"Old Madam, you mustn't do this!" the maidservant cried, running around in a panic.
"Mother, put the scissors down! Don't hurt yourself," Liu-shi said, rushing forward.
The old madam pressed the scissors to her throat. "Don't you come any closer. One more step, and I'll stab myself."
"This… General…" Liu-shi was scared out of her wits.
Panic flickered in Xiang Minghou's eyes. His arms around Ye Qianning tightened. 'When did my relationship with my mother get this bad?'
'I can't believe the old madam would go this far for the second branch,' Ye Qianning thought. 'They're both her sons, but just because Dad can't have any more children, she treats him this way.'
'He defended the country, charged at the enemy, and came back covered in wounds, yet all his mother cares about is an heir. It's utterly chilling.'
"Put the scissors down." After a long silence, Xiang Minghou finally spoke, his voice like ice.
