"Mother... Yan'er... my child, it's all my fault. It was my momentary lapse that harmed them all..."
Chu Yanxi murmured in despair, regretting his actions. He deserved to die alone, but instead, he had caused the woman he loved most in this life to become foolish, and his infant child to suffer such hardships.
And his mother... she had raised him with such effort. If not for him, she wouldn't have taken such risks. She would still be the esteemed Empress, not meet such an end.
To be insulted by these petty individuals... it was all his fault that such a grave mistake was made. He was consumed by regret.
"Does His Highness the Third Prince regret his actions?"
Ling Mohan noticed Chu Yanxi's emotions, his gaze darkening as he accurately voiced Chu Yanxi's inner thoughts.
When Chu Yanxi finally looked up, the fiery anger in his eyes was gone, replaced by a profound calmness. It was as if his spirit had been drained, his entire being devoid of life, like a walking corpse.
"Can you let Yan'er go?"
Chu Yanxi pleaded submissively. All he desired now was Feng Ruoyan's safety, with no other requests.
A faint smile curved Ling Mohan's lips. He was clearly pleased with Chu Yanxi's reaction, or rather, he had been waiting for Chu Yanxi to beg for Feng Ruoyan.
Only by confirming the importance of Feng Ruoyan to Chu Yanxi could he better utilize her as a pawn.
"I'll do anything if you promise to let Yan'er go." After much deliberation, Chu Yanxi uttered these words without any bottom line. He had lost everything. Feng Ruoyan was his deepest concern in this life. How could he stand by and watch her suffer because of him?
Ling Mohan maintained his indifferent demeanor, sitting quietly. He was waiting... waiting to see how far Chu Yanxi would go for Feng Ruoyan.
"Ah... the child... where is the child, my child... the child!"
Feng Ruoyan suddenly cried out loudly, her eyes frantically scanning her surroundings as if searching for something. She kept murmuring about her child.
Finally, she lunged madly at a low stool nearby, hugging it tightly. A loving smile spread across her face. "Baby, don't be scared... don't be scared, Mommy is here... Mommy is here..."
Clearly, Feng Ruoyan had mistaken the stool for her child, hugging it intimately and humming a lullaby.
Seeing Feng Ruoyan's mad appearance, Chu Yanxi's heart felt as if it were being carved, even his breathing ached.
He struggled, wanting to pull Feng Ruoyan into his embrace and comfort her, but his body was bound by chains, rendering him immobile.
"Yan'er... Yan'er..." he murmured in pain, tears streaming down his cheeks and falling onto the ground.
Chu Yanxi's pained sobs echoed in the prison, evoking a sense of sorrow in anyone who heard them.
Even the previously frenzied Feng Ruoyan turned her head towards Chu Yanxi upon hearing the pained cries. With a bewildered expression, she walked towards him but was blocked by the iron bars. She could only gaze at Chu Yanxi from a distance, feeling a pang of sadness.
This inexplicable emotion made Feng Ruoyan uncomfortable. She didn't even know this person, yet seeing him cry made her feel miserable, as if she too wanted to cry.
"Who are you... why are you crying..."
Feng Ruoyan's soft, sweet voice rang out. At this moment, she was no different from a three-year-old child. Her gaze towards Chu Yanxi was filled with confusion, as if she were looking at a strange, peculiar stranger.
"Yan'er, Yan'er, it's me. You truly don't recognize me anymore? Yan'er... what happened to you? How did you become like this..."
"Ah... ah... don't kill me, don't kill me... I... I won't dare anymore, don't... don't kill me..."
As if suddenly startled, Feng Ruoyan clutched her head and retreated into a corner, as if someone was about to kill her.
"Yan'er..."
With each cry of "Yan'er" from Chu Yanxi, Feng Ruoyan's condition worsened. Ling Mohan, fearing that Feng Ruoyan's shock would trigger the poison in her body and lead to her death, thereby losing his greatest bargaining chip, quickly ordered the guards outside to take Feng Ruoyan away.
"Yan'er... Yan'er, Ling Mohan, what are you doing? Tell them to let Yan'er go... let Yan'er go..."
After Feng Ruoyan was taken away by the guards, Chu Yanxi's emotions became even more agitated. He yelled Feng Ruoyan's name almost hysterically, trying to make her stay.
"Stop shouting. Even if you shout until your throat is raw, Feng Ruoyan won't recognize you. Stop wasting your energy!"
Annoyed by Chu Yanxi's shouting, which was hurting his ears, Ling Mohan impatiently told Chu Yanxi to shut up.
"Ling Mohan, whatever grudges you have, come at me directly. Is it not despicable to harm a woman?"
"This general does not consider it despicable in the least. Furthermore, dealing with a despicable person requires despicable means. It is a case of returning the favor, giving them a taste of their own medicine!"
Dealing with someone like Chu Yanxi required such methods to achieve the best results.
Ling Mohan felt no shame in his actions. On the contrary, he believed himself to be very clever for devising such an excellent plan.
This was the first time Chu Yanxi had seen Ling Mohan behave so shamelessly. Rage filled his chest, yet he had no outlet for it. He could only suppress it fiercely, leaving him feeling extremely uncomfortable.
He took deep breaths to alleviate some of his anger. Once Chu Yanxi calmed down, he decided to negotiate with Ling Mohan to release Feng Ruoyan.
"What must I do for you to let Yan'er go?"
This was exactly what Ling Mohan had been waiting for. With unconditional submission, he could then state his terms more effectively.
Ling Mohan's interest was piqued. He stood up from his chair and took a couple of steps forward, closing the distance between himself and Chu Yanxi.
"All this general desires is stability. As long as His Highness the Third Prince can provide stability, this general will naturally not trouble Feng Ruoyan."
As his words fell, Ling Mohan stood up. "Feng Ruoyan's life or death is entirely in His Highness the Third Prince's hands."