Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 90

Xiao Rong’s tone was as soft as a cat’s.

Xi Rong nodded solemnly. “The heir’s means are remarkable. I must admit, they startled me a little.”

Xiao Rong had never cared much about what others thought of him. But hearing Xi Rong say that, he instinctively tried to explain himself. “Actually, I’m not usually like this.” After speaking, he thought back to his past actions, especially that essay, ‘Demon Yaksha’, which had stirred up such a storm, and suddenly felt a little guilty.

“Of course, my temper isn’t exactly mild. I’ve probably made a fool of myself before Your Highness.” Back in Songzhou, he must have disguised himself too well and completely deceived Xi Rong. For once, Xiao Rong wondered why he couldn’t have just held back a little earlier, acted a bit gentler and more modest?

All of this was that wretch Xiao Yuke’s fault. Of all times to provoke him, it had to be then.

“But I like it,” Xi Rong continued softly.

Xiao Rong blinked, certain he had misheard, and looked at Xi Rong in surprise.

“I said, I like it,” Xi Rong repeated, his low voice carrying a hint of warmth beneath its calmness.

The look on him made Xiao Rong feel suddenly embarrassed. “Ahem… Your Highness, you don’t have to say things just to cheer me up.”

Xi Rong shook his head. “I’m not saying it to please you. Nor do I think it’s a bad temper. On the contrary, I find it quite… endearing.”

Endearing.

For a moment, Xiao Rong almost doubted whether he had really just struck Xiao Yuke earlier.

Then again, it wasn’t the first time Xi Rong had indulged him so easily. And if anyone else had said such words, it would have sounded like flattery. But from Xi Rong, never.

Xiao Rong smiled faintly, turned his head aside, pretending to look out the carriage window, when a strong hand suddenly wrapped around his waist. Before he could react, he was pressed back against the wall of the carriage.

Startled, Xiao Rong stared wide-eyed at the handsome face so close to his.

“I was just thinking,” Xi Rong said quietly, half his face hidden in shadow, “how fortunate I am that the heir once favored me.”

If someone had accused Xiao Rong of arrogance or willfulness at that moment, he could have retaliated with sharp words and flawless logic, leaving his opponent in pieces.

However, that sudden, simple confession caught him off guard. It made his face flush crimson and he couldn’t find a single word in reply.

At such close distance, Xiao Rong thought that in the next instant, Xi Rong would surely kiss him.

Yet Xi Rong only looked at him, doing nothing.

He was holding fast to the promise between them.

Then, moved by a sudden impulse, Xiao Rong lunged forward, pushing Xi Rong down onto the soft carpet of the carriage, his voice low and commanding, “Kiss me.”

Xi Rong still didn’t move, his eyes dark and deep as the sea.

“Kiss me,” Xiao Rong said again, brows lifting in challenge.

The young heir’s eyes shimmered like rippling water; the silver ribbon at his crown slipped loose, winding around Xi Rong’s neck, carrying the faint scent of orchids and ink. And in that instant, Xi Rong felt the fortress he had built around himself, solid and unyielding for so long, crumble into dust.

His hand slid slowly up the boy’s slender back beneath the robe and from those soul-stirring eyes, he began to kiss.

Xiao Rong closed his eyes and let the kiss land.

Part of him loathed himself for this deliberate temptation, knowing full well he shouldn’t, yet doing it anyway, while another part quietly reveled in it, in the soft, drizzling pleasure of it all.

The carriage rolled steadily along the wide palace road. No one knew what was happening within that quiet, enclosed space.

Such a bold, reckless, utterly audacious thing.

Only when the carriage entered the inner palace, turning onto the Heavenly Avenue that led toward the Chancellery, did the two silently, by unspoken accord, draw apart.

Xi Rong straightened, regaining his composed, dignified posture.

Xiao Rong too quickly adjusted his robe and crown, sitting upright again. “In a while, I’ll send the guards away. Your Highness can use that moment to leave,” Xiao Rong said calmly, as though nothing had happened.

Xi Rong nodded. His hands, resting on his knees, slowly clenched, creasing the perfectly smooth fabric of his robes.

“The Jade Dragon Terrace is dangerous. From now on, Your Highness should not come there again,” Xiao Rong said quietly.

Xi Rong nodded once more, his expression once again calm.

Neither spoke again.

A short while later, the carriage stopped. Xiao Rong rose, sleeves flowing, and stepped out without looking back.

The door opened and then closed again. The shifting light carved Xi Rong’s sharp features into halves of shadow and brightness, and then shut him off from the world once more.

He sat there motionless, staring at the closed door.

Only when everything outside had fallen utterly silent did he finally seize his chance and slip out.

He followed the Heavenly Avenue northward, passed behind the Chancellery, and after walking several hundred meters east, entered the narrow passage leading to the Eastern Palace.

Song Yang had been anxiously waiting by the palace gate. The moment he saw Xi Rong appear in dark robes under the morning light, he rushed forward and asked urgently, “Your Highness, where have you been? Why are you only returning now?”

“Last night I went to the Jade Dragon Terrace,” Xi Rong said evenly. “It took some time to get away, so I was delayed.”

Song Yang’s face changed drastically. “J–Jade Dragon Terrace?”

Was it the Jade Dragon Terrace he knew?

He nearly lost his soul from fright. Gathering his courage, he dropped to his knees and said, “Even if Your Highness were to kill me for it today, there are some things I must still say—”

“There’s no need, sir.” Xi Rong clasped his hands behind his back, lifting his gaze to the tall palace walls rising on either side of the narrow path. “I truly am not worthy to love him. My feelings, beyond my control, will only bring him trouble and distress. It’s time I let it go.”

Song Yang was struck speechless.

All the fervent words he had prepared to admonish his lord were suddenly rendered useless, lodged unspoken in his throat. It was, after all, the result he had long hoped for; the perfect, most reasonable outcome.

Yet hearing those words from his lord’s own mouth, he felt an unexpected ache in his chest.

***

That day, Xiao Rong’s main task was, as usual, to deliver documents to the Ministry of War.

With the martial arts tournament approaching, the Ministry of War had become the busiest bureau in the entire court. The exchange of battle reports and paperwork between it and the Chancellery was constant and tedious.

Given Xiao Rong’s rank and accomplishments, he normally wouldn’t have to run such errands himself but on his very first day at the Chancellery, Xiao Rong had volunteered to take on the task himself.

Naturally, Zhong Fang was quite pleased with his junior’s initiative.

First, the weather was unbearably hot. Although the Chancellery wasn’t far from the Ministry of War, the back-and-forth was tiring. Most officials preferred to stay indoors and idle away the day. Yet Xiao Rong, despite his privileged background, willingly took on a chore no one wanted; a job of pure legwork and tedium. There was not the slightest trace of arrogance or delicacy typical of sons from noble families. His actions perfectly embodied the steadfast character of the Qizhou’s Qi clan’s disciples.

Second, since Prince Xiao commanded the Ministry of War, Xiao Rong’s comings and goings there were almost like entering his own household. Compared to others, his access greatly improved efficiency, cutting through unnecessary red tape. At the very least, he wouldn’t face the deliberate delays or petty obstacles that ordinary clerks so often suffered.

When Xiao Rong arrived at the main hall of the Ministry, Minister of War Du Zifang was holding a military dispatch, stroking his beard in thought.

Hearing footsteps, Du Zifang quickly set the dispatch on the desk, pressing it down under another document to hide it, then greeted him with a smile. “Ah, the Young Prince has come.”

Xiao Rong said mildly, “All important dispatches that pass through the Ministry, aside from confidential ones, are copied to the Three Departments. There’s no need for the Minister to guard it as though I were a thief.”

Du Zifang gave an awkward laugh. “You jest, Young Prince. It’s nothing important, truly; just a routine report from one of the frontier generals.”

Xiao Rong smiled faintly. “Oh? Has Prince Yan changed his nature at last, calling himself a mere frontier general now?”

At those words, Du Zifang nearly groaned aloud.

He hadn’t meant to hide anything from the Young Prince but Prince Yan often slipped private remarks into his military reports, some of them disrespectful toward Prince Xiao. The entire Ministry of War had long suffered from this. Every time a dispatch arrived from the Northern Yan Army, they treated it like a ticking bomb, checking it repeatedly to ensure nothing improper remained before they dared present it upward.

Most crucially, years ago, one such report had been accidentally seen by the Young Prince, who had come to the Ministry of War as part of a tour with Grand Chancellor Qi and that incident had nearly caused a catastrophe. Du Zifang had almost lost his position as Minister of War over it.

Fortunately, Prince Xiao had been magnanimous and fair, sparing him and continuing to trust him with important duties. Du Zifang would never again allow the same mistake to happen twice.

He chuckled to smooth things over. “With the martial arts tournament approaching, Prince Yan has attached to his dispatch a roster of the Northern Yan officers who will participate, along with the formal petition for approval. Would the Young Prince care to take a look?”

Xiao Rong replied, “The Chancellery only handles the transmission of documents. Internal affairs of the Ministry of War are beyond my authority. I would never overstep.”

Only after Xiao Rong had completed his business and departed did Du Zifang finally exhale in relief. He immediately summoned a subordinate and ordered, “Send the dispatch and the roster to His Highness at once.”

“This Prince Yan…” Du Zifang muttered under his breath, “he’s coming on strong this time.”

***

When Xiao Rong returned to the Jade Dragon Terrace that evening, he had just begun a simple supper when Xiao En himself arrived.

“His Highness asks that the Young Prince come to the Hall of Splendor.” Xiao En glanced at the mostly untouched meal before explaining his purpose.

Xiao Rong flipped through a scroll without looking up. “What is it? Did someone from the Third Branch come to lodge a complaint again? Tell Father that I’ll go kneel in the Hall of Repentance later. There’s no need for him to trouble himself with such petty family squabbles.”

Xiao En gave a helpless sigh. “Young Prince, you’re teasing this old servant again. If you truly wish to end my poor old life, just say so. But words like that, no matter how bold you are, I wouldn’t dare repeat them.”

Xiao Rong smiled. “I’m being considerate. This way, everyone stays happy, don’t you think?”

Another sigh escaped Xiao En. “The Third Branch did send someone, yes. But His Highness wants to see you for more than just that.”

Xiao Rong finally looked up.

Xiao En’s gaze flickered, worry glinting within. “Today, by His Highness’s order, Mo Qing brought with him an official from Songzhou Prefecture. His name is Wu Zhiyin, the current Prefect of Songzhou. Does the Young Prince know this man?”

Xiao Rong said nothing. After a moment, he lowered his eyes, quietly closed the scroll, and stood up with an unbothered air. “The name sounds familiar. Let’s go.”