Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 65

The commotion there also caught the attention of the Prince of Jin.

The Prince of Jin soon arrived with several other young men from noble families. Upon seeing Xi Rong, he, too, was momentarily taken aback.

Although Xi Rong enjoyed neither the Emperor’s special favor nor the support of the Five Great Clans and Seven Noble Houses, his notorious reputation preceded him. He had sat firmly in the position of Crown Prince for many years and his ruthlessness and cruelty were common knowledge. Most people harbored at least some apprehension toward him, if not outright fear.

As brothers, the Prince of Jin and the Crown Prince Xi Rong shared little private friendship.

Thus, Xi Rong’s sudden appearance there naturally put the Prince of Jin on his guard.

Leading the group in a bow, the Prince of Jin smiled after learning that Xi Rong, too, was out on an excursion. “We were just playing a game of polo, Your Highness. I have heard that you are a master of the sport. Would you honor us with a match?”

It was, of course, nothing more than a polite courtesy.

The social circles of the capital’s aristocratic sons were sharply defined. Xi Rong, as the Crown Prince, moved in entirely different spheres from the scions of the Five Great Clans and Seven Noble Houses. In private, it was unthinkable for them to feast or play together.

Yet Xi Rong said, “Is that so? Very well. It has indeed been far too long since I last took the field. My hands are itching for it.”

It gave everyone pause and their expressions shifted subtly.

The Prince of Jin was clearly surprised as well, but he still said with pleasure, “That is excellent. I have long wished to learn from Your Highness’s skill.” Then he turned to Xiao Rong. “Just now, your performance dazzled the crowd, Young Prince. Why not join as well? To see His Highness the Crown Prince and the heir compete side by side would surely be a rare treat for us all.”

By now, Xiao Rong had fully regained his composure. “I’ve already changed out of my riding clothes, so I’ll pass. I hope you all and… His Highness the Crown Prince enjoy yourselves.” His tone and expression were impeccable.

That he declined to play did not surprise the others much. After all, the two of them had a genuine feud between them.

Nor did Xiao Rong go to watch from the sidelines. Once the others entered the field, he went straight back to the pavilion tent, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

The Crown Prince.

Third Brother turned out to be the Crown Prince.

How could this be?!

The shock was so great that he could no longer even register the jumble of emotions of astonishment, joy, and turmoil of reunion.

The moment Wang Hui uttered the address ‘His Highness the Crown Prince,’ Xiao Rong had instantly understood what an absurd joke Heaven had played on him.

He sat there like a wooden statue, his thoughts a hopeless snarl. The Third Brother he had always hidden away in a most important corner of his heart and never dared to think of too often, had an identity, another identity, just like him.

An identity that, even in his wildest imaginings, he could never have guessed.

The Crown Prince.

Until now, that title had been so distant from his world as to be wholly irrelevant. Even in his reckless youth, when a fit of dissatisfaction had driven him to prove himself by penning an unfair article that caused a great trouble for the Crown Prince, it had been no more than a battle of words, not a face-to-face clash. ‘The Eastern Palace’ and ‘the Crown Prince’ had always been terms that felt far removed from him.

Later, wandering the streets of Songzhou, he had heard people speak of the war in the southwest and had vaguely sensed that the other man was not merely a murderous fiend. He had truly regretted his youthful folly. But by then, he had already resolved to relinquish his own identity and live out his life in the mountains. Regret there was, but little real burden on his heart.

If there had been any direct link between them, it was perhaps that in Songzhou, he had once, under the pretense of delivering a letter of intent, tricked one of the man’s aides out of a jar of wine.

However, that had been the aides, not the Crown Prince himself.

Now, everything was different.

The Crown Prince had become his Third Brother. And he and Third Brother had been together in the mountains of Songzhou…

No, he and the Crown Prince of the realm had been together in the mountains of Songzhou…!

Heavens, how could this be?

On the night they parted, when he left behind that farewell letter, he had already prepared himself to bear the man’s hatred and resentment for the rest of his life.

He had thought they would never see each other again.

Hatred and resentment, those would fade with time. After all, there were plenty of people in the world who couldn’t stand him. One more Third Brother hardly mattered.

He was, by nature, hard-hearted and shameless, unworthy of anyone’s affection.

Once Third Brother found someone truly worthy to be kept by his side, he would forget him, and once forgotten, there would be no more hatred. As long as he never saw Third Brother again and never saw the resentment in his eyes, he could pretend none of it had ever happened.

However, now, everything had changed. The Third Brother he thought he would never meet again was standing before him once more and with an identity he had never imagined.

For the first time, Xiao Rong wished that the polo match outside would never end. That way, he could keep hiding there in the tent, avoiding what came next, avoiding the Crown Prince who had once been his Third Brother, and avoiding the reckoning for the heartless things he had done.

Outside, Mo Dong stood watching the tightly closed tent flap, puzzled. The Young Prince, usually unable to sit still, had suddenly become so quiet. If the Young Prince had not expressly forbidden him to enter, he would have begun to suspect that he was either unwell or had been taken hostage.

Inside the pavilion tent, Xiao Rong sat utterly motionless, still as a carved statue, dazed as if turned to stone.

However, his wish was destined to go unfulfilled.

It wasn’t long before the sound of footsteps and voices drifted in from outside. Clearly, the polo match had ended far sooner than he had anticipated.

His heart began to pound again, especially when he realized several sets of footsteps had stopped just outside the tent.

“Young Prince, His Highness the Prince of Jin is here,” Mo Dong’s voice came just as Xiao Rong felt his heart was about to leap into his throat.

Relief washing over him, he rose to his feet.

The tent flap was lifted from outside and in came the Prince of Jin with Wang Hui at his side.

Xiao Rong’s expression was composed as he glanced past them. No one else followed.

“Your Highness finished so quickly?” he asked, withdrawing his gaze.

Before the Prince of Jin could answer, Wang Hui spoke first, face dark, letting out a cold snort, “The Crown Prince plays fast and strikes hard. We’re lucky we didn’t leave the field black-and-blue. I’d say His Highness came today expressly to throw his weight around at the Young Prince and His Highness. We’re out for a pleasure outing and he just happens to ‘wander’ into the polo grounds? Everyone in the gardens knew you two were playing here today.”

Feigning casual curiosity, Xiao Rong asked, “And where is His Highness the Crown Prince now?”

“He said he had official business to attend to, so he left first.” Wang Hui exhaled in obvious relief. “Thank heaven he’s gone. With that killing god standing over us, how could anyone enjoy themselves?”

Xiao Rong was mildly surprised, although he did not show it.

The Prince of Jin said, “It’s nearly noon and the sun here in the gardens is severe. Why don’t we return to the villa? What say you, Young Prince?”

Xiao Rong nodded. “Very well.”

Servants from each household began dismantling the tent and packing belongings.

Standing on the open ground, Xiao Rong cast his gaze about and sure enough, there was no trace of Xi Rong. He had come like the wind and gone like the wind. There had been no confrontation and no awkward scene as he had braced himself for. Instead, Xiao Rong felt a tangle of emotions.

Could it be that the other hated him so deeply that he no longer wished to acknowledge him?

Or perhaps the other had seen through his true face, realized the Xiao Royal Residence now supported the Prince of Jin, and simply decided to pretend it was a mistaken identity, or did he truly not recognize him?

If he’d known it would end like this, he would have stolen a few more glances earlier instead of avoiding his gaze entirely.

Even now, his mind was still in a fog.

The Wang clan’s estate boasted many pavilions, terraces, artificial hills, and ornamental ponds. After returning, they had a simple midday meal and then strolled the gardens for another half-day before formally beginning the evening banquet.

That day’s feast was hosted by the Prince of Jin ostensibly as a welcome for Xiao Rong.

So when the banquet began, the Prince of Jin immediately raised his wine cup. “This humble prince offers the heir a toast.”

Xiao Rong idly toyed with his gilt-painted folding fan, smiling. “Your Highness is too kind. Such a cup is too grand, why not share a drink together instead, for the joy of today’s outing?”

The Prince of Jin agreed with a laugh and the two drained their cups.

As the heir of the Xiao Royal Residence, Xiao Rong naturally sat at the center of attention. Led by Wang Hui, the others were eager for a drink with him. But after three cups, Xiao Rong passed the rest to Mo Dong to drink in his stead, substituting tea for wine himself.

Seeing this, no one dared press him.

After a day together, everyone had already seen that the heir, although seemingly carefree, was a man of firm mind and clear principles, not easily swayed. Even without flaunting arrogance, authority emanated from his every gesture.

By the time the feast ended, night had fallen.

With wine in them, all chose to ride home in carriages.

The servants had the carriages waiting beyond the estate walls. The Prince of Jin and Wang Hui both offered to escort Xiao Rong home, with Wang Hui especially eager, but Xiao Rong politely declined them all and headed toward the Xiao Royal Residence’s own carriage with Mo Dong.

The guards, seeing their Young Prince approach, hurried forward to open the carriage door and set down the footstool.

Xiao Rong climbed in straight to the soft couch that lay inside, intending to lie down for a rest.

Outside stretched a dark forest where the carriage lanterns cast light beyond, but inside, the cabin was dim.

A hand suddenly reached out from the shadows, closing firmly around his waist and pulling him into the searing heat of a broad chest.

“Rong Rong.” The low murmur, threaded with warm breath, sounded right beside his ear.

Xiao Rong’s mind went utterly blank.

How achingly familiar was that voice. How achingly familiar was that chest.

In an instant, the blood in his body seemed to freeze, his limbs turning numb, unable to move, letting that hand held him fast.

“Rong Rong.” The voice came again, low and hushed, steeped in longing and tenderness.

Xiao Rong lifted his head, staring dazedly at Xi Rong.

Yet with guards stationed just outside the carriage, they could hardly speak freely here.

“Young Prince?” Mo Dong called from outside.

It took Xiao Rong a long while before he found his voice again. “Let’s go.”

The carriage soon began to rumble forward.

Inside, the two men still faced each other in silence.

With the noise of the wheels to mask them, they could at least speak in low tones.

“I…” Xiao Rong had barely managed to start when he was suddenly spun by the waist and pressed back against the wall of the carriage.

The tall figure, half-lost in shadow, finally took form and leaned down, covering him completely, seizing his lips in a fierce, devouring kiss.

It was a storm he had not tasted in far too long.

Xiao Rong couldn’t resist; he was quickly swept under by the onslaught, his taut back softening until he surrendered wholly to the other’s will. After a long, unrelenting plunder, his outer robe had been stripped away. That deft tongue began tracing kisses down along his collar and collarbone.

More than once, he nearly let out a shameful sound.

As that tongue, relentless as a siege weapon, began to stray deeper, Xiao Rong, almost trembling, whispered, “Third… Your Highness… d-don’t… control yourself!”

The maddening assault that had been wringing shudders from him stopped abruptly. After a pause, the low voice returned. “What did you say?”

It took Xiao Rong a moment to catch his breath and realize what he had just blurted out. But with things as they were, he could only steel himself and repeat, “I said, Your Highness, control yourself. Stop this.”

“Control myself?” Xi Rong rolled the words on his tongue, letting out a laugh with no clear meaning.

Heaven knew what it had cost him, watching Xiao Rong laugh and drink with others, trailing him in secret, hiding in the shadows, just to finally win a moment alone to speak of his longing; only to be told to control himself.

“No.”

He said only one word, before pinning Xiao Rong to the carriage wall again and kissing him with a near-furious intensity.

From the villa to the city gates, nearly half an hour’s ride, Xiao Rong was kissed the entire way thoroughly, inside and out. His outer robe lay entirely discarded on the floor, his inner robe hanging in disarray.

At first, he had tried to reason with Xi Rong, but soon his mind was too clouded by the kisses to think at all. But he did come to one clear realization.

Third Brother, now the Crown Prince, had no intention of letting him go.

“No… we really can’t…” Seeing Xi Rong’s hand tighten again at his waist, ready to press down, Xiao Rong spoke in near panic.

They were about to turn onto the street where the Xiao Royal Residence stood and under normal circumstances, Xiao En would be waiting at the gates. The man before him truly seemed ready to lose all sense of consequence.

Perhaps his tone, edged with something close to pleading, finally reached him, for Xi Rong stopped at last.

“Kiss me.”

The order was simple.

The carriage reached a corner and began to turn.

Without hesitation, Xiao Rong leaned forward obediently and pressed a kiss to that handsome face.

Xi Rong said nothing, only turned half his face toward him.

Xiao Rong obediently leaned over and planted a second kiss on the other side of his face.

The carriage turned a corner and a sudden, strange noise brushed past the high walls on either side. The guards instantly grew alert, looking up to search for the source. Xiao Rong’s earlobe was bitten, and when he opened his eyes again, the carriage was empty and the figure had vanished.

As expected, Xiao En was waiting outside the gates with men in tow.

Xiao Rong quickly composed himself, stepping out of the carriage without so much as a change in expression. But his heart was pounding like a startled deer. He brushed off Xiao En’s concern with a few perfunctory words and went straight to his residence at the Jade Dragon Terrace.

Once back in his room, Xiao Rong sat down on the couch, still shaken, and only then dared loosen his robes to check the marks on his body.

It hadn’t been his imagination.

Third Brother had truly been there. And it was nothing like he had imagined. Third Brother had called to him with such deep affection as though he did not hate him entirely, but… still held him in his heart.

Truth be told… he missed him as well.

The days they’d spent together in the mountains of Songzhou had been too beautiful, almost like stolen time. Never before had there been someone so patient with him, so gentle, so endlessly tolerant; someone who would even risk his life to save him.

He had never thought that in this lifetime, they would have a chance to meet again, let alone in such an unexpected way.

Xiao Rong touched his still-warm cheeks and under the shifting glow of candlelight, a slow smile curved his lips.

A sudden knock came from outside.

Xiao En’s voice followed. “Young Prince, it’s this old servant.”

Xiao Rong knew he had likely come to deliver hangover soup, so he said, “The door’s not locked. Come in.”

Sure enough, Xiao En entered with a bowl of hangover soup in hand. But when he saw the heir sitting behind the desk with his hand to his forehead, his face… practically overflowing with spring warmth, lips unable to hide the trace of a smile, he couldn’t help but be startled.

One might even say… shocked.

Placing the soup on the desk, Xiao En probed cautiously, “Young Prince had a pleasant time playing with His Highness the Prince of Jin today?”

“It was fine,” Xiao Rong adjusted his sleeve, sitting upright, and replied with deliberate ambiguity. His good mood had absolutely nothing to do with the Prince of Jin, but of course, he couldn’t possibly reveal the truth.

“Uncle, do you think Father… and the Xiao clan are determined to choose the Prince of Jin?”

The question clearly took Xiao En by surprise. “Why does the Young Prince ask this?”

“I was just thinking,” Xiao Rong said, “Father has always valued ability above all when selecting his men. If, among the princes, there were someone more capable than the Prince of Jin, someone more suited to be king, would Father choose another instead?”

Xiao En was silent for a moment and then shook his head.

Xiao Rong’s expression darkened. “Why?”

The old eunuch’s face held a faraway, seasoned look. “Young Prince understands this better than I do. Choosing a king is not the same as choosing a subordinate. To His Highness and the Xiao clan, the most important thing about the one who sits on that throne is not his capability. Why? Could it be… the Young Prince thinks poorly of the Prince of Jin?”

The heat on Xiao Rong’s face gradually cooled.

“No.” His expression shifted back to its usual cold, flawless perfection. “I was only speaking casually. I’m tired. Uncle, you should rest early too.”

The heir could change his face faster than turning a page and Xiao En was well accustomed to it. He merely reminded him to drink the hangover soup before bed, then rose and took his leave.