The Prisoner of Beauty

"Close your eyes, no peeking..."

Xiao Qiao, her hand held by Wei Shao, obediently shut her eyes as he repeatedly instructed. Under the distant gazes of palace attendants, he led her slowly around the Sweet Spring Pond in the imperial garden until they finally came to a stop.

"We're here. Open your eyes!"

She heard his voice brimming with smug satisfaction by her ear. Xiao Qiao opened her eyes.

As soon as she lifted her gaze, her eyes widened in shock.

This was unmistakably the Cloud Gate Cliff Carvings!

She stared at the massive stone slab before her: nearly thirty feet tall and forty to fifty feet long, standing before her like a small mountain peak...

To be precise, it was originally part of a mountain cliff, forcibly chiseled away from its original location. Though carefully restored, traces of moss still lingered in the weathered crevices of its surface.

She slowly turned her head and met the emperor's expectant, praise-seeking gaze.

"This is the surprise you mentioned?"

"Indeed!"

He had already noted her initial reaction.

She hadn't jumped for joy?!

Could she not recognize what this was?

Wei Shao pointed emphatically at the colossal object by the Sweet Spring Pond. "The actual Cloud Gate Cliff Carvings!"

Aren't you happy? Touched?

Actually, it's nothing much, just a small token of affection.

The emperor barely managed to swallow these last two sentences that had risen to his throat, watching his empress intently for more of a reaction.

Xiao Qiao approached the cliff carving, slowly running her fingers over the characters carved with chisel and axe, each stroke bearing the weight of centuries.

"I knew I wouldn't have time to take you out of Luoyang soon, and since you've always longed to see this, I simply had it brought here. Now you can view it anytime, as much as you like..."

No matter how good Gao Heng's rubbings were, how could they compare to the real thing chiseled from the cliff? This puts his efforts to shame!

"Well? Do you like it?"

After a long silence with her back still turned, Wei Shao couldn't resist stepping closer to ask.

Xiao Qiao finally turned around.

"Your Majesty is truly considerate. I'm just..."

"Completely taken by surprise!" she said after a moment's thought, smiling.

Her reaction left Wei Shao somewhat disappointed. Seeking to compensate, he wrapped his arm around her slender waist.

Xiao Qiao glanced back at the group of palace attendants by the Sweet Spring Pond, all seemingly watching them, and gently struggled against him. "People are watching, and in broad daylight..."

"What does it matter?"

Wei Shao couldn't care less, but seeing her shy away, he casually waved his hand behind him without turning. The attendants hastily withdrew. He then lowered his head to nibble delicately at her tender ear, his deep, husky voice whispering seductively: "As long as Manman likes it, just say the word, and no matter what it is in this world, your husband will get it for you..."

The tickling sensation of his breath and bites made her shrink her neck. Pushing his face away with a radiant smile, she said, "My husband treats me so well, but..."

She paused. "This cliff carving has stood peacefully at Cloud Gate for centuries. Yet Your Majesty had it chiseled away and transported all the way to Luoyang. Thankfully it wasn't damaged, but if it had been, wouldn't I have been to blame?"

Wei Shao hesitated. "Are you displeased?"Xiao Qiao shook her head. "I know Your Majesty did this for me, how could I not be happy? It's just that I worry a little for Your Majesty..."

"Worry about what?" Wei Shao was taken aback.

"If Wei Quan and the others find out that Your Majesty moved the Yunzhong Cliff Carvings into the palace just to satisfy my eyes, they will surely impeach you. You know Wei Quan's temperament all too well..."

Wei Shao's heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

No one understood Wei Quan better than he did. The memory of being pursued all the way to the privy by him years ago was still vivid in his mind.

"Pay him no heed!" He frowned, his tone firm. "I merely had a stone brought for you. Does he even need to meddle in this?"

Xiao Qiao sighed. "Wei Quan and the others aside, once the Grand Empress Dowager returns to the palace, she will surely find out. What should I say when she asks me?"

Madam Xu, now the Grand Empress Dowager, resided in the Jiade Palace. When she was in the palace, Fei Fei would visit her great-grandmother daily to bring her joy, and the two shared an exceptionally close bond. A few days prior, Madam Xu had taken Fei Fei with her to the royal Daming Temple outside the palace and had not yet returned.

According to the original plan, they would return in a couple of days.

Xiao Qiao grasped the sleeves of Wei Shao's dragon robe with both hands and gently swayed them. "If the Grand Empress Dowager asks how the cliff carvings moved from Yunzhong to the imperial garden, how should I answer her, Your Majesty?"

Wei Shao was momentarily speechless.

He had actually forgotten about this! In the heat of the moment, he had summoned Jia Si and ordered the task without much thought, simply waiting for the cliff carvings to arrive in Luoyang.

Now that the item had been delivered, Wei Shao suddenly realized he might have brought a hot potato into the palace.

Not to mention Xiao Qiao's reaction, which was far from the ecstatic joy he had anticipated. The Yunmen Cliff Carvings were such a famous historical site that moving them into the palace could never be kept secret. As Xiao Qiao had said, it would inevitably reach Wei Quan's ears. Wei Shao himself had appointed Wei Quan as the Imperial Censor. In these early days of the dynasty, with a clean and efficient bureaucracy, the officials had little to fault, leaving Wei Quan with idle time. If he learned of this, he would surely make a fuss.

Wei Shao himself didn't care—he could let it go in one ear and out the other. If truly annoyed, he could simply dismiss Wei Quan.

But in that case, Xiao Qiao would suffer the collateral damage. It might even lead to misunderstandings, with people assuming it was the Empress who had urged the Emperor to do this.

Moreover, there was still the matter of his grandmother. If questioned, it would indeed be difficult to explain.

"Then... when Grandmother returns, I'll tell her myself that I wanted to appreciate the cliff carvings! That's why I had them brought here!"

Xiao Qiao shook her head again. "Your Majesty, do you think Grandmother would believe that? She would surely know you did it for me. Outwardly, she wouldn't scold me, but in her heart, she would think that Manman is being unreasonable, letting the Emperor do such a thing without even trying to dissuade him..."

It must have been the scorching sun overhead. After standing for a while, Wei Shao felt his back growing warm.

"What should we do then?"

Wei Shao glanced at the massive stone. "I've already brought it here. Should I send it back?"

His tone was filled with frustration.

Even as Emperor, he was still bound by so many constraints!

A tyrant... Wei Shao suddenly felt a twinge of envy for those past emperors who could act as they pleased. He wouldn't mind being a tyrant who doted on his Empress, but why was it so difficult?Xiao Qiao shook her head: "Such a large cliff inscription would be difficult to transport over long distances. Getting it down the mountain is hard enough, and bringing it back up would be even more challenging. Even if we managed to return it, since it's already been chiseled out, restoring it to its original state would likely be impossible..."

She smiled and suggested: "How about this—Your Majesty could have it transported to the Daming Temple for safekeeping. A renowned temple paired with ancient calligraphy would complement each other beautifully, enhancing both. This way, people can still admire the masterpieces of the past, and..." She pointed to the weathered surface of the cliff inscription, "Having endured centuries in the mountains, some carvings already show signs of erosion. Bringing it to Luoyang for proper preservation would protect this cultural treasure. The palace isn’t far from Daming Temple, so I can visit whenever I wish. What do you think of this idea, Your Majesty?"

Wei Shao let out a long sigh, gazing at Xiao Qiao before suddenly pulling her into a tight embrace. He kissed her fiercely, his lips brushing her ear as he murmured, "No matter how much I love you, it’s never enough..."

...

Jia Si had been away on official business for two months, exerting tremendous effort to carve out half a mountainside and transport the massive stone slab the emperor desired into the palace. Before he could even catch his breath, he was ordered that very night to move the slab to Daming Temple instead. Utterly baffled, he dared not question the command from his highest superior. Hastily gathering his men, he repacked the cliff inscription and delivered it to the temple overnight.

...

Early the next morning, before dawn had fully broken, the emperor ascended his throne for the morning court session. No sooner had he settled into his seat than the Imperial Censor Wei Quan stepped forward, clutching a memorandum filled with talking points. After kneeling in salute and rising, he adopted a stern expression and began admonishing the emperor. The gist of his speech was that he had learned the previous night that the emperor had sent men to Yunzhong to seize the cliff inscription and bring it to the palace. This was highly improper. While all things under heaven belonged to the emperor, that did not mean he could take whatever caught his eye. The people of Yunzhong were displeased, and such actions tarnished the reputation of both the emperor and the Empress. He spoke out of concern for the emperor’s honor and urged him to rectify the mistake, and so on and so forth...

Having delivered his lengthy tirade, Wei Quan was left parched.

The emperor fixed him with a cold, imperial glare, lifting his head haughtily as he retorted: "We did indeed do this, but not as you claim—stealing from the people! We were pained to see the locals of Yunzhong neglecting to protect this ancient treasure, leaving it to erode on the cliffs. It was for preservation that We had it chiseled out and brought to Luoyang. Last night, it was already delivered to Daming Temple for proper safeguarding. Once restored, it will be open for public viewing. You, ignorant of the full story, leap to conclusions and slander Our integrity. What is your true motive?"

Wei Quan froze, then hastily prostrated himself, begging the emperor’s forgiveness.

Gongsun Yang and others quickly interceded on his behalf.

The emperor, ever magnanimous, graciously declared it of no consequence, stating that Wei Quan was merely fulfilling his duty. Though he had wronged the emperor, His Majesty would not hold it against him.

Thus, the morning court session concluded with the assembled officials singing praises to the emperor’s virtue.After the emperor left the court, he recalled Wei Quan's dumbfounded yet utterly convinced expression in the golden hall and felt extremely pleased. Upon returning to the inner palace, he bypassed the audience chamber and headed straight for the imperial bedchamber to find the Empress, intending to indulge in some daytime pleasures.

The world says being emperor is wonderful, with three palaces and six courtyards at his disposal. But Wei Shao had no interest in such extravagance. He deeply felt that since becoming emperor, he had been worked like a donkey—rising before dawn for court sessions and returning to his chambers late at night. It was even more exhausting than his days on the battlefield.

The only time he could truly relax and enjoy private moments with Xiao Qiao was those brief few hours late at night. Subtract "normal" sleep, then subtract the frequent interruptions when the little princess would wake up and compete for Xiao Qiao's attention—the time he could hold his beautiful Empress and sleep that kind of "sleep" was always far too short.

If he didn't seize these last moments now, once the Grand Empress Dowager returned to the palace with Fei Fei in a couple of days, he wouldn't be able to act so freely whenever he pleased.