The Prisoner of Beauty

Marquis Wei left a bit later than usual this morning. Before departing, he instructed Chun Niang not to wake the lady, his tone as indifferent as always. When Chun Niang glanced up, she noticed that Marquis Wei's eyes seemed slightly more sunken than usual, as if he hadn't slept well the previous night. However, there was no sign of fatigue in his demeanor; instead, his gaze appeared even more piercing.

Previously, except for the day he left unusually early, Xiao Qiao had always risen with him and seen him off outside the west chamber. Today, as it was already late, Chun Niang initially felt anxious when she didn't see Xiao Qiao, fearing that she might have inadvertently angered Marquis Wei again. But upon hearing his last-minute instruction, she felt relieved. After he left, she entered the inner chamber and lifted the bed curtains, finding Xiao Qiao still deeply asleep, facing inward with her hair disheveled and her robe slipped off her shoulders, revealing a patch of her snow-white back. On the floor by the bed were several soiled handkerchiefs, and the air inside the curtains was warm and stuffy, carrying a faint, intimate scent.

Chun Niang, being experienced, understood. There had been excessive intimacy the previous night. She wondered how the vigorous Marquis Wei had managed to exhaust himself to the point of sunken eyes and leave Xiao Qiao in such a state. Unwilling to disturb Xiao Qiao, she quietly cleaned up the mess and waited outside until Xiao Qiao had slept enough before going in to help her rise.

Xiao Qiao usually didn't bathe upon waking, but after the strenuous activities of the previous night, she felt sticky and uncomfortable and asked for a bath. Afraid that Chun Niang might see the red marks on her chest that hadn't faded, she refused her usual assistance and undressed herself to enter the tub.

Her arms were so sore that lifting them was difficult. As she bent over to wash, the curtain moved, and she saw Chun Niang enter, quickly sinking lower into the water.

"Elder Madam has sent someone, asking for the lady to come over."

Xiao Qiao immediately guessed it might be related to last night's events.

"Understood. Chun Niang, you can leave. I'll be out soon..."

But Chun Niang had already approached, lifting Xiao Qiao out of the water like a chick, saying, "The messenger seemed urgent. Let me help you dress quickly..."

Xiao Qiao hurriedly covered her chest with a towel, but Chun Niang had already seen. She paused, moved Xiao Qiao's hand aside, and after a careful look, frowned and murmured with a mix of concern and disapproval, "The lord was too rough..."

Xiao Qiao dared not mention the events of the previous night and remained silent.

"Wait a moment, lady."

Chun Niang rushed out and returned with a box of ointment, applying it gently to Xiao Qiao's skin, which felt very soothing. After dressing, Xiao Qiao quickly finished her toilette and headed to the north chamber. Upon entering, she sensed an unusual atmosphere.

Madam Xu was seated on the couch, with Zhong Ao by her side and the old woman who had delivered ice the previous night standing nearby. A servant woman from the east chamber, whom Xiao Qiao had seen a few times before, was kneeling on the ground.

The room was tense. Xiao Qiao did not dare to be negligent and knelt before Madam Xu's couch, greeting her and apologizing for her tardiness.Madam Xu smiled slightly and said, "It's alright. Grandmother called you here to ask you a few questions."

Zhong Ao then asked Wang Ao and the maids from the east room to leave, and she herself also exited, closing the door behind her.

Only Madam Xu and Xiao Qiao remained in the room. Madam Xu beckoned Xiao Qiao to sit beside her and said, "This morning, just after I got up, Zhong Lin came to see me, and he seemed fine. We talked for a while before he left. But later, I heard that something happened in the east room last night. It was said that he was called by your mother-in-law, supposedly for a meal, but somehow they ended up in a dispute. He even kicked the door down, and Jiang Nao fainted. It also seemed to involve Zheng Shu. I also heard that your room requested a lot of ice last night. What could be the use of so much ice at this time of year?"

Madam Xu paused.

"Do you know what exactly happened last night?"

Xiao Qiao hesitated.

Indeed, Madam Xu had quickly learned about the commotion last night. However, it was unclear whether she knew about the aphrodisiac that Zhu Shi had given to Wei Shao.

She immediately recalled that last night she had twice mentioned to Wei Shao about seeking help from Madam Xu, but he had refused both times.

Naturally, such a private matter was something a grandson would not want his grandmother to know. But from Wei Shao's demeanor and tone last night, and his normal behavior in front of Madam Xu this morning, it seemed that he still wished to shield Madam Zhu from Madam Xu's knowledge of what she had done to him.

He seemed to want to preserve Madam Zhu's dignity in front of his grandmother.

He didn't want to speak of it, yet Madam Xu had come to ask her so quickly.

If she told, and he found out it came from her, it would offend his filial heart.

If she didn't tell... given Madam Xu's control over the household, she would eventually find out. Then it would be her fault in Madam Xu's eyes.

Xiao Qiao raised her eyes and saw Madam Xu's single eye gazing at her. After a moment's thought, she replied, "Grandmother, I truly do not know what happened in the east room last night. My husband did not mention a word about it when he returned to me. As for the ice, I am aware of it. When he pushed the door open, he went straight into the bathroom and then asked me to fetch ice. I hesitated slightly, but he urged me urgently, showing a pressing need. I dared not delay and had someone bring the ice, only to find out... he wanted to soak in the ice water..."

Madam Xu frowned slightly.

Xiao Qiao lowered her head.

"Why stop? What happened next?"

Xiao Qiao whispered, "Later, I was worried he might catch a cold, so I went in to check on him. He was completely submerged in the ice water, saying he was very thirsty, so I brought him water. And then..."

She lowered her head, her expression showing embarrassment, and she did not continue.

Madam Xu looked at Xiao Qiao, her frown deepening.

Although Xiao Qiao had only briefly mentioned a few things, Madam Xu could easily guess that last night, her grandson and his new wife had not only engaged in intimate relations but had done so in an unusual manner.

From the new wife's description, it was clear that her grandson had reacted as if under the influence of an aphrodisiac.

Madam Xu immediately felt a surge of anger in her heart.

The Wei family had few male descendants; her husband and son were both the only heirs in their line. Now, she only had Wei Shao as her grandson. Not only did she cherish him as her own flesh and blood, but she would willingly give up her own lifespan, even the entire Wei family fortune, to ensure his safety and well-being.

She never imagined that someone could be so heartless as to administer such a vile drug to him!She immediately asked, "Did Zhonglin suffer any physical harm later? Tell your grandmother the truth, don't hold back, and don't be shy!"

Speaking about such matters in front of Madam Xu, Xiao Qiao indeed felt embarrassed. That's why she had glossed over it earlier. But now, hearing the anxiety and a hint of anger in her voice, she stiffened, setting aside her own embarrassment, and said, "He should be fine. At first, he was very uncomfortable, but later... he finally fell asleep."

Madam Xu pondered for a moment, then slowly exhaled and looked at Xiao Qiao. Seeing her with lowered eyes and slightly flushed cheeks, she remembered her grandson mentioning her in the morning, saying she was still asleep and hadn't been woken up to come along. Presumably, she had been exhausted by her grandson last night, and Madam Xu felt a pang of pity. She gently patted the back of Xiao Qiao's hand and said softly, "Grandmother understands. I'm fine here, you can go back and rest."

Xiao Qiao bowed in thanks to Madam Xu and then withdrew. After she left, Madam Xu called Zhong Ao in and shared her suspicions.

Zhong Ao was shocked. Seeing Madam Xu's expression as calm as water, she hesitated and said, "Elder Madam, please calm your anger. This servant will go and call Madam Zhu to get to the bottom of this..."

"I haven't been there for a long time. This time, there's no need for her to come; I'll go see her myself!"

Madam Xu stood up straight from the couch and said coldly.

Zhong Ao helped Madam Xu down from the couch, attended to her change of clothes, and they headed towards the east wing.

...

Madam Zhu had been sleepless all night and woke up with puffy eyes in the morning. Early on, Wei Shao came. Remembering her son's unprecedented anger last night, she was still uneasy but managed to steady herself and initially smiled at her son. Seeing that he neither sat nor spoke, just stood in front of her staring, she trembled and said, "My son Zhonglin, last night's incident was indeed my fault. It was all because I, as a mother, was momentarily confused and did such a thing to you. After you left last night, I thought you would no longer acknowledge me as your mother! My heart..."

Her eyes reddened, and tears flowed down. She sobbed again, "Your grandmother must know about it by now... She already looked down on me, and it will be even worse from now on. It's all my fault for being confused. I will go to her today to apologize, and whatever punishment she decides, I will accept it..."

Wei Shao's eyebrows were tightly knit. After a long while, as if he had finally suppressed his emotions, he slowly said, "I did not tell grandmother about last night's incident, nor do I intend to let her know, to avoid causing her unnecessary trouble."

Hearing this, Madam Zhu breathed a sigh of relief.

"But you must comply with two things from me," Wei Shao added coldly.

"Son, just say it!" Madam Zhu hurriedly nodded.

"First, send Zheng Shu away, and from now on, she is not allowed to set foot in our Wei family's door. Second, mother, you must never again associate with witches and sorcerers..."

A shadow passed over his eyes.

"If I find out that you conspire with witches to do such underhanded and disgraceful things like drugging again, I will immediately have the witch temple razed to the ground!"

Madam Zhu was startled.

Last night, when the plan failed, she had complained for a while about the ineffective potion the great witch had given. She just didn't expect her son to know that the potion was something she had sought from the witches. As her son brought this up, it was after all not a glorious matter, and she blushed, saying, "I will remember not to associate with witches. I deeply regret it this time. Son, you can rest assured. But as for the first point..."She hesitated for a moment, glancing up at Wei Shao. Seeing his dark and gloomy expression fixed on her, she shivered, realizing that there was no way she could keep her niece here at this moment.

"I understand. But you know, Chuyu has no one to rely on at home. If we suddenly send her away, where can she go? Son, please give me a few days to make arrangements. I know you don’t like Chuyu, and after this incident, I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t ask you to take her in again. She has been by my side all these years, and now that I’m sending her away, I at least want to do it properly, prepare some things for her, and make up for the filial piety she has shown me on your behalf all these years... Consider this a request from your mother."

As Madam Zhu spoke, tears streamed down her face again.

Wei Shao’s brows furrowed once more. After a moment, he finally said, "Three days. If she’s still here after three days, Mother, don’t blame me for being unfilial."

Madam Zhu had no choice but to agree. Choking back sobs, she said, "Zhonglin, I was wrong this time. I’m sorry..." Her tears dried and then flowed again, over and over.

Wei Shao looked at Madam Zhu as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn’t. He only said, "I just hope Mother remembers this lesson and doesn’t act so foolishly in the future. That would be a blessing for your son."

...

After Wei Shao left, Madam Zhu sat in a daze for a long time. By noon, she asked the servants and learned that Zheng Shu was still in her room, having not eaten or drunk anything since morning. She went to see her personally and explained what had happened earlier.

Zheng Chuyu’s eyes were swollen from crying. She said, "Aunt, I regret that I was so foolish and degraded myself by doing such a thing. Even if my cousin hadn’t said anything, I couldn’t stay in this house anymore. I see that my cousin harbors some resentment toward you because of me, and that was never my intention. I’ve already made up my mind—I’ll leave."

Seeing how Zheng Chuyu was still thinking of her, Madam Zhu felt even more reluctant to let her go. She comforted her in every way possible, saying, "Don’t worry. The people in the north house don’t know about this, and Zhonglin has promised not to say anything. Sending you away is only temporary. When the time is right, I’ll bring you back."

Zheng Chuyu slowly stopped crying. "Aunt, after I leave, please don’t force anything with my cousin. He’s a filial son and truly cares for you. When you encounter issues, you must reason with him and appeal to his emotions, as you’ve done before. I’m sure he’ll soften. As long as my cousin protects you, Elder Madam will also have to consider his face, and that way, your life won’t be too difficult in the future..."

"Chuyu, only you think of me like this... That Qiao girl, if she had even a fraction of your thoughtfulness, I wouldn’t have lost so much face in front of my son!"

"Aunt—"

"What a touching scene between aunt and niece! Even I, an old woman, feel moved by it!"

A calm and steady voice suddenly came from behind.

Madam Zhu turned around in shock and saw that Madam Xu had arrived at some point. She was standing at the door, leaning on a cane, her expression as calm as usual. But the sharp glint in her one clear eye was directed straight at Madam Zhu, startling her. Madam Zhu quickly let go of Zheng Chuyu and knelt down to greet Madam Xu, trembling as she said, "Mother-in-law, why have you come in person? If there’s something, you could have just sent someone to call for me."

Madam Xu ignored her and shifted her gaze to Zheng Chuyu, who was kneeling behind Madam Zhu.

Zheng Chuyu’s face turned pale, and she didn’t dare to look up.Madam Xu gazed at Zheng Chuyu for a moment before speaking slowly, "Send Zheng Shu out of the house immediately. I don’t want to see her again."

As soon as she finished speaking, two sturdy maids entered and began to drag Zheng Chuyu out.

Zheng Chuyu burst into tears.

Madam Xu’s heart was instantly in turmoil. She hurriedly said, "Mother-in-law..." but as soon as she opened her mouth, she caught Madam Xu’s sharp gaze and immediately fell silent.

"I know you’ve been close to your niece for many years and have deep feelings for her. Rest assured, she will not be mistreated. Although her parents are deceased, she still has uncles. We’ll send her back, along with her dowry, so the Zheng family can find her a good match. Are you dissatisfied with this arrangement?"

Zhu Shi stammered, "Everything is as Mother-in-law decides."

The sound of Zheng Chuyu’s cries could no longer be heard outside. The maids in the room had also left. Only Zhu Shi remained, kneeling on the floor with her head bowed.

After a long while, as she slowly began to lift her head, she suddenly heard Madam Xu slam her cane down with such force that it cracked the green brick in front of her. Then came Madam Xu’s sharp voice, "Did I permit you to raise your head?"

Zhu Shi trembled and looked up to see Madam Xu’s furious face, her eyes glaring down at her like sharp knives.

Having been married into the Wei family for two or three decades, Zhu Shi had always resented Madam Xu’s coldness toward her, but she had never seen such severity before. Her heart pounded, but she managed to steady herself and summoned the courage to speak, "I don’t know what I’ve done to anger Mother-in-law so. Please enlighten me so I can correct my mistakes..."

Madam Xu spat at her, "What kind of vile, lowly drug did you give my grandson last night? How dare you commit such a wicked act just to push your precious niece into my grandson’s chamber? You thought it was an aphrodisiac! What if some scheming person had given you poison instead? Would you, foolish woman, have fed it to your own son? Zheng Shu is your niece, but is my grandson not the flesh of your own womb?"

Zhu Shi’s face turned pale, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Knowing that Madam Xu had discovered everything, she dared not defend herself. She pressed her forehead to the ground and wept, "I was momentarily confused and committed a grave mistake! Fortunately, no harm was done. I beg Mother-in-law to punish me. I will never dare to do such a thing again!"

Madam Xu was clearly enraged. After her sharp rebuke, she panted heavily for a moment before calming down slightly. She said coldly, "I’ve turned a blind eye to your frequent dealings with witches and sorcerers. But now you’ve dared to do such a thing to your own son! It’s clear your mind has become twisted beyond recognition. You are my grandson’s mother, so I cannot treat you too harshly, lest it reflect poorly on him. Since you’ve asked for punishment, go to the ancestral hall and reflect on your actions. When you’ve truly understood your mistakes, you may return."

With that, Madam Xu turned and left without another glance at Zhu Shi. Outside the door, she swayed slightly, and Zhong Ao, who had been waiting, quickly stepped forward to support her.

Madam Xu closed her eyes and steadied herself. Seeing the concern in Zhong Ao’s eyes, she shook her head and said, "I’m fine." Zhong Ao then helped her walk back to the northern chamber."Elder Madam, when the Lord came this morning, he did not mention last night's events in front of you at all. It is clear that the Lord does not wish for you to know about Madam's actions. If the Lord, with his fiery temperament, learns that you have summoned Madam, he might become angry and take it out on..."

She trailed off.

Madam Xu, with her single eye gazing forward, spoke indifferently, "It all depends on Qiao Nu herself. If she cannot even overcome such a small matter, how can she be a worthy match for Zhonglin and remain his devoted wife until their hair turns white?"

Zhong Ao remained silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement.