The Prisoner of Beauty

Xiao Qiao returned and sat down, lost in thought, motionless.

Earlier, she had met Zong Ji in the side courtyard near the side gate and inquired about the war situation in Lingbi. Chun Niang was also present and finally understood a bit of what had happened.

Zong Ji said that when he left, Yang Xin was attacking Xiaodi, and Xue An had also arrived upon hearing the news. But he urged the lady not to worry too much. Xiaodi was easy to defend and hard to attack, Bi Zhi often employed ingenious military strategies, and Yang Xin and Xue An were also wary of each other, so Lingbi should be safe for the time being.

Zong Ji also mentioned that he had arrived the day before to deliver a letter from Bi Zhi to the Lord. However, the Lord had not replied.

Although he didn’t know the contents of Bi Zhi’s letter, he was certain it was related to the war in Lingbi. Still hoping for a reply from the Lord, he took the liberty of asking the lady to help urge the Lord once more.

The news left Chun Niang deeply worried.

Though Zong Ji claimed Lingbi was temporarily safe, even Chun Niang could tell that Lingbi’s security was now hanging by a thread.

The lady’s strong reaction while reading the letter earlier must have been due to her concern over the war in Lingbi.

Chun Niang guessed that Bi Zhi’s letter to the Lord was likely a plea for help.

Da Qiao’s letter to the lady probably carried the same message.

Now, seeing her sitting there with a stiff expression upon returning, Chun Niang grew even more concerned and stepped forward to comfort her: “My lady, do not worry. Last time when Xue Tai attacked Yanzhou, the Lord intervened and resolved the crisis. Now that Lingbi is in danger, if you speak to the Lord properly, he will surely help again—”

“Chun Niang, summon Jia Si for me!” Xiao Qiao suddenly said.

Chun Niang’s words were cut short, and she glanced at Xiao Qiao.

Her expression seemed much calmer than before.

After a brief hesitation, Chun Niang acknowledged and hurried out to relay the message.

Once Chun Niang left, Xiao Qiao closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath.

…

Jia Si, upon suddenly being summoned by the lady, dared not delay and rushed over immediately. He waited outside the inner gate of the lady’s residence, at the foot of the steps.

After waiting for a long time, he began to feel uneasy when he suddenly heard faint, rustling footsteps.

Looking up, he saw a familiar, graceful figure emerge from the other end of the path. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his gaze, not daring to look further.

Xiao Qiao stopped atop the steps. After Jia Si paid his respects, her gaze settled on his face, silent.

Jia Si’s heart pounded under her scrutiny. Feeling guilty and with the summer heat, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

After a long while, he finally heard the lady’s voice from above: “General Jia, the letter I entrusted you to send to Lingbi last time has received no reply. It may have been lost along the way. Given the urgency of the matter, I’ve decided to write another one. I’d like to trouble you to deliver it for me again.”

Jia Si first felt a wave of relief.

But soon, a pang of guilt washed over him.

Hesitating, he saw the lady already extending the letter tube toward him and hurried forward to receive it with both hands.

“Thank you, General Jia.”

Xiao Qiao gave him a faint smile before turning away.

Jia Si watched as the lady’s figure gradually receded into the distance. Clutching the letter tube that now felt scalding in his hand, he recalled her smile just now and suddenly felt overwhelmingly dejected. He stood at the foot of the steps for a long time before finally turning and slowly walking away.

…

In the evening, Wei Shao returned, dismounted, and entered the residence. Jia Si went to greet him.Jia Si's father had once been a general under Wei Jing's command before perishing in battle. Jia Si joined the Tiger Guard at sixteen. Two years ago, Wei Shao appointed him as Commandant of the Tiger Guard, a clear mark of trust. Seeing him approach now, Wei Shao asked casually as he walked inside, "Anything to report today?"

"My Lord, nothing of note—"

Wei Shao nodded and strode forward.

Jia Si watched his lord's retreating back, his conscience warring within him. Suddenly recalling the oath of loyalty he'd sworn upon first joining the Tiger Guard a decade ago, his palms grew damp with sweat. Finally, he hurried after a few steps and said, "Just one matter. The Lady instructed me to send another letter to Lingbi."

With both hands, he finally presented the message tube.

Wei Shao paused, his gaze lingering on the tube for a moment before accepting it. He entered the Sheyang Residence and went straight to his study.

Naturally, he had read the previous intercepted letter from his wife.

In her letter, Xiao Qiao had mainly inquired about the conflict between the green-eyed refugee leader and Yang Xin/Xue An, then asked after the daily lives of that couple and their young child—all of which Wei Shao automatically ignored. What caught his attention was a passage where she wrote about her own daily life and mentioned him.

She had written: "...Xindu is where my husband and I first met and wed. Revisiting this place now fills me with both nostalgia and joy. My husband and I once climbed to the top of Tan Terrace at night—the Milky Way shone brilliantly across the dome of heaven, a scene I shall never forget..."

These few sparse lines—Wei Shao had secretly read them over and over.

His original purpose in ordering Jia Si to intercept his wife's letters was, of course, to prevent her from discovering what he was doing behind her back regarding her refugee brother-in-law.

By severing her correspondence with them, she could never learn the details, thus avoiding future complications.

He never expected to accidentally come across such contents in her letter.

At the time, he'd felt a thrill of excitement, as if peeking into his wife's secret thoughts.

These were things she would never tell him directly.

He'd originally planned to burn her letter—keeping it would be troublesome if she discovered it later.

But because of that passage, he couldn't bring himself to destroy it and hid it in his study instead.

Now another of her letters had been intercepted.

Wei Shao's current mood mixed curiosity with faint anticipation.

What would she say in this latest letter?

...

Wei Shao took a small knife to pry open the message tube. Inside lay a roll of snow-white silk, neatly folded and tied with a green ribbon around its middle.

As he worked at the ribbon's knot, his impatience grew until he simply tore it apart and eagerly unfurled the silk.

His eyes fell upon the fabric and froze.

Centered on the silk were four large characters: "Shame on you, Wei Shao!"

The ink was thick, having deeply penetrated the fabric's weave with visible streaks where the brush had pressed down forcefully.

Wei Shao stared fixedly at these words, momentarily stunned. Then, as if stung by a needle, he suddenly jerked upright. In his haste, his knee slammed against the low table before him, causing it to jump and sending the stacked bamboo slips atop it clattering to the floor.

The impact against the hard wood sent sharp pain through his knee, but he ignored it, hopping off the seat on one foot as he hurried forward. Just as he reached the doorway, the study's double doors burst open with a creak.

Xiao Qiao stood at the threshold, her face alight with anger, her gaze locking onto what Wei Shao held in his hand.Wei Shao followed her gaze downward and only then realized he was still clutching that piece of white silk in his hand. He hurriedly hid it behind his back.

Xiao Qiao stepped inside, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Did my handwriting meet your standards, husband?"

A faint blush crept up Wei Shao's cheeks as awkwardness flickered across his face. After a brief stare-off with Xiao Qiao, he suddenly grinned, tossing the silk aside and striding toward her with arms outstretched. "This was entirely my fault! Manman, please don't be angry—it's not worth harming your health over! I swear I'll never do it again..."

Before he could finish, Xiao Qiao gritted her teeth and shoved him away with all her might.

Under normal circumstances, Xiao Qiao could never have pushed Wei Shao away. But fueled by rage, she mustered every ounce of strength, catching him off guard. The forceful push sent him stumbling backward four or five steps before he regained his footing.

Wei Shao paused, momentarily stunned, then casually approached again, wrapping his arms around her and leaning in for a kiss. As she struggled, he persisted, only to feel a sharp sting on his cheek—Xiao Qiao had slapped him.

Undeterred, he pressed her against the wall, continuing to kiss her while murmuring, "Don't be angry, Manman... I know I was wrong to intercept your letter... I won't do it again..."

Pinned against the wall by his arms and body, Xiao Qiao seethed with helpless fury. Managing to free one arm, she struck him again—this time harder, leaving red marks on his face and a burning pain in her own palm.

Wei Shao's face jerked to the side from the impact. Slowly, he turned back, touching his stinging cheek as his dark eyes flickered with a mix of embarrassment and irritation. "Isn't that enough? You've already hit me twice. So what if I didn't send your letter? I'll have it delivered right now—how about that?"

"Wei Shao!" Xiao Qiao spat his name for the first time, her beautiful eyes blazing with an intensity that seemed to spark. "Do you really think you can still deceive me at this point?"

"You think I don't know Yang Xin takes orders from you? It was clearly you who commanded him to attack my brother-in-law! And when I asked you before, you had the audacity to lie straight to my face!"

Wei Shao's expression shifted as the remorse and awkwardness faded from his face. His brow furrowed. "How did you find out? Who told you?" His voice had turned icy.

Silence fell over the study.

The only sound in Xiao Qiao's ears was her own ragged breathing, heavy with anger.

Her back remained pressed firmly against the wall. She closed her eyes for a long moment before reopening them, lifting her gaze to meet Wei Shao's.

"So this is why you intercepted my letters—you didn’t want me to know you were already moving against my family."

Her voice was hoarse.

"I know you’ve never let go of your hatred for what happened to your father and brother. If you want to strike at my family, fine—I can’t stop you. But you had no right to deceive me like this! You claim to love me, making me believe you’d show my family mercy, letting me cling to that hope—only to turn around and plot against them behind my back! What exactly do you take me for?"

The fire in her eyes had died, leaving them dull and lifeless."Wei Shao, you've disappointed me greatly. Truly disappointed."

Xiao Qiao gazed at him, then slowly spoke each word with deliberate emphasis.

Wei Shao stared back, his breathing growing heavier. Suddenly, he turned on his heel and strode toward the door, leaving her behind. At the threshold, he paused briefly and glanced back. "The Xu-Huai region is strategically vital—I must have it! How can I tolerate others coveting what is rightfully mine? If not for your sake, I would have long ordered Yang Xin to eradicate that rebel leader completely. How could I have allowed him to grow strong enough to rival Yang Xin today?"

With that, he slammed the door shut and stormed away.