Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 17

The bridal sedan, accompanied by music, made its slow descent down the mountain.

Inside the sedan, Gu Rong once again lifted the bridal veil, still puzzled and surprised. “Brother, you really didn’t need to come all the way with me. Your injury hasn’t fully healed and this bumpy ride isn’t good for your recovery.”

Xi Rong looked at him, his cold eyes pale and unreadable. “I had nothing else to do. Might as well enjoy the bustle.”

Gu Rong was used to messing around, but he did have a conscience now and then. He couldn’t help but solemnly remind, “This isn’t exactly something to be proud of. Brother, if you follow me like this, you’ll probably end up the subject of gossip.”

“Is that so?” Xi Rong’s expression didn’t shift in the slightest. “Then I’d like to hear exactly how they’ll gossip about me. How many times have you gotten married now?”

The topic changed far too abruptly.

Gu Rong: “……”

He coughed twice and casually brushed it off. “Not that many.”

“Not that many,” Xi Rong repeated flatly. “So, quite a few, then. Is getting married fun?”

Having someone to chat with in the sedan was actually kind of nice. Gu Rong grinned without a care. “You get to ride in a fancy sedan, wear new clothes, and make a ton of money, what’s not fun about it? Brother, you’ve probably already married, haven’t you?”

Xi Rong’s gaze paused for a moment before he asked back, “Why do you think that?”

Gu Rong shifted position, folded his arms, and leaned against the wall of the sedan, smiling. “Brother, you’re handsome, already past twenty, your family is well-off, and you’re good at both scholarly and domestic affairs. Normally, someone like that would be very popular. Matchmakers would be lining up at your door. How could you not be married?”

Xi Rong said, “I hate to disappoint, but I’m not.”

“Huh? Why not?”

Xi Rong remained calm. “I have no interest in marriage. To be precise, for me, marriage would always be a matter of interests and exchanges. I don’t like being controlled by others. The best solution is to avoid marriage entirely.”

Gu Rong nodded. “That actually makes some sense. But brother, to live in this world, you can’t be too clear-minded. As the saying goes, ‘Too clear a stream has no fish.’ If you keep this up, you might live a lonely bachelor’s life forever.”

Xi Rong chuckled, the meaning unclear.

Gu Rong asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

“You didn’t.” The eyes beneath the mask suddenly deepened. “But by being muddle-headed, do you mean like you, treating marriage like a game? Do you plan to marry properly one day?”

Gu Rong smiled carelessly. “That’s different. I’m not like you. I’m all alone, have no ties, and am half a wandering hermit. I’ll probably spend the rest of my life in the mountains, living freely. Marriage would just be a burden. I can’t expect someone to be a widow in all but name, can I?”

Xi Rong raised a brow. “You’ve even thought about that?”

“Thought about what?”

“About someone becoming a living widow.”

“……”

Gu Rong strategically rubbed the corner of his eye. “It was just a figure of speech. I’m a penniless nobody. No one would be willing to become a living widow for my sake.”

Xi Rong lowered his gaze, listening quietly, then suddenly said, “Don’t move.”

“Hm?”

“There’s something there.”

Before Gu Rong could react, a long, slender hand had cupped his chin, lifting his entire face, and a fingertip lightly brushed the corner of his eye. Because of years of martial arts training, a thin layer of callus had formed on that finger, making it feel slightly ticklish to Gu Rong.

“All done. In the future, when you go out, don’t smear random things around your eyes,” withdrawing his hand, the other man said casually.

***

Naturally, a ghost marriage required no actual wedding ceremony. Even the bridal sedan entered through the back door, since the front was crowded with guests coming to pay respects to the dead.

Funeral at the front, wedding at the back; truly a bizarre scene.

The Liu family’s steward was already waiting by the back gate. When the bridal sedan finally arrived, he immediately complained to Matchmaker Zhao, “Several groups of guests have already arrived. Why are you only just getting here?”

Matchmaker Zhao, panting, replied, “The road was long and we hurried all the way. I’ve been watching the time closely, we haven’t missed the auspicious hour!”

The steward’s expression finally eased a little. “The master and madam are waiting. Hurry and get out of the sedan. Follow me to the mourning hall. That young gentleman—”

He had only just spoken when a figure in black stepped out of the sedan. The man was tall and imposing, a wooden mask covering his face, and his every movement seemed to carry a chill.

The steward’s expression changed slightly. “And this is?”

Matchmaker Zhao answered, “That young gentleman’s elder brother. He came to escort the bride.”

The steward was stunned.

It was probably his first time seeing someone actually show up in person to escort a bride for a ghost marriage. But he didn’t make a fuss and turned to a servant, instructing, “Take this guest to the front hall for a meal.”

In the steward’s mind, someone showing up for a ghost marriage was most likely there to mooch a meal. The Liu family certainly had enough food to spare. Still, it was hard to imagine how poor someone had to be for this.

The servant obeyed, walked up to Xi Rong, and said, “Sir, this way please.”

Xi Rong paid him no mind. Instead, he turned, lifted the sedan curtain, and extended a hand inside. “Come out.”

The ride had been so bumpy Gu Rong had nearly fallen asleep. Hearing this, he yawned and obediently took Xi Rong’s hand to step out of the sedan.

Xi Rong asked the steward, “Where to next?”

The steward had no choice but to say, “Then… let’s go to the mourning hall together.”

The mourning hall was set up in the main courtyard. Servants in mourning clothes ushered guests in and out. Faint sounds of weeping could be heard from within.

As soon as Gu Rong entered, he drew countless stares.

The Mayor, Liu Xin, was a rotund man. He now sat in white mourning robes beside Madam Liu in the seat of honor. Two other sons stood by their side.

In the center of the mourning hall was a coffin.

Madam Liu’s eyes were red and swollen from crying, and tears still clung to her lashes. When she saw Gu Rong enter in his wedding robes, something seemed to stir within her, and fresh tears streamed down her face.

The steward brought over a spirit tablet, stood across from Gu Rong, and said, “Please perform a simple ritual with our late Eldest Young Master.”

Gu Rong, well-practiced in such things, was just about to make a show of bowing when a long, jointed hand suddenly reached from the side and snatched the spirit tablet from the steward.

“I’ll do it,” Xi Rong said.

The steward: ?

The Liu family: ?

The steward was momentarily dumbfounded. “This…”

Xi Rong asked, “What? Is there a problem?”

The steward couldn’t answer. He had never encountered anything like this before, and could only turn to look at the master and madam for direction.

Madam Liu was too grief-stricken to speak. Liu Xin’s gaze lingered briefly on Xi Rong before he asked, “And this is?”

The steward replied, “Master, this is the young gentleman’s elder brother. He came to escort the bride.”

“Oh.” A faint look of disdain flickered in Liu Xin’s eyes. He quickly turned his gaze away and said, “If that’s the case, let him handle the rites.”

Xi Rong glanced at the steward.

The steward suddenly felt a chill sweep over him and instinctively stepped aside.

He thought to himself that he was the strangest bride’s brother he had ever seen.

He must be desperate for reward money that he even snatched the spirit tablet to hold it himself. He dressed all proper, looking decent too; others really couldn’t see that coming.

Under the watchful eyes of the Liu family, Xi Rong lifted the spirit tablet with one hand and stepped to stand opposite Gu Rong.

The steward called out loudly beside them, “Bow~”

Once the ritual was completed, Liu Xin led the overly grief-stricken Madam Liu away. The two remaining young masters of the Liu family also left to entertain the guests. Gu Rong only needed to kneel before the coffin with the spirit tablet to keep vigil. He had just sat down and, while no one was looking, snuck in a stretch when he sensed a shadow looming over him.

Looking up, he met Xi Rong’s cold and handsome face.

Gu Rong said, “Brother, you should go back. No need to stay with me.”

Xi Rong asked, “How long?”

Gu Rong understood what he meant and replied, “The vigil is tonight and the burial’s tomorrow. It won’t take long.”

Xi Rong was examining the layout of the mourning hall. Upon hearing that, he frowned. “You’ll be staying here for a full day and night?”

Gu Rong grinned slyly. “You think I’m that dumb? I’ll sleep once everyone’s gone at night.”

“Sleep here?”

“Yeah.”

Gu Rong expected him to object, but Xi Rong only said, “Alright. I’ll stay with you.” Then he simply sat cross-legged to one side.

Gu Rong watched him for a while, then asked, puzzled, “Brother, why are you doing this?”

“What?”

“I mean, there’s really no need for you to accompany me in such a ridiculous thing.”

“So you do know it’s ridiculous?”

“……”

“I’ve said before, you saved my life. This is just me repaying a fraction of that,” Xi Rong said.

Gu Rong suddenly smiled.

This time, it was Xi Rong who asked. “What are you smiling at?”

Xi Rong was tall enough to block the servants’ line of sight, so Gu Rong lazily leaned back against the coffin and said, “I was thinking, if someone had you as their older brother, they’d be really lucky. If only you were my actual brother.”

Xi Rong paused, then turned his head and asked, “You really think that?”

“Yeah.”

Xi Rong said nothing, but suddenly reached over, grabbed the back of Gu Rong’s wedding robe collar, and lifted him up. “Don’t lean there.”

“Huh?”

“It’s unlucky.”

“……”

As dusk settled, a residence’s servant came rushing in, calling out, “Where’s the master?”

The steward came at once, scolding, “What are you shouting about? The master is with the madam. What is it?”

The servant said, “Steward Liu, Lord Yan Hemei has arrived and with him is a noble emissary from the Cui clan.”

“What?!” The steward’s expression changed immediately.

He and the servant quickly hurried out together.

The mourning hall was thrown into chaos in an instant, like the arrival of a great threat. Clearly, it was the Cui clan’s emissary who truly carried weight.

Jiang Cheng had already infiltrated the Liu residence, silently following all the way. He had been keeping watch outside the mourning hall and now, seeing his chance, he quickly slipped inside and strode straight to Xi Rong’s side.

Xi Rong was seated with his eyes closed, regulating his breath.

“Master,” Jiang Cheng greeted respectfully and then immediately froze.

Because he saw the young gentleman in the bright red wedding robe leaning bonelessly against His Highness’s shoulder, his eyes half-lidded, long lashes distinct and still, so relaxed he looked like he had fallen asleep. The jet-black hair that had originally spilled across the wedding robe now rested on His Highness’s wide, dark sleeve.

Taking advantage of His Highness’s tall frame to shield him from view, taking advantage of the Liu family’s absence and all the servants being blind.

Jiang Cheng: “…”

Jiang Cheng once again felt the darkness creeping into his vision.

His Highness held such a noble status, yet he had lowered himself to remain there, keeping vigil for the son of a lowly town mayor. What kind of disgraceful conduct was this?!

“Master, this place is dangerous. You must not stay here any longer,” Jiang Cheng whispered anxiously.

Xi Rong opened his eyes and asked coolly, “Who is it?”

“Cui Jiu, chief steward of the Cui clan,” Jiang Cheng replied, even more troubled.

Not because he feared the Cui clan’s men, but because the emissary sent by the Cui clan to Songzhou this time, Cui Jiu, was a close confidant of Minister of State Cui Daohuan, one who had long operated among the elite of the capital. His eyes were sharp and discerning, and he knew His Highness’s identity.

“Hm?”

The chaos in the mourning hall had finally woken Gu Rong. He looked at the servants bustling in and out and asked curiously, “What’s going on?”

“Did it disturb you?” Xi Rong turned his head, the frost in his gaze melting away, and replied gently, “It’s nothing, just a very important guest about to ‘grace us with his presence.’”

Gu Rong sat up cross-legged, his expression intrigued. “What kind of important guest, with such a commotion?”

“The Cui clan’s emissary,” Jiang Cheng said coldly.

“Oh.” Gu Rong asked casually, “Is he that powerful?”

Jiang Cheng: “……”

Listen, what kind of question is that?

It’s exactly like they say: ignorance is fearless. This young man spent all his time wandering the rivers and lakes, and probably didn’t even know what the Five Great Clans and Seven Noble Houses were, let alone understand the structure of the Da’an court.

He really shouldn’t have said anything.

“Master, with all due respect, I must ask you to leave,” Jiang Cheng pleaded again, turning to Xi Rong.

Xi Rong lifted his gaze and looked at him. “The one who should be thinking about hiding is you, Guard Jiang.”

Jiang Cheng froze.

And then, accompanied by a flurry of footsteps and voices, several figures were already approaching the mourning hall. At the front was the Cui clan’s chief steward Cui Jiu, along with an official in vermilion robes, likely the Songzhou’s Assistant Prefect Yan Hemei, known for his deep ties with the Cui clan. Liu Xin, the head of the Liu family, was no longer putting on airs; he respectfully stooped at their side.

Behind Yan Hemei swaggered a young noble in purple brocade whom Jiang Cheng recognized as Yan Maocai, Yan Hemei’s son, who had taken second place in the recent Chu River Gathering.

The author has something to say:

Baby Rongrong: Honestly, I think it’s just so-so.
Jiang the Workhorse: ??
Thank you all, enjoy reading!