The General Was Pregnant with the Emperor's Child - Chapter 2

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ye Wuyou mentally slapped himself several times.

Had the medicine made him go crazy? It must have!

Xiao Yunan took the peony from Ye Wuyou’s hand and narrowed his eyes. Ye Wuyou, already feeling guilty and not daring to look up, buried his head even lower.

“A beauty for a peon speaking of which, there are indeed countless beauties at the General’s gate,” Xiao Yunan chuckled softly. He brushed the petals of the peony with his thumb before stepping closer and placing a hand on Ye Wuyou’s shoulder. “Has the General taken a liking to any particular lady or young master?”

Here it comes! It really was about this!

Ye Wuyou’s shoulder stiffened. The spot where Xiao Yunan’s hand rested felt scorched by the faint scent of green bamboo in the air.

He took back his earlier boast to Yang Nin an Alpha’s pheromones were truly terrifying.

It wasn’t that Ye Wuyou feared his Omega identity being exposed; with the northern barbarians still a threat, Xiao Yunan wouldn’t kill him. He wasn’t even afraid of the crime of deceiving the Emperor. What he feared was that once exposed, he might just give up on self-restraint and “handle” the Emperor right then and there to satisfy his cravings. He had suppressed his Heat for years, and the military doctor had scolded him countless times. Lately, he could feel that the upcoming cycle would be violent; a single bowl of medicine could only hold it back for half a day.

As the bamboo scent filled his nose, Ye Wuyou suddenly looked up. He hadn’t intended to stare directly at Xiao Yunan, but as his eyes met the Emperor’s smiling ones, he was struck by the sight. The Emperor’s eyes were like those of a white fox atop a snowy mountain. Once again, Ye Wuyou’s mouth spoke before his brain could stop it.

“I don’t want any other beauties. None of them are as pretty as Your Majesty.”

Standing nearby, Eunuch Gao felt cold sweat dripping down his neck. This, his Young General Ye! How is he still talking such nonsense!

“How bold.” A gust of wind from a palm-strike brushed past his face. Ye Wuyou closed his eyes, but the hand scented with green bamboo merely retreated behind Xiao Yunan’s back.

“Your Majesty, you know I didn’t mean it that way” Ye Wuyou lowered his head and muttered softly, “I haven’t even been able to go home for several days.”

It sounded like a complaint that the Emperor was ignoring the General’s well-being. Xiao Yunan arched an eyebrow. “You, you use me as an excuse because you don’t like anyone else. Fine, I will block them for you.”

“Is it easy to block?” Ye Wuyou felt a bit embarrassed asking the Emperor to ward off his unwanted suitors.

Xiao Yunan toyed with the peony and smiled. “It’s not hard. I can simply grant you a marriage.”

Ye Wuyou was shocked, yet an involuntary flicker of expectation rose in his heart.

Xiao Yunan: “How about Yang Nin?”

Ye Wuyou’s expression immediately became worse than if he had eaten bitter melon. A “Thank you, Your Majesty” was strangled in his throat. “That’s not a good idea! He is far inferior to Your Majesty!”

Xiao Yunan choked for a moment, though his brow relaxed slightly. “Do you want me, then?” he asked with great interest, looking Ye Wuyou up and down.

“How would I DARE?!”

Ye Wuyou moved to kneel in apology, but Xiao Yunan was quick to catch him. He wasn’t trying to punish the man; if the General kept kneeling and injured his knees, who would guard the North?

The Alpha pheromones filling the study hit Ye Wuyou’s face again. He stared blankly at Xiao Yunan. The Emperor wore a black robe embroidered with golden dragons, cinched at the waist by a golden silk belt that perfectly accentuated his figure. If Ye Wuyou hadn’t taken his suppressants before entering the palace, he wouldn’t just be dizzy, he would have tackled the Emperor by now.

No, I can’t lose my head yet. He forced his gaze away.

Alphas were born for war, but they were slaves to their “Ruts.” Unless they had iron will, a single Omega in Heat could shatter their sanity. Omegas were the same; without medicine, they could barely walk during their cycles. Because of this, most soldiers on the front lines were Betas.

Ye Wuyou had tried to find an Alpha in the army, but his standards had been set too high by Xiao Yunan. Most of the martial officers he met were either crude and ugly or looked like they had hidden ailments. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. His return to the capital was partly to find a “lucky” little Alpha beauty to resolve his Heat.

The capital’s “water and soil” were much better than the North’s; it produced much finer-looking people.

“What is there to dare?” Xiao Yunan tossed a report at him. “I’ll find a way to block the suitors in these scrolls. Now, go home and stay there! Stop soaking yourself in other people’s estates!”

Ye Wuyou caught the scroll with a grin.

Xiao Yunan snapped, “You can still laugh? There are rumors that General Ye has ‘broken sleeves’ that you are keeping a Beta, favoring subordinates, and violating military discipline!”

“Since when does the capital care about who likes men?” Ye Wuyou’s head ached at the list of accusations. He opened the scroll and his face darkened.

He had only visited Yang Nin’s house a few times! How did people spin it into a tale of military debauchery? The writing was so vivid it almost described what they did in bed!

“Your Majesty! What is this rubbish?! These people are filthy-minded!” Ye Wuyou roared in anger.

Xiao Yunan was stunned by the outburst.

“Your Majesty, please appease your anger!” Eunuch Gao fell to his knees in terror. The General was being far too disrespectful.

Xiao Yunan rubbed the peony in his hand. “Do you have nothing to explain?” He wanted to hear a simple defense.

“Explain what? I didn’t do it!” Ye Wuyou crumpled the scroll into a ball in his fist.

Xiao Yunan frowned with regret.

“Does Your Majesty not believe me? Or are you looking for an excuse to take my Tiger Tally and trap me in the General’s Manor?!” Ye Wuyou panicked. He glared at Xiao Yunan, his red official robes making his pale face look even more distressed.

He hadn’t even held the Tiger Tally long enough for it to get warm!

“If Your Majesty wants my military power, why use such an ugly excuse?” Ye Wuyou’s tragic expression made Xiao Yunan feel like a heartless cad. Ye Wuyou pulled the Tiger Tally from his chest and shoved it into Xiao Yunan’s hand. “If you ask, I’ll return it.”

“I… I don’t think that’s what I meant,” Xiao Yunan said hesitantly, pushing the tally back.

Ye Wuyou continued to glare, his face scrunched up. Yes, you did. No, I didn’t. Yes!

Unable to win a staring contest with a rogue, Xiao Yunan looked away and took Ye Wuyou’s hand.

Ye Wuyou yelled at the top of his lungs, “Your Majesty! I am a man-lover and a seeker of beauty! This is bad for your reputation! If I stay here a moment longer and my collar gets a bit messy, the court historians will claim I am a ‘favored official’!”

Xiao Yunan rubbed his temples. “…” With you yelling so loud, I’m sure my reputation is just fine.

“Ye Mian, I didn’t know you feared such things,” Xiao Yunan gripped the General’s wrist, his callouses from sword practice scratching against the skin. “If mere flattery could produce a commander like you who secures the North, then I would gladly offer my own bed every night for a bit of peace! Why would I go to all this trouble?”

“I’m not good at that,” Ye Wuyou’s eyes lit up, “but if Your Majesty needs it, I can try ‘seducing’ you.” He looked toward the map of the North as if making a great sacrifice.

Xiao Yunan imagined Ye Wuyou pinching his voice and swaying his hips. Horrified, he slapped a large hand over Ye Wuyou’s face. “Stop fooling around.”

Ye Wuyou nodded obediently, glancing at Eunuch Gao. The Emperor is terrifying. Eunuch Gao, who had been in a state of constant heart-stopping fear, exchanged a look of understanding. General, you’re terrifying me too!

“You grew up with me; you understand me,” Xiao Yunan explained, his voice deep as he led Ye Wuyou to the map. “You are my deepest, sharpest blade. The capital is not like the army. I was afraid you would be led by the nose by these scholars.” He took Ye Wuyou’s hand and pressed it onto a red circle over the barbarian territory. “I only have you, Ye Mian.”

Ye Wuyou stared at the red circle, his eyes burning with resolve.

Eunuch Gao, still on the floor, hid a smile behind his sleeve. Ah, that’s more like it!

Eunuch Gao escorted Ye Wuyou out of the palace, lecturing him the whole way about how well the Emperor treated him.

Ye Wuyou was in a daze until he reached his manor. He hopped over the wall. “Yi An, I’m back!”

Instead of his butler, he found the wooden-faced Yang Nin. “What are you doing here?!” Ye Wuyou asked, remembering the rumors.

“The Emperor ordered you to return to the North immediately,” Yang Nin said with a long face. He had just lost his vacation.

“What? I just saw him; he didn’t say anything,” Ye Wuyou scratched his head.

“The secret decree arrived right after you left. It was sent to my house.”

See? Everyone knew where Ye Wuyou was hiding. “Why was it sent to your house?” Ye Wuyou asked, indignant.

Yang Nin closed his eyes, mourning his peonies. “…What do you think?”

Ye Wuyou frowned. “The deadline?”

“If you don’t use the medicine, your Heat will explode in two days. An Alpha with high compatibility could trigger it instantly. Resign now and blur the travel dates,” Yang Nin said bluntly.

Three days later, the Peony Festival.

Ye Wuyou and Yang Nin had “officially” left for the North the night before. In reality, they were wearing realistic “human-skin” masks, blending into the festive crowds.

Ye Wuyou was worried. “So many people, where do I kidnap one?” He hadn’t taken his medicine that morning, and his pheromones were making Alphas on the street turn their heads.

“There’s a woodpile in the backyard,” Yang Nin suggested casually.

“Beauties are delicate! I can’t put them there,” Ye Wuyou, the kidnapper, complained.

“You’re actually going to do it?” Yang Nin realized his friend was serious.

“Of course! Or what happens to my Heat?” Ye Wuyou spotted a luxury brothel in the distance. He could grab a beauty and jump through the window.

“Ye Mian, remember to hit their pressure points to keep them quiet,” Yang Nin nagged, more nervous than the kidnapper.

After a morning of searching, Ye Wuyou spotted a familiar figure at the end of the street. His lustful intent spiked.

He turned back to Yang Nin. “Wait here, I’m going to get you some nice flowers!” He ran off before Yang Nin could stop him.

Moments later, he shoved several pots of prime peonies into Yang Nin’s arms. “Thanks to your flowers, I found a real beauty! You go back first; I’ll find you when I’m done.”

Yang Nin held the flowers, hesitating. “How many days will you be?”

Ye Wuyou was shocked. “Days?!”

Yang Nin: “Go!”