Back courtyard of the Commander’s residence.
Jiang Huaichu crouched down, feeding a few white foxes with minced fish. His eyes lowered, but Xiao Yun’s words — “Jiang Huaichu is mine” — lingered in his mind.
Why would he say such a thing without knowing the truth?
Then again, it cost him nothing to say it.
Who knew what was sincere and what was false?
Not afraid to die, just to kiss him? Coming all that way just to find him?
His heart gave a faint flutter, but Jiang Huaichu pushed down the overly optimistic thought.
Was it for the child, or for him? Was it the truth, or did he have an agenda?
He had never shied away from assuming the worst in others — not because he feared being hurt, but because he feared being entangled in sentiment and jeopardizing those hiding behind him.
If he weren’t a prince, just an ordinary girl with nothing to bear, where failure only affected himself, maybe he would try to find out. If Xiao Yun was truly devoted… maybe he’d let himself be caught.
Jiang Huaichu smiled.
But now, not only did he have a country, he had a child. And that child was not entirely within his control — and could, at any time, become a means of controlling him. This was especially not the time to take risks.
Xiao Yun was someone you couldn’t shake off once entangled.
Besides, his royal brother would never agree.
And Xiao Yun had treated him terribly.
Thinking about all this was meaningless.
Just then, a trusted aide rushed in, alarmed: “Watch out!”
Jiang Huaichu came back to his senses and realized the fish had already been eaten — the foxes were now licking his hand. He smiled, “It’s fine, they won’t bite me.”
“They’ve grown up now, all their teeth have come in,” the aide said. “They eat meat now. If you really like raising animals, Wangye, why not keep cats? Foxes are too aggressive — they could bite their owner. Or rabbits, they’re pretty and cute.”
Jiang Huaichu thought that made sense. Even though there had never been an incident before, now that he had a child, it was better to be cautious.
He nodded and stood up. “What is it?”
Only then did the aide remember. He jogged over and handed Jiang Huaichu a letter: “Shot in by the enemy.”
Ever since one of the generals accidentally opened a letter and discovered Xie Caiqing’s waist measurements, Duan Wang had ordered that all letters shot in by the enemy must be reviewed by him first.
Jiang Huaichu opened it, glanced at it, then widened his eyes and froze. Under the aide’s curious gaze, he casually folded the letter and hung it on his slender index finger, pinched lightly with his thumb.
The aide asked, “Is he threatening you again to find Xie Caiqing?”
“…” Jiang Huaichu gave a mild “Mm.”
The aide scratched his head. “What the h*ll is that emperor-dog thinking? He treats war like a game. Is he fighting or not?”
“…This Wangye doesn’t know.”
After chatting a bit, the aide left. Jiang Huaichu reopened the letter. The handwriting, if not closely examined, might seem like someone else’s. It was still wild and free-spirited, but lacked the previous arrogance and condescension. Each character was now neatly lined on the vertical page.
“Jiang Huaichu, in case you misunderstand — your dazzlingly handsome, fabulously wealthy, and incomparably high-ranking old flame, Xiao Yun, will say it straight: I like you. The kind of like is where I want to marry you and bring you home as my wife. If a letter isn’t enough to explain, can we set a time to meet? You pick the time and place — I’ll be there whenever.”
Reading it again, he was still shocked. The message felt like it came from a different person. Xiao Yun had called him “little sl*t” the time before last, and “little traitor” the last time they met.
And yet… the tone was unmistakably his: cheeky and irreverent.
He likes me?
Jiang Huaichu smirked slightly.
No one had ever spoken to him so inconsistently, so brazenly.
He suppressed the smirk and kept a straight face.
Marry him? Who wants to be his wife?
A weasel wishing the chicken a Happy New Year.
Entertaining him would be idiotic.
Lost in thought, Jiang Huaichu looked up and suddenly saw a tall man standing at the courtyard gate. His face stiffened, and he instinctively tried to hide the letter behind him.
“…Royal Brother, why are you at the border? I didn’t receive any notice.”
Jiang Huaiyi didn’t speak. He strode forward in three quick steps, his handsome face serious, and reached out to him: “Let me see.”
Jiang Huaichu: “…It’s a letter from the enemy. Nothing important.”
“Hand it over,” Jiang Huaiyi said sternly.
“…,” Jiang Huaichu slowly stuffed the letter into Jiang Huaiyi’s hand and turned his face away. Jiang Huaiyi took one look, his eyes widened, and the next second his face turned green.
“Jiang Huaichu! You’re about to be married and here you are, getting all fluttery — how could you do this to Yan Er?!”
“I didn’t! I just glanced at it,” Jiang Huaichu said.
“Then why were you so secretive? And if you read it, why didn’t you tear it up?” Jiang Huaiyi scolded. “You folded it — were you planning to meet him in secret?!”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then were you planning to keep it and reminisce later?!”
Jiang Huaichu: “…”
He really hadn’t meant to. It was just a reflex.
Out of nowhere, Taifei’s teasing voice floated through his mind:
“Your royal brother acts like a jealous husband! Always thinking his wife is cheating. Be careful or he’ll catch you — he’s been acting like a nosy old woman lately. Honestly, if you’re not pregnant, he might be!”
Jiang Huaiyi fumed, “I knew that sudden ceasefire was suspicious — turns out you two are still secretly in contact! Good thing I came. What did you promise me?!”
Jiang Huaichu replied obediently, “That I’d never have any contact with him again.”
“Don’t just remember the good and forget the bad! After everything he did to you, to your brother, to Nanruo!”
Jiang Huaichu nodded obediently.
Jiang Huaiyi glanced at his now nearly impossible-to-hide belly, inwardly fuming, but then calmed himself again. “So? Are you going or not?”
“Not going.”
“And what should you do?”
“I’ll tear it up right now.”
Jiang Huaiyi’s expression eased slightly. Just as he was about to hand the letter back to Jiang Huaichu, his eyes caught the contents again, and his anger flared. “Forget it, don’t tear it. I’m taking the letter.”
Jiang Huaichu was startled. “Brother, what are you doing?”
Jiang Huaiyi turned around, furious. “You’re asking me? Are you still hung up on him?! Were you just pretending when you said you’d tear it up? Trying to fool me?!”
“…” Jiang Huaichu thought Taifei had a point — right now, he was the boy who cried wolf. His brother didn’t trust him at all anymore. He quickly said, “I won’t ask. Whatever you say goes, Royal Brother.”
At the commander’s main camp.
Xiao Yun was sitting at his desk, writing and sketching.
Xie Zhe leaned over and asked, “Your Majesty, what are you doing?”
Xiao Yun grinned mysteriously. “I’m writing a guide — Things to Keep in Mind When Chasing My Wife.”
“Like what?”
Without even looking up, Xiao Yun said, “You can come look for yourself! Don’t bug me!”
“…” Xie Zhe leaned over and took a look.
“First of all, every move I make from now on must be based on making sure my wife understands why I’m doing it. Xiao Yun has already suffered the tragic consequence of separation due to a misunderstanding. Lesson learned. I must make sure my wife doesn’t misinterpret my actions. I can’t shoot arrows in the wrong direction — aim for the bullseye, or you’ll miss the mark.”
“Since I’m the emperor of an enemy nation, and my wife is a prince of another kingdom, if I don’t make my intentions clear, he’ll think I’m up to no good — a scheming wolf. It would backfire. I must ensure he understands that I, Xiao Yun, am pursuing him — that I want to marry him and take him home.”
“So, Step One: Make my position clear. Find ways to eliminate all his doubts. Let him know that Xiao Yun is purely and genuinely courting him.”
Xie Zhe’s mouth twitched slightly.
So this was why Xiao Yun revised that letter over and over again, staying up all night to deliberate over a single word?
Originally, the letter had read: Your handsome, elegant, fabulously wealthy, powerful, and sexually skilled ex-lover, Xiao Yun.
Then Xiao Yun agonized all night over whether to remove “sexually skilled.” He said that not deleting it was because it was a highly competitive advantage others couldn’t match — a subtle reminder to Jiang Huaichu.
But he also considered deleting it because it sounded a bit crude, not in line with Jiang Huaichu’s refined taste.
What Xie Zhe didn’t say was — even the three remaining descriptors still screamed “peacock in full display.”
Reading further…
“Second, my wife is pregnant. His emotions are unstable, prone to anxiety. As his husband, Xiao Yun must repeatedly affirm that he loves him — and that’s why he loves the child. Not the other way around. I must be careful with my words and actions — not too affectionate with the child to the point of neglecting the father, but also not too distant, which could make it seem like I don’t care about the baby.”
“Third, although I am effectively groveling, from my wife’s perspective, he doesn’t want a bootlicker. He’s surrounded by useless sycophants. He wants someone he can be proud of — reliable, capable, someone who can be a lifelong partner. Not some clingy pest. Being a good guy isn’t enough. If I grovel in the wrong way, it’s harassment. So I must grovel strategically — memorably and cleverly. I must show off my strengths — looks, bloodline, status, fortune, skills, special talents. My brother-in-law has standards, so I can’t come across as a low-grade loser. Summary: I can be shameless, but not make my wife and in-laws feel ashamed. I can grovel, but it must look like destiny.”
Xie Zhe: “…”
“Fourth, I must find ways to constantly cheer up my wife and brother-in-law. Pregnancy requires a good mood. Also, I need to mend things with my brother-in-law — prevent him from aborting the baby or beating us apart.”
“Fifth, I must ensure I have a constant presence in my wife’s life. He should think of me first when he’s lonely. He must never forget me.”
“Sixth, I must prove I’m capable — especially in raising kids. I need to outdo any noblewoman who might be considered the ‘ideal wife.’ I must learn how to care for a pregnant spouse, a postpartum one, how to teach children, how to help with delivery — everything. Maximize my competitive edge, become the ideal son-in-law.”
“Seventh…”
Xie Zhe read on, his expression becoming increasingly indescribable. It was… disturbingly thorough, logical, practical — and utterly absurd. The kind of plan that would definitely end in chaos.
Xiao Yun finished writing, read it from top to bottom, and looked pleased. “First step — I need to find a way to see my wife more often.”
Just then, someone called from outside the tent. Xiao Yun’s eyes lit up. “Perfect timing! He actually wrote me back the first day! Breakthrough!”
He allowed the messenger in. As soon as they left, he eagerly opened the letter — took one glance, and his face froze.
To the shameless, morally bankrupt Emperor of Great Ning, who seduces those already engaged:
You wish.
Those three words — “You wish” — were written in red ink, bold and eye-catching.
Signed: Jiang Huaiyi.
