The Prisoner of Beauty

Yesterday, at the Luli Assembly, Qiao Ci undoubtedly stole the spotlight. Not only did he valiantly seize the title of Deer Champion, winning hearts with his noble demeanor, but his dashing appearance as a handsome young man in white robes wielding twin halberds on the horseback archery field also spread throughout Yuyang overnight. As the group passed through the streets on their way out of the city, countless women flocked to the streets upon hearing that the younger brother of yesterday's Deer Champion was leaving today, all eager to catch a glimpse of the handsome Qiao Ci. Being watched by so many as they left the city, Qiao Ci's fame even overshadowed that of his brother-in-law, the Lord.

Once outside the city gates, Wei Shao stopped. After Yang Feng, the envoy from Yanzhou, finished expressing his gratitude for the host's attentive hospitality during their stay, Qiao Ci also thanked Wei Shao. However, he could never feel close to his brother-in-law, and sensing that Wei Shao was also somewhat distant toward him, there seemed to be a barrier between them. After expressing his thanks, Qiao Ci fell silent. His thoughts, however, lingered on Wei Yan. He recalled not seeing Wei Yan after the Luli Assembly yesterday and couldn't help but glance toward the city gates a few times.

Wei Shao guessed that Qiao Ci was likely looking for Wei Yan, but he showed no sign of it on his face, merely wishing him a safe journey. Qiao Ci had no choice but to mount his horse and turn around. The group left Yuyang and embarked on the southward journey back to Yanzhou.

...

After Wei Shao left, Madam Xu summoned Zhu Quan to inquire about Wei Yan's whereabouts. Upon hearing that Zhu Quan hadn't seen Wei Yan since yesterday, she asked, "As someone who serves him closely, have you noticed anything unusual about him recently?"

Zhu Quan replied, "Reporting to Elder Madam. I was actually planning to come and report this. The Duke has indeed been acting differently lately."

"How so? Tell me everything, don't leave anything out."

"The Duke has been less intimate with his concubines recently, and I noticed he seemed preoccupied. A few days ago, before leaving for Daijun, he even sent away three women from his household. He also locked the door to his bedroom and strictly forbade anyone from entering."

"Do you know why he's been acting so unusually?"

"I truly don't know," Zhu Quan shook his head. "Coincidentally, a few days later, the house caught fire."

Madam Xu pondered for a moment, "Apart from this, is there anything else unusual? For example, has he been interacting with anyone out of the ordinary?"

"The Duke has been keeping to himself lately. I haven't noticed anything unusual. When he returns at night, he drinks alone."

"Where does he usually go? Have you asked around to see if anyone has seen him?"

Zhu Quan said, "Reporting to Elder Madam, since the Duke didn't return last night, I thought of the place he often visits, the Luozhong Quarter, and went there this morning. I did hear something..."

He hesitated and paused.

"What is it?" Madam Xu's single eye turned toward him.

"I heard from the gatekeeper that last night after dark, the Lord actually went there looking for the Duke. According to the gatekeeper, the Lord seemed to be drunk at the time, barging in directly and even kicking open the door. It seemed there was a conflict between the Lord and the Duke. Afterward, both the Lord and the Duke left separately, and what happened afterward is unknown."

Madam Xu's brow furrowed slightly. Zhu Quan held his breath. After a moment, Madam Xu said, "I understand. You may leave now."

After Zhu Quan withdrew, Madam Xu sat in thought for a while, then sent someone to summon Madam Zhu.Last night, Zhu Shi had impulsively revealed the matter to her son. Although she initially felt relieved, upon further reflection, she became increasingly anxious. She had barely slept all night. Early in the morning, she had already been summoned by Madam Xu for questioning. No sooner had she returned and barely settled down than she was called again. Suspecting that Madam Xu had learned about the previous night's events, she was filled with dread. After much hesitation, she realized there was no avoiding it and reluctantly went over, bowing as she entered, "Mother, you called for me. What is the matter?"

Madam Xu asked, "Last night, when you went to the west room to see Shao Er, how did he explain the wound on his face?"

Hearing this, Madam Zhu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly recounted Wei Shao's words, indignantly adding, "I don’t believe it. The injury on his face clearly looks like it was caused by a beating! I asked him, but he stubbornly denied it, insisting it was from a horse riding accident. I don’t know who had the audacity to harm my son, but if I find out, they won’t get away with it!"

Madam Xu seemed to ignore her outburst and continued, "Later, when Shao Er escorted you back to your room, did you discuss anything else?"

Madam Zhu’s heart skipped a beat. Meeting Madam Xu’s single, piercing eye, she forced herself to remain calm and replied, "No, we didn’t. After he saw me back, he left." Though she spoke these words, her eyes betrayed a hint of guilt, and she quickly averted her gaze, unable to meet Madam Xu’s stare.

The room was silent, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Madam Zhu knew Madam Xu was watching her intently. She held her breath, not daring to exhale. After a long pause, Madam Xu’s cold voice broke the silence, "You were the last person to see Shao Er last night. This morning, I heard from my granddaughter-in-law that he was fine before you called him out. How is it that after escorting you, he disappeared for the entire night? I’ll be frank with you—I already know everything! Did you tell him about Yan Er?"

Madam Zhu’s shoulders trembled slightly. She looked up and saw Madam Xu’s single eye fixed on her, icy and unyielding. She immediately thought of her son returning to the north room this morning. He must have ignored her warning from last night and already told Madam Xu everything. Her heart raced, and panic spread across her face. She stammered, unable to form a coherent response.

Madam Xu had initially only harbored suspicions. When she first summoned Zhu Shi this morning, she noticed her evasive gaze. After decades of living together, she could tell at a glance that Zhu Shi was hiding something. That’s why she had called her back again. Seeing Zhu Shi’s reaction now, her suspicions were confirmed. Furious, she slammed her hand on the table and shouted, "How dare you! You had the audacity to speak nonsense behind my back to Shao Er, sowing discord between brothers!"

Over the decades, Madam Xu had never been particularly fond of Zhu Shi, but she had never lashed out at her like this before. In front of outsiders, she had always given Zhu Shi the respect she was due. Zhu Shi was so frightened that her face turned ashen, and she nearly collapsed to her knees. Tears welled up in her eyes as she prostrated herself on the ground, pleading, "Mother, please calm down. Allow me to explain. I never intended to sow discord between brothers. It’s been nearly thirty years—if I had harbored ill intentions, I wouldn’t have waited until now to speak. Mother, you don’t understand. I’m truly worried. Shao Er is honest and straightforward, never wary of others. If it were any other matter, I wouldn’t be concerned, but Wei Yan’s origins are complicated. Our Wei family has been raising a Xiongnu child for thirty years, and it’s bound to bring trouble sooner or later. If Shao Er remains completely unaware, I fear he will suffer greatly in the future..."With a loud crash, Madam Xu, overwhelmed with rage, overturned the heavy sandalwood table beside her, sending everything on it crashing to the ground. Bowls, jars, and bottles shattered and scattered across the floor. The noise startled Zhong Ao outside the door, who hurried in to find Zhu Shi sprawled on the ground, while Madam Xu stood pale-faced, pointing a trembling finger at Zhu Shi, seemingly unable to catch her breath. Alarmed, Zhong Ao rushed to support Madam Xu, rubbing her chest and back until, after a long moment, Madam Xu let out a deep, throaty sigh and finally regained her breath. In a shaky voice, she commanded, "Get her out of here!"

Zhong Ao glanced at Zhu Shi, who was trembling with fear, and quickly urged her to leave. Zhu Shi, weak and unsteady, managed to crawl to her feet and fled in shame and panic. Zhong Ao and another servant helped Madam Xu to her bed and laid her down. After dismissing the other servant, Zhong Ao stayed by her side. After a while, seeing that Madam Xu's pale complexion had gradually regained some color, Zhong Ao felt slightly relieved. Just as she was about to ask if Madam Xu needed anything to eat or drink, Madam Xu slowly opened her eyes and said, "Prepare the carriage. I need to go out."

Though her voice still carried a hint of fatigue, it was calm and composed, as usual.

Zhong Ao acknowledged the order.

...

Wei Shao had escorted Qiao Ci out of the city and returned after noon, heading straight to Luo Zhong Workshop.

During the day, Luo Zhong Workshop was quiet and deserted. He entered through the back door, walked down a corridor shaded by lush green trees, and stopped at the entrance of a secluded room. Pushing open the slightly ajar door, he stepped inside.

Wei Yan had been there since the previous night. The room had large windows on both sides, allowing the wind to sweep through from north to south. He sat cross-legged on a couch in the middle of the room, his hair unkempt, wearing only a loose white inner robe with the front wide open. His eyes were closed, and a short, messy beard covered his cheeks, making him look utterly disheveled, a far cry from his usual dashing and gallant self. Hearing the door open and Wei Shao's footsteps approaching, he slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Wei Shao standing before him in full formal attire, his tall and imposing figure made even more dignified by the ceremonial robes, Wei Yan stared at him for a moment, then suddenly said, "You already know about my secret dealings with the Xiongnu. Yet you leave me here like this. Aren't you afraid I'll escape?"

Wei Shao walked over and sat down across from him, separated by the table. "If you truly intend to escape like this, then I'll consider myself as having lost a brother of twenty years."

Wei Yan remained silent.

Wei Shao continued, "All I need is your word to sever all ties with the Xiongnu. Then, as things were in the past, so they shall be in the future."

"As things were in the past, so they shall be in the future..."

Wei Yan repeated the words softly, his gaze lingering on Wei Shao's face, lost in thought. Suddenly, a strange expression crossed his face.

"Even the crime of me secretly coveting and dishonoring your wife behind your back—you won't hold that against me anymore?"

He stared at Wei Shao, speaking slowly.

A shadow of darkness quickly flashed in Wei Shao's eyes, but his expression remained calm.

"How can I possibly kill everyone in the world who offends me?"

He replied indifferently.

Wei Yan was taken aback, then suddenly burst into wild laughter, doubling over with mirth. "Second Brother, though I've always acknowledged you as my lord, deep down I never truly respected you. But now, hearing you say this, I realize that the position of the Wei family's head truly belongs to no one but you!"

He laughed uncontrollably, his demeanor wild, tears seemingly welling up in his eyes.

Wei Shao watched him silently. When Wei Yan finally stopped laughing, Wei Shao asked, "So? Have you made up your mind?"Wei Yan's previously wild laughter gradually faded from his face. He turned to gaze at the dappled shadows cast by the trees through the southern window, lost in thought for a moment. Then, he turned back and spoke slowly, "Second Brother, you may disregard my offense toward your wife. You may also overlook the inherently inferior Xiongnu blood that flows within me. But I can only tell you this: I can never return to the past. I can no longer be the elder brother who once believed it was his destiny to assist you. Unless you kill me, I will..."

"Or else what?"

Suddenly, an aged voice rang out from outside the door, which then swung open.

Both Wei Shao and Wei Yan turned to see Madam Xu standing at the doorway, leaning on her cane. They were both momentarily stunned.

Wei Shao quickly regained his composure and rose to greet her, his expression slightly tense.

"Grandmother, how did you come to be here..."

Madam Xu, however, did not look at him. She stepped into the study, passing in front of Wei Shao, her single eye fixed on Wei Yan, who still sat rigidly on the couch. She walked toward him and stopped directly in front of him.

"Or else what?"

Madam Xu struck her cane sharply against the ground and repeated her question, her single eye gleaming with a cold light that was difficult to meet.

Wei Yan finally rose slowly. Then, he suddenly knelt again, performing a deep bow, his forehead touching the ground as he remained prostrate for a long time.

"Your unfilial grandson, Yan, boldly begs for your permission, Grandmother, to let me go."

He spoke each word deliberately.

Wei Shao's face showed anger, the veins at his temples faintly bulging.

Madam Xu stared at Wei Yan, who knelt before her, her expression initially turning furious. The hand gripping her cane trembled slightly.

After a long while, the anger on her face gradually faded.

"Well said," she remarked. "You ask me to grant you your wish. If I grant it, who will grant mine?"

Her voice carried weariness, tinged with a hint of helpless sorrow.

Wei Yan slowly raised his head, meeting Madam Xu's gaze.

"The greatest mistake of my life, Grandson Yan, was you. My mistake was not in raising you, but in how I raised you!"

Wei Yan remained silent.

Madam Xu seemed to fall into reminiscence. After a moment, she continued, "Yan, your mother was my only daughter. I loved her as if she were a pearl in my palm. Yet, she was unfortunately captured and taken by the Xiongnu king. When she returned three years later, she was already carrying you. She passed away shortly after giving birth to you. I knew your father was our enemy. I knew your heritage might become a source of trouble in the future. Still, I chose to keep and raise you. That was not a mistake. If I were to return to the moment your mother gave birth to you, I would make the same decision. You are the only remaining flesh and blood of your mother in this world. No matter who your father was, you are my grandson, and I would never abandon you. My mistake lay in how I raised you!"

She let out a long sigh."The Han and the Xiongnu have long been at odds, constantly engaged in warfare. Countless Han souls have perished under the hooves of the Xiongnu, and just as many Xiongnu herders have been slain by the Han. I have always feared that if you were to learn of your true origins, it would leave you disoriented and filled with doubt. That is why, when you were young, I kept this matter tightly concealed. I thought that when you grew older, I would explain it to you in detail. But as you grew older, I saw you full of vigor and carefree, and I couldn’t bear to burden you with such knowledge. By the time you reached fourteen or fifteen, you were already following your uncle in killing the Xiongnu. At that point, I found it even harder to tell you that you were of the same blood as those whose heads you had severed! Day after day, year after year, I hesitated, hoping for the best, while you grew up, until today!"

"Yan'er! I should not have misled you, letting you believe you were Han. I should have told you earlier that although half of your blood comes from a foreign race, you are forever a member of our Wei family! Everything that has happened today is my fault! Are you leaving now to punish me for my mistakes in raising you?"

Madam Xu, moved by her emotions, shed tears.

Wei Yan’s eyes also glistened with unshed tears.

"Grandmother! You are not to blame for my upbringing; on the contrary, you have shown me great kindness in raising me! I know you acted out of love, which is why you were hesitant to tell me the truth. I am deeply grateful, how could I ever think of punishing you? The fault lies entirely with me! What does it have to do with you, Grandmother?"

Madam Xu said, "If you do not blame me, why must you insist on leaving?"

Wei Yan closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and said, "The fault lies entirely with me, with the inherent evil in my blood and the twisted thoughts in my heart! Grandmother, you never knew that from the moment I understood the world, I wondered why, though I share the Wei surname, am older than my younger brother, and have talents recognized by others, he was destined to be the family head while I could only be a retainer? This thought has haunted me like a snake for over a decade, and though I detest it, I cannot rid myself of it! Before, I could still restrain it. But three years ago, when I learned of my origins from the Xiongnu who found me, this evil thought grew stronger, and I could no longer escape it!"

Madam Xu looked shocked. Wei Shao, standing beside her, also stared fixedly at Wei Yan, his expression stiff.

"I envy my younger brother, and I resent the unfairness of fate! He was born to be the family head, with outstanding talents and a beautiful wife. What do I have?"

Wei Yan’s expression was strange, a mix of a smile and a sneer. "Grandmother, since I was young, you hired scholars from the Luoyang Imperial Academy to teach me diligently. But the only thing I remember is this saying: 'Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.' Grandmother, I have failed you. The evil in my paternal bloodline destined me to never be content with the role of a Wei family retainer! I am no gentleman! My twisted heart has always prevented me from becoming what is called a gentleman! Now that things have come to this, even if you and my younger brother forgive me, I cannot bear to stay. If I force myself to remain, I can never be the Wei Yan I once was! I will suffer torment day and night. Grandmother, I beg you, let me leave, so I may find release."

"Elder Brother!" Wei Shao suddenly shouted, "How dare you speak such nonsense in front of Grandmother!"Wei Yan turned his head, looking at Wei Shao with a bitter smile: "Second brother, I am different from you. You have the demeanor of a great leader. If I were born a villain, I could never walk the path of a noble gentleman."

He then turned to Madam Xu and kowtowed heavily: "I beg you, grandmother, to grant me this wish!"

Madam Xu's eyes, clouded with cataracts, were now filled with tears as she looked at Wei Yan kowtowing before her: "Do you think that by going to the foreign tribes, you can truly achieve your desires, become a king, and dominate as you wish?"

"If I succeed, it is my fortune. If I fail, it is my fate. Even in death, I will have no regrets," Wei Yan replied.

Wei Shao suddenly drew his sword, the tip pointing at Wei Yan's throat, his eyes bloodshot, and he spoke word by word: "Do you really think I would let you go to the Xiongnu alive?"

Wei Yan closed his eyes, as if seeking death.

Wei Shao's breathing grew rapid, the sword tip inching closer to Wei Yan's throat, trembling slightly.

Madam Xu stared fixedly at Wei Yan and suddenly said, "Enough, everyone has their own aspirations. He is determined to leave, and we cannot force him to stay."

Wei Shao abruptly turned his head to look at Madam Xu.

Madam Xu's eyes still held tears, but her expression gradually turned cold and stern as she stared at Wei Yan and slowly said, "If you wish to leave, I will not stop you. Life is indeed unbearable when one is stifled and unfulfilled. In the future, if you are willing to acknowledge me, I will still be your grandmother. But there is one thing I must make clear to you. If one day you turn your weapons against us, aiding the Xiongnu in their cruelty towards the Han people, even if I become a ghost, I will never forgive you!"

Wei Yan placed his left hand flat on the table, fingers spread, and with his right hand, he drew a short dagger from his boot. A cold glint flashed as he severed his little finger at the root.

His face turned slightly pale, blood gushing from the severed finger, but his expression remained unmoved as he said, "I swear by this severed finger that as long as you live, grandmother, I will never harm a single Han person! In the future, after your passing, if I am fortunate enough to achieve my ambitions, I will not attack the Han people unless they provoke me first."

Madam Xu stood silently for a moment, then turned and slowly walked towards the door.

Her steps were heavy, and her back seemed to have aged countless years in that instant.

Wei Shao stared fixedly at Wei Yan, then suddenly let out a roar and swung his sword down towards Wei Yan's head.

Wei Yan remained motionless.

The blade grazed past the top of his head, slicing off a corner of the table in front of him, and a lock of hair slowly drifted to the ground.

With a clang, Wei Shao threw the sword to the ground and turned to leave in haste.