The Prisoner of Beauty

Wei Shao parted ways with Gongsun Yang and headed towards Xiao Qiao's residence.

The two maidservants, aware that the city had changed hands overnight and that Prefect Chen and his entire household of dozens had become prisoners, were now stationed here on duty. Their eyes were wide open, not daring to relax for a moment, fearing any mishap. Suddenly, they saw a man approaching from the end of the corridor. Though young, his steps carried an air of authority. Seeing the guards salute him and address him as "Lord," they realized it was Wei Shao, the Marquis of Yan and the husband of the lady inside the room. They hurriedly went to greet him, kneeling on either side.

Wei Shao stopped and glanced at the candlelight seeping through the window, inquiring about the situation inside. One of the maids replied that after the envoy Gongsun and the military physician had left, they had been on duty here without leaving for a moment. However, the lady inside had not called for anything and seemed to have fallen asleep.

Wei Shao walked to the door and paused briefly.

It was true that she had been abducted by Chen Rui, but there seemed to be some ambiguity in the process. Perhaps this was an opportunity to ask her directly and clarify the matter.

With this thought, he felt at ease. He raised his hand, pushed the door open, and entered. Turning past the bed screen, he saw her lying on one side of the bed, still dressed, with the quilt covering her abdomen. Her face was turned inward, motionless, confirming the maid's words that she had indeed fallen asleep.

Wei Shao walked straight to the bedside, intending to wake her, but first noticed the faint traces of tears on the side of her cheek that faced outward. His gaze lingered for a moment before shifting downward to her hands.

Her two hands rested lightly on top of the quilt, palms facing upward. Her palms were delicate and soft, her fingers curled into a natural, gentle angle, clean and smooth like green onions. Her sleeves were folded twice, slightly pushed up, creating folds below her elbows and revealing a section of her jade-like arm. Her skin was smooth and lustrous, except for a band of white soft linen wrapped around her wrist, with a faint hint of ointment seeping through, looking quite out of place.

Wei Shao observed for a moment before shifting his gaze back to her face.

The candlelight from the side filtered through the bed curtains, casting a half-light, half-shadow on her face, causing her long eyelashes to cast a quiet fan-shaped shadow on her lower eyelids. Her face was slightly turned inward, so he could only see half of her soft, beautiful profile. In the dim candlelight and the shadow of the bed curtains, the beauty lay alone in sleep, like a hazy crabapple flower. For a man's visual senses, it was naturally a pleasing sight.

Wei Shao was a normal man. Since she was asleep, he couldn't help but take another look. It was then that he seemed to suddenly notice that the corners of her lips were naturally slightly upturned. Even now, perhaps due to the pain in her wrist, her brows were slightly furrowed in sleep, but the faintly upturned corners of her lips added an air of innocent charm to her sleeping face.

Wei Shao gazed at her for a moment and suddenly felt reluctant to wake her. As he withdrew his gaze and turned to leave, Xiao Qiao on the bed seemed to sense something. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes. Hazily seeing a figure swaying by the bedside, she was startled and let out a soft cry, sitting up abruptly.

"It's me!"

Wei Shao stopped and immediately turned around to say.

The events of the past few days were truly unbearable to recall, and being abruptly awakened from sleep, it was natural to feel a bit jumpy. By now, Xiao Qiao had clearly seen who it was and slowly let out a sigh of relief.She guessed that he must have come for a reason, and it was most likely related to the incident of her abduction. So she didn’t say anything more, sitting there with her face slightly tilted upward, looking at him, waiting for him to speak.

After a while, when he still hadn’t spoken, she noticed his gaze lowering. Following his line of sight, she glanced down and slowly tucked her hands under the blanket, hiding them.

Wei Shao then averted his gaze, turning his face slightly away from her. In a flat tone, he said, “I came to tell you to focus on recovering from your injuries. You don’t need to go to Yuyang for now. I’ll be returning soon, and I’ll take you back with me when I do.”

Xiao Qiao was a bit surprised but didn’t say anything else. She just looked at him and softly acknowledged with a “Hmm.”

Wei Shao glanced at her, then turned and left. Xiao Qiao heard him outside the door instructing the maids to take good care of her, and then his footsteps gradually faded away.

Xiao Qiao slowly lay back down.

Deep down, she felt that something wasn’t quite right.

He hadn’t asked about the details of her abduction. Did that mean he didn’t know that Liu Yan was the one who had initially taken her?

If he never brought it up, could she pretend it never happened and just let it pass?

……

Starting the next day, Wei Shao issued public notices in the city to reassure the people, took over the local government offices, and remained busy for several days without showing up again. Xiao Qiao didn’t step outside even once, staying in her room to eat, sleep, and recover from her injuries. Four or five days later, the two maids who were attending to her came to invite her to board a carriage, and Xiao Qiao learned that they were returning to Xindu.

Wei Shao entrusted Shiyi to Gongsun Yang, while Wei Liang and the injured soldiers stayed behind to recover. He left the majority of the troops to garrison the city and took the remaining forces with him, bringing Xiao Qiao along on the way back.

Xiao Qiao was once again seated in a comfortably decorated carriage. That morning, as they left Shiyi, she looked out the carriage window and saw that the streets were eerily quiet. Most of the houses along the road had their doors and windows tightly shut, but she was certain that behind those doors and windows, countless pairs of eyes filled with fear or resistance were peeking through the cracks, watching the new ruler of the city pass by. Occasionally, she spotted people standing far away at the ends of alleys or streets, waiting until their entire procession had passed before gradually emerging from hidden corners, gathering in small groups, whispering and murmuring as they watched them leave.

As they were about to exit the city gates, a child of about four or five suddenly ran out from a half-open door, chasing after a cat, and nearly collided with Wei Shao’s horse at the front of the procession. Wei Shao yanked the reins, forcing the horse to swerve sharply, narrowly avoiding the child.

“How dare you! Whose child is this, running around recklessly and causing trouble!”

Tan Fu, another military officer following behind Wei Shao, had lost two capable deputies during the siege and had been in a foul mood ever since. Over the past few days, while assisting Gongsun Yang in pacifying the locals, he had noticed that the people were avoiding them as if they were the plague, and progress had been slow. Frustrated by their ingratitude, he finally snapped, viciously drawing his sword and shouting angrily at the side.The child was frightened and fell to the ground, wailing loudly. The woman inside the house heard the commotion and realized her son had slipped out unnoticed. Her face turned pale, and she rushed out in a panic, scooping up her son and kneeling before the horse, kowtowing repeatedly to beg for mercy.

Wei Shao steadied his horse, his expression darkening slightly. His brows furrowed as if he was holding back his impatience, and he waved his hand dismissively. The woman understood this as a sign of pardon and quickly kowtowed once more before carrying her son back inside. As soon as they entered, the door creaked shut.

Tan Fu glanced at Wei Shao, noticing that his expression had returned to its usual cold sternness. He reluctantly sheathed his sword and continued on their way out of the city.

Xiao Qiao had been watching nervously, but the incident passed quickly and without further trouble. She let out a soft sigh of relief and lowered the carriage curtain.

……

Xiao Qiao followed Wei Shao and his entourage, safely returning to Xindu.

Chun Niang and the others had already returned ahead of Xiao Qiao.

Chun Niang’s own daughter had tragically passed away from illness when she was only three or four years old. Since then, Chun Niang had devoted all her attention to Xiao Qiao, treating her as more precious than her own life. That day, when she had watched helplessly as Xiao Qiao was suddenly kidnapped right before her eyes, Chun Niang had been heartbroken. Following Wei Liang’s instructions, she had returned to Xindu first, but in the days that followed, she could neither eat nor sleep, crying until her eyes were swollen. In just a few short days, her once plump face had become noticeably thinner. Now, finally seeing Xiao Qiao return safely, Chun Niang’s initial tears of joy turned to tears of pain when she noticed the burn on Xiao Qiao’s wrist, learning that she had injured herself with a candle in her attempt to escape. After a mix of crying and laughing, they finally returned to the Sheyang Residence, where Xiao Qiao had stayed the previous night. The maids reopened the trunks, arranged the furnishings, and prepared to settle in.

This “bridal chamber” was originally Wei Shao’s usual bedroom. It seemed that it had been cleaned up the day after Xiao Qiao left, and there was no trace of the festive atmosphere that had once marked it as a “bridal chamber.” That night, Xiao Qiao went about her usual routine, knowing full well that Wei Shao would not come to share the room with her. As for Chun Niang, after this incident, she seemed to have developed new concerns, as if she were more anxious than the emperor himself. She stayed up late, long after Xiao Qiao had fallen asleep, refusing to rest until a maid she had bribed, who worked in Wei Shao’s study, secretly brought word that the Lord had ordered a bed to be prepared in the study for the night. Only then did Chun Niang reluctantly close the door and go to sleep.

In the following days, Chun Niang took care of Xiao Qiao with meticulous attention, truly ensuring that she had food brought to her mouth and clothes handed to her. Xiao Qiao was certain that as long as Chun Niang was by her side, she could live comfortably even if she were without hands or feet.The burn on her wrist had passed the initial days of pain and was now beginning to heal. Slowly, the dead skin was peeling away, and new skin was growing in its place. The physician came daily to change her dressing. Starting yesterday, they stopped using the black, foul-smelling ointment and switched to a milky white one that felt cool and soothing. The physician said this ointment had the effect of removing decay and promoting new skin growth. Based on the severity of her burn, he estimated that, with proper recovery, her skin would become as smooth as before, leaving no scars.

Chun Niang had been worried about this for the past few days, fearing that Xiao Qiao’s once beautiful jade-like wrists would be marred by burn marks. Hearing the physician’s reassurance, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

That evening, Xiao Qiao took a bath.

She had become unusually diligent about bathing over the past two years. Even in the harsh winter, as long as she was at home and conditions allowed, she would take a thorough bath every two days. At first, Chun Niang found this sudden change in her bathing habits strange, but she gradually grew accustomed to it. After all, the Qiao family was wealthy, and it was just a matter of having the kitchen heat a few more buckets of water.

The bathing room was connected to Xiao Qiao’s bedroom, separated by a screen. Chun Niang helped Xiao Qiao undress and assisted her into the large bathtub, instructing her to keep her hands raised and not let her wrists get wet. Seeing that Xiao Qiao obeyed without complaint, Chun Niang was satisfied and began washing her long hair.

Xiao Qiao leaned against the edge of the tub, the hot water reaching just above her chest. The water rippled slightly with Chun Niang’s movements, as if tiny tongues were gently licking her skin, bringing a faint tingling sensation. Soaking in the warmth, with Chun Niang’s skilled and comfortable hands massaging her scalp, Xiao Qiao felt so relaxed that she was almost falling asleep.

"...My lady, there’s something I’m not sure if I should say..."

Xiao Qiao, with her eyes closed, suddenly heard Chun Niang’s soft voice by her ear and hummed in response.

"I can’t help but feel that the person who rode in and abducted you at the post station that day looked somewhat familiar..."

Chun Niang’s voice whispered close to Xiao Qiao’s ear.

Xiao Qiao paused, opened her eyes, and sat up straight, turning to look at Chun Niang. She saw that Chun Niang was also looking at her, her expression uncertain but mostly filled with concern, which Xiao Qiao could clearly see.

"My lady..." Chun Niang gazed at her and sighed softly, "Was that person really the young master I’m thinking of?"

Liu Yan had lived with the Qiao family for many years before leaving, and though several years had passed since then, a person’s general appearance and features, even as they matured, remained largely unchanged. It was natural for Chun Niang to recognize him.

Xiao Qiao looked into Chun Niang’s worried eyes, hesitated for a moment, then leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Don’t worry, Chun Niang. He probably won’t come again."

Chun Niang was stunned, her expression growing even more anxious.

"Does Marquis Wei know about this?"

She asked in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper, right by Xiao Qiao’s ear.

Xiao Qiao shook her head.

"The night he captured Shiyi, he came to see me. I thought he was going to ask me about what happened that day when I was abducted. If he had asked, I would have told him, but he didn’t, so I thought it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble..."

Chun Niang was lost in thought for a moment.

"I hope this matter will just pass quietly..."

She sighed.Xiao Qiao noticed her concern and wrapped her snow-white arms around Chun Niang's neck, whining softly, "Chun Niang, my wrist is so itchy, I really want to scratch it... What should I do..."

As new skin was growing on her wrist, it was inevitable that it would itch. The steam from the bath only made it worse, so she wasn’t lying.

Chun Niang immediately became anxious and hurriedly grabbed her hand, gently rubbing the area around the wound with her fingertips. "Just bear with it for a while. Don’t scratch it yourself, understand? What if you leave a scar?"

Xiao Qiao hummed in agreement, leaning her face against Chun Niang’s warm and soft chest, nuzzling a few times with her eyes closed. Her voice was soft and sweet, "Chun Niang, you’re so good to me..."

Chun Niang smiled, "My Manman is so beautiful and thoughtful. Who could bear to treat you poorly?"

Before she could finish her words, there was a sudden "bang" from outside, as if the door had been forcefully pushed open, carrying a hint of rough anger.

"Lord! The lady is still bathing—"

The maid’s voice followed, clearly panicked.

Xiao Qiao opened her eyes.

Chun Niang was also startled but quickly patted her shoulder reassuringly and hurriedly stood up to greet the intruder. Before she could take a step, the sound of footsteps grew closer, and a figure appeared behind the screen. The hanging curtain was abruptly pulled aside, and Wei Shao stormed into the bathing room.

The candle flames on the bronze kneeling candlesticks in the four corners flickered slightly. The warm, fragrant air in the room seemed to cool rapidly with his sudden intrusion.

He stood there, his expression icy cold, but his eyes betrayed an unmistakable anger as he glanced at Xiao Qiao, who was still sitting in the bathtub.

"Get out," he said.

Chun Niang knew he was speaking to her. Suppressing her unease, she replied in a slightly trembling voice, "My Lord, are you here to see the lady? She is still bathing. Please allow this servant to help her dress first..."

"Get out!" Wei Shao suddenly raised his voice.

Chun Niang’s shoulders trembled slightly, but she stubbornly remained half-bowed, shielding Xiao Qiao, refusing to leave.

"Chun Niang, go. I’ll be fine," Xiao Qiao said slowly.

Chun Niang glanced back at Xiao Qiao, then finally lowered her head and silently walked past Wei Shao, leaving the room.