Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 57

“Soldiers?” Liu Xin shot to his feet, a mix of shock and confusion in his eyes.

“Yes, the one leading them said the Family Head has committed treason, plotted against the Crown Prince, and violated imperial laws by seizing land and exploiting the common people. The evidence is conclusive!”

Liu Xin’s expression changed drastically. In that instant, there was no time to figure out where the Crown Prince had secretly mobilized troops from. While heading outside, he instinctively gave an order, “Quick, notify the envoy—”

The steward interjected anxiously, “Master, have you forgotten? The envoy from the Cui clan already returned to the capital.”

Liu Xin abruptly stopped in his tracks. “Then find Lord Yan!”

However, even as he spoke, Liu Xin felt an ominous premonition.

The journey from Songyang County to Songzhou Prefecture was still quite far. Yan Hemei was no Cui Jiu. Now that the Crown Prince had revealed his identity and was searching and confiscating the residence, even if Yan Hemei arrived, he might not be able to stop it.

The Crown Prince had clearly chosen this moment to strike in order to catch him off guard.

Liu Xin gritted his teeth. “Gather everyone in the clan immediately—”

However, more bad news followed swiftly. “Family Head, all our men on the residence have already been subdued by the Crown Prince’s troops.”

Liu Xin’s face turned deathly pale, sweat finally beading on his forehead.

The search and seizure of the Liu family’s residence continued until dusk. At the same time, several other powerful families in Songyang County who had once followed Liu Xin in the mountain siege were also raided.

The other powerful families of the surrounding counties, upon hearing the news, were all like startled birds shot by an arrow.

In nearby Quyang County, the family head of the prominent Feng, Feng Zhong, even abandoned his residence and fled in haste with his close aides toward the capital, seeking protection.

“Sir, word is that the Crown Prince directly seized Liu Xin and the other family heads, intending to escort them to the capital for sentencing. What are we to do now?”

This latest news was urgently reported to Yan Hemei by his trusted aide.

Xi Rong’s sudden strike had truly caught Yan Hemei off guard. He remained silent, his face grim.

The aide continued, “The Crown Prince’s methods are vicious. He didn’t just confiscate all the Liu family’s residence and properties. He even dug up their ancestral tombs, citing illegal occupation of farmland. To force Liu Xin to reveal where his remaining assets were hidden, he personally oversaw the interrogation in the Liu family household, ordering Liu Xin’s sons and household stewards to be tortured in front of him. Those assets may be declared as confiscated by the state, but given Liu Xin’s immense wealth, the actual amount is beyond measure. How much ends up in the state coffers and how much goes into the Crown Prince’s own pocket?”

It would be entirely up to him. And let’s not forget, the burial treasures in those ancestral tombs alone are a considerable fortune.

“When the envoy from the Cui clan was present, the Crown Prince was like a stray dog, hiding everywhere. Who would’ve thought he’d strike back now to settle old scores?”

“Sir, most of this isn’t critical, but if Liu Xin reaches the capital and reveals what happened back in Songzhou Prefecture, we’re finished. Even if the Crown Prince isn’t favored, he’s still the heir apparent. The crime of attempting to harm the heir isn’t a minor one.”

Yan Hemei’s eyes flickered as he paced back and forth.

Back then, they had dared to act in Songzhou because Envoy Cui Jiu had personally led the operation and the powerful families had joined forces with overwhelming numbers. On top of that, the Crown Prince had already been severely wounded in an earlier assassination attempt.

In fact, their original plan to capture the Crown Prince had been airtight. Who could’ve foreseen that an impostor posing as the Thirteenth Protector would interfere again and again, ruining their plans and giving the Crown Prince a chance to strike back?

They had indeed been careless and underestimated the Crown Prince’s personal strength. That lapse during the ambush at the city gate had cost them the opportunity, allowing him to escape the encirclement.

Yan Hemei finally stopped and said, “I’ll write a letter. You are to take it to the capital personally and deliver it to the Minister of State Affairs at the fastest speed possible. Right now, the Emperor has just been attacked and the situation in the capital is unclear. Even if Liu Xin does confess something, it won’t be enough for a formal conviction. There is still room to maneuver. Besides, now that the Crown Prince has shown himself, the fake Thirteenth Protector’s whereabouts will likely be uncovered soon. By then, the Eastern Palace might find itself facing even greater trouble.”

***

Under a sparse sky with only a few stars shining, the moon was bright.

Xi Rong, dressed in dark robes, sat cross-legged on a mat in the courtyard, listening to Song Yang and Jiang Cheng report the results of the day’s confiscations.

Although he had anticipated that those powerful families would yield considerable wealth, the sheer volume seized that day still shocked Song Yang.

Holding the full inventory list in hand, Song Yang couldn’t hide his excitement. “The combined private assets of the five major families in Songyang County, even after setting aside what must be handed over to the court, leave enough to cover an entire year’s worth of military expenses for the Southwest.”

A year. That was a monumental buffer.

Given the current instability in the capital, the battle for the throne could erupt at any moment. When it did, this wealth would be the Crown Prince’s greatest leverage. For now, His Highness no longer needed to worry about funding. He could devote himself entirely to other strategies.

After hearing this, Xi Rong said, “First, sort out the ready silver and promissory notes. As for the rest, have Han Feihu transport it to the Southwest. Let Chen Changsheng handle the storage properly. Also, move the stockpile we previously hid in the mountains together with it.”

Song Yang obeyed. Glancing at his master’s expression, he said, “Now that everything has settled, Your Highness should return to the capital as soon as possible.”

Xi Rong raised his head, looking at the mountainous night sky with a few lonely stars scattered above. It was still beautiful, like a painting. After a moment of silence, he nodded. “We’ll leave at dawn.”

Song Yang smiled and acknowledged the command again. “I’ll have them start preparations immediately.”

Xi Rong sat alone for a moment longer before rising and going back into the wooden house.

Inside, it was pitch dark and eerily empty. In the past, by this hour, they would’ve been sitting together on the mat, either reading, brewing tea and wine, or simply enjoying the night view.

Then, naturally, that would give way to intimacy and quiet entanglement.

When it came time for his medication, Gu Rong would sit all day beside the medicine stove, watching the brew boil and refining the Ice Soul. He always claimed to be carefree, yet when he worked, he was frighteningly focused.

Xi Rong would simply sit nearby, flipping through books, quietly keeping him company.

Unfortunately, those once-familiar scenes were now gone forever.

He had abandoned him so ruthlessly, disappearing without a trace. Aside from that cold, resolute letter, he hadn’t left anything behind.

Not even a proper farewell.

Xi Rong even remembered how he had opened the cat cage to release the creature, probably even stroked its head and whispered gently to it.

Now, the empty house was the only place where he could pour out all his longing and sorrow. Once he left this place, he would lose even that final bit of refuge.

Xi Rong stood in silence for a moment. Then, as always, he lit the oil lamps in the outer room and the stone chamber inside. As the flame gradually rose from the black porcelain bowl, the room’s furnishings came into clear view.

Each arrangement, each item, stirred a flood of memories.

Xi Rong carefully wiped down the writing desk, straw mat, and food table; every place they often spent time in. He also picked up the scattered books and returned them to their proper places before finally retreating into the inner stone cave.

This was where most of his memories lay.

He couldn’t even bear to come in to sleep.

However, if he didn’t sleep there tonight, he feared he never would again.

Xi Rong removed his outer robe and long boots, lay down on the outer side of the bed, and looked toward the firelight still glowing from the wooden house outside. For no reason, he recalled the first time he woke up in this bed. Through the cave door, he had seen that young gentleman in a wide-sleeved blue robe, holding a palm-leaf fan, seated on the straw mat with his back to him. A cat lay curled beside him as he tended the medicine over the brazier.

At that time, he never could have imagined that, in this world, he would come to love someone so deeply.

Xi Rong trembled and, in the darkness of night, silently shed tears once again.

Even after being treated so heartlessly by him, he still worried. He hadn’t taken a single silver note with him and left just like that. Would he go hungry on the road? Would he be cold? Would he collapse from exhaustion?

He was so delicate.

Xi Rong lay there all night, almost lifeless.

The next day, before dawn, Song Yang, Zhou Wenhe, Jiang Cheng, and the other attendants of the Eastern Palace had already packed and stood respectfully in the courtyard, waiting.

Xi Rong returned the silver notes to their place and neatly folded the bedding, covering it with a straw mat before leaving the room. He thought, ‘If Gu Rong finds himself short of money on the road, maybe he’ll change his mind and come back. I should leave him some.’

Song Yang stepped forward and said, “Your Highness, rest assured. I’ve arranged for people to keep watch here to protect the house and, should that young gentleman truly return, to notify you immediately.”

Xi Rong nodded.

With that, there seemed to be no more loose ends.

A guard draped a cloak over Xi Rong’s shoulders and he strode toward the courtyard gate. Just as he reached it, a cat’s meow rang out. He looked toward the sound and saw the tabby cat that had been roaming outside for the past two days had finally returned. It sat atop a stone outside.

Xi Rong stared at the cat for a moment, then suddenly turned back, retrieved its cage from the house, and tossed it to Jiang Cheng. “Catch it and bring it with us.”

Jiang Cheng was stunned but dared not speak. He quickly took some guards and carried out the order.

Once everything was settled, Xi Rong fastened Shan’a to his waist, mounted his horse, pressed his lips into a cold line, and without another glance back, led his men galloping down the mountain.

***

After a bout of rain, the capital finally welcomed its first clear day.

As the political heart of the Da’an Dynasty, the capital had roads radiating in all directions, with a strict, orderly layout. On either side of the main thoroughfare, Vermilion Bird Avenue, buildings were arranged like a chessboard, creating a grand and open atmosphere.

Naturally, the most magnificent structure in the capital was the imperial palace where the Emperor resided. Yet, everyone in the capital knew there was a household even more prestigious than the palace. It was the residence of the Xiao clan, the foremost of the Five Great Clans and Seven Noble Houses.

As noon approached, the sun blazed overhead. The gates of the famed and imposing Xiao Royal Residence, a place many dreamed of entering, were uncharacteristically thrown wide open.

Although the aging chief steward Xiao En had rarely been seen in recent years due to his advanced age, today he stood at the gates himself, accompanied by servants, clearly waiting for someone.

Before long, a horse-drawn carriage slowly rolled in from the far end of the avenue. The coachman was no ordinary servant but Mo Qing, one of Prince Xiao’s most trusted personal guards, a third-rank general in the elite Silver Dragon Cavalry. Even most capital officials dared not treat him casually.

Not long ago, the Emperor had been ambushed while praying at Ci’en Temple. Prince Xiao had stepped in to save him, taking a blade to the arm in the process. Since then, ministers of the Central Secretariat had been reporting to him in the Jade Dragon Terrace daily.

A few officials holding documents exited from a side gate and were stunned at the sight, curious about the identity of the person in the carriage that warranted Mo Qing’s personal service.

It was, after all, just an ordinary green-canopied carriage, completely out of place with the grandiose front gate of Xiao Royal Residence.

The carriage came to a slow stop at the main gate. Xiao En immediately stepped forward, ordered the footstool to be placed, and personally lifted the curtain.

The onlooking officials widened their eyes even more.

From the carriage stepped out a youth in plain blue robes, looking barely past his teenage years.

Yet Xiao En, so revered in the Xiao clan’s household, and Mo Qing, along with the assembled manor servants, all greeted the boy with extraordinary respect.

Xiao En, especially, smiled kindly like a benevolent elder and personally ushered the youth inside.

Anyone who had ever dealt with the Xiao Royal Residence knew very well that the steward Xiao En, born within the inner court, with deep seniority, once a servant of the late emperor and now carrying the Xiao surname by the Prince Xiao’s own decree, was a man of fearsome capability.

The youth was, of course, Gu Rong, who had traveled day and night from Songzhou alongside Qi Ru.

Once inside the residence gates, Mo Qing finally spoke gently, “His Highness is particular about appearance and decorum. Does the Young Prince intend to meet him looking like this after such a tiring journey?”

Gu Rong continued walking, eyes straight ahead. “I think you’d be better off finding me a whip, so His Highness won’t be short of tools when he wants to beat me.”

Mo Qing choked on his words and coughed once. “You jest, Young Prince.”

Xiao En maintained his benevolent demeanor and smiled as he said, “It doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that the Young Prince has returned safely. His Highness the Prince won’t hold this against anyone.”

At that moment, although the scenery at Jade Dragon Terrace was beautiful and the weather clear and sunny, the atmosphere was far from relaxed.

All the officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review stood trembling, not daring to breathe too loudly. A judge from the Court of Judicial Review and two Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Justice, standing at the front, already had cold sweat soaking through their backs.

The reason was simple. After the assassination attempt on the Emperor, Prince Xiao had ordered both departments to investigate and uncover the truth. Yet, even up to this day, they had found nothing.

How could the officials not be terrified?

Prince Xiao, Xiao Jingming, sat leisurely on a sandalwood chair, sipping his tea slowly. At last, he set down his teacup and said, “A rootless vagrant, a mere thug. How could he possibly have the courage to assassinate the Emperor? And how could he move so smoothly among the ranks of the chanting monks? Who’s in charge of interrogating that group of monks? If none of you can uncover any leads, should I be the one to personally conduct the torture? Or do you think I should wear your official robes for you, too?”

“We wouldn’t dare!”

The two officials from the Ministry of Justice in charge of the investigation immediately dropped to their knees with a thud.

Under the heavy pressure of his presence, one of them mustered his courage and said, “That group of monks was the first to be interrogated. But they’re all from Ci’en Temple, two of them are even high-ranking monks who were granted honorary titles by His Majesty. We… we didn’t dare apply too severe a punishment.”

“Is that so?” Prince Xiao chuckled. “If you’re all so merciful, staying in the Ministry of Justice is beneath your talents. Why not shave your heads and join Ci’en Temple to chant scriptures?”

He once again picked up his teacup and smiled as if in casual conversation.

Yet everyone grew even more tense. The two Vice Ministers were drenched in sweat.

Everyone in court knew that Prince Xiao had the face of a Buddha but the hands of a King of Hell. The more he smiled and spoke lightly, the more dangerous he was.

The two men immediately trembled as they responded, “We realize our mistake. We’ll go interrogate them strictly right away. We’ll definitely get results!”

Once everyone had finally withdrawn, Xiao Jingming tossed aside his teacup and stood up. He glanced at Mo Qing, who had been standing respectfully nearby for some time, and said, “Tell Xiao Rong to get in here. Now.”

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Kitty Cat: The helplessness of having to live with a mad dog.
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