After Scheming Against the Enemy Nation’s Emperor, I Got Pregnant Chapter 24

At the Zhuangyuan Manor.

Not a whisper of what had happened at the Qionglin Banquet last night had spread. Today, the manor was still filled with guests.

Jiang Huaichu was exhausted from all the socializing. As evening approached, he finally got a break. Just as he took a sip of his Snow Mist Tea, Taifei barged in with urgency. Seeing him, she immediately turned coy. “Dear, that… the official, official robes that were delivered… I’ve washed, washed them for you. Do you… want to try them on? You, you have to report for duty tomorrow, what if they don’t fit?”

Jiang Huaichu took his tea and slowly said, “It’s just trying on official robes, why are you—”

The tea in his cup trembled slightly.

Taifei held up a dark robe with deep blue and emerald green cuffs, its waist belt neatly tied. She blinked and looked at the elegantly ink-painted Jiang Huaichu.

The young Wangye remained silent for a long time, gripping the tea saucer while his other hand subtly rested on the table as he edged backward.

Taifei, knowing his extreme love for aesthetics and fearing he might flee, pounced at once and grabbed him. “Stay put.”

Jiang Huaichu’s hand was seized, his body slightly leaning back. Forcing a smile, he said, “…Whether the robe fits or not isn’t a big deal.”

Taifei disapproved. “Try it on. What if the length is off and you trip? If there’s an issue, I can still fix it now.”

Jiang Huaichu pursed his thin lips.

“Hurry up!” Taifei scolded.

Jiang Huaichu surrendered, putting down the tea saucer and slowly untying his outer robe. He stood there like a wooden post, allowing Taifei to fuss over him.

“I’m telling you, people can’t be too picky about perfection! Ugly as it may be, the material is at least decent.”

Jiang Huaichu lazily said, “Not everything in life can go your way, but at least the clothes are—”

“You always have excuses!” Taifei shot him a glare. “The Emperor has the final say. Even if you look like a peacock, or even a pheasant, you still have to wear it!”

Jiang Huaichu lowered his head. “Got it, got it.”

“You’re just humoring me.” Taifei tugged at his waist belt, measuring it, and frowned. “You’ve lost weight again! Did you secretly dump the nourishing soup I worked so hard to make for you?”

“…No, I drank all of it.”

“Really?” Taifei eyed him suspiciously.

Jiang Huaichu nodded without blushing or skipping a beat.

“I’ll watch you drink it next time,” Taifei stared him down.

Jiang Huaichu’s mouth twitched slightly, but he obediently nodded.

At the doorway, Ru Shi entered: “Master, the Eldest Princess—”

His gaze landed on Jiang Huaichu’s outfit, and his voice caught in his throat.

Jiang Huaichu turned to look at him, appearing slightly weary: “…Is it really that ugly?”

Ru Shi: “…It’s alright.”

Jiang Huaichu said, “Then why such a big reaction?”

Ru Shi, who never lied, blurted out, “Like a pigeon turning into a silkie chicken.”

Jiang Huaichu: “…”

Taifei frantically signaled to Ru Shi with her eyes.

The young Wanye had a tendency to overthink things—not on major matters, but on small details, where he could get stuck for an entire day. If they kept talking about this, he would probably be upset about his outfit for the rest of the day.

Taifei quickly changed the subject: “Ah—uh—Ru Shi, why did you come in again?”

Jiang Huaichu also looked at him.

There was no one else in the room. In fact, many of the supposed servants in the Zhuangyuan Manor were actually members of Miluo. Feeling reassured, Ru Shi reported, “The Changling Guards just delivered a substantial reward to the Eldest Princess’s residence.”

He glanced at Jiang Huaichu before continuing, “…The Eldest Princess asked about what happened to Qi Wang. The Changling Guards said that you, afraid of theft, carried a concealed drug and knocked him out.”

Jiang Huaichu’s eyes widened slightly.

In his mind, the scene replayed—a silver needle brushing past his cheek and stabbing into Qi Wang’s neck.

His expression darkened silently, and he said nothing.

Taifei laughed in exasperation, “He stabbed himself, and now he has the nerve to say you did it?! How old is he? He’s the emperor, yet he lacks this little bit of accountability? Compared to your royal brother, he falls far behind!”

“If we didn’t have people in the Eldest Princess’s residence, we wouldn’t even know about this!” Taifei grew more and more furious. “The grudge between the Eldest Princess’s family and us is already deep enough, and he—he gets away without a single consequence! How can someone like this exist?”

Ru Shi calmly asked, “The Eldest Princess and Qi Wang will likely trouble Master over this. What do you plan to do?”

Jiang Huaichu replied indifferently, “Just pretend not to know. This is exactly what Xiao Yun wants.”

Taifei was taken aback. “He wants to harm you?”

Jiang Huaichu shook his head and smiled faintly. “He wants to use me to achieve his goals without making a sound, then turn around and act like he’s doing me a favor, so I’ll be grateful to him.”

Taifei, though not adept at political schemes, was still furious, her rage nearly boiling over. “How does he even have the nerve?! How can someone like this exist?!”

“How can someone like this exist?!” she repeated in frustration.

Jiang Huaichu’s eyes curved slightly with amusement. “Well, of course, I have to help him achieve his wish. After all, I still need to thank him for last night.”

….

In the palace, Xie Zhe and Xiao Yun were dining together.

Xiao Yun picked up a piece of Eight-Treasure Crispy Duck. “Tomorrow, the little white rabbit reports to the Hanlin Academy, doesn’t he?”

Xie Zhe’s chopsticks paused midair. “…Little white rabbit?”

“Doesn’t he look like one?” Xiao Yun chuckled.

“…Maybe not so much in official robes.”

“Go to h*ll.” Xiao Yun laughed and cursed.

Of all the people who dared criticize the official robes, only Xie Zhe could get away with it. But Xiao Yun was the emperor—his word was law. As far as he was concerned, they looked just fine.

Seeing that the emperor was in a good mood, Xie Zhe hesitated for a moment before asking, “Does Your Majesty intend to…”

“What?” Xiao Yun’s smile carried a hint of mischief.

Xie Zhe cleared his throat. “Does Your Majesty not plan to…”

He left the rest unsaid.

“We’ll see how he reacts first,” Xiao Yun’s tone was ambiguous. Then, with a playful glance at Xie Zhe, he asked, “What, are you trying to encourage me to seduce a minister?”

Xie Zhe responded righteously, “Your Majesty may have whoever he desires.”

“Oh?” Xiao Yun chewed his food thoughtfully. “I think you’re quite satisfactory, too—good-looking, familiar, and I know you inside out.”

Xie Zhe’s hand trembled, nearly dropping his chopsticks. “…Your humble servant spoke nonsense earlier.”

Xiao Yun laughed heartily, then casually asked, “What do you think his reaction will be?”

Xie Zhe answered, “That depends on how much he remembers. He certainly won’t recall anything from the guest room.”

He shot a glance at Xiao Yun, clearly recalling last night.

Xiao Yun, eyes carrying a warning, merely smiled without speaking.

Xie Zhe coughed lightly and continued, “As for earlier, it’s unclear. He likely won’t have forgotten everything. When the Changling Guards found him, he probably wasn’t completely unconscious—if he wakes up, he might recall bits and pieces.”

“If he thinks Your Majesty is interested in him, given his nature, he just might… go along with it.”

Xiao Yun’s chopsticks paused.

Xie Zhe found the situation amusing—he had pondered the same question last night.

Xie Caiqing had never been a quiet or obedient person. At fifteen, when others were still naive and inexperienced, he was already shrewd enough to craft a memorial that pleased the emperor.

And it wasn’t just any memorial—it was a request not to enter official service.

Memorials weren’t easy to write. There was a deep art to them. The emperor, burdened with ruling the nation, had no time to personally meet all his ministers; most officials only communicated with him through memorials.

From the content of the memorial, to the handwriting, to even the formatting, every detail influenced the emperor’s perception of the writer and largely determined whether that person was promoted or demoted.

Every single word of a memorial had to be meticulously crafted.

To get to the point where he barely made it into the emperor’s view, he had studied at least a thousand memorials.

Flattery wasn’t easy either—it required a keen understanding of the recipient’s mind while avoiding coming across as overly manipulative. The balance was incredibly difficult to master.

By the time Xie Caiqing was fifteen, he had perfected two skills that many officials never mastered in their entire careers—flattery and persuasion.

That’s why Xie Zhe had always had high hopes for him.

This man was exceptionally intelligent, quick-witted, adaptable, eloquent, adept at navigating power structures, and had a talent for making people happy. He was also a master at maneuvering his way through the system.

On the surface, he appeared docile, but in reality, his ambitions were boundless. Otherwise, he would never have dared to personally seek out Xie Zhe’s residence.

He had a large appetite, that one.

He was far from being someone who was indifferent to fame and fortune. And given his humble origins, there was no way he wouldn’t want to climb to the very top.

And now, the best shortcut was right in front of him—how could he not be tempted?

Xiao Yun’s lips curled slightly, his expression unreadable. “I don’t believe it. He’s too young to pull that off.”

Xie Zhe laughed. “He’s not stupid. He knows Qi Wang won’t let him off and that he needs to find a powerful backer as soon as possible. There are only a few people in court who could make Qi Wang back down, and they’re all much older, with families to protect. No matter how much they appreciate him, why would they risk everything to oppose Qi Wang for his sake? He has nothing to offer them.”

“Go on,” Xiao Yun’s eyes gleamed with amusement, though he remained impassive.

Xie Zhe continued, “He comes from humble origins, yet he wears different outfits and accessories every day. Do you think he’s unaware of his own looks? He’s vain. If he thinks it through, he’ll realize that, in the eyes of powerful nobles, his greatest asset—the thing that can yield the fastest returns—is his appearance.”

“If he knows Your Majesty is interested in him, and Your Majesty is the emperor, the most handsome man in the land, and generous with your favor…” Xie Zhe coughed and glanced at Xiao Yun. “…With the Grand Eldest Princess and Qi Wang closing in, it’s obvious what choice he’ll make.”

Xiao Yun’s smile was half genuine, half amused: “So you know again.”

“…Your Majesty is wise,” Xie Zhe replied with a smile. He had figured it out during the day—when the Emperor pinned the blame for Qi Wang’s fainting on Xie Caiqing, wasn’t it just to push him toward a certain path?

After all, even a rabbit, when cornered, might throw itself into a warm embrace.

Xiao Yun gave a lazy smile and didn’t bother to clarify that it wasn’t entirely his intention. He just let Xie Zhe think what he liked.

Xie Zhe cursed the old fox in his heart and said with a laugh, “When he goes along with the flow and comes to Your Majesty, seeking affection and protection, Your Majesty could also go along with it and gain the beauty in return.”

Xiao Yun laughed heartily and pointed at him: “You really think he would do that?”

Xie Zhe thought to himself that he was becoming a shameless matchmaker with no moral compass, but kept a straight face as he said, “Why not? Though I myself am not inclined toward men, this kind of thing is common in the capital. Many court officials do the same, especially among the young and talented. What’s there to be ashamed of? He’s not a woman, after all. Whatever happens privately between men doesn’t affect his future prospects of marrying and having children. If he were a woman… he might even give birth to a crown prince, and then he’d be even more willing.”

“If Your Majesty ever tires of him, part on good terms, and he could still secure a fine position. What could be better?”

Xiao Yun’s smile deepened. He took a cloth from Yin Xian to wipe his hands and said lazily, “Actually, there’s another reason.”

Xie Zhe paused in surprise.

Xiao Yun said, “If he were a spy from an enemy nation, he would absolutely go along with the flow and try to cling to me.”

Xie Zhe: “Your Majesty is brilliant!”

Xiao Yun sighed sincerely, “I really am getting smarter by the day.”

Xie Zhe: “…”

Once the meal was finished, palace attendants came to clear the dishes. Xiao Yun stood up and was just about to take a walk with Xie Zhe when a young eunuch came running in: “Your Majesty, the top scholar is outside requesting an audience.”

The Emperor was momentarily stunned and exchanged a look with Xie Zhe—both were a little surprised.

So soon?

Xiao Yun tried to suppress the corners of his mouth from twitching and said with a straight face, “Let him in.”