1- My harem
REBORN WITH A HAREM: MY EX-HUSBAND IS A LOWLY CONCUBINE ((1- My harem))
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22m
The scent of expensive sandalwood incense hung thick in the air, heavy enough to choke a dying woman.
Or a dead one.
"Your Highness! Please, speak to me. Are you feeling faint again?"
The voice was high-pitched, trembling, and sounded a little too close. When I forced my eyelids open, the blinding glare of polished silk drapes struck me first. Above me hovered a young maid in immaculate lavender robes, waving a delicate sandalwood fan with frantic rhythm.
I blinked, my throat feeling like cracked parchment. The last thing I remembered was not silk or sandalwood, no. It had been cold stone, the metallic tang of blood pooling beneath my ribs, and the quiet, mockery-laced laugh of the man I had called my husband. He had taken my family’s ledger, my father’s legacy, and my life, using my wealth as the final cobblestone to pave his road to the throne.
I had died. I was certain of it.
"Where..." I coughed, my voice rasping as I pushed myself up on one elbow, staring blankly at the carved mahogany bedposts around me. "Where am I? I... I was already dead."
The maid gasped, nearly dropping her fan. "Gracious Divine! Your Highness, do not speak such cursed words! You merely fainted from the afternoon heat!"
Before I could process the strange title—Your Highness?—the heavy velvet curtains of my bedchamber were drawn back with a flawless measured motion. An older woman stepped forward, clad in deep navy brocade, her posture erect and her hands folded neatly at her waist.
"Calm yourself, Xiaomei," the woman commanded smoothly, though her sharp eyes swept over me with deep, respectful concern. She bowed low, bending at the waist until her forehead nearly touched the edge of the dais. "Your Highness, forgive the maid's hysteria. The heat of the capital is unforgiving today, but the auspicious hour has arrived. Your imperial mother, the Empress, has decreed that your court must be established before sunset."
I sat frozen, my hand pressing against my chest. Where my fatal wound should have been, there was only smooth skin beneath fine crimson silk.
"My... court?" I murmured, the words foreign on my tongue.
"Indeed, Princess," the older woman replied, a faint, approving smile touching her lips. "The candidates selected by the Imperial Court have been waiting in the outer courtyard. As the High Heiress of the Empire, it is your right and duty to review the four consorts chosen to join your grand harem."
Harem?
In my past life, a woman having a harem was a scandal punishable by exile or execution. Men ruled, they accumulated wives and concubines, and women were expected to remain virtuous, quiet, and grateful for whatever meager affection was thrown to them.
The woman who I assumed was the nanny turned toward the double mahogany doors and raised her voice. "Bring in the prospective consorts!"
The heavy doors creaked open. Four men stepped into the sunlight streaming through the pavilion, stepping forward in a single line before dropping to one knee before my bed.
The nanny stepped to the side, unrolling a heavy gold-embossed scroll to introduce them one by one.
"First, General Zhao," the nanny announced, her tone echoing with pride. "Son of the High Commander, victorious leader of the Northern Border Guards. A warrior whose blade protects your imperial borders."
The man on the far left lifted his head slightly. Broad-shouldered, clad in dark iron armor under a regal cloak, his jaw was set like granite, but his dark eyes held a silent, unwavering reverence as he met my gaze.
"Second, Lord Yang Ming," the nanny continued. "Firstborn son of the Prime Minister, master of the Grand Archives, and chief administrator of the imperial treasuries."
The second man, dressed in delicate sky-blue robes holding a jade-topped scholar's fan, bowed his head gracefully. His expression was cool, calculating, and refined—a man who calculated fortunes in his sleep.
"Third, Master Xuan," said the nanny, lowering her voice out of respect. "The High Imperial Astrologer and Divine Reader of the Grand Shrine. He who reads the stars to guide the fortune of your lineage."
The third man wore sweeping white robes lined with silver thread. He was quiet, serene, his silver-tinged eyes staring forward as if he could see straight through the fabric of reality itself.
"And lastly..." The nanny’s voice noticeably cooled, a flicker of disapproval crossing her sharp face as she gestured to the man on the far right. "...Guo Wei. A commoner of low standing. Included in this lineup solely by your previous, unfortunate infatuation and insistence before your illness."
The fourth man stood, or rather, knelt, clad in simple, unadorned gray robes.
When he lifted his face, my heart stopped.
The blood in my veins ran instantly to ice. It was him. The sharp jawline, the arrogant curve of his lips, the very eyes that had watched me bleed out on my family's marble floors while he counted my gold.
He was staring up at me, but there was no humble commoner's deference in his eyes. There was shock, confusion, and a sudden, dark flash of recognition.
In my past life, he had been the lord, and I had been his stepping stone. But right now, he knelt before me as one of my ‘men’. The irony of existence.
But, did he remember me from wherever I had come from? And where exactly was I?
***Hey there lucky fellow. I've written only 8 chapters, which you get to read for free in the first 12 hours of launching this book. It's 7:28 am EAT, 21st September, 2026. I'll be back after 12 hours to lock chapter 2–8. But don't worry, I'll publish its free version once I have at least 10-20 advance chapters 😘😘***
