After Scheming Against the Enemy Nation’s Emperor, I Got Pregnant Chapter 67

After dinner, Xie Caiqing gave the children a few pieces of silver. As they stepped out from the farmhouse, the kids ran out after them, excited and reluctant to part.

Perhaps only innocent children can hand over their full trust to someone in just a couple of hours.

The youngest child wobbled over, tugging on the hem of Xie Caiqing’s robe.

Xie Caiqing bent down and gently pinched his chubby cheek. “Be good, let go, I have to go now.”

The child grinned foolishly and let go—only to tiptoe up and place his little hand on Xie Caiqing’s stomach.

Xie Caiqing froze.

Xiao Yun, waiting outside for a long time without seeing Xie Caiqing come out, thought he was dawdling again and was about to go drag him out. But when he suddenly saw this scene, he froze too—then bent over laughing so hard his stomach hurt.

Under Xiao Yun’s unrestrained laughter, Xie Caiqing’s eyes flushed red with shame.

The farmwife saw what was happening, rushed over and pulled the child’s hand away, scolding him as she scooped him up. “He’s a man! Silly child!”

She apologized to Xie Caiqing with an embarrassed smile. Xie Caiqing shook his head and responded gently, “It’s fine.”

After Xiao Yun and Xie Caiqing left, the farmwife finally put the youngest child down.

Ah Qing turned around and said, “Mom, last time Xiao Yun touched Aunt Ah Ye’s belly, didn’t she end up with a baby a few days later? Maybe that pretty brother has one too?”

The woman was both exasperated and amused. “He’s a man!”

Ah Qing, still young, blinked in confusion. “Then why does mother have big bellies? So men really can’t get pregnant?”

The woman flushed with both embarrassment and irritation. “Of course not! It’s never happened before!”

Ah Qing said innocently, “Just because it’s never happened doesn’t mean it can’t. No one’s ever seen a mermaid either, but I believe in them! When I grow up, I’m going to the South Sea to find one!”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

…

After leaving the farm, Xiao Yun dragged Xie Caiqing through the bustling market. Whenever Xie Caiqing so much as glanced at something, Xiao Yun bought it, whether Xie Caiqing wanted it or not. After just an hour, Xiao Yun’s hands were full of random trinkets—pinwheels, rabbit lanterns, and other nonsense.

Xie Caiqing, on the other hand, was empty-handed.

Passersby cast them knowing looks. A vendor woman teased, “My husband doesn’t spoil me like that.”

After accepting a sugar sculpture, Xie Caiqing felt a little awkward and whispered, “Give me a few to carry.”

“It’s fine,” Xiao Yun replied.

When Xie Caiqing tried to take some by force, Xiao Yun laughed and relented, “Alright, alright, take these few.”

They were the lightest ones.

The two of them strolled side by side from dawn until dusk. Eventually, Xie Caiqing began to lag behind.

He looked at Xiao Yun’s back ahead in the crowd, gradually drifting farther. He thought to himself—it really does feel like this between them.

A deliberate approach, a fleeting companionship, and then each going their separate ways. If they meet again, perhaps it will be as strangers—or enemies.

He suddenly found this outing not so bad after all. It was a unique memory.

Lost in this bittersweet thought, he looked up to see Xiao Yun suddenly turn back. Empty-handed now, Xiao Yun ran straight over to him without a second’s hesitation.

Xie Caiqing stared at him in surprise.

“I gave everything to the guards,” Xiao Yun said with a grin. “What, got tired, can’t walk?”

His calves aching, Xie Caiqing tried to keep his composure. “No—”

Before he could finish, Xiao Yun squatted down right in the middle of the street. “Hop on.”

Xie Caiqing widened his eyes.

Many people turned to look—some surprised, others amused or curious.

Xiao Yun acted as if he saw no one.

“Don’t! Get up,” Xie Caiqing said, turning his flushed face away.

“Sure,” Xiao Yun said lazily. “If you won’t climb on, I’ll just carry you back in my arms—your choice.”

“…” Xie Caiqing hesitated for a long while. When Xiao Yun looked like he was about to stand, Xie Caiqing grit his teeth, stepped forward, and quickly wrapped his arms around Xiao Yun’s neck.

Xiao Yun held back laughter.

Why does he always fall for these ridiculous two-option traps? He’s been oddly cute lately—always just a little dazed.

“Hold on tight.”

Xiao Yun hoisted him up steadily, carrying him back toward the Drunken Immortal Pavilion amid the blushing stares of women and the hoots of men.

The person on his back must’ve been dying of embarrassment; he buried his face in Xiao Yun’s shoulder, though his arms obediently held on tight.

Xie Caiqing’s ears buzzed. His face burned. Being affectionate in public like this—if his elder brother in Nanruo found out, he’d definitely get punished.

Xiao Yun’s back was broad and warm. The heat seeped through his thin robe in the evening breeze.

“You got tired from just a short walk?” Xiao Yun teased. “How are you so delicate, my little sweetheart?”

“I’m not tired,” Xie Caiqing gritted out.

“Sure, sure, not tired,” Xiao Yun chuckled. “I’ve never carried anyone before—you’re riding over the emperor’s head.”

Xie Caiqing said nothing.

“I’ve given all my firsts to you,” Xiao Yun continued. “There’s something I didn’t dare tell you before, but I can now.”

“Hm?”

Xie Caiqing’s soft, elegant voice at his ear made Xiao Yun itch. He said lazily, “That first time—you were crying from the pain, I wanted to cry too, but I had nowhere to let it out.”

“…” It took Xie Caiqing a long time to respond. “Why?”

Xiao Yun barely held in his laughter. “You hurt because you were stretched, and I was squeezed so tight it nearly drove me mad! I thought, so this is how painful a man’s first time is.”

“…!” Xie Caiqing wanted to kill him.

“My dear wife, I’m sorry, I won’t bring it up again,” Xiao Yun said, adjusting his grip. “Alright, alright, let me tell you a story instead.”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“You’re my wife. If you don’t listen, who will?”

“Who’s your—”

“Once upon a time, there was a little boy,” Xiao Yun barreled ahead. “He was born a child of heaven, had everything he could want.”

“His father was a womanizer, but he had a mother who loved him deeply. She always told him—he would grow up to be emperor.”

Xie Caiqing was momentarily stunned, his expression slightly complicated.

Xiao Yun said lazily, “The little boy didn’t even know what an emperor was, nor did he want to be one. But since everyone said that title was his, he just assumed it was. He didn’t particularly treasure it.”

“But later, his mother died. His father, because of a misunderstanding, stopped loving him. The little boy lived in a very dark room—so dark—and stayed there for many years. When people saw him, they would point at him and say, ‘You? Fit to be an emperor?’ And the boy thought, ‘I never wanted it. You forced it on me, then turned around and said I wasn’t worthy.’”

Xiao Yun chuckled, “The little boy got angry. Since everyone said he wasn’t worthy, he was determined to prove he was. He pored over the history books—even though they were filled with examples of unworthy heirs, the boy insisted he was different. He thought: ‘That’s because those others were incompetent—not me.’”

“Many years passed, and the little boy took back that thing called ‘emperor.’ And the very same people who once doubted him were now kneeling at his feet, saying he was worthy.”

Xiao Yun’s tone was relaxed and unhurried, but Xie Caiqing’s emotions were in turmoil.

Xiao Yun’s past was as widely known as his military exploits.

He was the deposed crown prince.

His mother, once the esteemed empress, had been falsely accused of an illicit affair, leading to doubts about Xiao Yun’s paternity.

She was deposed and died in sorrow. Xiao Yun, stripped of his title, was confined to the palace.

And what Xiao Yun had just said…

He had read all the history books and found no precedent for a deposed crown prince ascending the throne.

But he refused to believe that just because no one had done it, he couldn’t.

To reach where he was today—one could only imagine the hardships he endured.

“I’m telling you this story,” Xiao Yun said, eyes dark as ink, “because anything in this world that I desire—no matter what others say—I will stop at nothing to obtain it. That includes you.”

“I will not allow even a single moment of my life to be filled with regret. Do you understand? You are mine. If I want you, you cannot escape.”

Xie Caiqing’s heart pounded. His breath caught in his throat.

…

Beneath the full moon, a man in black robes carried a white-robed man on his back, laughing and talking all the way—until they reached their destination.

Their hair tangled together, cheeks touched—closer than they’d ever been.

…

A few days later, the tribute delegations from various nations arrived in the capital and were properly accommodated by the Ministry of Rites.

At the Hanlin Academy, Xie Caiqing sat quietly, checking his pulse under his sleeve, his expression somewhat languid.

In just a few days, he and Xiao Yun would have shared a bed for a full month. Yet, he still showed no signs of pregnancy.

These days, Xiao Yun often took him out to play—and oddly enough, refused to touch him at night, driving Xie Caiqing into even greater anxiety and sleeplessness.

A dignified middle-aged man rushed in at the door: “Is the top scholar available?”

Xie Caiqing snapped back to attention. Seeing it was the Assistant Minister of Rites, he replied gently, “I’m available. Is there something I can help with?”

The Assistant Minister let out a huge sigh of relief and smiled, “Yes, yes, of course! The
Nanruo delegation has arrived.”

Xie Caiqing’s hand, holding the brush, paused.

The Assistant Minister continued, “You wouldn’t believe it—Nanruo seems to be deliberately trying to show us up. They sent over a group of elegant pretty men, all in flowing white robes. The leader is especially eye-catching—the palace maids couldn’t stop staring, their faces turned red! Honestly, so embarrassing! Is being good-looking such a big deal?”

Xie Caiqing quietly curved his lips, subtly masking his reaction.

“In contrast, our court officials receiving them… well, let’s just say it’s not ideal,” the Assistant Minister said urgently. “You must come with me and help uphold our image. Our top scholar is far better looking than those mourning-garbed peacocks!”

He scoffed, then noticed that Xie Caiqing was also dressed in white mourning robes, and coughed awkwardly.

Xie Caiqing pushed aside the longing in his heart and, eager to see a familiar face, said, “Very well.”

The Assistant Minister hurriedly pulled him along, muttering the whole way, “That lead guy—what a piece of work! Thinks he’s all that just because he’s pretty? Even had the nerve to imply we have no decent-looking officials. Wait till he sees you—he’ll choke on his words!”

“He’s been scowling the whole time, nitpicking everything as if he’s too good for us. Acting like he’s the emperor or something! When you meet him, you must put him in his place. Seriously, I’m fuming—how can someone like that even exist!”

Xie Caiqing nodded along, playing along with a faint smile.

That was diplomacy for you—praise with a hidden jab, smiles laced with knives. Each side tried to uphold their image while undercutting the other. It was a constant game of posturing and veiled insults.

Still, he couldn’t imagine which Nanruo official had such an attitude. None came to mind.

“You don’t know,” the Assistant Minister ranted on, “he completely forgot his place. He’s here bearing tribute, trying to strengthen relations with us, yet acts like we owe him money. Every word, a barb. I swear—how can someone like that exist?!”

“Please calm down,” Xie Caiqing said gently.

“Calm down? How? He’s acting like we killed his mother or something! You’ll see what I mean when you meet him!”

Xie Caiqing smiled faintly. “…Please calm down.”

The Assistant Minister grumbled the whole way, finally dragging Xie Caiqing into the main reception hall of the Ministry of Rites.

The moment they entered, the sight on the left was a group of Great Ning officials in black robes—burly, fierce-looking men all red-faced and bristling, clearly fuming and itching for a fight with the opposing group on the right: slender, sharp-tongued men in white robes—refined but scornful.

The hall was in chaos.

The Great Ning officials, upon seeing the strikingly graceful figure following the Assistant Minister, immediately brightened, their anger turning into smug pride as they sneered at the Southerners.

The leader of the Nanruo delegation wore white robes embroidered with gold thread, his hair neatly tied with a jade crown, his appearance impeccably groomed. He was tall and upright, with a handsome, dignified face, exuding nobility and solemnity. His stern expression gave him a commanding aura—majestic, intimidating, like a deity in a temple that inspired awe and kept people at a respectful distance.

His face was dark, expression extremely cold, and the disgust on his face was completely unhidden. In his pitch-black eyes, a fire faintly flickered. His fists were clenched tightly, veins bulging on the backs of his hands, as if the next moment he would tear off his mask of stern dignity and break into furious scolding.

He turned his head along with the others to look toward the entrance of the main hall.

Xie Caiqing abruptly stopped in his tracks, blood freezing from head to toe.

Royal Brother.

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