Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 37

Gu Rong knew that icy pool. It was located beneath a waterfall behind the mountain. Because the place was so damp and cold, he rarely went there.

But at this time of year, one could easily imagine how piercingly frigid the water must be.

Gu Rong asked, “Is he going to be okay like that? Shouldn’t someone go check on him?”

Song Yang sighed and shook his head. “Our master’s illness strikes, it’s as if molten lava flows through his blood vessels. Only something of extreme cold can suppress it. Even if we went, we’d be of no use. What’s more, he can lose control and hurt others during an episode. That’s why we established the rule that no one is allowed to approach him without permission.”

Gu Rong thought back to the last time Xi Rong fell ill. He truly hadn’t been much help. If anything, he had made the situation worse. So he nodded and asked no more.

Xi Rong’s episodes usually required him to stay in an ice bath for two to three hours. But that day, even by the time lunch was ready, Xi Rong still hadn’t returned.

Gu Rong asked Song Yang, “Does this happen often?”

A look of deep worry and anxiety finally crossed Song Yang’s face. “Never. He left before dawn and it’s been more than three hours already.”

Gu Rong furrowed his brow lightly. “I’ll go check on him.”

“You mustn’t!” Song Yang was the first to stop him.

The young man didn’t understand how frightening and terrible the prince’s ‘madness’ truly was, but Song Yang did. If His Highness hadn’t returned by now, it clearly meant that the episode was fiercer than usual. If anything unexpected happened to the young man while he was in there, how could he explain it to His Highness? And how would His Highness face him afterward?

Before, he had still been uncertain of the prince’s feelings on the young man. But now that he knew, how could he continue to act carelessly or gamble recklessly?

No. Absolutely not.

Suppressing his worry, Song Yang said, “Let’s wait a little longer. There are guards stationed at the perimeter. If anything truly goes wrong, they’ll report back immediately. Since there’s been no commotion, the master must still be fighting to suppress it.”

Gu Rong thought for a moment and then said, “Then let me just go take a look from a distance. That should be fine, right? I have some medical knowledge. If something is really wrong with your master, I might notice it early.”

Zhou Wenhe, already sweating with anxiety, turned and looked at Song Yang. “I agree. Just waiting like this isn’t a solution. If the master’s in real danger and we fail to act in time, that’d be far worse.”

His words weren’t without reason.

After weighing it carefully, Song Yang reluctantly nodded and agreed, but insisted that Jiang Cheng accompany him.

A moment later, Gu Rong and Jiang Cheng arrived at the ice pool. As expected, a ring of armed guards stood at the perimeter, all facing away from the pool. Seeing Jiang Cheng approach, the leading guard, Li Jia, immediately stepped forward and saluted.

“How is the master?” Jiang Cheng asked.

Li Jia replied, “He’s still inside. Without the master’s orders, we don’t dare enter.”

Gu Rong directly stepped past them and headed inward.

Jiang Cheng and Li Jia both turned pale.

“Young master, you really mustn’t go in. Just observe from here.”

“What can I see from here? I can’t even glimpse him. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I won’t take any reckless risks,” Gu Rong replied carelessly and then unhurriedly continued walking forward.

“Commander Jiang, how can we let this happen?!” Li Jia turned pale with shock, inwardly marveling at how daring the young man was.

“You all stay here,” Jiang Cheng said, no longer able to worry about anything else. He quickly followed after. There was no helping it. Before they left, Lord Song had repeatedly instructed him to stay at the young man’s side without taking a single step away and to ensure his absolute safety.

Gu Rong stopped about ten paces away from the icy pool.

Although the rest of the mountain was already covered in fresh grass, that spot remained dry and barren due to the cold. A waterfall poured down from above, the stream crashing into the pool and stirring up a mist of chill vapor. Within that mist, Gu Rong caught sight of Xi Rong’s figure.

Xi Rong’s upper body was bare, submerged in the center of the pool, like a solitary pine rooted in ice water. His frame was powerful, unyielding in the face of agony.

What truly stunned Gu Rong, however, were the three thick iron chains wrapped around Xi Rong’s waist and arms. Like three black serpents, they bound his body tightly. The other ends of the chains were embedded beneath massive stones at the pool’s edge.

No wonder he had heard the sound of metal clashing when they approached.

Gu Rong stood frozen for a moment and then asked, “Why does he do this?”

Jiang Cheng lowered his head, unable to continue watching. “Whenever the master’s episodes grow severe, he chains himself up like this to prevent losing control.”

And yet, even bound in chains, that body was trembling violently, clearly enduring excruciating pain.

Gu Rong saw thick blood dispersing in the water. He immediately understood that Xi Rong had torn open his own flesh on the chains in his violent struggle. It was completely different from the scene he had witnessed in the bathing barrel before.

“There’s no other way?” Gu Rong stared at the spreading blood and asked again.

Jiang Cheng shook his head. “He has to endure it.”

“Rongrong, is that you?”

Just then, a coarse, suppressed, heavily panting voice suddenly rang out from the mist stirred by the splashing waterfall.

Gu Rong immediately nodded. “It’s me. Are you all right, brother?” He subconsciously took a step forward, trying to see more clearly.

“Don’t come closer. Don’t take another step,” Xi Rong said after another harsh breath. Perhaps realizing his tone was too harsh, he paused for a beat, and then added with effort in a gentler voice, “Be good. Give me a bit of dignity, will you?”

Gu Rong had no choice but to stop.

After a moment of silence, he said, “All right, I’ll go back. Brother, you focus on recovering.” Having said that, he truly did not stay a second longer and turned to leave.

“Go with him. See him back safely,” Xi Rong spoke again. His voice had returned to its usual cold edge, even tinged with a ferocity he could no longer suppress due to the illness.

Jiang Cheng understood that the command was meant for him and respectfully answered, retreating to follow.

Song Yang stood in apprehension, while Zhou Wenhe paced frantically around the courtyard. When they saw Gu Rong and Jiang Cheng return, they rushed over immediately.

“How is the master?”

Jiang Cheng relayed the general situation.

“So he’s still conscious, but the episode hasn’t fully subsided,” Zhou Wenhe said.

Jiang Cheng nodded.

“Good, that’s good…”

The two finally let out a small sigh of relief.

Gu Rong silently sat down on a straw mat laid out in the courtyard, picked up a tea bowl, took a sip of water, and suddenly asked, “How did he get this illness?”

Zhou Wenhe, loose-tongued and already flustered, answered directly, “He was poisoned.”

“Poisoned?” Gu Rong was somewhat surprised.

“That’s right,” Song Yang said as he sat down on the straw mat opposite, placing his feather fan across his knees and sighing. “That man came from a privileged background but was narrow-minded and vicious at heart. Yet outside, he just happened to enjoy quite a good reputation. Our master was careless for a moment and fell into his trap.”

Gu Rong asked, “Did he have some deep grudge against your master?”

Song Yang shook his head.

“It’s not exactly a deep-seated hatred, but that man was used to being praised and adored. He looked down on our master’s birth and hated that he wouldn’t flatter him like others, wouldn’t bow and scrape before him, letting him trample and humiliate at will.

“So he chose this method to ruin our master.”

Gu Rong said bluntly, “Truly shameless. Didn’t you get back at him?”

Song Yang gave a bitter smile. “That man is powerful. Right now, we don’t have the ability to retaliate.”

Gu Rong glanced at him. “Are you talking about the Cui clan?”

Song Yang nodded. “Yes. He is from the Cui clan.

“The Cui clan is a lofty and influential noble house. With our master’s current position, rushing into revenge would be like striking a stone with an egg. He can only swallow this bitter loss.”

Gu Rong asked again, “You mentioned earlier that this year was bound to be a major calamity for your master. What did you mean by that?”

Song Yang sighed once more.

“According to our later investigations, the poison our master was afflicted with is likely the legendary and exceedingly rare Golden Crow Poison. As the poison infiltrates the bloodstream, the frequency of flare-ups increases each year. At first, the symptoms appeared once every three months. After a few years, they might come multiple times a month. If we can’t suppress the spread in time, his meridians could be completely burned out. As you’ve seen, our master has been poisoned for years. Now, his flare-ups happen multiple times each month.

“We’ve sought out many extreme-cold medicinal herbs to help suppress the poison’s heat, but unfortunately, the results have been minimal. Not long ago, we heard of another extremely cold ginseng known to be very effective against heat-based poisons, and we plan to purchase it and try it once we return.”

At times like this, Gu Rong’s ‘hard heart’ and ‘heartlessness’ were remarkably useful, allowing him to think with a clear head.

Gu Rong rested his forehead in his palm and thought for a moment. “No wonder they used that ‘Eastern Sea Ice Soul’ to bait you into a trap. It looks like they knew just how badly you needed it.”

“Exactly.” Song Yang sneered coldly. “The one who started it all naturally knows our master’s condition best. He dared to lay such a brazen trap just to force our master to show himself.”

Gu Rong asked, “So, can that Eastern Sea Ice Soul really cure your master’s poison?”

Song Yang nodded. “According to ancient texts and the information we’ve gathered, it can. The Eastern Sea Ice Soul grows at the bottom of the Eastern Sea, never touched by sunlight. It is one of the coldest substances in the world, perfect for countering the Golden Crow Poison.

“But its survival rate is extremely low, making it incredibly rare. Add to that its deep-sea location, and obtaining it is next to impossible. Our master has already sent people to search for it multiple times, all in vain. Later, we finally learned from a fisherman that the only Ice Soul to successfully mature in recent years was already sold at a high price to a noble in the capital.”

“A well-laid trap, indeed,” Gu Rong said, lifting his eyelids slightly. “Then, in your opinion, will they actually bring out a real Eastern Sea Ice Soul at this Golden Lantern Pavilion Gathering?”

Song Yang clearly had considered the matter. After a moment of thought, he said, “There’s a saying, if you don’t risk the child, you can’t trap the wolf. Since they’re desperate to force our master out, they likely won’t fake it.”

Gu Rong finally lowered his hand. “Then that’s good.”

Song Yang felt the words were a bit odd.

“Young master, what do you mean?”

Gu Rong replied, “If it’s genuine and it concerns your master’s life, why not go ahead and let them have their way, and steal it back? They went through all that trouble to set up such a big trap. Wouldn’t it be rude not to show up and give them a little satisfaction?”

“I’ve long heard of the Golden Lantern Pavilion Gathering and been curious about it for ages. This is the perfect opportunity to go take a look.”

Zhou Wenhe and Jiang Cheng were both stunned and dazed by the words.

Truth be told, they were tempted too and only restrained by the prince’s strict orders not to act on their own. But now that Gu Rong had brought it up, after their initial shock, they quickly grew excited.

“Young master speaks truly! So what if it’s a trap? If it can save our master’s life, we’ll walk through fire and blades without hesitation!”

Song Yang, however, was far less optimistic.

He said, “This matter still depends on the master. I doubt he would agree.”

***

Xi Rong didn’t return until evening.

And sure enough, when he heard of the plan, his face darkened.

“Whose idea was it?”

Xi Rong’s eyes still held a deep flush of crimson, his face dark as he asked the question. Because there was no trace of blood in his complexion and the lighting in the wooden cabin was dim, the black robe he wore made him look just like a vengeful ghost king from the depths of hell.

Song Yang, Zhou Wenhe, and Jiang Cheng all knelt simultaneously.

“It was our idea, all together.”

Xi Rong said nothing, but drew Shan’a, laying it across his knees, fingers brushing over its surface. A biting cold and murderous air filled his gaze. In that moment, he looked as if he might truly erupt in rage and kill someone.

Song Yang’s heart jumped.

In the suffocating silence, the hut door was suddenly pushed open.

Gu Rong stepped inside.

He glanced at the three kneeling men, then at Xi Rong, and finally at the Shan’a sword resting across his knees. As if finally piecing everything together, he said, “It was my idea.

“I just wanted to see some excitement. If you want to hit someone, hit me.”

The author has something to say:

Baby Rongrong: You’re so mighty, go ahead and hit me.
Xi the Dog: ……
Thank you all, enjoy reading!