After Scheming Against the Enemy Nation’s Emperor, I Got Pregnant Chapter 38

The commotion would definitely be massive.

The ministers’ eyes lit up immediately.

“This is a great idea! As long as we’ve got big lungs! I’m no good with fancy words, but I’ve got plenty of strength!”

A burly, plain-looking military general puffed out his rock-hard chest.

“I second that! No need to rehearse. Tomorrow, as soon as we see His Majesty, grab his leg and start bawling. If he runs, we chase. If he calls guards to block us, we howl. If he shuts the door, we slap it until the sky turns dark!”

“This plan is solid!”

The ministers suddenly felt energized.

Yin Xian shouted, “Let me emphasize: tomorrow, you must make it clear that it’s us who are desperate, that it’s the women of the realm who are anxious, that it’s the ancestors of Great Ning who are hoping for this. Not that His Majesty wants it—His Majesty doesn’t want it at all!”

The ministers all chirped in agreement, swearing they’d never make such a rookie mistake.

Xie Caiqing: “…”

Yin Xian rubbed his hands together, itching to get started. He asked with forced patience, “Any objections?”

Xie Caiqing hesitated. His gut told him that going against the flow at this moment wouldn’t do any good and would only get him scolded harshly. His lips parted a few times, but in the end, he shut them tightly and even forced a bit of matching excitement onto his face.

An usually slippery and mild-tempered minister hesitated for a long time. Looking at the overly fired-up ministers around him, he seemed troubled and said, “…We really ought to think this through carefully. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not stalling—but at the very least we should try to feel out His Majesty’s thoughts first. If we make a huge fuss and His Majesty does agree, great! Everyone wins, and we all look good. But if His Majesty doesn’t agree, then…”

Liu Yun exploded with rage: “Old Eel, if you’re scared, just say it! You think we need you for this with all these people on board?!”

“Yeah, quit with the defeatist talk!”

“You think you could speak plainly to His Majesty about this kind of thing?”

“If we try to feel him out, won’t that just expose our palace liaison? What would that mean for him?!”

“We’re supposedly doing this out of concern for His Majesty. If we tell him beforehand, it’ll look like we’re trying to score points. So embarrassing.”

“…”
Suddenly, Xie Caiqing understood why this group of ministers acted the way they did. As the saying goes, when the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams are slanted.

Or maybe, it was simply that Xiao Yun favored those with temperaments similar to his own, and naturally ended up promoting these types of people.

After all, birds of a feather flock together.

These people were quick-witted, bold in character, brimming with energy, and so action-driven that they would roll up their sleeves and dive right in. They were confident, cared about appearances, and refused to accept defeat—no amount of persuasion could change their minds, not even if you dragged them away with eight hundred horses.

It was one thing when they were each messing around on their own, but when they banded together for a common goal, the level of destruction they could unleash was unimaginable.

Arguing with people like this wouldn’t make them reflect on their actions. Instead, they would take it as a challenge, determined to prove themselves, and wouldn’t stop until they had completely crushed you.

Thinking of this, Xie Caiqing decided that, for now, he needed to align himself with them. But tomorrow… tomorrow he could pretend to be sick.

He would go back later and poison himself just a little.

The court officials continued their fervent discussion. Finally, Liu Yun slammed the table and bellowed, “Anyone who dares to obstruct His Majesty from taking a wife and fathering an heir is going against me, Liu Yun! I’m putting this on the record right now!”

“If you want to back out, fine. Don’t give me nonsense about being sick or having urgent family matters—I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

Xie Caiqing’s hand, which was resting on Liu Yun’s chair, paused for a fraction of a second, but his expression remained unchanged.

“Anyone who doesn’t show up tomorrow is my enemy! And in court from now on… heh.”

“Don’t tell me you’re really sick—unless you’re on your deathbed, you better crawl your way over here!”

Xie Caiqing’s mind spun rapidly. Fine, he would come tomorrow. But tonight, he would secretly inform Xie Zhe and make it clear that his loyalty still lay with His Majesty—he was merely acting under duress.

Liu Yun continued his tirade, “And if any b*stard dares to leak this to the Commander or secretly seek credit with the Emperor, then they are my sworn enemy!”

Xie Caiqing: “…”

Another veteran minister shot up from his seat. “That’s right! Whoever dares do this is my enemy as well!”

“If anyone does this, they are against me, Gao Mingyuan!”

“If anyone does this, they are against me—”

As Xie Caiqing listened to this series of declarations, his heart sank. His lips twitched stiffly.

Everyone, whether genuinely or pretending, had declared their loyalty. In the end, all eyes turned to the one person who had remained silent the entire time—the quiet, refined top scholar, who clearly didn’t fit in with the group.

It seemed they had finally noticed that he had not spoken a word nor participated in the discussion. Their brows furrowed, their gazes sharpened, and their eyes, wide as copper bells, stared straight at him.

Under the weight of so many expectant stares, Xie Caiqing slowly smiled and, with righteous conviction, declared:

“…Whoever dares do this… is my enemy as well!”

…

The next morning at court, as Xiao Yun stepped into the Jinluan Hall, he immediately sensed that something was off.

Everyone was here. Every. Single. One.

And their expressions… it was as if they were brewing something big.

Suspicious, Xiao Yun glanced at the Commander beside him.

The Commander looked just as bewildered and returned his gaze with a silent, “I have no idea what’s going on.”

Xiao Yun’s eyes then landed on Xie Caiqing, who was standing quietly in the far corner of the hall.

“You all seem… rather—”

Before he could finish, Liu Yun burst out from the crowd, took a giant step forward, and threw himself at Xiao Yun’s leg.

“Your Majesty—!”

Xiao Yun jerked his head down, eyes widening in shock.

And then—

Like a dam bursting under a flood, the entire court surged forward as one. The ministers, like chickens let out of a coop, rushed up and dropped to their knees before him.

Those in the front row clung enthusiastically to Xiao Yun’s limbs. Those further back, unwilling to be left out, stretched their arms in a desperate attempt to grab at the Emperor’s robes. Those in the very back, unable to even touch him, compensated by howling the loudest, terrified of being drowned out and ostracized by their peers.

“What the h*ll?! What the h*ll?!” Xiao Yun shouted, his face twisted in shock. “Get off me! Let go of me—!”

Xie Zhe was completely stunned, frozen in place like a wooden dummy.

Liu Yun still had the presence of mind to glance over at Xie Caiqing, who was still standing stiffly in the corner, staring blankly at the scene.

Every single person in the grand hall had dropped to their knees. Every single one—except for him.

Xie Caiqing stood out like a sore thumb.

Liu Yun shot him a vicious glare.

Xie Caiqing clenched his fists, hesitated for a second, then, under Xiao Yun’s disbelieving gaze, hurried forward, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt down as well, lowering his head.

“What the h*ll are you all doing?! What the h*ll?! Can’t you just talk like normal people?!” Xiao Yun roared. “If you don’t let go, I swear I’m going to start kicking! This is f*cking embarrassing—!”

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! If you don’t take a wife and produce an heir, we, your ministers, will have no face to meet our ancestors in the afterlife!”

“Your Majesty is a brilliant ruler who has conquered the world. Now that the empire is stable, it’s time to start a family! We will only rest easy once the Crown Prince is established!”

“This is the golden age of Great Ning! The dynasty cannot be left without an heir!”

Xiao Yun finally realized what this was all about. His face darkened in fury.

“Get lost! All of you, get lost! What did I tell you last time? Two options—either one of them happens, or you never bring this up again! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

The ministers had anticipated this reaction. Their outrage, their indignation—all feigned. Spirits soaring, they pressed on, determined to break through the Emperor’s resistance.

“Your Majesty, times have changed! Jiang Huaiyi might be infertile, doomed to be childless, but we’re perfectly healthy! Why should we suffer because of him? If he dies without an heir, that’s his problem, not ours!”

Xie Caiqing’s face instantly darkened.

It was Xiao Yun who was infertile! His royal brother was in perfect health—better than Xiao Yun by a hundredfold!

“Your Majesty, we know you have high standards, but finding someone both beautiful and talented is difficult! It wouldn’t hurt to lower the bar just a little, would it?”

“Your Majesty, we must act before Jiang Huaiyi! The whole world is watching—you can’t afford to lose to him! Have a royal heir first and put them all to shame!”

Kneeling amidst the wailing crowd, Xie Caiqing’s ears buzzed, drowning out most of the noise. But that last sentence—every word of it—pierced through and lodged itself firmly in his mind.

Competing over this, too?

Someone beside him nudged him subtly, urging him to say something.

Xie Caiqing’s face stiffened.

Xiao Yun wanted to kick them all away, but he was completely pinned down. He looked over and saw Xie Caiqing’s lips parting as if he, too, was about to join in.

His expression turned murderous.

Liu Yun, unwilling to back down, also turned to glare at Xie Caiqing, his face fierce and intimidating.

Xie Caiqing certainly knew how miserable life would be if he betrayed the alliance at this moment. Gritting his teeth, he stammered through his words: “…His Majesty is peerlessly handsome. How could he admire himself in solitude? He should share his blessings with others.”

“Your Majesty, all the young ladies under heaven are eagerly awaiting the chance to help you carry on your lineage.”

“The entire nation will raise Your Majesty’s wife and children; you need not feel pressured. You should charge forward without hesitation.”

Liu Yun nodded in satisfaction and withdrew his gaze.

Above them, Xiao Yun’s expression darkened with anger, his murderous intent so thick it seemed to take tangible form, as if it could slice down the entire court—including Xie Caiqing.

“Commander! Commander! Are you just standing around doing nothing?!” Xiao Yun roared furiously.

The commander, who had been struggling against the crowd, mustered all his strength and finally managed to shove his way to Xiao Yun’s side, yelling orders to summon the Changlin Guards.

The guards stormed in and, after an immense struggle, finally managed to pry the ministers off the emperor like tragic, star-crossed lovers being forcibly separated.

The two ministers in the front row were particularly relentless. Even as the guards wrestled them away, lifting and dragging them with all their might, they still clung desperately to Xiao Yun’s robe, refusing to let go.

With a loud rip, Xiao Yun’s robe tore apart. The sudden loss of resistance caused the guards pulling on them to stumble backward and land flat on their backs, while the elderly minister crashed down heavily on top of them.

Though he had fallen, the minister stared at the torn piece of robe in his hands with an overwhelming sense of pride.

Xiao Yun, who had spent years cultivating his composure, finally lost all restraint. He was absolutely livid. Furiously, he tore off his ruined outer robe and flung it to the ground. “Have you all gone insane?! Are you all looking for death?! Have you lived long enough?! Fine! Let me tell you—”

“Your Majesty!” The ministers were only stunned for a brief moment before they surged forward once more, as relentless as ever.

Xie Zhe was horrified, drenched in a cold sweat. “Your Majesty, run! Hurry!”

Liu Yun shouted at the top of his lungs, “Your Majesty, don’t go! You can’t leave! If you leave now, how will you face the ancestors of the Great Ning dynasty?! If you leave, it means you have a guilty conscience!”

Xiao Yun’s face turned deathly pale, trembling with rage. He glared at them viciously. “You think I’m afraid of you lot?! Do you really think you’re something?! You think I’m scared to argue and fight with you?! Come on, then!”

Rolling up his sleeves, he didn’t back away—instead, he charged straight at them. “You all need a good beating, don’t you?!”

“Marry?! I’d rather be single my entire life than listen to your nonsense!”

“Children? Children my *ss! Is that all that’s in your d*mn heads?! No—wait, you don’t even have enough brains for that much!”

The already overwhelmed Changling Guards had no choice but to redirect some of their forces to hold back the emperor himself.

Xie Caiqing bowed his head lower, his expression frozen, his face flushed red.

…A ruler of the empire actually cursing in such vulgar language.

This… how could this be proper conduct for an emperor?

The ministers pretended not to hear and continued surging forward. Xie Zhe and the Changling guards were struggling to hold them back. “Your Majesty, go! Quickly!”

Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get 5 or more chapters of After Scheming Against the Enemy Nation’s Emperor, I Got Pregnant right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)