The Prisoner of Beauty

Qiao Ci had left, but Xiao Qiao remained standing there motionless, her eyes fixed on Wei Shao with a calm expression.

Wei Shao stroked his chin and walked closer to her, saying, "Chun Niang has already told me everything. It was just that his cousin saw how hard he had been training on the drill ground these past few days and invited him over to relax a bit. They had a couple of drinks. Was it really necessary for you to get so worked up and personally go fetch him, then come back and throw such a tantrum?"

Xiao Qiao stared at Wei Shao for a long moment before letting out a cold laugh. "So, when my Lord is tired and wants to relax, he also goes to such places? Birds of a feather, no wonder you’re quick to defend him. And you even stop me from teaching my own brother to behave properly!"

Wei Shao shrugged indifferently. "I rarely go to such places. But your brother is no longer a child. In the future, he’ll inevitably have to attend such social gatherings. Doing it occasionally doesn’t mean he’s not behaving properly. Besides, it’s not a big deal. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill…"

He finally seemed to notice the intensity of Xiao Qiao’s gaze and paused, stopping mid-sentence.

Xiao Qiao replied calmly, "It’s fine if you think I’m making a big deal out of it. I don’t care how others behave, and I can’t control them either. But my own brother is still underage, and I don’t like him frequenting such places. If something like this happens again, I hope my husband won’t interfere."

When she said "others" and "my own brother," she emphasized each word slightly.

Wei Shao looked at her for a while, then suddenly leaned closer to her and said casually, "We’ve been together for some time now, and I’ve always thought you had a gentle temperament. This is the first time I’ve seen you so angry…"

"Has my husband forgotten my childhood name? When parents give a name, there’s always a reason for it."

Xiao Qiao spoke softly, turning her face away from his approach.

"I didn’t know my husband would return tonight, and you didn’t send word ahead of time. I’ve already had dinner. Have you eaten? If not, I’ll have something prepared for you."

"Go ahead and prepare it. I haven’t eaten yet."

Wei Shao seemed to lose interest, standing up straight and resuming his expressionless demeanor.

Xiao Qiao walked past him, opened the door, and gave the necessary instructions.

…

Wei Shao bathed first and changed into fresh clothes. By the time he came out, the meal was ready.

He must have been truly hungry, as he devoured three large bowls of rice in one go.

Xiao Qiao sat beside him, attending to him. When he finished eating and put down his chopsticks, she handed him a cup of warm water to rinse his mouth. As she did so, she felt a sudden cramp in her lower abdomen, and her shoulders twitched slightly, causing her arm to hesitate mid-air.

Wei Shao took the cup and seemed to notice her slight discomfort, glancing at her.

Xiao Qiao quickly recovered. After he rinsed his mouth and put the cup down, she stood up and walked out. Only then did she lean on the dining table with both hands, slowly pushing herself up.

Ever since she had arrived here and become Xiao Qiao a few years ago, she had discovered that this body would feel weak in the waist and knees during her menstrual cycle. Not only that, but the first couple of days would also bring abdominal pain. The worst time, the pain had been so severe that her lower abdomen felt like it was cramping, her face turned pale, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She couldn’t even straighten her back, and it was utterly torturous. Back at home, she had taken various medicines to regulate her qi and blood, but they hadn’t been very effective. It was only in the past six months or so that the pain had somewhat lessened, but every time her period came, her body still didn’t feel quite right.In recent days, the frequency of intimate encounters between Xiao Qiao and Wei Shao had increased significantly. Once it started, given his relentless energy in bed, even if she wanted to stop, it was impossible.

Initially, Xiao Qiao was slightly worried, fearing that she might already be pregnant.

It wasn't that she refused to have children. But from any perspective, getting pregnant and having a child immediately didn't seem like a good idea. Not to mention other factors, just from a physiological standpoint, her body wasn't fully developed yet and wasn't suitable for bearing a child.

One of the reasons women in ancient times didn't live long was because they had children too early. Even if the child was born, it would be difficult to raise.

She worried for several days until yesterday when her menstrual cycle finally arrived, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Earlier, the posture that was called sitting but was actually more like kneeling, and required her to keep her back straight while serving others, was usually manageable, but today she felt a bit tired.

Chun Niang knew that Xiao Qiao had her period and had just gone out, so she must be feeling weak. She waited outside and, seeing that Wei Shao had left, hurried in. She saw Xiao Qiao trying to get up while holding onto the dining table and quickly went to help her stand.

"Are you alright, Madam?"

She glanced at Xiao Qiao's complexion.

Xiao Qiao nodded, "I'm fine."

"Madam, go back to your room and rest early," Chun Niang accompanied Xiao Qiao back to her room.

Wei Shao briefly mentioned that he had some business at the yamen and would return later.

After saying this, he glanced at Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao didn't say anything, just saw him off at the door.

……

Xiao Qiao waited until the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), but Wei Shao still hadn't returned. Feeling a dull ache in her lower back, she tidied up and lay down on the bed in her clothes.

The room was very quiet. She indeed felt quite tired today. As she closed her eyes and her consciousness began to blur, Chun Niang quietly pushed the door open and woke Xiao Qiao, saying, "Someone from the east wing just came by, saying that Madam Zhu is suffering from severe chest pain and asked if the Lord has returned. I told them he hasn't."

Chun Niang frowned as she spoke, her expression somewhat displeased.

Xiao Qiao rubbed her eyes, slowly sat up, and after a moment of daze, put on her shoes and got out of bed, asking Chun Niang to help her change clothes.

Zhu Shi was her mother-in-law, and she had sent someone to call for her son. Since her son wasn't here, as the daughter-in-law, even if she had a broken leg, she would have to hobble over.

Seeing that Xiao Qiao's expression was calm and showed no resentment, Chun Niang muttered a couple of words to herself, then helplessly fetched clothes to help her change.

Before going to the east wing, Xiao Qiao sent someone to the yamen to look for Wei Shao, then went to Zhu Shi's room in the east wing.

Zhu Shi didn't seem to be pretending to be sick. Her hair was disheveled, and she lay there clutching her chest, moaning with her eyes closed. Her face did look a bit pale. Beside her was Jiang Nao, who glanced sideways and saw Xiao Qiao coming, then whispered something into Zhu Shi's ear.

Xiao Qiao knelt down and said, "My husband returned in the evening, had dinner, and went out again. He hasn't come back yet. I came late and feel uneasy. How is Madam feeling?"

Zhu Shi didn't respond, so Xiao Qiao remained kneeling. After a long while, she finally heard Zhu Shi say coldly, "You are so precious, how could I trouble you to serve me."

Xiao Qiao replied, "Madam, you are too kind. Since you are unwell, as a junior, I will do my best to serve you, as long as you don't find me clumsy."

Zhu Shi asked, "Where is my son? Where has he gone?"Xiao Qiao said, "My Lord did not inform me of his whereabouts before he left. He must have gone to the yamen. Just now, when I heard that my mother-in-law was feeling unwell and called for him, I sent someone to notify him at the yamen. The yamen is not far from home, so I believe he will return soon."

Zhu Shi stared at Xiao Qiao, who was kneeling on the ground. After a while, she snorted, "You may leave. I don't need your service here."

Xiao Qiao then performed a farewell bow to her, got up from the ground, and retreated.

She returned to her room, but sleep eluded her. She leaned against the headboard, lost in thought. About half an hour later, Chun Niang came in and said that the Lord had been called back and had just gone to the east wing.

Xiao Qiao no longer felt like sleeping. She sat and waited for a short while, about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, when she heard footsteps outside. Wei Shao had returned.

Xiao Qiao supported herself on the headboard, got down from the bed, and went to greet him as usual.

Wei Shao seemed like he wasn't planning to go out again. He untied his belt and casually tossed it onto the nearby clothes rack, then looked at Xiao Qiao and asked, "Did my mother give you a hard time just now?"

Xiao Qiao approached him, took the outer garment he had removed, and looked up at his chest, saying, "No, she didn't. Just now, when you weren't here, my mother-in-law sent someone to call for you, saying she had chest pain. Since you weren't here, I went instead. She didn't ask me to serve her; I just stood there for a while and then came back."

Her response to Zhu Shi earlier, though seemingly simple, had been carefully considered. Knowing that Zhu Shi disliked her son being close to her, Xiao Qiao said that Wei Shao hadn't told her where he was going before he left, only guessing that he had gone to the yamen. She also mentioned that she had already sent someone to call him back, so he would return soon.

Given Zhu Shi's mindset, she would certainly not want her son to see his wife "serving filial piety" in front of her when he returned to visit. As Xiao Qiao had anticipated, Zhu Shi quickly let her go.

"How is my mother-in-law?" Xiao Qiao asked after finishing her explanation.

"It's her old ailment. She just went to sleep," Wei Shao replied briefly, his eyes lingering on her face.

Xiao Qiao nodded, avoiding his gaze. She took the clothes and turned to leave, but her shoulders slightly sank as she stopped. She felt his hand rest on her shoulder, and he took a step closer. The distance between them instantly narrowed.

"My mother..." he hesitated, "has become even more difficult to deal with than before. If I'm not at home and she gives you a hard time, please bear with it."

Xiao Qiao raised her eyes, glanced at him, and smiled, "Don't worry, my Lord. I understand."

By the end of the Hai hour, the day finally came to a close. Xiao Qiao turned off the lamp and lay down, curling up into a ball. Not long after, Wei Shao indeed moved closer to her again, and his hand slipped into her clothes.

Xiao Qiao closed her eyes and said, "Don't touch me today. I'm not clean."

...

Qiao Ci was suddenly called away by Xiao Qiao, and Wei Yan no longer felt like staying. He watched the carriage disappear into the night, then turned and went inside. He bid farewell to the others at the table, saying he had other matters to attend to and would leave first. He invited everyone to enjoy themselves and said that tonight's gathering was on him. After that, he returned home.

The carriage carrying Xiao Qiao had long since departed. By now, it must have already taken her home.

Wei Yan held a wine jug in his hand, leaning against the railing as the night breeze blew. The image of her face appearing in the carriage and speaking to him kept replaying in his mind.The row of bright lanterns in front of the Luo Zhongfang gate illuminated her face in the window. Only half of her profile was visible, her expression tinged with annoyance, her brows slightly furrowed. Yet, it was precisely this expression that made him feel increasingly unable to restrain himself.

Even now, with his eyes closed, he couldn't stop recalling it.

When she faced him, apart from the initial aversion, every subsequent encounter was marked only by coldness and politeness.

This was the first time Wei Yan had seen her reveal her true temperament in front of him.

Even her annoyance was something he savored, as if it were an unexpected delight.

...

She was his sister-in-law, and Wei Yan remembered that well. His grandmother had treated him with immense kindness, and Wei Shao had grown up alongside him.

Wei Yan was, in fact, a man of great pride. His talents were indeed extraordinary.

He was older than Wei Shao. When Wei Shao was still a child, Wei Yan, already a young man, had been galloping behind Wei Jing.

But he had always known that his mission was to assist the heir of the Wei family in achieving greatness. He had never doubted this.

Until one day, three years ago, a Xiongnu man found him, and he finally learned the truth of his origins. His biological father was not, as his grandmother had told him, a brave warrior who had married into the Wei family and died young.

His father was the younger brother of the current Xiongnu Chanyu, the Rizhu King Wu Zhuqu. In his veins flowed not only the blood of the Wei family but also that of the Xiongnu. And the Rizhu King now longed for him to return.

This realization had once caused him immense distress and pain. The Xiongnu, whom he had opposed and hated to the core for years, turned out to be his own people. And the grandmother he had always revered had concealed his true heritage!

After a period of anguish, Wei Yan gradually found peace.

He had no intention of acknowledging his Xiongnu father.

But it was from that time onward that he began to feel the injustice of fate.

Occasionally, he entertained the thought that merely because of his different origins, his younger brother Wei Shao was destined to be the head of the Wei family, while he could only exist as a helper by Wei Shao's side, even though his abilities were no less than his brother's.

But he always managed to suppress such inappropriate thoughts.

Until now, when he encountered this woman, Qiao.

He had been raised with Confucian teachings. His grandmother had not abandoned him and had raised him with great care, and Wei Shao was his brother, with whom he had shared many years.

How could a woman compare to the bond of brotherhood?

Yet, Wei Yan couldn't control his thoughts of her.

He felt ashamed of this, but at the same time, deep within, the love for this unattainable woman gave him a sense of pleasure that he couldn't suppress.

The night was deep. Perhaps it was the wine he had been drinking that was to blame, but Wei Yan felt as if his love for her had seeped into his very bones. Finally, unable to resist, he discarded the wine jug, hurried back to his room, dismissed the concubine who had been waiting for him, ground the ink, dipped the brush, and began to paint on the wall by his bed.Beads of sweat gradually formed on his forehead, his body heating up as the tip of his brush danced like a nimble serpent across the wall. In one fluid motion, the figure of a woman adorned with hairpins emerged on the wall. She seemed to be walking against the wind, her sleeves fluttering gracefully, as if she had heard someone calling from behind. With a charming smile, she glanced back, her expression delicate and utterly captivating.

Wei Yan finished the painting and tossed the brush aside, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the wall. His face flushed crimson, his breathing rapid, as if he were intoxicated.

Suddenly, he lifted the hem of his robe, his breathing growing heavier. The shadow cast by the candlelight behind him on the painted wall seemed to tremble slightly. Moments later, with a long exhale that sounded like a release of pent-up tension, everything fell silent.

“From now on, no one is allowed to enter this room! If I find out anyone has trespassed, they will be shown no mercy.”

After a moment, Wei Yan stepped outside and addressed his concubines.

His expression was calm, but the severity in his voice was unmistakable.

Though it was a summer night, the concubines felt a bone-chilling coldness and hurriedly lowered their heads in acknowledgment.