Ning Chen's eyes narrowed to slits. "Hold on. What did you mean by that last line?"

"What do you mean, the Xuan Emperor has seen through your intentions?"

The woman emperor looked at him. "Is it so hard to follow? That wet nurse did not take proper care of my son, so this emperor handed her over to the Great Xuan's covert agents."

"And as for your Great Xuan's Sixth Prince knowing about us — this emperor sent someone to tell him."

Ning Chen's eyes went wide. "You... you... it really was you!"

The woman emperor said calmly, "It was this emperor. And what will you do about it? Kill this emperor?"

Ning Chen: "......"

"Holy shit... you crazy woman, aren't you afraid the Xuan Emperor will take a blade to me — snick — and that's that?"

The woman emperor said haughtily, "Given what lies between you and the Great Xuan's emperor, he will not kill you... At worst he will give in to pressure from the court, civil and military, and strip you of your offices."

As she spoke, the woman emperor put out a hand and tipped Ning Chen's chin up. "You have served the Great Xuan long enough. It is about time you came to the Wu Kingdom and served this emperor, don't you think?"

"The Tuoluo Kingdom raids our Wu Kingdom's border again and again. The compound bow has made the border army stronger, but the Tuoluo Kingdom's cavalry moves too fast. It gives this emperor a headache."

"This emperor has a child to look after now. Ning, dear wouldn't want this emperor taking the field in person again, would he?"

One "Ning, dear," and Ning Chen's bones went soft... So this woman could play the coquette after all.

Ning Chen frowned. "The Wu Kingdom ought to be resting and recovering right now. If you pull a stunt like this, won't the trade between us fall through?"

The woman emperor reached out and poked Ning Chen in the forehead. "Ning, dear thinks far too much of himself... This will not affect the trade between our…