The Prisoner of Beauty

Wei Liang led two thousand light cavalry and followed the trail of Chen Xiang's daughter's wedding procession, as reported by the scouts sent earlier by Gongsun Yang. After several days, they spotted the convoy north of Liyang. The procession, laden with ten thousand hu of grain and heavy supplies, moved slowly despite having set off early. They had not even covered half the distance. Wei Liang and his men ambushed the convoy in a mountain pass. As the procession entered the pass, the sound of drums and war cries erupted from both ends of the pass. Gao Shun, the General of the Household Who Inspires Awe, who was tasked by Chen Xiang to escort the convoy, was startled. He quickly raised his halberd and demanded to know who was attacking. Wei Liang shouted, "It's your grandpa!" and charged forward, swinging his broadsword. Gao Shun raised his halberd to defend himself, but he was no match for Wei Liang. In just three rounds, he was struck down from his horse. The subordinate generals accompanying Gao Shun, seeing Wei Liang's ferocity and the dense encirclement of troops, were terrified. They feigned a few moves before fleeing on their horses. The remaining soldiers, seeing their leaders flee, quickly scattered in disarray.

Wei Shao's objective was not to kill the enemy, so Wei Liang did not pursue them. He ordered his men to gather the supplies and approached a fragrant carriage in the middle. Inside, he found a young woman cowering in the corner, trembling with fear. Her face had already lost all color, and when she saw Wei Liang's head poking in, she screamed and fainted on the spot, startling Wei Liang. Two maidservants beside her also turned pale and knelt on the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy.

Wei Liang knew that the fainted woman was Chen Xiang's daughter. He ordered his soldiers to escort the carriage and changed their route towards Yangzhou. A few days later, they arrived in Huainan and camped at Xia Cai. Scouts reported that Yang Xin had sent his trusted envoy Song Xian to welcome them. Song Xian respectfully invited Wei Liang and his troops to enter the city, but Wei Liang declined. Instead, he ordered his soldiers to set up camp outside the city and strictly forbade them from approaching Chen Xiang's daughter's tent. He also arranged for round-the-clock patrols.

Yang Xin and Xue Tai had long-standing grievances. In their previous encounters, they had been evenly matched, with victories and defeats on both sides. Over the past two years, they had reached a stalemate. A few days earlier, Wei Shao's envoy Zhang Yong had unexpectedly arrived, bearing a handwritten letter from Wei Shao explaining his intentions.

Wei Shao had grown powerful in the north, and his fame had spread far and wide. Heroes from all over the land had flocked to join him. Yang Xin had heard of Wei Shao but had never had any dealings with him. Suddenly, Wei Shao sent Zhang Yong to persuade him. Zhang Yong, who hailed from a prominent family in Jiangdong, had joined Wei Shao out of admiration and was appointed as Chief Clerk. He was eloquent and persuasive, and within a few sentences, he had convinced Yang Xin to regard him as a close friend. Although Chen Xiang was strong, he was no match for Wei Shao, so there was nothing to fear. Launching an attack on Xuzhou, which now had only twenty thousand troops, was highly likely to succeed, especially with Wei Shao's promise of grain, silk, and northern horses.

The grain and silk were one thing, but the thousand northern horses were the real prize. The south did not produce horses, and obtaining a thousand northern horses would undoubtedly be a significant boost. Yang Xin immediately agreed and made a blood oath with Zhang Yong. That night, he held a grand banquet, and the next day, he mustered a hundred thousand troops, divided into three columns, and marched towards Xuzhou in a grand procession.Half a month ago, Xue Tai led his troops to Yanzhou, plundering the wealth of the people along the way, leaving no trace of life behind. The common folk were filled with grievances. Now, his army had arrived at Juye, only a hundred miles away from Dongjun. Scouts reported that thirty miles outside Juye, the prefect of Dongjun, Qiao Ping, and his son had arrayed fifty thousand troops in formation, awaiting them. Without a care, Xue Tai urged his army to charge forward. The two armies met outside Juye. Xue Tai looked across and saw a middle-aged general on a white horse at the forefront of the formation, his face resembling that of a scholar, and knew it was Prefect Qiao Ping. Beside him was a chestnut horse, on which sat a young general, clad in silver armor, wielding twin halberds, his eyes like stars, exceptionally handsome. Xue Tai guessed it must be Qiao Ping's son and laughed heartily: "Yanzhou truly has no one left, sending a mere girl to face me!"

As soon as these words were spoken, laughter erupted all around. Qiao Ci, young and hot-tempered, could not endure such humiliation. Ignoring Qiao Ping's attempts to stop him, he charged out of the formation on his horse, cursing Xue Tai as an old fool. On the opposite side, Xue Tai's eighteen-year-old youngest son, Xue Liang, who was about to marry Chen Xiang's daughter, spurred his horse and raised his spear to meet the challenge. The two clashed in the open space between the formations, soldiers on both sides shouting loudly. After a fierce battle of several dozen rounds, Qiao Ci knocked Xue Liang off his horse. Xue Liang hurriedly fled back to his formation, but Qiao Ci, eyes red with rage, pursued him and threw a knife, striking Xue Liang in the back. Xue Liang fell to the ground and died.

Qiao Ping, watching the battle from behind, was extremely tense. Although his elder brother had already sent an envoy to Yuyang to seek reinforcements, there had been no response, and Wei Shao's troops had yet to arrive. A few days ago, upon learning that Xue Tai's army was approaching, Qiao Ping personally led his troops to array in formation at Juye, prepared to fight to the death. His only son, not yet of age, Qiao Ping had originally not wanted him to accompany him in the vanguard, ordering him to stay and defend the city. However, although Yanzhou could muster fifty thousand troops, there were few capable generals to lead them. Qiao Ci insisted on joining the vanguard, and Qiao Ping, helpless, thought that if Dongjun were lost, it would be like an overturned nest—no egg would remain intact. Finally, he gritted his teeth and allowed Qiao Ci to accompany him. Just now, seeing Qiao Ci unable to withstand the provocation, he had charged out to engage in a fierce battle with Xue Liang and ultimately killed him. Qiao Ping breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ordered the gongs to be sounded to call Qiao Ci back to the formation.

On the other side, Xue Tai, seeing that the battle had not yet begun and his own son had already been killed in front of the formation, and by a mere greenhorn at that, was both shocked and grieved, and furious. He would not let this go and immediately ordered his two generals to go out and kill Qiao Ci. Generals Cao Xu and Zhang Biao, upon receiving the order, spurred their horses forward and quickly surrounded Qiao Ci in the midst of the cavalry.

Although Qiao Ci was a young hero, a fledgling calf, he was still not yet of age and had little experience in battle. Cao Xu and Zhang Biao, however, were seasoned generals from Xuzhou, accustomed to charging into battle. How could Qiao Ci, fighting one against two, withstand them? In a moment of carelessness, his left arm was slashed, and blood flowed freely.Qiao Ping saw that his son's retreat was cut off and he was injured, feeling extremely anxious. He immediately led two generals to rush to the rescue, but it was too late. Before they could reach the front lines, they heard Cao Xu shout, "You brat, I will avenge my young master!" Helplessly, they watched as Cao Xu thrust his spear towards Qiao Ci's chest. Qiao Ci, with his twin halberds blocking Zhang Biao's descending sword, had no way to dodge and was about to be killed on the spot. Suddenly, a fast horse galloped like lightning across the wilderness between the two armies, swiftly reaching the front lines. The rider wore a bamboo hat and placed his fingers to his lips, emitting a sharp whistle towards the three warhorses entangled in battle. The horses, as if hearing a demonic sound, neighed in unison and reared up, throwing Cao Xu, Zhang Biao, and Qiao Ci off their mounts.

Cao Xu and Zhang Biao's horses were well-bred steeds from Dayuan, and Qiao Ci's horse had been raised since childhood. Yet, with just one whistle from the stranger, the horses threw their riders to the ground. The three men fell and rolled together. The stranger quickly rode over, leaned down, grabbed Qiao Ci's arm, and pulled him onto his horse. He then turned and galloped towards Qiao Ping. Upon reaching Qiao Ping's horse, he pushed Qiao Ci off, who landed on his feet but was still in shock, unable to react immediately.

Qiao Ping had thought his son would surely die, never dreaming that at the critical moment, this bamboo-hatted stranger would emerge to save his life. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he realized this man was not from either army. He looked closely and saw that the stranger's hat was pulled low, covering his forehead and eyes. He appeared to be in his early twenties. Qiao Ping clasped his fists in thanks, "Thank you, benefactor, for saving my son. In the midst of battle, I cannot express my gratitude fully, but please leave your name so I may repay you in the future!"

Qiao Ci, standing on the ground, caught a clear glimpse of the stranger's eyes under the hat. One of them was a striking green, and he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen this person before, though he couldn't recall where. As he stood there dazed, Xue Tai on the opposite side sounded the drums to signal an attack. With no time to think further, Qiao Ci quickly whistled for his horse, mounted it, and rushed to meet the enemy. The two armies clashed in an instant.

Qiao Ping, well-versed in military strategy and diligent in training his troops, now struggled to command effectively. With no capable generals by his side and his forces outnumbered by half, their position was gradually compressed. They fought while retreating, but suddenly, cannon fire erupted from both flanks as Xue Tai's two wings, each with ten thousand soldiers, pressed forward. The Yanzhou army's formation was immediately shattered, resulting in heavy casualties. Qiao Ping knew that if the battle continued, his fifty thousand troops would be annihilated. He wanted to sound the retreat and withdraw into the city to regroup, but the formation was already in disarray. A sudden retreat would only worsen the chaos. As he desperately held on, he was startled to see the bamboo-hatted stranger cut down two of Xue Tai's soldiers who had surrounded him. The stranger roared like thunder, and the nearby soldiers, terrified, dared not approach. He carved a path through the enemy and galloped to Qiao Ping, shouting urgently, "Commander, sound the retreat and withdraw into the city immediately! Any delay will lead to total annihilation! I will hold them off for now!"

Qiao Ping was stunned.This young man, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, though dressed simply and appearing to be an ordinary person, inexplicably stood out like a god of war amidst the chaos of the battlefield, commanding an awe-inspiring presence that made people instinctively follow his lead. Just as they were about to turn around and prepare to withdraw, they suddenly heard the sound of retreat from Xue Tai's camp. In astonishment, they looked across the battlefield and saw that something unexpected had happened. Xue Tai, on horseback, was filled with rage, cursing at the heavens, and quickly ordered his troops to retreat. He then hastily withdrew with the body of his son, heading swiftly towards the southeast direction of Xuzhou.

The battlefield outside Juye, which had just been engulfed in darkness, suddenly fell silent. Qiao Ping felt as if he had survived a disaster, still unable to believe why Xue Tai, who had the upper hand, had suddenly retreated. At this moment, he didn't have time to ponder further and ordered the troops to clean up the battlefield, sending the dead and wounded soldiers into the city. After catching his breath, he suddenly remembered the man with the bamboo hat and hurriedly searched for him, but there was no trace of him to be found.

……

Qiao Ci chased relentlessly, pursuing the man for dozens of miles until the man, realizing he couldn't shake him off, finally stopped his horse by the roadside.

Qiao Ci's face was smeared with blood, and the wound on his arm was still slowly bleeding, but his eyes were shining brightly. He caught up in one breath, stopped his horse, drew his sword, and pointed it at the man, shouting, "I recognize you! Your green eyes! Was it you who abducted my elder sister? Where is she now? What have you done to her?"

Bi Zhi slowly raised his bamboo hat and said, "She and I are now husband and wife. Rest assured, young master, I will do my utmost to treat her well. You are seriously injured; it would be best for you to return and seek treatment soon."

Qiao Ci's eyes widened in disbelief.

Bi Zhi nodded slightly at him, then spurred his horse and galloped away, disappearing at the end of the wild path.

Qiao Ci stood there in a daze.

When Da Qiao eloped with Bi Zhi, the Qiao family had kept it a strict secret, and even Qiao Ci wasn't entirely clear about the details, only vaguely hearing that it had something to do with the family's stable hand, Bi Zhi. That's why, as soon as the battle ended, he had immediately set his sights on Bi Zhi and chased him all the way here.

He never imagined that his cousin Da Qiao had actually married him. And from the way he spoke, it seemed that Da Qiao had gone willingly.

Qiao Ci couldn't fathom such a thing happening.

He was momentarily unable to accept it. After standing there in stunned silence for a moment, he suddenly remembered that it was this man who had appeared out of nowhere to save him when he was about to meet his end under the sword. On the battlefield, he had been astonishingly brave, with martial skills unlike anything Qiao Ci had ever seen in his life.

What kind of man was this?

Qiao Ci was utterly confused.

……

After Wei Shao led his troops away, the Wei household felt as if it had lost its backbone, and the mansion quickly became desolate.

Xiao Qiao, apart from the occasional discomfort when facing Madam Zhu, had a lot of free time. However, she was deeply concerned about the military situation in Yanzhou and lived in constant anxiety. Fortunately, after more than half a month since Wei Shao's departure, news finally arrived. It was reported that Xue Tai, while attacking Dongjun, had suddenly learned that Xuzhou was under attack by Yang Xin from Huainan and immediately retreated to defend it. The two sides clashed in a fierce battle at Liucheng's Jiuli Mountain, where Xue Tai suffered a crushing defeat, losing countless soldiers and supplies. He eventually retreated in disgrace to Xuzhou, shutting himself in and severely weakened, unlikely to launch any further attacks in the near future.Xiao Qiao's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for days, finally settled. Upon returning to her room, she was about to write a letter to her father, Qiao Ping, when a message came from the north house saying that Madam Xu wanted to see her.

Xiao Qiao immediately put down her brush, changed her clothes, and went to the north house. Unexpectedly, she saw Wei Yan there, kneeling beside Madam Xu as if they had just finished a conversation. Wei Yan bowed to Madam Xu, got up from the couch, turned around, and came face to face with Xiao Qiao, his gaze lingering on her for a moment.

Wei Shao always entrusted the defense of Youzhou to Wei Yan whenever he went on military campaigns. So, it wasn’t strange to see him here.

Xiao Qiao lowered her eyes and greeted him, "Elder Brother."

Wei Yan nodded slightly, then turned to Madam Xu and said, "Grandson will take his leave now. Grandmother, please be prepared. I will come early tomorrow to see you off."

Madam Xu nodded.

Wei Yan glanced at Xiao Qiao once more as he passed by her and left.

Xiao Qiao stepped onto the couch and knelt beside Madam Xu. She noticed several scrolls of letters on the table, seemingly sent from different places.

Madam Xu smiled and said, "Zhonglin has been away for over half a month now. I was afraid you might be worried, so I wanted to share the news with you as soon as it arrived. The army reached Shiyi several days ago, and they have been fortifying their position and setting up camp smoothly."

Xiao Qiao suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

These past few days, her thoughts had mostly been preoccupied with Yanzhou. As for Wei Shao, perhaps because he was strong enough, and she knew he would surely return, she hadn’t thought much about him. She lowered her gaze and said, "I hope my husband returns victorious soon."

Madam Xu nodded and continued, "I also received another message today. Tomorrow, I will be leaving for Zhongshan Kingdom to visit an old relative. I thought since you have nothing to do at home, you might as well come with me. It will be a chance for you to meet some people, and I’ll have company on the journey."

Xiao Qiao was somewhat surprised. She hadn’t expected to suddenly be going on a long trip. She didn’t know what Madam Xu’s purpose was in personally going to Zhongshan Kingdom, but since she had asked, Xiao Qiao naturally agreed.

"Go back and pack your things. We’ll leave early tomorrow morning," Madam Xu said with a smile.