After Scheming Against the Enemy Nation’s Emperor, I Got Pregnant Chapter 84

The second letter had been delivered by Xue Liang.

Most of Nanruo’s commanders were scholar-generals, literate since childhood. Xue Liang, from a butcher’s family, was among the few who were more rough-and-tumble. Careless with details, he opened the letter on the spot, scanned it quickly, and said, “Whoa! This Xie Caiqing guy has a killer figure—tiny waist, big butt.”

Several generals crowded around to see.

Huo Xiao silently glanced over.

“Waist 19 inches! That’s smaller than most girls.”

“How could he know the waist and hip measurements so accurately? Don’t tell me he… touched him?”

Amid laughter, Huo Xiao silently looked at them again.

“Come on, he’s not some perv. Even if he were, how could he remember it this well? I don’t even know my wife’s numbers. Maybe he just guessed.”

Xue Liang said, “He’s calling the guy a little slut—probably seeking revenge. For someone to piss off Xiao Yun this much? Impressive! Who is he? How come I’ve never heard of him? Still, debts must be paid—should we help him out?”

Someone nearby said after thinking a moment, “True. Xiao Yun may be a scoundrel, but he’s known for keeping his word. That’s his reputation—he doesn’t go back on promises.”

“He says he’ll retreat if we hand over the person. Sounds legit. He probably marched all this way intending to fight, but didn’t expect the Miluo Manor to completely side with us. He must’ve done the math—decided it wasn’t worth it. Now he just wants to save face and go home. Give him Xie Caiqing, he gets revenge, keeps his pride, and backs off.”

“Yeah, it’d feel a bit dirty, but if we don’t agree and he really brings his whole army, even if we hold them off, the cost would be enormous… If we can avoid war, we should.”

The meeting devolved into chaos.

Toward the end, Huo Xiao rubbed his nose and asked quietly, “Is the description accurate?”

Jiang Huaichu’s face was frosty: “…Get out.”

He averted his eyes from the second letter. His cheeks were red, but his face remained expressionless.

Men’s waists and hips weren’t considered private in the way women’s were, so the detail wasn’t a big deal—especially when looking for someone.

But for an emperor to focus on that kind of detail?

He didn’t respond to the letter.

So Xiao Yun, clearly bored, began sending letters hourly. In just three days, he’d sent over thirty.

Naturally, he wasn’t tired—each letter only had a few flamboyantly written characters, like:

• “Any progress?”

• “Found him yet?”

• “Still looking?”

• “Need more info?”

• “It’s morning—time to find Xie Caiqing.”

• “A grown man shouldn’t be napping. Time to look.”

• “Still eating? Look for Xie Caiqing.”

• “It’s been five hours and still no sign of him?”

• “Eight hours now?”

• “Ten hours?! Are you even trying?”

• “Does Nanruo not return letters? I’ve answered every one of yours…”

Jiang Huaichu thought that Xiao Yun didn’t win wars—he just annoyed his enemies to death.

He slept one night, and by morning, the gates of the command post were littered with arrows stuck with letters.

Clearly, Xiao Yun had written dozens in advance and instructed his men to deliver them regularly, regardless of what he was actually doing.

….

Back in the imperial military camp outside the city.

A soldier entered quickly, presenting a letter. As Xie Zhe took it, a faint refreshing fragrance wafted to his nose.

“This is from Duan Wang?”

Xiao Yun nodded and chuckled, “Yep. Smells nice, doesn’t it? Like a girl.”

Xie Zhe: “…”

Beneath the emperor’s handsome exterior beat the heart of a brute. In his mind, if it smelled good, it must be from a girl; if it stank, it must be a man.

Xie Caiqing was especially fragrant, so he was especially like a delicate lady. Xiao Yun, on the other hand, was particularly smelly—therefore, especially manly.

So, by Xiao Yun’s standards, he was probably also a lady.

Xie Zhe hesitated before asking, “Your Majesty came looking for Xie Caiqing, so why did you call him… ‘little slut’?”

“Are you stupid?” Xiao Yun snapped. “This is negotiation. Oh, what, I tell Duan Wang that Xie Caiqing is important to me, and then let him use him to hike up the price? Or worse—kidnap Xie Caiqing to threaten me? One must always be on guard. What if Xie Caiqing so much as loses a strand of hair? I was just conning that wet-behind-the-ears brat. Once he stupidly hands Xie Caiqing over to me, of course he won’t be a ‘little slut’ anymore…”

Xiao Yun snickered without a hint of shame, “He’ll be my pillow companion, whom I’ll ask to settle scores with every single night. When Duan Wang finds out the truth, his expression—tsk, tsk, tsk…”

Xie Zhe: “…”

“Enough chatter,” Xiao Yun said as he tore open the letter in a few swift motions, looking over the neat and elegant calligraphy.

Xie Zhe glanced at the handwriting on the envelope. “This writing is a bit too proper and dainty—not as free and bold as Xie Caiqing’s…”

Seeing Xiao Yun remain silent for a long while, Xie Zhe asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Yun’s expression twisted.

Xie Zhe tiptoed for a peek—and his face froze.

On the paper were just seven large characters, written in a completely different style and tone:
“Didn’t look for him. I fooled you.”

Xiao Yun’s face darkened like a thundercloud. His fingers clenched the edge of the paper as if he wanted to rip it apart. After a long moment, he spat through gritted teeth, “How dare he?!”

Xie Zhe was also dumbfounded. Ever since Xiao Yun rose to fame, many of his later victories on the battlefield had come almost without a fight. The enemy would lose morale before the battle even began—soldiers would desert, generals would cower, and everyone treated him like a god of war. With a reputation like that, no one dared play tricks on him for fear of provoking his wrath.

Clearly, Xiao Yun had assumed Duan Wang wouldn’t dare play games, which was why he waited so confidently. But he hadn’t expected…

Could it be that Duan Wang truly believed that, with Miluo Manor on his side, he was unbeatable—and thus dared to string Xiao Yun along and buy time?

Xiao Yun was fuming. He didn’t care what it took—there was no fortress he couldn’t break.

He sneered coldly, “When I was fighting wars, he was probably still sucking milk. And now he dares to toy with me? It’s only been a year since I last fought, and they already forgot? Then I’ll have to make them remember.”

“I gave them the chance to hand him over. They didn’t take it. Now it’s my turn to get him myself. They better not regret it.”

“Someone! Prepare to march—”

He paused mid-command, frowning at a messenger hesitating by the side. “What is it?”

The attendant trembled as he took out a delicate white cloth pouch from his robe and presented it with both hands.

Xiao Yun: “What’s this?”

The attendant didn’t dare look at him and stammered, “Duan Wang heard that… that Your Majesty got covered in mosquito bites and sent this local specialty incense pouch from Nanruo. He said it’s very effective… and hopes Your Majesty will kindly accept it…”

Xiao Yun was silent for a few seconds.

Xie Zhe, knowing what was coming, tried to grab his arm before he lost it—but failed.

“He’s mocking me!! He actually dared to mock me!! Xie Zhe, did you hear that?! That little brat dared to mock me!! Does he know who he’s mocking?! Who gave him the guts?! He MOCKED ME!!!”

“Yes, yes, I heard! Your Majesty, calm down!! Don’t be angry!! Let’s beat him instead!! Let’s beat him to a pulp!!”

“Yes. Crush him.” Xiao Yun took a deep breath and let out a cold laugh. He turned dramatically, smacking the white pouch to the ground and striding out to mount up for battle. As he stepped outside the camp and looked up at the evening sky, swarming with buzzing mosquitoes, he abruptly halted.

After the attendants left, he casually circled back, picked up the little pouch, took out a piece of incense, and gently crushed it with his thumb to check for poison. After confirming it was safe, he scoffed and tucked one piece into his robe.

Xie Zhe followed him out in silence, then, after a moment, casually leaned over and whispered, “…Your humble servant would like some too.”

Xiao Yun paused, then let out another cold snort. Without a word, he took out the pouch and broke off a third of the incense for him.

Xie Zhe solemnly tucked it into his robe and said with righteous fervor, “Let’s attack the city! Smash that ungrateful Duan Wang!”