The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Chopping the Tree

By the evening of the following day, Wei Liang had ridden under the cover of night to reach Shiyi. Standing beneath the city gates, he shouted furious challenges upward, his roaring voice carrying all the way to the top of the ramparts.

Shiyi was situated north of the Taihang Mountains. Backed by a natural chasm, it was a highly strategic position that was notoriously easy to defend but incredibly difficult to conquer. The current Grand Administrator of Shiyi was Chen Pang, courtesy name Xiaoxian. He was Chen Rui's uncle and had governed Shiyi for many years.

While Chen Xiang and his son, Chen Rui, were infamous for their sheer cruelty, Chen Pang possessed a sterling reputation. He cared deeply for the common folk under his jurisdiction and had won the hearts of the people. Years ago, Wei Shao’s father, Wei Jing, had launched several assaults against Shiyi. However, because the local populace actively supplied provisions and lent their labor to aid Chen Pang, the elder Wei had been forced to retreat each time after prolonged, fruitless sieges.

A few years back, a young and hot-headed Wei Shao, wielding thunderous momentum, had set his sights on Shiyi, determined to conquer this gateway to the west. Upon catching wind of the news, Chen Pang grew deeply wary of Wei Shao’s aggressive advance. Fearing that the young Marquis would invent an excuse to attack, Chen Pang submitted a memorial to the imperial court detailing the plight of his commandery. He wept in his petition, describing how his subjects craved nothing but stability, and how rumors of impending warfare had triggered a mass exodus of desperate families fleeing into the wilderness, abandoning their fields and wells. His words subtly pointed the finger at Wei Shao for inciting unprovoked aggression.

The imperial court, naturally loath to see Wei Shao’s power expand unchecked, intervened by issuing a decree. Wei Shao had consulted his strategist, Gongsun Yang, on the matter. Gongsun Yang advised that Shiyi had long been under the sphere of influence of Chen Xiang, and since Chen Pang had cultivated deep gratitude among his people, any attempt to capture the city would require leaving behind a massive garrison; otherwise, all prior efforts would be wasted. He argued that they should focus on consolidating their existing territories first, as the timing for a westward expansion was not yet mature, and launching an unjustified war would alienate the populace. Wei Shao took the advice, and Shiyi narrowly escaped disaster.

Several years had passed since then. Chen Pang had continued to train his troops and hoard provisions, keeping Shiyi peaceful and undisturbed. He never expected that out of nowhere, the gate captain would suddenly rush in to report that Wei Liang of Youzhou had arrived to challenge them. Because the crisis had erupted without warning, Chen Pang was thoroughly startled. He hurriedly mobilized his generals and scaled the walls to assess the situation. Upon seeing that Wei Liang had brought only a dozen or so retainers rather than a massive army, he finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Wei Liang was a famously fierce general under Wei Shao's banner, and Chen Pang was well aware of his formidable reputation. For him to suddenly show up and hurl insults beneath the gates suggested a hidden, deeper motive. Hoping to divine his intent, Chen Pang initiated a distant dialogue from atop the wall. Seeing that Chen Pang had finally shown himself, Wei Liang wasted no words. With a cold sneer, he notched a silk scroll to his bow and let fly. The arrow tore through the air with a sharp, whistling shriek, embedding itself deep into the wooden flagpole planted on the ramparts.

Chen Pang ordered his men to retrieve the scroll from the arrow shaft. As he unfurled and read it, his countenance shifted drastically.

Mere hours prior, his nephew Chen Rui had arrived beneath the very same gates, shouting for entry. Chen Pang had already heard rumors of the catastrophic defeat at Boling late last year, and had assumed Chen Rui had long since retreated with the main army back to Jinyang in Bingzhou. He had never anticipated that his nephew would suddenly materialize at his doorstep, and so he had ordered the gates opened to welcome him.

At the time, Chen Rui had appeared completely exhausted, claiming he hadn't slept a wink the night before as he fled toward Shiyi under the cover of darkness. Yet, when questioned about his exact point of origin, he had been evasive and tight-lipped. Furthermore, Chen Pang noticed a carriage accompanying his nephew’s retinue, its walls completely cloaked and sealed. When pressed about who was inside, Chen Rui had remained deliberately vague, offering only that it was a female relative who was far too bashful to show her face.

Knowing his nephew's notoriously lustful nature and that his inner chambers were already crowded with concubines, Chen Pang felt a surge of displeasure seeing that the boy had not forgotten to drag a woman along even while fleeing a military disaster. He reprimanded his nephew with a few stern words, strictly warning him not to disturb the local citizens. Seeing Chen Rui nod submissively in agreement, Chen Pang had simply assigned him quarters, choosing to turn a blind eye to the matter.

He had honestly assumed his nephew had merely brought along an ordinary woman, or at worst, a girl plundered from some random village. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that the captive was actually Wei Shao’s newly wedded wife—the younger daughter of the Qiao clan of Yanzhou.

The shock was nothing short of monumental.

Chen Pang immediately ordered his men to lock down the city gates, strictly forbidding anyone from opening them for any reason. Turning on his heel, he hurried down the ramparts to find Chen Rui.

Upon arriving at his designated quarters, Chen Rui dismissed his entire entourage, commanding that not a single soul remain within earshot. Once the room was cleared, he carried a bound Xiao Qiao down from the carriage and strode directly into the bedchamber.

Slamming the door shut, he ripped the gag from her mouth and unknotted the ropes binding her hands and feet. Seeing that her delicate, snow-white wrists had been rubbed raw, leaving behind a dark ring of purplish bruises, a wave of intense heartache washed over his features. Leaning in close, he lunged forward to seize her hands, attempting to blow on the wounds and rub them warm.

"Do not hold a grudge against me, my fair lady!" he cooed frantically. "I am truly not a boorish man by nature! I was merely terrified that you would lose your head and cry out for help, which would have aroused my uncle's suspicions. If you had just remained quiet, how could I have ever brought myself to treat you so harshly?"

Xiao Qiao nimbly evaded his outstretched hands. Turning her torso aside, she slowly massaged her numbed wrists while fixing Chen Rui with a piercing, ice-cold glare, remaining utterly silent.

Standing by her side, Chen Rui simply stared, completely entranced, his eyes glazed with desire.

After enduring a frantic, bone-rattling ride in the carriage all through the night, her face was heavily etched with fatigue. Faint dark circles shadowed the skin beneath her eyes, and her hair had fallen into a state of slight disarray. Yet, these imperfections did not diminish her beauty in the slightest; instead, they lent her a delicate, heart-wrenching fragility that practically begged for protection.

Chen Rui was a robust man who had been indulging in carnal pleasures since the age of fourteen. He had possessed well over a hundred women in his life, many of whom were renowned beauties, but he had never laid eyes on a countenance quite like Xiao Qiao’s. The longer he gazed at her, the more his infatuation swelled. He wished he could squeeze her into a tiny ball and swallow her whole. His heart felt as though it were being bitten by a thousand insects, itching with an unbearable, maddening desire. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he lunged forward, locking his arms around her frame in a desperate attempt to force his lips onto hers.

"My fair lady!" he pleaded frantically, his words jumbled. "I truly love you to the absolute core! That bastard Wei Shao is utterly heartless and devoid of affection—to think he would send you away on the literal day after your wedding! Could it be that he is not even a real man down there? Since he isn't a man, you might as well abandon him! Yield to me instead! From this day forward, I will be the one to cherish and coddle you..."

Xiao Qiao was seized by absolute horror. She twisted violently to evade his snapping mouth, successfully dodging his upper body, but failed to guard against his lower movements. In her frantic struggles, one of her shoes and embroidered socks were ripped away by his grasping fingers. Deprived of all concealment, her bare, delicate foot was thrust directly beneath Chen Rui’s gaze, its pristine, pale flesh resembling a flawless block of chilled tofu.

Chen Rui’s eyes went completely rigid. He swallowed hard, a heavy gulp echoing in his throat. Forcing down the overwhelming urge to pounce forward and devour her flesh, he hesitated for a fraction of a second before drawing his steel sword, brandishing it threateningly before her face.

"If you refuse to submit to me, I will slaughter you right where you sit!"

To say she felt no terror falling into the clutches of a monster like Chen Rui would be a lie. Yet, Xiao Qiao possessed a sharp, discerning mind. She could see that this man was utterly consumed by lust, so much so that he was entirely unconcerned with making a pathetic spectacle of himself. His sudden resort to drawing a blade was likely nothing more than a desperate attempt to intimidate her.

Gradually, her racing heart began to steady. Fearing that he would attempt to use brute force against her again, she channeled her fear into cold fury, snapping, "My Qiao family has governed the people of Yanzhou for three generations; we are considered an esteemed, aristocratic clan! No matter how dire my circumstances, how could I ever permit myself to be defiled by the likes of you? If you dare commit another act of insolence, I would infinitely prefer to end my own life than suffer your humiliation!"

Even in her fury, the beauty possessed a distinct, mesmerizing charm.

Confronted by a face that remained breathtaking whether filled with sorrow or rage, Chen Rui’s hand suddenly lost all its strength. His grip faltered, and with a sharp clank, his sword slipped from his fingers, clattering loudly against the floor. He dropped to his knees right alongside it, rambling desperately, "Very well! Very well! I shall not force you anymore! Do you require me to marry you as a proper wife before you will yield to me? What is so difficult about that? The position of my primary wife currently stands vacant; marrying you would be absolute perfection..."

As the words poured out of his mouth, a sudden flurry of heavy footsteps approached the chamber, followed by a sharp, frantic pounding on the wooden panels. His uncle, Chen Pang, was shouting outside.

A look of intense annoyance flashed across Chen Rui’s features. He leaped to his feet and turned to exit, but paused abruptly at the threshold. Hissing under his breath, he spun around to deliver a hushed warning to Xiao Qiao: "Do not let my uncle discover that you are Wei Shao’s wife! If he finds out, he will undoubtedly deliver you straight to Jinyang!"

Having delivered his strict injunction, Chen Rui finally cracked the door open. He carefully blocked Chen Pang’s line of sight to ensure his uncle could catch no glimpse of Xiao Qiao inside, slipping out of the room and pulling the door firmly shut behind him.

"Does Uncle have urgent business with me?" he asked casually.

Chen Pang’s face was exceedingly dark. Pointing a trembling finger directly at the locked door, he demanded without preamble, "The woman you brought back—is she the wife of Wei Shao?"

Chen Rui gasped inwardly. Just as he was about to manufacture a denial, Chen Pang’s finger thrust directly toward his face, his voice rising in a sharp, furious lecture: "Are you trying to bring absolute ruin upon my Shiyi? Of all the women in the world to touch, you chose to lay your hands on Wei Shao’s woman? How could a man like him ever tolerate such an insult? Right now, Wei Liang is beneath our very walls, hurling challenges! Where is she? Hand her over immediately so we can send her out before Wei Shao arrives!"

Chen Rui had never expected Wei Liang to track his trail with such terrifying speed. He froze for a moment. But as he watched Chen Pang reach out to force the door open, his possessive fury flared. How could he possibly surrender a peerless beauty who was already safely within his grasp? Furthermore, he already harbored a deep, bitter enmity toward Wei Shao. Stepping forward, he bodily blocked Chen Pang’s path, a cold sneer curling his lips.

"So what if I have claimed Wei Shao’s wife? If he possesses supreme ability, let him attempt to wrest her back from my hands!"

Chen Pang stamped his foot in sheer exasperation. "Ignorant fool! I have painstakingly governed Shiyi for over a decade just to maintain the fragile stability we enjoy today, and you have handed him the perfect pretext to launch an invasion! Out of my way this instant!"

Chen Rui blinked, but quickly shrugged with utter indifference. "Let Wei Shao come then! Why should I harbor any fear toward him? During the previous campaign at Boling, I merely suffered a minor lapse in vigilance, which caused my horse to stumble. I have been burning for an opportunity to contest for supremacy against him once more. I shall be waiting for him right here!"

Chen Pang’s hands trembled so violently with rage that his lips turned a bruised shade of dark purple. Seeing his uncle's apoplectic state, Chen Rui calculated swiftly and shifted to a placating tone: "We went through immense peril to capture Wei Shao’s wife; how can we simply return her just because they ask? If word of this gets out, where will our Bingzhou honor stand? Besides, even if we were to cast her out this very second, it is far too late. Wei Shao will launch his assault regardless! To tell you the truth, Uncle, I have already dispatched a courier to my father in Jinyang. I intend to use her as leverage to demand two major cities from Wei Shao. Shiyi is protected by a natural chasm and is completely impregnable. Didn't Wei Shao's father attempt to breach these walls in the past? He failed completely! Why must Uncle constantly inflate the enemy's prestige while trampling upon our own martial spirit?"

"Have you truly dispatched a message to Jinyang?" Chen Pang demanded, staring at him.

Chen Rui raised his hand, swearing a solemn oath to the heavens.

Chen Pang began to vacillate.

If the leadership in Jinyang had indeed been apprised of the situation, he no longer possessed the unilateral authority to return Wei Shao’s wife. Finding himself riding a tiger from which it was impossible to dismount, his only recourse was to await instructions from the main clan. After wrestling with his thoughts, he cast a resentful, lingering glance toward the locked bedchamber before turning on his heel and storming away.

Upon returning to his headquarters, Chen Pang ordered scouts to observe the gates. They returned to report that Wei Liang remained exactly where he was, sitting astride his warhorse with his arms wrapped tightly around his blade, completely unmoving.

Knowing that this matter could no longer be resolved through peaceful diplomacy, and plagued by a nagging anxiety over his earlier conversation with his nephew, Chen Pang felt an overwhelming sense of unease. Driven by an urgent instinct, he hurriedly penned a private missive, sealed it securely with hot wax and his personal signet, and summoned a trusted confidant. He commanded the man to ride through the night at absolute top speed to deliver the letter directly to Jinyang.

The confidant clutched the letter and bolted from the room. As Chen Pang paced the floor of his study in an anxious frenzy, a cold, mocking voice suddenly echoed from the doorway.

"Uncle, it seems you truly place no faith in your nephew."

Chen Pang snapped his head up. Chen Rui was standing at the threshold, his drawn sword pointed directly at the chest of the very messenger who had just departed, forcing the man to stumble backward into the room.

Chen Pang’s countenance shifted drastically. Darkening his expression, he demanded furiously, "Yunji, what is the meaning of this?"

Chen Rui let out a freezing chuckle. "Uncle, even when I was residing in Jinyang, I frequently overheard whispers from ministers advising my father that your nature is fundamentally cowardly. They claimed that in your desperate bid to court a gentle reputation, you would not hesitate to bow your head and grovel before Wei Shao just to maintain a pathetic peace. You may have won your precious acclaim, Uncle, but you have utterly degraded the martial pride of our Jinyang clan. Now that I have personally assumed command here, how could I possibly sit idly by and watch you compromise our honor? You are advanced in years, Uncle; it is high time you retired to properly nurse your health. You may rest easy and leave the governance of Shiyi entirely to my hands."

The moment the words left his mouth, a dozen heavily armored guards surged into the room from behind him, instantly pressing the cold edges of their blades against Chen Pang’s neck.

Chen Pang was consumed by absolute fury. He launched into a scathing tirade, cursing Chen Rui as an ignorant, short-sighted brat, tears of rage and sorrow streaming down his aged face. "Ever since you were a child, I knew you were a twisted, unnatural creature! Today, your madness has truly reached its zenith! The fortified city of Shiyi, which I have successfully defended for over ten years, will likely be shattered this very day—all because you chose to throw it away for a single woman!"

Chen Rui had been a deeply vicious and unruly child, and Chen Pang had always detested him, frequently criticizing his flaws in front of Chen Xiang. Consequently, Chen Rui had long harbored a deep-seated resentment toward his uncle. Hearing the old man openly curse him, his fury flared. He commanded his guards to gag Chen Pang’s mouth, drag him down to the dungeons, and place him under maximum security.

Immediately following the coup, Chen Rui issued a sweeping decree throughout the garrison, falsely claiming that he had assumed absolute control over Shiyi's military defense in accordance with his father's supreme commands. He declared that all administrative and tactical matters would henceforth be directed exclusively by his person, warning that any act of insubordination would be met with immediate execution under martial law.

The officers and foot soldiers of the Shiyi garrison were left completely bewildered by the sudden upheaval. However, Chen Rui was, after all, the Third Young Lord of Jinyang, possessed legitimate military accomplishments, and enjoyed his father's immense favor. With Chen Pang suddenly missing from view, and Chen Rui standing before them wielding the official military tallies while ruthlessly threatening death to any dissenters, none dared to mount a resistance. Trembling with apprehension, the entire garrison bowed their heads, accepting Chen Rui as their supreme commander.

Seeing the entire military apparatus of Shiyi treating him with such absolute deference and humility, the suffocating humiliation Chen Rui had accumulated over the past weeks was completely swept away.

Shiyi boasted a standing garrison of twenty thousand soldiers, all of whom were highly trained elites. Combined with the naturally treacherous terrain that amplified their defensive capabilities, the city was practically unassailable.

He was practically burning for Wei Shao to arrive. The moment he smashed Wei Shao’s forces beneath these walls, he would not only wash away his past shame in the eyes of the Jinyang leadership, but he would also stand tall and proud before his peerless captive. He would ensure she would never dare to look down upon him ever again.

His chest swelling with a wave of grand, heroic arrogance, Chen Rui personally led a formidable column of archers up onto the city ramparts. Peering over the battlements, he noted that Wei Liang was indeed still waiting patiently a dozen or so chang away. With a sharp flick of his hand, he commanded his archers to unleash a synchronized volley of arrows, the lethal rain forcing Wei Liang to retreat.

Leaning his torso over the stone battlements, Chen Rui let out a booming, echoing roar that reverberated across the plain: "Go and carry a message to Wei Shao! Tell that bastard to wait until after this Third Young Lord has formally wed his beautiful lady! Only then shall I deign to meet him on the field of battle and clash for three hundred rounds!"

Forced back dozens of paces by the dense arrow formation, Wei Liang watched as Chen Rui turned and strode away amidst a chorus of arrogant, mocking laughter. He had no way of knowing how the young lady was faring inside the city, nor could he be certain whether his swift riders had successfully delivered the intelligence to Xindu. After a moment of grim deliberation, he ordered a handful of scouts to remain behind to monitor the city's movements, while he wheeled his horse around and galloped back down the road.

He was entirely consumed by a frantic, burning anxiety, compounded by a suffocating weight of guilt and self-reproach. He rode like a demon, refusing to halt for even a single breath. Around dusk, as he reached the territory of Qingyun—some hundred li away from Shiyi—he spotted an immense cloud of dust billowing toward the horizon, accompanied by a vast sea of snapping battle flags. Recognizing the distinct crest of Wei Shao’s personal vanguard, he tore directly through the ranks.

The soldiers instantly recognized Wei Liang. Seeing his face caked in thick dust and his expressions frantic with terror, they hurriedly parted to clear a path. Wei Liang charged straight to the front of the column where Wei Shao sat astride his mount. Flinging himself from his saddle, he tumbled violently onto the frozen earth, dropping heavily to his knees.

He brought his forehead down hard against the snow, weeping, "Your servant begs the Lord Marquis to grant him the death penalty! You entrusted me with the sacred duty of protecting the lady, yet I have failed catastrophically in my office, allowing her to fall into extreme peril. I possess absolutely no face to stand before the Lord Marquis today! Once I have successfully breached Shiyi and rescued the lady, I shall personally commit suicide to atone for my crimes!"

Wei Shao dismounted in a single, fluid motion. Stepping forward to haul Wei Liang up by his armor, his voice was deceptively calm. "How is she?"

Wei Liang raised his head, his eyes meeting Wei Shao’s intense, unblinking gaze. He hesitated for a fraction of a second, his voice dropping to a strained whisper: "That dog Chen Rui stood atop the ramparts and bellowed to the heavens... claiming he would first wed the lady, and only then would he meet the Lord Marquis on the field to battle for three hundred rounds..."

The surrounding air instantly seemed to freeze into solid ice.

Wei Shao stood entirely motionless. A beat later, his left eyelid twitched violently twice.

Clang!

With an explosive, deafening ring, his steel blade cleared its scabbard. In a single, blinding flash of motion, he brought the heavy weapon down, completely severing an old willow tree by the roadside—whose trunk was as thick as a man's bowl—clean through the middle.

With a massive, rushing roar of splintering wood and rustling leaves, the heavy willow buckled and crashed violently into the snow.

Wei Shao’s face was completely shadowed with a terrifying, murderous dark aura. Turning his head slowly, he enunciated each word with a freezing, razor-sharp precision:

"Pass down my commands. We march through the night without a single halt. Assault Shiyi. Slaughter every soul who resists; leave none alive. Whoever captures Chen Rui alive shall be rewarded with supreme honors!"