The Prisoner of Beauty

On the evening of the second day, Wei Liang arrived at Shiyi under the cover of night, shouting and cursing at the city gate, his voice reaching the top of the walls.

Shiyi, located to the north of Taihang Mountain, was backed by a natural barrier, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. The current governor of Shiyi, Chen Pang, styled Xiaoxian, was the uncle of Chen Rui and had been guarding Shiyi for many years.

While Chen Xiang and Chen Rui, father and son, were notorious for their cruelty, Chen Pang had a good reputation and was beloved by the people under his rule. In the past, Wei Shao's father, Wei Jing, had attempted to attack Shiyi several times, but due to the active support of the local populace in providing supplies and manpower for Chen Pang, the attacks were unsuccessful and he had to retreat. Years ago, when Wei Shao was young and full of vigor, he had set his sights on Shiyi again, aiming to seize the western gateway. Upon hearing of Wei Shao's intentions, Chen Pang, fearing the formidable force Wei Shao might bring, worried that he would find an excuse to attack. He submitted a memorial to the court, lamenting the desire for peace among the people under his rule and the chaos that would ensue if war broke out again, with countless people fleeing with their children, leaving their fields and wells abandoned, and the people suffering greatly. He subtly hinted that Wei Shao was the one instigating the conflict. Naturally, the court did not want Wei Shao to grow too powerful and thus issued an edict to intervene. Wei Shao consulted Gongsun Yang, who advised that Shiyi had always belonged to Chen Xiang and that Chen Pang had earned the gratitude of the people. Even if they managed to capture Shiyi, they would need to station a large force there to maintain control, or else all their efforts would be in vain. Gongsun Yang suggested that they should focus on consolidating their current territories first, as the time was not yet ripe for westward expansion. Moreover, launching an attack without a just cause would not gain the support of the people. Wei Shao heeded this advice, and Shiyi was spared. Now, several years had passed, and Chen Pang had been training his troops and stockpiling grain, keeping Shiyi peaceful. Unexpectedly, the city gate captain reported that Wei Liang from Youzhou had come to challenge them. Caught off guard and with no prior warning, Chen Pang was startled and hastily gathered his troops to respond. Seeing that Wei Liang had only a dozen or so followers and no large army, he felt somewhat relieved.

Wei Liang was a fierce general under Wei Shao, and Chen Pang had naturally heard of him. His sudden appearance at the city gate to issue a challenge must have had another reason, so Chen Pang engaged in a distant dialogue. Seeing Chen Pang appear, Wei Liang said nothing more but sneered, nocking an arrow and shooting a rolled-up letter towards the city wall. The arrow, with a sharp whistling sound, embedded itself into the flagpole on the wall.

Chen Pang ordered someone to retrieve the letter from the arrow and, upon reading it, his expression changed dramatically.

...

Just a few hours earlier, his nephew Chen Rui had arrived at the city gate, calling to be let in. Chen Pang had heard of the defeat at Boling earlier in the year and thought Chen Rui had already returned to Jinyang in Bingzhou with the army. He was surprised to see Chen Rui suddenly appear at his doorstep and thus opened the gates to welcome him in. Chen Rui looked exhausted, claiming he had not slept the previous night and had been rushing to get here. When asked about his journey, he was evasive and did not provide clear answers. Chen Pang also noticed a carriage accompanying him, tightly covered, and had no idea who was inside. Upon further questioning, Chen Rui remained vague, only saying it was a woman who was too shy to show herself.

Chen Pang knew his nephew had a lustful nature and kept a harem of concubines. Seeing that even after a defeat and on the run, Chen Rui still brought a woman with him, Chen Pang was displeased and scolded him a bit, warning him not to disturb the local populace. At the time, Chen Rui meekly agreed, and Chen Pang had someone take him to be settled, choosing to turn a blind eye to the matter.

He had assumed the woman his nephew brought into the city was just an ordinary woman, or at worst, someone he had abducted. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine it would be Wei Shao's newlywed wife, Qiao Nu from the Qiao family of Yanzhou.This was no small shock.

Chen Pang ordered the city gates to be tightly guarded, allowing no one to enter or exit. He then hurriedly descended the city wall to find Chen Rui.

……

Upon arriving at his residence, Chen Rui dismissed all his attendants, forbidding anyone to stay. Once everyone was driven away, he carried Xiao Qiao out of the carriage and straight into the house. He closed the door, removed the cloth gagging her mouth, and untied the ropes binding her hands and feet. Seeing the bruises and marks on her delicate wrists, he felt a pang of heartache. He leaned in, intending to hold her hands and soothe them with his breath, murmuring, "My beauty, please don’t be angry! I’m not usually this rough! I was just afraid you might cry out recklessly and alert my uncle. If you hadn’t resisted, how could I have treated you so harshly?"

Xiao Qiao avoided his outstretched hands, turning slightly to the side. She slowly massaged her numb wrists while coldly observing Chen Rui, remaining silent.

Chen Rui stood nearby, staring at Xiao Qiao with a dazed expression.

After a night of jolting in the carriage, she now looked weary, with faint shadows under her eyes and her hair slightly disheveled. Yet, this did not diminish her beauty; instead, it added a delicate, pitiable charm.

Chen Rui, a robust man who had been intimate with women since the age of fourteen and had bedded no fewer than a hundred, including many beauties, had never seen anyone like Xiao Qiao. The more he looked at her, the more he was captivated, unable to get enough. He wished he could devour her whole, his heart itching with desire. Unable to resist, he lunged forward, grabbing her and attempting to kiss her, babbling, "My beauty! I truly love you! That Wei Shao is heartless and unfeeling, sending you away the day after your wedding. Is he even a man? Since he’s not a man, you should forget him! Come with me instead! I’ll cherish you from now on…"

Xiao Qiao was horrified, dodging his lips. While she managed to avoid his mouth, she wasn’t quick enough to stop him from pulling off one of her shoes and socks. Her delicate foot was now exposed before Chen Rui’s eyes, pale and tender like a piece of soft tofu. Chen Rui stared, swallowing hard, barely restraining the urge to pounce and bite. After a moment of hesitation, he drew his sword and threatened, "If you don’t submit to me, I’ll kill you!"

It wasn’t that Xiao Qiao wasn’t afraid—being in Chen Rui’s grasp was terrifying—but she had begun to see through him. His lust had clouded his judgment, and he wasn’t afraid to make a fool of himself in front of her. Now, with the sword in hand, she suspected he was merely trying to intimidate her. Gradually, she calmed herself, fearing he might force himself on her again. She retorted angrily, "The Qiao family has governed Yanzhou for three generations. We are a prominent family. Even if I am of little worth, how could I allow you to defile me like this? If you dare to be so disrespectful, I would rather die than suffer your humiliation!"

Even in her anger, Xiao Qiao’s beauty was striking. Faced with such a face, capable of both joy and fury, Chen Rui’s grip on the sword weakened. It fell to the ground with a clang, and he knelt before her, saying, "Alright, alright, I won’t force you. Do you want me to marry you before you’ll submit? That’s no problem! My wife’s position is vacant. Marrying you would be perfect…"

As he spoke, hurried footsteps approached from outside, followed by loud knocking on the door. His uncle, Chen Pang, was calling.Chen Rui showed a look of regret, jumped up from the ground, and turned to leave. Suddenly, he stopped and whispered to Xiao Qiao, "Don't let my uncle know you're Wei Shao's wife! If he finds out, he will surely send you to Jinyang!"

After giving his warning, Chen Rui opened the door, making sure Chen Pang couldn't see Xiao Qiao inside. He stepped out and closed the door behind him, asking, "Uncle, do you need something?"

Chen Pang's face was grim as he pointed directly at the door and asked, "Is the woman you brought back Wei Shao's wife?"

Chen Rui was startled and was about to deny it when Chen Pang's finger jabbed toward his face, shouting angrily, "Are you trying to bring disaster to Shiyi? Of all the women, why did you have to mess with Wei Shao's wife? How could he tolerate such an insult? Now Wei Liang is at the city gates, challenging us to battle! Where is she? Send her out before Wei Shao arrives!"

Chen Rui hadn't expected Wei Liang to find him so quickly. He was stunned for a moment. Seeing Chen Pang about to push the door open, Chen Rui, unwilling to let go of the beauty he had just captured and already harboring a grudge against Wei Shao, blocked Chen Pang and sneered, "So what if I took Wei Shao's wife? If he has the guts, let him take her back from me."

Chen Pang stamped his foot in frustration. "You fool! I've worked hard for years to maintain Shiyi's current stability, and now you've given him a perfect excuse to attack us! Step aside now!"

Chen Rui paused, then replied nonchalantly, "Let Wei Shao come. I'm not afraid of him. In the last battle at Boling, I was just caught off guard, that's all. I've been wanting to settle the score with him. Let him come!"

Chen Pang's hands trembled with anger. Seeing his uncle's lips turn pale, Chen Rui thought for a moment and tried to placate him, "It's not easy to capture Wei Shao's wife. How can we just return her? If word gets out, what will happen to Bingzhou's reputation? Besides, even if we send her out now, it's too late. Wei Shao will still attack! I've already sent a letter to my father, planning to exchange her for two of Wei Shao's cities. Shiyi has natural defenses and is as solid as a fortress. Didn't Wei Shao's father try to attack us before? He failed! Uncle, why are you boosting their morale and undermining our own?"

"You really sent a letter to Jinyang?"

Chen Rui swore by the heavens.

Chen Pang hesitated.

If Jinyang already knew about this, he probably couldn't make the decision to return Wei Shao's wife. Now that they were in a difficult position, they could only wait for a response. After much hesitation, he glanced back at the door and left in frustration.

After returning, Chen Pang sent someone to check the city walls. The report came back that Wei Liang was still sitting on his horse with his sword, waiting. Realizing that this matter wouldn't be resolved peacefully, Chen Pang recalled his conversation with his nephew and felt uneasy. He quickly wrote a letter, sealed it with wax, and called in a trusted aide, ordering him to deliver it to Jinyang immediately. The aide took the letter and left. Chen Pang paced anxiously in his room when suddenly he heard a voice at the door, "Uncle, don't you trust me anymore?"

Chen Pang looked up and saw Chen Rui holding a sword, pointing it at the messenger who had just left, forcing him to retreat. His face darkened as he angrily asked, "Yunji, what is the meaning of this?"Chen Rui sneered, "Uncle, when I was in Jinyang, I often heard people advising my father in front of him, saying that you are timid by nature and would stoop to Wei Shao for peace just to gain a good reputation. You have indeed gained fame, but at the cost of Jinyang's dignity. Now that I am here, how can I stand by and do nothing? Uncle, you are getting old, you should take good care of yourself. Leave the matters of Shiyi to your nephew."

As soon as he finished speaking, a dozen armored warriors rushed in from behind and immediately placed their swords on Chen Pang's neck.

Chen Pang was furious, cursing Chen Rui for his ignorance, tears streaming down his face: "I knew you were different since you were a child! Today, you have indeed gone too far! Shiyi, which I have defended for more than a decade, will probably fall into the hands of a woman because of you!"

Chen Rui was mischievous as a child, and Chen Pang did not like him, often speaking ill of him in front of Chen Xiang. Chen Rui had long held a grudge against his uncle. Hearing him curse at him, Chen Rui was enraged and ordered his men to gag Chen Pang and take him away to be imprisoned. He then issued an order, claiming that he had taken over the defense of Shiyi city in accordance with his father's orders, and from now on, everything here would be under his command. Anyone who disobeyed would be executed according to military law.

The officers and soldiers in Shiyi city were baffled. However, Chen Rui was the third son of Jinyang, with military achievements, and was usually favored by Chen Xiang. Now that Chen Pang was nowhere to be seen, Chen Rui held the command token majestically, repeatedly threatening to execute anyone who disobeyed. No one dared to defy him, and they all followed Chen Rui's orders with fear and trembling.

Seeing the officers and soldiers in Shiyi treating him with utmost respect, Chen Rui's recent frustrations were swept away.

Shiyi had a garrison of twenty thousand elite soldiers, and its terrain added an advantage to its defense, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.

He was now waiting for Wei Shao to arrive. As long as he defeated Wei Shao, not only would he avenge his past humiliations in Jinyang, but he would also be able to hold his head high in front of the beauty, making sure she would never dare to look down on him again.

Filled with ambition, Chen Rui personally led a group of archers up the city wall. Seeing Wei Liang still standing dozens of feet outside the city gate, he ordered the archers to shoot arrows to force Wei Liang back. Leaning out over the city wall, he shouted, "Go tell Wei Shao that after I, the third son, marry the beauty, I will have a good fight with him, three hundred rounds!"

Wei Liang was forced back dozens of feet by the arrow barrage and saw Chen Rui laughing maniacally on the city wall before leaving. Not knowing the situation of the lady inside the city or whether the swift horse had delivered the message to Xindu, he pondered for a moment, ordered the soldiers to stay and continue to probe the city's movements, and then mounted his horse and returned.

Anxious and filled with self-blame, he hurried without stopping for a moment. By evening, when he reached Qingyun, more than a hundred miles away from Shiyi, he saw flags waving and dust covering the sky on the opposite road. Recognizing Wei Shao's banner, he charged into the formation. The soldiers recognized Wei Liang and, seeing him covered in dust and looking anxious, made way for him. Wei Liang rushed straight to Wei Shao, dismounted, and knelt on the ground, kowtowing, "Lord, please grant me death! You entrusted me with the important task of escorting the lady, and I failed, putting her in danger. I have no face to face you again! After I capture Shiyi and rescue the lady, I will ask to commit suicide to atone for my crime!"

Wei Shao dismounted and helped Wei Liang up, asking, "How is she?"Wei Liang looked up at Wei Shao and noticed his gaze fixed on him. After a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke in a low voice, "That scoundrel Chen Rui has been shouting from the city walls, saying he will first marry the lady, then meet with you, my Lord, and fight you for three hundred rounds..."

The air around them seemed to freeze.

Wei Shao remained motionless for a moment, then his eyelid twitched twice. With a sharp "clang," he drew his sword and with a single strike, he severed an old willow tree as thick as a bowl by the roadside.

The willow tree bent and then crashed down with a loud rustle.

Wei Shao's face darkened as he turned and spoke word by word, "Issue the order: we march tonight, attack Shi Yi, show no mercy, and whoever captures Chen Rui alive will be heavily rewarded!"