Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 30

The next morning, when Gu Rong awoke, he saw that the book mountain had indeed been placed back exactly as it was before, down to the order of the titles. Not only that, but the soreness in his waist was completely gone thanks to last night’s massage and he felt no discomfort at all. It was far more effective than his own sneaky efforts the day before.

Although it had been shamefully inconsiderate to fall asleep first, he vaguely remembered, in that drowsy haze, that steady, warm, comforting pressure at his waist continued for nearly the whole night.

Which meant… even after he had fallen asleep, Xi Rong had continued to massage him for a long time.

Gu Rong, although carefree by nature, wasn’t someone who didn’t know how to appreciate kindness.

Thinking of that, he turned his head slightly and glanced to the side. As usual, the bedding had been neatly arranged and the other half of the quilt was fully covering him. On the empty part of the mattress lay only a single volume of Buddhist scripture and the faint scent of mint still lingered in the air.

It seemed Xi Rong hadn’t been up for long either.

Getting out of bed, Gu Rong saw that the pair of shoes he’d carelessly kicked to the floor last night had been tidied and placed neatly in front of the stone bed.

Ever since they began sharing a bed, Gu Rong no longer had to stumble around barefoot each morning looking for his shoes.

He couldn’t help it since he was used to being sloppy and inattentive. Sometimes after drinking, one shoe would end up in the courtyard, the other in the outer hut. The most ridiculous time, he lost one on the mountain path. Luckily, a wild boar didn’t snatch it, and he managed to retrieve it and wear it for a good while after.

Truly, having a diligent and attentive roommate was a wonderful thing, so long as his own skin was thick enough and the other person didn’t mind.

It would’ve been perfect if not for that awkward incident.

Outside, the sky was still a bluish-grey, no clear light seeping through. It looked like dawn hadn’t yet arrived.

Perhaps because he slept so well last night, he’d woken unusually early.

Gu Rong dressed, put on his shoes and socks, quickly tied up his hair, and stepped into the outer wooden hut, only to find Xi Rong wasn’t there. But he did spot a larger wooden basin than usual placed where they normally washed up. A few pieces of clothing were soaking inside, with soap pod residue visible on the surface. Someone had clearly been doing laundry and left it midway.

No wonder he’d smelled a strong scent of soap pods the moment he came out.

Gu Rong couldn’t help but marvel at how vast the difference between people could be. While he was still in bed, someone else had already gotten up at the crack of dawn to do laundry.

That man didn’t look like someone lacking servants, yet he did his own washing. No wonder he could cook too; it all fit together.

Not like Gu Rong when he first came to the mountain, who would just take his clothes to the river, toss in some soap pods, pound them haphazardly with a stick, and call it done. He never washed as meticulously.

After accidentally ruining two sets of clothing and with nothing decent left to wear, he finally restrained himself and switched to basin-washing. But even then, it was a sloppy job. He’d never use so many soap pods that the entire room filled with fragrance.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to wash carefully; he just didn’t have the patience.

After all, he hadn’t come to the mountains intending to live long-term. His meals were always makeshift and missing one or two was normal.

So now that his life had suddenly become so refined, Gu Rong actually felt a little disoriented.

He had started off simply admiring the basin of clothes, but after looking for a while, he noticed something strange because one of the garments looked very familiar.

It was a pair of snow-white underpants, glaringly out of place among the dark clothing.

Although they shared a bed and quilt, Gu Rong hadn’t paid close attention to the other’s daily habits, but he did know that Xi Rong always wore blue-black clothes, both inner and outer.

So that could only mean…

Gu Rong leaned closer, picked up the underpants, and upon closer inspection, his face flushed instantly. It was his; the pair he’d worn yesterday and hadn’t gotten around to washing yet. He must’ve carelessly tossed them to the side of the bed.

His good ‘brother’ had… actually helped him wash that… his intimate clothing.

Did the man think he was too lazy?!

Gu Rong’s face burned hot. He quickly dropped the underpants back into the basin like a hot coal.

At that exact moment, with a creak, Xi Rong pushed open the door and walked in.

“Brother, good morning,” Gu Rong greeted casually, pretending nothing had happened. Noticing Xi Rong was carrying a simple wooden crate made of what looked like twisted bramble strips, he asked, “What’s that?”

“Just a cat crate I made to pass the time,” Xi Rong replied.

“A cat crate?”

Gu Rong was baffled. He stepped closer and, sure enough, inside the crate, shaped somewhat like a small tent, was a soft lining of straw. It wasn’t as luxurious as those golden cages in wealthy households, but it was clearly crafted with great care and attention.

“What made you think of making this?”

“I heard cats like things like this. Since you like cats so much, I thought I’d try making one.”

Gu Rong laughed and said, “Brother, you didn’t have to go to the trouble. That rascal A’Li is used to sleeping with me and won’t stay quietly in a crate.” Besides, it was still cold at night this time of year, so he still needed to hug A’Li to keep warm.

Of course, Gu Rong wasn’t about to say that out loud. He didn’t want to come off as too delicate.

Xi Rong didn’t seem to think much of it either, as if he really had just done it casually. He set the cage down in the corner beneath the window and said, “Let’s leave it here for now, just in case it comes in handy.”

“Is your waist still sore?” he suddenly turned and asked.

Gu Rong: “…………”

The topic was admittedly awkward, but Gu Rong had planned to thank him anyway, so he replied frankly, “Much better. Last night really was a lot of trouble for you, brother.”

Xi Rong said, “It’s no trouble. As long as you feel better. If it still feels uncomfortable tonight, I can rub it for you again.”

“……”

Gu Rong immediately straightened up. “That won’t be necessary. I’m really fine now.”

“Good.” Xi Rong nodded and got up.

He picked up a smaller wooden basin, adjusted the water to a warm temperature, placed it on the stove, and told Gu Rong to go wash his face. Then he returned to the washstand and resumed cleaning the clothes he’d left half-washed earlier.

Gu Rong walked over lazily, washing his face while sneaking glances at Xi Rong doing laundry.

Xi Rong, tall, refined, and noble-looking, surprisingly washed clothes with unhurried care and patience, completely at odds with his elegant appearance.

The garment he was currently washing was a pair of dark underpants, clearly his own. That was normal. But once he finished with that pair, Gu Rong saw those long, jointed fingers pull up a snowy-white pair buried underneath.

“……”

Gu Rong nearly knocked over the basin. He couldn’t pretend not to see anymore. With his face and ears burning, he shuffled over and said awkwardly, “Brother… I can wash those myself. I wouldn’t dare trouble you with it!”

Xi Rong’s expression was remarkably calm. His hands didn’t pause as he methodically applied soap to the inside and outside of the underpants, looking even more meticulous than he had with his own.

“I was already washing mine. Helping with yours is no trouble at all. It’s just a matter of convenience,” he spoke casually, face serene, as if reciting a line from a book. “What? We’re both men, are you really embarrassed about this?”

“…………”

Right. They were both men.

With that statement, Gu Rong suddenly couldn’t admit to feeling embarrassed anymore. Even though he really was.

“Of course not. I just think… it’s too much trouble for you. It makes me look like I can’t take care of myself at all. How about this, to be fair, next time I’ll help you with yours.”

Xi Rong’s hand paused slightly, and then he said, “No need.”

“That won’t do. I can’t just take advantage of you for nothing.”

Even though underpants were light and easier to wash than outer robes, it still wasn’t right. There weren’t supposed to be guests doing his cooking and his laundry.

Xi Rong said, “If you help me wash, I’d be taking too much advantage of you. That wouldn’t be fair.”

Gu Rong blinked. “How is that unfair?”

Aside from the color, weren’t underpants just underpants? At most, the legs might be a little longer since the other man was taller.

Xi Rong said, “I change mine frequently. If you wash for me, you’d suffer for it.”

“…………”

They were both men. The reason for frequent changes went without saying.

Gu Rong had no idea how to respond.

Xi Rong added, “I’ve made a fool of myself.”

“Ahem. No, not at all. Totally normal. Perfectly normal.”

Gu Rong retreated to the stove and resumed silently washing his face.

They were both men, so theoretically, discussing that sort of thing shouldn’t be a big deal. In the army, the soldiers cracked even cruder, more vulgar jokes with no hesitation.

But since they had shared a bed for one night, talking about it now felt inexplicably awkward.

It was the classic case of a guilty conscience.

Before long, Jiang Cheng came over to announce that breakfast was ready and invited Xi Rong and Gu Rong to come eat.

As soon as Gu Rong sat down, his eyes landed on an elegant wine jar on the table, and he couldn’t help asking in surprise, “This wine looks different from before.”

Jiang Cheng said, “I lost a bet before and promised the young master I’d go down the mountain to buy you some wine. I happened to make a trip last night, so I brought a jar back with me. It’s nothing particularly rare, I just hope the young master won’t find it lacking.”

“How could I dare? You’re really too honest, brother. I was just saying that casually, but you actually went and spent the money.”

Gu Rong stood up, opened the jar, and poured a bowl for everyone. When it came to himself, he only poured half a bowl.

Jiang Cheng found it strange. “Young master, are you planning to quit drinking?”

Gu Rong’s eyes curved with a smile. “Quitting’s too hard for me, but drinking too much leads to trouble. From now on, I definitely won’t let myself get carried away again.”

Jiang Cheng looked at him like the sun had risen from the west.

Hard to believe it was the same young master who used to drink so much he couldn’t even find his own front door and never learned his lesson.

Xi Rong quietly drank his bowl of wine, saying nothing.

“Young master, what are all those herbs in your courtyard? Are any of them good for infusing wine?” Song Yang asked during breakfast.

He was fond of medicinal wines and had long heard that certain rare herbs found in the mountains made for unique and flavorful infusions. There were quite a few herbs drying in Gu Rong’s courtyard. They’d been sitting out in the sun every day and their owner showed no signs of collecting them. Some looked very rare and Song Yang had been eyeing them for days. But without permission, he hadn’t dared to take any.

After spending a few days with Gu Rong, though, he felt the young master was generous enough and probably wouldn’t mind sharing a bit for some medicinal wine.

To his surprise, Gu Rong responded seriously, “Those herbs, none of you should touch them. Most of them are highly poisonous.”

Everyone looked shocked.

“Poisonous?”

Not only Song Yang and Zhou Wenhe, but even Jiang Cheng looked at Gu Rong differently now.

After all, who just casually leaves a whole bunch of poisonous plants out in the courtyard to dry? If someone ate one by mistake, it could be fatal.

Gu Rong nodded and dipped his chopsticks in the wine, showing no sign that he thought it was the least bit unusual. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not feeding them to people. They’re for my darlings.”

“Your… darlings?” Xi Rong, who’d been quietly drinking, finally looked over.

After breakfast, Jiang Cheng had the rare opportunity to see, along with Xi Rong, the four ‘darlings’ that Gu Rong kept in a damp corner of the courtyard built up with stones.

They were kept in black ceramic jars; four crystalline, snow-like, beautifully translucent insects, somewhat resembling silkworms. Each had a colored thread down its back: yellow, white, green, and red.

Their eccentric owner had even named them as ‘Money-Grubbing’, ‘Profit-Seeking’, ‘Self-Serving’, and ‘Blood-Killing’.

Money-Grubbing was fed a poisonous plant called coin grass.

Profit-Seeking ate a mix of black, red, and white lynxweed; all toxic.

Self-Serving was fed ten different poisonous herbs with the word ‘wind’ in their names. |12|

“What about this one, ‘Blood-Killing’?” Jiang Cheng asked, goosebumps rising on his arms.

“Oh, that one’s supposed to be fed blood,” Gu Rong said lazily, arms folded. “But I haven’t found enough poisonous blood sources yet, so for now, it has to go vegetarian.”

“…………”

“What exactly do you raise these things for?” Xi Rong asked after watching for a while.

“They’re useful for all sorts of things. On the small scale, they can be used for self-defense. On a bigger scale, once I’ve bred a real monstrous Gu worm, the king of all Gu, I could sell it on the black market for a fortune.”

“…………”

Jiang Cheng silently took a step back. Honestly, as outrageous as it sounded, it did match the young master’s usual style.

“Young master, you don’t have any strange Gu worms or insects on your body right now, do you?” Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but ask.

Otherwise, how could he feel at ease letting His Highness share a bed with the young master?

“Relax. My darlings prefer to stay in their jars. If I left them out in the sun, they’d be scorched to death,” Gu Rong spoke with a tone of regret.

Jiang Cheng, expressionless, thought to himself, ‘Those things are actually pretty well-behaved.’

The day passed uneventfully. Come nightfall, Gu Rong went to bed early with the cat in his arms. Xi Rong stayed up reading until close to the third watch of the night. As always, he pulled the blanket fully over Gu Rong before getting out of bed.

***

Ji Ziqing slowly opened his eyes, a sharp pain at the back of his neck still lingering, leaving him somewhat sluggish in response.

Instinctively covering his neck, he raised his head and found himself inside a rather narrow wooden cabin nestled in the mountains. It was deep into the night and the lighting was dim, but Ji Ziqing quickly took in the figures within the room.

A young man in guard attire with a sword at his waist, two middle-aged men in scholar robes, and, seated at the center on a straw mat, a somber-looking young man in a wide dark robe, exuding a heavy aura.

Ji Ziqing’s eyes quickly fell upon his friend Zhang Jiuyi, who lay on the ground still unconscious, and his expression changed slightly.

“Who are you people?!” he asked, his face full of alertness.

Jiang Cheng was the first to speak. “Apologies. We originally only intended to bring you here. But your friend suddenly woke up, and we had no choice but to bring him along as well.”

Ji Ziqing had no memory of any of that.

He had been taken straight from his own bed in his sleep. Zhang Jiuyi had merely been staying over at his house and now, unexpectedly, was dragged into misfortune with him.

Ji Ziqing quickly scanned the room. His gaze settled on the young man seated at the center. Although dressed in what appeared to be a plain dark robe, the man had striking, noble features, cold and sharp. Just by sitting there, he radiated the tension of a drawn bow, giving off a powerful pressure that clearly marked him as the one in charge.

Moreover, for some reason, Ji Ziqing felt the man’s face looked vaguely familiar, as though he’d seen him somewhere before.

“If I’m the one you’re after, then please release my friend. If you want to kill or torture someone, take me. I’ll face it all without complaint!” Ji Ziqing said, forcing down his fear.

“I’ve long heard that Scholar Ji is loyal and righteous, with the spirit of a chivalrous hero from olden days. Seeing you today, your reputation proves well-earned. My master only invited Scholar Ji here for a conversation, please do not take offense,” Song Yang spoke gently, smiling.

Ji Ziqing was actually even more confused by those words.

Judging from what they said, they didn’t bring him there for ransom or assassination?

“Just who exactly are you people? Using this kind of method to invite someone for a talk, isn’t that going a bit too far?” Ji Ziqing said, now with clear dissatisfaction.

“It was indeed presumptuous,” the young man seated in the center finally spoke.

His voice, like his demeanor, was indifferent. But the eyes beneath his cold, firm brow gleamed sharply, like lightning. Clearly accustomed to command, his very presence emanated a weighty chill, such that even his calm gaze made one feel as if cloaked in frost, hard to meet head-on.

Ji Ziqing had met many officials from Songzhou Prefecture before, but never had he encountered such an imposing presence.

“This is our master, His Highness the Crown Prince,” Song Yang said, offering the answer.

Ji Ziqing’s expression jolted, stunned for a long while as he processed the immense and shocking revelation, then hurriedly prostrated himself.

“This lowly subject failed to recognize Mount Tai before me. May Your Highness forgive the offense!”

The author has something to say:

Xi the Dog: On how my wife always raises weird creatures.
Thank you all, enjoy reading.