The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Young Lord Liu

The citizens escorting the new bride out of the city was normal enough, and Wei Liang didn't pay it much mind at first. However, as the crowd continuously swelled, people eventually began competing to chase alongside the carriage. The pathways on both sides became as densely packed as a bustling market square. Had it not been for the line of soldiers marching alongside the carriage with spears raised to hold the line, the eager citizens would have swarmed the vehicle entirely. Growing increasingly anxious, Wei Liang stole a glance back at Wei Shao, who was riding slightly behind the main column. A shadow of distinct displeasure lay across the Marquis's face.

 

Evidently, a spectacle of this magnitude had bypassed his calculations as well.

 

Inwardly, Wei Liang could not help but blame the Qiao daughter for stirring up unnecessary trouble. Turning his gaze back to the carriage, he was relieved to see that she had finally lowered her curtains. Spurring his horse forward to draw close, he personally escorted the vehicle while raising his voice to command the crowds to disperse. Once they finally cleared the city gates, the procession accelerated, eventually halting along the roadside several li away from the city walls.

 

Wei Shao’s countenance remained as deep and unreadable as still water. He made no move to dismount. When Wei Liang and his men stepped forward to offer their formal farewells, the Marquis delivered a few brief instructions, cautioning him to remain vigilant on the road. Then, lifting his eyes, his gaze swept across the lead carriage—whose curtains had remained tightly drawn ever since they passed the city gates—before he smoothly turned his mount and galloped back toward Xindu.

 

Wei Liang stood by the roadside, watching until Wei Shao’s silhouette vanished into the distance. Turning back to his attendants, he barked a loud command: "Move out! The sooner we deliver the Lady to her destination, the sooner we can return home!"

 

...

New Year's Day passed entirely on the road. Four or five days later, the procession arrived at a settlement known as Qiuji. Once they navigated a winding mountain pass a few li ahead, they would officially cross into the territory of Hejian. By late afternoon, the sky had turned a heavy, bruising dark. The wind whipped across the plains like a sharpened blade, carrying the distinct threat of an impending blizzard. Considering the treacherous nature of the mountain path ahead, Wei Liang ordered the column to halt, seeking shelter for the night at a nearby courier station.

 

Though Xiao Qiao’s carriage was outfitted with a charcoal brazier and thick cushions, a full day of travel had still left her toes completely numb from the cold. Conditions were far worse for Nanny Zhong and the young maids, who traveled in standard carriages completely devoid of heating. Knowing her own carriage could accommodate a few more passengers, Xiao Qiao had sent Nurse Chun during their midday rest to invite Nanny Zhong and the maids to join her inside to escape the chill. However, Nanny Zhong had flatly declined, stating that the boundaries between superior and subordinate must never be blurred. The young maids, thoroughly intimidated by the older woman, had no choice but to grit their teeth and remain in their unheated carriage. Now that they had finally reached their lodgings, everyone relaxed completely. Though the courier station was old and somewhat dilapidated, it was infinitely warmer than the freezing wilderness outside.

 

Xiao Qiao produced a sum of money and requested the station master to purchase pig’s head meat and rich wine so Wei Liang and the escorting soldiers could warm their bodies. Upon learning that she was a member of Marquis Wei's household, the station master dared not accept a single coin. Naturally, Xiao Qiao had no intention of leaving him short-changed and signaled Nurse Chun to firmly press the currency into his hands. The station master personally went out to procure the provisions, serving them piping hot to the tables. Deeply grateful for the Lady's exceptional thoughtfulness, the soldiers gathered around the hearth to eat and drink merrily. Wei Liang, however, remained standing by the entrance of the station, staring out at the darkening sky with a shadow of concern clouding his features.

 

The severity of the midwinter freeze in the North was truly no laughing matter.

 

Xiao Qiao possessed a pair of soft, delicate feet with round toes and pale pink nails marked by neat, tiny half-moons. Back home in Yanzhou, she had never once suffered from winter chilblains. Yet, within mere days of entering this harsh climate, her skin had begun to itch fiercely. The previous night, the irritation had been so agonizing that she had tossed and turned beneath her quilts, rubbing her feet together in distress. Fortunately, Nurse Chun had been farsighted enough to pack a jar of chilblain salve before their departure. She had massaged the ointment into Xiao Qiao's skin, tending to her until the deepest hours of the night before her mistress finally drifted off to sleep.

 

The next morning, she was roused from her deep slumber by Nurse Chun. Outside, a heavy snow was falling. General Wei Liang had already risen long ago and was waiting in the main hall, having just dispatched another attendant to urge them to hasten their departure.

 

Still weighed down by an intense drowsiness, Xiao Qiao yawned repeatedly, suppressing her morning irritability with immense effort as she was dragged from her warm bedding. With her eyes half-closed, she allowed Nurse Chun to dress her and hastily finish her morning wash. After consuming a few quick bites of food while the maids packed away the bedding, they made their way out to the main hall.

 

Wei Liang had been waiting for a considerable duration and was visibly growing impatient. Though irritated by her delayed arrival, he dared not commit an overt breach of etiquette against the Lady. He offered a rough, perfunctory bow and spoke in a coarse, gruff tone: "The mountain pass is difficult to navigate, and the snow is worsening. We must set out immediately if we wish to clear it safely." With that, he turned and loudly ordered the attendants to prepare the carriages.

 

Xiao Qiao knew he was anxious to get her to Yuyang. Stepping beneath the eaves outside the inn, she saw that the world had been transformed overnight into a vast expanse of silver and white. The ditches along the roadside were already packed with snow that reached past a man's shins, and the distant horizon was a blinding sheet of white. As a sudden gust of wind whipped across her face, her entire body shuddered violently from the chill.

 

The carriage was already idling at the entrance. Just as Xiao Qiao prepared to board, four or five men came rushing down the road from the opposite direction. From their appearance, they seemed to be merchants who had set out early in the morning, now fleeing to the courier station to escape the intensifying blizzard. Stamping the thick snow from their boots, they shouted toward the entrance, "Is the General planning to head toward Hejian? The mountain path ahead is completely blocked; it is utterly impassable!"

 

Wei Liang immediately stepped forward to demand details. The merchants answered in a frantic chorus, explaining that when they reached the foot of the mountain early this morning, they found that a massive rockslide had come crashing down, entirely sealing the path.

 

"The debris is piled as high as a small mountain!" one merchant described, gesturing wildly with his hands.

 

"Alas, we are likely to be stranded here. Who knows when the path will be cleared," his companion sighed heavily.

 

Wei Liang froze, appearing entirely skeptical of their words. After a moment of deliberation, he requested Xiao Qiao to step back inside and wait. Mounting his horse alongside two of his personal guards, he rode out into the raging wind and snow to inspect the pass firsthand.

 

By the time he returned, his brow was locked in a deep frown. He confirmed that the road was indeed completely blocked by fallen boulders; there was absolutely no possibility of moving out today.

 

Upon hearing the news, Xiao Qiao simply raised a hand to mask another yawn, turned on her heel, and walked back inside. The maids quickly unpacked her bedding and laid it out once more, allowing her to crawl back into the warmth to finish her interrupted sleep.

 

With no one left to rush her, she enjoyed an exceptionally refreshing rest. When she finally awoke, her cheeks were flushed a healthy pink from the warmth of the covers. Thanks to the chilblain salve and the thick socks she had put on before sleeping, her feet felt delightfully warm and comfortable. By the time she rose, ate her meal, and finished preparing, it was already well into the afternoon.

 

The main hall of the courier station had grown significantly more animated since the morning.

 

In weather this atrocious, those still traveling the roads—aside from a few unfortunate souls like Xiao Qiao who harbored their own unspeakable grievances—were almost exclusively merchant caravans. The hall was now tightly packed with traders who had been forced to turn back by the blocked pass, seeking a temporary refuge to escape the biting cold. The station master did not drive them away, permitting them to congregate within the front hall while strictly forbidding anyone from wandering into the private rear quarters.

 

Wei Liang’s sole focus was to quickly deliver Xiao Qiao to Yuyang to complete his assignment. Seeing their path blocked only a few days into the journey left him deeply anxious. He worried intensely that if a freezing rain fell tonight, the massive boulders would fuse together with ice, making them infinitely harder to clear later on. Around noon, noticing that the snowfall was showing signs of tapering off, he immediately resolved to mobilize a workforce to clear the path.

 

The stranded merchants were equally desperate to resume their journeys. Seeing a military general take the lead, they eagerly volunteered to assist. Wei Liang counted the available hands, gathered the necessary tools, and left two of his personal guards behind to watch over the Lord’s Lady before leading the expedition out into the snow.

 

...

In the rear quarters, the charcoal in the brazier was burning brightly, filling the room with a comforting warmth.

 

Accepting the reality that they would not be moving out today, Nurse Chun produced her needlework basket, gathering with the young maids around the hearth to sew. Xiao Qiao lay idly on the couch, staring blankly into space. Suddenly, a soft knock echoed at the door. It was the station master, who had personally brought over a platter of freshly roasted chestnuts, their sweet and fragrant aroma instantly filling the air. Nurse Chun handed him some coins and accepted the offering. Xiao Qiao then instructed a maid to wrap a portion of the chestnuts in a handkerchief and deliver them to Nanny Zhong, who occupied a separate room nearby.

 

A short while later, the maid returned, reporting that Nanny Zhong had declined the food, merely requesting her to convey her gratitude for the Lady's kindness.

 

Xiao Qiao saw that she did not want them, so she did not force the matter and let the maids share them instead. Delighted, the maids clustered around the brazier, peeling the chestnuts while chatting in hushed, pleasant tones.

 

Setting aside her needlework, Nurse Chun washed her hands and sat beside Xiao Qiao to peel a chestnut for her. "This Nanny Zhong is truly difficult to approach," she sighed softly. "If even a servant behaves with such rigid coldness, one cannot help but wonder what Lady Xu will be like once we reach our destination. And what of your mother-in-law?" She placed a golden, freshly peeled chestnut into Xiao Qiao's mouth, letting out another heavy sigh.

 

Seeing that her nurse was fretting over her future once again, Xiao Qiao peeled a chestnut herself and playfully forced it into the older woman's mouth. "Is that estate populated by monsters who intend to swallow me alive, Nurse?" she laughed gently. "What is there to worry about? Just eat your chestnuts!"

 

"Fire! There's a fire!"

 

Right at that moment, a sudden commotion erupted from the courtyard outside, accompanied by frantic shouting.

 

Startled, Nurse Chun scrambled to her feet and pushed the door open to investigate. To her horror, a corner storage room located just a few doors down was indeed ablaze. Thick plumes of dark smoke and bright tongues of fire were pouring aggressively from the doors and windows, indicating the fire had started deep within the interior. Hearing the chaos, Nanny Zhong emerged from her quarters at the same time. The station master came running toward them in a complete panic. Even as he ordered his remaining staff to suppress the flames, he bowed frantically to offer his apologies to Xiao Qiao, who had stepped out onto the veranda. He explained that it was a storage room for odds and ends, and for some reason it had suddenly caught fire. Seeing that the flames were fierce and fearing it might spread here, he had to ask the Lord’s Lady to temporarily relocate to the front hall for safety.

 

Nurse Chun bolted back into the room, emerging seconds later with Xiao Qiao's heavy winter cloak. Nanny Zhong quickly led the young maids into their rooms to gather their small valuables before returning. Together, the group clustered protectively around Xiao Qiao, escorting her toward the front hall.

 

Because the vast majority of the station's occupants had followed Wei Liang to clear the mountain pass, the hands available to fight the fire were severely lacking. The station master came running back in a desperate rush, pleading to borrow the two personal guards to assist with the water buckets. Nanny Zhong flatly refused him, saying, "Every soul has their assigned duty. The sole mandate assigned to these two men is to guard the person of the Lady—"

Before the final word could completely leave her lips, the heavy main doors behind them were violently slammed open with a deafening beng. Several men who had appeared to be ordinary merchants suddenly charged into the hall with drawn blades. Without a single word of warning, they lunged directly toward Xiao Qiao’s position.

"Protect the Lady!" Nanny Zhong reacted with extraordinary speed. Shouting at the top of her lungs, she threw her own body directly in front of Xiao Qiao, shielding her from the attackers. Nurse Chun caught on instantly, throwing herself tightly against Xiao Qiao’s side.

The two personal guards left behind were highly trained warriors. Faced with superior numbers, they displayed not a shred of hesitation. Drawing their steel blades with a sharp ring, they formed a tight, synchronized wall at the absolute vanguard, clashing fiercely with the intruders to hold them at bay.

"Who are you villains?" Nanny Zhong bellowed with fierce authority. "How dare you attack the dependent of the Yan Marquis of Youzhou?"

Right at that critical juncture, the frantic thunder of horse hooves striking the snow echoed sharply from outside the entrance. In the blink of an eye, a magnificent white stallion burst directly through the main threshold into the hall. Seated high upon the mount was a towering figure wearing a wide bamboo hat and a traditional coir raincoat. The wide brim of the hat was pressed exceptionally low, completely obscuring his facial features, though his physical frame left no doubt that he was a man. His equestrian skills were nothing short of miraculous; upon breaching the hall, he did not halt his momentum for a single fraction of a second. Carrying a freezing gust of wind and winter snow, he charged directly toward Xiao Qiao like a localized hurricane. The two guards were utterly unable to counter the overwhelming weight and speed of the charging stallion, forced to dive to either side to avoid being trampled beneath the hooves. In a flash, the white horse materialized directly before Xiao Qiao, its massive chest violently throwing Nanny Zhong and Nurse Chun aside. Amidst a chorus of piercing screams from the terrified maids, the rider bent his torso low, extending a powerful arm to effortlessly scoop Xiao Qiao off her feet and pull her onto the saddle before him. With a brutal yank of the reins, the rider executed a flawless, tight pivot. The white stallion spun on its haunches and charged back out through the grand entrance, vanishing into the storm. The men who had initiated the ambush gave a sharp, echoing whistle, retreating from the hall as swiftly as a receding tide.

 

The entire sequence had unfolded with terrifying velocity. From the initial breach of the doors to the final departure, barely a few dozen seconds had elapsed.

When Nanny Zhong and Nurse Chun had been thrown aside by the impact of the horse, both had sustained painful bruises. Completely ignoring their injuries, they scrambled up from the floor and bolted to the open threshold. Yet, by the time they reached the door, the white stallion had already covered more than half a li. It had shrunk to a tiny, fleeting white speck against the vast, blinding expanse of the snowy plains, vanishing entirely into the horizon a second later.