Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 116

I would not be updating the novel here any longer. Please head to Mistmint Haven for continuous updates. See yall there~

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“Chief Steward Cui, I suddenly remembered that there’s an urgent case at the Court of Judicial Review that requires my immediate return. I won’t be accompanying you any further. If you wish to go in, please do so yourself!”

Without waiting for Cui Jiu to respond, the Court of Judicial Review’s judge cupped his hands in farewell, hurried back into his sedan chair, and fled as if wolves and tigers were chasing him.

Cui Jiu silently cursed the old fox. After standing there a moment, he too turned around, got back into his sedan chair, and ordered them to return to the residence.

Inside Prince Yan’s command tent, the lights blazed brightly.

Gongsun Yu, whose injuries were more severe, had been helped away by a deputy general to have his wounds treated. Zhang Ran, still bearing the mark of a whip across his face, stood outside the council hall with the other generals, while Mo Chun stood on the opposite side with a squad of Silver Dragon Cavalry.

The two sides of generals and soldiers stood sharply divided.

“This Prince Xiao looks like he’s come with ill intent,” whispered Meng Hui, another Northern Yan general, to Zhang Ran.

Zhang Ran couldn’t help glancing anxiously toward the council hall.

If it were anyone else, it would be nothing, but it happened to be this Prince Xiao.

Back in their youth, His Highness had possessed a pride that looked down on the world, yet he had suffered many losses at the hands of this same Prince Xiao, who at the time had merely been the impoverished and beleaguered fourth young master of the Xiao clan. Today, however, that man had risen to a position second only to the Emperor. Because of certain old grudges that outsiders did not know of, His Highness had hated Prince Xiao for many years, gnashing his teeth every time the name was spoken. Yet no matter how His Highness provoked him, Prince Xiao had always treated him with cold indifference. For him to suddenly break into His Highness’s command tent tonight, it must surely have something to do with the Xiao clan’s heir, who had been seized by His Highness earlier.

Inside the council hall, Prince Xiao sat with an expression of icy calm, his face as cold as water. Opposite him, Prince Yan lounged lazily on the couch, one leg crossed, holding a cup of hot tea and sipping unhurriedly.

Two full rows of lamps burned brightly, illuminating the hall as if it were daytime.

“Prince Xiao, what a rare guest,” Prince Yan remarked softly, playing with the lid of his teacup. “A few days ago, I went personally to the Ministry of War to look for you. You were far too busy to spare me a word. How is it you suddenly have time today? Or has the Central Secretariat changed hands already?”

Prince Xiao ignored the sarcasm. He lifted his head, face dark, and asked, “Where is Rongrong?”

Prince Yan curled his lips, lifted his eyes, and raised a brow. “Rest assured, Rongrong is doing splendidly here. He eats well, sleeps well, and gets along with me nicely, far better than with you. Besides, you’ve already expelled him from the Xiao clan. He has nothing to do with you anymore. Where he is has nothing to do with you, Prince Xiao.”

Prince Xiao said coldly, “Yan Ju, I don’t have the time to circle words with you. I’m only warning you of one thing: you cannot take him back to Northern Yan.”

Prince Yan lowered his leg, a cold smile sliding into his brows. “Xiao Jingming, since you’ve already guessed my purpose, then you should know I will not back down. Rongrong carries Yan blood. On what grounds do you forbid me from taking him? I was deceived by you for so many years. Did you think I would still believe your lies?”

A flicker of anger rose in Prince Xiao’s phoenix eyes. “You want to take him back to Northern Yan but have you considered his situation? How do you intend to explain his origins?”

Prince Yan chuckled, still speaking slowly. “That is my business. You need not worry. I will tell everyone that Rongrong is indeed my own blood, stolen from the Yan Royal Residence by you, Xiao Jingming, and taken to the capital as leverage to control me. I will let him return in glory as the heir of the Yan family. From this day on, he will have nothing to do with the Xiao clan. I want the world to see how despicable your Xiao clan truly is.”

Prince Xiao’s face turned to frozen frost, anger swelling even further in his eyes. “And you think acting on your own whims is truly what’s best for him?”

Prince Yan snorted coldly. “At least it’s better than being with you. At least I wouldn’t let him suffer grievances, wouldn’t let others bully him, and certainly wouldn’t be so cold-blooded as to expel him from the family! To tell you the truth, Rongrong has already agreed to return to Northern Yan with me. He said he never wants anything to do with the Xiao clan, or with you, Xiao Jingming, for the rest of his life.”

Prince Xiao fell silent for a long moment and then said in an unyielding tone, “I will never agree.”

Prince Yan let out a short laugh. “Whether you agree or not, Xiao Jingming, what difference does it make to what this Prince intends to do?”

Prince Xiao stood up at once and said coolly, “Then go ahead and try.”

Prince Yan slammed his teacup down and stood as well, advancing step by step toward Prince Xiao, murderous fury swelling in his eyes. “Xiao Jingming, do you think I’m asking for your opinion? I listened to your lies back then and left Rongrong in the capital. And how did you repay me? You actually incited him to assassinate me! There is no one more ruthless, more vicious, and more heartless than you, Xiao Jingming!

“You may be heartless toward me, I can accept that, but Rongrong was so young. How could you bear it? Sometimes I truly want to see whether your heart is made of iron and stone!” Prince Yan, teeth clenched, stared at Prince Xiao with bloodshot eyes.

The candle flames flickered soundlessly.

Prince Xiao stared back in silence. After a long moment, he let out a cold laugh, grabbed Prince Yan’s collar, yanked him closer, and drew the knife hanging at Prince Yan’s waist, then thrust it into his hand. “Yan Ju, if you have the guts, then cut open my chest and take a look. If you don’t dare, then don’t think about taking Rongrong a single step out of the capital.”

“You think I wouldn’t dare?!” Prince Yan’s pupils contracted. He snatched the knife into his own hand.

Prince Xiao stared at the blade glinting coldly. “Go on. Stab me. You accuse me of breaking faith but what about you? Of all the promises you made me, have you fulfilled even one? If you hadn’t broken your word again and again, do you think things would have become like this?”

Prince Yan laughed in fury.

“Well, Xiao Jingming, now you’re trying to twist the truth, are you? Rongrong is my own flesh and blood, my only child in this world. But you, for your so-called greater good, refused to let me even see him, erased my existence entirely. Did you ever think about how that felt for me? Do you know how painful it was, every time I passed his old room in the Yan Royal Residence, the places he played in, the boxes of little trinkets he left behind? So many years had passed. He didn’t remember me; that I could accept. But he wanted to kill me! If you hadn’t instigated him behind the scenes, how could it have come to that?!

“The only thing I regret now is not keeping him in Northern Yan back then, instead of letting him return to the capital with you!”

“Stay with you in Northern Yan?” A low, cold laugh escaped Prince Xiao’s throat. “Stay with you in Northern Yan to grow into a brute like you? With the situation in Northern Yan at that time, could you even control it?!”

Prince Yan’s hand shook violently around the knife. He forced out through clenched teeth, “If he had stayed with me in Northern Yan, at least you wouldn’t have had the chance to harm either of us!”

Their eyes locked. A heavy, deathly stillness filled the hall, broken only by a sudden gust that made the candle flames shudder violently.

Prince Xiao slowly released him, shoved Prince Yan away, and turned around, his voice returning to its usual cold indifference. “I did not come here today to argue with you. If you insist on being obstinate, then we’ll settle it by steel and blood. In the capital, it is not your place to decide anything.”

“Fine. Then we’ll fight! Do you think I fear you, Prince Xiao?!” Prince Yan hurled the knife to the floor with a resounding clang.

His voice carried right out of the council hall.

Zhang Ran and the other generals jolted. The tension and invisible killing intent instantly spread between the two sides. The Northern Yan Iron Cavalry and the Silver Dragon Cavalry stood silently on either side all placed their hands on their weapons.

Inside the hall, the two princes still faced each other in a silent standoff.

“Stop arguing.”

A soft voice suddenly drifted in.

It was Rongrong, dressed in a loose robe, walking inside.

Xiao Rong lifted his eyes. His complexion was as pale as snow. Looking at Prince Xiao, standing in the candlelight in his deep violet robe, and at Prince Yan, whose gaze was filled with violence, he pressed his lips together lightly and said, “You don’t need to resent or hate each other any longer. All of this, at the root of it, began because of me. I will give you both an answer.”

Xiao Rong bent down and picked up the knife Prince Yan had thrown to the floor.

“Rongrong!”

Both Prince Xiao and Prince Yan blanched.

“Don’t come closer.” Xiao Rong had already stepped back and swiftly held the blade to his own neck.

“Rongrong, put the knife down!” Prince Xiao barked sharply.

Xiao Rong didn’t move. He only lowered his gaze calmly onto Prince Yan’s face.

All this time, he had never dared to meet this man’s eyes. But now, his heart held no fear and no guilt. “The one you should hate is me. To tell you the truth, since it no longer matters, back when I went to the Northern Yan camp two years ago, I had already found a way to dissolve the Gu. But I hated you and I didn’t want you to escape the Gu’s control so easily. So I let you suffer under it and refused to cure you. My desire to kill you was mine alone; my plan, my intent. It had nothing to do with anyone else.”

Xiao Rong reached into his sleeve and slowly took out a snow-white silkworm-like worm, holding it between his fingers.

“This is the King Gu I cultivated using the most venomous materials in the world. Once I swallow it, it will begin to devour the Gu already inside me. When the mother Gu in my body dies, the child Gu will naturally die with it. The link between the twin Gu will be completely severed. From now on, you will never again suffer torment or control because of me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Rong swallowed the snow-white Gu.

It all happened in an instant.

“Rongrong!”

Prince Xiao’s expression changed dramatically.

Prince Yan’s eyes filled with stunned, agonized disbelief. Forgetting everything else, he lunged forward and snatched the knife from the boy’s hand.

“Spit it out! Hurry, spit it out!” Prince Yan fumbled in panic, shouting in vain. Xiao Rong had already closed his eyes and fallen unconscious. Prince Yan’s gaze burned red as he glared at Prince Xiao. “Xiao Jingming, now that things have come to this, are you finally satisfied?!

“Call the imperial physician immediately!” Holding the boy tightly in his arms, Prince Yan strode out while shouting at the top of his voice.

The generals on both sides were startled. Zhang Ran was the first to react, sprinting off to find the physician.

Prince Xiao stood frozen in place, staring at the long knife lying on the floor. After a moment, he could no longer restrain himself. At the corner of his eye, a single tear slowly slid down.

***

Xiao Rong had another long dream.

This time, he returned to Yongning Temple. He accepted the pastries the guards brought him with a show of indifference, neither warm nor cold, pretending not to care. Generously, he shared them with the young monks in the temple before carrying the box of plum-blossom cakes that were said to have been specially sent by Prince Xiao back to his meditation room.

The day after eating the pastries, on his way back to his room, he overheard the guards talking.

“What are you afraid of? Isn’t that little pawn still in place?”

“His Highness has already slipped the mother Gu of the twin Gu into the pastries. This Gu doesn’t harm the human body, but it has one marvelous use: it determines the life or death of the child Gu. The child Gu is inside Yan Ju. The mother and the child; if one prospers, both prosper; if one dies, both die.”

“Yan Ju’s life is now completely in His Highness’s hands. What can he use to compete with His Highness for military authority over Xiangzhou?”

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Inside the bed curtains, the youth lay quietly, his face pale and peaceful.

Yan Shan stood to the side, anxious.

Prince Yan, eyes bloodshot, stared at the imperial physician. “Well? How is he? Can you force out whatever he swallowed?”

The physician had been taking his pulse for a full quarter of an hour. His forehead was beaded with sweat.

Only then did he withdraw his hand and speak, his tone strange and puzzled. “Could Your Highness be mistaken? Judging by this young master’s symptoms, he merely swallowed something like a sedative that temporarily halts meridian flow. It does not appear to be a deadly poison.”

“You’re certain?” Prince Yan looked at him in disbelief.

“Your Highness may rest assured. Rongrong is not in danger.” Xi Rong, who had been silently standing outside the room, stepped in.

Prince Yan immediately turned toward him. “How do you know?”

Xi Rong said, “I have long noticed that Rongrong has been feeding that dangerous-looking Gu with his own blood. Tonight, at the command tent, I discovered he was even carrying the Gu with him. I was uneasy, so while he was changing clothes, I replaced it with another silkworm that looked almost identical. To prevent him from noticing, I injected a sedative into the silkworm’s body. Your Highness need not worry. The medicine is safe. It will simply keep Rongrong asleep for a while.”

“That’s wonderful!” Prince Yan let out a long breath, overwhelmed with relief. Then he glanced at Xi Rong with an unreadable expression. “You’re quite the schemer.”

Xi Rong still wore his usual humble expression. “Your Highness flatters me.”

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I would not be updating the novel here any longer. Please head to Mistmint Haven for continuous updates. See yall there~