The Prisoner of Beauty

Xiao Qiao waited anxiously for news from Jia Si. As days passed, she grew increasingly worried, fearing that his pursuit might not be going smoothly.

One evening, as the weather began to grow warmer, she woke up in the middle of the night, slightly sweaty and uncomfortable. She got up, lit a lamp, and without waking Chun Niang, who was sleeping in the adjacent room, she went into the bathroom. She fetched some prepared water, wrung out a towel, and wiped her neck.

The coolness brought her some relief. She then began to untie her robe, intending to wipe her body, when suddenly, she heard an unusual breathing sound behind her. Her hand froze.

She slowly turned her head and, by the light of the candle, saw a man standing at the bathroom door.

The man was drenched from head to toe, as if he had just climbed out of a water barrel. His face was pale, his features delicate, and his eyes were fixed on her. His breathing was heavy, and his expression was extremely strange.

Chen Rui!

Xiao Qiao recognized him instantly and was utterly shocked.

She had always thought that Chen Rui, having deeply offended Wei Shao, had been killed last year when Wei Shao conquered Bingzhou. She never imagined that this man was not only alive but had appeared before her in such a manner!

At this moment, she had no time to ponder how he had managed to bypass the multiple sentry posts in the government office and appear before her like this. Her heart raced, and she was about to scream when Chen Rui swiftly stepped forward, tightly covering her mouth with one hand while holding a dagger with the other, pressing the blade against her. He whispered in her ear, "Don't make a sound! Or I'll kill you!"

As his wet body drew closer, a chill rapidly spread through Xiao Qiao's entire being.

She shivered, and goosebumps quickly formed on her skin.

She widened her eyes, staring at Chen Rui's dark, menacing face as he approached. She stopped struggling and slowly nodded.

Chen Rui stared at her for a moment, his gaze gradually falling to her loosely tied robe, which revealed a hint of her delicate chest. He continued to stare for a while, then suddenly closed his eyes.

Then, Xiao Qiao heard him gulp, and a strange expression she couldn't quite understand appeared on his face.

He suddenly opened his eyes, picked up Xiao Qiao, and quickly carried her out, placing her on the bed. He then stood in front of the bed, still holding the dagger, and continued to stare at her.

At first, Xiao Qiao was so frightened that her limbs went weak, and her heart pounded. She thought he was about to assault her.

Chun Niang was sleeping in a nearby room. Just outside the inner courtyard where her bedroom was located, no more than a hundred meters away, there should be night patrols on duty.

If she screamed, soldiers would surely come quickly.

But with the dagger in his hand, it posed the greatest threat to her.

Even without the gleaming dagger, Xiao Qiao knew that despite his delicate appearance, Chen Rui was a ruthless killer.

If he wanted to break her neck, it would be an easy task for him.

Not to mention the most likely scenario she could imagine: in desperation, he would use her as a hostage, forcing everyone to let him pass, and ultimately abducting her.

She quickly made a decision.

If she could keep him calm, it would be best to do so first, and then act according to the situation. There was no need to rush.Xiao Qiao tried her best to steady her nerves. She looked down and saw that her clothes were still loose, so she straightened them and raised her eyes to meet Chen Rui's gaze. She asked softly, "How did you get in?"

She glanced at the half-open south window.

Chen Rui continued to stare at her intently. The candlelight from the side cast a shadow on his face, making it appear slightly distorted and terrifying.

Xiao Qiao shifted her body slightly.

"Don't move!"

Xiao Qiao slowly adjusted to a more relaxed sitting posture and said gently, "I won't move. And don't worry. Although there are guards outside the courtyard, they would come in quickly if I called. But as long as you don't touch me, I won't call out! It's been a while since we last met. You must have something on your mind to come here so suddenly. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm willing to listen."

Her posture was relaxed, her tone gentle, and she even wore a faint smile. Chen Rui stared at her for a long time, and the tension in his expression gradually eased. He said bitterly, "What is there left for us to talk about?"

Xiao Qiao glanced at the dagger in his hand and pointed to it lightly, "You can say whatever you want. I'm willing to listen. But could you put away the knife? It scares me."

Chen Rui snorted but slowly put the dagger away.

"Is that scoundrel Wei Shao still in Xihe County?" he asked with a grim face.

Xiao Qiao nodded.

Chen Rui turned his head and looked around the room, then suddenly said, "My sister used to live in this room!" As if remembering something, he gritted his teeth, "Poor her, a delicate woman, she was harmed by that Wei scoundrel on her way to her wedding..."

Xiao Qiao quickly said, "Don't worry. Your sister was later sent to your uncle's place, and she should be living well now."

Last year, Chen Xiang, in order to form an alliance with Xue Tai, arranged a marriage between their families, marrying his daughter to Xue Tai's son. However, on the way, they were ambushed by Wei Liang, and Chen's daughter was captured.

Xiao Qiao's words were not false; it was indeed true. After the siege of Yanzhou was lifted, Wei Liang asked how to deal with Chen's daughter, and Gongsun Yang suggested sending her to Chen Pang, who had already surrendered. Wei Shao agreed, and Chen's daughter was now in Shiyi.

Chen Rui was stunned for a moment, then said bitterly, "That scoundrel Wei Shao is always putting on a show! Does he think I would be grateful for this? I wish I could tear that scoundrel into pieces to vent my hatred!"

In fact, if Chen's daughter had not been captured and had successfully married Xue Tai's son, her fate might have been even worse.

But Xiao Qiao didn't say more, letting Chen Rui pace back and forth in front of the bed, hurling all kinds of curses at Wei Shao like throwing dates.

She remained silent, wondering if the noise in the room would wake Chun Niang.

After cursing his enemy in front of his enemy's wife for a while, Chen Rui finally felt somewhat relieved and snorted, "Why aren't you saying anything while I curse Wei Shao?"

Xiao Qiao said, "You can curse if you want. You know, my family has a long-standing feud with him. He has always disliked me. This time when he came to Bingzhou, he didn't plan to bring me along, but his grandmother insisted, so he had no choice but to take me with him."

Chen Rui felt even more relieved and nodded, "You're also pitiful, born with such a beautiful appearance, yet like a flower stuck in cow dung, married to that unromantic scoundrel Wei Shao!"Xiao Qiao sighed and slightly furrowed her brows. "As a woman, I am like a rootless duckweed, drifting with the current, unable to control my own fate."

She was already exceptionally beautiful, and now with her disheveled hair and worried expression, Chen Rui couldn't take his eyes off her. The initial anger he had felt completely dissipated, and he found himself lost in thought. Since this beauty had no affection for that Wei fellow, after abducting her, he wouldn't need to use her to threaten Wei Shao. Instead, he could use the Qiang youth to coerce the Beihe Tribe into lending him troops to attack Wei Shao again.

Just as he was indulging in these pleasant thoughts, he suddenly remembered his own physical inadequacy. Even if he obtained the beauty, he could only gaze at her in despair. A sharp pain struck his heart, and his expression gradually turned strange again.

Xiao Qiao had been observing his expression and noticed that he seemed agitated once more.

She had no idea what Wei Shao had done to Chen Rui. No matter how intelligent she was, how could she possibly know what Chen Rui was thinking at that moment? Sensing that the situation was turning unfavorable, she quickly tried to calm him down. "There are guards here. How did you manage to get in?"

Chen Rui took a deep breath and snorted. "What does it matter how many guards there are? Jinyang was originally the territory of the Chen family! No matter how clever Wei Shao is, he would never think of the underground waterway connected to the pond at the back. Stop talking and just come with me!"

The thought of Wei Shao's reaction when he found out that not only was Chen Rui not dead, but he had also taken Xiao Qiao right under the noses of the guards filled him with immense satisfaction.

Only then did Xiao Qiao understand. No wonder he had been soaking wet when he entered. He must have come through the secret underwater passage, bypassing the heavy guard.

In truth, Chen Rui had initially planned to lure Xiao Qiao out using the Qiang youth he had captured. But when he arrived in Jinyang and saw the tight security, he realized that acting openly with only himself would be difficult.

However, since he was already here and Xiao Qiao was within reach, he couldn't bear to give up. After much deliberation, he suddenly remembered the secret waterway dug under the pond in the backyard of the government office years ago. He changed his plan and decided to sneak in quietly at night to take Xiao Qiao away.

As long as he had Xiao Qiao as a hostage, he wasn't afraid of not being able to leave the city.

Worried that further delay would be detrimental, he grabbed Xiao Qiao's arm and pulled her off the bed, saying, "I'll be honest with you. That Beihe Qiang youth is also in my hands! Come with me, and once I borrow troops from the Beihe Tribe, you'll see how I attack Wei Shao and take my revenge!"

Xiao Qiao was shocked. Seeing the way he spoke, it didn't seem like he was bluffing. As her thoughts raced, she broke free from his grip and shook her head. "General Chen, stop boasting in front of me! General Jia is exceptionally brave. I ordered him to take a hundred men to pursue Diao Mo. How could the Qiang youth possibly fall into your hands?"

Chen Rui, hearing the hint of disdain in her tone, couldn't tolerate it. He snorted, "I might as well tell you. He's currently hidden in Dragon Mountain to the west of the city! Jinyang was originally the territory of the Chen family. Who could stop me from coming and going as I please? Stop talking and come with me!"

Xiao Qiao was forcibly dragged off the bed and pulled to the door. Seeing him unbolt the door while threatening her not to make a sound, she paused and said, "My shoes aren't on properly. General Chen, allow me to adjust them."Chen Rui gently opened the door, peeked out, and carefully glanced around. Seeing that it was still quiet with no signs of anyone, he finally felt at ease. Just as he turned back to pull Xiao Qiao to follow him out, he was unexpectedly shoved hard in the lower back. Caught off guard, his upper body lurched forward, but his feet got caught on the threshold, causing him to lose his balance and fall heavily to the ground. Immediately after, he heard the loud "bang" of the door being shut behind him, and the bolt was quickly secured.

Chen Rui finally realized what had happened and, enraged, jumped up and began slamming against the door.

However, the door was made of solid boxwood, and the bolt was a two-foot-long, ten-inch-thick solid wooden bar. How could he possibly kick it open in such a short time? In desperation, he hurried toward the southern window he had climbed through earlier.

But Xiao Qiao was faster than him. As soon as she secured the bolt, she immediately ran to the window, slammed it shut, and fastened the latch. Then she began to scream at the top of her lungs.

Before Chen Rui could even attempt to break the window, he heard a commotion behind him. Turning his head, he saw more than a dozen figures holding torches pouring into the courtyard through the inner gate—all night guards. Panicking, he knew he had to run now or it would be too late. He turned and sprinted toward the back garden where he had come from. But before he could get far, figures emerged from the side corridor. In no time at all, he found himself completely surrounded, with no way to escape.

Chen Rui was filled with regret. He shouldn’t have been lured by that Qiao woman and wasted so much time talking to her. If he had just knocked her out and carried her away, he would have already escaped the government office by now. How could he have ended up in such a trap, like a turtle caught in a jar? With a roar of fury, he pulled out a soft whip coiled around his waist, ready to fight his way out. But before he could act, the sound of arrows whistling through the air filled the space. In an instant, more than a dozen arrows pierced his chest and back.

Chen Rui’s internal organs were naturally reversed, with left and right swapped. That was why, when Wei Shao had ordered him to be mutilated and stabbed through the heart, the executioner thought he was surely dead and dumped him in a pile of corpses without a second thought. But Chen Rui had struggled and survived, eventually escaping.

He had thought that surviving such a disaster would bring him good fortune. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that today he would die at the hands of a woman.

With a final howl, Chen Rui pulled out a blood-stained arrow from his right chest and collapsed onto his back.

Only then did Chun Niang rush toward Xiao Qiao’s door, pounding on it and calling out loudly for her mistress.

Xiao Qiao, who had been feeling utterly drained and unable to even stand, had slumped to the floor by the wall, curled up and trembling. When she heard Chun Niang’s familiar and anxious voice, she forced herself to stand up, but her hands were so weak she couldn’t even pull the bolt. After several attempts, she finally managed to remove the wooden bar.

Chun Niang pushed the door open and saw Xiao Qiao standing behind it, her eyes wide and her face pale as a sheet. Hearing Xiao Qiao call out her name in a tearful voice, Chun Niang’s heart ached. She opened her arms and pulled Xiao Qiao’s cold body into a tight embrace, patting her back repeatedly to comfort her.

Xiao Qiao was then helped by Chun Niang to sit down.After closing her eyes and leaning back for a moment, the warm embrace of her wet nurse and her soothing words gradually calmed her nerves. Suddenly, she remembered something and opened her eyes, asking, "What about that Chen Rui?"

Chun Niang said with hatred, "That scoundrel has already been shot dead! Don't be afraid, my lady! In fact, I was awakened by his voice in your room early on. I even eavesdropped outside the door for a while. I wanted to call for help immediately, but I was afraid that he might act desperately and harm you, so I quietly called for people to come in and lie in ambush, waiting for the right moment to act. Fortunately, you managed to stabilize him yourself and kept him outside. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

She recalled the scene just now, and her heart was still pounding, her back drenched in cold sweat.

Xiao Qiao remembered that Chen Rui had only revealed half a sentence earlier, saying that the Qiang youth Yuan was hidden by him in Dragon Mountain to the west of the city.

Dragon Mountain was vast, and without an exact location, it would be difficult to find someone quickly. If too much time was wasted, the young man's life might be in danger. Ignoring her weak legs, she hastily put on a robe, stood up, and opened the door to go out. She saw Lin Huben, Jia Si's deputy, ordering people to carry Chen Rui away and hurriedly called for them to stop.

Lin Huben rushed over and apologized to her.

Xiao Qiao shook her head and hurried to Chen Rui's side. She saw several arrows piercing his chest, blood gushing from the corner of his mouth, his eyes tightly closed. It was clear that he was already on the verge of death, and it was impossible for him to answer any more questions.

Seeing his gruesome death, a strange feeling welled up in her heart. She couldn't bear to look any longer.

Composing herself, she turned to Lin Huben and said, "That Qiang youth should be hidden somewhere in Dragon Mountain. Take your men and search the mountain immediately. You can borrow troops from the four cities—the more people, the better! You must find him as soon as possible!"

Lin Huben acknowledged the order.

"And this person..."

She hesitated for a moment, "Dig a pit and bury him whole."

Lin Huben was momentarily stunned but then also acknowledged.

Xiao Qiao was still weak and exhausted. After giving her instructions, Chun Niang supported her. She turned around and was about to return to her room when Chen Rui on the ground suddenly opened his eyes like a corpse coming back to life. With a muffled groan, he lunged forward, his hands tightly grasping one of Xiao Qiao's feet with an unusually strong grip.

This scene was far too sudden. No one could have expected it, and their first reaction was to be stunned.

Xiao Qiao, already weak and limp, couldn't withstand this grab. She screamed and fell to the ground, looking in horror as Chen Rui opened his mouth and bit down hard on her foot, his eyes fixed on her. He mumbled, "You... are... so beautiful... to die... beneath you... no regrets..."

With that, he breathed his last.

Xiao Qiao let out a piercing scream.

Author's note: Merry Christmas to everyone

And then, seeing V587's little "leftover egg" skit, I almost laughed myself to death. How could it be so fitting~