The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Wrath of the Marquis of Yan (Part III)

Wei Shao parted ways with Gongsun Yang and walked toward Xiao Qiao’s residence.

 

The two servant women knew that the city had changed masters overnight and that Grand Administrator Chen along with his entire family of dozens of people had all become prisoners. At this moment, having been ordered to remain here to be at her disposal, their four eyes were wide open. They did not dare to relax for a single moment, deeply fearing that some blunder might occur. Suddenly, they saw a man walking over from the far end of the corridor. Although he was young, his stride was imbued with an implicit authority. They also saw the guards along the corridor salute him and call him "Lord Marquis," knowing that this was the Marquis of Yan, Wei Shao, the husband of the lady inside the room. They hurriedly went to meet him, kneeling separately on either side.

 

Wei Shao stopped, glanced at the candle fire shining through the window, and asked about the situation inside the room. One replied, saying that after the previous Envoy Gongsun and the military doctor left, the two of them had been waiting here for orders and had not left for a split second, but the lady inside the room had not called for them at all, so she should have fallen asleep.

 

Wei Shao walked to the front of the door and paused for a brief moment.

 

It was true that she had been abducted by Chen Rui, but there seemed to be suspicious points regarding the process. Why not take this opportunity to ask her directly, and then it would be clear.

 

Thinking this way, his heart felt at ease. Thereupon, he raised his hand, pushed the door open, and entered. Turning past the bed screen facing him, he saw her lying with her clothes on against one end of the bed couch, the quilt pulled up to her abdomen, her face turned inward, completely motionless. It should indeed be as the servant woman said—she had fallen asleep.

 

Wei Shao walked straight to the bedside. Just as he was about to wake her, he first caught sight of the side of her cheek facing outward, which seemed to carry some residual tear stains. His gaze fixed for a moment, then moved downward, turning toward her hands.

 

Her two hands were currently resting lightly outside the quilt with her palms facing upward. The palms were slender and soft, and her fingers curled into a soft, natural angle, perfectly clean, just like green scallions. Her sleeves were also folded up twice, piled up slightly above her forearms, wrinkling below the crook of her elbows, revealing a section of jade-like arms. The skin was visibly smooth and moist, except for the section around the middle of her wrists, which was wrapped in a ring of fine, soft white linen cloth, with the dark color of medicinal ointment faintly seeping through, looking very obtrusive.

 

Wei Shao watched for a moment, and his gaze shifted back to her face once again.

 

The candlelight shone from the side, passing through the curtains and casting a half-bright, half-dark illumination onto her face, causing her long eyelashes to cast a quiet, fan-shaped shadow on her lower eyelids. Her face was slightly turned inward, so he could only see half of the soft, beautiful lines of her profile. Faint candlelight and silk curtain shadows, a beautiful woman sleeping alone, just like a branch of begonia separated by mist. Purely for a man’s vision, it was naturally a kind of enjoyment that could bring pleasure.

 

Wei Shao was a normal man. Since she was asleep anyway, it was inevitable that he took another look. Only then did he seem to suddenly notice that the corners of her lips seemed to be naturally upturned slightly. Just like right now, perhaps due to the pain in her wrists, her brow was clearly knitted slightly in her sleep, yet because of these pursed, slightly upturned corners of her lips, her sleeping expression undeservedly gained a few more hints of delicate innocence.

 

Wei Shao watched for a moment, and suddenly felt a bit disinclined to wake her up. Retracting his gaze, just as he turned around to leave, Xiao Qiao on the bed seemed to sense something. Her eyelids fluttered slightly and she slowly opened her eyes, unclearly seeing a human figure shifting slightly in front of the bed. She was greatly shocked, letting out a low cry, and sat up with a start.

 

"It's me!"

 

Wei Shao stopped, turned around, and immediately spoke.

 

The experiences of these past few days were truly somewhat unbearable to look back upon, and having suddenly startled awake from a dream, it was inevitable that she was a bit jumpy, mistaking every bush for a soldier. At this moment, Xiao Qiao had also clearly seen the comer, and she slowly exhaled a breath.

 

She guessed he must have come because there was a matter. And ten to one, it should be related to the process of her being abducted. So she did not say anything else, sitting there with her face slightly tilted up, looking at him, waiting for him to speak.

 

After a while, she did not wait for him to speak. Seeing his gaze moving downward, she followed it and cast a glance down. She slowly pulled her hands into the corner of the quilt, covering them.

 

Wei Shao then averted his gaze, also turning his face slightly away without looking at her, speaking in a flat tone: "I came over to give you a word, recover from your injuries well. There is no need to go to Yuyang for the time being. After some time I will also return, and at that time I will take you back together along the way."

 

Xiao Qiao was somewhat surprised, but she did not say anything else. Just looking at him, she gave a soft hum of assent.

 

Wei Shao glanced at her, turned around, and went out. Xiao Qiao heard his voice from outside the door instructing the servant women to attend to her properly, and subsequently, the sound of footsteps gradually disappeared.

 

Xiao Qiao slowly lay back down.

 

Deep in her heart, she always felt as if something was not quite right.

 

Regarding the process of her being hijacked, he did not ask. Did this indicate he did not know Liu Yan was the one who initially abducted her?

 

If he never brought it up, could she also pretend nothing of the sort happened and just gloss over it like this?

 

……

Starting from the next day, Wei Shao issued official documents in the city to pacify the common people and take over the government offices, busy for several consecutive days without showing his face again. Xiao Qiao did not take a single step out of the room either, staying inside to eat, drink, sleep, and nurse her injuries. Four or five days later, the two servant women attending to her came to invite her to go out and board a carriage. Only then did Xiao Qiao know they were returning to Xindu.

 

Wei Shao entrusted Shiyi to Gongsun Yang. Wei Liang and those injured generals and soldiers remained behind to continue recovering from their wounds. A large portion of the troops was left to garrison the defense, while he himself led the remaining subordinate troops, bringing Xiao Qiao back along the way.

 

Xiao Qiao still sat inside a carriage whose interior was very comfortably decorated. That morning, when leaving Shiyi city, she looked out from the carriage window and saw that the streets were cold and desolate, with the doors and windows of most civilian households on both sides of the road tightly closed. But she was certain that behind these doors and windows, there must be countless pairs of eyes carrying fear or resistance, peeking through the cracks at the new master of this city passing by on the road. On the rare occasion she saw people, they were only standing far away at the entrances of alleys and the ends of streets. Only after their column of troops had completely passed by did the people gradually emerge from corners unknown, gathering in twos and threes, looking at their retreating figures and whispering in low tones, murmuring privately.

 

When they were about to exit the city gate, a child of four or five years old suddenly ran out swiftly from a half-opened door on the side, chasing a badger. The child happened to block the horse of Wei Shao, who was leading the way in front. Wei Shao pulled up the reins, forcing the horse's head to turn sharply in another direction, only then barely avoiding the child.

 

"Audacious! Whose child is this, to be let out to recklessly collide like this!"

 

Tan Fu, another General of the Central Army under Wei Shao's command who followed behind him, had lost two capable deputy generals on the night of attacking the city and was already displeased. These past few days following Gongsun Yang to pacify the populace, seeing that the populace actually kept a wide berth as if avoiding a plague, the progress was not smooth. In his heart, he resented these people for not knowing what was good for them, and at this moment he erupted, fiercely drawing his blade and roaring angrily toward the side.

 

The child was frightened, falling on his butt onto the ground and starting to wail and cry loudly. The woman inside the house heard it, only then discovering her son had run out while she was not paying attention. Her face turned deathly pale, and she rushed out frantically, scooping her son into her arms, bringing him to kneel in front of the horse's head, incessantly knocking her head to beg for mercy.

 

Wei Shao stabilized his horse, his face also carrying some gloominess, his brow furrowed as if he too was enduring. He waved his hand rather impatiently. The woman knew this meant a pardon, hurriedly knocked her head once more, and ran inside the door holding her son. Just as they entered, that door closed with a ya sound.

 

Tan Fu glanced at Wei Shao, and seeing that his face had already restored its initial cold solemnity, only then sullenly sheared his blade back into its scabbard, continuing to exit the city.

 

Xiao Qiao had originally watched with some tension, but fortunately this small interlude passed safely and smoothly. She finally exhaled a soft breath and let down the carriage curtain.

 

……

Xiao Qiao followed Wei Shao’s column of troops and successfully returned to Xindu.

 

Chun Niang and the others had already returned ahead of Xiao Qiao.

 

Chun Niang’s own daughter had unfortunately fallen ill and died prematurely when she was raised to three or four years old. From then on, Chun Niang placed all her thoughts and care onto Xiao Qiao, viewing her as more important than her own life. That day right in front of her, watching her get suddenly abducted by someone like that with her own eyes, Chun Niang was heartbroken. After returning to Xindu first according to Wei Liang’s instructions, these past few days she could not eat by day or sleep by night, crying until her eyes were swollen. In just a short few days, her originally plump face had leaned down quite a bit. At this moment, finally awaiting Xiao Qiao’s safe return, at first her tears of joy came out. Then seeing Xiao Qiao’s wrists were injured and learning she had actually burned herself with a candle fire in order to escape, her heart ached so much she shed tears again. After a bout of crying and laughing, laughing and crying, they finally returned to the Shayang Residence where Xiao Qiao had stayed for one night previously. The maidservants reopened the boxes and cases, laid out the utensils, and prepared to settle down.

 

This "new room" was originally supposed to be the bedchamber where Wei Shao usually resided. Apparently, it had been cleaned up on the second day after Xiao Qiao left, and inside one could no longer see the slightest festive atmosphere of having served as a "new room." That night Xiao Qiao rested as usual, knowing that Wei Shao would definitely not come over to share a room with her. On the other hand, Chun Niang, after going through this matter, did not know what she was thinking, but seemed to have some new worry on her mind—truly a case of the emperor not being anxious while the eunuchs were worried to death. She waited until very late. Xiao Qiao had long since gone to sleep, yet she still endured and refused to go to bed, until the maidservant who had been bought over by her with money to do odd jobs in Wei Shao’s study secretly passed a message over, saying the Lord Marquis ordered a bed to be laid out in the study to prepare to spend the night. Only then did she give up hope, sullenly closing the door to go to sleep.

 

Over the next few days, Xiao Qiao was taken care of by Chun Niang with meticulous care, truly to the point of opening her mouth for food and stretching out her hands for clothes. Xiao Qiao was certain that in this lifetime, as long as Chun Niang was by her side, even if she had no hands or feet, she could still live very comfortably.

 

The burns on her wrists, having endured the pain of the first few days, were now beginning to recover, slowly shedding that layer of dead skin and starting to grow new skin. The doctor would come over every day to change her medicine. Starting from yesterday, they no longer used that original black, mushy ointment that smelled a bit foul, changing it to a new milk-white medicine that smelled very cool and comfortable. The doctor said this ointment had the effect of removing corruption and generating flesh. According to the degree of the lady's burns, judging by his experience, if it recovered well, it should be able to grow smooth skin just like before without leaving scars.

 

Chun Niang had been worrying about this for the first few days, deeply fearing that Xiao Qiao’s originally beautiful pair of jade wrists would leave burn marks. Hearing the doctor say this, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

 

That night, Xiao Qiao bathed.

 

She washed herself exceptionally frequently. Over the past two years, even in such a severe winter, as long as she was at home and had the conditions, she would definitely take a major wash every two days. At the very beginning, Chun Niang felt strange about this bathing habit of hers that had suddenly become different from usual, but later she gradually grew used to it. Anyway, the Qiao family had a grand estate and large business; it was nothing more than letting the kitchen burn a few more buckets of hot water.

 

The bathhouse here was connected to the bedchamber where Xiao Qiao lived, separated by a screen in the middle. Chun Niang helped Xiao Qiao take off her clothes, assisted her into the large bath vat, and ordered her to hold her hands high, not allowing her wrists to get the slightest bit wet. Seeing her listening obediently, only then did she satisfyingly help her wash her long hair.

 

Xiao Qiao leaned against the edge of the bath vat. The hot water soaked up to above her chest, the waterline rippling slightly with Chun Niang’s water-stroking movements, as if small tongues were gently licking and kissing the skin of her chest, bringing a faint itchiness. Her entire person soaked inside, warm and comfortable, feeling Chun Niang using a skilled and comfortable technique to help massage her scalp, so comfortable she was about to fall asleep.

 

"...Lady, there is a sentence, this servant does not know whether it should be spoken or not..."

 

While Xiao Qiao had her eyes closed, she suddenly heard Chun Niang speaking in a low voice by her ear, so she gave a hum of assent.

 

"This servant always feels that the person who rode a horse and abducted the lady in the relay post that day looked somewhat familiar..."

 

Chun Niang’s voice came over, pressed against Xiao Qiao’s ear.

 

Xiao Qiao paused, opened her eyes, sat up straight, and turned her head to look at Chun Niang. Seeing that she was also looking at herself, her expression held some uncertainty, but more of it should still be worry—Xiao Qiao could see it.

 

"Lady..." Chun Niang looked at her and let out a soft sigh, "Is that person truly the young master this servant is thinking of?"

 

Liu Yan had lived in the Qiao family for many years. Although he left later and several years had passed, the features and characteristics of a person, even if changed somewhat with adulthood, generally remained unchanged. For Chun Niang to be able to recognize him was also normal.

 

Looking at her pair of eyes full of anxiety, Xiao Qiao hesitated for a moment, leaning to her ear to whisper: "Chun Niang rest assured, he should not come again in the future."

 

Chun Niang was stunned, her expression becoming even more anxious.

 

"Does the Marquis of Yan know about this matter?"

 

She asked by Xiao Qiao’s ear in a voice that was almost a whisper.

 

Xiao Qiao shook her head.

 

"The night he captured Shiyi, he came to see me. I thought he was going to ask me about the process of being abducted that day. If he had asked then, I would have told him, but he did not ask, so I thought it better to avoid unnecessary trouble..."

 

Chun Niang was lost in thought for a moment.

 

"Hopefully the matter will just pass like this..."

 

She let out a sigh.

 

Seeing her anxious, Xiao Qiao wrapped her two snow-white arms around her neck, humming and acting coquettishly in her nose: "Chun Niang, my wrists itch so much, I really want to scratch them... what should I do..."

 

With her wrists growing new skin, it was inevitable that they would begin to itch, plus the hot steam billowing in the bath vat, she was not lying to her.

 

Chun Niang immediately became tense, hurriedly catching her hands and gently rubbing and massaging with the pads of her fingers near her injuries, saying in her mouth: "Endure it and it will pass. You are not allowed to scratch recklessly yourself, do you hear me? What if you scratch it bad and leave scars?"

 

Xiao Qiao hummed in agreement twice, her face leaning against her warm and soft chest, rubbing a few times with her eyes closed, her voice delicate and soft: "Chun Niang, you are so good to me..."

 

Chun Niang then smiled, "My Manman is so beautiful and thoughtful, who could harden their heart and bear to be bad to you..."

 

Before her voice could fall, a bang sound suddenly came from outside. The room door seemed to be pushed open by someone with a force that implied a bit of crude anger.

 

"Lord Marquis! The lady is still in the bathhouse bathing—"

 

The maidservant's voice followed, from which panic could be heard.

 

Xiao Qiao opened her eyes.

 

Chun Niang was also stunned for a moment, then subsequently patted her shoulder as if to comfort her. She hurriedly rose, just about to go meet him, when a burst of footsteps drew near. A human figure shifted behind the screen, and that low-hanging curtain was pulled open with a hard tug by someone. Wei Shao broke straight into the bathhouse.

 

The candle fires on the kneeling bronze lampstands standing at the four corners flickered slightly. In this space filled with fragrant, soft mist, along with his sudden intrusion, the air also seemed to quickly cool down.

 

He stood there, his expression extremely cold and detached, yet his gaze revealed an un-concealable anger, sweeping a glance at Xiao Qiao who was still sitting in the bath vat opposite him.

 

"Get out," he said.

 

Chun Niang knew he was speaking to her. Suppressing the unease in her heart, she said in a slightly trembling voice: "Lord Marquis has come to find the lady? The lady is still bathing, please allow this servant to serve her in dressing first..."

 

"Roll out!"

 

Wei Shao abruptly raised his volume.

 

Chun Niang’s shoulders shook slightly, yet she still stubbornly stood half-bowed in front of Xiao Qiao, refusing to go out.

 

"Chun Niang, you go. I am fine," Xiao Qiao said slowly.

Chun Niang looked back at Xiao Qiao, and finally lowered her head, silently walking out past Wei Shao.