The Prisoner of Beauty

Wei Shao had already left, and Wei Yan lay on the ground in the wilderness like a dying man.

Just moments ago, he had used all his strength to strike down Wei Shao. Wei Shao had done the same. Neither had held back.

Even now, blood was still slowly trickling from his nose. Yet he remained motionless, allowing the warm stream of blood to flow down his face and gradually seep into the dry earth beneath his head.

It had been over half a month since the last rain, and the soil in the wilderness was parched.

Wei Yan's breath was filled with a nauseating mix of blood and the earthy scent of the soil. But this smell brought him a strange sense of relief, as if it were a form of release.

He didn't know how long he had been lying there when, suddenly, a group of seven or eight figures dressed in ordinary Han attire appeared in the distance, rushing toward him. As they drew near, the leader hurried to Wei Yan's side, helped him up, and began to stop the bleeding.

Wei Yan pushed the man away and struggled to his feet, staggering forward like a drunkard.

"Young Master!"

Huyan Lie knelt behind him. The seven or eight Xiongnu warriors who had come with him also knelt down, calling out in unison.

Wei Yan seemed not to hear them and continued to stagger forward.

Huyan Lie rose from the ground and chased after him.

"Young Master! Wei Shao has already become your enemy! Can you truly bear to be controlled by him for the rest of your life? Do you not care at all about the blood ties between father and son?"

Wei Yan slowly came to a halt.

The night wind rustled through the wilderness, and under the dim moonlight, his silhouette seemed to solidify into a statue. Suddenly, he turned around and let out a roar, like an enraged lion, and swung his fist at Huyan Lie.

Huyan Lie was knocked to the ground by the punch. He got up again and said, "Young Master, your bloodline is noble. You are like a pearl in a clam, and sooner or later, the world will know of your worth..."

Wei Yan struck Huyan Lie's chest with another heavy blow.

Huyan Lie fell again, blood spilling from his mouth. Groaning, he struggled to his feet for the third time and said, "Once you return, Young Master, your achievements and glory will be within reach..."

Wei Yan's eyes were bloodshot, his expression ferocious. He suddenly drew Huyan Lie's waist sword and swung it down toward his head.

Huyan Lie showed no fear: "That day by the Sanggan River, when I fell into Wei Shao's hands, if it weren't for your mercy and rescue, I would have been buried in the river sands. How could I be standing here today? The Huyan family is sworn to the King of the Day, and if you kill me, Young Master, I am willing to die!"

"Young Master!"

The row of Xiongnu warriors surrounded Wei Yan and knelt down in unison.

The blade stopped just above Huyan Lie's head. The moonlight reflected off the engraved wolf-head pattern on the blade, casting a cold, watery light.

Wei Yan's breathing was rapid, his eyes wild with the reflection of the blade. His shoulders trembled slightly, and his throat made a gurgling sound. Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Young Master—"

Huyan Lie was shocked and hurried forward to support him. At that moment, his body froze. He saw a figure standing dozens of steps away. Tall and imposing. The moonlight cast his shadow on the ground, and he stood motionless, having arrived without anyone noticing.

The man suddenly took a step forward and strode over. As he drew closer, the moonlight revealed a face that Huyan Lie could have sketched with his eyes closed.

"Wei Shao!"He let out a startled cry, and the Xiongnu warriors on the ground immediately stood up, drew their swords, and formed a line in front, ready to strike.

Wei Shao stopped about seven or eight steps away and turned his gaze toward Wei Yan.

Wei Yan slowly straightened up and looked back at Wei Shao through the row of Xiongnu warriors shielding him.

Their eyes met.

The wild grass beneath their feet was flattened by the wind. In their ears, they could hear Huyan Lie's heavy breathing, tense with anxiety. The distant surroundings were silent, save for the mournful howl of the night wind sweeping over the mountains.

After a long pause, Wei Shao spoke, "When did you start associating with the Xiongnu?"

His voice carried no trace of anger. It was calm, as if he were merely inquiring about an ordinary matter.

Wei Yan tilted his head back, facing the deep blue night sky, and took a long breath of the chilly autumn air outside Yuyang City. He closed his eyes.

"I will go see Grandmother and give her an explanation."

He suddenly threw down the saber at his waist, opened his eyes, his expression now calm, and strode away.

"Young Master!"

Huyan Lie called out to Wei Yan's retreating figure, but he did not turn back. Huyan Lie then looked at Wei Shao, his eyes wary, and slowly retreated. After stepping back more than a dozen paces, he led the Xiongnu warriors away swiftly, their figures disappearing into the vast wilderness of the night.

Wei Shao slowly turned his head, staring at Wei Yan's retreating back. Suddenly, he sprinted forward, grabbing the collar of Wei Yan's robe from behind.

"What explanation are you going to give? That you've been secretly colluding with the Xiongnu? Are you trying to drive Grandmother to her grave?"

Wei Shao spoke through gritted teeth.

Wei Yan's body stiffened for a moment, then he slowly turned his head.

"Even if you can overlook my offense, I cannot face myself. Grandmother is wise and benevolent. Let her decide everything."

His expression was as bleak as the crescent moon in the night sky.

Wei Shao's face turned ashen, his teeth grinding audibly. He clenched his bandaged hand into a fist and struck Wei Yan heavily, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"Unless I die, you will not go before Grandmother and spout nonsense! I will not tolerate any disloyalty from you!"

Wei Shao declared.

……

Wei Shao had once again not returned.

In the middle of the night, Xiao Qiao, unable to wait for him, quietly sent someone to check the east wing. The person returned, saying there was nothing unusual—the lights in the east wing were out, and it was impossible for the Lord to still be there at this hour.

Xiao Qiao tossed and turned alone in bed, unable to figure out what had happened after Wei Shao escorted Zhu Shi back to the east wing, causing him to stay out all night.

She felt uneasy. The next morning, she rose early and sent someone to the government office. The person returned, saying Wei Shao had not been there the previous night.

Today was the day Qiao Ci and the others were to depart for Yan Province. With Wei Shao still missing and his whereabouts unknown, Xiao Qiao had no choice but to prepare herself. She called Qiao Ci over and led him to the north wing to bid farewell to Madam Xu.

When she entered with Qiao Ci, she had hoped that Madam Xu might know where Wei Shao had gone the previous night.

But Madam Xu was also unaware of his whereabouts. Not seeing Wei Shao accompany them, she asked Xiao Qiao. Xiao Qiao recounted how Zhu Shi had come to their room the previous night, how Wei Shao had escorted her back to the east wing, and then had not returned.

Madam Xu asked, "Did you check the government office this morning?"

"I sent someone. They said my husband wasn't there. He hadn't been there last night either."Madam Xu pondered for a moment, then turned to Qiao Ci with a gentle smile. "Today you return to Yanzhou, and your brother-in-law should have seen you off. It seems something unexpected happened last night, as he has not yet returned. Please wait a little longer, and I will send someone to look for him."

Qiao Ci quickly replied, "Brother-in-law must have been caught up in urgent matters, which is why he hasn't returned. I am deeply grateful for the kindness of Elder Madam, my brother-in-law, and my cousin during my stay here. Last night, I was also fortunate to have a farewell gathering with General Li and others. If brother-in-law is occupied this morning, there is no need for him to see me off specially."

Madam Xu asked Xiao Qiao to keep Qiao Ci company for a while longer. After Xiao Qiao took Qiao Ci away, she sent people to inquire with Zhu Shi and Gongsun Yang.

Zhu Shi soon arrived at the north room and said that last night she heard her son had returned with bruises on his face. Concerned, she went to check on him, and he escorted her back to the east room before leaving again. She didn't know what had happened afterward, causing him to stay out all night.

As she spoke, she avoided Madam Xu's gaze, keeping her head lowered.

Madam Xu observed her for a moment before letting her go.

The person sent to inquire with Gongsun Yang also returned, saying that after Lord Wei left the banquet last evening, he had not seen him again. There were no urgent or unexpected reports at the yamen either.

While Madam Xu was deep in thought, a servant suddenly entered, her face beaming with joy, and announced that the Lord had just returned and was on his way to see Elder Madam.

Madam Xu breathed a sigh of relief. Moments later, familiar footsteps approached, and a figure entered the room—it was Wei Shao, who immediately bowed to Madam Xu.

Madam Xu quickly urged him to rise. Upon closer inspection, as Zhu Shi had mentioned, there were indeed marks of injury on his face, and she couldn't help but ask about them.

Wei Shao remained composed and smiled. "Last night, I drank too much and accidentally fell off my horse, scraping my face. But it's just a minor injury, Elder Madam, please don't worry."

Madam Xu was still suspicious but, seeing that he wasn't telling the truth, decided not to press further. She then asked where he had been last night.

Wei Shao replied, "Yesterday was busy with many guests during the day. I remembered there was unfinished business at the yamen and wanted to take care of it. On the way, I ran into an old friend who insisted on inviting me for a drink. I couldn't refuse, so I had a few cups and ended up drunk all night, only returning this morning. I've caused Elder Madam to worry, which is unfilial of me."

Madam Xu looked at him and nodded. "Your brother-in-law is leaving today. You should see him off. You didn't welcome him when he arrived, so you must at least send him off."

Wei Shao agreed and stood up to leave. As Madam Xu watched his retreating figure, she suddenly said, "Your cousin hasn't been seen since yesterday. I heard he also didn't return last night. He usually gets along well with young Master Qiao. Why isn't he here to see him off today? Do you know where he went?"

Wei Shao hesitated for a moment, then stopped and turned around with a smile. "Last night, drinking really caused trouble. Not only did I injure my face, but I also forgot to inform Elder Madam about this. My cousin left for Daijun last night. He was afraid of disturbing your rest, so he didn't come to say goodbye and asked me to apologize on his behalf."

Madam Xu asked with concern, "What happened in Daijun? Is it serious?"

"Elder Madam, don't worry, it's nothing major. It just requires his personal attention," Wei Shao quickly assured her.

Madam Xu pondered for a moment, then smiled. "It's about time. You should go now."

Wei Shao respectfully acknowledged and then turned to leave quickly.

……Xiao Qiao waited and waited, but Wei Shao did not return. Seeing that it was getting late, although she felt regretful, she didn’t want to keep Qiao Ci and his party waiting any longer. She prepared herself and was about to set off. Just before leaving, she suddenly learned that Wei Shao had returned. Sure enough, within moments, she saw his figure hurriedly appear, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly welcomed him into the room and helped him change into his traveling clothes.

As Xiao Qiao helped him dress, she noticed that he stood there in silence, his expression cold, as if he had retreated into his own private world. This was a stark contrast to the affectionate and tender moments they had shared before he left the previous night.

Having experienced this before, she initially didn’t disturb him. It wasn’t until she was helping him fasten his belt that she softly asked, “What happened last night, my lord? You left and didn’t return all night. I was worried the entire time.”

After asking, she raised her bright eyes to look at him. It seemed as though Wei Shao’s spirit had finally returned to his body, and he came back to himself. He let out an “oh,” then lowered his head to meet her gaze. After a pause, he said, “Nothing major.” His tone remained quite cold.

Seeing his demeanor, Xiao Qiao knew he didn’t want to talk about it. She didn’t press further. After helping him finish dressing, she followed him out the door. As they reached the entrance, Wei Shao suddenly stopped, turned around, and extended his arms toward her. He hugged her briefly before letting go, speaking in a slightly apologetic tone, “I worried you last night. I’ll see your brother off out of the city now.”

Xiao Qiao smiled gently and said, “Thank you, my lord. I appreciate your effort.”