Of course, no one dared to speak of it. Prime Minister Liu Changning, however, was an exception. She was the favored minister of the current empress, revered without limit. The empress treated her like a sister. Even if the emperor consort had cruelly punished others for directly calling out his name in the past, he still had to bow his head and avert his gaze in front of the prime minister to avoid her sharp edge.

The white-robed woman paused for a moment, brushed the snow off her body, and turned to walk back to the carriage.

After taking a few steps forward, as if remembering something, she turned her head and swept a glance at the palace servants kneeling on the ground, shivering.

In a calm voice, she reprimanded, “The former imperial uncle Yan Shao was once revered, and now that he’s dead, it’s like a lamp extinguished. You must give him a proper burial and not neglect him.”

The two lowered their heads, under the pressure bearing down on them, and repeatedly agreed, no longer able to muster any flippancy.

Watching that slender figure walk away, until the carriage drove back into the white snow, the two palace servants finally looked at each other and let out a long sigh of relief.

As the carriage gradually disappeared into the distance and the sound of horse hooves vanished, the empty street returned to silence.

Yan Shao’s soul hovered in mid-air, his enchanting peach blossom eyes staring at the trail of carriage tracks for a long time.

When he came back to his senses, the corpse on the ground was already draped in a red robe, seamlessly concealing the mutilated sight.

This red brocade seemed to have become the last face of the former imperial uncle Yan Shao.

Yan Shao floated in mid-air, tugging at his mouth.

His life as a person in this world was indeed a great failure.

From the moment he was locked up in the water prison, no one in the court, the three palaces and six courtyards, had come to his rescue.

On the day of his death, the palace servants and officials who had previously flattered him all closed their doors and did not come out, not asking or caring, truly living up to the saying, “When the rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked; when the birds are gone, the bow is put away.”

When he was dragged out of the palace, he thought he would end up with his bones scattered and body lost, but unexpectedly, a woman he had never met before took pity on him and gave him the last dignity at the end of his life.

He had always been unable to remember the appearance of the female monarch, and had no goodwill towards women at all. He never thought that in his soul state today, he would remember that person’s moment of gentleness as she lowered her head in the wind and snow.

Such gentleness, he seemed to have never possessed in this life.

As the eldest legitimate imperial uncle, he received learning that was strict to the point of cruelty from a young age. The empress dowager told him that he was the legitimate older brother of the crown princess, a blade. He must be rigorous and strong.

People all praised that the imperial uncle Yan Shao was talented and virtuous, erudite and accomplished, not inferior to women in any way.

If he were a daughter, his future would be limitless.

Even his mother, the empress, would often sigh when she saw him, “If only you were a woman…”

Hearing such words often, he seemed to truly believe that he could be compared to a woman.

But he did not expect that later on, his cold and aloof personality became one that did not blend in with the world, and his lack of interest in women became shameless. His diligence and dedication in assisting his younger sister became the ironclad evidence of a man replacing a woman’s role.

On the day his mother, the empress, unexpectedly passed away, as the eldest imperial uncle, he was entrusted with the responsibility. At the age of fifteen, he ruled behind the curtain, assisting his younger sister in governing the court. He worked diligently for five years, but it was no match for his male body.

The ancestral tombstone was struck by lightning and split, with the words “Man Replaces Woman” written on the cross-section of the tombstone.

Rumors gradually spread outside: The imperial uncle Yan Shao, with power concentrated in one person, intended to ascend to the supreme position with his male body.

The civil and military officials condemned him, and the people throughout the world denounced him.

Yet he had no way to defend himself.

The censors submitted a memorial listing the eight major crimes of the imperial uncle, each word hitting the mark, each sentence difficult to refute.

In the tearful eyes of his younger sister, he saw a plea for weakness and helplessness. But faced with the coercion of the ministers, not a single person spoke of his past merits. There was only sin, the sin of bringing calamity to the country and people. In the end, he was personally escorted to the water prison by the Minister of Justice.

***

“I know she doesn’t love him.” (Female-dominant)

I’ve read this novel twice already. Sis, I’m highly recommending it to you!

The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.

Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.

The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.

I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.

There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.

For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.

I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.

Here’s the story synopsis:

One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.

Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead

Intro 1:

“I know she doesn’t love him.”

With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.

Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.

In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.

Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…

Intro 2:

Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.

He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.

Watched her go public with her boyfriend.

Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.

Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.

The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.

Fan Xia, how can I have you!

【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】

1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy

2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition

_____

Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.

If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.