The Prisoner of Beauty

The two of them had a history of quarreling, and Wei Shao had a tradition of storming off in anger.

Xiao Qiao was long accustomed to it.

He dropped his final words and left. Xiao Qiao’s legs were so weak she had no strength left. Leaning against the wall, she slowly slid down to the floor.

The palm that had struck his face still tingled, as if countless needles were pricking it, carrying a lingering dull ache.

Just like the feeling in her chest where her heart was.

She felt suffocated, so much so that she could barely breathe.

A moment ago, she had indeed lost control of her emotions and slapped him.

But Wei Shao had also struck back—hard—and completely sobered her up.

At the height of their affection, she had optimistically imagined that even if Wei Shao couldn’t let go of his hatred for the Qiao family, her presence might, to some extent, prevent him from truly acting on it.

Or at least, not now.

Their relationship was so intimate now—one could even call it passionate.

Yet she never expected that he would secretly plot to eliminate her brother-in-law, who posed no real threat to him.

In the future, when his feelings for her faded, what else wouldn’t he be capable of?

Xiao Qiao couldn’t help but recall the scene of Su E’huang being punished with nose amputation.

Though she hadn’t witnessed it herself, she could imagine it.

Xiao Qiao shuddered and quickly banished the horrifying image from her mind.

Don’t think about it, don’t dwell on it. She repeated this to herself. What she needed to focus on now was finding a way to resolve the crisis at Lingbi.

From now on, she would do what needed to be done and never entertain any illusions about Wei Shao again.

Finally steadying herself, she slowly pushed off the wall and stood up, her gaze sweeping across the study before settling on the large desk in the center.

Da Qiao’s letter said that Marquis Yan must have misunderstood Bi Zhi, which led to Yang Xin’s attack.

Bi Zhi had already sent a letter to Marquis Yan, hoping to clear up the misunderstanding and avert further conflict.

Da Qiao said she hadn’t wanted her younger sister to know about this. But if Xiao Qiao was reading this letter, it meant Marquis Yan had rejected Bi Zhi’s peace offering.

She hoped Xiao Qiao could assist in some way.

This was their last hope for reconciliation.

Since the Wei and Qiao families were now related by marriage, and Xiao Qiao had previously portrayed her relationship with Wei Shao as loving in front of Da Qiao, Da Qiao naturally assumed that Wei Shao had let go of the feud between their families. That was why she thought it must be a misunderstanding that led to Yang Xin’s attack.

It was no wonder Da Qiao thought this way.

Even Xiao Qiao herself had found it hard to believe when she first heard the news.

…

Xiao Qiao walked behind Wei Shao’s large desk, sifting through the scattered bamboo slips on the floor and the remaining ones on the desk.

They were all military reports and updates from various regions—not what she was looking for.

She searched every possible place in the study where letters might be kept and eventually found the first letter she had written to Da Qiao.

He had tucked it between a stack of battle reports.

But the one thing she wanted to find was missing.

She scanned the study once more, her eyes landing on the wastepaper basket beside the desk. She hurried over and rummaged through it, finally pulling out an unopened letter tube.

Xiao Qiao opened the tube, took out the contents, and quickly skimmed the letter inside.At last, the letter sent by Bi Zhi was found.

...

Gongsun Yang was drafting a document in his office at the government compound, his brush flying swiftly across the paper when a close attendant rushed in, announcing that the Lady had arrived.

Gongsun Yang was taken aback. He quickly set down his brush and rose to go out and welcome her, but as he looked up, a figure in cherry-purple robes flashed past the doorway—the Lady had already entered. He hurried forward, masking his surprise, and bowed deeply. "I was unaware of your arrival, my Lady, and failed to greet you properly."

He left unspoken the second half of his thought: "What brings you here?"

The Lady's sudden departure from Xin Palace to come here certainly wasn't a casual visit—she must have business to attend to.

Xiao Qiao smiled faintly. "There's no need for such courtesy, Master. I've come regarding a matter."

Gongsun Yang gestured for her to take a seat. "If you have any instructions, my Lady, you need only summon me. Why trouble yourself to come here in person?"

Xiao Qiao sat down and came straight to the point. "To be frank, I've come to seek your counsel regarding the situation at Lingbi."

Gongsun Yang was startled.

Xiao Qiao produced the letter she had brought with her. "This is a letter from Bi Zhi addressed to the Lord."

Gongsun Yang was surprised again. He hastily took it, unfolded it, and skimmed through its contents before falling into thought.

Xiao Qiao continued, "Bi Zhi's intentions are made quite clear in the letter. He has no desire to oppose the Lord, nor does he seek to contest Xuzhou. His current defense of Lingbi is solely to secure a foothold in these turbulent times. As a gesture of goodwill, he is willing to return the territory of Xiao. Yet Yang Xin, acting on the Lord's orders, has launched another attack. It's not that my brother-in-law fears him, but this battle is utterly inexplicable. He also does not wish to place me in an awkward position. I know you possess far-sighted vision and keen insight, Master. At this moment, is Lingbi truly worth the Lord expending such effort to seize? You surely understand this better than I. I implore you to consider the bigger picture and advise the Lord once more, urging him not to persist in this reckless course and risk major losses for minor gains. This is no idle warning—Bi Zhi's capabilities are evident to all. If he is truly backed into a corner and forced to fight to the end, no one can predict what the future of Xuzhou will hold."

Having said this, Xiao Qiao fixed her gaze on Gongsun Yang.

Gongsun Yang rose from his seat, one hand behind his back, the other stroking his beard. He paced back and forth slowly several times before suddenly turning to Xiao Qiao. "If you wish the Lord to avoid conflict with Bi Zhi, my Lady, why not advise him yourself? Your words would surely carry more weight with him than mine."

"Since I've come to seek your help, Master Gongsun, I'll speak plainly. You know well the circumstances under which I married the Lord. I came with intentions of reconciliation and have done my utmost, yet I've inevitably fallen short in some respects. To be honest, this very morning, I angered the Lord over the matter of Lingbi, and he stormed off. Yang Xin's attack on Bi Zhi, though ordered by the Lord, stems not only from the personal feud between our families but also relates to the Lord's grand ambitions. Now that Bi Zhi has sent this letter seeking peace and hoping to dispel misunderstandings, the Lord ignores it—he won't even glance at it. Such behavior is far from rational. He cannot let go of the enmity between our families, and now, angered by me, I doubt he would listen to anything further I have to say. That is why I've turned to you, Master, to once more lay out the stakes for the Lord and analyze the situation clearly. Whether or not you can avert this conflict, I will be eternally grateful."

Xiao Qiao rose from her seat and walked over to stand before Gongsun Yang. She stopped and bowed deeply to him, startling Gongsun Yang, who hastily reached out to support her and returned the gesture. "Your courtesy is too great, my Lady!"After a moment of contemplation, he said, "To be frank, my thoughts align perfectly with yours, my lady. It is indeed unreasonable for Lord Wei Shao to send Yang Xin to attack Bi Zhi at this time. I had previously advised him against it, but he would not listen. Now that we have Bi Zhi's letter in hand, and considering the honor you've bestowed upon me by coming here personally, I shall do my utmost to try once more. If successful, it would not only ease your worries but also prevent further complications."

Xiao Qiao bowed deeply to him again and said, "If you see Lord Wei Shao, you may tell him plainly that I came here and that it was I who handed Bi Zhi's letter to you."

Gongsun Yang acknowledged her request.

At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed from outside, and a tall figure clad in dark robes strode in abruptly. Upon seeing Xiao Qiao, the man froze, his expression instantly turning cold. His sword-like brows furrowed deeply, yet he remained silent, standing by the door with his face turned haughtily away, offering only his profile to her.

It was none other than Lord Wei Shao, who had just moments ago received two slaps from Xiao Qiao.

Judging by the right side of his handsome face—perhaps due to his thick skin—the earlier finger marks had already faded, leaving no trace.

Xiao Qiao offered Gongsun Yang a final bow of gratitude and said, "Then I entrust this matter to you, sir." With that, she passed by Wei Shao and left the room.

Gongsun Yang escorted her out.

Xiao Qiao urged him to stay.

Wei Shao turned his head, staring at Xiao Qiao's retreating figure. Only when Gongsun Yang returned and bowed to him did he coldly demand, "What was she doing here?" His face was filled with disdain.

Gongsun Yang invited Wei Shao to take a seat first and inquired about the purpose of his visit.

"Yang Xin has been attacking Lingbi for nearly a month now. Any new updates?" Wei Shao frowned, his impatience evident.

"No urgent dispatches yet. It seems the stalemate persists."

With Yang Xin's hundred thousand troops, supplemented by Xue An's Xuzhou army, such a formidable force still unable to take Lingbi—though not a defeat—was utterly humiliating.

Wei Shao's expression darkened. After a moment of silence, he coughed, shifted slightly, and asked coldly again, "What did she come here for earlier?"

Gongsun Yang replied, "What a coincidence—the lady also came regarding the situation at Lingbi. She delivered a letter from Bi Zhi, saying it was originally addressed to you, but since you refused to accept it, she passed it to me instead."

Wei Shao slammed his palm heavily onto the table with a loud "smack!" causing the inkstone and brushes to jump slightly.

Gongsun Yang hastily rose to apologize, "I overstepped! Please forgive me, my lord!"

"It's not you I'm angry with!" Wei Shao fumed. "How dare she, a mere woman, have the audacity to meddle with my correspondence!"

...

Xiao Qiao left the administrative office and returned directly to Xin Palace.

Originally, she had planned to depart a month ago. Though the trip was postponed, most of the luggage had already been packed and remained untouched. Over the past days, Chun Niang and the maids had gathered all the daily necessities, clothing, and miscellaneous items, packing them neatly.

When Xiao Qiao returned, Chun Niang approached her anxiously and asked, "My lady, are we truly leaving now? Won't we wait for Lord Wei Shao to accompany us?"

Xiao Qiao replied indifferently, "He intends to stay here and wait for Yang Xin to capture Lingbi. I, however, cannot wait any longer. I shall leave first." With that, she ordered the trunks and boxes to be carried out and loaded onto the carriage before boarding herself.Jia Si felt uneasy inside. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he approached the carriage window and mustered the courage to advise, "My lady, perhaps you should wait—"

He had barely opened his mouth when Xiao Qiao's half-visible face appeared at the window, her piercing gaze turning toward him. He immediately faltered and closed his mouth.

Xiao Qiao said coolly, "If General Jia is unwilling to escort me, I will find someone else."

Jia Si hurriedly replied, "How could you say such a thing, my lady? I have already selected the men and am at your command. We shall set off at once."

Xiao Qiao closed the window and sat back.

Left with no choice, Jia Si gave the order to prepare for departure.

Before setting off, he quietly sent one of his subordinates to swiftly seek out the Lord and relay the message that the lady had already begun her journey back to Yuyang.