Chapter 72: The Empress Dowager, His Highness, Qiu Niang
Qiu Shuzhi was pressed down forcefully by him, broken porcelain scattered around her. Her outer robes were disheveled and slipping off. Her hands were restrained on both sides, wrists locked in his death grip, veins bulging on the back of his hands. His eyes were full of resentment: “I can’t? Then why can he, but I can’t!”
“He? You mean His Highness the eldest prince?”
“If not him, who else could it be? Qiu Shuzhi, how many lowly men have you been hiding behind my back?” Qin Qing glared at her fiercely like a savage wolf, his long hair falling onto her chest.
“No one!” Qiu Shuzhi shook her head. Qin Qing’s grip on her wrists hurt.
In the matriarchal world, women’s physical strength far surpassed men’s, but she didn’t dare move too much for fear of hurting Qin Qing.
Qin Qing’s eyes were as thick as night, sinisterly intense and unyielding. He released one hand and slowly moved it down, tracing the soft curve of her waist, more unsettling than teasing.
“Empress Dowager-” She stirred.
“Qiu Shuzhi, don’t you dare. I, the Empress Dowager, command you not to move!” Qin Qing overbearingly used his status to press her.
Qiu Shuzhi lowered her eyes, feeling a light, blurry force lingering on her body at the waist. Then she felt a tug at her waist – the jade pendant tied to her belt was harshly pulled off by him, nearly ripping the belt.
Qin Qing half leaned over her, dangling the jade pendant Yue Guanyi had gifted her, its deep red color dazzling her eyes. “I’ll be taking this,” he said.
His tone was extremely forceful as he stared straight at her, unwilling to miss any traces in her eyes.
Qiu Shuzhi finally moved her eyelids and looked up at him. “The Empress Dowager can have anything he wants from this humble official, except this jade pendant.”
“Why?” He bent down urgently.
“This represents the love between His Highness and me.” Qiu Shuzhi laid it all out. Her relationship with Yue Guanyi was not something shameful to hide. Since Qin Qing was acting this way, she might as well be direct.
She knew Qin Qing had feelings for her. Better to take this chance to extinguish his hopes.
Just as she thought Qin Qing would back off in the face of difficulty, the sinister Qin Qing actually laughed – crazed, horrifying laughter, his usually gentle eyes burning violently.
Suddenly, his laughter froze and died out, leaving only a chilling coldness at the corners of his mouth. His gaze fell fiercely on the jade pendant in his hand, as if looking at an unforgivable criminal. The force in his hand grew stronger, his knuckles turning a deathly pale.
“Empress Dowager-” Qiu Shuzhi had a bad premonition and wanted to reach for the jade.
Who knew Qin Qing would go mad and fiercely throw the jade pendant at the door. Luckily, the jade was exceptionally sturdy. An ordinary piece would have shattered.
“You-” Qiu Shuzhi wanted to get up and retrieve it, but her chin was grabbed harshly.
“Look at me!” Qin Qing’s voice was even more torn and gloomy. “How dare you betray me and have an affair with that scoundrel!”
Qiu Shuzhi frowned slightly. “His Highness and I are in love. We are both unmarried. How is that an affair?”
“In love…” Qin Qing’s lips trembled, his eyes lonely and desolate.
Those words plunged him into a boundless hell. All the past honeyed times turned out to be his one-sided delusion. In Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes, only Yue Guanyi was her match.
Then what was he in her eyes? A lonely widower? Someone to visit and say a few sweet nothings to when he was useful, then cast aside, leaving him to wait for her from dusk to dawn?
“Yes, His Highness and I developed feelings in secret, but it is pure and aboveboard. We are both of marriageable age now and are planning to…”
“Enough, enough!” Qin Qing couldn’t help shouting, overcome by swift, violent grief. He shook with agitation, even the strength to support himself drained away. He buried his face deep in her bosom.
What right did that scoundrel Yue Guanyi have to marry her!
Jealousy was ignited by gnawing hatred, soaring uncontrollably. The intense jealousy and hatred burned, making his heart ache as if being torn apart. The more it hurt, the tighter he held her, burying his face deeper, wishing their souls could crash together as one. Only that could extinguish his endless desire.
“Is he threatening you? Using his power to coerce and lure you?” Qin Qing’s thin lips moved, his voice broken and hoarse. Without waiting for Qiu Shuzhi’s reply, he said a bunch of remaining bargaining chips as if afraid of being denied: “What he can give you, I can too. Military power, I can give you that. Even the Qin clan can be yours.”
Qiu Shuzhi sighed helplessly.
It was this sigh filled with too many emotions that made Qin Qing keenly realize these bargaining chips meant nothing in her eyes.
The faint redness on his thin lips completely faded. Like a drowning man clutching at an intangible straw, unwilling to let go even as he sank to the bottom of the sea.
He had entered the palace as the Empress at sixteen. His every word and deed was monitored. The slightest misstep in the treacherous harem could push him into an abyss. He finally made it through until the old Emperor’s death, only to face years of fierce battles.
Only when he helped Yue Shen ascend the throne did the court gradually stabilize. But Yue Shen was wary of him, always mindful he would usurp power. The Qin clan relied on him, and he was restricted by the Qin clan.
Exhausting himself with schemes and power plays day after day, life in the harem was either scheming or fighting to the death, a murky quagmire.
Everyone said the Empress Dowager held great power, not knowing how many fearful times were behind that power, nor did anyone ask if this was the power he truly wanted.
He was merely pushed and driven by a group of people and circumstances towards the pinnacle of power, no different from a sheep whipped by the shepherd into the pen.
He had painstakingly endured this life for nearly twenty years. Finally, the light that was Qiu Shuzhi appeared, but before he could grasp it, it became someone else’s.
How could he accept that!
Qiu Shuzhi was his life’s salvation, the only bit of warmth in his long dark years. He only wanted to drown in the warmth brought by this light. He would not allow anyone to take her away.
Qin Qing took in her cool fragrance, absorbing warmth. His gaze gradually turned gloomy and deep, as if coated with a layer of poisonous venom: “You think you and Yue Guanyi are a match made in heaven, in love, with endless vows. But you don’t know how many women he has said the same words to. Just in his youth, when he was toyed with in brothels…”
“I know all about His Highness’s experiences in his youth. That was not his fault. I sincerely like him. I do not dwell on the past,” she said, displeased by Qin Qing’s insinuations about Yue Guanyi’s past in brothels.
“You-” Qin Qing gritted his teeth, the viciousness in his eyes gradually twisting.
_____________
If you’re like me…
Too tired of reading stories where the female lead is often foolish, weak, feeble both physically and mentally, usually in a subservient and oppressed role in society such as a maid, secretary, concubine… or to put it bluntly, typically the one who has to serve and please the male lead, always needing protection and rescue from male leads, while the male lead is often described as talented, strikingly handsome, powerful,…
Then please continue reading.
Hi there, girls!
I’m Yuushi L.
Every day, movies and comics continuously reinforce the notion that women are weak, that they can only handle trivial matters in the background, that women are petty-minded and constantly jealous, mocking, and laughing at other women, while men are strong, wealthy, and solely focused on conquering the world, with countless mindless women ready to fall into their arms.
Believe me, once you read Female-dominant (FEDO) novels, your mindset will change significantly.
I am deeply inspired by strong, independent, and rational women who have the power to take control of their lives, and I am fascinated by the way society’s gender roles are reversed in this genre compared to real life.
So I have created this web with the noble purpose of promoting the “Female-dominant (FEDO)” genre of novels.
In my country, there was a rare renowned female poet in ancient times who wrote the following about the fate of women in that era:
“Damn this life of sharing a husband,
One wrapped in warmth, the other left cold.
I’d rather have stayed single from the start,
Than to endure a life so torn apart.”
Perhaps my penchant for reading female-dominant stories is partly a way of rebelling against the realities of life.
On my site, there will be stories that are not only female-dominant novels, as long as they align with my taste, featuring strong female protagonists and fresh, captivating storylines. Usually, they will be modern or fantasy novels.
I rarely read ancient novels that aren’t female-dominant because they often contain details that easily trigger me. These include the portrayal of men having multiple wives and concubines, which was considered utterly normal in ancient society, and the frequent disdain towards women.
I cannot change the world, as the societal structure that discriminates against women and elevates men has existed for thousands of years. Changing it to truly give women an equal role in society is not something that can happen overnight. If you want gender equality now, it’s laughable. It will never happen when over 90% of national and business leaders are men.
But I can start by changing the mindset of women, sisters, and young girls. Don’t just read dull slogans urging women to be strong and independent; it’s hard to imagine. Read Female-dominant (FEDO) novels to see clearly what true female empowerment looks like.
I believe there will be more and more independent and strong women who prioritize their careers and personal stability over seeking a man to rely on.
In the future, there will be more successful female entrepreneurs, politicians, and thought leaders.
As for me, I will start by making this website grow stronger day by day.
I especially like the concept of “the male lead falls in love first, the female lead is the cold-hearted and rational one, and the male lead suffers because the female lead doesn’t reciprocate his feelings.”
Therefore, you’ll see that most of the novels on my website will belong to this trope. Of course, there will be exceptions.
In the future, I also plan to write my own novels following this concept, where the female lead in my stories will never be the weaker party. I hope I can do it soon.
The novels I highly recommend will be listed under the category:
There will be exceptionally brilliant stories, but there will also be mediocre ones. As the Female-dominant (FEDO) genre has fewer authors and readers, the number of high-quality novels is limited.
Therefore, I want to promote this genre to reach a wider audience, which will encourage more talented authors to choose to write in this style, leading to the birth of more outstanding Female-dominant (FEDO) novels.
The Chinese versions of the novels I use for translation are all sourced from various websites on the internet. You know, I don’t have much budget to purchase so many novels.
Therefore, if your financial situation allows, please support the authors by purchasing the original works. You can find the original works using the Chinese titles of the novels.
*
WARNING:
In some novels, there are certain unhealthy ideologies and illegal actions held by the main characters (for example, treating human lives as worthless, or casually deciding to kill someone, forcing others to do things they don’t want to do, arbitrarily imprisoning others, plotting to harm others, using violence to retaliate against violence,…).
This may be because the authors are still young and inexperienced, unaware that what they’re writing goes beyond moral standards and can negatively influence young readers.
It’s important that readers under 18 years old need to recognize these are illegal actions, not permitted to be carried out in real life, always keep a clear head while reading, treat these works only as entertainment, and don’t let yourself be influenced by those plot points.
*
If you want to join me, support me, recommend novels, or simply want to connect with me privately, please contact me via email: yuushi.l.me@gmail.com
Or join my Discord to connect with others who share the same taste for novels:
With love and appreciation,
YUUSHI L
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
______
*Spotlight on Finished Novel Translations*
The Male Lead’s Obsessive (Female-dominant)
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.
Synopsis:
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Summary:
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.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
