The Prisoner of Beauty

The three of them exited the north room. Xiao Qiao lagged slightly behind, while Wei Shao walked side by side with his mother, Zhu Shi, ahead. When they reached the three-way intersection, Wei Shao paused briefly, and Xiao Qiao caught up.

"Go back to your room. I’ll escort my mother back," he said without even looking at Xiao Qiao, then turned onto the path leading to the east wing.

Xiao Qiao stood at the crossroads, silently watching his retreating figure as he accompanied his mother. She then turned and made her way back to the west wing.

"How could his house have burned down for no reason?" Zhu Shi began to complain as they walked. "That cousin of yours—I feel uneasy just seeing him! Now that he’s moved back, who knows how long he’ll stay!"

Wei Shao’s gaze remained fixed ahead, his expression indifferent, offering no response.

Seeing her son seemingly distracted, Zhu Shi glanced back. The maids following them were some distance away. Gritting her teeth, she continued, "It’s not that I can’t tolerate him. But ever since he was a child, I’ve felt a chill in my heart whenever I saw his eyes. He’s here to compete with you for the Wei family’s legacy! I’ve always been worried about your closeness to him, but I never said anything. Now I’ll just remind you—you can never be too cautious. If something happens one day, it’ll be too late to regret it!"

Wei Shao glanced at Zhu Shi but still said nothing. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the east wing. He stopped and said, "I’ll leave you here, Mother. I have urgent matters to attend to outside."

"Wait!" Zhu Shi, seeing that her son seemed not to have taken her words to heart, felt both unwilling and genuinely anxious.

She harbored a secret from nearly thirty years ago, when she had just married into the Wei family. This secret, perhaps now known only to her and Madam Xu, had been buried for decades.

Given her temperament, keeping it hidden had been a struggle. Every time she wanted to reveal it to her son, the thought of Madam Xu’s cold, single-eyed gaze would send a chill through her, and she would swallow the words on the tip of her tongue.

Wei Shao stopped and turned to look at Zhu Shi.

She opened her mouth but ultimately swallowed her words again, forcing a smile. "It’s nothing. Go ahead. Don’t overwork yourself, and come back early. If you want to eat something I’ve made but don’t want to come here, just send someone to let me know. I’ll have it delivered to the west wing."

Wei Shao paused, then nodded. "Thank you for your concern, Mother. Please go inside."

Zhu Shi acknowledged him and was ushered in by the maids who had caught up.

...

Wei Shao left the Wei residence and went straight to the government office. Gongsun Yang, Li Dian, and Wei Liang were already waiting for him.

A few days ago, they had received news that Yuan Zhe of Qingzhou had sent an envoy, who was expected to arrive today. Though they had not yet met, it was inferred that the visit was related to Xing Xun’s current battle at Sishui. After discussing, it was decided that Wei Liang would go out of the city to welcome them. By noon, Yuan Zhe’s younger brother, Yuan Dai, and his entourage had entered the city.

Wei Shao hosted a banquet at the government office to welcome them.

Among the warlords of the realm, if divided by region, there were three who stood out for their formidable armies and illustrious reputations: Wei Shao of Northern Wei, Le Zheng Gong of Hanzhong, and Yuan Zhe of Shandong in the central plains.

To speak treasonously, in the current struggle for supremacy, if there were no unexpected twists, the ones with the strength to kill Xing Xun, overthrow the warlords, and seize the imperial jade seal were likely among these few.

The rest were merely supporting players in this grand drama.Yuan Zhe, having managed his family's affairs for generations, had long harbored ambitions to dominate the realm. When Xing Xun replaced the young emperor several months ago, Yuan felt the time was ripe and could no longer restrain himself. He rallied forces including Liu Kai from Guangping to march on Luoyang, intending to swiftly conquer the city, kill Xing Xun, and take his place.

However, Xing Xun, who had risen to the status of "Father of the Nation," was no pushover. With substantial strength already at his disposal, the two sides clashed near the Si River, with victories and losses on both sides. Now, they faced each other across the river, temporarily halting military actions and instead engaging in a war of words, with proclamations flying everywhere.

Xing Xun, in the name of the Han Emperor, denounced Yuan Zhe for openly raising troops in rebellion and called on the world to join in overthrowing him. Yuan Zhe, in turn, accused Xing Xun of manipulating the emperor to command the lords, with intentions to usurp the throne, and called on the lords to join him in defending the emperor. The two hurled insults at each other with great enthusiasm. Amidst this, Yuan Zhe thought of Wei Shao and sent his brother Yuan Dai to Yuyang, speaking in a condescending tone, "Your father, Wei Jing, once received kindness from me, your elder uncle. Now that your father is gone, it's up to you, his son, to repay this favor. I am currently fighting Xing Xun, and you must join me."

Years ago, when Yuan Zhe and Wei Jing both served as Commandants in Luoyang, Wei Jing once led a few men out of the capital. Passing through Zhongmu, they encountered a band of several dozen bandits. Coincidentally, Yuan Zhe was passing by, and the two joined forces to kill the bandits.

Although this incident was true, Yuan Zhe's condescending attitude and Yuan Dai's arrogance seemed aimed at establishing authority over Wei Shao, the young and newly risen northern overlord. Across the room, Wei Liang angrily stood up, kicking over the wine table in front of him with a crash, spilling food and drink onto the floor. He strode up to Yuan Dai, drew his sword, and pointed it at his nose, shouting, "The kindness from Zhongmu was already repaid many times over by our late lord! Our lord, despite being ill, personally hosted this banquet to welcome you, remembering the old ties between our families. How dare you speak so arrogantly in front of our lord!"

Behind Yuan Dai stood Ding Qu, Yuan Zhe's adopted son, known for his ferocity. Seeing this, he quickly drew his sword and shouted, "Ding Qu is here! Who dares to be disrespectful?"

Wei Liang sneered and whistled. Dozens of armed guards rushed in from the door, quickly surrounding Yuan Dai and Ding Qu, their blades gleaming and their aura menacing.

After the upheaval in the Wei family a decade ago, Yuan Zhe had assumed the Wei family would never recover and had not taken them seriously. When he heard that Wei Shao had taken command of the army at just seventeen, he had scoffed. However, within a few years, Wei Shao's power had grown significantly. He first annexed Ji Province and recently defeated Chen Xiang to take Bing Province, effectively unifying the north and gaining a reputation that threatened to surpass Yuan Zhe's own. Yuan Zhe began to panic, regretting not having eliminated Wei Shao when he was still vulnerable. This was one of the reasons he was now eager to overthrow Xing Xun and take his place. With his plans thwarted, he devised this strategy to pressure Wei Shao by invoking past favors.

If Wei Shao complied and joined the fight, other lords would naturally follow suit, legitimizing Yuan Zhe as the alliance leader. If Wei Shao refused, the Wei family would be seen as allies of Xing Xun and as ungrateful. Hence, he sent Yuan Dai.

Yuan Dai had intended to assert his seniority and intimidate the young upstart, but he hadn't expected Wei Liang to turn hostile right at the start of the banquet.This was Wei Shao's territory. If he truly intended to kill, even ten Ding Qu could not protect him. Yuan Dai couldn't help but tremble with fear, filled with regret, and he glanced at Wei Shao. Seeing him seated facing south, as if detached from the situation, Yuan Dai hurriedly said, "Lord, please be discerning! I came here under my brother's orders to foster friendly relations, and I merely conveyed my brother's words. If the Marquis of Yan has any objections, I can relay them back. Even in times of war, envoys are not harmed. What is the meaning of this, General, to confront me with such anger and a sword?"

Wei Shao's expression remained dark and unmoving.

There were at least twenty to thirty people in the hall, yet it was eerily silent. Sweat slowly rolled down Yuan Dai's forehead, but he dared not even lift his sleeve to wipe it, fearing that any movement might bring about his death.

After a moment, Wei Shao waved his hand. Only then did Wei Liang sheathe his sword. Amid the clinking of armor, the soldiers withdrew. Someone bent over and quickly replaced the broken table in front of Wei Liang that had been kicked over earlier. The others resumed their conversations and laughter, as if nothing had happened.

Yuan Dai's heart was still pounding. He stole a glance at Wei Shao, who remained as calm as still water in the center, and slowly exhaled, not daring to show even a hint of arrogance.

Gongsun Yang then leisurely said, "Envoy Yuan, you may not be aware, but my lord, though seemingly with many soldiers and generals, actually has empty barracks in Jizhou and Bingzhou. We are already stretched thin and in dire straits. We had even considered borrowing troops from Duke Yuan, but found it difficult to bring up the matter. Now that you, Envoy, have come from afar and broached the subject first, and given the longstanding friendship between our families, my lord cannot shirk the responsibility of assistance. Once we have gathered our forces, we will surely send troops to aid as soon as possible."

Yuan Dai no longer dared to show any displeasure and nodded repeatedly in gratitude.

Gongsun Yang smiled and said, "Envoy, your timing is fortuitous. In two days, it will be the Deer and Horse Conference in Youzhou. If you have the time, you may also attend and observe."

……

Yuan Dai and his entourage were escorted to the guesthouse to rest. In the evening, Wei Shao returned to the Wei residence. Upon entering, he learned that Wei Yan had returned from Daijun that afternoon and had been asked by Madam Xu to stay.

Wei Shao said nothing and went straight to the west wing. In the courtyard, there were only two or three maidservants. Seeing him return, they all bowed. Wei Shao headed to the main room, ascended the steps to the door, hesitated for a moment, and then pushed the door open. However, Xiao Qiao was not inside. He turned and asked, and one of the maidservants replied, "The cat ran off earlier, and the lady was afraid it might get lost, so she went to look for it herself. Chun'ao and the others also went, leaving us to watch the house."

Wei Shao frowned. He stood at the foot of the steps, hesitated for a moment, and then strode out. He walked along the path and, at a corner leading to the north wing's gate, saw a faintly pink, slender figure by the wall of the courtyard, next to the crabapple branches. It was Xiao Qiao. Beside her stood several maidservants and attendants, all looking up at the top of the wall.

The cat was perched high on the wall, and it was unclear how it had gotten up there. Now, it seemed unable to come down.

The maidservants chattered, some suggesting using a bamboo pole to reach it, others proposing to climb up with a ladder to retrieve it.

Wei Shao was about to approach when his footsteps suddenly halted.

He saw Wei Yan emerging from the north wing, heading toward the wall.One of the maids beside Xiao Qiao spotted him first and ran up to him, pointing at the cat crouching on the flower wall and saying a few words. Wei Yan glanced at Xiao Qiao and immediately strode over. Upon reaching the base of the flower wall, he looked up at the top, took a few steps back, then sprinted forward, using the momentum to scale the wall like a gecko. In one swift move, he climbed the high wall, grabbed the cat, and leaped down, landing steadily with agile grace. The maids and servants cheered.

Wei Yan wore a faint smile, glanced at Xiao Qiao, paused for a moment, and then walked toward her with the cat in his arms.

Xiao Qiao hurried to meet him. As Wei Yan extended his hand to pass her the cat, the feline, perhaps startled earlier, suddenly lashed out with its claws. Caught off guard, Wei Yan’s hand was scratched, leaving several long bloody marks. The cat then leaped from his arms and landed on the ground. The nearby maids and servants, fearing it might run away again, quickly swarmed after it.

Though the cat was still young, its claws were exceptionally sharp. A few days ago, seeing how docile it was, Xiao Qiao hadn’t thought to trim its claws. She hadn’t expected it to injure Wei Yan. Watching as a few drops of blood quickly seeped from the scratches on his hand, she felt guilty and hurriedly thanked him, also offering an apology.

“How is it? Should we call someone to bandage it?” she asked.

Wei Yan smiled gently. “It’s nothing, just a small scratch. No need to make a fuss.” He shook his hand lightly.

Xiao Qiao apologized again.

At that moment, Wei Shao suddenly appeared from behind, striding over in their direction.

Xiao Qiao noticed Wei Shao as well. When he stopped beside her, his gaze fell on Wei Yan’s injured hand. She quickly recounted how Wei Yan had climbed the wall to catch the cat for her and added apologetically, “It’s all my fault. I didn’t keep an eye on the cat, and now it’s hurt you.”

Wei Shao smiled faintly, looking at Wei Yan. Their eyes met briefly before he spoke in a warm tone, “Thank you, Elder Brother. I caught this cat for Manman to keep her company. I didn’t expect it to scratch you. On behalf of Manman, I’ll also offer my apologies.”

Wei Yan’s mood suddenly became unsettled.

If, just moments ago, he had felt a faint joy at the rare and precious opportunity to speak closely with Xiao Qiao and even receive her gratitude, now, with the appearance of his younger brother, meeting his gaze and hearing him use such an intimate tone to apologize on behalf of his wife, that subtle sense of joy quickly faded from his heart. It twisted into a tangled mess of slight bitterness and melancholy.

His emotions were in disarray.

It was a keen intuition, impossible to put into words, but at this moment, he felt it acutely.

His younger brother, Wei Shao, was different from usual.

In Wei Yan’s mind, the events of the day when he returned to find his house burned down suddenly flashed by.

At the time, when he saw the charred ruins and the wall that had hidden his deepest, most unspeakable secret collapsed in the fire, his first feeling had actually been relief.

It was as if a festering wound that could have been fatal had been excised from his body—a wound he couldn’t remove himself. Now, it had been cut away by someone else.He was even grateful for the fire that had come so suddenly, leaving him unprepared.

But at this moment, he suddenly felt that the fire had been somewhat suspicious.

Wei Yan's heartbeat quickened abruptly. A layer of cold sweat rapidly formed on his palms.

He gazed at Wei Shao, and after a moment, finally smiled and said, "It's a small matter. No need to be so polite, Second Brother."

Wei Shao smiled slightly, nodded to him, then turned to look at Xiao Qiao, speaking softly, "Let's go, it's time for us to return to our room."

Xiao Qiao was stunned.

Wei Shao would call her by her pet name in their room, such as when they were in bed, passionately making love.

But once they were out of bed, she had never heard him use her pet name.

Now, it suddenly and inexplicably came out of his mouth, and it was directed at Wei Yan.

That aside, the swift change in his attitude also left her completely unprepared.

What had happened to make him suddenly transform into a tender lover again?

This version of Wei Shao did not move her; instead, it made her feel an unusual sense of unfamiliarity.

It was even a bit eerie.

Wei Shao shouldn't be like this, not even during the times when their relationship was at its closest.

Xiao Qiao suppressed the discomfort rising in her heart, met his gentle gaze, and smiled at him before following him.

……

Wei Yan stood in place, watching the figures of Wei Shao and her walking side by side, gradually fading into the distance until they disappeared from sight.

Before him, only half a tree of crabapple leaves swayed gently in the wind, emitting a soft rustling sound.

Wei Yan slowly clenched his fist.

The scratches on the back of his hand, left by the cat, suddenly seemed to sting sharply.