Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 32

A short while later, Zhang Jiuyi slowly regained consciousness. He opened his eyes, dazed, and looked around blankly. “Where… am I…”

Then, as if something suddenly came to him, he sat bolt upright and grabbed Ji Ziqing’s hand. “Ziqing! There was a thief!”

“Jiuyi.” Ji Ziqing immediately held his hand and spoke in a low voice, “There was no thief. You were mistaken.”

“No, I definitely saw it! A thief climbed through the window into your house!” Zhang Jiuyi was visibly agitated, still caught up in the events right before he was kidnapped.

He then struck his fist in frustration. “But it was too dark inside at the time, so I only saw a vague shadow and didn’t catch the thief’s face. Ziqing, are you alright? Were we robbed? How did we end up here? This won’t do, we must report this to the authorities!”

Jiang Cheng had a stone pinched between his fingers, ready to knock the man out again at any moment. Upon hearing his words, he quietly retracted his hand.

Ji Ziqing let out a long breath of relief.

He quickly said, “Jiuyi, calm down. You were really mistaken. There was no thief. We drank too much and decided to hike up the mountain to clear our heads. You rushed ahead too fast, fell off the path, hit your head, and passed out. Fortunately, we were lucky enough to run into these kind-hearted gentlemen.”

“Ziqing, what are you saying…” Zhang Jiuyi stared at his friend like he was seeing a ghost.

Clearly, he didn’t remember any of what Ji Ziqing was describing. They had indeed been drinking in the courtyard that night, but afterward, they’d gone straight to bed. Since it was late and his friend’s house was poor, they had shared the same bed, sleeping foot to foot. In the middle of the night, he had gotten up to look for water, and that was when he had seen a shadow climbing in through the window. He’d shouted, and then, nothing. He had blacked out.

But what Ji Ziqing was telling him now was an entirely different version of events.

Because Ji Ziqing’s tone and expression were so firm, Zhang Jiuyi began to doubt whether he’d truly hurt his head and lost part of his memory.

“Jiuyi, you remember this young master, don’t you?” Afraid his friend would say something he shouldn’t and cause trouble, Ji Ziqing quickly changed the subject.

Zhang Jiuyi followed his gesture and looked toward Gu Rong.

Gu Rong had just put away the golden needle in his sleeve and greeted him with a sunny smile.

Zhang Jiuyi widened his eyes in surprise. “Young master, it’s you?”

“Yes, we meet again. What a small world,” Gu Rong replied with a lazy smile.

“Young master, don’t even joke!” Zhang Jiuyi suddenly grew anguished and indignant. “It was you who told Ziqing to submit a letter of intent to the Eastern Palace. You nearly got Ziqing killed because of it!”

The entire courtyard once again fell into an oddly heavy silence because of Zhang Jiuyi’s utterly explosive words.

Song Yang, Zhou Wenhe, and Jiang Cheng all looked visibly stunned.

Heavens. So the so-called ‘sage’ Ji Ziqing spoke of actually existed? And it was the young master?

Even Xi Rong, whose expression remained largely unchanged, raised a brow ever so slightly, clearly surprised as well.

“Ahem.” Under the scrutiny of all those staring eyes, Gu Rong raised a hand to cover his lips and cleared his throat. “I only offered a casual word of advice that day because I feared this brother might act rashly. What, brother, you really went to the Eastern Palace to submit a letter?”

“He almost succeeded!” Zhang Jiuyi had fully regained his energy and answered forcefully. “Thank goodness that Crown Prince was recovering from illness and didn’t let him in. Young master, imagine if Ziqing had really submitted that letter to the Eastern Palace, wouldn’t his whole life have been ruined? Never mind anything else, he’d be drowned by the spit of every scholar in the realm—umm, Ziqing, what are you doing?”

Ji Ziqing directly reached out to cover his friend’s mouth, cold sweat running down his back. “My friend here has no restraint and dared to speak carelessly of nobility. I beg you all not to take offense or heed his wild nonsense.”

“There’s a saying, ‘disaster comes from the mouth.’ Scholar Ji, you really ought to keep better control of your friend’s tongue,” Zhou Wenhe said with thinly veiled ire.

Ji Ziqing flushed and quickly acknowledged his fault, heart thumping in anxiety.

“This brother seems to have suffered a head injury without visible wounds. There may be internal blockage. It would be dangerous to travel down the mountain now. Why not stay here and observe for a while before setting off?” Gu Rong thought it over and offered earnestly.

“We wouldn’t dare trouble you, young master. We’ll leave right away.”

As expected, Ji Ziqing refused immediately.

But just then, Zhang Jiuyi broke free from his hold and looked around the little mountain courtyard with great interest. “Ziqing, my neck still hurts a bit. Since the young master is kind enough to invite us, why don’t we stay for a while? I’ve always admired the spring scenery in these mountains, but never had a chance to visit.”

“No!”

“Why not? Ziqing, why are you suddenly being so unreasonable? You weren’t like this before.”

Ji Ziqing couldn’t possibly reveal the real reason, so he could only insist with a hard stance that they must leave.

Zhang Jiuyi, on the other hand, just had to be contrary. “If you want to go, go by yourself. I’m not leaving.”

“You’re rushing to travel now is indeed a bit hasty. It’s better to stay for observation,” Xi Rong suddenly spoke.

Ji Ziqing froze, surprised and uneasy, but he didn’t dare question further. He could only bow his head in compliance.

Once the group dispersed, Zhang Jiuyi spoke in confusion, “Jiuyi, that gentleman from earlier, his face looked familiar to me somehow. I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”

Ji Ziqing’s heart gave a hard thump. He lowered his voice and spoke in the gravest, most serious tone he’d ever used, “Jiuyi, that man is no ordinary person. Whatever you think you remember, whatever you think you saw, you must not speak of it. If you do, we’ll really be doomed.”

Zhang Jiuyi was startled by his friend’s intensity. After a beat, he nodded in agreement.

Since Xi Rong had spoken, no matter how uneasy Ji Ziqing felt, he had no choice but to stay in the courtyard with Zhang Jiuyi. Partway through, Song Yang came by discreetly and told him that the owner of the cabin was unaware of the Crown Prince’s identity and that he must keep it a secret.

Ji Ziqing’s confusion was finally cleared up. So, the young master really had no ties to the Eastern Palace at all. The advice he’d given that day in the street had been nothing but a coincidence.

The world was full of coincidences.

He hadn’t had much interaction with Xi Rong yet, but it was already clear that the prince was cold and reticent, decisive and efficient in all he did. With such a master, he would have to tread carefully and mind every word and action to avoid stepping on any landmines.

After Song Yang’s instructions, he didn’t dare press for details. He simply agreed solemnly.

Yet in his heart, he found it strange. That young master clearly possessed hidden talents, and his beauty was rare; he perfectly fit the current ideal of a charming, talented gentleman. Why didn’t His Highness intend to recruit him?

Both Song Yang and Zhou Wenhe were likewise puzzled by Xi Rong’s choice, but neither dared ask. They just silently hoped that the scholar named Zhang Jiuyi would manage to keep his mouth shut and not bring trouble down on them.

Song Yang went to prepare breakfast. Ji Ziqing, worried his friend might say something inappropriate and offend the prince, helped him out in the kitchen. Gu Rong returned to his room to wash his face.

Sure enough, the washbasin had already been filled with warm water.

Gu Rong cleansed his face, brushed his teeth with powder, and then knelt on a straw mat beside the basin. While wiping his face, he began undoing his black hair, preparing to retie it.

Lately, he had been tying his hair with a ribbon. He bit down on one end, gathering his hair into a bundle and just as he was about to wrap it around, a hand suddenly reached out from behind, gently gathering the strands of hair and taking the ribbon from him. A cool scent of mint wafted from the black wide sleeves.

Gu Rong froze and quickly tried to push away, but Xi Rong spoke first, “Don’t move.”

The other party had already washed even his undergarments, so tying his hair while passing by now seemed perfectly ordinary.

Gu Rong obediently sat back down and tilted his head. “Much obliged, brother.”

“No trouble.”

Xi Rong tied the lock of hair in his hands with unhurried, steady movements.

As if in idle conversation, he asked, “Why did you suggest that ‘brother’ of yours to submit a letter of intent to the Eastern Palace? Do you think highly of the Crown Prince?”

Gu Rong smiled.

“It wasn’t that I insisted he go submit a letter to the Eastern Palace. It’s just that if he wanted to survive, he only had two options: either submit a letter to the Eastern Palace, or pack his things and leave Songzhou Prefecture. He was born and raised in Songzhou, so leaving his home behind was too unrealistic. Then, the only choice left was the Eastern Palace. It might not be the best option for him, but at least it could save his life.”

A pause followed.

“Even if he couldn’t go to the Cui clan, he could still have turned to other powerful families. Why did it have to be the Eastern Palace?”

Gu Rong replied slyly, “Since Yan Maocai already saw him as a thorn in his side and barred him from the Cui clan, how could he possibly let him join another major family and overshadow him, the eldest young master of the Yan family? The Eastern Palace is different; its reputation for cruelty alone is enough to make Yan Maocai hesitate. If he wanted to live, the Eastern Palace was the only path.”

“You didn’t consider that the Crown Prince’s cruelty might mean he’s not a good master? That Scholar Ji is so frail and he might face danger in the Eastern Palace?”

“That’s no big deal. A wise bird chooses the right tree to nest in. If the Crown Prince really turns out to be an unworthy master, once the political winds die down, he can always come up with an excuse and resign. No matter how ruthless the prince is, would he really go out of his way to hold a grudge against a poor scholar?”

This time, the silence lasted much longer.

“You two only met once, yet you went so far to protect him and even schemed on his behalf. Do you admire or… like him?”

“Admire?”

Gu Rong gave it some thought and then nodded. “I suppose, just a bit. The Chu River Gathering gathers the brightest students from all over the Jiangnan region. To come out on top is no easy feat. It would be a real loss if someone like Yan Maocai were to ruin a literary laureate like him.”

No response came after that.

After breakfast, Zhang Jiuyi eagerly invited Gu Rong to play chess. It started when he stumbled upon an abandoned chessboard behind the house, half-covered by a cluster of wildflowers. He tidied up the space and saw that it was peaceful and elegant, with yellow winter jasmine blooming all around and petals drifting like golden snow when the wind blew. Delighted, he suggested they brew tea and play a game there.

Gu Rong had nothing better to do and agreed.

Song Yang and Zhou Wenhe came along to watch.

Zhang Jiuyi played two rounds and lost both, then quickly shoved Ji Ziqing forward.

“Ziqing, you’re the chess master here. You play!”

Ji Ziqing had been observing and noticed that Gu Rong’s style was very unique, unlike anything he’d seen before. His fingers itched to try, so he took over the black stones from Zhang Jiuyi.

Song Yang and Zhou Wenhe were fairly skilled players themselves. Watching the intense back-and-forth on the board, they were quite absorbed when they suddenly heard footsteps.

Turning to look, they saw Xi Rong approaching. Startled, the two quickly rose to greet him.

Xi Rong, being cold and taciturn, rarely joined in the attendants’ leisure activities.

Naturally, he didn’t stand around to spectate. Instead, he sat on a nearby straw mat, watching the blue-robed youth pick up a white stone with elegant, jade-like fingers, his posture as upright as bamboo, calm and unhurried in his moves.

Song Yang and Zhou Wenhe had no choice but to sit alongside him.

Xi Rong’s gaze lingered briefly on Gu Rong, and then shifted to the opponent seated across from him, Ji Ziqing.

Although born into poverty, Ji Ziqing had the classic look of a scholar. He wasn’t particularly handsome, but he had a refined and gentle demeanor. His eyes were clear and full of spirit, exuding a scholarly grace and a touch of pride.

Could it be… that this was the type he liked?

Xi Rong remained expressionless, but the thought flickered across his mind.

Ji Ziqing had rarely met a worthy opponent, and now, completely engrossed, didn’t realize that another round had passed and it was already dusk.

He was still mentally caught up in the previous game. Despite the fierce competition, he had clearly felt that Gu Rong played with far more ease and composure, almost like he was playing a game rather than a battle.

His style and techniques were unlike anything Ji Ziqing had ever seen. Although he barely won in the end, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Gu Rong had let him win.

“Young master, were you taught by a master player?” Ji Ziqing asked hesitantly.

Gu Rong beamed. “I’m a penniless wretch. Where would I find the money for a teacher? I just play around when I’m bored. That round I narrowly won was pure luck.”

After sitting all afternoon, Gu Rong’s shoulders were beginning to ache. He was just about to rub them when a hand reached out first, pressing firmly on his shoulder.

“Hmm? Brother, when did you get here?” Gu Rong looked at Xi Rong in surprise.

But Xi Rong didn’t answer that question. Instead, he said, “It’s already late today. It may be unsafe for your two friends to travel at night. Why not let them stay the night and leave tomorrow? What do you think?”

Gu Rong nodded in agreement. “As expected of you, brother, you’re thoughtful as always.”

Zhang Jiuyi was more than happy to comply, eager to enjoy the mountain scenery at night. He agreed immediately. Ji Ziqing had the intention to object but lacked the strength to do so.

Song Yang and Zhou Wenhe exchanged bewildered glances, their faces full of confusion.

Gu Rong himself wasn’t too bothered. But on the way back, he suddenly remembered something and quietly told Xi Rong, “Brother, I think we don’t have enough space in my hut.”

Xi Rong looked puzzled. “Why not enough?”

“There’s no extra bed. We can’t make our guests sleep on straw mats, can we?”

“Then let them have the bed and we’ll sleep on the straw mat,” Xi Rong said very calmly.

The author has something to say:

Xi the Dog: Starting to suspect I’m not my wife’s type. (deadpan) (twisted) (crawling in shadow)
Thank you all, enjoy reading!