Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 6

The attendant soon brought over the menu.

Since he was essentially eating for free, even Gu Rong, thick-skinned as he was, didn’t dare go overboard. He kept a low profile and ordered the cheapest plain porridge and side dishes. However, when the attendant brought the food over, Gu Rong noticed that in addition to what he had ordered, there was also an extra bowl of soup.

Before Gu Rong could ask, the inn attendant cheerfully introduced, “This is our signature artemisia fish soup, made with the tenderest spring shoots of artemisia and silverfish from Lake Tai, simmered together and seasoned with shredded ginger. It’s especially good for sobering up. Your elder brother specifically asked us to prepare it for you, saying you must have a bowl after waking up this morning.”

He had been so thoughtful?

Gu Rong glanced at the soup again and asked, “That… elder brother of mine… Did he say where he was going?”

The attendant shook his head. “No, he didn’t.”

Gu Rong nodded, realizing the man had likely kept his identity hidden on purpose, so he didn’t ask further and focused on eating instead. Tasting a spoonful of the fish soup, he found it indeed exquisitely fresh and delicious, with a lingering aftertaste. His eyes curved into a smile, revealing a look of complete satisfaction.

The attendant, standing by, was momentarily dazed watching him. He felt even the lavishly decorated hall pale a little before the young man’s smile.

More guests gradually began to fill the hall. A group of scholars entered from outside and sat at the neighboring table.

“Have you heard? Yesterday, the Eastern Palace tried to imitate His Highness Prince of Wei by recruiting talented scholars. Guess what happened?” The scholar in the center, wearing a gold crown and brocade robe, fanned himself as he spoke.

“What happened?”

“What do you think? Just like Dongshi imitating Xishi, they only bring shame upon themselves. I heard that not a single person applied all night, except for one whose brain must have been kicked by a donkey!” |3|

His theatrical delivery, full of highs and lows like an opera performance, drew a round of laughter and mock sighs from the scholars.

“Brother Yan, you’re bold. The Crown Prince is currently residing here in Songzhou. Aren’t you afraid someone from the Eastern Palace will drag you off to be beheaded? That one from the Eastern Palace is known for chopping heads like slicing melons.”

The brocade-robed scholar wore a proud expression. “The envoy from the Cui clan has already accepted my name card. As of today, I, Yan Maocai, am officially a guest scholar of the Cui clan. However cruel the Eastern Palace may be, would they dare oppose the Cui clan openly?”

The scholars exchanged glances, all revealing envious looks, and offered congratulations with cupped hands. Although envoys from the prominent Five Great Clans and Seven Noble Houses had come to recruit talents, being chosen by the illustrious Cui clan was still exceedingly rare.

One of them laughed and said, “No wonder Brother Yan is so generous today, inviting us to dine at the Huanghe Tower. So you had such wonderful news! As a guest scholar of the noble families, even provincial officials must show you respect. With the Cui clan’s favor, Brother Yan’s future will be limitless. Don’t forget to look after us little brothers later.”

Another added, “With your mother’s influence, even without submitting a name card, Brother Yan would have entered the Cui clan’s ranks eventually. At the Chu River Gathering, if that Ji Ziqing hadn’t been so blind, the top spot would’ve surely gone to Brother Yan.”

“He’s just a stubborn and foul-mouthed pauper. Why would I stoop to his level?” Yan Maocai flicked open his folding fan. “As the saying goes, rules are necessary for order. The Chu River Gathering has its rules. Since I participated, I had to follow them, didn’t I?”

“Brother Yan is a true gentleman!” Another round of flattery followed.

Gu Rong leisurely ate his fish soup. He was just thinking that the loud, self-important voice was oddly familiar, when it suddenly clicked that ‘Yan Maocai,’ now being fawned over in the center of attention, was the very same person who placed second at yesterday’s Chu River Gathering, the runner-up scholar titled ‘Literary Tanhua.’ |4|

He shook his head with a small sigh.

Just then, two plainly dressed scholars entered from outside.

“Brother Yan, look who’s here.” A scholar at the neighboring table raised his eyebrows.

Yan Maocai’s seat faced the entrance. He looked up and his gaze darkened slightly, but then he smiled, tapping his fan and raising his voice, “Well, if it isn’t Ji Ziqing, our great young talent! What brings you here at this hour, taking a break from your diligent studies?”

The scholar walking with Ji Ziqing turned pale at once when he saw Yan Maocai’s group. Instinctively, he tried to pull Ji Ziqing away to leave.

Ji Ziqing, however, looked directly at Yan Maocai without the slightest fear and said calmly, “What a coincidence, Mister Yan. I brought a friend to eat.”

“A coincidence?” Yan Maocai snorted through his nose. “Yesterday the judges praised you, Ji Ziqing, as a talented youth from a humble background. Aren’t such people supposed to eat bran and drink water, splitting one coin in two? Can even someone like you afford to dine at the Huanghe Tower?”

The group of scholars all looked on with amusement, as if enjoying a show.

The student next to Ji Ziqing had already lowered his head in fear. Ji Ziqing, however, remained composed, meeting Yan Maocai’s eyes as he replied, “Huanghe Tower has no rule barring poor scholars and there’s no law in Da’an prohibiting them from dining here. It’s your own view of the humble class that’s too narrow-minded, Mister Yan.”

“Oh, right,” Yan Maocai said with an exaggerated look of realization. “I nearly forgot that Scholar Ji does have some family background. Let me think, the highest-ranking official among your ancestors once served as a ninth-rank judicial officer, wasn’t it?”

A judicial officer presided over local investigations and criminal cases, truly a petty official of the lowest rank. Because the role involved dealing with criminals and corpses, it was long considered lowly and despised in officialdom, classified among the ‘lowest of the low.’

Yan Maocai’s words, though phrased as praise, were in fact mocking and demeaning.

The others burst into laughter.

Someone even slapped his thigh and exclaimed, “A ninth-rank judicial officer, such a mighty position!”

“Ziqing, let’s just leave,” his companion whispered.

“No need to be afraid. We paid for our meal, nothing to be ashamed of.” Ji Ziqing stood tall. “It’s true my grandfather once served as a judicial officer. But he carried out his duties with integrity and honor. He lived up to the court’s trust and his own salary. I respect him for that.”

With that, he pulled his friend along and headed to an empty table.

“Stop right there!” Yan Maocai suddenly spoke up.

Ji Ziqing paused but didn’t turn around. “Does Mister Yan still have something to say?”

Yan Maocai closed his fan and stepped in front to block his path, sneering. “I heard you also submitted a name card to the Cui clan?”

Ji Ziqing replied, “Where I send my name card is none of your business.”

“You can send it anywhere else, but not to the Cui clan,” Yan Maocai’s tone was domineering. “Go take your name card back immediately or don’t blame me for what happens next.”

Ji Ziqing frowned. “Although you’re the noble son of Assistant Prefect Yan, Mister Yan, you’re still a commoner right now. I’m afraid you have no authority over ordinary citizens. I’m afraid I can’t comply.”

Yan Maocai didn’t move much; he just raised his folding fan slightly. A servant standing behind him immediately stepped forward and swung his arm toward Ji Ziqing’s face.

The slap landed hard.

Blood trickled from Ji Ziqing’s mouth and he nearly fell to the floor.

“You— How dare you hit other people?!” The scholar who came with Ji Ziqing rushed to support him, glaring at Yan Maocai in fury.

The once lively hall fell silent at the sudden commotion. The other diners craned their necks to watch.

Two attendants stood nervously at the side, clearly afraid of Yan Maocai’s power. They tried to intervene but didn’t dare get too close. They could only force smiles and say, “Please calm down, Mister Yan. Anger damages the body,” only to be shoved aside roughly by the Yan family’s servants.

The group of scholars surrounding Yan Maocai stood up too, watching Ji Ziqing with schadenfreude.

Yan Maocai’s gaze darkened as he looked at Ji Ziqing. “And you think you’re qualified to talk law to me? Let me tell you, here in Songzhou, I am the law. I’ll ask you again. Will you withdraw your name card, or not?”

With half his face swollen, Ji Ziqing still held his head high. “I’m afraid I can’t comply.”

“Good! You’ve got backbone.” Yan Maocai’s face turned completely cold. He let out a chilling laugh. “Men, teach him a lesson in proper manners.”

The Yan family’s servants swarmed forward and dragged Ji Ziqing into a corner, beating and kicking him.

“Please, I beg you, stop! Stop!” His companion threw himself forward to beg, only to be kicked aside as well.

“What are you all staring at? Get out!”

Seeing the situation had turned dangerous, the guests scattered, hurrying out of the hall.

Now the attendants were truly panicked. One dropped to his knees and pleaded, “Mister Yan, please, show some mercy. The Crown Prince is in the city right now. If someone dies, things could get out of hand!”

Hearing that, Yan Maocai frowned and thought for a moment. He finally raised his hand and the servants dragged Ji Ziqing back, now so badly beaten he was barely recognizable. From his elevated position, Yan Maocai looked down at him. “Your name card, will you withdraw it or not?”

“I will! He will!” Ji Ziqing’s companion rushed to answer. “He’ll definitely withdraw it. Please, Mister Yan, have mercy, spare Ziqing!”

“You’re more sensible than he is.” Yan Maocai lifted his fan again and the servants let go of Ji Ziqing. His eyes glinted with cruelty as he warned, “If I find out tomorrow that you haven’t withdrawn it, I’ll break your legs.”

The scholar, terrified he’d go back on his word, quickly helped the battered Ji Ziqing to leave.

“Brother Yan, calm yourself. There’s no need to lower yourself to argue with a foul stone in a latrine.” The other scholars came over to mediate. |5|

“With him? Not worth it,” Yan Maocai sneered and accepted a cup of tea from a servant. He was just about to moisten his throat when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something unusual. Although the hall was now empty, someone still sat at the window-side table nearby, a figure dressed in blue.

Despite the earlier commotion and the servants chasing people out, every other patron had already fled in fear. That person, however, remained completely unbothered, calmly sipping soup as if nothing had happened.

Naturally, the others noticed too.

Yan Maocai narrowed his eyes.

The leading servant from the Yan family strode over and slapped the table hard, scowling. “Get out! This hall is reserved by our young master today!”

Gu Rong slowly finished a spoonful of fish broth before finally looking up and pointing at his ear. “I’m a little hard of hearing. Could you repeat that?”

The servant wasn’t sure if he was being mocked or if the guy was truly deaf. He grew angrier. “This father said scram the hell out, didn’t you hear me?” |6|

“Oh, I caught a little that time.” Gu Rong smiled slightly. “But brother, that’s not the proper way to speak. First of all, I’m perfectly capable of walking and running, but ‘scramming’? That I don’t know how to do. Would you be so kind as to demonstrate the secret art of ‘scramming’ for me? Second, judging by your appearance, you certainly don’t look like my father.”

The servant had never dealt with someone so sharp-tongued before and was momentarily left speechless, his face flushed with anger.

Nearby, two attendants were struggling to hold back their laughter.

Yan Maocai, who had been watching with his usual cold gaze, suddenly brightened when he got a good look at Gu Rong’s face under the sunlight.

“Show some respect,” Yan Maocai barked at the servant, who immediately backed off. Straightening his robe, Yan Maocai stepped forward and looked Gu Rong over, smiling. “My servant was rude and offended you, young sir. But may I ask why you’re dining alone?”

Gu Rong replied with leisurely frustration, “I’d love to have company, but sadly, I have no relatives or friends, completely alone in this world.”

Yan Maocai’s smile deepened as he picked up the white porcelain tea cup in front of Gu Rong and rubbed it lightly. “A chance meeting is fate. If you don’t mind, why don’t I share a few drinks with you?”

Gu Rong waved his hand. “That won’t do. My elder brother has strictly forbidden me from drinking with strangers while I’m out. My brother is a man who practices martial arts every day and has a terrible temper. If I disobey him, he’ll definitely make me pay for it.”

Yan Maocai’s eyes grew curious. “Didn’t young master just say you had no relatives or friends?”

“Having him is the same as not having him.” Gu Rong looked pained. “My brother works under the Eastern Palace. Every day he’s influenced by his master, killing without blinking. He meddles in everything. If someone talks to me too much and he sees it, he’ll gouge out their eyes. Someone like you, who touched my used tea cup, might get your hand chopped off.

“Tell me, brother, what decent person pledges loyalty to the Eastern Palace these days? Because of him, I can’t even hold my head up in public. I’m ashamed to face people! I wish I didn’t have a brother like him!”

Yan Maocai: “…”

Jiang Cheng, who had just stepped into the hall on assignment: “………”

The author has something to say:

Baby Rongrong: I’m a pro at using other’s authority.
Jiang the Workhorse: ??
Baby, stop talking, or some people are going to get too excited.
Thanks everyone, enjoy reading. The mountain scenes are coming soon.

E/N: Who kicks a pebble by the roadside unless that pebble is a stumbling block in your path? Yan Maocai is so insecure it’s pathetic.