The Prisoner of Beauty

Wei Shao's desire came swiftly and urgently, catching Xiao Qiao off guard. Just a moment before she turned around, he had appeared composed and restrained.

But suddenly, he took her, right there on the couch in his study at the back of the government office.

This was certainly not the purpose of Xiao Qiao's late-night visit to bring him food.

After learning about the events of the past few days and seeing Wei Shao's weary appearance when he returned in the evening, even without her grandmother's reminder, she genuinely felt for him and even began to feel a sense of pity.

Moreover, his grandmother was truly kind. Given the circumstances, she had every reason to dislike Xiao Qiao. But regardless of her true feelings, she treated her no differently than before.

Encountering such a grandmother, even out of gratitude for her tolerance, Xiao Qiao felt she should do something.

So she thoughtfully helped her grandson bathe and dress, and when she saw that he hadn't returned yet, she grew concerned and couldn't help but bring him some supper.

That was all.

Xiao Qiao initially resisted. After all, this wasn't a suitable place for such activities. But he was like a volcano that had been suppressed for too long and suddenly erupted, leaving her unable to refuse.

As soon as he reached her tight, soft, and warm haven, he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

The couch was a foot above the ground, just the right height for him to kneel on one knee in front of her, lifting her tender legs onto his shoulders. Each thrust from him pushed her forward a few inches, and she felt as if she were falling apart. She gritted her teeth, her nails already scratching his arms, leaving faint marks. Eventually, her arms lost the strength to hold onto him, and she was completely overwhelmed by his relentless pounding. Her consciousness drifted, her body trembled, and she couldn't help but let out low, trembling sobs.

She remembered starting on the couch, but then her mind became hazy, and she felt him sweep the scrolls and bamboo slips off the large desk and place her on it. Later, he carried her back to the couch and continued to take her tirelessly.

In the past, during such moments, he would occasionally whisper things that made her blush and feel warm.

But tonight, he remained silent, only focused on taking her, over and over.

In the quiet courtyard behind the government office on this autumn night, the tightly closed doors and windows faintly echoed with the intermittent, rough groans of the master of the house and the sobs of his woman.

After a series of intense slapping sounds, Wei Shao panted heavily and then rolled off her, lying motionless.

The two lay side by side in the middle of the wide couch.

Xiao Qiao curled up beside him, her heart still pounding like a drum. Her chest and back were drenched, whether from her own sweat or his, she couldn't tell.

She closed her eyes for a moment, waiting for her heartbeat to gradually calm down. Then she gently lifted an arm and placed it on his, whispering, "I know about what happened with your cousin these past few days. Grandmother told me. She's also a bit worried about you..."

Wei Shao didn't respond, and the sound of snoring reached her ears.Xiao Qiao opened her eyes and saw that he had closed his, already deep in sleep.

A glistening bead of sweat, still carrying the warmth of his body, rolled down from his forehead along the bridge of his handsome nose.

In his sleep, his expression finally seemed to relax, appearing very calm.

Xiao Qiao looked at him, then slowly stretched out her curled-up body, sitting up with some difficulty. After a moment of dazed silence, she retrieved her clothes from the messy pile of fallen garments and dressed herself one piece at a time. When she got off the bed, her legs felt weak, and she almost couldn’t stand. She paused for a moment before steadying herself.

Finally, Xiao Qiao took one of his garments and draped it over him. She blew out the lamp, picked up the food box, opened the door, steadied herself, and then walked out slowly, dragging her sore and weary legs.

Chun Niang and Lin Ao were still waiting for her outside the yamen. Having waited for so long, they hurried forward when they saw her emerge. Chun Niang glanced behind her and, not seeing Wei Shao, asked about the Lord.

Xiao Qiao smiled faintly and said, "He’s still busy. He ate something, spoke a few words, and said he would stay a while longer to finish handling matters. He told me to go back first."

Chun Niang didn’t suspect anything and took the food box from Xiao Qiao’s hands. Together with Lin Ao, they helped her into the carriage. Lin Ao chuckled and said, "The Lord has always been like this, extremely dedicated to his work."

Xiao Qiao only smiled without responding. The journey back to the residence was silent. Upon entering the west wing, she dismissed Chun Niang and the others, telling them to rest and not to bother with further service. She went into her room, closed the door, and the smile she had been wearing earlier vanished. She looked weary, dragging her legs to the edge of the bed, where she sat in a daze for a moment. Feeling sticky and uncomfortable all over, she got up and went to the bathroom to hastily wipe herself down. Exhausted, she climbed into bed, lay down on the pillow, and closed her eyes.

She just wanted to fall asleep as quickly as possible. Perhaps after a night’s sleep, she would forget what had just happened in the study at the yamen.

This feeling was terrible.

She could actually understand his emotions.

A brotherhood of twenty years had suddenly fallen apart, and now they were enemies. What made it even more awkward was that it was intertwined with private matters related to his wife.

Anyone would find it hard to accept such a situation immediately.

Xiao Qiao was also willing to understand the way he had vented his emotions on her earlier.

But at this moment, she truly couldn’t control her own foul mood.

She closed her eyes and tried hard to think of Da Qiao and Bi Zhi. She thought about how her younger brother would react after taking her letter back to their father. She thought about finding an opportunity to return to Dongjun herself.

Finally, she suddenly thought of Madam Xu, who had been ill these past few days.

...

She had married into the Wei family last winter, and now it was already the second autumn.

Xiao Qiao recalled the meeting between her past self and Da Qiao in her previous life.

It was the only time the two sisters had met after their respective marriages. At that time, Wei Shao had not yet declared himself emperor, but his power was already unstoppable. Xiao Qiao’s husband, Liu Yan, had not yet been proclaimed the Later Emperor and was not yet in direct opposition to Wei Shao. Wei Shao was in another city at the time, while Da Qiao remained in Yuyang. After much effort, Xiao Qiao had finally managed to reach Yuyang and meet Da Qiao for what would be the last time in their previous lives.

What the two sisters had talked about back then, Xiao Qiao could no longer fully remember. She only recalled that Da Qiao had mentioned Su Nu, saying that Su Nu had been with Wei Shao in another city at the time, so she wasn’t in Yuyang.When Da Qiao spoke of this, her expression was calm and unruffled.

Then she mentioned that the next day was the anniversary of the death of Madam Xu, Wei Shao's grandmother, who had passed away many years ago. In previous years, if Wei Shao was in Yuyang, he would personally visit her tomb to pay his respects.

Madam Xu had treated her well. Unfortunately, she had passed away suddenly in the first winter after Da Qiao married into the Wei family.

When speaking of this, Da Qiao's expression was filled with nostalgia.

Xiao Qiao closed her eyes and tried hard to recall, finally remembering a bit.

She remembered that Da Qiao had also mentioned that Madam Xu had caught a cold that autumn. At first, it seemed like nothing serious, and after timely medical treatment, her condition began to improve. However, it unexpectedly worsened later, and she ultimately passed away.

At that time, Wei Shao was away on a campaign. Upon hearing the tragic news, he immediately rushed back. However, due to the long distance and delays in delivering the message, it took him two full months to return to Yuyang and arrange the funeral.

After that incident, Wei Shao's disdain for Da Qiao grew even stronger, blaming her for failing to fulfill her duty of caring for the elder generation.

It was also after that incident that Su Nu gradually caught his eye. Three years after Madam Xu's death, he took her as his concubine. She served him closely and gained considerable favor.

……

In the darkness, Xiao Qiao could no longer sleep.

The trajectory of her previous life had already begun to diverge from the moment she and Da Qiao had switched marriages in this life.

But Xiao Qiao always felt that, in some inexplicable way, certain things that had happened in her past life might still occur in this one.

For instance, Wei Shao's hatred for the Qiao family. For instance, the relationship between Wei Shao and Su Nu.

And also, the fate of Madam Xu.

Counting the days, it seemed that the time when Madam Xu had fallen ill, as Da Qiao had mentioned in the past, was approaching.

And coincidentally, Madam Xu was now bedridden.

Although in her past life, Da Qiao had said that Madam Xu had fallen ill due to a cold, the cause of her illness was different this time.

But the fact that she was ill was the same.

Different causes, same result.

Could it be that in this life, Madam Xu would also be unable to escape her destined fate and pass away?

Xiao Qiao's heart raced with fear. She became even more unable to sleep.

As she pondered these thoughts, she gradually forgot about Wei Shao, who was still at the government office. She tossed and turned until the early hours of the morning before finally drifting off into a fitful sleep.

……

After an exceptionally intense and satisfying pleasure, Wei Shao fell into a deep sleep.

He was utterly exhausted. In the previous three days, he had barely slept.

Not only physically, but the anxiety and pain he felt were somewhat similar to when he had received the tragic news of his father and brother's deaths ten years ago.

Wei Yan's final decision had left him deeply disappointed and filled with hatred. At one point, he had even considered killing him rather than letting him return to the Xiongnu.

It wasn't that he feared the Xiongnu gaining an enemy who was familiar with the Wei family's military strategies and border defenses. He could overcome these challenges, though it would require greater sacrifices. He could afford it...

He simply couldn't accept, deep down, that his own kin would abandon everything here and stand against him.

But in the end, Wei Shao convinced himself to let him go.

What persuaded him was perhaps the phrase "fate is unfair" that Wei Yan had uttered.

Indeed, his brother possessed talent no less than his own, and the same ambitious drive.Since he couldn't bring himself to relinquish everything here, what right did he have to prevent him from embarking on the path he yearned for?

What lay ahead would be left to fate. As he had said in their final farewell, this was likely the destined end of their brotherhood.

He awoke in the fourth watch of the night.

Outside, the sky was still dark. The new candles lit in the study earlier in the night were nearly spent, their flames gradually dimming.

Slowly, he sat up from the bed. Looking down, he noticed a garment that had been covering his bare body slipping off his shoulder.

Wei Shao raised his hand to rub his forehead, glancing around with a hint of bewilderment. Finally, his gaze settled on the scattered rolls of silk and bamboo slips bearing military, political, and civilian affairs strewn across the floor. Gradually, an expression of incredulity and strangeness crept into his demeanor.

Memories of everything that had transpired earlier in the night flashed through his mind.