Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 62

The next morning, Xi Rong, formally dressed in crown and robe, rode his carriage to Xiao Royal Residence, with Song Yang and the others accompanying him.

There were still dark circles under his eyes, but compared to yesterday’s pale gloom, his condition had clearly improved somewhat.

The gates of Xiao Royal Residence stood wide open. In front, a dazzling array of canopies and banners filled the street; carriages of all shapes and sizes stretched from one end of the street to the other, all belonging to guests who came to witness the ceremony.

Prince Xiao’s chief steward, Xiao En, personally stood outside the gates with attendants to welcome the guests.

Once a wave of guests had entered, Jiang Cheng stepped forward to present the invitation and the congratulatory gift Song Yang had specially prepared.

Naturally, Xiao En also noticed Xi Rong, seated upright in the carriage, dressed in black robes and a black crown. Smiling broadly, he stepped forward and offered a respectful salute. “Your Highness finding the time to come is truly an honor for our Young Prince.”

“To personally witness the heir’s coming-of-age is likewise an honor for me,” Xi Rong replied.

It was, of course, just the polite formalities of the occasion.

Xiao En smiled and instructed the servants, “Quickly, lead His Highness the Crown Prince to his seat.”

The coming-of-age ceremony was held at the Jade Dragon Terrace.

From the main gate of Xiao Royal Residence to the Jade Dragon Terrace, one had to pass over a green lotus-covered lake and then through two magnificent, imposing inner gates. Outside the first stood a pair of qilin, auspicious beasts; outside the second were two great war drums. Passing through both gates, the splendid and majestic complex of inner buildings finally came into view.

For the coming-of-age of Prince Xiao’s heir, guests came from all directions.

When Xi Rong’s party was led up to the Jade Dragon Terrace, the platform was already full of guests, all dressed in splendid silks. Every one of them prominent figure of the Five Great Clans and Seven Noble Houses.

Song Yang couldn’t help sighing. “The capital’s entire nobility gathered in one place. Only the head of the Five Great Clans and Seven Noble Houses, the Xiao clan, could command such honor.”

Casting his eyes about, Song Yang quickly spotted the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Jin already seated among the guests. At the Cui clan’s table, the eldest son of the Cui clan, Cui Xie, was conspicuously present, with Cui Jiu, the Cui clan’s chief steward, and other retainers standing behind him.

“So even the eldest son of the Cui clan came to witness the ceremony. Truly unexpected,” Zhou Wenhe said, glaring in that direction, his hatred undisguised.

Song Yang smiled. “Who in the capital doesn’t want to see for themselves the elegance of Prince Xiao’s heir? The eldest son of the Cui clan is no exception. After all, people are always more interested in their rivals.”

The Jade Dragon Terrace was a series of pavilions and towers linked together, with winding corridors and grand architecture. The ceremony itself was held on the central open-air high platform, reached by two long flights of jade steps; the guests’ seats were arranged on either side of the platform.

The Crown Prince’s arrival caused no small stir and drew many eyes.

After all, it was well known in the capital that, because he was half foreign by blood, the Crown Prince was not favored by the Emperor and not welcomed by the Five Great Clans and Seven Noble Houses. His victory in the recent southwestern campaign, despite lacking sufficient grain supplies, had surprised many.

Many had also heard that the Crown Prince had been punished to kneel before the palace for failing to return to the capital in time to attend to the Emperor’s illness.

Yet because of his reputation for cruelty and killing, people still regarded him with a certain degree of fear and their gazes toward Xi Rong were full of scrutiny, laced with caution.

On such an occasion, it was only natural that Crown Prince Xi Rong would not be welcome. But he was, after all, the heir apparent, and his seat was placed before those of the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Jin.

The two princes rose together to greet him.

The Prince of Wei’s gaze flickered as he said with false courtesy, “I heard Your Highness has been unwell. Are you feeling better?”

Outwardly, it was concern, but in truth, it was a barb, alluding to the incident of the Crown Prince being refused entry to the palace and made to kneel outside by the Emperor.

Xi Rong looked straight ahead, the faintest of smiles on his lips. “I am quite recovered. I thank the Prince of Wei for his concern.”

“Your Highness is the heir to the throne, a most exalted station. Naturally, we must offer some concern. Speaking of which, there is quite a bit of history between Your Highness and the heir of Prince Xiao, is there not?” Once they had sat down, the Prince of Wei continued to smile as he spoke.

The words, of course, were pointed.

It was nothing more than a reminder of how, years ago, the heir of Prince Xiao had penned the essay ‘On Yaksha,’ earning Xi Rong the nickname ‘Demon Yaksha,’ a name still widely circulated among the common folk to this day.

Officials from the prominent clans nearby could not help showing a touch of schadenfreude.

After all, that essay had spread far and wide; many here had read it themselves. The most cutting part lay in the term ‘yaksha ’; not only ferocious and cruel, but hideously ugly. For the dignified Crown Prince to be likened to such a creature, the humiliation was obvious. Worse still was the fact that the Crown Prince had been unable to retaliate and now had to personally come to congratulate the author on his coming-of-age ceremony.

Standing behind him with Song Yang and Jiang Cheng, Zhou Wenhe itched to give the Prince of Wei a resounding slap.

Xi Rong, however, remained expressionless. “I’m afraid I don’t understand what the Prince of Wei means. Perhaps the Prince of Wei could explain in detail what history the heir of Prince Xiao and I share.”

At that, the Prince of Wei found himself unable to continue. Although he had the Cui clan as backing, there was no need to openly offend the Xiao clan. He could not tell whether Xi Rong had truly forgotten that episode or was deliberately feigning ignorance.

There was still some time before the ceremony began and the subject most discussed among the guests was, naturally, the soon-to-be-capped and faintly mysterious heir of Prince Xiao.

As Prince Xiao’s only son, his status needed no elaboration. However, owing to his arrogant nature and disdain for hollow reputation, he had rarely appeared in the capital and thus, few had seen him in person.

His most famous deed, aside from the ‘On Demon Yaksha’ essay, which had struck such a blow to the Crown Prince and the Eastern Palace, was during three-dynasty Grand Chancellor Qi’s final recruitment of disciples. At the age of twelve, the heir of Prince Xiao, Xiao Rong, bested numerous scions of great families, including the already-renowned eldest son of the Cui clan, Cui Xie, to be accepted as his last pupil.

The name Cui Xie was known throughout the capital. If not for that unexpected defeat in the competition for the apprenticeship, his record would have been all but flawless.

The guests murmured among themselves; some saying the heir was a genius of peerless wit, others praising his appearance as godlike. But some scoffed, saying that whatever his talent was, no youth in the capital could surpass Cui Xie in looks.

Cui Xie sat calmly in his seat, listening to their talk.

Behind him, Cui Jiu chuckled and shook his head. “These people will say anything to curry favor with the Xiao Royal Residence.”

Only Xi Rong paid no heed to anything around him, showing no interest in the chatter. From the moment he sat down, he had been slowly sipping wine, cup by cup. He still had a touch of fever, his head heavy and clouded. He had come today solely because of an imperial decree he could not defy; it was hardly out of any genuine wish to attend, so it was impossible to muster enthusiasm.

Yet with the name ‘Xiao Rong’ flitting constantly through the air, he heard the word ‘Rong’ many times over.

That, perhaps, was the greatest gain of this trip.

At the thought, a dull ache rose in his chest; a pain no medicine in the world could ease.

Seeing his distraction, Song Yang said, “Your Highness has only just recovered from a serious illness. It’s best not to drink too much.”

Xi Rong took another cup. “It’s nothing, only fruit wine.”

The wine and dishes prepared by the Xiao Royal Residence were naturally of the highest quality.

However, to Xi Rong’s mind, this kind of wine suited ‘him’ very well indeed. His tolerance for alcohol was so low that just a few cups would leave him drunk, yet he loved imitating others in their hearty drinking. If it were this kind of fruit wine, it should do no harm.

If he were still here, he would surely have loved an occasion like this, with free food and drink, and all the bustling liveliness.

Song Yang saw it all and silently let out a sigh.

Before long, Prince Xiao appeared, clad in a silver robe, leading the clan elders and heads of the Xiao clan. The guests all rose together to congratulate him on the heir-apparent’s coming-of-age ceremony.

Although Song Yang had long heard of Prince Xiao by name, it was his first time seeing him.

Even from a great distance, he could clearly feel the unique authority of one in the highest position radiating from his every movement, along with a bearing as aloof and luminous as the moon hanging high in the sky. After all, among the Five Great Clans and Seven Noble Houses, he alone had been granted a Prince title.

Once the guests were seated again, officials from the Ministry of Rites arrived bearing the Emperor’s personal congratulatory gift for the heir-apparent.

The Ministry of Rites first presented a florid, elegant congratulatory address composed by its officials to celebrate the coming-of-age, and then revealed the gift.

The Emperor’s present was lavish in the extreme; most striking of all was a white jade inkstone, said to have been the most beloved treasure of the dynasty’s founding emperor, kept within the Inner Palace and never used even by the Emperor himself.

To bestow such a treasure was proof enough of the Emperor’s deep affection for the heir-apparent and the honor shown to the Xiao Royal Residence.

Even among imperial princes, none had ever received a gift of such rank.

Before long, to the strains of elegant court music, the long-awaited coming-of-age ceremony of the Xiao clan’s heir-apparent began at last.

Although there had been endless speculation, when the Young Prince, dressed in ceremonial robes, ascended the high platform under the guidance of the officiants, he still made everyone’s eyes brighten.

The youth was tall and graceful, his features as fine as carved jade, his countenance so exquisite as to be rarely seen in the world. Compared to him, not only did Cui Xie, famed as the most handsome man in the capital, pale into mediocrity, but even the morning sun, clouds, and the splendid high platform itself seemed dulled.

Even those prominent houses on friendly terms with the Cui clan could not help but show their astonishment.

Xi Rong still kept his head lowered, drinking.

However, Song Yang, Zhou Wenhe, and Jiang Cheng did not. Standing, they were earnestly watching the ceremony. Thus, the moment they saw the Young Prince’s face, all three widened their eyes almost in unison, their expressions filled with disbelief.

Jiang Cheng gaped, unable to speak.

“This… how is this possible?” Zhou Wenhe drew in a sharp breath, taking a long while before his voice returned.

For the Xiao clan’s heir-apparent, now standing on the high platform, bore exactly the same face as the young gentleman they had met in Songzhou!

“Your Highness.” Song Yang was the first to recover, looking at his lord, still drinking alone in desolation, and calling to him in a voice that almost shook.

At that moment, aside from the slow strains of the ceremonial music, there was almost no other sound upon the high platform. Countless gazes were gathered on the Xiao clan’s heir-apparent, making his grand debut.

At last, at the strange tone in Song Yang’s voice, Xi Rong lifted his head.

There was only one focus in the entire hall. Naturally, he followed the direction of the crowd’s gaze, almost idly.

Across the rows of seated guests and the officiants in dark ceremonial dress, that face and figure, which had tormented him countless times in his dreams, suddenly entered his sight without warning.

Xi Rong’s whole body jolted; for an instant, he nearly believed he was dreaming. His pupils shrank sharply, his hand trembled violently, and the cup in his grasp slipped and fell to the floor.

The brocade carpet muffled any sound, only the wine spreading silently.

However, in Xi Rong’s heart, the heavens and earth had already collapsed with a deafening roar.

The attendant at his side bent down to pick up the cup, puzzled as to why the normally steady, cold-faced Crown Prince would lose his composure so abruptly.

“It’s him… isn’t it?” Xi Rong’s voice, too, had begun to tremble.

Song Yang nodded, one hand pressing down firmly on Xi Rong’s shoulder, overstepping propriety, as he murmured, “He looks very much like him, extremely so. But, with all eyes upon us, Your Highness must not act rashly.”

Xi Rong said nothing and made no move.

Only his eyes reddened and suddenly two streams of tears rolled down.