Southern Ruo Imperial Palace.
The carriage had barely come to a halt when Jiang Huaichu, without waiting for a eunuch to provide a footstool, jumped down and walked hurriedly toward the Yazheng Palace, his robes fluttering in the wind.
The head eunuch chased after him in a state of trepidation. “Your Highness, please slow down! Don’t fall, watch your step!”
The palace staff along the way caught sight of the approaching figure in his light furs and elegant belts, his appearance refined and graceful. They immediately stopped and bowed with the utmost respect.
A pretty young palace maid grew bold enough to steal a glance at Prince Duan. She froze for a few seconds before quickly lowering her head, her face flushed crimson.
As Prince Duan, he was second only to one and above tens of thousands. Not only was he young and already famous for his illustrious military achievements, but his appearance was also exceptional. Although perhaps not quite as handsome and spirited as the Emperor, his jade-like aura made it impossible for one to look away.
After a single fleeting glimpse, one almost forgot his features in an instant, leaving only a dense sense of amazement in the heart. It left people in a daze, creating the illusion that Prince Duan was as beautiful as the legendary Pan An.
It was truly a strange thing.
Once Prince Duan and the head eunuch had walked far away, several palace maids finally raised their heads.
“Still looking!”
“His Highness wouldn’t punish me for that.”
“You’d better restrain yourself. The Emperor said that Prince Duan has not yet reached his capping ceremony. Anyone who dares to have crooked thoughts or lead him into depravity will be beaten to death!”
“I know, I know.”
“Why did His Highness come to the palace today?”
“I heard from someone over at Yazheng Palace that the Emperor seemed to be in a thunderous rage after the court session for some reason. His Highness is likely here because of that.”
“Then everything’s fine. Once His Highness coaxes him, the Emperor will be alright.”
At the entrance of Yazheng Palace, Jiang Huaichu dismissed the kneeling palace attendants and the head eunuch. Standing alone before the tightly closed doors of the inner hall, he gently untied the drawstring of a sachet at his waist. Reaching a finger inside, he took a bit of white powder and rubbed it across his hands.
The powder was fine, becoming colorless and odorless once spread.
Jiang Huaichu sighed inwardly.
Imperial Brother, I’m sorry.
“Have you not had enough time on the road to figure out how to lie to me, that you still need to prepare yourself at my doorstep?”
Inside the room, a man’s voice sounded as cold as ice. The emotions he was trying to suppress were roiling beneath the surface, enough to make one’s scalp tingle just by listening.
Jiang Huaichu immediately pushed the door open and entered.
The man sitting behind the desk in the inner hall wore dragon robes. He was upright and handsome, clearly only in his mid-twenties, yet his demeanor and conduct were extremely solemn and majestic. A single look from him was enough to make one feel guilty.
Right now, he was stiff-faced, staring at Jiang Huaichu without a word, his eyes terrifyingly dark.
“…Imperial Brother.”
“Don’t call me that.”
Jiang Huaichu turned back to close the door, pressing on it to ensure it was tightly shut before moving toward the desk. Finally, he stood obediently by the man’s side and lowered his head. “…Imperial Brother.”
Jiang Huaiyi was instantly ignited by that address. “You still know I’m your Imperial Brother? If that old geezer hadn’t let it slip, how long were you planning to keep me in the dark? Until you were pregnant, or until your belly was so big you had no choice but to give birth? Jiang Huaichu, I never realized you were this bold! You’re revolting against heaven!”
When Jiang Huaiyi had heard the full account from that old man of Miluo Manor, he nearly fainted from rage.
His only brother, for the sake of Southern Ruo’s future, had actually agreed to the shameless and absurd request of Miluo Manor to infiltrate the enemy nation, seduce Emperor Xiao Yun, and bear his child.
How could Miluo Manor even think of such a thing? How did they have the face to propose it? And how could Jiang Huaichu bring himself to agree?
Jiang Huaiyi found it utterly inconceivable.
“…I was wrong.” Jiang Huaichu’s expression was submissive as he reached for Jiang Huaiyi’s hand, only to be brushed off.
“Stand up straight.”
Jiang Huaichu retracted his hand and could only pull his legs together and stand tall and straight, just as he had when he was a child, enduring the lecture without moving.
Jiang Huaiyi’s hand trembled slightly as he pointed at the tip of his brother’s nose. “Jiang Huaichu! Did I raise you for all these years just to give Xiao Yun a bargain?”
“You’re only eighteen! And a man! A girl your age might not even be married yet, and you’re telling me you want to let him… you’re even going to bear his child?”
“You’re going to bear a child for that rogue?”
This sentence seemed to be the source of his fury. He questioned him, his voice terrifyingly loud.
Jiang Huaichu didn’t dare utter a sound.
Jiang Huaiyi looked at his brother—a blank sheet of paper, clean and beautiful—with an expression that was a mix of frustration at his failure to live up to expectations and a shameful inability to speak the words. “Do you even know how children are made? Do you think you get pregnant just by holding hands? That the child starts running around after a hug?”
“…” Jiang Huaichu instinctively pressed his legs together, his head hanging even lower.
He knew. He had done his homework.
“Is it because I didn’t teach you before? Do you want me to tell you what happens right now? Hmm?”
Jiang Huaichu didn’t dare raise his head; he just shook it.
“That old geezer is in his eighties and senile to come up with such a rotten idea, but are you senile too? Can you even catch it like a disease?”
“If I hadn’t found out, were you planning to just come back with a big belly?”
“Did you want to be twenty years old, holding that beast’s seed, and ask me to perform your capping ceremony?”
Jiang Huaiyi was fuming at the image he had conjured in his mind. “Jiang Huaichu, how are you so capable? Do you want to anger me to death?”
“…” Jiang Huaichu’s expression remained calm and steady, and he didn’t move an inch, though the tips of his ears turned slightly red. He reached for the Emperor’s hand again and softened his voice. “Imperial Brother, scold me all you want, but your health is important. Don’t… don’t be so angry.”
Jiang Huaiyi was about to pull away, but seeing his brother’s compliant expression and how he hadn’t talked back once, he paused and barely suppressed his temper.
After a few seconds of internal conflict, he finally let himself be held, saying coldly, “There is no discussion on this matter. I’m warning you: if you dare take one step out of Southern Ruo behind my back, I will immediately have someone break your legs. Do you hear me?”
Jiang Huaichu’s hand paused imperceptibly. He nodded obediently. “I know I was wrong. I really do.”
Jiang Huaiyi took a deep breath. Seeing his good attitude in admitting his fault, he belatedly realized that the things he had said earlier were truly harsh and unbecoming of imperial dignity.
After all, this was the brother he had doted on for so many years. He couldn’t hit him, and if he scolded him too harshly, he feared he would break his heart.
His brother had good intentions and had suffered so much because of his body; for him to bring this up now was no different from poking at a scar.
He also knew he was in the wrong.
Jiang Huaiyi’s heart softened completely. After a moment of silence, he said in a stiff voice, “Southern Ruo doesn’t need your sacrifice, and I certainly don’t. Never mind now, even if the country truly fell, it wouldn’t be necessary. I, Jiang Huaiyi, don’t covet this throne, nor do I fear death. Furthermore, I will never sell my brother for glory. Put this idea out of your mind. What did I teach you? A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. Do you hear me?”
“Just be your little prince properly. Don’t be so mature that you carry everything on your shoulders at such a young age. As long as you don’t go down the wrong path, do whatever you want to do. If the sky falls, I’m here. There’s no need for you to worry; your Imperial Brother still has that much ability.”
Jiang Huaichu stared at him for a long time. Only when Jiang Huaiyi was about to scold him again did he slowly nod. “I know.”
Jiang Huaiyi breathed a silent sigh of relief and said with a cold face, “Do you have anything to say? Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance to defend yourself.”
“…No.”
“You know you were wrong?”
“I know.”
Seeing that he answered without hesitation, Jiang Huaiyi finally nodded in satisfaction.
Such a fantastical request… Huaichu was just young, so he was momentarily confused and coaxed into agreeing by that old muddlehead. He was always clever; with a few simple reminders, he would surely—
Jiang Huaiyi fainted.
Jiang Huaichu had been watching closely, catching him steadily the moment he lost consciousness.
“Imperial Brother?” Jiang Huaichu called softly several times.
Jiang Huaiyi gave no response.
He had formulated the sedative himself, so he knew its potency. Jiang Huaiyi would not wake up for six hours.
Jiang Huaichu pulled one of Jiang Huaiyi’s arms over his shoulder, half-supporting and half-carrying him as he exerted himself to lay the man gently on the bed. He carefully removed his boots, covered him with a brocade quilt, and tucked in the corners.
He stood by the bed and watched for a long time before leaving without looking back.
…
“You’re back?”
As soon as General Huo heard that the Emperor had summoned Jiang Huaichu to the palace, he immediately rode to the manor to wait. He had been drinking tea in the side hall, feeling restless, but when the servants announced that Prince Duan had returned, he rushed out urgently.
Jiang Huaichu was calm and composed. He glanced at him and said nothing. Understanding the hint, Huo Xiao followed him into the inner chamber.
Jiang Huaichu turned and shut the door tightly.
Before he could speak, Huo Xiao cut in: “The Emperor knows?”
Jiang Huaichu nodded.
“…Then how did you get out?”
Jiang Huaichu: “I drugged him.”
Huo Xiao’s expression froze for a few seconds. “…Then what do you plan to do?”
Jiang Huaichu washed his hands in a copper basin, carefully cleaning the sedative off each finger as he spoke. “I am setting out for the border immediately.”
“So soon?” Huo Xiao naturally knew that when he said “the border,” he meant going to the enemy nation.
“Preparations are mostly finished. It’s a bit rushed, but Imperial Brother already knows. If I don’t leave now, I won’t be able to go once he wakes up.”
Huo Xiao was silent. What he said was the truth.
They had kept this from the Emperor from start to finish because they knew perfectly well that if the Emperor caught even a glimmer of it, the plan would end in nothing but failure.
Despite all their efforts to hide it, he had unexpectedly found out.
Huo Xiao looked deeply at Jiang Huaichu, a look of intense struggle flashing across his face. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “Must you go? If you ask me, since the Emperor already knows, why don’t we just forget it…”
He had never been in favor of this.
Jiang Huaichu was the incomparably noble little prince, while he was merely a hereditary general, a subject. But from childhood until now, Jiang Huaichu had never put on airs with him, always treating him as an elder brother and carefully cultivating their relationship. He had seen it all.
The honor he held today was mostly given to him by Jiang Huaichu.
Judging others by his own feelings, his care for Jiang Huaichu was not much less than the Emperor’s. How could he possibly agree to this?
It was just that Jiang Huaichu was eloquent and he couldn’t win an argument against him, plus the prince knew how to coax people. He had ended up on this sinking ship in a muddle, his mouth resisting while his head stayed hot as he helped again and again…
Huo Xiao was privately overwhelmed.
How did it become such a messy account?
If anything happened to Jiang Huaichu at the hands of Xiao Yun, he would deserve ten thousand deaths.
Huo Xiao: “Consider it again—”
Jiang Huaichu: “The head eunuch privately mentioned to me that the Young Marquis is oppressing the commoners in the streets again?”
Huo Xiao was stunned for a long time before he could react to the sudden change of topic. “…Yes, he beat someone.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
Huo Xiao didn’t understand why, at a time like this, Jiang Huaichu still had the leisure to manage the affairs of his Imperial Brother’s distant relatives. But he also understood that this was a subtle way of telling him not to persuade him further. He sighed inwardly and followed his lead. “I saw you were too busy, so I didn’t say anything. Shall I have the censors submit a memorial to impeach him?”
Jiang Huaichu frowned. “No, after all, he is a relative. Imperial Brother has always been soft-hearted. If he punishes him, it’s fine, but if he doesn’t, it will be an awkward situation.”
Huo Xiao thought that made sense. “Then should we forget—”
“Go find a few army thugs and give him a few good blows with a club in the dark. Do it cleanly, don’t let anyone know it was our people.”
Huo Xiao looked at him, unsurprised. “…Fine.”
Remembering something, Huo Xiao pointed to a scroll on the side desk. “That… the Young Marquis came by just now and presented you with a piece of Zhang Shiqing’s calligraphy. He said he spent three months searching and paid a heavy price to buy it from someone. Since you weren’t here, he left it here. He also said he would surely come to visit another day to appreciate it with you. This…”
Huo Xiao gave Jiang Huaichu a subtle look.
Zhang Shiqing was a world-renowned calligrapher, and Jiang Huaichu took pleasure in collecting his works.
“…Are we still hitting him?” Huo Xiao asked quietly.
Jiang Huaichu was silent for a moment, then said without changing his expression, “Hit him.”
Huo Xiao glanced at him again.
Jiang Huaichu: “Give him two fewer blows. Don’t hit his face; it would hinder his visits to the brothels.”
Huo Xiao suppressed a laugh. “…Fine.”
Jiang Huaichu said, “Just let the subordinates handle it. You must set out for the border within four hours.”
Huo Xiao considered this. “…Are you afraid the Emperor will mobilize troops to bring you back?”
Huo Xiao spent most of the year guarding the Southern Ruo border. This time, he was only able to return to the capital because he was with Jiang Huaichu. Border generals could not stay in the capital for long; he had already been waiting to return to the border with Jiang Huaichu.
Jiang Huaichu said nothing.
Huo Xiao: “I can leave, but what if the Emperor sends someone all the way to the border with an imperial decree to mobilize troops? What do I do then? You know how stubborn your brother is…”
Jiang Huaichu: “When the general is in the field, he may ignore the orders of the sovereign.”
Huo Xiao could not hide his shock. “Aren’t you afraid your brother will behead me in a fit of rage?”
Jiang Huaichu said calmly, “I’m not telling you to defy the decree. Go back first. Imperial Brother will certainly only be able to send an imperial envoy with a military tally to your place to announce the decree. When the time comes, have your subordinates disguise themselves as mountain bandits and kidnap the envoy mid-journey. Feed and house them well for a few months, and by then, won’t I be back? If Imperial Brother asks, just say you didn’t see the envoy, let alone receive the decree. Say the envoy may have met with misfortune on the road. Even if Imperial Brother knows the truth, without evidence, he cannot convict you.”
Huo Xiao marveled once more at his own lack of experience. “…And if the Emperor really wants to behead me regardless of everything?”
He stole a glance at Jiang Huaichu.
In any other matter, it would be impossible—Southern Ruo was short on military talent, and the border relied on him. But once it involved Jiang Huaichu, the Emperor could do anything.
Furthermore, in a situation like this, if Jiang Huaichu lost even a single hair, the Emperor might tear him into ten thousand pieces.
Jiang Huaichu glanced at him. “The border is filled with my people. If Imperial Brother issues a decree, who will execute it? By the time people from the capital travel thousands of miles to deal with you, I will surely have returned.”
Huo Xiao: “…” There really is a counter-measure for every policy.
“I’ve truly joined your sinking ship.”
The corners of Jiang Huaichu’s eyes curved. “There’s no getting off now.”
Huo Xiao was momentarily dazed by that smile. By the time he regained his senses, Jiang Huaichu had already begun to undress.
Due to his physical condition, Jiang Huaichu was more sensitive to the cold than most. Even though it was already early spring, he still wore complex layers. Because he raised a little fox of his own, he didn’t wear the most precious fox fur, opting instead for the relatively cheaper lambskin. Of course, at his status, no one would look down on him for that.
As Huo Xiao watched him take off the heavy, plain fur, unfasten his mutton-fat-jade-smooth belt to hang it aside, and shed his moon-white outer robe embroidered with gold thread, his breath caught.
The body beneath the outer robe was thin and well-proportioned, with a slender waist and long legs. His inner garment was snowy white and neat, without a single wrinkle. The skin of his neck was translucent and lustrous like fine jade, carrying a slightly cold, misty hue—a color that could only be nurtured by natural gifts combined with immense wealth and prestige.
A man like white jade, the most pampered and privileged person in Southern Ruo, whose ten fingers had never dipped into spring water.
The faint, cold fragrance unique to Jiang Huaichu lingered in the air. Huo Xiao’s heart began to beat inexplicably fast.
He had been close with Jiang Huaichu for many years, yet Jiang Huaichu had never undressed in front of him.
Usually, he wouldn’t even let his personal attendants touch him, let alone Huo Xiao.
Jiang Huaichu was strictly managed by his Imperial Brother; he was self-respecting and followed propriety, never overstepping or losing his composure.
He was always seen in perfectly neat clothes, calm and indifferent.
Today was a matter of urgent necessity; he was in a hurry to change and leave.
Huo Xiao stared for a few moments before inexplicably averting his eyes, his heart pounding and his thoughts racing.
How could this be?
The little prince was a man.
But he was going to be Xiao Yun’s person. Xiao Yun was also a man, and he was also…
Why did all the good things go to Xiao Yun? He already held most of the world; why did he now get Jiang Huaichu as well?
Jiang Huaichu was so thin-skinned; normally their friendship was as light as water between gentlemen, yet he was to be… by a Xiao Yun he had never even met.
That man was a rogue among rogues, a scoundrel among scoundrels.
For a moment, Huo Xiao felt a lump in his throat, and even more stray thoughts bubbled up uncontrollably, leaving him with a hidden expression of shame.
What on earth was he thinking?!
Jiang Huaichu didn’t notice the change in his expression. He put on low-profile traveling clothes and walked to the bed, lifting the neatly arranged bedding to take out a bundle hidden in a secret compartment beneath the bed.
“I’ll leave the border to you. If anything happens, contact the spies. I’ll help you as much as I can. I’ll be back in six months at most.”
“Six months?” Huo Xiao was already emotionally unstable. Hearing this, he said angrily, “You’re giving him too much credit!”
From Southern Ruo to the Ning Kingdom where Xiao Yun was, even on the fastest horse, a round trip would take over two months.
Subtracting those two months from the six…
Jiang Huaichu could get pregnant with Xiao Yun’s child in just three months? And that had to include the time it took for Jiang Huaichu to engineer a meeting with Xiao Yun.
Jiang Huaichu gave a soft cough.
Southern Ruo bordered Northern Ning. Huo Xiao guarded the border, so friction with the Northern Ning army was inevitable. He and Xiao Yun seemed to have a personal grudge as well; his hatred for the man was nothing new.
Jiang Huaichu said, “It’s currently the beginning of the second month. Imperial Brother’s birthday is at the end of the eighth month. I must be back before then, which is why I said six months.”
Huo Xiao realized the reason, but still huffed, “He’s already twenty-four. An emperor of that age without a single heir—there must be something wrong with him. Huaichu, you’re still young and don’t understand. There are plenty of men who look good but are useless—”
“How old is the Emperor?”
Huo Xiao: “…”
The Emperor was twenty-five, a year older than Xiao Yun, and he also had no heirs.
“That’s different…” Realizing that saying more would only lead to more errors, Huo Xiao decided to shut up.
Jiang Huaichu smoothed the bedding he had lifted and folded the clothes he had shed, placing them exactly in their familiar spots. Only then did he feel a bit more comfortable.
It was clearly time to part. He looked at Huo Xiao and said sincerely, “I’m counting on you. No one but you can help me with this.”
Huo Xiao met those clear, dark eyes.
After a long silence, he heard his heart resisting while his mouth said tenderly, “…Go. I will definitely do as you say.”
Jiang Huaichu gave him a small smile.
Huo Xiao lowered his head.
Author’s Note:
This is not a traditional male-male pregnancy setting. The protagonist is unique. He is not intersex but has a cloaca; the reason for this will be explained later. The protagonist likes children and is very willing to have them.
The author likes pregnancy stories and is writing this for fun. It’s a matter of preference, so please don’t force yourself to read it; the reader’s happiness is most important.
Note: A cloaca is a single opening that serves the digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems in many non-mammalian vertebrates, as well as a few mammals, such as the platypus. If you’d like a more detailed explanation, feel free to search online for additional information.