Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 7

Yan Maocai turned his gaze to an attendant.

The attendant understood immediately and stepped forward, bowing slightly. “This young master’s elder brother is indeed tall and imposing, always carrying a sword. He doesn’t look like someone to mess with…”

He recalled last night’s event and silently gasped. No wonder the man carried such an overwhelming presence just by standing there, so oppressive that others dared not meet his eyes. It turned out he was from the Eastern Palace!

Due to the Eastern Palace’s dreadful reputation among the common people, the mere mention of it brought to mind a den of bloodthirsty demons, the Crown Prince himself included.

Once it was confirmed, Yan Maocai’s budding fantasies instantly deflated by seventy to eighty percent.

Although he had the powerful Cui clan as his backing and did not fear the Eastern Palace, that didn’t mean he was willing to offend them either. He had heard enough rumors about that one in the Eastern Palace who was unpredictable, moody, and always acted on whim. There was no rhyme or reason to his methods. If he were to catch hold of any leverage against you, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“I’ve been disrespectful.” Yan Maocai subtly set down the now-scorching tea cup and merely let his gaze linger. “Who would’ve thought such an impressive man would be your brother?” Now that the beauty he’d had within reach had slipped away, the words ‘impressive’ carried a trace of bitterness.

Gu Rong beamed. “Mister Yan is too kind. That man just now, rushing to claim himself everyone’s father the moment he steps outside, is rather amusing.”

The servant who had shouted earlier: “…”

Yan Maocai, a little surprised, asked, “You know me, young sir?”

Gu Rong feigned surprise. “Why would I need to know you personally? Mister Yan’s name is known all over Songzhou. Who doesn’t know it? Who hasn’t heard of you? Your esteemed father, Assistant Prefect Yan, is also a man of great reputation. As a mere commoner, I can only look up to you in awe. How could I possibly reach your level?”

Yan Maocai was pleased. “Since you know me, then you should know that here in Songzhou, I do have a say in most affairs. If you ever need anything, you can come to the Assistant Prefect’s residence and find me.”

Gu Rong nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely!”

The nearby servant: “…”

Shouldn’t most people politely decline such offers?

But Yan Maocai only smiled, flicked open his folding fan, and led his entourage of scholars away in style.

Outside the main hall, Jiang Cheng silently retracted the foot he had just stepped through the doorway. He thought, ‘That young man really is two-faced, honey on his lips, a dagger in his heart, and full of deceit, not someone worth any sympathy!’

Yet His Highness had actually asked him to come to see if the little swindler had enough money for his meal. Aside from that face, he truly couldn’t see a single redeeming quality in the boy.

Jiang Cheng turned and left decisively. He had to report the double-dealing ‘wicked deeds’ of the little swindler to His Highness!

***

Xi Rong had just finished discussing matters with his aides and was seated in the temporary meeting hall, reading through a scroll.

Although the outside world described the Crown Prince as a devil, those within the Eastern Palace all knew him as a man of extreme self-discipline and tireless diligence. He followed a rigorous daily schedule so severe it could be called terrifying and kept to it three hundred sixty-five days a year, rain or shine.

Despite his public image as a bloodthirsty killer, Xi Rong was never without a book in hand. No matter how busy he was with military or political affairs, he always found time each day to read. His range of reading was so vast that classical philosophy, local legends, and even poetry and songs could all be found on the Crown Prince’s bookshelf.

Jiang Cheng entered, saluted, and promptly began to report everything he had just seen and heard.

“He really said that?”

After a long pause, the voice came from behind the desk. No emotion could be heard.

“Absolutely true. I heard it clearly from outside. That young man is truly something else. Just yesterday he was praising Your Highness and the Eastern Palace, encouraging people to submit name cards and pledge allegiance. Today he turns his back, speaking slander and disgrace, even claiming he’s ashamed to be associated with the Eastern Palace. Such duplicity, it’s shocking!” Jiang Cheng looked like he had gained a valuable life lesson and was fully prepared to bear the Crown Prince’s wrath.

But Xi Rong only looked up calmly and asked, “Where is the money I asked you to give him?”

Jiang Cheng immediately produced a heavy pouch from his robes, stepped forward, and respectfully placed it on the desk. He thought he was being especially considerate. “Your Highness, rest assured. It’s all here, not a single coin is missing. In that situation, how could I continue to pay for his food?”

Xi Rong said nothing but Jiang Cheng could clearly sense the pressure in the room suddenly drop.

“Commander Jiang, have I been paying you too much lately?” A cold chuckle dropped from the air.

Jiang Cheng froze. Then a realization struck him like lightning. In an instant, cold sweat broke out as he knelt. “This subordinate should not have acted on his own judgment. Please punish me, Your Highness.” He knelt on one knee before the desk, a thin line of sweat dripping silently from his temple.

Xi Rong’s face was half-shrouded in sunlight. He let him kneel there a while before finally asking again, “Who is Yan Maocai?”

“He is the son of Yan Hemei, Assistant Prefect of Songzhou, and also the top scorer in the literary competition of this year’s Chu River Gathering,” Jiang Cheng didn’t dare lift his head, answering tensely. “I’ve heard that Yan Hemei is quite close with the Cui clan. Yan Maocai was only able to become a guest scholar of the Cui clan thanks to his father’s quiet maneuvering. With the Cui clan backing him, even though Yan Hemei is just an assistant prefect, he wields considerable influence in Songzhou.”

“A ‘brother working in the Eastern Palace,’ huh? Quick to learn and put it to use, he’s rather clever.” Xi Rong suddenly made a sound with an unreadable expression. The curve at the corner of his lips twitched imperceptibly, then quickly sank into something colder as some thought crossed his mind.

Jiang Cheng was momentarily stunned. From His Highness’s tone, it was obvious he wasn’t talking about Yan Hemei, but rather that little swindler.

But… there didn’t seem to be any anger?

His Highness had always ruled with an iron hand, unbothered by so-called gentlemanly conduct. Yet toward that unknown little swindler, he seemed unusually lenient. Just last night, in a rare move, he had personally taken the boy from a beggar’s den and brought him to the inn, letting him stay in the finest and most expensive room.

Such generosity…

Jiang Cheng began to question himself. Could it be that, aside from that face, the little swindler possessed some other hidden virtue he had failed to notice? As the commander of the Eastern Palace guards, when had his judgment ever been so lacking?

“You’ll go again,” Xi Rong ordered after a moment of silence. “Take the Eastern Palace token with you. Tell the manager he may stay in that room for as many days as he wants. All expenses will be settled by his ‘brother.’”

Jiang Cheng instantly understood. His Highness was solidifying the idea that the boy had a ‘brother working in the Eastern Palace.’ This wasn’t just leniency; it bordered on indulgence. He dared not speak another word or let even the faintest expression of disapproval show. He answered respectfully.

Meanwhile, Yan Maocai was walking down the street, chatting and laughing with a group of companions, when suddenly, someone beside him exclaimed, “Brother Yan, what’s wrong with your hand?”

Yan Maocai looked down and realized that his right hand had somehow broken out in a dense rash and red welts covered the skin until the whole hand looked as though it had been pulled from a vat of dye, creating an eerie, unnatural red.

His face changed instantly.

And only then did the unbearable itching strike, like wildfire sweeping through his palm.

People around him asked with concern, “What happened?”

“Brother Yan, did you touch something unclean?”

It looked very much like hives caused by allergic reactions, but Yan Maocai had no idea. How was he supposed to know what filth he’d touched? All he knew was that his hand now felt like it was being gnawed by thousands of ants, painful and itchy. He wanted nothing more than to chop it off.

However, it was the hand he used to write with, how could he really cut it off?

The Yan family’s servants were also dumbfounded, terrified that their young master had caught some terrible disease. They hurried to fetch a sedan chair, quickly said their farewells, and scrambled to carry Yan Maocai back to the Assistant Prefect’s residence.

Inside the inn’s main hall, Gu Rong slowly finished the last spoonful of fish soup and stood up with satisfaction.

The attendant immediately came forward to serve him.

Ever since learning that the young gentleman’s ‘elder brother’ worked in the Eastern Palace, the attendant’s attitude had become even more attentive than before.

He was just about to clear the table when Gu Rong said, “I accidentally broke one of your teacups. Give me a price and I’ll compensate you.”

The attendant replied cleverly, “It’s just a teacup, not worth much. That it was broken by you, young master, is a blessing in itself.”

“That won’t do. I can’t take advantage of your establishment.” Gu Rong pulled something out. “Here, I’ll trade you this.”

It was a box of osmanthus cakes. The paper wrapping bore the name of the well-known Songzhou bakery, Caichun Pavilion. Although it was just a box of cakes, the name alone meant it was expensive. The attendant stopped refusing and accepted it with a smile. “Thank you, young master, for the gift.”

After eating, Gu Rong walked straight out of the inn and onto the street. He was used to going wherever the wind took him, with no specific destination in mind. Knowing there was a well-known bookstore nearby, and since the weather was fine and it wasn’t far, he decided to wander over and take a look.

He had only walked a short distance when he heard the sound of desperate sobbing up ahead. Looking over, he saw a scholar he recognized from the inn earlier frantically shaking someone who had collapsed in the corner of a wall, calling anxiously, “Ziqing, wake up! Don’t scare me!”

The crowd kept their distance, afraid of getting involved in something that might lead to trouble with the authorities.

Gu Rong looked through the crowd and immediately recognized the slumped figure with his head drooped and body bruised, clearly unconscious. It was the scholar named Ji Ziqing who had been beaten earlier, also the top scorer in the literary competition of the Chu River Gathering.

“Ziqing! Ziqing!” Seeing his friend unresponsive, Zhang Jiuyi became even more frantic.

“He’s likely fainted from stagnant blood and energy. Try using this.” At that desperate moment, a voice came from the side.

Zhang Jiuyi looked up and saw a young gentleman in a flowing blue robe, as elegant as jade, standing there. His eyes shimmered like stars and his waist-length black hair was loosely tied up with a simple bamboo hairpin. In his hand, he held a porcelain bottle.

Zhang Jiuyi froze. “And you are?”

“It’s a medicine power to clear seven orifices. Let him smell this,” the other person said.

Having no other choice, and seeing the confidence in the man’s expression, Zhang Jiuyi nodded in return and placed the bottle under Ji Ziqing’s nose. Shortly after, Ji Ziqing slowly regained consciousness.

Zhang Jiuyi asked excitedly, “Ziqing, how are you?”

Ji Ziqing nodded weakly. He then turned his gaze toward Gu Rong and said with difficulty, “Thank you… young master… for your help.”

Gu Rong’s eyes curved as he put the bottle back into his sleeve. “It was a small matter. Brother, you’re injured quite badly. You should see a doctor as soon as possible.”

“That’s right, Ziqing. Let’s go to the medical hall immediately. And after we’re finished there, I’ll go with you to retrieve your name card from the Cui clan’s envoys.”

Zhang Jiuyi was ready to help him up but Ji Ziqing shook his head. “I will not withdraw it.”

Gu Rong, who had been turning to leave, paused. He turned back, crossed his arms, and said, “Brother, I think your beating was well deserved. In fact, you got off lightly. I advise you to heal up and then get out of Songzhou while you still can. Otherwise, you might not even keep your body in one piece.”

“…”

Zhang Jiuyi, although thinking his friend was somewhat stubborn, reflexively stepped forward in his defense. “The young master doesn’t know the whole story. How can you say such things…?”

“Can’t you hear I’m trying to save him?” Gu Rong made no further ceremony. He casually sat down cross-legged on a grass mat and said, “As the saying goes, a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake. Here in Songzhou, Yan Maocai is that local snake. Do you honestly think you can challenge him with pure resolve?

“Those pedants and sages always teach people to break instead of bend, but a man must be able to adapt to the situation. Integrity cannot feed you. The hardest bone can be shattered by a heavy hammer. If you keep charging forward without turning back, you’re likely to end up injured and bleeding. Brother, you’re a scholar, why do you make things so hard for yourself?”

Zhang Jiuyi was astonished. “How does the young master know?”

“I happened to be nearby and saw a bit of the commotion.”

Ji Ziqing forced a bitter smile. “So, by your view, ordinary people without power or influence can only suffer in silence? What, then, is the use of reading the books of the sages?”

Gu Rong sighed. “If you’re going to read them in this way, you might as well not read them at all.”

Zhang Jiuyi fell silent. He suspected that the young master hadn’t come to aid them but instead to mock them.

Ji Ziqing, evidently a bit provoked, asked, “May I know what high opinion the young master might have?”

Gu Rong casually played with a copper coin in his hand. “There’s no high opinion to speak of. I can save your life and for free, at that. Have you heard the story of Tian Ji’s horse race?” |7|

The two fell into silence, unsure of what he meant.

Gu Rong said casually, “When you’re up against a tiger or a snake, you shouldn’t go at it with your bare hands. Brother, you’re turning to the Cui clan for your future, but if you’re pitting your weakness against their greatest strength, do you really think you can win? If I were you, I’d do the opposite and maximize my own strengths to attack their weaknesses.”

Zhang Jiuyi was intrigued. “So… Young master means Ziqing should…?”

Gu Rong remained sitting cross-legged. With a flip of his finger, he tossed a copper coin up, then caught it in his hand and said with a slight smile, “The future belongs to you. I wouldn’t presume to dictate it. But I know that the Chu River Gathering is well-renowned and the first scholar there is worth a great deal. The Cui clan may be blinded, but there are many who appreciate talent. Brother, you’re in your prime, there’s no need to tie yourself to a single tree.”

“That’s very true!” Zhang Jiuyi turned to his friend. “Ziqing, a green hill guarantees there’s firewood in the future. It’s not worth wrestling directly with the Yan family. Apart from the Cui clan, there are many other paths forward. With your ability, you’re sure to find a place where you can make a name for yourself. If nothing else, we can go to the capital and serve the Xiao family instead.”

Ji Ziqing slowly raised his head. “The Xiao family?”

“That’s right!” Zhang Jiuyi’s eyes glimmered. “Don’t forget, the greatest of the Five Great Clans and Seven Noble Houses is not the Cui clan but the Xiao family! I’ve heard that Prince Xiao is a wise leader who welcomes talent and holds a seat in the Secretariat…”

“That’s a good idea.” Gu Rong made a sardonic comment, “The capital is a thousand miles away. This brother is injured so heavily he might die before he reaches it, then we’d save money on a coffin.”

“……”

After their conversation, Zhang Jiuyi was already completely convinced by Gu Rong, filled with reverence, and eager to make him a close friend. He hurriedly said humbly, “Could the young master please show us a clear path forward?”

The young master rested his chin in his hand, thinking carefully. “Hmm… I think there’s no need to reach far when there’s something close by. The Eastern Palace isn’t a bad choice.

“It’s said that the Eastern Palace put up a recruitment notice yesterday and nobody came. It’s desolate and sad. There was only a single person who presented a name card and that person was just a swindler looking for free food and drink. If you were to submit your name card there, with your title as the number one scholar, the Eastern Palace would be delighted. There’d be gongs and drums to celebrate your arrival.”

Zhang Jiuyi: “……….”

“Young master, please don’t tease us.” Zhang Jiuyi’s eyes widened, his pupils shaking, as he turned a cautious and bewildered gaze toward Gu Rong. “The Eastern Palace… If we really submit our name cards there for a pittance, we’d become a laughingstock for the scholars all over the world.”

Gu Rong rested his chin in his hand. “Are the consequences really that serious?”

“Of course! We’re truly grateful for your kindness today, young master, but we need to get to the medical hall. We shouldn’t trouble you further. We’ll certainly repay you in the future if we get the chance.” Zhang Jiuyi hurriedly bowed and practically supported his friend as they rushed away, as if Gu Rong were a fearsome monster.

Gu Rong casually straightened his robe and then slowly stood up, unfazed. He tossed the copper coin in his hand up into the air once more and caught it in his sleeve, letting its side determine whether or not he should visit the bookstore today.

“Freshly made osmanthus candy! Young man, care for a piece or two?”

A nearby vendor called warmly and when the copper coin fell into his hand with its reverse side up, representing ‘do not go,’ Gu Rong sighed and shook his head. “Ah, Brother Shu, Brother Shu, it seems the heavens aren’t smiling upon us today. Shopkeeper, I’ll take all your candy.”

Shopkeeper Zhou, the candy vendor, looked up and saw the charming young man, hands behind his back, smiling warmly at him, before stretching out a handful of coins forward.

Shopkeeper Zhou was momentarily dazed by his appearance and then nodded. “All right.”

***

“He’s gone?”

Soft rays of sunlight fell into the meeting hall.

Hearing Jiang Cheng’s report, Xi Rong paused his grip on his brush and slowly raised his head. “Alright.”

Jiang Cheng was not without surprise. “The inn’s attendant said that little swindler… I mean, that young master… left a short while ago. The rest of his room fee and meal tab are all here, along with this…”

Jiang Cheng’s expression was stiff as he presented a large paper package tied up with hemp rope. “This was left by the young master. He said if his ‘brother’ came back, I should hand this over and tell his ‘brother’ that he had something urgent to attend to and had gone home first. This packet of osmanthus candy is a small gift for his brother, to aid him in his duties. Please rest assured that he will take care of himself and not cause his brother any worries. He will also burn incense every day and pray for his brother’s health, a smooth career, promotions, a happy marriage, and many children.”

Jiang Cheng felt goosebumps all over his body. If he hadn’t been in the know, he might have been deceived by the touching show of ‘brotherly affection!’

The author has something to say:

Baby Rongrong: He really went to great lengths to attract clients for her future husband.
The Eastern Palace delegation hiding in the corner: Are we really worth so little?
Zhang Jiuyi: Guys, I think we might have stumbled into a scam.
Jiang the Workhorse: Some confusing moments. I reported to His Highness.
Xi the Dog: It was enjoyable, but not for long.