The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Woodcutter’s Song

Under the shifting shadows of the moon, Da Qiao finally wrenched her hands from the young man’s grasp. She turned to flee, but before she could take two steps, he caught her from behind, his arms locking tightly around her waist.

She froze. After a long, agonizing moment, she broke free once more.

The man did not pursue her this time. He simply stood there, watching her silhouette fade into the distance. Finally, he sank slowly to his knees. His dark form seemed to solidify against the earth, a motionless statue of grief.

Xiao Qiao’s heart hammered against her ribs. She hurried back as fast as she could. The maid was still deep in slumber. Xiao Qiao slipped past her, climbed back into the inner bed, and pulled the covers over herself. She had just closed her eyes when she heard the faint creak of the outer door. Amidst soft, hurried footsteps, Da Qiao returned.

Likely distracted by her own turmoil, Da Qiao’s foot caught on the small stool beside the maid’s cot. The stool toppled with a sharp clack. The maid jolted awake, her eyes snapping open. Seeing a shadowy figure nearby, she gasped, about to scream, before she recognized Da Qiao.

"It’s nothing. Go back to sleep. I was only using the washroom," Da Qiao said, her voice steady and casual.

The maid, suspecting nothing, hurried to right the stool. A moment later, Xiao Qiao heard the faint rustle of clothes being shed behind the bedcurtains. The curtain parted slightly as Da Qiao climbed into bed, lying down with her back to Xiao Qiao.

At first, she was perfectly still, as if she had fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. But after a few minutes, her shoulders began to tremble. In the silence of the night, the faint, stifled sound of suppressed sobbing reached Xiao Qiao’s ears.

Xiao Qiao felt a war raging within her. As she hesitated over what to do, she heard Da Qiao begin to choke on her own sobs. Fearing she would wake her sister, Da Qiao forced herself to swallow the sound, but her body only spasmed more violently.

Xiao Qiao opened her eyes and turned over. Looking at the trembling back of her cousin, who was curled into a tight, defensive ball, she gritted her teeth and made her decision. She pressed herself against Da Qiao’s back and wrapped her arms around her waist, whispering into her ear:

"Sister, don't cry. When you went out just now... I followed you. I saw everything."

Da Qiao’s body went rigid. She spun around instantly, her voice panicked. "Manman, don't misunderstand! I only—"

Xiao Qiao covered her mouth with a hand, signaling for silence. She slipped out of bed, tiptoed to the door to listen to the maid's rhythmic breathing, and returned to light the oil lamp.

Da Qiao had pulled herself up into a sitting position. Her raven hair fell in disarray over her shoulders. Her hands gripped the quilt around her waist with white-knuckled intensity. Her face was deathly pale, her eyelids a tender pink from weeping, and tear tracks still glistened on her cheeks. She looked like a portrait of a broken beauty.

Seeing Xiao Qiao place the lamp on the bedside stand, Da Qiao finally found her voice. She grabbed Xiao Qiao’s hand, her words coming in a desperate, low rush. "Manman, I truly wasn't thinking of anything else. It was so late and cold outside... I didn't want him to wait in the garden for nothing. If he had been caught, it would have caused a disaster. I only went to tell him to leave..."

Her hands were icy and trembling, mirroring the fragility of her voice.

Xiao Qiao squeezed her hand back. "Sister, I saw him. But don't be afraid; I won't tell anyone. You love him, don't you?"

A faint flush finally crept into Da Qiao’s pale cheeks. She hesitated, then met Xiao Qiao’s gaze and nodded. "His status is low," she whispered, "but he is good. Truly, he is good..."

The boy had grown up in the Qiao family stables. He was a man of few words, almost like a mute, but he was as strong and agile as a leopard. He could outrun the wind, and he possessed an innate connection with horses; even the most savage stallion would become docile under his touch. Eventually, the steward had assigned him to serve as a carriage slave for the Governor’s travels. That was how he first entered the world of the Governor’s eldest daughter, Da Qiao.

For years, however, the only impression this handsome slave with the strange eyes left on Da Qiao was that he was far sturdier than the other "human stools" used to help her climb in and out of the carriage. When she stepped on his back, he remained as immovable as a rock.

She truly began to notice him three years ago, after the death of her fiancé. Though she had never met the man, his passing had saddened her. She began frequenting the Changsheng Temple outside the city with her mother to offer incense. One day, on the return journey, the horses were spooked. They threw the driver from his seat and bolted, dragging the carriage wildly behind them. Trapped inside the swaying, tilting cabin, Da Qiao and her mother were terrified. Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the air. A figure pursued them on foot with incredible speed, catching the lead horse and slowing the team until they came to a halt.

When Da Qiao looked out the window, her face still pale with fright, she saw the man who had saved them. He was standing by the lead horse’s head, stroking its mane and whispering something unintelligible into its ear. The horse calmed instantly.

The rest of the retinue caught up. The steward, furious, raised a whip to lash the horse, but the slave caught the leather mid-air. The black whip coiled tightly around his muscular arm, and the blue veins beneath his skin bulged like thick vines.

As they stood in a tense standoff, the slave turned back and looked at Da Qiao. He had a look of silent plea in his eyes. It was a clear, breezy day. Under the bright sun, his one emerald eye shone like a strange, beautiful crystal.

From that day on, she remembered his name: Bi Zhi.

Da Qiao hated her own lack of eloquence. She didn't know how to convince her sister—who had just discovered her darkest secret—that Bi Zhi was a good man. She stared at Xiao Qiao with wide, anxious eyes.

Xiao Qiao smiled gently. "Sister, you don't need to tell me. I know he is good. He asked you to leave with him tonight, didn't he?"

Da Qiao looked startled. She shook her head at first, then slowly looked down. When she raised her head again, she seemed calmer. "Manman, I would never go with him. I made that clear to him just now. Don't worry, I won't see him again."

"Sister, let him take you away. Don't stay here," Xiao Qiao said.

Xiao Qiao knew that even if Da Qiao married Wei Shao, it would only buy the family a temporary, shameful reprieve. Eventually, the entire Qiao clan would still be destroyed. It was better to follow her father’s instincts and take a gamble. If Da Qiao left, her uncle would have no choice but to listen to her father’s alternative plan for an alliance.

Da Qiao was stunned. She looked at Xiao Qiao for a long time, then gave a bitter laugh. "Silly girl, do you think I've lost my virtue and am afraid of being found out? Don't worry. He and I are perfectly clean. Nothing has happened."

"It’s not because of that." Xiao Qiao leaned closer to her ear. "Sister, you must go. The Wei family will accept the marriage proposal. If you don't leave, you'll be forced to marry him. If you go there, your life is over. Besides, you already have a man you love, don't you?"

Da Qiao was silent for a while, then shook her head. "That makes it even more impossible for me to leave. If the Wei family accepts and I am gone, what will happen to our family? Whether the marriage is good or bad, I am a daughter of the Qiao family. This is my duty to bear."

Xiao Qiao paused, letting out a quiet breath. She looked up. "Sister... what if I told you that I want to take your place and marry Wei Shao? Would you fulfill that wish for me?"

Da Qiao was shocked once again. "Manman... why would you think such a thing? You and the Prince of Langya are in love; you’re to be married next year! And that Marquis of Wei... I’ve heard he is... he is..." She hesitated, unable to repeat the rumors of his "cruelty and lack of virtue."

"Yes, Wei Shao is not a good man," Xiao Qiao said for her. "But Sister, a woman’s marriage usually falls into two categories. One is like yours: staying with the person you love until you are old, happy with a simple life. But I am different. I don't want a husband to paint my eyebrows before a mirror; I want the status and power he can provide. I liked the Prince once, but now I see he is not what I seek. He is too weak. Even if he inherits his title, what is a mere Princess of Langya in this chaotic world? Wei Shao is different. I suspect he will become something extraordinary. Since our families are forming an alliance, why should I pass up such an opportunity?"

Da Qiao stared at her sister as if she were a stranger. After a long silence, she stammered, "Manman, do you truly think this? It isn't... just to save me?"

"Sister, it is I who am begging you to fulfill my wish." Xiao Qiao’s voice was firm.

Hope finally flickered in Da Qiao’s eyes, a light that had been absent for a long time. But she was still uncertain. "Is it really possible? Can I truly leave everything behind? Will Father blame me? Will Mother be heartbroken?"

"Sister!" Xiao Qiao gripped her hands tightly. "After you leave, I will fulfill your duties to our parents. In time, they will forgive you. And think... if you marry into that family, what will happen to him?"

Da Qiao’s face was pale, but her cheeks were flushed. She closed her eyes. "Let me think... let me think..."

"I won't rush you. Think it over." Xiao Qiao helped her lie back down and tucked her in. As she lay down beside her, she whispered: "Sister, I told you about my nightmares. I didn't tell you that I dreamt of you and that slave. In my dream, you married another and died young, leaving only a lonely grave. He lived on, all alone. Do you know what he did in the end? He found your grave, dug you out, and took you away with him..."

"Stop..." Da Qiao whispered, tears soaking into her pillow.

Three days later, Lady Ding took both sisters to Changsheng Temple to offer incense. After their prayers, Lady Ding went to the rear chambers for a nap, as was her custom. She noticed that Da Qiao seemed different—heavy-hearted and hesitant. The girl held her mother’s hand tightly and refused to leave her side, even after she lay down.

Lady Ding suspected nothing, assuming her daughter was simply worried about the Wei marriage. She stroked her hand and smiled. "My child, I just prayed to the Buddha. As long as you find a happy marriage, I would gladly give up years of my own life. I’m sure the Buddha will grant my wish. Do not worry anymore."

Da Qiao suppressed the agony of her departure and held her mother’s hand for a long time, unwilling to let go.

Behind the temple lay a secluded mountain path, worn into the earth by local woodcutters.

Stripped of her fine silk and dressed in coarse hemp, Da Qiao walked side-by-side with the man she loved. As they reached a point where the trees began to swallow the path, the young man with the emerald eye suddenly stopped. He turned and strode back to Xiao Qiao. He sank to his knees and performed a formal, deep prostration.

"My Lady," he said, each word deliberate and steady. "If you ever have need of me in this life, my life is at your command."

This was the first time Xiao Qiao had heard him speak. His voice was deep and resonant, possessing a quality that inspired immediate trust.

After finishing his vow, he rose and hurried back to Da Qiao, who was looking back at them with tearful eyes. The two of them soon vanished into the dense forest.

"...I once wandered in dreams through the heavens... the first tower of the world's rivers and mountains..."

As Xiao Qiao walked back toward the temple, the faint, distant song of a woodcutter drifted through the trees. The voice was ancient and vast, carrying with it a touch of otherworldly peace.