Drunk on Madness - Chapter 43

In mid-November, the gates of the frontier slowly creaked open as a small party quietly entered. Inside a carriage, Zhou Mingxuan was changing out of his bloodstained clothes.

Ignoring the Prince of Yan’s dissuasion, he had rushed back day and night, covering a journey that should have taken a month in just half that time. Though his wounds had been treated with medicine, the relentless travel had reopened barely healed scabs, causing fresh blood to seep through. The thought of soon reuniting with his wife and child sent a surge of emotion through his heart.

Stepping out of the carriage, he jogged all the way to the Agarwood Courtyard, pausing to catch his breath. The servants, startled by the sudden appearance of the heir, barely had time to bow before he vanished, leaving behind bewildered maids and attendants.

When he reached Li Xiang’s courtyard, she was nowhere to be seen. Even her daily necessities were missing, clearly, no one had lived there for days. He sat numbly on the bed they had once shared, a pang of fear gripping his heart. Had she taken advantage of his absence to run away?

Eunuch Du hurriedly called out from behind him, “Young Master, you’ve returned?”

Zhou Mingxuan snapped back to reality and stood abruptly. “Where is Xiangxiang?”

Eunuch Du replied, “The young mistress has just given birth to twins. The Princess Consort, concerned about her living too far away, had her moved to the Elegant Garden for easier care.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingxuan immediately headed for the Elegant Garden, with Eunuch Du following closely. As they approached the courtyard, faint cries of infants reached their ears. Recognizing the sound as his own children’s, Zhou Mingxuan’s heart swelled with paternal warmth.

Following the sound, he pushed open the door and saw the Prince of Yan’s wife, Lady Zhao, cradling one child while Li Xiang lay on the bed, gently patting the other.

The sudden intrusion startled everyone inside, but their shock quickly turned to delight upon recognizing Zhou Mingxuan.

Lady Zhao handed the child to the nurse, intending to greet her son properly. But seeing his eyes fixed solely on Li Xiang and the children, she understood. With a silent gesture, she dismissed the attendants, leaving the family to themselves.

Li Xiang stared at him in astonishment. Zhou Mingxuan’s hands instinctively cupped her face. “You’ve suffered.”

Glancing at the twins beside her, Li Xiang offered a weak smile but said nothing. Zhou Mingxuan clasped her hand tightly, equally silent, unable to tear his gaze away from her for even a second.

Feeling slightly self-conscious under his intense stare, Li Xiang picked up one of the babies and handed it to him, urging him to hold their child.

Newborns were incredibly fragile, and Zhou Mingxuan carefully cradled his son. The tiny infant sucked on his thumb, studying his father with curious eyes.

This was Zhou Mingxuan’s first time seeing such a small baby, and he couldn’t help but think the child looked a bit… odd. His brows furrowed slightly.

Li Xiang gave him a faint look. “A little ugly, aren’t they?”

Zhou Mingxuan blinked in confusion. “A little. But they’ll grow into their looks, after all, their parents aren’t bad-looking.”

His confidence surprised her, and she arched a delicate brow. Suddenly recalling the recent news that the Prince of Yan had captured Yizhou, she asked about his experiences in the army. When Zhou Mingxuan assured her that Su Mo and the others were safe, she felt a quiet relief.

This time, Zhou Mingxuan planned to stay home until after the New Year before returning to camp. The Prince of Yan had seized most of the targeted cities this year, and the soldiers deserved a proper rest. Moreover, with the birth of his heirs, it was only right to let his son enjoy some family time.

To better care for Li Xiang, Zhou Mingxuan also moved in to live with her. The entire family resided in Elegant Garden, and although it was a bit crowded, they could see each other as soon as they stepped outside. Lady Zhao, who hadn’t seen her son in a long time, naturally wanted to spend more time with him and didn’t object.

…

At night, when all was quiet and still,

Zhou Mingxuan dismissed the servants, wanting to personally wash her body. Li Xiang couldn’t resist his insistence and had no choice but to let him wipe her down. The warm cloth gently touched her skin. Though she had grown accustomed to being cared for by servants during this time, she still felt somewhat uneasy when it was Zhou Mingxuan tending to her.

After carefully wiping her down, he applied ointment to her body. Once everything was settled, Zhou Mingxuan climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around Li Xiang.

Seeing the heat in his gaze, Li Xiang hurriedly shied away from his touch. She hadn’t yet fully recovered from childbirth. Noticing her evasion, Zhou Mingxuan immediately said, “I won’t do anything. Just let me hold you.”

Hearing this, Li Xiang stopped struggling. The two of them lay there tightly embraced. When Li Xiang glanced at him again, she found he had already closed his eyes and fallen asleep. Relieved, she realized he must have been exhausted from his journey and hadn’t rested properly. Watching his sleeping face, she felt a faint stirring of emotion in her heart.

…

That year’s Spring Festival, though the master of the Prince’s Manor, the Prince of Yan, was absent, the arrival of the twin heirs brought much liveliness to the household.

Zhou Mingxuan named the two children: the elder was called Zhou Huaiyi, and the younger Zhou Shiqing. The entire family lived in Elegant Garden, spending their days doting on the two little treasures.

One day, as Li Xiang sat in the room breastfeeding the children, Zhou Mingxuan watched her actions with curiosity. He was so clingy, wherever she went, he would inevitably follow. Though they were husband and wife, she still felt a bit self-conscious nursing in front of him.

She turned her body slightly to avoid his gaze. Zhou Mingxuan stepped closer, watching his son drink eagerly, and couldn’t help but say, “Didn’t we hire wet nurses for them? Why trouble yourself with feeding them?”

Li Xiang looked at the child and replied, “It’s not like I can’t. They’re my own children, it’s better if I feed them myself.”

Zhou Mingxuan gazed at her, heartened by how dearly she cherished their children. Though she might not have much affection for him, their children would forever be an unbreakable bond between them.

Unable to resist, Zhou Mingxuan reached out and touched the baby who was nursing. The little one glanced at his father but ignored him, turning back to continue drinking.

Annoyed by the dismissal, Zhou Mingxuan lightly pinched the baby. The child paused his feeding, staring fixedly at Zhou Mingxuan without crying or fussing, as if to say, Try that again.

Seeing that he was about to pinch the baby again, Li Xiang immediately swatted his hand away. “He’s still small, be careful not to hurt him.”

Zhou Mingxuan’s eyes filled with grievance. I can’t even touch my own child now? But he said nothing, though inwardly, he felt a pang of jealousy toward his own son.

He picked up the other baby and lifted him overhead. The little one giggled at the motion, chubby arms waving happily. His plump little body wriggled with delight, as if urging Zhou Mingxuan to keep playing.

Just then, Princess Consort Zhao happened to witness the scene and immediately intervened, fearing he might drop his grandson.

Lady Zhao couldn’t help but scold, “You’re a father now, yet you still don’t know how to be careful. What if Qingqing falls to the ground? What then?”

Zhou Mingxuan felt that his mother no longer loved him. With a pout, he said, “Mother, do you really think I’m that careless in your eyes?” Lady Zhao was amused by his aggrieved expression and teased, “Of course I trust you, but accidents can always happen. Your baby is still so young and needs careful attention.”

Li Xiang adjusted her clothes and said, “Mother, Mingxuan hasn’t been back for long and lacks experience in caring for a child, so he’s naturally a bit rough. But he just wants to bond with the baby, let him learn at his own pace.”

Lady Zhao took the baby from Zhou Mingxuan’s arms and said to Li Xiang on the bed, “I naturally want them to grow close, but with his reckless ways, I just can’t feel at ease.”

Zhou Mingxuan was slightly surprised, it seemed that during his absence, Xiangxiang and his mother had gotten along quite well. The little one, Qingqing, clearly reluctant to leave Zhou Mingxuan’s arms, kept reaching out with his eyes and tiny hands, signaling that he still wanted to play the game they had been enjoying earlier.

Seeing her grandson’s eagerness to continue, Lady Zhao couldn’t help but complain to Zhou Mingxuan, “See? Now he’s completely hooked on it.”