Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 107

Wang Yanshou entered the hall with Wang Hui and Wang Yang, supporting the elderly Matriarch Wang.

The lash mark on Matriarch Wang’s face had been hastily bandaged, but the bloody wound was still visible. Even though her hair had been rearranged for the banquet, it could not hide her disheveled, humiliating state. The sight drew startled looks from many present.

Even Xiao Yuke asked in surprise, “Who would dare to injure Matriarch Wang like this?”

However, Matriarch Wang, so domineering in the past, now avoided all questions. She mumbled a few vague replies and quickly sat down.

“Father,” Wang Hui asked, unable to hold his tongue, “how did Grandmother offend Prince Yan?”

Wang Yanshou shot him a sharp look. “Your grandmother knows whom not to provoke. There’s reason enough for her silence. Don’t speak of it again.”

Yet even though Matriarch Wang refused to say a word, the story of Prince Yan publicly striking her outside the palace gate spread through the hall like wildfire.

Since His Majesty’s ascension, Prince Yan had never set foot in the capital. Most of the officials present had only heard of his name and never seen him in person. When they learned what he had done, they were shocked beyond measure.

Who was Matriarch Wang? Even the Emperor himself gave her some measure of respect, calling her ‘Cousin.’ Now that the Wang clan had allied with the Xiao clan, their standing was higher than ever.

And yet Prince Yan had struck her across the face with a whip; such audacity, such unrestrained arrogance! Most baffling of all, there was no deep enmity between him and the Wang clan.

Those more perceptive soon guessed the truth: the lash that had fallen on Matriarch Wang’s face was, in truth, meant for Prince Xiao.

After all, the two princes had been at odds for years. Everyone in court knew it.

As whispers rippled through the hall, Minister of State Affairs Cui Daohuan entered with Zhang Fu, the Emperor’s chief eunuch, personally escorting Prince Yan.

The lively hall fell silent in an instant.

Prince Yan narrowed his hawk-like eyes and swept a slow gaze around the room, as if searching for something. After a moment, his expression visibly darkened.

Those nearest him, like Cui Daohuan, the Prince of Wei, Cui Cheng, and Cui Xie, along with the gathered officials, quickly realized where his gaze had landed. It was on the young man in purple robes, seated quietly at the very end of the civil officials’ row.

Only Xiao Rong sat as if unaware, calm and still.

“Your Highness Prince Yan?” Cui Daohuan ventured with a smile.

Prince Yan lifted his whip slightly, motioning him to be silent, then, to everyone’s astonishment, strode straight toward the youth.

“Rongrong. So you are called Rongrong, aren’t you?” He stopped before the table, looking down at the boy with a faint smile, as if making casual conversation.

A shadow fell over Xiao Rong’s face. Hidden beneath his sleeve, his hand clenched tightly into a trembling fist.

Mo Dong immediately stood up, alert and tense.

Behind Prince Yan, Jing Xi raised his head as well, his gaze meeting Xiao Rong’s and Mo Dong’s in a silent standoff.

The rest of the hall exchanged uneasy looks.

What was Prince Yan doing?

Could it be that, after whipping Matriarch Wang, he now meant to target the heir of Prince Xiao?

Mo Qing, Zhang He, and the other Silver Dragon Cavalry generals set down their wine cups, their eyes wary and fixed on the tall, imposing figure of the northern prince.

Gongsun Yu finally stepped forward and murmured a reminder, “Your Highness, it is time to take your seat.”

Prince Yan paid him no mind. His gaze remained fixed on the youth behind the table until a high, sharp voice cut through the tension.

“His Majesty arrives!”

The Emperor entered, clad in imperial yellow robes, accompanied by the Crown Prince Xi Rong and the Prince of Jin.

Since entering the palace, Xi Rong had been attending to the Emperor’s illness. Seeing the scene before him, his pupils contracted sharply. He strode forward and came to stand beside Xiao Rong, eyes locked on the man opposite him.

Prince Yan finally shifted his gaze to Xi Rong. His eyes narrowed once more.

An invisible pressure filled the hall, heavy and suffocating.

Jiang Cheng followed close behind Xi Rong, his gaze wary as he too stared at the infamous prince of Northern Yan.

Yet for some reason, Jiang Cheng felt that the look Prince Yan gave His Highness wasn’t merely displeasure or annoyance. It was critical, the way a farmer might frown at an unripe cabbage.

“Who arranged the heir’s seat over there?” The Emperor’s face suddenly darkened and he asked.

The eunuch who had earlier guided Xiao Rong to his seat immediately fell to the floor in terror, begging forgiveness.

“Your Majesty, it was at this humble minister’s own request.” Xiao Rong stood. “I am currently serving in the Chancellery as a civil official. By rank, I should be seated among the civil officers. If Your Majesty forbids me from sitting here, then I can only take my leave from the hall. I would not wish to disturb the proper order or diminish Your Majesty’s dignity.”

The Emperor gave a helpless smile. “Very well, I cannot argue with you. Sit where you will.”

Xiao Rong lowered his gaze and sat back down.

Xi Rong also returned to his seat, his glance sweeping over the hall, and he immediately noticed the bloodied half of Matriarch Wang’s face.

“It was Prince Yan who struck her,” Jiang Cheng whispered.

Xi Rong’s eyes flickered with surprise.

Music began to play softly as palace attendants entered one by one, presenting fine wine to the guests.

The Emperor, seated behind his imperial table, spoke with a genial smile, “It has been more than ten years since We last saw Our kinsman of Yan. You are still as vigorous and commanding as ever, truly enviable.”

Prince Yan’s gaze fell toward the Emperor’s side. “It has been many years indeed,” he replied coolly. “Though it seems His Majesty’s taste has changed quite a bit.”

Ever since the assassination attempt, the Emperor’s health had remained fragile. He was always attended by a favored concubine and today, the one serving at his side happened to be a beauty newly recommended to the palace by Matriarch Wang herself.

Prince Yan’s remark was, without question, insolent.

The civil and military officials exchanged uneasy looks. Even the Emperor could not help but show a trace of embarrassment before forcing a laugh and waving it off. “Ah, Prince Yan always did have a sense of humor!”

Prince Yan then let his gaze drift to an empty seat within the hall. “I’ve long heard that Prince Xiao wields immense power at court. I was curious what kind of man he must be. Tsk. From the looks of it, his airs truly live up to the rumors.”

A cold voice cut through the air, “There’s no need for Prince Yan to trouble himself over what kind of man I am.”

The great doors of the hall swung open. Dressed in deep violet robes, Prince Xiao strode in from outside.

“Your servant is late. I beg Your Majesty’s pardon.” He bowed low.

“Prince Xiao, you’re too formal. Please, take your seat,” said the Emperor with a smile.

The two princes now sat opposite one another and the hall rippled with quiet undercurrents.

The Emperor lifted his cup first, inviting the generals to drink with him.

After a round of wine, Prince Yan suddenly raised his hand and ordered Gongsun Yu, “Have them bring it in.”

Gongsun Yu bowed and obeyed.

Moments later, several armored riders carried a massive iron cage into the hall.

Inside the cage was a tiger.

Unlike ordinary tigers, this one was covered in black stripes from head to tail. Its eyes were as large as bronze bells, gleaming with a ghostly green light, rare and ferocious beyond measure.

The military officers held their composure, but several timid civil officials went pale at the sight of the massive beast pacing within the cage, its predatory gaze fixed on them. Some even shrank back instinctively.

“Prince Yan! What is your intention in bringing such a beast into the palace hall?!” one official rose and shouted angrily.

Prince Yan drawled lazily, “A tiger of this kind is a rarity even in the northern wilds. I offer it to His Majesty as a token of Northern Yan’s loyalty.”

The Emperor forced a smile. “We understand and accept Prince Yan’s devotion. But Our imperial menagerie has never kept such a savage creature. If it’s placed there, I fear the other beasts won’t survive the night.”

“No matter if the menagerie can’t hold it,” Prince Yan replied coolly, narrowing his eyes toward the opposite side of the hall. “Then send it to the Ministry of War. Let Prince Xiao raise it.”

Du Zifang’s expression changed at once; he leapt to his feet in alarm. “Prince Yan jests. The Ministry of War has no animal pens.”

Prince Yan pressed a hand to his forehead, feigning serious thought. “Then what shall we do? Hmm… perhaps send it to Jade Dragon Terrace instead?” He smiled, the corners of his mouth sharp. “The Xiao clan is rich and powerful. Surely they can afford to feed one beast. Don’t you agree, Prince Xiao?” His narrowed eyes glinted again; the gleam of a wolf about to bite.

Du Zifang frowned deeply.

Even a fool could see by now that this entire spectacle was aimed squarely at Prince Xiao.

Cui Daohuan stroked his beard and watched with amusement, clearly enjoying the drama.

The other officials, realizing the same, couldn’t help glancing toward Prince Xiao.

Yet faced with Prince Yan’s blatant provocation, Prince Xiao remained utterly unruffled, sitting calmly as though he hadn’t heard a word, just as he had done in every previous confrontation.

“Yan Ju! You go too far!” another voice rang out sharply.

The speaker was Xiao Jingcheng, who had only recently taken his seat.

Now serving as a Vice Minister in the Ministry of Works, Xiao Jingcheng ordinarily had no right to attend a banquet of this rank. But tonight’s feast was in honor of the military generals and his son Xiao Yulin, personally appointed by Prince Xiao to oversee the martial arts tournament, was the man of the hour.

Although Prince Xiao had not yet officially dismissed the current heir, both outsiders and members of the Xiao clan privately acknowledged that the next heir was almost certainly the eldest son of the third branch, Xiao Yulin, long favored by Prince Xiao.

In Xiao Jingcheng’s view, his son might lack an esteemed master like Qi Ru, but in conduct and character, he was far superior to that brat Xiao Rong and far more worthy of the Xiao heirship. Although Prince Xiao hadn’t yet made the formal announcement, Xiao Jingcheng already considered himself the father of the future heir.

Even the proud and difficult Matriarch Wang had recently taken the initiative to befriend the third branch and invite him to banquets. Could there be any clearer sign of approval?

So now, when Yan Ju dared to openly provoke Prince Xiao and, by extension, the entire Xiao clan, this was no time to stay silent. Under normal circumstances, Xiao Jingcheng might have held his tongue. But with his son poised to become the next heir, he had to show some spirit to remind everyone that the future heir’s father was no mere ornament.

When he finished his bold declaration, Prince Yan slowly lifted his eyes and gave him a sidelong glance. “Oh? And who might this be? Ah, the coward from the Xiao clan’s third branch.” Prince Yan clicked his tongue. “Xiao Jingcheng, so we meet again. Tell me, are you still the same man who pissed himself the last time he saw me?”

“!!!”

Xiao Jingcheng’s face flushed hot. He hadn’t expected Yan Ju to expose such an ugly incident in public. His color went red, then white, then red again.

“Yan Ju!” Xiao Yuke sprang to his feet in fury at his father’s humiliation.

Prince Yan behaved as if he’d heard nothing at all, not even glancing in his direction; his stare fixed only on Prince Xiao.

Not a single one of the Northern Yan generals looked his way either.

To be so blatantly ignored, that in itself was a greater humiliation than any insult.

Xiao Yuke’s face burned with shame.

“Why are you still standing there?” Prince Yan gave Gongsun Yu a sidelong look. “Have that beast taken to Xiao Royal Residence at once.”

Gongsun Yu couldn’t help but glance at his lord. Seeing Prince Yan’s expression was not a bluff and with Prince Xiao still showing no reaction, he reluctantly gave the order.

At that moment, a voice rang out.

“Jade Dragon Terrace is not a dumping ground, nor is it a place where anything filthy may be kept. Yan Ju, take your cursed beast away. If it rampages, I will make sure it dies without a grave.”

The clear, cold voice echoed through the hall.

All heads turned. Near the doorway, in the dim candlelight, a youth stood in a pale purple robe, tall and singular in bearing, unrivaled in looks. His eyes were ice-cold as they were fixed on Prince Yan.

Prince Yan lifted his gaze and studied the youth with narrowed eyes for a long moment, then suddenly curved his lips into a slow smile. “So you refuse. If you won’t agree, I’ll have them carry the beast away anyway. Why put on such a fuss?”

His tone was like coaxing a child. The assembled crowd exchanged bewildered looks. No one could tell whether he truly intended to withdraw his earlier demand or simply toy with them.

Xiao Rong clenched his fist hard, then tugged his lips into a line and stepped out from behind the table. “Yan Ju, you were wantonly insolent in the court just now, defying royal authority. Do you really think that if you do not take back this beast, it will be permitted to leave this hall alive?”

“Xiao Rong!”

Another voice rang angrily; it was Jing Xi.

“How dare you speak disrespectfully to Godfather?!”

Prince Yan raised a hand. Jing Xi immediately sat obediently back down on his knees.

Prince Yan lifted his wine cup and, unhurried, looked the youth over. “Well? Do you think you have the ability to kill this beast yourself?”

Xiao Rong did not look at him. He replied coldly, “Killing a vicious animal is something anyone in this hall could do. It’s hardly a matter of ability.”

The Northern Yan generals frowned at that remark; even if the young master was Prince Xiao’s only son, he seemed unbearably arrogant.

The officials’ surprise was greater still. A tiger of that size would require several skilled warriors to overpower. The people seated here were not only officers of arms but many civil officials as well. How could they possibly expect to kill such a beast?

“The heir’s tone is rather presumptuous, isn’t it?” A vigorous general of about forty, seated beside Gongsun Yu, spoke up. “This is the green-eyed tiger, known as the Beast King of the Northlands. Its hide may not be impervious to blades and spears, yet it carries the might to command the mountains. Ordinary beasts all bow before it. Even caged, few weapons can pierce its skin. Yet the Young Prince claims that anyone in this hall could kill it; what a wild fantasy.”

This general was named Zhang Ran, second in seniority only to Gongsun Yu and Qin Zhong within the Northern Yan army. He was a master of the spear, ranked among the Five Tiger Generals.

When Zhang Ran finished, he ordered the soldiers nearby, “Show the Young Prince what our Beast King of the Northlands can do.”

Two Northern Yan soldiers drew their swords and thrust them toward the cage.

The tiger within lay motionless at first but the moment the blades pierced through the bars, it suddenly sprang up, jaws gaping wide, and bit both iron swords cleanly in half.

It was easy to imagine what would have happened if the blades had been human arms or throats.

The officials in the hall all turned pale.

Zhang Ran smiled and stroked his beard. “Any who wish to test their skill are welcome to step forward.”

The civil officials shrank back at once, even shifting subtly farther away, but some bold generals, driven by curiosity and pride, stood to try their luck. Some faced the beast head-on, others tried to circle around for a sneak attack, some joined forces to surround it, but without exception, the moment a blade entered the cage, it was shattered or bitten clean through. A few who managed to touch the beast’s hide felt as though they had struck solid iron.

Such a tiger, even within a cage, held terrifying power. Were it freed, everyone in the hall might end up as its next meal.

After one general nearly had his arm bitten off, no one dared step forward again.

Zhang Ran turned toward the still-standing Xiao Rong. “Best take back your words, Young Prince. Young men are hot-blooded; boasting a little is no great crime.”

Xiao Rong’s expression did not change. He looked toward the cage with cold disdain. “A mere tiger fit for the executioner’s block. Why would one need a blade or a spear to kill it?”

Zhang Ran laughed and shook his head. “The Young Prince does know how to jest.”

Xiao Rong beckoned to a nearby wine-serving attendant, drew something from his sleeve, and placed it in the servant’s hand, whispering a few words.

However, the servant’s legs gave out before he even reached the cage. He glanced up, met the tiger’s eerie green eyes, and fell to his knees with a thud. “Mercy, Young Prince! I truly dare not!”

“I will go.”

The voice came from Xi Rong, who now stepped forward with his sword, took the object from the trembling servant, and asked calmly, “Tell me what must be done, Young Prince.”

Xiao Rong leaned in and spoke a few quiet words. Xi Rong nodded, asked no more, and strode to the cage. Under the beast’s fierce, watchful gaze, he opened a small iron box in his palm, lifted something out with the tip of his sword, and flicked it into the cage.

All anyone saw was a flash of gold, something small like an insect, that vanished into the tiger’s body in a streak of light.

In the next instant, the beast convulsed as if struck by lightning. Its body shuddered violently and it began ramming its head against the bars with thunderous force, its green eyes blazing with rage. Then, jaws wide, it bit down on the iron cage again and again. Officials near the front recoiled in terror.

However, suddenly, the mighty creature collapsed with a heavy crash. Its massive form falling still, leaving only faint, ragged breaths.

The hall fell deathly silent.

Every official, civil and military alike, stared in disbelief.

Even Zhang Ran shot to his feet in astonishment.

After all, this Beast King was one he himself had captured under his lord’s orders; an effort that had taken over half a month and countless soldiers. None knew its ferocity better than he did.

And yet this Young Prince of Prince Xiao had subdued such a beast with nothing more than some strange little creature. How could anyone not be shocked?

Xiao Rong gave a cold, contemptuous smile. “So this famed Beast King of the Northlands is not much to speak of after all.”

Jing Xi trembled with fury but dared not speak, only glaring at Xiao Rong with clenched fists.

“Rongrong, what on earth just happened?” the Emperor asked in puzzlement.

Xiao Rong lowered his sleeves and bowed. “Your Majesty, this subject merely used something called Money-Grubbing. I apologize for making a fool of myself before Your Majesty.”

“Money-Grubbing?” The Emperor grew even more confused. “What sort of strange thing is that?”

Seated among the guests, Song Yang and Jiang Cheng both thought at the same time, ‘Why does that name sound so familiar?’

Xi Rong replied on Xiao Rong’s behalf, “To answer Imperial Father, just now I asked the Young Prince about it. Money-Grubbing is a rare insect the Young Prince purchased at great cost.”

The truth of using Gu was far too shocking, so Xi Rong tactfully softened the explanation.

“I see,” said the Emperor, a look of sudden understanding dawning on his face. Then he chuckled and shook his head. “Rongrong, you’re far too mischievous. What a name to give such a strange creature.”

Xiao Rong said calmly, “I am but a vulgar man, Your Majesty, and only know how to give vulgar names. A petty trick, nothing more. Please forgive the jest.”

The Emperor smiled and turned to Prince Yan. “Prince Yan, it seems today, you’ve met your match.”

Prince Yan swirled the wine in his cup and, for once, said nothing, only waving his hand.

At once, the Northern cavalrymen carried away the iron cage along with the barely breathing tiger inside.

Xiao Rong and Xi Rong both returned to their seats.

Cui Daohuan’s gaze fell upon Prince Xiao, who had not spoken a single word since entering the hall. “Prince Xiao, with so many generals gathered today, this is a rare event indeed. Yet the Silver Dragon Cavalry seems to be hiding their skill a bit too well.”

Cui Daohuan’s remark clearly referred to how, when the other generals had fought the tiger earlier, none of the Silver Dragon Cavalry had taken the field.

Prince Xiao smiled faintly. “Prince Yan has come from afar and is our honored guest. I have long dwelled in the capital. How could I steal the guest’s spotlight?” He turned slightly. “Mo Qing, since the Minister of State Affairs believes I’ve shown poor manners, you may offer a toast to the generals of the Northern Army on my behalf.”