Drunk on Madness - Chapter 80

Zhou Mingxuan showed little reaction upon learning the truth. With Li Xiang already gone, the truth held no significance for him. He presented Chen Minying with two demands.

The first was for her to personally explain the matter to the Emperor and Empress. The second was for the two of them to divorce.

Since witnessing the murderous intent in Zhou Mingxuan’s eyes, Chen Minying had not dared to approach him again, eagerly hoping for an early separation.

In the autumn of the fourth year of Yuanwu, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess formally divorced. To compensate the Chen family, Emperor Zhou Chengyan specially bestowed upon Chen Minying the title of Princess Changping, granting her a golden certificate and seal as a symbol of the Emperor’s boundless grace.

…

Far from the capital, in the tranquil town of Taoyuan, Su Mo’s handsome appearance had captured the hearts of many young women upon his arrival. However, when they learned he was already married with children and that he and his wife shared a loving and harmonious life, many young hearts were broken.

The villagers often saw the couple strolling through the town or the mountains and forests, or sitting side by side in their courtyard, sipping tea and reading. Over time, everyone in the town came to know of Su Mo’s deep affection for his wife. Whenever the couple was mentioned, people would invariably praise them, admiring their story as a tale of perfect love.

In their third year in Taoyuan, Li Xiang became pregnant again.

No one was happier about the news than Mother Su, who had long been hoping for this day. Although she had always treated Su Yiran as her own granddaughter, the fact that the child was not born under her watch had left a lingering unease in her heart.

Li Xiang had privately not wanted another child, but after numerous hints and direct suggestions from Mother Su, she felt compelled to consider her mother-in-law’s feelings.

In her spare time, Li Xiang often thought of Zhou Huaiyi and Zhou Shiqing, the two brothers. They were now six years old, and she wondered how they were faring in the palace. She assumed Zhou Mingxuan and Chen Minying must have had children of their own by then and hoped the brothers were being treated well.

In the spring of their fourth year in Taoyuan Village, Li Xiang gave birth to a son, whom they named Su Nian.

With the arrival of the new child, Li Xiang’s longing for Zhou Huaiyi and Zhou Shiqing grew stronger each day. Unable to bear it any longer, she asked Su Mo to write a letter to Gu Ci, inquiring about the two children’s well-being in the palace.

Unfortunately, instead of a reply from Gu Ci, they received a visit from Zhou Mingxuan’s men.

Four years had passed since Zhou Mingxuan last heard news of Li Xiang. His heart trembled violently, and the brush in his hand slipped, leaving a long ink stain on the paper, a reflection of his unsettled emotions.

When Zhou Mingxuan learned that Li Xiang had given birth to a son for Su Mo, his heart felt as though pierced by ten thousand arrows, consumed by unbearable agony.

In that moment, his jealousy transformed into deep-seated resentment. He hated Li Xiang for her betrayal, but even more, he hated himself for being unable to forget such a woman.

That night, the darkness was as thick as ink, deep and oppressive.

Not a single star shone in the sky, and the moon hid behind thick clouds, leaving only an expanse of blackness that chilled the heart.

Zhou Mingxuan led his soldiers to surround their residence. By the time Su Mo realized something was amiss, there was no escape.

Su Mo forced a weak smile and uttered a hoarse, strained sentence, comforting the trembling Li Xiang: “Don’t be afraid. I understand him. He won’t truly harm us, at most, he’ll detain us for a while.”

He looked at her, his eyes filled with unspoken words. But he said nothing more, only smiled, kissed Li Xiang’s forehead, and turned to walk out of the residence.

Zhou Mingxuan watched as Su Mo strode out of the courtyard with an air of heroic sacrifice. A scornful smile curled on his lips.

Two guards stepped forward and placed handcuffs on Su Mo, who offered no resistance. He stared directly at Zhou Mingxuan and asked, “What do you intend to do?”

Zhou Mingxuan glanced at the figure in the courtyard and replied nonchalantly, “Don’t worry. For the sake of our childhood bond, I won’t kill you.” With that, he walked into the courtyard.

A group of guards swarmed into the estate, escorting all the servants out.

In the now-empty courtyard, only Li Xiang, holding the child, and Zhou Mingxuan remained.

Su Nian’s little face was flushed red, his brows furrowed tightly as he cried incessantly.

Li Xiang trembled, gently rocking Su Nian while watching Zhou Mingxuan approach step by step, slowly backing away.

Zhou Mingxuan frowned. Even at a time like this, she still had the mind to soothe the child. With a flick of his sleeve, he signaled the guards to snatch Su Nian from Li Xiang’s arms.

Li Xiang felt as if her heart and soul were being torn apart, her face turning deathly pale. Her voice quivered as she pleaded, “What are you doing? Don’t take him!” The guard roughly seized Su Nian, and Li Xiang, fearing she might hurt the child, finally let go.

Tears streaming down her face, she glared hatefully at the instigator and cried out, “If you have the guts, come at me! Don’t harm my child!”

Zhou Mingxuan pressed his lips together tightly, his eyes icy cold. “Your child? What about Yiyi and Qingqing? Aren’t they your children too? Why didn’t you think of them when you left? Why pretend to be a selfless mother in front of me now?”

A cruel smile curled at the corner of his lips as he drew a hairpin from his sleeve, the very one he had bought for her with the money from his first hunt in Wutong Village.

Zhou Mingxuan looked at Su Nian in the guard’s arms and pressed the sharp tip of the hairpin against the child’s cheek, tracing it lightly. “Is it because he’s Su Mo’s child that you treasure him so much?” After saying this, he turned his gaze to Li Xiang.

Li Xiang was so terrified by his actions that her legs went weak. Clenching her fists to steady herself, she knelt and begged him, “No, it’s not that. Yiyi and Qingqing… it’s because they weren’t with me that I… I poured all my regrets for them into Niannian. His name, Niannian, means ‘longing for Yiyi and Qingqing.'”

Hearing this, Zhou Mingxuan finally lowered the hairpin. He signaled for the guard to take the child away, and in an instant, the vast courtyard held only the two of them.