The Prisoner of Beauty

Qiao Ci paid his respects to Madam Xu and Zhu Shi, and Xiao Qiao also expressed her gratitude to them and Wei Yan. Afterward, she took her younger brother to her own west chamber.

Chun Niang had been eagerly watching from a distance and, upon seeing Qiao Ci and Xiao Qiao approaching side by side, she went up to greet them with a smile, deliberately asking, "Young master, do you remember this servant?"

Back in Dongjun, Xiao Qiao had only spent about two years with Chun Niang, but Qiao Ci had practically been raised by her since childhood. Although the Qiao family head was mediocre and incompetent, there was one thing that other noble families found hard to match—their leniency towards the people under their jurisdiction and the servants in their household. Qiao Ci was the same, having a good relationship with Chun Niang. Upon seeing her, he immediately said, "Chun Niang looks even younger than before, I almost didn't recognize you."

Chun Niang knew the young master was teasing her to make her happy, but she was genuinely pleased. She joyfully welcomed him, chatting idly along the way as they returned to the west chamber. Xiao Qiao asked about the health of her father, uncle, and aunt. Qiao Ci replied, "Father is in good health. Before I left, he specifically instructed me to bring you a message, telling you not to worry and to take care of yourself here. As for uncle, he fell ill with worry when Xue Tai attacked some time ago. After Xue Tai retreated, he recovered after a few days of rest. Aunt has been well too."

Hearing that her father was well, Xiao Qiao felt relieved.

Chun Niang stayed by their side for a while, knowing they likely had more to discuss, and then excused herself. Left alone were the siblings, Xiao Qiao and Qiao Ci.

……

The Wei family, whether it was the grandmother or her sister-in-law, were all surprisingly courteous, not to mention the attentive reception from that Wei cousin, who was meticulous in every detail. It seemed that her sister's accidental marriage here had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and she was living quite well. As long as her sister was doing well, it was more important than his own well-being. Qiao Ci, having received an unexpected joy, was in high spirits. As soon as Chun Niang left, he eagerly asked, "Sister, when will my brother-in-law return? I'll go outside the city to welcome him!"

Xiao Qiao recalled the brief conversation she had with Wei Shao the night before he left, when he mentioned he would be going to Zhuojun the next day.

In truth, Xiao Qiao didn't think Wei Shao had gone to Zhuojun specifically to avoid welcoming her brother and the people from Yanzhou.

Although she couldn't claim to understand him deeply at this point, she always felt that given Wei Shao's status and his self-assured personality, even if he really didn't want to receive guests, he could simply ignore them—it wasn't something he couldn't do—there was no need for him to choose to avoid them in such a manner.

Perhaps he really needed to go at this time.

But then again, even if it was a coincidence, during these days, Wei Shao's attitude towards Qiao Ci's arrival gave her the impression of being cold and indifferent. It was akin to "let grandmother handle it, what does it have to do with me?"

If he had always maintained the cold and disdainful attitude he had at the beginning, she wouldn't have cared.

But now, they had been intimate in every way. From his demeanor, he seemed quite infatuated with her. Just before he said those words in the study, he had forcibly made her sit on his lap, wanting to touch and kiss her.

This was also why, when she found out he was leaving at this juncture and was completely indifferent, without even a hint of explanation or at least some comfort for her.

Even if she was open-minded and could let things go, she couldn't help but feel a bit stifled inside.Of course, she didn’t expect Wei Shao to suddenly warm up to her family just because he was fond of her. After all, the enmity between their families was as deep as the hatred between a father and his son’s murderer.

But still, she couldn’t help feeling a bit unsettled.

To put it bluntly, she felt like she was Wei Shao’s plaything, a wife in name only. Like someone who relied on her looks to please him, she was now enjoying a bit of his favor because he was still captivated by her novelty. But who knew what would happen in the future?

Seeing her younger brother’s excitement upon his arrival, she feared he might expect Wei Shao to be similar to Wei Yan. Worried that the reality would disappoint him, she said, “Your brother-in-law is mature and serious, quite different from Wei Yan. He’s also reclusive and doesn’t like to socialize much. When you meet him, make sure to maintain proper etiquette. Don’t be overly familiar, or he might misunderstand and think you’re being disrespectful, which would leave a bad impression.”

Qiao Ci was taken aback. He glanced at his sister, seeing her serious expression, and realized she wasn’t joking. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded. “I’ll remember that.”

Only then did Xiao Qiao smile. She pulled him to sit down and asked about his daily life. Qiao Ci answered her questions one by one, but then hesitated and suddenly asked, “Sister, do you have any news about our cousin Da Qiao?”

Xiao Qiao shook her head.

“But I recently ran into Bi Zhi, the green-eyed groom!”

Xiao Qiao was stunned.

Qiao Ci then recounted the events outside Juye City, where their father led fifty thousand troops from Yanzhou to confront Xue Tai’s invading army. He described how he had charged into battle, killed Xue Tai’s son, and fought two of Xue Tai’s generals. At a critical moment, a stranger suddenly appeared and saved him.

“Sister, after he brought me back to Father, I stood on the ground and got a clear look at his face. It was Bi Zhi, the groom who disappeared with our cousin Da Qiao. As soon as the battle ended, I followed him and caught up to him. He stopped and told me that he and Da Qiao are now married! From the way he spoke, it seemed like Da Qiao went with him willingly! Sister, you and Da Qiao were always close. Did you really not know anything about this beforehand?”

Xiao Qiao had only known that their father had led troops to repel Xue Tai outside Juye City and that Xue Tai had later retreated upon hearing that his base was under attack by Yang Xin. She had no idea about these other events. Hearing this, she was both shocked and delighted.

There had been no news of Bi Zhi and Da Qiao for a long time. In these chaotic times, life was precarious, and though she believed Bi Zhi could protect Da Qiao, she had still been worried about them. Now, hearing this news from her brother, it at least confirmed that the two had settled down somewhere. Bi Zhi must have known about Yanzhou’s plight and returned secretly to help.

Meeting her brother’s confused gaze, Xiao Qiao said, “I knew about it. Not only did I know, but I was the one who helped them leave.”

Qiao Ci was utterly shocked, staring at his sister in disbelief, unable to speak.

Xiao Qiao continued, “I know you’re confused. You’ll understand in time. But I want you to remember this: Bi Zhi is far more than just a former groom of our family. He’s incredibly capable, and in these turbulent times, given the right opportunity, he could rise to become a powerful figure. Da Qiao married him out of mutual affection—they’re a perfect match. I’m telling you this because I trust you. In the future, the safety of Yanzhou and our entire Qiao family might depend on his help. Keep this in mind. But for now, don’t let Uncle and the others know, understand?”Qiao Ci had always been obedient to Xiao Qiao. Although he was still in shock and unable to fully process the situation, seeing his elder sister's extremely serious expression, he nodded and murmured, "I remember."

Xiao Qiao said, "This time, Xue Tai attacked Yanzhou, and Yanzhou was able to hold on thanks to the grace of others. If our Qiao family continues like this, even if Xue Tai leaves today, there will be a Wang Tai or Li Tai tomorrow. If the Qiao family does not strengthen itself and always relies on others, how can we survive?"

Qiao Ci looked ashamed and said, "Elder sister is right. Back when Ren Cheng's Zhou Qun attacked, the men of our family were incompetent, which led to your distant marriage here. Just over half a year has passed, and now we face another attack from Xue Tai, living in constant fear and unrest! If our Qiao family does not stand strong, Yanzhou will eventually fall into the hands of others!"

Losing Yanzhou would be one thing, but what I fear most is that in the end, not a single person will remain.

Xiao Qiao gazed at her younger brother, her tone softening, "Elder sister knows that you have the heart to revitalize our family, but you are only fifteen now. Even if you have the will, you lack the strength to take charge alone. We cannot count on Uncle. Now, we can only hope that Father will rise to the occasion. If Father can become the pillar of the Qiao family, and in a couple of years, with your assistance and leveraging the Qiao family's reputation in Yanzhou, with these three forces combined, why worry about not being able to restore our family's glory?"

Qiao Ci was stirred by Xiao Qiao's words, his face flushed with excitement, "Elder sister, rest assured! When I return, I will strongly urge Father to stop blindly following Uncle! If we continue to listen to Uncle, our Qiao family will surely perish!"

Xiao Qiao smiled, "If you act so rashly, Father will not only refuse to listen but might even punish you. There's no need for you to persuade him. Before you return, I will give you a letter to deliver to Father. Yanzhou has been repeatedly struck by disasters, and I believe Father will not be content to live under the shadow of others, waiting for doom."

Qiao Ci felt a bit embarrassed by Xiao Qiao's words, scratched his head, and agreed. After chatting for a while longer, Qiao Ci remembered something and cheerfully said, "Elder sister, Cousin Wei Yan mentioned that he would take me out for a horseback ride later. Can I go?"

Xiao Qiao actually didn't want Qiao Ci to get too close to Wei Yan. However, earlier in the north room, Madam Xu had personally made the arrangement for Wei Yan to host the guests. If she didn't allow it, it would seem unreasonable, and her younger brother was now looking at her eagerly. After a slight hesitation, she nodded.

Qiao Ci was delighted.

"However, everything should be done in moderation. Although he is amiable, that's his way of being courteous to you as a host. You must maintain proper etiquette and decorum. Do not become too familiar with him, understand?"

Qiao Ci agreed wholeheartedly.

Xiao Qiao looked at her younger brother's exuberant demeanor, still very much a child, and couldn't help but laugh and shake her head.

Qiao Ci had lunch at Xiao Qiao's place. Madam Xu sent over a box of delicacies. After the siblings finished their meal and rested for a while, a servant came to inform them that Wei Yan had arrived.

Xiao Qiao escorted Qiao Ci to the gate.

Wei Yan was dressed in hunting attire, accompanied by a dozen similarly dressed attendants, all looking splendid and imposing. Seeing Xiao Qiao leading Qiao Ci out, Wei Yan stepped forward, quickly ascended the steps, and said to Xiao Qiao, "Sister-in-law, rest assured, I will take good care of your younger brother and return before nightfall."Xiao Qiao thanked him and watched as Qiao Ci mounted his horse, riding off with Wei Yan towards the city gates. The shouts of the group gradually faded into the distance.

……

Before nightfall, Qiao Ci indeed returned. The next day, he went hunting with Wei Yan again. The group arrived at the Yushan hunting grounds and had a bountiful harvest, bagging two roe deer and countless pheasants and hares. In the blink of an eye, the day passed, and the sun began to set in the west. Just as Wei Yan was about to call for the group to head back to the city, he suddenly spotted a startled adult deer darting out from the dense forest ahead. The deer was robust, with a bulging belly, seemingly a pregnant doe. Wei Yan immediately drew his bow and shot an arrow, hitting one of the doe's hind legs. The doe let out a mournful cry and tumbled to the ground. It struggled to its feet, dragging its bleeding leg, and limped away, still trying to escape. The attendants quickly caught up and captured the doe. Wei Yan dismounted, took out a leather pouch, and pulled a dagger from his boot. He was about to slit the doe's throat to collect its blood when Qiao Ci, standing nearby, couldn't bear to see the doe's pitiful cries and said, "Cousin Wei, could you let it go?"

Wei Yan looked up at him.

Qiao Ci noticed the surprised looks from the attendants and blushed, stammering, "My elder sister once taught me that if we encounter a pregnant animal during a hunt, we should not harm it. I see this doe's belly is as big as a drum, so it must be close to giving birth…"

As a grown man, he felt embarrassed to say such things and trailed off halfway.

Wei Yan was taken aback, then burst into laughter. He immediately sheathed his dagger and discarded the leather pouch. He ordered his men to remove the arrow from the doe's leg, applied some wound medicine, and set it free. He then patted Qiao Ci on the shoulder, who was still red-faced, and said with a smile, "Your sister is absolutely right. I'll remember that from now on."

Qiao Ci had been worried that Wei Yan would mock him, but to his surprise, Wei Yan responded so readily. He breathed a sigh of relief and felt a sense of closeness towards Wei Yan, quickly expressing his gratitude.

……

The group returned from Yushan, galloping towards the city. As they approached, a group of about a dozen riders appeared on a road to the west, bathed in the setting sun. They were also heading towards the city, and the two groups gradually met at a fork in the road.

The attendants following Wei Yan quickly recognized the approaching riders as Lord Wei Shao, who had left for Zhuojun three days ago.

The attendants stopped their horses by the roadside, dismounted, and knelt in greeting.

Wei Yan slowly reined in his horse but did not dismount. He sat on his horse, holding the reins, and watched as Wei Shao approached.

Qiao Ci did not recognize Wei Shao and naturally did not dismount either. He simply stopped his horse alongside Wei Yan and watched the group of riders galloping towards them. He noticed the leading man was very young, with a handsome face and a determined expression. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, and his robe fluttered in the evening breeze as he rode swiftly towards them.