The Prisoner of Beauty

Da Qiao was taken aback for a moment before her face lit up with joy. "Husband, are you saying that Yang Xin is now acting on his own, attacking you behind Marquis Yan's back?"

She scrambled to get up. "I'll write to my sister right away and have her inform Marquis Yan—"

Bi Zhi pulled his excited wife back, making her lie down again. Gazing into her clear, beautiful eyes, he gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

"Was I wrong? Husband, you don't need to feel troubled. If my sister knew, she would definitely help us!" Da Qiao looked at her husband in confusion.

Bi Zhi affectionately stroked his wife's hair, pondered for a moment, and said, "If my guess is correct, Yang Xin's sudden change in behavior and repeated attacks on me are likely carried out under Marquis Yan's orders."

Da Qiao was shocked, staring blankly at her husband for a long moment.

"My brother-in-law—" she hesitated, "Why would Marquis Yan have a grudge against you?"

Bi Zhi remained silent.

...

Ever since learning yesterday that Yang Xin had defected to Wei Shao, Bi Zhi had been repeatedly pondering this very question.

If it were a personal grudge between them, the only incident he could recall was last year at the Hu Family Village, when he had come to fetch the lady and, due to a misunderstanding, ended up in a scuffle with him.

At the time, his arm had suffered a minor injury.

But Bi Zhi was certain that Wei Shao would never mobilize such a large force to attack him over such a trivial misunderstanding.

If his heart were that narrow, no matter how high his birth or how many capable generals he had under his command, he could never have achieved such military authority and status at such a young age.

If it wasn't personal, then it must be for the sake of the grand scheme of the world.

Wei Shao's reputation as the hegemon of the north was thunderous to Bi Zhi's ears. Not long ago, he had also heard that, riding on the momentum of pacifying the west, Wei Shao had annexed Feng Zhao's territory.

His sword pointed at the world, his ambition set on the throne—this was hardly a secret anymore.

Aside from Wei Shao, figures like Xing Xun, Yuan Zhe, and Le Zheng Gong—these warlords had already reached such heights, each commanding their own armies. With the Han dynasty's fate nearing its end, which of them didn't aspire to seize the empire?

But what puzzled Bi Zhi was why Wei Shao, having just returned from pacifying the west, would immediately set his sights on him.

Though he now occupied a small territory and commanded some troops, his strength was far from comparable to those aristocratic warlords.

The Lingbi he held was no strategic stronghold like Xuzhou.

Wei Shao had so many obvious enemies more worthy of his attention, yet he had chosen to direct his spearhead first at his tiny Lingbi. What exactly was his aim? Bi Zhi truly couldn't fathom it.

...

"Husband..."

Da Qiao, feeling uneasy, found it even harder to believe. Seeing her husband lost in thought, she called out to him.

"Could it be that someone is slandering Marquis Yan, trying to drive a wedge between you? Marquis Yan married my sister, and last time, my sister told me herself that he treats her extremely well. You've never offended him—why would he suddenly send Yang Xin to attack you?"

Da Qiao, kind-hearted by nature, always tried to see the good in people.

Moreover, Wei Shao was her sister's husband. She couldn't bear the thought of such a thing happening.

Bi Zhi said, "There shouldn't be any mistake. Marquis Yan and I have never had any dealings; there's no need for anyone to sow discord between us. Perhaps Marquis Yan is planning to seize Xuzhou, and I'm in his way."Da Qiao's heart was instantly thrown into turmoil. After a dazed moment, she murmured, "If it's true, I don't know whether my younger sister is aware of this. If she knows... I fear she might clash with Marquis Yan..."

Suddenly, she sat up and grasped her husband's arm. "Husband, return the Xiaodi territory to Yang Xin! If you return it, he shouldn't attack anymore, right? I don't want you to keep fighting!"

Bi Zhi replied, "Yesterday I already sent word to Yang Xin conveying this intention. But from Yang Xin's tone, it seems he won't relent unless he takes Lingbi as well!"

Da Qiao froze, her face turning slightly pale.

Bi Zhi comforted her, "A-Fan, I didn't want to tell you this to spare you worry. But I feared if things escalated later and you found out, you'd blame me for hiding it. So I'm telling you now so you can be prepared."

Da Qiao stared at him blankly. "What do you plan to do next, husband?"

Bi Zhi slowly sat up.

"A-Fan, I married you, and now we have Li Er. In these chaotic times, all I want is a safe place for us to live, to protect you and Li Er for life. If possible, I'd gladly abandon everything here right now and retreat to the mountains with you, ignoring worldly affairs. But I'm no longer free—having come this far, I can't simply walk away from everything here. Marquis Yan may have misunderstood me. Since Yang Xin acts on his behalf, I'll speak directly with him. I intend to send a letter explaining that I have no intention of opposing him or obstructing his grand ambitions. If there are misunderstandings, my stance should give him pause. If he trusts me, all the better. If he still sees me as an enemy, though he is strong, I won't fear him. I'll meet his forces head-on and fight back with all I have!"

He gazed at Da Qiao and gently pulled her into his arms.

"But this means I've let you down. From now on, your interactions with your sister won't be as easy as before."

Da Qiao leaned into her husband's sturdy embrace, silent for a long while before suddenly saying, "Husband, I'll also write a letter to my sister for the messenger to deliver. If Marquis Yan and you resolve your misunderstanding, that would be best. If not, we can only turn to my sister for help."

"I don't want you to be at odds with Marquis Yan. I imagine my sister feels the same. I didn't want to trouble her, but after hearing your words, I think it's better she knows sooner rather than later, before things spiral out of control. When she last visited, I could tell Marquis Yan dotes on her. If she mediates, he might listen to her if there are misunderstandings."

Da Qiao concluded.

...

Another half-month passed in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Qiao was still in Xindu but had yet to receive a reply from Da Qiao.

That day, Wei Shao left early, and with nothing to do, Xiao Qiao thought of the letter again. She sought out Jia Si personally to inquire.

She had asked before, and Jia Si had only said it should arrive soon, asking her to be patient.

Today, he gave the same reply.

"General Jia, if any letters arrive, please deliver them to me immediately," Xiao Qiao said, suppressing her disappointment.

Jia Si nodded hastily, not daring to meet her gaze.

Even if beaten to death, Jia Si wouldn't dare let the lady know that the letter she had entrusted him to send had never left the gates of Xin Palace.He was the captain of Wei Shao's elite Tiger Guard, responsible not only for protection duties but also for handling all correspondence, which typically passed through his hands first.

That day, he had forwarded the letter the lady intended to send to the Lord.

It wasn’t his own initiative—he was acting under orders.

On the very day the Lord had decided to extend his stay in Xindu, he had given him instructions: any letters the lady sent to Lingbi, or any correspondence from outsiders addressed to her, were to be redirected to him first.

He had also added that there was no need for the lady to know.

With the Lord’s command, how could Jia Si dare disobey?

He certainly didn’t dare tell the lady that just yesterday, a messenger had arrived from Lingbi with a letter.

That letter had been sent from Bi Zhi to the Lord.

What Bi Zhi had written in his letter to the Lord, Jia Si naturally had no way of knowing.

All he had seen with his own eyes was that when he delivered the letter to the study, the Lord took it without even lifting his gaze and casually tossed it into a nearby basket.

That basket held discarded or spoiled bamboo slips and silk scrolls, which were periodically cleared out and burned.

Jia Si hadn’t asked any questions at the time.

But he knew full well that this meant the Lord had no intention of replying.

Considering that he had personally escorted the lady to Lingbi last time and witnessed her close relationship with Bi Zhi and his wife, he had spoken carefully to the messenger afterward, tactfully conveying that there would be no reply from the Lord before seeing him off.

"General Jia, I appreciate your trouble," Xiao Qiao said again.

Jia Si hastily shook his head. "Not at all. It’s my duty."

The lady’s temperament was truly gentle. Though it was clear she was anxious, she never showed the slightest hint of dissatisfaction or reproach toward him. Those exquisitely beautiful eyes only reflected disappointment before she urged him to keep an eye out and deliver any reply to her immediately.

Faced with such a lady, Jia Si felt increasingly guilty.

So much so that now, when speaking to her, he couldn’t even bring himself to meet her eyes.

Xiao Qiao didn’t notice Jia Si’s odd demeanor. She smiled and nodded at him before turning to leave. Shortly after returning to her room, Chun Niang entered and said, "My lady, guess who has come here?"

"Who?" Xiao Qiao asked, somewhat bewildered by the faint joy on her face.

Chun Niang didn’t keep her in suspense.

"Lord Zong from before!"

Xiao Qiao froze for a moment.

"Just now, I heard someone outside say a person was looking for me, waiting by the side gate. I wondered who would come looking for me here, so I went out to see. To my surprise, it was him! Lord Zong said he was delivering a letter to you on behalf of your elder sister."

With that, she handed it over.

Xiao Qiao was overjoyed and immediately tore open the seal.

Chun Niang knew Xiao Qiao had been waiting for Da Qiao’s reply. The sudden arrival of Zong Ji in person with a letter delighted her as well.

As Xiao Qiao read the letter, Chun Niang smiled beside her. "What does it say? Does it mention the baby? It must be about six or seven months old now..."

Xiao Qiao had been smiling at first, but before she finished reading, her expression changed drastically, as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

She quickly scanned the letter again from start to finish, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

Chun Niang noticed her distress. Seeing her face turn deathly pale and her lips lose all color, she was startled and asked urgently, "What’s wrong? What does the letter say?"

"Has Lord Zong left yet?" Xiao Qiao asked, not waiting for an answer before rushing out the door.Her mind was in such turmoil, her hands and feet trembling so violently, that as she lifted her foot to step over the threshold, her toe caught and she nearly fell face-first. Fortunately, Chun Niang was quick to react, reaching out from behind to steady her, her voice even more alarmed: "What on earth has happened? Walk slower, let this maid support you."

Xiao Qiao closed her eyes briefly, struggling to steady her nerves. Without a word, she hurried to the side gate of the letter palace.