Ning Chen stared at the woman emperor, stunned. Then his face went stern. "Honestly, woman. You've got a perfectly good throne and you won't sit on it. You're waving swords and spears around every day... and now you want to go on campaign with me? Why don't you just fly up to heaven while you're at it?"

The woman emperor's face went stern too. "How dare you! You dare lecture this emperor?"

"Oh ho... Getting a temper now, are we? Yes, I'm lecturing you. What are you going to do about it?"

As he spoke, Ning Chen poked the woman emperor in the forehead with his finger.

The woman emperor gritted her teeth and drove a fist at Ning Chen's stomach.

Ning Chen hopped back, and she missed. He chuckled, looking smug. "Missed... I was ready for you."

Suddenly the woman emperor cried out, "Ow!" and clutched her stomach, her face twisted in pain.

Ning Chen paused, then curled his lip. "Quit faking. I'm not coming over there. If you think you can trick me, you've got a lot to learn."

The woman emperor held her stomach, her voice pained. "This emperor is with child. The medicine you smelled was the pregnancy tonic this emperor just drank."

Ning Chen jumped. Before he could think, the words were out: "You're pregnant? Whose is it?"

Ning Chen's question worked like a miracle cure. All at once the woman emperor's stomach stopped hurting. Full of vigor again, she lunged at Ning Chen in one stride and slammed her fist into his stomach.

Ning Chen yelped, clutched his stomach and staggered back, his face twisted in pain.

The woman emperor glared at him coldly, her eyes practically spitting fire. "What do you care whose it is? It isn't yours, anyway.

This emperor is the ruler of a state. How hard could finding a man be?"

Ning Chen frowned, but something suddenly felt off.

He knew the woman emperor. She was a very proud woman, and hardly any man caught her eye. Otherwise she would never have drugged him and stolen his seed!

Ning Chen…