The Prisoner of Beauty

Wei Shao arrived at the eastern chamber. He saw his mother, Zhu Shi, eagerly waiting at the doorway. As soon as she spotted him, she hurried over, her face beaming with joy. "Zhonglin, you're finally back! I've been so worried these past few days. It's such a relief to see you safe and sound. Come inside, I've personally prepared dinner for you."

Wei Shao thanked Zhu Shi and followed her in, saying, "Mother, you really didn't have to go through the trouble of cooking for me. I feel undeserving of such effort."

"How could you say that!" Zhu Shi laughed. "I wish you could come and eat with me every day. What trouble is there in that?"

Wei Shao glanced around.

The dining table was already laden with a lavish spread. There was venison in various forms—sliced, dried, and even a stew with abalone. Besides that, there were chicken, fish, and bottle gourds, along with a jug of wine. Wei Shao was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but smile wryly.

The amount of food and wine on the table could easily satisfy three or four hungry men. It suddenly reminded him of the time a few days ago when he had teased and tested Qiao Nu with her appetite.

If she were here to eat, even ten Qiao Nus wouldn't be able to finish this in three days.

Wei Shao looked at his mother, who was still smiling warmly, and ultimately said nothing. He sat down.

Zhu Shi sat beside him, picked up the wine jug, and poured him a cup. "This cup is to celebrate your triumphant return from battle."

As she handed the wine to her son, her gaze seemed slightly unnatural. But Wei Shao didn't notice his mother's odd behavior. He thanked her, took the cup with both hands, and drank it in one gulp. Then he picked up his chopsticks.

Seeing that he had drunk the wine, Zhu Shi let out a small sigh of relief. She encouraged him to drink more, assuring him that he needn't fear getting drunk. If he did, there was a room in the eastern chamber where he could stay.

Wei Shao simply smiled without responding.

Zhu Shi continued to sit with him for a while, pouring him two more cups of wine. After watching him drink them both, she finally excused herself and left.

Several days earlier, she had secretly visited the witch temple on Yushan Mountain and obtained a packet of the Queen Mother's elixir from the high priestess. The priestess had told her that the elixir was extremely potent—just a small amount would be enough to take effect, and if taken with wine, its effects would be even stronger.

Zhu Shi was afraid of harming her son's health, so she didn't dare use too much. But worried that it might not work, she finally added it to the wine, shook it well, and poured it for him to drink. Only after seeing him drink three cups did she feel at ease and, as previously agreed, excused herself and left.

...

The dinner in the eastern chamber, though sumptuous and well-prepared, was something Wei Shao had attended more out of respect for his mother's feelings. He found the meal rather bland and had no interest in drinking. Perhaps it was also because he was feeling a bit tired, and he just wanted to return home soon. After drinking the few cups of wine Zhu Shi had poured for him, he stopped and picked at a few more bites of food, intending to bid his mother farewell and leave.

He waited for a while, but Zhu Shi didn't return. Gradually, a burning sensation began to rise in his abdomen, a subtle but growing heat.

Soon, the feeling spread downward.

He knew exactly what this meant. It never crossed his mind that his own mother had drugged him. He was merely puzzled by the sudden and inexplicable reaction in his body, which was now quite uncomfortable, and he felt an urgent need to relieve himself.Wei Shao endured for a moment, but when Zhu Shi still hadn't emerged, he stood up and addressed a round-faced maid nearby, instructing her to convey his farewell on his behalf. Just as he was about to leave, Jiang Nao suddenly appeared, flustered, and said that Madam had returned to her room intending to come out again, but for some reason, she had suddenly developed a headache and requested the Lord to come and see her.

For so many years, Wei Shao had never heard of Zhu Shi suffering from headaches. Startled, he suppressed the uncomfortable sensation in his body that felt like insects burrowing and ants crawling, and hurriedly followed Jiang Nao. Noticing that Jiang Nao wasn't heading towards Zhu Shi's room, he felt slightly puzzled but didn't suspect anything, assuming that Zhu Shi had developed the headache in another room. When they reached the door of a secluded inner chamber, Jiang Nao pushed it open, and Wei Shao, without much thought, stepped over the threshold.

As soon as he entered, the door was closed behind him by Jiang Nao. Concerned about Zhu Shi's condition, Wei Shao didn't pay attention to this. He glanced around and saw that the room was deep, divided into inner and outer sections, but his mother was nowhere in sight, nor were there any maids attending. Thinking she might be in the inner chamber, he quickly walked in and lifted the dividing curtain, saying, "Mother, are you..."

He suddenly stopped.

Zhu Shi was not inside. Opposite him was a bed. A faint, alluring fragrance filled the air, and through a thin layer of silk gauze, he saw a young woman lying on her side on the bed, her back to him. Her black hair was loose, spread out on the pillow, and she wore only a thin, crimson silk garment that had slipped off her shoulders, revealing a section of her fair neck and a smooth, fragrant shoulder.

Wei Shao was stunned.

The woman on the bed slowly sat up. As she did, her garment slipped down, and she raised her hand to hold the crimson silk that had fallen below her chest, but it still exposed a large area of her fragrant flesh, half-concealed and half-revealed, enough to make any man's blood boil. The intense heat within Wei Shao grew stronger, coursing through his entire body, almost to the point of being uncontrollable.

The woman raised her head, her eyes filled with emotion, her face blushing with shyness. Seeing Wei Shao standing rigidly across from her, she gently let go of her hand, and the silk garment slid down, leaving her upper body completely exposed, her allure overwhelming.

"Cousin..."

The woman softly called out to him.

Wei Shao fully understood what was happening.

He glanced at the woman's body, a heavy shadow passing over his eyes, even overshadowing the desire that had been there. He turned and left.

Zheng Chuyu hadn't expected that, in such a situation, Wei Shao would simply turn and leave. After a moment of shock, she quickly grabbed the silk garment, hastily covering her chest, and barefoot, she hurriedly chased after him, sliding to her knees and wrapping her arms around his leg from behind, weeping, "Cousin, Aunt insisted on this, I had no choice, but Chuyu is also willing to ease your distress."

Wei Shao stopped and looked down at Zheng Chuyu. She knelt behind his feet, her round shoulders trembling, her face lifted to look at him, tears glistening in her eyes, her posture pitiful.

Wei Shao forcefully suppressed the sensation that seemed to have spread through every vein in his body, and with a swift motion, he shook off Zheng Chuyu and strode towards the door. When he reached it, he pulled twice, but it didn't open. Only then did he realize that the door had been locked from the outside at some point. Enraged, he lifted his foot and kicked the door, and the sturdy rosewood door was sent flying out of its frame, crashing to the ground outside the threshold with a loud bang.

"Cousin—"Behind him, Zheng Chuyu's sobbing voice called out, but Wei Shao paid no heed. His expression tense, he stepped over the threshold, crushed the door panel beneath his feet, and strode away.

Jiang Nao had coaxed Wei Shao into the room and secretly locked the door from the outside. She then hid nearby with Zhu Shi, who had arrived upon hearing the news, fully expecting success this time. To their surprise, within moments, the door was kicked open by Wei Shao, who stormed out with a furious expression. The two women exchanged bewildered glances and hurriedly emerged from their hiding spot.

"Lord, where are you going..."

Jiang Nao, perhaps foolishly, reached out to stop Wei Shao. As soon as her hand touched his arm, Wei Shao kicked her squarely in the thigh. In his rage, the force was more than Jiang Nao could bear. She let out a piercing scream and was sent flying like a broken kite, crashing into the corner. Her thigh was in excruciating pain, and her leg bone was clearly broken.

Jiang Nao immediately fell unconscious.

Madam Zhu, who had raised Wei Shao all these years, had never seen him so ferocious. In her presence, he had always been respectful and filial, even when displeased, never directly defying her. Now, seeing him like this, she was terrified, her hands and feet turning cold. She glanced at Jiang Nao, who lay motionless in the corner, and dared not approach. Pale-faced, she stammered, "Zhonglin, how could you treat her like this..."

Wei Shao suddenly turned his head. Seeing his livid face and bloodshot eyes, Madam Zhu's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately fell silent.

"Mother, what a fine thing you've done! You conspired with that wretched maid to plot against your own son!"

Wei Shao spoke through gritted teeth, each word dripping with anger, before turning and storming away.

Madam Zhu's heart raced, and she was at a loss for words. She stood there, frozen, until Wei Shao's figure disappeared from sight. After a long moment, she finally regained her composure. Seeing the maids and servants who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, too afraid to approach, huddled together under the eaves with looks of shock and uncertainty, she noticed Jiang Nao, her trusted confidante, lying in the corner with her eyes closed, her face deathly pale, looking as though she were dead. Madam Zhu finally cried out in a trembling voice, ordering someone to come and carry Jiang Nao away for medical treatment.

Only when the mistress spoke did the servants hurriedly rush in, lifting Jiang Nao and carrying her away.

Madam Zhu remained standing, her legs still weak. After a moment of stunned silence, she suddenly remembered Zheng Chuyu in the room. She turned and, leaning against the wall for support, made her way inside. As she entered, she heard faint sobbing. She followed the sound and found her niece lying on the bed, her clothes disheveled, weeping bitterly. Madam Zhu went over and placed a hand on her shoulder, but before she could ask what had happened, Zheng Chuyu threw herself into her arms, crying and complaining, "Auntie, what kind of medicine did you give him? It had no effect at all! Even after all that, my cousin still didn't... It's all your fault for coming up with such a plan. How can I face anyone after this..."

Remembering the humiliating scene, Zheng Chuyu, still a virgin, burst into tears. She turned over and buried her face in the bed, pulling the quilt over her head as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Madam Zhu's mind was in turmoil. She had thought the Queen Mother's elixir would surely work, but now she was at a loss. After a long pause, she tried to comfort Zheng Chuyu, but then suddenly remembered something. She pulled herself together and went out, sternly ordering all the maids and servants not to breathe a word of what had happened that night.

"Earlier, I merely had a disagreement with the Lord, and he left in anger. If any of you dare to spread even a single word of this, and I find out, you will be beaten to death without question."

The maids and servants dared not raise their heads, all hastily agreeing to her command.

...Wei Shao emerged from the east chamber and immediately bent over a cluster of flowers and plants to induce vomiting. He continued until he had expelled all the remnants from his stomach, leaving only sour liquid. After steadying himself, he proceeded towards the west chamber.

The medicine Zhu Shi had obtained from the sorcerer was indeed extremely potent and alluring. Although he had only consumed three cups of wine earlier and had already vomited, his stomach was now empty. Yet, his entire body still felt unbearably hot, as if countless tiny needles were pricking beneath his skin. His lower body was as rigid as an iron pestle, even more swollen and heated than when he was in Zheng Shu's room.

Wei Shao, who had always been proud and arrogant, was now unexpectedly drugged by his own mother. His frustration was palpable. Fearing that he might encounter servants and attract unwanted attention, he dared not linger on the path. He tried to regulate his breathing, suppressing the burning desire within him, and hurried towards the west chamber. From afar, he saw the light emanating from the window of that room and rushed straight towards it, pushing the door open with a forceful shove.

Inside the room was only Xiao Qiao, who was writing under the silver lamp.

Earlier, when Wei Shao was called away by Zhu Shi, Xiao Qiao had eaten her meal alone. She took a brief stroll in the courtyard, enjoying the deepening spring scenery, and then returned to her room. She trimmed the candle and began copying a new scroll of silk. Just as she was concentrating, she suddenly heard the door being slammed open. Startled, her hand trembled, and the ink she had just dipped on the brush tip dripped down the brush shaft, splattering onto the nearly completed silk scroll. The ink quickly spread, ruining the entire piece.

Xiao Qiao exclaimed in dismay and turned her head to see Wei Shao's figure flicker behind the screen.

She was somewhat surprised that he had returned so quickly. She set down her brush and stood up to greet him. Just as she stepped off the bed, she saw him approaching with a flushed face, his eyes filled with a deep red hue, as if they were brimming with blood. His expression was extremely tense.

Having never seen him like this before, Xiao Qiao was slightly taken aback. After a moment of hesitation, she still walked towards him, smiling as usual, and greeted him, "Husband, you're back..." Before she could finish her sentence, Wei Shao pushed her aside, causing her to take a few steps back before regaining her balance. She looked up and saw him rushing into the bathroom, followed by the sound of splashing water, as if he was pouring water over his head.

Xiao Qiao, both surprised and puzzled, involuntarily followed and stood outside the bathroom door. As she hesitated, she suddenly heard his voice from inside, "Send someone to bring crushed ice, as much as possible!"

His voice sounded distorted, as if he was desperately suppressing something, quite different from his usual tone.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Xiao Qiao hooked her little finger to lift the curtain slightly and peeked inside. She saw that he had already stripped off all his clothes, standing completely naked with his legs apart in the bathtub filled with water prepared for his bath.

The bathtub wall was half her height, but with him standing, it only reached just below his waistline. The flickering candlelight illuminated his back, making it glisten as if coated with oil, accentuating the sharp lines of his muscles from his shoulders down to his waist, flowing like water.

Xiao Qiao couldn't help but widen her eyes.

"What are you looking at? Hurry up and go!"

The man in the bathtub seemed to sense the peeking from behind and suddenly turned his head, shouting angrily with a face full of rage.Xiao Qiao was startled and hastily stepped back. Without a moment's thought, she quickly turned around and went out to call for help, instructing them to immediately go to the icehouse and fetch as much crushed ice as possible.