The Prisoner of Beauty

She came to the government office to bring him food, her voice soft and gentle, considerate and meticulous. As she approached, a faint, delicate fragrance wafted into his nose. Watching her graceful figure as she prepared to leave, the pent-up frustration and irritability that had been weighing on his heart for days seemed to finally find an outlet. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed with the desire to once again experience the ecstasy she could bring him, the kind that made him forget all his troubles. Unable to restrain himself, his primal instincts took over...

Wei Shao abruptly jumped up from the couch, only to realize he was completely naked. Glancing around, he saw that the clothes he had discarded had been neatly folded and placed aside by her. He quickly dressed and strode out of the government office. Without bothering to ride his horse, he hurried home.

It was not yet the fifth watch. A half-moon hung obliquely in the deep blue sky of the east, with only a few stars scattered across the heavens, and the bright morning star shining brilliantly. The streets were empty, the houses on either side dark and silent, with only the distant barking of a dog breaking the stillness.

Wei Shao walked briskly alone on the streets of Yuyang before dawn. As he neared the gates of the Wei residence, his steps slowed and finally came to a halt. He stood there, gazing at the two lanterns hanging above the entrance, lost in thought.

In these past few days, he had, for the first time, profoundly felt the impact Qiao Nü had on his mind and heart. Her joys and sorrows seemed to sway his own emotions, to the point where, in a moment of impulse, he had blurted out in front of her that he would allow her to hit him—something utterly unimaginable in the past.

As for Wei Yan's decision to leave after the incident, it had left Wei Shao deeply depressed. Over the past few days, he had even asked himself: if he hadn't been so enraged that he sought out Wei Yan, exposed the private matter that should have remained hidden, and even fought with him, would the subsequent events he wished to avoid have still occurred?

Wei Shao knew that such thoughts were unfair to her.

Wei Yan's background was unusual, and he had already been contemplating leaving. Even without her as the catalyst, sooner or later, something else might have triggered the rift between them.

But the fact that a woman—a daughter of the family he had once sworn to destroy—could have such a profound influence on his emotions and actions left him feeling uneasy and even filled with self-contempt.

This was also why, despite being utterly exhausted and his nerves stretched to the limit, he had restrained himself upon returning home, not wanting to show too much emotion in front of her.

Even now, Wei Shao was startled to realize that he had rushed back home with the thought of comforting her, fearing that she might be upset over what had happened the previous night. It was as if an invisible rope had tripped him, and he slowly came to a stop.

He stood there outside the gate, hesitating for a long time. Suddenly, the gate opened, revealing half of the gatekeeper's figure. Feeling as if he had been caught in the act, he turned and walked away immediately.The sky was almost light. The gatekeeper, as usual, was slowly emerging from behind the gate with a long hook in hand, preparing to lower the lantern and extinguish the flame. As he looked up, he noticed a figure standing not far from the gate. Seeing him come out, the figure quickly walked away. The gatekeeper squinted, trying to get a better look, but the surroundings were too dim, and before he could make out who it was, the figure had already disappeared.

The gatekeeper yawned and turned his gaze away.

...

Xiao Qiao had been preoccupied with her thoughts and woke up early at dawn. She felt a slight headache and her body hadn't fully recovered from the soreness left by the previous night's intimacy. She sat on the bed for a while, hugging the quilt, before finally getting up to open the door and prepare for the day.

After finishing her morning routine, Chun Niang informed her that breakfast was ready in the small kitchen. However, Xiao Qiao had little appetite and only drank a bowl of warm, finely cooked rice porridge. Just as she was about to head to the north room, a servant woman came in and said that someone had arrived early in the morning to deliver a letter for the lady. She handed over a sealed bamboo tube envelope.

Xiao Qiao was momentarily puzzled, unable to think of who would send her a letter at this time. She took the bamboo tube, slowly pried open the seal with a knife, and pulled out a rolled piece of parchment. As she unfolded it and saw the familiar delicate handwriting, her eyes widened with surprise and joy.

The letter was from Da Qiao!

Da Qiao wrote that she and Bi Zhi had become husband and wife and were now living in Lingbi.

Several months ago, Xue Tai, the Governor of Xuzhou, had launched an attack on Yanzhou but was ambushed from behind by Yang Xin. In the ensuing chaos, the two sides became bitter enemies and were still engaged in conflict. The region around Huainan was in turmoil, and even the remote mountain village where Da Qiao and Bi Zhi lived was not spared. Recently, a small group of Xue Tai's soldiers had entered the mountains to conscript men and seize grain. The villagers pleaded for mercy, but the soldiers, fierce as wolves, injured an elderly man who had once helped Da Qiao and Bi Zhi settle in the village. Enraged, Bi Zhi killed all the soldiers, confiscated their weapons, and organized the villagers to set up a checkpoint at the mountain entrance to block outsiders. The villagers greatly respected him and followed his orders. Many nearby villagers who had also been driven to desperation by the soldiers heard the news and came with their families, seeking refuge. Bi Zhi took them in. To guard against further attacks by soldiers or bandits, he selected able-bodied men and trained them into a militia. Last month, Bi Zhi personally led a group to wipe out a long-troublesome bandit stronghold nearby, further enhancing his reputation. Now, the village had gathered a thousand people, all under Bi Zhi's command, and order was well-maintained.

Da Qiao said that she had initially been fearful and reluctant for Bi Zhi to gather people to oppose the authorities. But they couldn't return to Dongjun, and if they fled elsewhere, Bi Zhi, now a wanted man with his portrait posted on city walls by Xue Tai, would find it difficult to find a safe haven. Moreover, the displaced people were desperately pleading for help, and she couldn't bear to abandon them. So, for now, they had to secure their territory and protect themselves. She knew Xiao Qiao was in Yuyang and missed her dearly, wanting to know how she was doing.

She admitted that she had long realized that Xiao Qiao's earlier claim of wanting to marry someone else was just an excuse to persuade her. She felt both grateful and ashamed. Bi Zhi was also deeply grateful to Xiao Qiao for her role in arranging the marriage to Wei Shao on his behalf. He had sent someone north to deliver this letter, not only to report their safety but also to convey a message: if Xiao Qiao ever needed anything in the future, she should not hesitate to ask, and Bi Zhi would surely assist.Da Qiao's letter was long, filling an entire sheet of parchment. Though tinged with a faint sense of worry, Xiao Qiao could feel Da Qiao's love for her husband, Bi Zhi, permeating every word.

At the end, Da Qiao informed Xiao Qiao that she had become pregnant last month and that everything was going well. She urged Xiao Qiao not to worry and to take good care of herself, expressing hope that the sisters could reunite soon and share their feelings in person.

……

Xiao Qiao shut herself in her room and read Da Qiao's letter over and over again, her eyes shining with excitement, her heart surging with emotion.

After such a long separation, she had finally received news of her sister!

Not only were Da Qiao and Bi Zhi doing well, but in these turbulent times, Bi Zhi, as she had known, had not been able to remain an ordinary man. Though he was now seen by the authorities as a mere bandit leader and far from achieving any significant influence, Xiao Qiao knew that based on Bi Zhi's future accomplishments in his previous life, he would undoubtedly rise to prominence in this era of warlords.

But what truly excited her was the news of Da Qiao's pregnancy.

Though Da Qiao's words were brief and did not delve into her feelings at length, Xiao Qiao could sense the shy yet joyful happiness that Da Qiao must have felt when writing those words. This, in turn, lifted Xiao Qiao's spirits.

The dark clouds that had been weighing on her heart for so long suddenly seemed to part, and her worries vanished.

Since marrying into the Wei family, despite the care and protection of Wei Shao's grandmother, Xiao Qiao had been treading on thin ice, always observing and carefully navigating her interactions. The inherent inequality between the Qiao and Wei families, as well as the manner in which she had married into the Wei family, meant that for a long time, she could not confidently place herself on equal footing with Wei Shao as his wife.

Rather than being Wei Shao's wife, she felt more like a subordinate who had to suppress her true nature to navigate her relationship with him. Even when her husband occasionally showed her kindness or shared intimate moments with her, a voice in the deepest corner of her heart always reminded her not to lose herself.

Yet, she was still human, unable to remain detached and unaffected. While she deeply admired Wei Shao's grandmother for her noble character, Wei Shao himself was often unreasonable, though not entirely heartless. Over time, it was inevitable that she would develop some feelings for him. This made it all the more difficult when her attempts at emotional connection with him were met with disappointment, leading to feelings of loss and self-doubt.

Just last night, she knew that Wei Shao had been dealing with the turmoil of his wife being coveted by his elder brother, and then the subsequent rift between brothers, which had left him emotionally unstable. Given the current state of their relationship, he couldn't possibly confide everything in her. It was only by chance that she had been able to elicit such a response from him. Though she had been reluctant at the time, she had still tried to accommodate him.

However, his reaction afterward was not what she had expected, and that sense of disappointment washed over her again, leaving her in a foul mood and unwilling to face it.

But now, Da Qiao's letter, as if sent from the heavens, suddenly lifted Xiao Qiao's spirits. The self-doubt and even the ridiculous self-pity that had plagued her for days all faded away.The longstanding enmity between the Wei and Qiao families was an undeniable reality. Xiao Qiao had been in the Wei household for less than a year, yet her current situation was already far better than Da Qiao's in her previous life.

She remembered telling herself when she first married that the road ahead would undoubtedly be fraught with difficulties.

Having already accepted this, it would be foolish and self-defeating to wallow in self-pity at the slightest setback.

Wei Shao's detestable nature was nothing new to her. The ice of his heart was as solid as a mountain, and she was no blazing furnace capable of melting it instantly. Why should she torment herself over it?

Her immediate priority was to take care of her ailing grandmother, ensuring she did not suffer the same fate as in her previous life. Once her grandmother recovered, she would find an excuse to return to Dongjun. If she could also meet with Da Qiao and Bi Zhi, it would be perfect.

As for Wei Shao, he was simply too insufferable. If he wanted to act out, let him. She was tired of tiptoeing around him.

With her mind made up, Xiao Qiao felt a weight lift from her chest, her gloom dissipating. She carefully hid the letter, checked her reflection in the mirror, and headed to the north wing.

Wei Shao had not returned last night, and when Chun Niang saw Xiao Qiao looking haggard and distracted in the morning, she was concerned. But after receiving a letter, Xiao Qiao had locked herself in her room and emerged looking radiant, as if transformed. Chun Niang breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but ask about the letter's origin.

Xiao Qiao had no reason to hide it from Chun Niang. After a moment's thought, she shared the news about Da Qiao and Bi Zhi, mentioning only that they were well and that Da Qiao was pregnant, leaving out the rest.

Xiao Qiao had previously told Chun Niang about Da Qiao leaving with Bi Zhi. Hearing this news, Chun Niang was overjoyed. As they walked to the north wing, Chun Niang, seeing no one around, whispered, "I heard some news from the east wing yesterday. It seems Madam Zhu offended Elder Madam greatly a few days ago. Elder Madam was so angry she overturned the table and drove Madam Zhu away. Madam Zhu has been too frightened to leave her room since. But I haven't been able to find out what exactly angered Elder Madam."

Among Madam Zhu's close attendants in the east wing was an elderly woman named Huang Nao, who had a falling out with Jiang Nao. Jiang Nao often slandered Huang Nao in front of Madam Zhu, gradually earning her disfavor. Huang Nao, resentful, caught Chun Niang's attention, who gradually won her over with kindness. Now, Huang Nao acted as Chun Niang's informant in the east wing, often providing useful information.

Hearing this, and considering recent events, Xiao Qiao guessed it must be related to Wei Yan's origins. However, this matter was too sensitive. Although Wei Yan had already left, the servants in the Wei household remained completely unaware. Madam Zhu had only dared to reveal it to her son, not even mentioning it to Jiang Nao. It was no surprise that the details hadn't leaked.

Xiao Qiao remained silent as they reached the north wing, quickening her steps to enter.

Madam Xu had not yet risen in the morning but was awake. Xiao Qiao noticed that although her complexion was still not great, her spirits seemed better than the past few days. Zhong Ao was by her side, helping her take medicine. The cat was dozing in the corner of the windowsill. Hearing Xiao Qiao's footsteps, it opened its eyes, stretched, and leaped down from the windowsill, rubbing against Xiao Qiao's feet.Madam Xu took her medicine. Xiao Qiao took the empty bowl from Zhong Ao's hands and was about to pass it down when Madam Xu seemed to remember something and asked, "Shao Er came home last evening, visited me, and then said he had business at the yamen. Did he return late? Why haven’t I seen him this morning?"

Just as Xiao Qiao was about to respond, a series of footsteps echoed from outside, and a servant woman at the door announced, "The Lord has arrived."

Xiao Qiao glanced back slightly and caught sight of a figure flickering at the doorway. It was indeed Wei Shao who had arrived.