to the Empress Dowager, “Thank you, Aunt.”

Without looking at the male lead, she went straight to Liu Shuwei and said, “Sister, let’s go.”

Liu Shuwei glanced at Jiang Han’s reddened eyes and unconsciously frowned slightly. She got up and followed Jiang Han, without even glancing back at Qi Ze.

Qi Ze wanted to say something else, but seeing that both of them ignored him and left together, he felt a strange feeling. It seemed like things weren’t as he had imagined.

While he was still pondering what was wrong, he heard the woman on the main seat speak coldly, “I heard that you have repeatedly punished Han’er in the mansion by not letting her eat?”

The cold voice echoed through the empty Cining Palace and drifted into Jiang Han’s ears. Jiang Han couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. She hadn’t expected the male lead, who loved to tattletale, to be tattled on himself one day.

In the palace, Liu Shuwei pretended to be looking at the road but was actually paying attention to Jiang Han with her peripheral vision. Seeing Jiang Han’s sad expression, she felt uneasy and thought about how to comfort Jiang Han.

Since this matter was caused by her, would it be counterproductive if she went to comfort her? Or perhaps the Princess didn’t want to see her at this moment?

Liu Shuwei’s thoughts were racing, and finally, as she stepped out of the palace gate, she decided to say comforting words. However, before she could say anything, she saw Jiang Han’s sad expression disappear. Her face was rosy, and she looked very happy, with a smile on her lips and eyes.

Liu Shuwei was slightly stunned. Jiang Han turned to her and smiled, “Miss Liu, I’m in a good mood today. Would you like to go to a restaurant for dinner?”

Author’s Note:

Liu Shuwei: I thought she was very sad a second ago?

Jiang Han who has been very happy: Huh?

T/N: Hahahaha….