The Prisoner of Beauty

The crowd seeing off the Lord and his new bride out of the city was a normal occurrence, and Wei Liang initially didn't pay much attention. However, as more and more people gathered, eventually chasing after the carriage, the throng on both sides resembled a bustling market. If it weren't for the soldiers with spears escorting the carriage on both sides, the crowd might have pressed in. Growing anxious, Wei Liang glanced back at Wei Shao, who was slightly behind, and noticed a hint of displeasure on his face.

Clearly, such a scene was not within his expectations.

Wei Liang couldn't help but inwardly blame Xiao Qiao for causing trouble. He looked towards the carriage and, fortunately, saw that she had already lowered the curtain. He quickly urged his horse closer, personally escorting the carriage while loudly ordering the crowd to disperse. Finally, they exited the city and sped up, eventually stopping several miles outside the city gates.

Wei Shao's expression remained as calm as still water, unreadable, and he didn't dismount. When Wei Liang and the others approached to bid farewell, he gave a few instructions, urging them to be careful on the road. Then, his gaze lifted, sweeping over the carriage whose curtain had remained closed since leaving the city, before he turned his horse around and headed back to the city.

Wei Liang stood by the roadside, watching Wei Shao's figure gradually disappear on horseback. He then turned to his attendants and shouted, "Let's move! The sooner we escort the lady back to her hometown, the sooner we can return!"

……

The New Year's Day passed on the road. Four or five days later, they arrived at a place called Qiu Ji. Beyond a winding mountain path a few miles ahead lay the territory of Hejian. The sky was darkening, and the wind cut like a knife, as if snow was about to fall. Considering the difficulty of the mountain path, they decided to stop and spend the night at a nearby posthouse.

Xiao Qiao's carriage was equipped with a stove and cushions, but even so, by the end of the day, her toes were numb from the cold. Zhong Ao and the maids, who were in a carriage without a stove, must have been even worse off. At noon, during a break, Xiao Qiao had Chun Niang invite Zhong Ao and the maids to join her in her carriage to warm up. However, Zhong Ao refused, citing the distinction between master and servant, and the maids, afraid of her, had no choice but to endure the cold with her. Now that they had finally stopped for the night, the posthouse, though shabby, was much warmer than outside, and everyone relaxed upon entering.

Xiao Qiao paid the postmaster to buy some pig's head meat and wine for Wei Liang and the soldiers escorting her to warm themselves. Upon learning that she was Wei Shao's family, the postmaster dared not accept payment, but Xiao Qiao insisted, having Chun Niang hand it over. The postmaster personally went out to make the purchase, and the food was heated and served. The soldiers were deeply grateful to the considerate lady and sat down to eat and drink. Wei Liang, however, stood at the entrance of the posthouse, gazing at the darkening sky with a look of concern.

The bitter cold of the northern winter was indeed no joke.Xiao Qiao had a pair of soft, plump feet with round toes and pale pink nails adorned with neat little crescents, making them look quite adorable. Back in Yanzhou, she had never suffered from frostbite in the winter. But just a few days after arriving here, her feet started to itch. Last night, the itching was unbearable, and she tossed and turned in bed, rubbing and scratching. Fortunately, Chun Niang had thoughtfully brought along some frostbite ointment before they left. She applied some to Xiao Qiao’s feet and massaged them, which took half the night. Finally, Xiao Qiao fell asleep late into the night. Early the next morning, Chun Niang woke her up, saying it had started snowing outside. General Wei Liang had already risen and was waiting for her in the main hall, ready to set off. He had even sent someone to hurry them along.

Xiao Qiao was still groggy, yawning and struggling to suppress her irritation at being woken up. Reluctantly, she was pulled out of her warm bed, half-asleep, and drowsily dressed by Chun Niang. After a quick wash and a few bites of the food brought to her, the maids packed up the bedding, and they all headed to the main hall.

Wei Liang had been waiting for some time and was growing impatient. When Xiao Qiao finally arrived, he was displeased but, considering her status as a lady, he dared not be too rude. He gave a hasty bow and gruffly said, “The mountain path is treacherous, and the snow is getting heavier. We should set off early to make it through.” With that, he loudly ordered his attendants to prepare for departure.

Xiao Qiao knew he was eager to get her to Yuyang as soon as possible. As she stepped outside under the eaves of the inn, she saw that overnight, the world had turned into a snowy wonderland. The ditches by the road were already filled with snow deeper than one’s calves, and the distant landscape was a vast expanse of white. A gust of wind swept by, making her shiver.

The carriage was already waiting at the door. Just as Xiao Qiao was about to board, four or five people hurried over from the opposite road. They looked like merchants who had set out early in the morning and were now seeking shelter from the snow at the post station. Stomping the snow off their feet, one of them said, “General, are you heading to Hejian? The mountain path ahead is blocked—you can’t get through!”

Wei Liang asked for details, and the merchants explained in a flurry of words. They had set out early and, upon reaching the mountain, found that rocks had collapsed, completely blocking the path. “It’s piled up like a small mountain!” one merchant gestured animatedly. “We’re probably stuck here. Who knows when it’ll be cleared,” another sighed.

Wei Liang was momentarily stunned, as if he couldn’t believe it. After a moment of thought, he asked Xiao Qiao to wait inside while he took two men on horseback to investigate, braving the snowstorm.

When he returned, his brow was furrowed. He confirmed that the road was indeed blocked by fallen rocks and that they wouldn’t be able to leave today.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiao covered her face with a yawn and turned back inside. The maids reopened the bedding, and she crawled in to catch up on sleep.

No one rushed her anymore. She slept soundly and woke up refreshed, her cheeks flushed from the warmth. The frostbite ointment on her feet, combined with the socks she had worn to bed, kept them comfortably warm. After getting up, eating, and tidying up, it was already afternoon.

The main hall of the post station was much livelier than it had been in the morning.In such inclement weather, the only ones still out and about were a few unfortunate souls like Xiao Qiao, who had their own hidden troubles, and mostly traveling merchants. The main hall was filled with people who had been forced to turn back due to blocked roads, seeking temporary shelter and warmth. The postmaster didn’t drive them away, allowing the merchants to stay in the front hall, but forbade them from wandering into the rear quarters.

Wei Liang was solely focused on delivering Xiao Qiao to Yuyang as quickly as possible. He hadn’t expected the roads to be blocked just a few days into their journey. Anxious and worried, he feared that if the rain and snow continued tonight, the stones might freeze together, making it even harder to clear the path. By noon, seeing that the snow was gradually easing, he immediately organized a team to clear the road.

The merchants were also eager to get back on the road. Seeing the general take the lead, they quickly joined in. Wei Liang counted the men, gathered the necessary tools, and left two of his trusted soldiers behind to look after Madam, the Lord’s wife. He then led the rest of the men out.

……

In the rear quarters, the room was warm and cozy, with the charcoal in the stove burning brightly.

Since there was no way they could leave today, Chun Niang took out her sewing basket, and together with a few maids, they sat around the stove doing needlework. Xiao Qiao lay on a nearby couch, lost in thought. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. It was the postmaster, delivering a plate of chestnuts freshly roasted over the fire, their sweet aroma filling the room. Chun Niang handed the postmaster some money and took the chestnuts. Xiao Qiao asked a maid to wrap some in a handkerchief and take them to Zhong Ao, who was in a separate room nearby.

After a while, the maid returned, saying that Zhong Ao had declined, only asking her to convey her gratitude for the lady’s kindness.

Seeing that Zhong Ao didn’t want them, Xiao Qiao didn’t insist and let the maids share the chestnuts. The maids were delighted, sitting around the stove, peeling the chestnuts and chatting softly.

Chun Niang stopped her sewing, washed her hands, and sat beside Xiao Qiao, peeling chestnuts for her. She sighed and said, “This Zhong Ao is really hard to get close to. If even a servant is like this, I wonder what Madam Xu will be like over there? And what about your mother-in-law?”

She popped a freshly peeled, golden chestnut into Xiao Qiao’s mouth and sighed again.

Seeing that Chun Niang was starting to worry about her again, Xiao Qiao peeled a chestnut herself and forcefully stuffed it into Chun Niang’s mouth, laughing, “Is there someone over there who’s going to devour me alive? Why are you so worried, Chun Niang? Just eat the chestnuts!”

“Fire!”

At that moment, a commotion broke out outside, and someone shouted loudly.

Chun Niang was startled and quickly got up to push the door open and investigate. She saw that a room in the corner, just a few rooms away, was indeed on fire. Flames and thick smoke were billowing out of the windows and doors, as if the fire had started from inside. Zhong Ao, next door, also came out upon hearing the noise. The postmaster ran over in a panic, ordering people to put out the fire while apologizing to Xiao Qiao, who had come out to see what was happening. He explained that it was a storage room and he had no idea how it had suddenly caught fire. The flames were fierce, and fearing they might spread here, he could only ask Madam, the Lord’s wife, to temporarily move to the front hall.

Chun Niang rushed back into the room to fetch Xiao Qiao’s cloak. Zhong Ao, with her maid, went back to her room to gather some valuables before coming out. Together, they escorted Xiao Qiao to the front hall.In the post station courtyard, everyone had followed Wei Liang to clear the road, leaving insufficient hands to fight the fire. The stationmaster hurried back, pleading to borrow the two attendants to help extinguish the flames, but Zhong Ao flatly refused, saying, "Each has their own duties. These two have important tasks at hand, which is to protect the lady..."

Before she could finish her sentence, with a loud "bang," the door behind her was suddenly pushed open. Several men, seemingly merchants but armed with knives, rushed in without a word and charged straight towards Xiao Qiao.

"Protect the lady!"

Zhong Ao reacted swiftly, shouting as she dashed in front of Xiao Qiao, shielding her with her own body.

Chun Niang also quickly responded, throwing herself beside Xiao Qiao.

The two attendants, well-trained and disciplined, though outnumbered, did not hesitate. They immediately drew their swords and swiftly stood side by side at the forefront, confronting the intruders.

"Who dares to assault the family of the Marquis of Youzhou?"

Zhong Ao demanded sternly.

At that moment, the sound of urgent hoofbeats crunching through snow came from outside. In the blink of an eye, a white horse galloped into the courtyard. On its back sat a man wearing a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat, the brim of his hat pulled low, obscuring his face. Judging by his build, he was undoubtedly a man. His riding skills were exceptional; he rode in without a moment's pause, bringing with him a chill of wind and snow, and headed straight for Xiao Qiao. The guards, unable to withstand the force of the charging horse, could only dodge to the sides. The white horse quickly reached Xiao Qiao, knocking aside Zhong Ao and Chun Niang in front. Amid the maids' screams, the man on horseback leaned down and scooped Xiao Qiao onto the horse. The rider then made a sharp stop, turned the horse around, and galloped out of the gate with both of them. The men disguised as merchants let out a whoop and quickly retreated, disappearing in an instant.

Everything happened so suddenly, from start to finish, in just a matter of seconds.

When Zhong Ao and Chun Niang were knocked aside by the horse, they each suffered some bruises. Ignoring the pain, they scrambled up from the ground and ran to the gate, but the white horse had already galloped half a mile away, becoming a white speck in the snowy landscape, and soon vanished into the vast snowy wilderness.