The Prisoner of Beauty

The next morning, before dawn had even broken, Wei Shao got up and left. He was heading to Wuzhong City to personally escort his grandmother, Madam Xu, back to Yuyang. The round trip would take about three to four days.

Naturally, Wei Shao didn’t need Xiao Qiao to attend to him when he got up. But Xiao Qiao quickly rose as well.

She simply couldn’t continue living as she had in Xindu, where she could sleep in late without a care in the world.

Morning and evening greetings to the elders were a must. While a son might skip them due to various busyness, a daughter-in-law had no such excuse. Even though she knew her mother-in-law despised her, she still had to go through the motions.

After finishing her toilette, she prepared to head to the east wing. As she left her room, she instinctively glanced at the box Wei Shao had asked her about the previous night, only to find it was already gone.

At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), Xiao Qiao arrived in front of the main room of the east wing and stood under the corridor, waiting to be summoned by Madam Zhu. Meanwhile, the entire household of the Wei family was abuzz with the events of the previous night.

It was said, and quite vividly so by the servants, that Madam Zhu had sent someone to eavesdrop on the newlyweds, only to be discovered by the Lord. The Lord had flown into a rage on the spot and even drew his sword to chop down the door.

Madam Zhu had never been particularly popular among the household staff. With such a bizarre incident occurring, it was only natural that the servants would gossip about it behind her back.

Xiao Qiao and the maidservants waiting outside the east wing stared at each other for a while. Eventually, a stern-faced stewardess surnamed Jiang, who had served Madam Zhu the previous day, came out and said she could enter.

Xiao Qiao then entered the same room she had visited the day before. Madam Zhu was seated on the couch in the same posture as before, except that Zheng Shu was no longer by her side.

Madam Zhu’s expression was grim. When Xiao Qiao entered and bowed to greet her, she slightly turned her head away and remained silent.

Jiang Nao spoke coldly, “As a woman of the Wei family, there are certain rules you must know. Madam didn’t have the chance to instruct you yesterday, so I will do so on her behalf. Listen carefully, my lady.”

Xiao Qiao replied respectfully, “I am all ears and will follow your instructions without fail.”

“As a woman of the Wei family, you must be well-versed in the rites of a wife, uphold the virtues of womanhood, serve your parents-in-law with filial piety, foster harmony within the family, and be virtuous in appearance, speech, and conduct. You must be obedient and compliant, never act out of selfishness, and refrain from meddling in external affairs. Do you understand?”

Xiao Qiao repeated the instructions and acknowledged them.

“Good. Madam hasn’t had breakfast yet. Could you, my lady, go to the kitchen and personally prepare a bowl of soup for her?”

Xiao Qiao glanced up slightly at Madam Zhu.

Her eyes were half-closed.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t eaten breakfast and needed Xiao Qiao to make something for her. This was clearly a ploy to send her off to work and then find fault with her. Xiao Qiao was certain that if she actually went to the kitchen and prepared the soup, Madam Zhu would nitpick and demand she remake it, creating an endless cycle. And if, by some misfortune, Madam Zhu ended up with an upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, or even worse, falling ill from poisoning, Xiao Qiao would be in serious trouble.

Seeing that Xiao Qiao hadn’t moved, Jiang Nao sneered, “What’s the matter, my lady? Are you unwilling?”Xiao Qiao already had a ready excuse to decline. She said, "I dare not refuse. Cooking for my mother-in-law is my duty, how could I shirk it? However, there is indeed a slight inconvenience. Elder Madam's sixtieth birthday is approaching. Upon learning of this, I made a vow before the Buddha to hand-copy a volume of the Amitabha Sutra to pray for her longevity and blessings. The sutra is extensive, and with Elder Madam's birthday so close, despite my diligent daily copying, progress is still slow. I work tirelessly day and night, not daring to slack off for a moment. If Elder Madam's birthday arrives and the vow I made before the Buddha is not fulfilled in time, it would go against my original intention and be incomplete."

"Moreover," Xiao Qiao paused before continuing, "to show my sincerity, I also vowed to abstain from meat and avoid all impure places until the sutra is completed. The kitchen, being a place of meat and impurities, would be inappropriate for me to enter at this time. I humbly ask for my mother-in-law's understanding. Once I finish copying the sutra, I will come to serve my mother-in-law."

After speaking, Xiao Qiao lowered her head.

She was confident that by invoking Madam Xu, she had effectively blocked Madam Zhu from forcing her hand.

Buddhism was flourishing in Luoyang. According to Chun Niang's inquiries, Elder Madam Xu also worshipped the Buddha. What could be more important than copying a sutra for Elder Madam's birthday and praying for her blessings?

Indeed, Madam Zhu's expression grew even more unpleasant.

The room fell silent. After a moment, Xiao Qiao finally heard Jiang Nao reluctantly say, "In that case, you may go."

Xiao Qiao bowed to Madam Zhu once more, then rose and took her leave. Returning to her room, she changed into a loose, comfortable robe and lay down on the couch. Thinking of Wei Shao's mother's expression earlier, she felt both amused and troubled.

The sutra itself was not a concern.

In her previous life, she had grown up in a scholarly family. Both her parents were university professors, and she had been exposed to literature and calligraphy from a young age. She had practiced calligraphy for over a decade and could imitate Zhao Mengfu's elegant small script with great skill. Due to her frail health, she had passed away in her twenties, and somehow, she had awoken as the current Xiao Qiao. While in Dongjun, she had occasionally copied the Amitabha Sutra, which was highly revered by devotees, on silk scrolls to pass the time. Books were precious in this era, so she had brought the scroll with her when she married. It would serve as Elder Madam's birthday gift; she just needed to have it mounted in a couple of days.

What troubled her was that while she had managed to fend off Madam Zhu's earlier provocation by invoking Elder Madam's birthday, this excuse would only last for a few more days. Once Madam Xu's birthday passed, if Wei Shao's mother continued to make things difficult for her, how would she handle it?

Thinking of the days ahead, if her life continued to be a constant back-and-forth with Wei Shao's mother, Xiao Qiao suddenly felt a sense of hopelessness, as if darkness lay before her.

...

A few days later, Xiao Qiao went out to a mounting shop in the city.

In truth, given the Wei family's status, they could have easily summoned someone from the shop to come to them. However, since this was a birthday gift for Madam Xu, and even though she was prepared for Madam Xu's potential displeasure, Xiao Qiao still hoped to make the mounting as perfect as possible. By going to the shop herself, she would have more options for patterns and color schemes. So that afternoon, she sent word to the east wing, ordered a carriage, and set out.

This was her first time going out.Yuyang City was quite large, having been governed by the Wei family for three generations over several decades. The city alone had over ten thousand households and a population of several hundred thousand. The streets were lined with tightly packed houses, bustling with carriages, horses, and a continuous flow of people. Goods from both the north and south were abundantly available.

The best mounting shop in the city was located on a street in the eastern part of the city. Due to the narrow street and the large number of pedestrians, Xiao Qiao had the carriage stop at the intersection a few dozen steps away. Accompanied by Chun Niang and another maid, she entered the shop.

Her striking appearance attracted many gazes even after just a few dozen steps. Passersby couldn't help but look at her, and some even turned back for a second glance after they had passed.

Upon entering the shop, although Xiao Qiao did not reveal her identity, the shopkeeper, with his discerning eye, could tell that despite her young age—around fourteen or fifteen—she was dressed as a married woman. Her attire was elegant and her beauty was so striking that it was almost intimidating. He surmised that she must be the new bride of a prominent family in the city and treated her with great respect. When Xiao Qiao took out the scroll of silk she had prepared and unrolled it, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up at the sight of the calligraphy. He praised, "In all my years of mounting silk, I have never seen such refined and elegant calligraphy. May I ask who the calligrapher is?"

The Zhao style of calligraphy was naturally not something one could see in this era, and Xiao Qiao was merely imitating it. She vaguely deflected the question and explained her purpose. Upon hearing that it was intended as a birthday gift for the Elder Madam of the Wei family, the shopkeeper did not dare to delay and immediately presented many color samples and patterns.

Xiao Qiao took her time choosing and finally settled on a pattern called "Vermilion Threads with Golden Borders." However, the shopkeeper shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, the Vermilion Threads with Golden Borders has already been reserved by a customer, and it's the only one we have. If you are in a hurry, could you perhaps choose another?"

"If she likes it, she can have it! I can choose something else!"

A loud voice suddenly came from the entrance.

Xiao Qiao looked up and saw a man who appeared to be in his late twenties dismount from a sturdy horse. He handed the reins to his attendant and strode into the shop.

The man was very robust and had a commanding presence. Although he was dressed in casual clothes, his demeanor was bold and unconstrained, as if he owned the place. It was clear that he was a man of some status. As he approached, his bright eyes fixed on Xiao Qiao, revealing a hint of admiration.

Xiao Qiao was accustomed to being the object of men's attention. However, this man's gaze carried a certain intensity, almost as if he was asserting dominance.

She instinctively felt uncomfortable and turned away.

The shopkeeper, however, recognized the man and immediately put on a fawning smile. He hurried over and bowed, "Envoy Wei, the birthday banner you ordered will be ready tomorrow. We will deliver it to your residence. There was no need for you to trouble yourself by coming here in person."

The man surnamed Wei said, "I just returned from Daijun today and thought I'd stop by to check on the progress." As he spoke, his eyes kept drifting towards Xiao Qiao's back.

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "We would never delay something for the Elder Madam's birthday celebration. You can rest assured, Envoy Wei!"

The man surnamed Wei smiled but said nothing more, gesturing for the shopkeeper to attend to Xiao Qiao.

The shopkeeper was momentarily puzzled but quickly understood. He turned to Xiao Qiao with a smile and said, "The pattern you just chose was reserved by Envoy Wei here. However, he has said that if you like it, he is willing to let you have it."

The man happened to share the surname Wei and had mentioned something about a birthday gift for an Elder Madam.

Xiao Qiao instinctively turned to look at him and once again met his gaze, which was still fixed on her. She couldn't help but frown.

"No need, I'll choose something else."She spoke indifferently, pointing to another pattern, agreed on a date, left a deposit, and without giving the man another glance, turned and walked away.

The man watched Xiao Qiao's retreating figure, his gaze following her as she boarded the carriage waiting at the street corner. Lost in thought for a moment, the shopkeeper approached and said, "What a coincidence, the silk fabric this young lady wants to mount is also a birthday gift for the Elder Madam of your esteemed household. However, she didn't mention which family she comes from."

The man showed a look of surprise, hesitated for a moment, then took the reins from his attendant, mounted his horse, and rode off.

Xiao Qiao returned to the Wei household, and this little episode was soon forgotten. By evening, word came that Wei Shao had brought the Elder Madam back home.