The Prisoner of Beauty

The banquet concluded.

Wei Shao noticed Wei Quan seemed to have something to say. Hastily waving his hand, he excused himself to use the restroom and strode away.

Wei Quan chased after Wei Shao relentlessly, finally catching up to him outside the western latrine. He remonstrated: "My Lord, as you strategize to unify the land, it is precisely the time to widely recruit heroes and win over hearts. Guo Quan offering his daughter not only seeks to establish goodwill with you but also desires stability. You should accept, yet I cannot fathom why you refused? I noticed Guo Xing appeared bewildered at the time, likely unsettled in mind. Fearing his doubts, I offered some comforting words before he reluctantly regained composure. I implore you to reconsider!"

Wei Shao replied: "I've already refused—now you want me to take it back? Enough said. I drank too much just now and urgently need the privy."

With that, he hurried inside.

Wei Quan was straightforward by nature and unwilling to read others' moods. Once he believed something was right, he would insist on arguing it through to the end.

There was once when, to persuade Wei Shao to accept his advice, he pursued him for three full days. Only when Wei Shao finally relented did he stop.

Wei Shao also knew his rejection of Guo's daughter tonight had been unexpected. Thus, the moment he saw Wei Quan approaching after the banquet, he immediately fled to the latrine.

Never did he expect Wei Quan would chase him all the way here.

Inside, Wei Shao held his breath and lingered for a long while until he no longer heard any movement outside, assuming Wei Quan had left, before emerging.

To his surprise, Wei Quan was still waiting at the entrance. As he turned to re-enter, Wei Quan blocked his path.

"My Lord! For lords, one wife and eight concubines is customary! You currently have only the Lady. Taking more consorts is perfectly natural. You should accept!"

Wei Shao pretended not to hear and lifted his foot to leave, only for Wei Quan to firmly grasp his sleeve from behind.

Angered, Wei Shao turned back: "Today Guo Quan offers his daughter—if I accept, what when another comes tomorrow? Will you have me accept again? How could I possibly have endless vigor to distribute equally? No more words!"

Wei Quan was taken aback. He hurriedly defended: "My Lord misinterprets me. My true meaning is that by rejecting Guo's goodwill this time, Guo Quan may grow suspicious, which would not benefit solidifying relations."

Wei Shao violently shook off his sleeve and snapped: "Shall I conquer the realm relying on women's skirts?" Then he strode forward.

Wei Quan felt the Lord's words seemed reasonable, yet also somewhat contrary to common sense.

Hesitating outside the latrine, he suddenly spotted Gongsun Yang approaching from afar and hurried over to greet him: "Strategist! Your timing is perfect!"

Gongsun Yang, having drunk wine, had also come to relieve himself. Catching sight of the Lord and Wei Quan near the latrine from a distance, he immediately halted and turned to leave hastily.

But Wei Quan had already seen him. Hearing himself called, Gongsun Yang had no choice but to stop and approach with a forced smile.

Wei Quan repeated his earlier counsel.

"Does the Strategist find my words reasonable? Should the Lord accept or not?"

Gongsun Yang glanced at the Lord's thunderous expression beside them and began coughing: "Ahem... this matter... the Lord surely has his own considerations... Chief Secretary Wei has fulfilled his duty to advise... as for the rest... cough ... the Lord must have his own thoughts..."

Wei Quan had assumed Gongsun Yang would join in persuading the Lord like himself.

Instead, after much coughing came this noncommittal response.

Again taken aback: "Why does the Strategist not advise? It's not that I force the Lord to accept beauties. I know well the Lord is no lecher. But tonight at the banquet, the Lord's actions were truly improper, hence my bold counsel. Why the Lord refuses, I genuinely cannot comprehend..."

"What if I'm henpecked?"

With that, Wei Shao stormed off in fury.Wei Quan stood frozen in shock, his mouth agape as he stared dumbfounded at the retreating figure of the Lord until it disappeared from sight. Only then did he slowly turn to Gongsun Yang.

Gongsun Yang waved his hand. "Don't ask me, Chief Secretary Wei. I know no more than you do. I'm off to the privy."

...

It was late in the evening—not too early, but not excessively late either.

Since being brought back from the posthouse these past few days, Xiao Qiao had been feeling listless during the day.

With the banquet preparations complete and nothing left for her to do tonight, she had lain down again as drowsiness overcame her.

Though she lay down, sleep eluded her.

Every time she closed her eyes, the scene from that stormy night a few days ago flashed through her mind—Wei Shao appearing before her, drenched like a drowned rat.

That night, her emotions had surged beyond description.

When she first married into the Wei family, her sole mission—and her only personal goal—had been to dissolve the hatred between the Qiao and Wei families stemming from the previous generation.

Compared to the Qiao family members who remained unaware of the future, Xiao Qiao's own wish was far more urgent.

Because she knew what Wei Shao, the founding emperor of Great Yan consumed by vengeance in her past life, had done to the Qiao family.

Two years had passed.

She was fourteen when she married, and now she was sixteen.

During these two years, she had gradually integrated into the Wei family, moving beyond her initial fear of making a wrong step or uttering an improper word. She had even won the favor of her husband, Wei Shao, and now, emboldened by his affection, could afford to throw small tantrums in front of him.

But she had never dared to imagine that she would receive Wei Shao's promise to spare the Qiao family—and so soon at that.

She knew all too well the depth of the vengeful obsession buried in Wei Shao's heart over the deaths of his father and brother.

She was also acutely aware of how arrogant and cold—almost cruel—this man could be.

So, in that moment, when his rain-stung, bloodshot eyes fixed on her and he unexpectedly uttered those words, she was stunned.

Strangely, instead of the relief she should have felt, she had wanted to cry—for him and for herself.

For him to make such a promise to her, all for the sake of making her "delight in me as I delight in you," she knew how difficult it was for him. Thus, he had every right to attach those conditions, as bare as a naked transaction. It was only natural, even if the manner of it made her feel like a sacrificial offering on an altar.

But perhaps, in the end, all he wanted was her heart—to have her love him wholeheartedly.

Xiao Qiao understood this.

Yet she also knew she couldn't do it.

Her whispered "Alright" in response had been a lie.

She did like Wei Shao—this man who could infuriate her when he was bad and melt her bones when he was good, sending her soul into raptures.

But she couldn't let go of all her worries about the future just because of this promise.

White clouds may resemble robes one moment, only to turn into gray dogs the next. The world was too full of variables.

Ten or twenty years were too distant to contemplate.

How could she, at this time last year, have known what she would be thinking now?

She believed Wei Shao's promise in that moment had been sincere.But she also knew that the ferocious beast in his heart was merely chained and locked in a cage by his own will.

One day, for some reason, it might break free again.

She was willing to do everything in her power to repay Wei Shao for the promise he had made to her.

Yet she still waited for her father to strengthen the Qiao family, just as she had originally intended.

Hatred might be restrained by a woman’s love, or even further by a child.

But it could never be erased.

Xiao Qiao understood this.

……

Chun Niang knew Xiao Qiao was still awake and entered the room to keep her company. Seeing her lost in thought, she tried to console her, “My lady, don’t dwell on it too much. The Guo family—”

Xiao Qiao sat up and interrupted with a laugh, “I think Chun Niang is the one overthinking things more than me!”

Chun Niang sighed with a smile and shook her head self-deprecatingly. “You’re right, my lady. I’ll hold my tongue.”

Xiao Qiao said, “Don’t worry, Chun Niang. My lord will not accept Guo’s daughter.”

As for those two beauties, she didn’t spare them a single thought.

In a few years, if Wei Shao encountered a similar situation, she couldn’t guarantee how he would react.

But this time, she didn’t even need to think—her intuition told her Wei Shao would absolutely refuse.

Chun Niang was taken aback, then her face brightened with joy. She squeezed Xiao Qiao’s hand, noticing her fingers were cold, and quickly urged her to lie back down, tucking the blanket around her. Then she turned to clear away the bowl of black chicken soup, now cold, which Xiao Qiao had barely touched.

Suddenly, footsteps approached, and she turned to see Wei Shao entering.

Chun Niang greeted him, “My lord,” and picked up the tray to leave, but Wei Shao stopped her.

“What’s this?”

“Black chicken soup.”

Chun Niang explained, “It was meant to nourish my lady, but she couldn’t eat much. It’s gone cold, so I was just taking it away—”

“Let me try it.”

Wei Shao picked up the bowl from the tray. Before Chun Niang could stop him, he slurped it down in a few gulps, set the bowl back, and let out a satisfied burp.

“Tastes weird!” He smacked his lips and gave his verdict.

“No wonder Manman didn’t eat it. Next time, make it tastier. If the cook can’t do it, replace them!”

Chun Niang was speechless. She glanced at Xiao Qiao before carrying the tray out of the room.

Since returning, Xiao Qiao’s mood had been somewhat unsettled.

But now, this scene made her want to laugh.

Unable to help herself, she pulled the blanket over her face, shoulders shaking with muffled giggles.

Suddenly, the bed dipped beside her, and the blanket was tugged down.

Wei Shao was leaning over her, staring intently, his eyebrows twitching.

“What’s so funny?”

Xiao Qiao shook her head.

“Tell me!” He put on a domineering expression.

Xiao Qiao still shook her head.

A few strands of hair clung to her rosy cheeks, making her look both beautiful and mischievous.

Wei Shao gazed at her for a moment, then reached out to brush the stray hairs from her face. “Manman, today Guo Quan sent me two beauties. Extremely beautiful, extremely beautiful. One sings like a lark, the other dances as light as a feather…”

He paused.

“But I didn’t even glance at them.”

Xiao Qiao gave him a sidelong look and smiled. “If you didn’t look, how do you know they were extremely beautiful? If you didn’t look, how do you know she could ‘fly’?”

Wei Shao faltered. “I only glanced once.”

Then he hurriedly added, “Not just that—Guo Quan even wanted to offer his daughter as my concubine!”

His expression was indignant.“At that time, I thought to myself, since I already have Manman, not to mention the mortal daughter of Guo Quan’s family, even if it were a goddess from the Jade Pool, I wouldn’t spare a single glance! I refused on the spot. But that Wei Quan had the audacity to chase after me, insisting I take Guo’s daughter! In the end, I scolded him harshly, and only then did he retreat in shame!”

Having said this, he fell silent, his pitch-black eyes fixed intently on her.

...

Over the past few days since their return, perhaps sensing her low spirits and her listlessness, Wei Shao had seemed to adopt a cautious, almost ingratiating manner around Xiao Qiao.

She could also tell that for the past few nights, he had merely held her while they slept. Noticing her lack of enthusiasm, he hadn’t pressed her further.

Now, under his gaze, Xiao Qiao detected something unspoken.

She met his eyes, then stretched out her fair, slender arms to wrap around his neck. Bringing her lips close to his ear, she whispered, “Manman knows my husband is good to me.”

Her soft, fragrant lips brushed against his cheek in a tender kiss.

Wei Shao closed his eyes, inhaling deeply the scent of her, before leaning down to capture her lips with his own.

Xiao Qiao caught the mingled aroma of alcohol and chicken broth on his breath.

Suddenly, her stomach twisted uncomfortably.

She endured for a moment, but the nausea surged uncontrollably. Pushing him away abruptly, she scrambled onto his lap and retched, expelling the contents of her stomach.