Drunk on Madness - Chapter 71

The night was deep, and the lights in front of the Crown Prince’s bedchamber in Shaoyang Courtyard remained unextinguished. Gu Ci stood guard by Zhou Mingxuan’s bedside, watching a group of imperial physicians bustling around him.

He had no time to spare for Su Mo. With the Crown Prince unconscious, he couldn’t leave. Missing the appointed hour, he didn’t go looking for Su Mo again. How could a fire break out so suddenly? Did Su Mo set it? Did he find Li Xiang and start the fire to distract the guards? But whose body was this? If the body was “Xiangxiang,” how could Su Mo stand by and do nothing?

Countless questions piled up, giving Gu Ci a headache. Distractedly lost in thought, he watched the palace maids come and go, his mind already wandering beyond the palace walls.

Empress Zhao’s eyes were slightly red, and she regretted burning down Wanxiang Hall. When she first heard that Li Xiang had gone missing, she had been worried for several days. She regretted not advising Li Xiang in time, leading to the current situation.

But as days passed and the guards continued their search without success, a sense of foreboding grew in her heart.

Chen Minying had just been married into the family when this happened, and Li Xiang was pregnant. She couldn’t help but overthink.

She watched Zhou Mingxuan grow more panicked by the day, losing all rationality, neither eating nor sleeping. He scoured every corner of the palace, desperate to find Li Xiang. Weighing the pros and cons, she had no choice but to have someone bring in the body of a woman who had died in childbirth and set fire to Wanxiang Hall to make him give up.

She had expected Zhou Mingxuan to be heartbroken, but she never imagined that upon seeing Li Xiang’s body, he would collapse in shock, vomiting blood and falling unconscious. The imperial physicians said that days of fear and anxiety had caused a blockage in his chest, and the shock had triggered the vomiting of blood and loss of consciousness.

Meanwhile, Su Mo was in dire straits. At first, he thought Li Xiang was merely asleep. Only after emerging from the underground channel did he notice the pinkish blood flowing from her lower body.

In that moment, he panicked. Holding the unconscious Li Xiang, he wept like a child, as if a hand were gripping his heart tightly, his arms trembling as he held her.

Under the thick cover of night, he carried her and ran desperately.

He blamed himself for arriving too late, for making her wait so long. Countless regrets and self-reproach surged in his chest. He couldn’t bear to imagine the consequences of losing her.

Arriving at a lit courtyard, he gently set Li Xiang down and knocked on the door of this unfamiliar household. He obtained clean clothes and changed Li Xiang into them.

Su Mo didn’t dare pause for even a moment. Relying on his memory, he found Dr. Meng.

After the incident at the Meridian Gate, Dr. Meng no longer dared to serve as a palace physician, fearing he would be implicated again and lose his life. Instead, he hid among the common people, opening a charity clinic to treat the sick.

Su Mo leaped into the charity clinic. A medicine apprentice spotted them and immediately came forward, helping Li Xiang inside for Dr. Meng to examine.

Under Dr. Meng’s care, Li Xiang regained consciousness, only to be struck by a sharp pain in her abdomen. Her face was deathly pale, her brows slightly furrowed, and she gasped sharply in an instant.

Watching her sweat in pain, Su Mo wished he could suffer in her place. He held Li Xiang close, soothing her.

Once the wave of pain subsided, Li Xiang leaned on Su Mo and asked, “Momo, where are we?”

Su Mo replied, “This is Dr. Meng’s charity clinic. With him here, you’ll be fine.” His last words seemed both a reassurance to himself and a promise to Li Xiang.

Hearing this, Li Xiang felt relieved. She knew the baby inside her might be born today, how unfortunate that everything was happening at once.

The medicine apprentice brought over a bowl of medicinal soup and said, “It might still be a while. Have something to eat first to save your strength.”

Upon hearing this, Su Mo quickly took the medicine bowl and fed it to Li Xiang.

After a flurry of activity, Li Xiang finally gave birth to a baby girl just after daybreak.

In the Shaoyang Courtyard, Zhou Mingxuan slept for three full days.

He abruptly opened his eyes and saw the embroidered tasseled bed curtains. He felt as though he had emerged from an abyss, gasping for breath until he was certain it had all been just a dream, which brought him some relief.

Closing his eyes and slowing his breathing, he got out of bed and called for attendants to help him wash and change.

The palace servants went to inform the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Princess. Before long, everyone had gathered in the Shaoyang Courtyard.

Zhou Mingxuan looked at them in surprise and asked, “Father, Mother, why have you all come?”

When his gaze fell upon Chen Minying, his expression darkened. “Didn’t I say you are not allowed in my bedchamber? Get out. At these words, Chen Minying’s eyes reddened, and tears of grievance streamed down her cheeks. Without even observing basic etiquette, she rushed out.

The Emperor frowned, watching the Crown Princess leave in anger, and said to Zhou Mingxuan, “The Crown Princess was only concerned for your safety. How could you treat her like this?”

Zhou Mingxuan choked back his words and replied, “She should have known this would happen when she schemed against me.” Filled with resentment, he continued, “If it weren’t for her, Xiangxiang wouldn’t have hidden and refused to see me.”

The Emperor was taken aback and glanced at the Empress. Just as he was about to speak, Empress Zhao interrupted, “Mingxuan, are you hungry?”

Zhou Mingxuan realized he was indeed ravenous.

Empress Zhao ordered the servants to bring food and handed him a bowl of plain congee. “You’ve just woken up. The imperial physician said you should start with something light to avoid upsetting your stomach.”

Zhou Mingxuan took a sip and asked, “Have I been asleep for a long time?”

Empress Zhao frowned, her heart sinking slightly, though she showed no outward sign. She replied, “Not long. You haven’t slept well for days, no amount of rest can make up for that.”

For some inexplicable reason, Empress Zhao felt her son was not himself. She summoned the imperial physician to examine Zhou Mingxuan once more.

Shortly after, avoiding the Crown Prince, the physician explained to the Empress that the Crown Prince had suffered a severe shock. As a protective mechanism, his body had suppressed the most painful memories.

The physician advised against further agitation, suggesting instead that he be allowed to gradually come to terms with it or receive subtle hints to resolve his inner turmoil. Over time, the emotional wounds would slowly heal.

Upon hearing this, the Empress was filled with regret. Had she known this would happen, she would never have set that fire.

Three days later, Gu Ci received a letter from Su Mo, asking to meet at their usual spot.

In the bustling market, on the second floor of the Moonlight Pavilion, Su Mo was already waiting for Gu Ci. He held a bamboo basket, mysteriously covered with a cloth.

Curious, Gu Ci reached to uncover it but was stopped by Su Mo, who feared the baby might startle him. Instead, Su Mo lifted a corner of the cloth to let him peek.

Inside the basket, a little bundle wriggled and tilted its head, looking up at Gu Ci with an innocent expression. Gu Ci gently stroked the baby’s cheek and asked, “Whose child is this?”

Su Mo couldn’t help but smile. “Mine.”

Gu Ci shot him a glance. “What, did Xiangxiang abandon you, so you decided to pick up a child and claim it as your own?”

Mentioning Xiangxiang, Gu Ci sat down and asked, “What exactly happened the day you went to the palace? Why did the Wanxiang Hall suddenly catch fire?”

After Su Mo recounted the events, Gu Ci looked grave. Someone in the palace was targeting Li Xiang, and aside from Crown Princess Chen Minying, Gu Ci could think of no one else.

However, according to Su Mo, those people were wearing palace guard uniforms and did not cover their faces. To act so brazenly and command imperial guards, could it be the emperor and empress?

Su Mo now had a child and figured he would never return to the palace. He no longer wanted to get involved in the messy affairs of the imperial court. He told Gu Ci what he knew and left it at that, burying himself in playing with his daughter.

Seeing how happy Su Mo was, a stark contrast to when he first arrived in the capital, Gu Ci asked again, “Where did you pick up this child?”

Su Mo looked up and shot Gu Ci an annoyed glare. “This is my child with Xiangxiang. I didn’t pick her up.” He added sternly, “If you say that again, I’ll get angry.”

Gu Ci widened his eyes, completely baffled. He pulled the bamboo basket closer, glancing between the baby and Su Mo. “Impossible. When did you and Xiangxiang have a child?”

Su Mo’s handsome face flushed red. “That day… on the imperial boat.”

Gu Ci felt as if he had just heard a joke. “You slept with Xiangxiang that day, and still had the nerve to go confront the Crown Prince afterward?”