The Prisoner of Beauty

Wei Shao galloped his horse to within half an arrow's distance before Wei Yan finally urged his horse forward to meet him, calling out loudly, "Second Brother, what a coincidence! I just returned from hunting and we meet here!"

Wei Shao had already seen Wei Yan and his entourage from afar. He slowly halted his horse in the middle of the road, and as the two large horses passed each other, a smile appeared on his face. "How was the hunt today?"

"See for yourself, Second Brother!" Wei Yan turned his head and pointed to the swaying game hanging on the sides of the horses of his attendants.

Wei Shao glanced at them and praised, "Indeed, a bountiful harvest!"

Wei Yan laughed, "If you have time, come to my place again. Last time we drank to our heart's content. This time, with wild game to accompany the wine, it will surely enhance the enjoyment!"

Wei Shao replied, "That suits me perfectly!" As he spoke, his gaze swept past Wei Yan to Qiao Ci behind him.

Qiao Ci had been sitting dumbly on his horse at first. After hearing the conversation between Wei Yan and this young man, even he, slow as he was, guessed that the newcomer must be the Marquis of Yan, Wei Shao, his brother-in-law. Seeing Wei Shao's gaze sweep over him, although the smile from his conversation with Wei Yan remained on his face, there was not a hint of warmth in his eyes. Qiao Ci hurriedly dismounted and stood on the ground.

Wei Yan followed Wei Shao's gaze and turned his head, then laughed, "This is your brother-in-law, the young master of the Qiao family from Yanzhou, your wife's younger brother. You happened to be out of the city the past two days, so I followed our grandmother's instructions and showed Young Master Qiao some hospitality. We just returned from hunting at Fish Mountain and happened to meet here."

As Wei Yan spoke, Qiao Ci noticed that Wei Shao's gaze remained fixed on him, somewhat cold. He couldn't help but recall the repeated warnings his sister had given him yesterday, saying that his brother-in-law was mature and reserved, with a solitary personality. Now, seeing him in person, it was indeed true. His expression became more restrained, and after a moment of hesitation, he took two steps forward, bowed to Wei Shao, and called him "brother-in-law." Then he stood there motionless, at a loss for words.

Wei Shao had started practicing archery with his father at the age of four. His archery skills were exceptional, and his eyesight was as sharp as an eagle's. In fact, he had seen the young man riding alongside Wei Yan from a distance earlier. Noticing the resemblance in facial features and contours to Xiao Qiao, he immediately guessed that it must be his brother-in-law, Qiao Ci.

In Wei Shao's mind, he had not the slightest expectation for this northward journey of the envoy from Yanzhou. On the contrary, he felt a faint sense of annoyance.

In his subconscious, he had no desire whatsoever to have any further dealings or entanglements with anyone from the Qiao family, except for Xiao Qiao.

But this was just a thought. After all, whether it was due to his grandmother's command or the strategic advantage of Yanzhou's location, he had already married the Qiao girl. No one had held a sword to his neck during the wedding ceremony. It had only been a short time since then, and at least for now, he couldn't completely sever ties with the Qiao family.

So, a few days ago, when the Yanzhou delegation was about to arrive in Yuyang, news suddenly came from Zhuojun that an unexpected incident had occurred, requiring his immediate attention. He naturally, and without any psychological burden, left to attend to what he considered more important matters.

The night before his departure, in the study, when he told Xiao Qiao this news, he wasn't entirely unaware of the fleeting look of disappointment in her bright eyes.

At that moment, he had indeed hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should explain himself to her. But the hesitation passed in an instant.

He disdained, and also felt it completely unnecessary, to explain such a coincidence to her.After that, he went to Zhuojun. The first day passed uneventfully, but when night fell, for some reason, as soon as he closed his eyes, the image of her disappointed gaze from the previous night and her final smile kept appearing in his mind. He felt a void in his heart and found it hard to sleep alone.

On the second night, which was last night, during the most restless moment, he got up and went outside to ride his horse alone. He returned in the middle of the night. When he pushed the door open, he saw a beautiful woman lying on his bed. It turned out that the newly promoted prefect of Zhuojun, who had only been in office for a few months, had "thoughtfully" sent her to his room after he left.

Wei Shao, who was once nicknamed "Little Overlord," was known not only for his tyrannical behavior and arrogance but also for his quick temper. Upon entering and seeing the woman on his bed, something inexplicably triggered his anger. He drew his sword and with one strike, he cut the bedpost in half, causing the bed canopy to collapse with a loud crash. The terrified woman screamed and scrambled out of the room.

Early this morning, Wei Shao dismissed the prefect who had overstepped with his flattery, quickly settled the matter, and immediately set off to return. He didn't arrive until this evening. Unexpectedly, he encountered his brother-in-law here. Just now, he saw Qiao Ci and Wei Yan riding side by side from a distance, looking very close, chatting and laughing. But when they saw him, they became distant. For some reason, it felt like his temper was triggered again, and his expression turned sour. He didn't dismount, only nodded slightly at Qiao Ci and asked, "When did you arrive?"

"Yesterday at noon," Qiao Ci replied.

He thought to himself that his sister was indeed right. This brother-in-law was indeed aloof, arrogant, and unapproachable, completely different from Cousin Wei. Fortunately, his sister had warned him beforehand; otherwise, he might have already made a bad impression.

He also thought about how difficult it must be for his sister to live with such a man every day.

Being young, he couldn't hide his thoughts well, and his expression grew even more distant as he looked at Wei Shao.

The brother-in-law and brother-in-law fell silent. After a pause, Wei Shao turned to Wei Yan and said, "It's getting late, let's head back together? We'll hold a banquet tonight to welcome him, and you should join us as well."

Wei Yan agreed with a smile. Wei Shao glanced at Qiao Ci, tightened the reins, and continued forward on his horse. Wei Yan followed, and the entourage quickly mounted their horses and followed suit. Seeing this, Qiao Ci hurriedly mounted his horse as well. The group, with great fanfare, entered the city gate and headed towards the Wei residence.

...

Upon entering, Wei Shao instructed the servants to prepare a banquet for the guests, then went straight to the west wing.

His steps were initially hurried, but as he entered the inner courtyard, they returned to their usual pace. Finally, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, looking ahead but not seeing Xiao Qiao come out to greet him as she usually did. He walked a few more steps in, lifted the bed curtains, but she wasn't there either.

Wei Shao turned around and saw the maidservant had followed him in. He asked, "Where is the lady?"

The maidservant bowed and replied, "Today is the Dharma assembly at the Golden Dragon Temple. The Elder Madam took Madam and the lady there early this morning, and they haven't returned yet."

Wei Shao paused for a moment.

...As dusk approached, the side hall of the Wei residence was already brightly lit, with blazing torches burning at each corner. A long banquet table was set up in the center of the hall. Lord Wei Shao, who had returned from Zhuojun that evening, was hosting his brother-in-law Qiao Ci and the envoy Yang Feng, who had come from afar. Among the guests were Wei Yan, Li Dian, Wei Liang, and others. Wei Shao sat at the head of the table, with Qiao Ci to his left and Yang Feng further down. Wei Yan was seated to Wei Shao's right, directly across from Qiao Ci, while the other guests, including Li Dian and Wei Liang, took their places according to their rank and age. The hall was filled with guests, and the long banquet table was fully occupied. The table was laden with an abundance of dishes—beef, lamb, pork, and venison—all served by beautiful maids who continuously refilled the guests' cups with fine wine. To liven the atmosphere, bare-chested warriors performed a masked dance to the rhythm of booming drums. The hall was undeniably splendid, and the feast was nothing short of sumptuous.

Yet, despite the grandeur, the atmosphere at the banquet was somewhat stifling.

At the start of the feast, Yang Feng, the envoy from Yanzhou, raised his wine cup with both hands and respectfully conveyed Qiao Yue's words of gratitude to Wei Shao. He praised Wei Shao for his previous military assistance, likening it to saving them from a dire crisis and extinguishing a raging fire. He spoke of Wei Shao's immense virtue and the profound gratitude they felt, going on and on in this manner.

In truth, Wei Shao's alliance with Yang Feng to attack Xuzhou and relieve the siege of Yanzhou could indeed be described as saving them from a dire crisis and extinguishing a raging fire. However, the way Yang Feng phrased it made it sound like he was singing praises, and the flattery was palpable.

Qiao Ci listened, his face flushing with embarrassment. He noticed that all of Wei Shao's generals and officials were staring at him and Yang Feng, and the hall was eerily silent except for Yang Feng's voice droning on. Seated next to Wei Shao, Qiao Ci couldn't help but notice the look of disgust that flashed in Wei Shao's eyes when Yang Feng began his speech. As Yang Feng continued his lengthy monologue, it seemed as though Wei Shao was barely restraining himself from interrupting. Qiao Ci couldn't help but recall the words his sister had said to him the day before—that relying on others was not as good as relying on oneself. His shame deepened, and though the table was filled with delicacies and fine wine, he had no appetite for the feast.

Finally, when Yang Feng finished his speech, Wei Shao merely raised his cup slightly and responded with a few indifferent words. The atmosphere instantly became awkward. Fortunately, Wei Yan, seated across the table, stepped in to smooth things over, and the banquet continued.

Throughout the entire event, Qiao Ci only spoke when necessary, offering a few brief responses. Wei Shao, too, remained composed and spoke little.

The brother-in-law and brother-in-law had unwittingly become a pair of silent gourds, and the other guests naturally found the atmosphere dull. It was only thanks to Wei Yan's lively conversation and the occasional interjections from Li Dian and Wei Liang that the banquet didn't completely fall flat.

However, it ended much earlier than expected.

...

Wei Shao returned to the west wing. The candles in the room had already been lit by the servants, but his grandmother had not yet returned with Xiao Qiao.

Wei Shao went to his study instead, sat at his desk, and picked up the scroll he had been reading the night before he left for Zhuojun. He focused intently on the text.

After a while, he suddenly turned his head to glance out the window. With a soft "thud," he set down the scroll and stood up, quickly making his way out of the room.

Since he had nothing else to do and it was already late, he decided it would be best to personally go and fetch his grandmother.

Just as Wei Shao stepped out of the study, he heard faint voices of women coming from the end of the corridor leading to the bedroom, among them the voice of Chun Niang.Wei Shao then retreated and returned to his seat. After finishing the scroll in his hand, he neatly rolled it up and placed it back in its original position before finally rising and heading back to his bedroom.

...

Early in the morning, Xiao Qiao followed Madam Xu to the Golden Dragon Temple in the northern part of the city.

In these turbulent times, Buddhism, Taoism, and even shamanism and folk deities flourished like never before. The temple's Dharma assembly lasted from morning till night, with devout men and women listening attentively. After a full day, with only a brief rest at noon, even Zhu Shi, who was not particularly interested, felt exhausted, let alone Xiao Qiao.

She glanced discreetly at Madam Xu beside her and noticed that she was still fully focused, showing no signs of fatigue.

Finally, when the Dharma assembly concluded, Madam Xu offered incense and was respectfully escorted out by the abbot. They then returned to the Wei residence.

Having been out all day, Xiao Qiao had just changed out of her outer garments and was sitting at her dressing table, cleansing her face and removing her makeup while taking down her hair. Just then, the door behind her opened, and she turned to see Wei Shao entering.

She didn’t show any particular expression. Since her hair was only half undone, she didn’t rise but simply smiled at him and spoke in her usual tone, "You’re back, my lord? Please wait a moment, and I’ll help you change."

Wei Shao walked in and stopped a few steps behind her, his gaze falling on her reflection in the bronze mirror. He waved his hand, and the maids surrounding Xiao Qiao immediately stood up, bowed to him, and then left the room.

Wei Shao knelt behind Xiao Qiao, reached out, and pulled out a golden hairpin from her bun.

Her long, dark hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Wei Shao caught a strand in his palm, feeling its cool smoothness, and gently kneaded it a few times.

Wei Shao was tall and imposing, and even when sitting behind her, he towered over her by half a head.

Xiao Qiao didn’t turn around or move. She simply raised her eyes and looked at Wei Shao’s reflection in the mirror, sitting behind her.

The bronze mirror was polished to a smooth, watery finish, clearly reflecting the two faces—one in front, one behind. Even the individual hairs of his eyebrows were visible.

Wei Shao brought the strand of hair to his nose, took a deep breath, and then leaned close to her ear, whispering, "I just returned this evening. I hosted a family banquet to welcome your younger brother."

Xiao Qiao lowered her eyes and softly replied, "I found out when I got back."

Wei Shao then placed his hands on either side of her waist and turned her around like a doll, making her face him. He leaned down, his lips brushing against her moonlit forehead, and then slowly moved downward.

His lips were slightly dry, and as they touched her freshly moistened, soft cheeks, they brought a slightly rough, grainy sensation.

He took her arms and draped them over his shoulders, looking into her eyes as he commanded her to hold his neck tightly.

Xiao Qiao’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she closed her eyes.

Her body lifted as he carried her into the air.

...

In truth, they had only been apart for two nights.

But Xiao Qiao could sense his urgency, as if it had been a long time since he last touched her.

Unlike his usual bold and unrestrained approach, tonight he seemed to be trying to please her. Though his eagerness was palpable, he didn’t force himself on her immediately. Instead, he slowly aroused her until her face flushed and her breathing became soft and panting, and only then did he take her.Throughout the process, Xiao Qiao kept her eyes closed most of the time, feeling a bit lightheaded but with a deep sense of comfort in her limbs. By the end, it was as if a warm current had washed over her, causing her to shiver slightly and curl her toes tightly.

One could even say that this was the best she had felt since becoming intimate with him.

Author's note: I had some matters to attend to during the day and just finished writing now, so the update is late. Sorry to keep you waiting, my dear readers~ Sending virtual hugs!

I also received several long reviews from some of you. I was busy writing and didn’t have time to read them in detail, but I’ll take my time to read them later when I’m lying in bed. It feels like I’ve struck gold ^_^

Tomorrow there should still be a double update, but the first one might be a bit late, probably replaced before 2 PM.

Thank you