The whip lashed across Li Chenxuan's back, and he grunted.
Soon, the clothes on his back were torn by the whip, revealing his back, crisscrossed with whip marks, some old, some new.
"Was she hitting Yan Zhao like this back then?" Xue Changan asked.
Li Chenxuan gritted his teeth and did not answer.
"I ask you, answer," Xue Changan growled.
"Yes," Li Chenxuan replied.
Suddenly, Xue Changan flung the whip aside, stepped forward, and grabbed Li Chenxuan by the collar, roaring, "Look at me."
Li Chenxuan's closed eyes slowly opened, devoid of desire or longing, like a pool of stagnant water, incapable of ever rippling again.
"Why didn't you open your eyes?"
"Your Majesty, you are the supreme ruler; this subject dares not overstep."
Xue Changan released his grip on his collar and said, "Embrace me..."
Li Chenxuan remained motionless. Xue Changan grew angry, "Do you know that if you don't do as I say, your wife might not return home tomorrow?"
Li Chenxuan trembled, "Your Majesty, my wife is frail and cannot withstand fright. Please do not trouble her."
"Embrace me," Xue Changan said, word by word.
Li Chenxuan took a deep breath and embraced Xue Changan. Xue Changan hooked her leg around his, and he unexpectedly fell onto her.
"Li Lang, you want this from me too, don't you?"
Li Chenxuan closed his eyes and replied, "Yes."
Outside, Xue Zining could no longer bear to watch. She leaped into a nearby tree and said, "Let's go back!"
Feng Jiu looked back at her master. "Your Majesty..."
"Let's go!"
Xue Zining left.
Feng Jiu followed closely behind.
Inside, sounds that made one blush could be heard.
"Yan Zhao..." Xue Changan sighed.
The floor was a mess. Li Chenxuan sat blankly on the ground, wrapped in his own clothes, while Xue Changan, refreshed, was on the bed.
"Your wife is in the back. You two should talk. You can leave in the morning." Xue Changan walked to the outer hall and called for someone to prepare a bath and new clothes.
Li Chenxuan trembled all over, stood up, and walked inside. Behind a screen, he saw Jiang Xinqin, her mouth gagged and her hands and feet bound.
He quickly stepped forward, untying the ropes binding Jiang Xinqin's hands and feet. As soon as she was freed, Jiang Xinqin pushed him away, crying, "Don't touch me! You actually... you actually with the Empress..."
Li Chenxuan stood up, turned around, and said indifferently, "As you saw, this is the relationship between the Empress and me. If you feel I am tainted, I will send you the divorce papers."
"Li Chenxuan, are you even human?" Jiang Xinqin stood up and rushed towards Li Chenxuan, hitting him.
Li Chenxuan did not dodge or resist. Eventually, Jiang Xinqin slid to the ground, crying hysterically.
Why had things become like this?
Li Chenxuan squatted down and looked at Jiang Xinqin, saying coldly, "Jiang Xinqin, you should know that this is the consequence of your collaboration with Xue Changan."
After speaking, he turned and left.
Jiang Xinqin stopped crying, got up, and said word by word to the departing Li Chenxuan, "I will not divorce you."
Li Chenxuan did not reply and walked straight out.
Jiang Xinqin wiped away her tears and also walked out.
In the carriage, Jiang Xinqin looked at Li Chenxuan, who had his eyes closed, then turned her head away, tears streaming down her face.
Upon returning to the mansion, she saw Li Chenxuan enter a room. Without calling anyone, she was about to follow when a voice called, "Madam..."
She turned around and saw Chang Bai. Chang Bai held a medicine bottle. "Madam, Master forbade me from entering, but Master is injured every time he returns, and without medicine, it will worsen."
"Give it to me." She took the medicine from Chang Bai.
She walked in, and a voice came from behind the screen, "Go out."
"Husband, it's me," Jiang Xinqin said.
Li Chenxuan remained silent. She went in, and when she saw the countless new whip marks on his back, tears flowed down her face, and she couldn't help but tremble. "These... these are all..."
"Yes," Li Chenxuan answered without concealment.
Jiang Xinqin stepped forward and hugged his neck. "Why, why didn't you tell me?"
"I am the one who wronged you," Li Chenxuan said softly.
Jiang Xinqin shook her head. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have to be controlled by the Empress and be insulted by her. Husband, I have wronged you."
"Madam, husband and wife are one. I could never abandon you."
Hearing this, Jiang Xinqin regretted it deeply. If she hadn't been jealous and had not collaborated with Nangong Yue, would everything be different?
"Husband, I'm sorry, I've wronged you..."
She regretted it, truly regretted it.
"What's past is past, Xinqin. I only hope you won't be used by others again."
"Husband, I understand now. From now on, I will listen to you."
Leaving the room, Jiang Xinqin returned to her own and summoned Qing Xiu. She watched as Qing Zhu took out a large stack of banknotes from a brocade box and handed them to Zhu'er. "Zhu'er, take Hao'er back to my maiden home."
Qing Zhu was stunned. "Madam, what... what are you doing?"
"Zhu'er, to be honest, I feel that my husband and I might face a calamity. But Hao'er is our reverse scale. With him here, I can't do anything."
Qing Zhu knelt on the ground. "Madam, Qing Zhu will not leave. Qing Zhu wants to stay."
"Qing Zhu, by protecting Hao'er for me, you are giving me the greatest help. If... if you have the chance to see Qing Xiu, tell her that I, Jiang Xinqin, have wronged her. If there is a chance in this life, I will make amends. If not, I will apologize to her in the afterlife."
"Madam..."
"Listen to me. Tell my parents that I have never asked them for anything in my life. This time, I beg them to protect me and Master's child. These banknotes are enough for them to live without worry for the rest of their lives."
"Madam, please let your servant stay!" Qing Zhu kowtowed.
"Zhu'er, it's not that I don't want to keep you, but you are the only one I trust. Can you fulfill my wish?"
Qing Zhu trembled, looking at Jiang Xinqin's expectant gaze, and finally nodded. "This servant vows to protect the young master with her life."
"Go. Leave tonight." Jiang Xinqin said.
Qing Zhu wiped the tears from her face and kowtowed solemnly. "This servant hopes Madam will not give up hope of survival, no matter what. This servant, along with Master and Madam, will wait for you at home."
Jiang Xinqin nodded. "Okay."
"Won't Madam see the young master?"
Jiang Xinqin shook her head. "Take him away. I'm afraid if I see him, I won't be able to let him go."
Qing Zhu left.
Jiang Xinqin stood up, walked out of the room, and went to Li Chenxuan's room, kneeling down.
Li Chenxuan looked up. "Madam, what is the meaning of this?"
"Husband, I've sent Hao'er back to my maiden home. Will you blame me?"
Li Chenxuan walked down and helped Jiang Xinqin up. "You should have left with him."
Jiang Xinqin shook her head. "This concubine wishes to live and die with her husband."
"It's not worth it."
"It is worth it. From the moment I met you, Husband, I knew it was worth it."