The Prisoner of Beauty

Wei Shao initially tried to drag Xiao Qiao forward, but when she refused to cooperate, her fists pounded against his body with loud thuds. That was bearable, but her feet stubbornly resisted moving, which gradually made him irritable. He simply hoisted her across his arm, ignoring her struggles and punches, and strode towards the door. When they reached the carriage, under the wide-eyed gaze of Jia Si, he tossed her inside and slammed the door shut with a loud "bang."

The carriage was lined with thick fur cushions, so when Xiao Qiao was thrown in, she tumbled but didn't feel much pain, only a sense of disarray. As she sat up, panting, she realized one of her shoes was missing, leaving her with a bare foot.

Suddenly, the door opened again, and Wei Shao's face reappeared. He tossed a shoe inside with a "whoosh" and slammed the door shut once more with another "bang."

Xiao Qiao heard him exchange a few low words with Jia Si, and then the carriage started moving, heading forward. After traveling at a steady pace for a while, she heard noises outside, as if they had reached the west city gate. She crawled up to peek through the window and saw two city guards opening the gate under the light of torches.

Once the carriage passed through the city gate, it picked up speed, leaving the dark fields on either side of the road and the city of Yuyang far behind.

They traveled through the night and continued the journey the next day, only stopping briefly at a post station for a short rest before resuming their journey. Late that night, they arrived at Zhuojun and finally came to a halt. It was announced that they would spend the night there.

Xiao Qiao was furious, having been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night like a toy and thrown into the carriage. She hated how she had no say in front of him. Now that she was already in the carriage and had traveled so far, what could she do? Making a scene would only humiliate herself further. Feeling low and dizzy from the long, almost non-stop journey, she stepped out of the carriage into the pitch-black night, silent and wordless, following Wei Shao into the post station.

Zhuojun was a large prefecture, and the post station was well-equipped. The room even had an attached bathroom. Upon learning that the Lord had returned and brought the Lady with him this time, the stationmaster immediately replaced the bathtub with a new, fragrant wooden one, filled it with hot water, and offered it to the Lord and Lady to relieve their fatigue.

For two consecutive days and nights, Xiao Qiao had spent almost all her time in the carriage. The early spring in the north was dry and cold, and the road was dusty. Although the carriage was enclosed, dust inevitably seeped inside. Feeling grimy and disheveled, Xiao Qiao saw the large tub of hot water as the only comforting thing in these two days of travel. She quickly undressed and stepped into the tub.

Moments later, a figure appeared at the bathroom door, and Wei Shao entered as well. He swiftly removed his clothes and stepped into the tub, sitting opposite her.

As soon as his body entered the water, it overflowed along the sides of the tub. Moreover, the space inside became cramped.

Xiao Qiao felt a hairy leg brush against her calf underwater and quickly retracted her leg, tucking it close to her chest and abdomen. She lowered her head and hurriedly washed herself, wanting to get out quickly and leave the space to him.

Whether it was unintentional or deliberate, that hairy leg extended towards her again underwater, this time pressing against the skin of her thigh.

Xiao Qiao looked up and met Wei Shao's gaze across the tub.His shoulder moved slightly, and he leaned a bit closer to her. Raising a wet hand, he slowly cupped her chin and said in a low voice, "If you behave well, I will naturally treat you well too."

This was the first sentence he had spoken to her in the past two days since he had thrown her into the carriage in the middle of the night.

Xiao Qiao met his gaze for a moment, then slowly curved her lips into a faint smile and said, "I understand. Does my husband have any other instructions?"

Wei Shao's gaze drifted from her misty eyes downward, past her lips, her jade-like neck, her fragrant shoulders, and finally settled on the half-exposed curve of her chest, which was becoming fuller by the day. His throat bobbed, but he remained silent.

Xiao Qiao waited for a while, then turned her head away, freeing herself from his grasp. She grabbed the edge of the bathtub, climbed out of the water, and quickly covered herself with her clothes before leaving the bathing room.

After tidying herself up, she lay down on the bed. It was quite some time before Wei Shao emerged, his expression sour.

That night, they shared the same bed. Just like during their previous cold war at home, he did not touch her.

The next morning, Xiao Qiao woke up to unfamiliar maids bringing in a complete set of luxurious robes and serving her as she washed and dressed.

After two days of disheveled clothing, Xiao Qiao was finally able to dress properly today, thanks to Wei Shao's "great kindness."

Once she had finished her morning routine, servants brought in a dining table. Wei Shao entered shortly after.

Neither of them spoke. They sat across from each other, eating breakfast in silence, their eyes occasionally meeting.

After the table was cleared, Wei Shao finally spoke, "I will set off for Jinyang today. You stay here at the posthouse and wait for Chun Niang to arrive before continuing your journey. There's no need to rush; take your time. I’ve assigned Jia Si to lead five hundred soldiers to escort you."

Xiao Qiao replied, "Thank you, husband, for your thoughtful arrangements."

Wei Shao noticed that she didn’t even raise her eyes to look at him. Recalling how she had refused to bathe with him the previous night, he abruptly stood up, ready to leave. But he managed to restrain himself and turned back to add, "It’s not that I don’t want to travel with you. It’s just that something urgent has come up in Jinyang, and I need to be there. I also don’t want you to exhaust yourself from rushing, so I’ve left Jia Si with five hundred elite soldiers to escort you. Don’t worry; the journey will be safe."

Xiao Qiao said, "Official matters come first. Please go ahead, husband."

Wei Shao suppressed the turmoil in his chest and left.

...

True to his word, Wei Shao left Zhuojun that morning, leaving Xiao Qiao at the posthouse. During the day, the prefect’s wife came to visit Xiao Qiao and kept her company. By evening, Chun Niang and two maids finally arrived by carriage and reunited with Xiao Qiao. After spending another night at the posthouse, the next day, Xiao Qiao boarded a spacious and comfortable carriage that could easily accommodate ten people. Under the escort of Jia Si and five hundred soldiers, they set off for Jinyang.

The vast region from Youzhou to Jinyang was now under Wei Shao’s control, so their journey was smooth and unimpeded. They passed through Daijun, entered Pingcheng, and after crossing Yanmen Commandery, they reached Bingzhou. Xiao Qiao did not rush on the road. They traveled during the day and rested at night, moving at a leisurely pace. After about twenty-five or twenty-six days, by early March, they finally approached the city of Jinyang.

On the day Xiao Qiao arrived in the ancient city of Jinyang, the weather was fine. The wind blowing against her face carried the scent of spring.Although she had been traveling at a leisurely pace, the daily journey inevitably brought some jolts and bumps. After nearly a month on the road, she was already feeling quite weary and gradually wished to arrive sooner.

Today, she was finally about to enter the city. Sitting in the carriage with Chun Niang, she pushed open the window and gazed out at the fields that were beginning to show signs of new greenery. Her mood gradually lifted, and as they smoothly crossed the moat and passed through the city gates, she felt a sense of excitement.

The carriage made its way through the orderly streets and eventually stopped in front of a heavily guarded residence located in the northern part of the city.

This was the Jinyang Government Office, Wei Shao's residence and administrative center since his arrival.

The steward, having been informed of Madam's arrival today, had already gathered the servants to wait outside. When a beautiful young woman alighted from the carriage, they knew it was the Madam of the Marquis of Yan and respectfully welcomed her inside.

Upon entering, Xiao Qiao learned that Wei Shao was not in Jinyang but had gone to Xihe County.

"The Lord left the city five or six days ago. He should be returning in the next couple of days," the steward explained, fearing that Madam might be disappointed by his absence.

Xiao Qiao nodded with a smile. That day, she busied herself with settling in. After bathing in the evening, she retired early and slept soundly through the night. The next morning, she woke up naturally, feeling refreshed and free from the fatigue of the journey.

With Wei Shao away, Xiao Qiao, being new to the place, had little to do. For the first few days, she ate, slept, wandered around the residence, and spent her time idly, letting the days pass by.

A couple of days later, Chun Niang mentioned that while entering the city, she had seen a shop selling lambskins that looked quite good. She thought it would be perfect to buy a few to make winter knee pads. Worried that the weather might warm up and the skins would be taken off the market, she wanted to go and pick some out today.

Having nothing else to do, Xiao Qiao changed into ordinary clothes, put on a veil, and went out with Chun Niang.

The steward, knowing that Madam was heading to the southern part of the city where commoners resided, feared for her safety and personally escorted them.

Xiao Qiao rode in the carriage until they neared the market, then got out to walk. They strolled leisurely, found the lambskin stall Chun Niang had seen, selected four or five skins, paid for them, and continued to wander around, picking up a few miscellaneous items. As they were about to leave, they suddenly noticed a crowd gathered by the roadside. A middle-aged man was beating a gong and loudly hawking his wares. It turned out to be a slave market. The slaves, both men and women, had their hair disheveled or tied up in knots, all captured from somewhere. They were dirty and disheveled, their hands bound, and their clothes tattered. Some of the women were barely clothed, exposing their chests and bellies marked with streaks of grime. The onlookers pointed and stared with lecherous eyes, but the Qiang women remained expressionless, like clay or wooden statues, showing no reaction.

Jinyang was the seat of Taiyuan Commandery. It had once been the capital of the ancient state of Zhao and, along with Fanyang, Yuyang, and Xindu, was one of the famous northern cities. Besides the Han people, it was also home to Qiang and Hu people who had been assimilated since their ancestors' time.The Qiang people have been known since ancient times for their resilience and hard work. Even women giving birth do not shy away from wind and snow, embodying a spirit of strength and bravery. They consider dying in battle as auspicious and dying from illness as inauspicious, truly a courageous and vibrant people. However, over the past century, conflicts with the Han dynasty have been incessant. Nowadays, these assimilated Qiang and Hu people are of low status, mostly reduced to being slaves or tenant farmers. Especially during the decades when Chen Xiang occupied Bingzhou, they were either forcibly conscripted into military service or subjected to widespread plunder, leading to a tragic state of affairs.

The steward, noticing the lady slowing her pace, hurriedly blocked her view, not wanting Xiao Qiao to see, and said, "These are lowly Qiang and Hu people, likely having offended their master, hence sent to the market for sale. My lady, do not look, lest it taint your eyes."

Xiao Qiao asked, "Has it always been like this, openly selling Qiang slaves in the market?"

The steward replied, "It has always been so, a common practice."

Xiao Qiao frowned, glanced again at the barely clothed Qiang women, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately turned and left. After walking a few steps, she suddenly heard a commotion behind her. She saw a young Qiang boy, about ten years old, get up from the ground and rush over to bite the wrist of a man who was pretending to be interested in buying but was actually groping the chest of a young Qiang woman. He bit down hard and refused to let go.

The man, in pain, screamed loudly and was eventually separated from the boy, his wrist bleeding. The middle-aged man who was selling the slaves was furious. He ordered people to pin the boy to the ground, then took out a whip and began to lash the boy fiercely, cursing all the while.

The boy was extremely stubborn, his eyes blazing with anger. He shouted in somewhat broken Han language, "We have no master! My sister and I were herding sheep on the back mountain of our home when this bad man captured us..."

The middle-aged man, enraged, stopped whipping and instead kicked the boy hard in the head, cursing through clenched teeth, "You lowly slave! I'll teach you to talk nonsense!"

The boy's head was bleeding profusely, his head pressed firmly to the ground by the man's boot, yet his body continued to twist and struggle. The young Qiang woman, who had been expressionless, suddenly burst into tears and threw herself forward, kneeling on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly to the middle-aged man, begging for mercy.

The crowd around them grew larger. Among them was a group of four or five people, dressed in ordinary local attire. In the center was a young man, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a heroic bearing and bright eyes. Watching this scene, a shadow gradually deepened in his gaze.

His attendants, already beside themselves with anger, were even more furious.

Among them, Jiang Meng, known for his fiery temper, had veins bulging on his forehead and was grinding his teeth. He clenched his fists tightly and was about to step forward when the young man stopped him, halting his advance.