The Prisoner of Beauty

Xiao Qiao felt as though she had slept for a long, long time.

In her dream, she felt completely weightless, utterly at ease. It was as if she had returned to her past life—no longer Qiao Nu, but simply the beloved daughter of her parents, free from burdens and responsibilities. She could do as she pleased; she was just herself.

This feeling was something she hadn’t experienced in a very, very long time.

She almost didn’t want to wake up, wishing only to linger in this dream.

Yet deep in her heart, there was still an invisible tether, entangling her in countless threads, preventing her from fully letting go.

She kept telling herself that she had to wake up.

Struggling, she finally roused herself and heard urgent voices nearby.

At first, the voices were indistinct, but gradually, they became clearer.

It was her younger brother’s voice.

"How is my sister?"

"Young Master Qiao, do not worry. The lady is likely just exhausted. With a few days of proper rest, she should recover..."

Xiao Qiao’s eyelids fluttered slightly.

So it had only been a brief moment, yet the dream had felt so long...

"She fainted just now! Didn’t you see?"

Distraught with concern, Qiao Ci raised his voice.

Xiao Qiao slowly opened her eyes and found herself lying in bed. Qiao Ci stood beside her, red-faced and shouting at a flustered army physician.

"Young Master Qiao, look! The lady is awake!"

The physician wiped his sweat and exclaimed in relief.

Qiao Ci turned and, seeing Xiao Qiao indeed awake, rushed over to tightly grasp her hand. "Sister, you’re awake! How are you? You suddenly fainted earlier—you scared me half to death..."

Xiao Qiao felt extremely weak. Steadying herself, she said, "I’m fine. It’s just as the physician said—I was simply overtired. I’ll be better after a little more rest. Don’t worry..."

Qiao Ci finally relaxed slightly. "Sister, you rest well. Brother-in-law personally led the pursuit of the Xiongnu and should return soon."

After the siege was lifted, Wei Shao had led his troops northward to chase the Xiongnu, while the Qiang soldiers brought by Qiao Ci and Lei Yan’s garrison forces remained stationed nearby.

Xiao Qiao smiled faintly and nodded.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by Jia Si’s voice: "My lady, urgent news from Yuyang! Something has happened at home!"

...

Late that night, the ancestral hall had caught fire. Zhu Shi was trapped inside and severely burned, clutching the memorial tablets of her husband and eldest son tightly to her chest. When servants risked their lives to pull her from the flames, she kept muttering, "The Xiongnu are coming! I must protect the family shrine! The Xiongnu are coming! I must protect the family shrine!"

Madam Xu, who had fallen ill earlier, had been sent to Wuzhong City—a place she was accustomed to—to recuperate. The servants dared not disturb her with this news, so they sent word to Xiao Qiao instead.

...

The events had begun seven or eight days prior.

Zhu Shi, unable to endure the torment any longer, had finally returned from Fanyang to the Wei family home in Yuyang.

The look in Qiao Nu’s eyes and the tone of her words when she left Fanyang that day had left Zhu Shi under immense pressure.

A thought took root in her mind: If Qiao Nu could do it, she could do even better. She was the true matriarch of the Wei family—she couldn’t let Qiao Nu outshine her, nor could she allow Madam Xu and her son to look down on her.

Driven by this thought, she suppressed her fear and, in a moment of impulse, returned to Yuyang with the posture of a guardian of the Wei family, vowing to live or die with them.

By the time she arrived back at the Wei residence, the news about the siege of Shanggu in Yuyang had grown worse with each passing day.She naturally harbored deep hatred for the Xiongnu, praying that the Wei family's soldiers in Shanggu could hold out until her son led his troops back.

But soon, when word spread among the people of Yuyang that it was Qiao Nu who had taken Madam Xu's place, remaining in Shanggu to inspire the soldiers to defend the city, and that it was Qiao Nu's younger brother who had brought the Qiang reinforcements, Zhu Shi was stunned, suffering yet another heavy blow.

She understood that her son had always treasured that Qiao Nu like a pearl or jade. After this battle, if Shanggu was successfully defended, then in her son's heart, Qiao Nu would likely push her out completely, leaving no room for her at all.

She felt despair, rage, and agony, lying awake night after night. In the deepest recesses of her heart, a dark thought even emerged—one that terrified her.

She wished for Shanggu to fall, for Yuyang to fall, so that all of Qiao Nu's schemes would come to nothing. Then she could remain in her son's heart forever as the guardian of the Wei family. Even in death, her position as his mother would never be shaken again.

This thought seized Zhu Shi like a demonic possession, and she could no longer free herself from it. She fantasized repeatedly about Yuyang's fall—when the beastly Xiongnu would storm the gates, killing and plundering. At that moment, she would stand firm before the doors of the Wei family shrine, shielding it with her own body, letting her son, Madam Xu, and all the Wei soldiers see that she, Zhu Shi, was the true matriarch who would live and die with the Wei family.

That moment would be the most glorious of her life.

No longer afraid, she grew increasingly fervent in her anticipation of that moment. She made all her preparations.

Just two days prior, news of Shanggu's desperate struggle reached Yuyang again. Since the Xiongnu's southern invasion, the oppressive atmosphere over Yuyang had reached unprecedented tension. Late that night, Zhu Shi suddenly cried out in her sleep.

Huang Nao said she had rushed out of her room in disheveled clothes, sprinting toward the family shrine while shouting, "The Xiongnu are coming!" Once inside, she drove everyone out, barred the doors, and soon after, flames rose from the ancestral hall.

...

By the time Xiao Qiao returned to Yuyang, the city was already abuzz with news of the Lord's return to Shanggu and the Xiongnu's crushing defeat. The tension that had gripped the city for days vanished, replaced by joy and relief.

Zhu Shi, severely burned and nearly unrecognizable, lay there on the verge of death, her eyes vacant.

Xiao Qiao brought a bowl of medicine to her bedside and called out to her. At first, Zhu Shi showed no reaction, but after a long while, she seemed to regain awareness, her gaze slowly fixing on Xiao Qiao's face. She stared for a long moment before suddenly sitting bolt upright, her hands clamping around Xiao Qiao's throat.

"Xiongnu! Xiongnu! I am the matriarch of the Wei family! As long as I live, you will never set foot in our ancestral shrine—"

Her eyes gleamed with a strange light as she muttered and snarled through gritted teeth.

Huang Nao and the others gasped in horror, crying out, "Stop!" as they rushed to intervene.

Zhu Shi's strength was unnaturally fierce—it took three or four people pulling and tugging to finally pry her hands from Xiao Qiao's throat.

Her hands clawed wildly at the air for a moment before her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed again, curling into a ball of pain, moaning incessantly.The medicine bowl shattered on the floor as Xiao Qiao collapsed, coughing violently onto the ground.

Huang Nao rushed over in panic to help her up.

Xiao Qiao clutched her throat and waved weakly, "Go attend to her..."

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from outside before the door was flung open.

Xiao Qiao turned to see Wei Shao standing at the threshold.

His battle armor remained unremoved, the hem of his robe stained with blood.

"My Lord!"

Huang Nao and the others froze momentarily before hastily kneeling on either side, bowing their heads in silence.

Wei Shao's gaze locked onto Zhu Shi lying on the bed. After a brief pause, he strode forward, brushing past Xiao Qiao to rush to the bedside.

"Mother!"

His voice trembled slightly.

"Where are the physicians? Where are they?" he roared hoarsely.

"My Lord, the physician stayed by Madam's side all night and just stepped out briefly to rest. This servant will summon him immediately—"

Huang Nao scrambled up from the floor and hurried out to call for help.

"Shao Er, is that you? You've returned—"

Zhu Shi slowly opened her swollen eyelids, her gaze lingering on Wei Shao's face as she weakly raised her hand to touch his cheek.

"Mother, this unfilial son has come too late, allowing you to suffer so!" Wei Shao grasped her bandaged hand, his voice low and heavy.

"I'm fine, Shao Er, don't worry about me..." A glimmer of contentment shone in Zhu Shi's eyes as she murmured with a faint smile, "The Xiongnu attacked, breached Yuyang's gates... They sought to desecrate our Wei family ancestors, so I swore to defend our ancestral temple with my life, never letting those barbarians succeed..."

Wei Shao bowed his head, his shoulders shaking slightly as he choked out, "I know... I know everything, Mother. Please rest now, focus on recovering..."

"No, no! I'm fine! I'm perfectly well!" Zhu Shi's gaze suddenly fell upon Xiao Qiao behind Wei Shao. Her entire body tensed as she pointed accusingly, "Make her leave! I won't have her here—"

She grimaced, gritting her teeth as mournful groans escaped her throat.

"Mother, please calm yourself!" Wei Shao desperately tried to soothe her.

"Shao Er! How can you still protect her—she's Xiongnu! Xiongnu! Our Wei family cannot harbor Xiongnu!"

Zhu Shi's eyes rolled back as her body trembled uncontrollably.

Wei Shao turned to cast an imploring glance at Xiao Qiao.

His eyes were bloodshot, glistening with unshed tears.

Xiao Qiao nodded at him and slowly retreated until she reached the doorway, then turned and stepped out.

She returned to the western chamber, sitting alone by candlelight for hours.

Chun Niang and Fei Fei remained in Fanyang; without being fetched, they wouldn't return anytime soon.

...

By dawn the next day, when Wei Shao returned to the western chamber, it stood empty.

The servants reported that the Lady had departed overnight for Wuzhong.

She had left a message: Please assure the Lord that she would take good care of Grandmother.

...

Wuzhong proved excellent for recuperation. Since Madam Xu's arrival, her condition had gradually improved.

When Xiao Qiao arrived, the elderly woman's spirits had already lifted considerably compared to before.

Half a month later, when news of Zhu Shi's death arrived, Madam Xu could already take short walks in the courtyard supported by Xiao Qiao.

Upon hearing the news, she remained silent for a long moment before remarking, "A foolish woman... yet also a pitiable one."