The Prisoner of Beauty

Under the moonlight, Da Qiao finally broke free from the young man's grasp, lowered her head, turned, and walked away. After just two steps, the man tightly embraced her waist from behind.

She stopped, but after a moment, she broke free again.

The man did not chase after her this time. He stood there, watching her figure gradually recede into the distance, and then slowly knelt down, his knees hitting the ground. His dark silhouette seemed to freeze, motionless.

Xiao Qiao's heart pounded as she hurried back. The maid was still asleep. Xiao Qiao passed by her and returned to the inner chamber, climbed onto the bed, pulled up the covers, and lay down. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard the faint creak of the outer door, followed by the sound of light footsteps. Da Qiao had also returned.

Perhaps because her mind was unsettled, as Da Qiao passed near the maid's bed, her foot accidentally caught on the small stool in front of it. The stool tipped over with a soft thud, startling the maid awake. In her drowsiness, the maid saw a figure nearby and was about to scream when she recognized Da Qiao.

"It's nothing. Go back to sleep. I just went to relieve myself," Da Qiao's voice came, calm and composed.

The maid, suspecting nothing, quickly got up to right the stool. Moments later, Xiao Qiao heard the faint rustling of clothes being removed outside the bed curtain. Then, the curtain was lifted slightly, and Da Qiao gently climbed into bed, lying down with her back to Xiao Qiao.

At first, she lay still, as if she had fallen asleep the moment she lay down. But after a while, her shoulders began to tremble slightly. In the darkness, the sound of suppressed sobs reached Xiao Qiao's ears.

Xiao Qiao's heart was in turmoil, torn and unable to decide what to do. Suddenly, she heard Da Qiao's sobs choke off, as if she was afraid of waking her, and the sound was swallowed back. But her body trembled even more violently.

Slowly, Xiao Qiao opened her eyes, turned her head, and looked at the tightly curled figure of her cousin. Finally, she made up her mind. She moved closer to Da Qiao, who was lying with her back to her, and gently wrapped her arms around her soft waist. She leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Sister, don't cry. I followed you when you went out earlier. I saw everything."

Da Qiao's body stiffened. Quickly, she turned over and said urgently, "Manman, don't misunderstand! I just..."

Xiao Qiao reached out and covered her mouth, signaling her to be quiet. Then she got out of bed, tiptoed to the door, and listened. Hearing the maid's soft snoring outside, she returned, lit the oil lamp, and turned to look.

Da Qiao had slowly sat up on the bed. Her dark hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, and her hands clutched the quilt around her waist. Her face was pale, her eyelids tinged with the soft pink of recent tears, and a few tear stains still lingered on her cheeks. She stared at Xiao Qiao, a pitiful beauty.

As Xiao Qiao placed the oil lamp on the bedside stand, Da Qiao snapped out of her daze and grabbed her hand, whispering anxiously, "Manman, I really didn't think anything of it. It's just that it's late, and it's so cold outside. I didn't want that person to wait in the garden for nothing, and if someone saw him, it would only cause trouble. That's why I went to tell him to leave..."

Her hands were cold and trembling, just like her voice at that moment.Xiao Qiao grasped Da Qiao's hand in return, looking at her and saying, "Sister, I saw that man. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone. You like him, don't you?"

Da Qiao's originally pale cheeks slowly flushed with a faint blush. After a moment of hesitation, she met Xiao Qiao's gaze and nodded softly, "He is of low status, but he is very good, truly very good..."

......

This boy grew up in the Qiao family's horse ranch. He was taciturn, almost like a mute, but he was strong and powerful, capable of running as fast as the wind. Moreover, he had a natural affinity with horses; even the most unruly horse would become docile in his presence. Later, the steward assigned him to be the horse servant for the family head's travels, and thus he began to appear in the sight of the eldest daughter of the family, Da Qiao.

But for a long time, over several years, this young, strong, and handsome slave with heterochromatic eyes left Da Qiao with the impression that every time he knelt down to serve as a human step to help her get on and off the carriage, it was much steadier than stepping on other horse servants.

When she stepped on his shoulders and back, her feet were as steady as a rock.

Da Qiao remembered this slave from three years ago when her fiancé had passed away. Although they had never met, it was still a sad event for her. For a while, she often went with her mother to the Changsheng Temple outside the city to burn incense. One day, on their way back, the horse got frightened, threw the driver off the carriage, and galloped away with the carriage. She and her mother were trapped inside the swaying carriage, which could tip over or even fall off the road at any moment. In their panic, a sharp whistle sounded from behind, and someone quickly caught up. The horse gradually slowed down and finally stopped by the roadside.

When she, still pale and shaken, looked out of the carriage window, she saw the person who had just caught up and calmed the frightened horse standing beside the horse's head, holding the snorting horse's head, stroking its mane, and whispering something soft and soothing into its ear, as if comforting it.

The horse finally calmed down completely.

The other attendants arrived shortly after. The steward angrily raised his whip to strike the horse, but the whip was caught and wrapped around the arm of this horse servant. The black whip was tightly coiled around his muscular arm, with the blue veins beneath his skin bulging and winding, as thick as her little finger.

The steward grew even more furious, and in the standoff, the horse servant turned his head and looked at Da Qiao, who was watching him, seeking her help.

She still remembered that day, the clear sky, the gentle breeze, and under the sunlight, those heterochromatic eyes as strange as crystals.

From that day on, she remembered his name: Bi Zhi.

......

Da Qiao hated her own clumsiness with words, not knowing how to convince her sister, who had suddenly discovered her secret, to believe that Bi Zhi was good, truly good, at least in her eyes.

Her face flushed red, and she opened her eyes wide, looking at Xiao Qiao anxiously.

Xiao Qiao smiled softly and said, "Sister, you don't need to say it, I already know he is good. Just now, he asked you to go out, didn't he? He wanted to take you away, right?"Da Qiao seemed startled at first, shaking her head, but after a moment, she slowly lowered her head. When she looked up again, her expression had calmed considerably, and she spoke slowly, "Manman, I won’t go with him. I’ve already made that clear to him. Don’t worry, I won’t see him again in the future."

"Sister, let him take you away. Don’t stay here," Xiao Qiao said.

...

Even if Da Qiao married into that family, sacrificing herself would only buy temporary peace. In the end, the entire Qiao clan would still face destruction. It would be better to follow Father’s plan and take a bold gamble—there might be another way out. Once Da Qiao left, their uncle would be at a loss, and it would be much easier for Father to make his case then.

...

Da Qiao was stunned, staring at Xiao Qiao for a moment before smiling bitterly. "Silly girl, do you think I’m impure? Are you afraid that if I marry him, it’ll be discovered? Don’t worry, there’s nothing between us. We’re completely innocent."

"It’s not because of that."

Xiao Qiao leaned closer to her ear.

"Sister, you must leave. The Wei family will definitely agree to the marriage. If you don’t leave, you’ll have no choice but to marry him. If you marry him like this, your life will be ruined. Besides, don’t you already have someone you love?"

Da Qiao was lost in thought for a moment before finally shaking her head gently. "That’s exactly why I can’t leave. If the Wei family agrees to the marriage and I leave, what will happen to our family? Whether it’s good or bad, I’m a daughter of the Qiao family. This is my responsibility."

Xiao Qiao paused, exhaling softly before looking up. "Sister, if I told you I want to marry Wei Shao in your place, would you let me?"

Da Qiao was stunned again, her eyes wide as she stared at Xiao Qiao. After a long while, she asked in confusion, "Manman... why are you suddenly thinking like this? Aren’t you in love with Prince Liu? Aren’t you supposed to marry him next year? Besides, that Marquis Wei... I’ve heard he’s..."

She hesitated, not daring to voice the rumors she’d heard about him being "cruel and tyrannical."

"Yes, that Wei Shao is not a good man," Xiao Qiao said for her. "But Sister, when it comes to marriage, there are only two paths for women. The first is like yours—to grow old with the one you love, content with a simple life. But I’m different from you. What I want isn’t a husband who’ll paint my eyebrows in front of the mirror, but the status and power he can bring. I used to like Prince Liu, but now I know he’s not the one I’m after. He’s too weak. Even if he inherits the throne of Langya in the future, given the state of the world today, what does it matter to be just a Consort of Langya? Wei Shao is different. I believe he’ll rise to greatness. Since our families are forming an alliance, how can I pass up such an opportunity?"

Da Qiao looked at her sister, who suddenly seemed like a different person, and was speechless for a long time. Finally, she stammered, "Manman, is this really what you think? Are you really not doing this for my sake?"

"Sister, it’s actually me who’s asking you—please let me have this chance!"

Xiao Qiao’s tone was resolute.

Da Qiao was silent for a long time, and a glimmer of hope, something she hadn’t felt in a long time, slowly appeared in her eyes. But she still wasn’t entirely sure, looking at Xiao Qiao hesitantly and murmuring, "Is it really possible? Can I really leave everything here behind? Will Father blame me? Will Mother be heartbroken...""Sister!" Xiao Qiao tightly grasped her hand, "After you leave, I will take care of our parents on your behalf. In time, they will surely understand and forgive you. Besides, think about it, if you marry like this, what will happen to him?"

Da Qiao's face was pale, but her cheeks were flushed. She closed her eyes and murmured, "Let me think about it... Let me think about it again..."

"Sister, I won't rush you. Take your time."

Xiao Qiao helped her lie down, covered her with a blanket, blew out the lamp, and then lay down beside her. After a while, she slowly said, "Sister, remember how I used to have nightmares? I never told you, but I once had a dream about you and that stable boy. In the dream, you married someone else and died young, leaving only a lonely grave in this world. He lived alone, all by himself. Do you know what he did in the end? He found your grave, dug you up, and took you away with him..."

"Stop..."

Da Qiao whispered, tears silently streaming down her cheeks and soaking into the pillow.

...

Three days later, Madam Ding took both Qiao sisters to the Eternal Life Temple to burn incense and make wishes. After burning the incense and adding oil to the lamp, she went to the back chamber to rest as usual, feeling tired from the long journey. However, she noticed that her daughter Da Qiao seemed different from usual, preoccupied and hesitant, holding her hand tightly and sitting beside her even after she lay down.

Madam Ding didn't think much of it, assuming her daughter was worried about the marriage alliance with the Wei family. She gently stroked her hand and smiled, "My child, just now I made a wish before the Buddha. As long as you can have a happy marriage in the future, I would willingly shorten my life. I believe the Buddha will grant my wish, so don't worry anymore."

Da Qiao suppressed her sorrow of parting and held her mother's hand, unwilling to let go for a long time.

...

Behind the Eternal Life Temple, there was a quiet mountain path, trodden daily by nearby woodcutters who went up and down the mountain to gather firewood.

Da Qiao, having changed out of her luxurious clothes into a coarse garment, walked side by side with the man along the mountain path. After they had walked a distance and their figures were almost completely swallowed by the shadows of the trees on either side of the path, the young man with one green eye suddenly stopped, turned around, and quickly returned to Xiao Qiao. He knelt before her and performed a deep bow.

"My lady, if there is anything you need in this life, I will serve you with my life!"

He spoke each word clearly.

This was the first time Xiao Qiao had heard him speak. His voice was deep and steady, naturally inspiring trust.

After performing the bow, he stood up and quickly walked toward Da Qiao, who kept looking back. Soon, their figures disappeared from Xiao Qiao's sight.

"...Once I dreamt of wandering in the land of Hua Xu, the first tower under heaven's skies..."

As Xiao Qiao slowly made her way back to the Eternal Life Temple, she suddenly faintly heard the distant singing of a woodcutter deep in the forest. The voice was deep and vast, carrying an otherworldly aura.