The Prisoner of Beauty

After their father left, Xiao Qiao and Qiao Ci anxiously waited. After about half an hour, they saw him return. Qiao Ci hurriedly went up to him and asked, "Father, did you manage to persuade Uncle?"

Seeing her father's furrowed brows, Xiao Qiao's heart sank. Indeed, Qiao Ping shook his head, "Your uncle is determined to seek peace. I'm afraid he won't be persuaded!"

Qiao Ci turned to leave but was stopped by Qiao Ping, "Hold it! This matter ends here. There's no use in saying more!"

Qiao Ci stood still, his expression sullen.

Qiao Ping paused, then softened his tone, "The Wei family might not accept this marriage proposal either. Let's wait and see. If, by any chance, it doesn't work out, I will bring up the idea of allying with Chenliu again. I don't think your uncle will oppose it then."

Although he spoke this way, Xiao Qiao could tell that her father didn't hold much hope for this outcome.

Qiao Ci, however, took his words at face value and looked hopeful.

Qiao Ping turned to Xiao Qiao, hesitated for a moment, then said gently, "Manman, spend more time with your sister. Comfort her and help her relax. The marriage might not happen. Even if it does, Wei Shao is young and has a heroic reputation. He is a powerful leader in his region, and I've heard he is also handsome. He wouldn't be a bad match."

...

That night, Xiao Qiao and Da Qiao shared a bed again. Xiao Qiao noticed that Da Qiao was clearly burdened with heavy thoughts but still forced a smile in front of her, not mentioning a single word about the marriage. This made Xiao Qiao even more heartbroken.

Her father had asked her to comfort Da Qiao, but she felt that all words of comfort were so empty and would be of no help.

The two sisters lay face to face in the dim light of the night. Suddenly, Xiao Qiao heard her cousin's voice, "Manman, it's been a while since you last saw the Liu heir, hasn't it?"

...

The "Liu heir" Da Qiao mentioned was Xiao Qiao's current fiancé, the future Emperor Liu Yan, also known as Liu Maoqing. However, at this time, Liu Maoqing was just an overlooked eldest son in the fiefdom of Langya under the Han dynasty. When he was thirteen, his stepmother, in order to promote her own son, slandered him in front of his father, accusing him of making advances towards her. The King of Langya, who favored his younger son, believed the slander and stripped Liu Maoqing of his status, banishing him from Langya. Because his aunt was Xiao Qiao's aunt, he came to Yanzhou seeking refuge.

At that time, the Han dynasty was in decline. In the imperial capital of Luoyang, the fourteen-year-old emperor, who had been placed on the throne by Prime Minister Xing Xun seven years earlier, was a mere puppet. The actual power was held by Prime Minister Xing Xun. If even the emperor was in such a state, the Liu family members in the fiefdoms had no authority in the face of the powerful local warlords. Therefore, the Qiao family, unafraid of the King of Langya, took in Liu Yan. He was handsome and talented, and Qiao Ping liked him very much, providing him with much care. Finally, three years ago, when he was eighteen, the King of Langya, persuaded by his ministers, realized he had wronged his eldest son and regretted his past actions. He brought Liu Yan back. Shortly after, the King of Langya sent an envoy to Yanzhou, intending to propose a marriage between Liu Yan and Xiao Qiao.

Qiao Ping had long noticed that his daughter Xiao Qiao and Liu Yan were fond of each other. When he asked Xiao Qiao for her opinion and saw her shy silence, he knew she was willing. He immediately agreed to the marriage, and the two were engaged, with the wedding set for the following year when Xiao Qiao turned fifteen.Half a year ago, Liu Yan had visited Dongjun under the pretext of celebrating Qiao Yue's birthday. He had missed Xiao Qiao for a long time and originally thought he could take this opportunity to meet her and pour out his longing. However, for some reason, Xiao Qiao had always avoided him, and in the end, he could only leave dejectedly.

……

The nightmares from her past life had left Xiao Qiao with deep psychological scars that she couldn't shake off. Moreover, she was no longer the same Xiao Qiao who had grown up with Liu Yan, and she felt no particular affection for her fiancé, which was why she had avoided meeting him at that time. Now, hearing Da Qiao mention him, she was momentarily taken aback.

These past days, whether she was awake or asleep, her thoughts were consumed by her cousin Da Qiao's impending marriage. She had almost forgotten that she herself was also betrothed, and her wedding date was approaching—next year.

"Manman, if I marry this time and move far to the north, I probably won't be able to return by the time you get married next year. After that, it will be difficult for us sisters to see each other again. Fortunately, you and the Crown Prince are of one heart, and I’m sure your marriage will be harmonious. I have no worries about that."

Xiao Qiao listened as Da Qiao spoke in a gentle tone. Her heart ached, and her eyes slowly grew warm.

Da Qiao didn’t notice her sister's distress and continued with a smile, "Your needlework wasn’t great before, and it seems to have gotten worse these past two years. I don’t have much to give you, but since you’re marrying into the Liu family, who are royalty, the needlework you present to them must be impeccable. So earlier this year, during my free time, I worked with Chun Niang to prepare some things for you. They’re all stored with her now. Most of the preparations are done, except for a pair of red ceremonial shoes for your father-in-law. They’re quite intricate, so I left them for last. I’ve already started, but I’m unsure about the color scheme. Would you like to take a look and we can discuss it…"

Da Qiao shifted, about to get out of bed, but Xiao Qiao quickly pressed her down and said in as calm a voice as she could muster, "Thank you, sister. There’s no need to look. You’re tired—let’s sleep."

Da Qiao replied, "I’m just anxious, afraid I won’t finish in time…" She paused, then after a moment of silence, smiled and said, "Tomorrow is fine too. Let’s sleep now."

……

The room fell quiet.

Da Qiao seemed to sleep soundly, motionless, her breathing steady.

Xiao Qiao stayed awake at first, but as the early hours of the morning approached, drowsiness finally overtook her. Just as she was drifting into a light sleep, she suddenly sensed Da Qiao, who was sleeping on the outer side of the bed, move. Then, Da Qiao quietly got up, tiptoed out of bed, and without lighting a lamp, dressed in the moonlight that filtered through the window. She then softly made her way out, carefully opening the door, passing by the maid who was fast asleep in the outer room, and left the bedroom.

At first, Xiao Qiao thought Da Qiao was just getting up to use the chamber pot, so she didn’t say anything. But something felt off. After Da Qiao left, Xiao Qiao suddenly remembered an incident from her past life and, with a start, quickly got out of bed herself. She hastily put on her clothes, held her breath, and followed Da Qiao out just as quietly.

The moonlight tonight was cold, casting a pale glow over the courtyard. As she stepped over the threshold, she saw Da Qiao’s figure flash past the side of the latticed window, heading toward the back garden.

……

Deep within the Qiao family’s back garden, a young man was already waiting.His face was handsome, his body as strong and agile as a leopard's, with every muscle brimming with immense power ready to burst forth at any moment.

The wall of the Qiao family's backyard was two men high, but it posed no difficulty for him.

He stood firmly in a dark corner untouched by moonlight, his silhouette swallowed by the night, merging into the boundless darkness.

He had been waiting here for a long time, his thin, patched coarse linen robe already soaked through by the chill of the winter night.

But he didn't feel cold at all.

He didn't know if his beloved, that noble lady from the governor's mansion, would deign to come and meet him here. But he still came early to wait.

In his heart, a small flame was burning. Though it was weak and tiny, and could be extinguished at any moment, it was enough to keep him warm on such a cold night.

When he was born, one of his eyes was green, glowing faintly in the dark. His parents, thinking it was an omen of evil, were terrified and abandoned him near a pigsty by the Qiao family's horse farm. In the freezing cold, he didn't freeze to death but was taken into the pigsty by a sow, surviving by drinking her milk. When the stableman found him, he thought it was a marvel and reported it to the master. He was allowed to stay and was raised as a slave on the horse farm.

He had no surname, no name. Because he was abandoned by the pigsty, he was named Bi Zhi.

……

Xiao Qiao followed to the backyard and saw from a distance that her cousin was first embraced by the young man who emerged from the shadows, then she struggled free, seemingly saying something to him.

Xiao Qiao's heart immediately understood everything.

……

In her previous life, not long after Da Qiao got married, this horse slave named Bi Zhi also disappeared one day. The Qiao family had hundreds of servants, and the loss of one didn't attract much attention from the master. After a fruitless search, they gave up. Several years later, a great drought in Jiangnan led to widespread chaos, with refugees roaming everywhere, gradually forming into bands of thieves. Among them, a green-eyed bandit rose to prominence, swallowing up various forces and eventually becoming a significant power, taking over Huaiyin and declaring himself a general. At that time, Xing Xun from Luoyang sent troops to suppress him but suffered repeated defeats. Coupled with the intense battles against Wei Shao, they had to let him hold the territory. Later, when Wei Shao defeated Xing Xun, took Luoyang, and dominated the Central Plains, this solitary green-eyed bandit general suddenly voluntarily submitted to Liu Yan, who had been proclaimed the Han Emperor by a group of loyal ministers in Yongdu. Liu Yan, who was then short of troops and generals, was overjoyed and enfeoffed him as the King of Huaiyin. He then openly opposed Wei Shao.

It can be said that if it weren't for the obstruction and counterattacks of this seemingly out-of-nowhere King of Huaiyin, Wei Shao's timetable for conquering the world could have been advanced by at least two years.

The final outcome of this King of Huaiyin was also quite legendary.After the decisive battle of Weinan, which ultimately determined the fate of the realm, the Prince of Huaiyin disappeared amidst the chaos of the army. Some said he had died, while others claimed he had escaped after gouging out one of his eyes and disfiguring himself. Wei Shao harbored a deep hatred for this man and offered a reward of a thousand gold pieces and the title of Marquis with ten thousand households, demanding to see him alive or dead. However, no results were ever achieved. It wasn't until half a year later that news reached Wei Shao, suggesting that someone resembling the Prince of Huaiyin had been seen near the ancestral tombs of the Wei family. Wei Shao immediately rushed there but found nothing unusual. It was only later discovered that the desolate grave outside the tombs had been broken into, and the earthen pit was empty, with the coffin nowhere to be found.

Wei Shao's deposed queen, Qiao Nu, was not buried in the Wei family tombs after her death and was instead interred in this solitary grave outside the tombs.