The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Wei Shao failed to return to the room again that night, departing the gates straightway alongside Wei Liang to proceed to the government office, convening such grand generals as Li Chong, Li Dian, and Zhang Jian, alongside Chief Clerk Wei Quan and others through the night to deliberate upon affairs.
Both Li Chong and Li Dian advocated for abandoning Yanzhou and fighting at Shiyi.
Li Chong stated: "Setting aside the fifty thousand permanently stationed troops and horses garrisoned for defense against the Xiongnu, the military strength that the Lord may deploy at present totals approximately one hundred and fifty thousand, precisely matching Chen Xiang's military strength. If the troops are split into two routes, fighting at Shiyi while simultaneously preserving Yanzhou, I fear the head and tail cannot be mutually attended to."
Li Dian stated: "Yanzhou fundamentally constitutes none of our territory, let alone being capable of sharing a single heart with us; it is akin to a chicken rib. Since both ends are difficult to attend to, abandoning it constitutes the superior course."
Chief Clerk Wei Quan likewise stated: "In my humble opinion, the Lord ought to dispatch the entirety of the troops and horses with all speed to Shiyi, striving to preserve Shiyi from loss, and subsequently engage in a massive decisive battle against Chen Xiang. Harnessing the residual prestige of the two battles of Boling and Shiyi from the previous year, we may advance troops to Jinyang in a single burst of energy, leveling Chen Xiang's foundations, whereupon the grand enterprise of unifying the North may be achieved. Following the unification of the North, it shall not be too late for the Lord to recapture Yanzhou anew, and subsequently head southward. Although the Lord has wed the Qiao woman, what is plotted for is the territory of Yanzhou, fundamentally none of the personnel of the Qiao family. Qiao Yue is cowardly and weak, a matter universally known, while Qiao Ping possesses no authority and is incapable of taking charge. Utilizing this opportunity at present, it happens to be magnificent to permit the Qiao family and Xue Tai to engage in combat foremost, resulting in mutual injury to both parties. Regardless of which individual side wins in the end, each is bound to damage its vital energy. If the Qiao family by fortunate chance preserves Yanzhou, it shall naturally be devoid of consequence. Should the Qiao family fail to preserve it, even if Yanzhou plummets into Xue Tai's hands, given Xue Tai's tyrannical extortion and failure to secure the people's hearts, it is anticipated he cannot strike roots to occupy it for a long duration. Awaiting the Lord's unification of the North, if there remain personnel of the Qiao family present at that hour, the Lord may dispatch troops in the name of assisting and supporting the Qiao family; if there are no personnel of the Qiao family, the Lord may then dispatch troops in the name of vengeance. At that hour, why worry that the military and civilians throughout the length and breadth of Yanzhou shall fail to be filled with gratitude, or that the Lord's grand affairs cannot be achieved?"
A cohort of utterances caused Wei Liang, Zhang Jian, and the others to nod their heads one after another.
Wei Shao sat upon his knees with his hand pressing his sword, his silhouette grave and heavy. The candlelight upon the desk beside him illuminated his countenance, rendering the light within his pupils half-bright and half-dark, leaving it somewhat impossible to discern his thoughts at this present hour.
Wei Liang and the others concluded their deliberations, awaiting quietly for a brief moment. Wei Shao finally stated slowly: "What you gentlemen have articulated, I have already turned cognizant of. Disperse on your own individuals foremost; tomorrow, await my commands."
Following the dispersal of Wei Liang, Li Chong, Li Dian, and the others, Wei Shao remained solitary within the deliberation hall of the government office, the candlelight thoroughly bright until dawn.
As the East slightly birthed the break of dawn, Wei Shao walked out of the government office, riding his horse to return to the Wei estate. He failed to return to the western wing, proceeding straightway to arrive at the northern wing.
Madame Xu arose early as was customary; concluding her combing and washing, Nanny Zhong entered inside, stating the male lord was outside awaiting an audience.
At this hour it was still early; Madame Xu felt a fraction surprised, bidding him enter inside. Wei Shao entered inside, sitting upon his heels after kneeling to see Madame Xu. Observing that both of his eyes were slightly suffused with bloodshot lines, appearing as though he had failed to sleep well last night, Madame Xu consequently inquired a word.
Wei Shao stated: "Your grandson encountered a single matter last night, rendering it difficult to make a determination. Awaiting until dawn, I promptly arrived here at Grandmother's place, desiring to listen to Grandmother's instructions." Concluding his words, he presented Gongsun Yang's letter, recounting the course of the deliberation upon affairs with the crowd last night.
Concluding her viewing of the letter, Madame Xu lifted her head to look toward Wei Shao: "What is your intent? Shall Yanzhou be rescued or refrain from rescue?"
Wei Shao stated: "The emergency of Yanzhou constitutes none of the emergency of our Wei family. Weighing the minor and major, the slow and urgent, your grandson believes we ought to treat the North as paramount."
Madame Xu stated: "Since it is so, for what cause do you still come to seek me?"
Wei Shao hesitated for a brief moment, then suddenly lifted his eyes, encountering Madame Xu's single eye: "Your grandson dares refrain from mutual concealment. To rescue Yanzhou is fundamentally not devoid of a counter-strategy. It is merely that your grandson's heart is hesitant and incapable of making a determination; given the unrighteousness of the Qiao family in those years, is it worthy of my wasting vast mobilization to proceed to rescue?"
At the time of uttering these words, within his gaze, there leaked out a fraction of a hidden and endured look of malicious hatred.
The light within Madame Xu's single eye flickered slightly: "Since the two families possess a matrimonial alliance, they are consequently viewed identically as allies. You are strong while he is weak; at present he encounters danger and difficulty to seek assistance from you, and if you refrain from rescue, it constitutes abandoning a relative, identical to abandoning trustworthiness and righteousness. Doing so, what differentiation is there from the actions of the Qiao family in those years?"
Wei Shao spoke nothing.
"Trustworthiness and righteousness may be grand or minor, may be real or vacant; they may achieve affairs, yet may likewise ruin affairs. Duke Xiang, because of an action of trustworthiness and righteousness, saw his hegemonic enterprise founder. Gaozu, likewise because of the reputation of trustworthiness and righteousness, achieved his grand enterprise."
Madame Xu looked upon Wei Shao, stating unhurriedly: "It is evident that trustworthiness and righteousness constitute merely a dead fixture, resting entirely within an individual's choice of adoption or rejection. To rescue or refrain from rescue rests likewise entirely within your heart. Since Grandmother released her hand initially, at present I shall all the more refrain from interposing anew, believing you are capable of making a determination on your own."
Wei Shao turned silent for a brief moment, changing his sitting posture into kneeling to kowtow toward Madame Xu, stating: "Grandmother's words, your grandson has recorded within his memory. Your grandson additionally possesses affairs, and takes his leave foremost."
Madame Xu smiled as she looked upon him, nodding her head.
Emerging from the northern wing, the East had only just suffused the coloration of a fish-belly white. The cool morning wind of late spring in the fourth month of the North blew face-first toward him, slightly skimming and moving the corners of his garments. He walked slowly to arrive at the western wing, reaching the courtyard garden. Several maidservants arising early who were presently sprinkling and sweeping the courtyard garden witnessed his return, hastily approaching to execute a salute toward him, saying: "The Female Lord has already arisen, and is presently combing and washing within the room."
Wei Shao halted beneath the veranda steps, both hands negative behind him, his face confronting that windowpane where the aura of candlelight could still be faintly witnessed. Solitary, he fell into an abstraction for a brief moment; in the end, he failed to enter inside, turning his person around to depart under the maidservants' slightly uncomprehending gazes.
...
Last night Wei Shao was suddenly summoned away, and his person failed to return. Leaving Xiao Qiao alone, awakening and sleeping, sleeping and awakening, her sleep was likewise unpeaceful, and today she arose exceedingly early. Seeing that Wei Shao persistently failed to return, upon reaching the hour of Chen, she proceeded on her own foremost to the northern wing to pay respects to Madame Xu.
Before Xiao Qiao, Madame Xu uttered not a half-sentence regarding the matter of Wei Shao having arrived here at her place this morning. As was customary, she spoke a few words of domestic trivia with her.
Xiao Qiao emerged from the northern wing, proceeding additionally to the eastern wing.
Madame Zhu had been penalized with reflecting upon her errors some time prior, claiming merely illness to the outside. At present having returned, presumably born of shame and chagrin, she perennially refrained from exposing her face much.
Xiao Qiao waited beneath the veranda for a brief period, whereupon a maidservant delivered an utterance out, stating the Madame bade the Female Lord possess no necessity to arrive to execute morning kowtows.
Xiao Qiao knew she was unwilling to see her. Her own coming over was merely born of etiquette alone. Hearing the words, she consequently returned to the western wing. Entering inside, Nanny Chun stated a maidservant had caught sight of the Male Lord within the courtyard garden early in the morning, appearing to have returned from the direction of the northern wing; yet she knew not for what cause, he merely stood beneath the steps for a brief moment and failed to enter inside, subsequently departing.
At the time Nanny Chun spoke of this, her expression was a fraction perplexing.
Xiao Qiao was likewise uncomprehending.
She knew not for what cause, but this manner of abnormality from Wei Shao caused her to feel a fraction apprehensive. Connecting it to the matter of Wei Liang's sudden arrival last night and his being summoned away, her heart was all the more unpeaceful.
She perennially felt as though some affair had occurred. Furthermore, it was a bad affair related to her own person.
Very swiftly, she turned cognizant of what had transpired.
The fast-horse messenger of Yanzhou flew to arrive at Yuyang at the hour of Chen. Aside from immediately forwarding the letter intended for Wei Shao, he additionally brought a family letter for Xiao Qiao.
The family letter was written by the personal brush of her paternal uncle, Qiao Yue. Within the letter, Qiao Yue articulated the difficulty encountered by Yanzhou, bidding Xiao Qiao to by all means mediate before Wei Shao to successfully request his rescue troops, otherwise Yanzhou would encounter difficulty.
Qiao Yue exhorted over and over, his phrasing earnest and purposeful, the anxious and scorched state leaping forth between the characters and lines.
Xiao Qiao was struck with a massive shock, her heart leaping with "bo-bo" thuds.
Yanzhou was her maternal home; within the Qiao family, aside from her paternal uncle and aunt, there additionally existed her own father and younger brother. Xue Tai of Xuzhou had perennially possessed the reputation of cruelty and malice; one hundred thousand heavy troops pressing toward Yanzhou, given the current state of Yanzhou today, even if the military and civilians united to fight with strenuous effort, I fear the final outcome would be fraught with more grim than fortunate omens.
For a time Xiao Qiao's heart was as tangled as hemp, clutching the letter as she paced back and forth within the room without a single halt.
She finally turned cognizant; Wei Shao's passing by without entering the door this morning was bound to be connected to this affair that had emerged from Yanzhou.
He would boundlessly receive the intelligence earlier than herself.
However, the affair of Yanzhou ought to likewise refrain from constituting the sole circumstance. Otherwise, Wei Liang would refrain from rushing back from Shiyi in the middle of the night to summon him away.
Xiao Qiao halted her steps, pondering for a brief moment, before finally changing her garments anew to proceed to the northern wing.
Madame Xu was currently, under the accompaniment of Nanny Zhong, planting and cultivating her beloved flowerbed within the courtyard garden. When Xiao Qiao sought her out, she was presently tending flowers, her hands stained with a fraction of soil, her expression appearing exceedingly focused. Seeing Xiao Qiao arrive, she promptly washed her hands, signaling her to accompany herself inside.
Xiao Qiao entered inside, kneeling upon the ground, stating: "Your grandson's wife moments ago received a family letter, only then turning cognizant that Yanzhou is presently reporting an emergency, my paternal uncle seeking rescue troops from Husband. Your grandson's wife likewise knows that at present I am already a person of the Wei family, and the affairs of Yanzhou fundamentally ought to refrain from my inquiring much. It is merely that my birth and growth were entirely within my native soil, and within the home exist relatives difficult to abandon, truly leaving me incapable of severing from my heart. This morning failing to witness Husband, I consequently screw up my courage to arrive here at Grandmother's place, imploring Grandmother to look upon the aspect of the matrimonial alliance between the two families, to consider the circumstances..."
In her past life, this manner of affair of Xue Tai launching a campaign against Yanzhou had failed to occur.
In reality, Xiao Qiao likewise knew that the old enmity of the Qiao and Wei families lay athwart there. Although the Qiao family desired to utilize the method of matrimonial alliance to dissolve it—and furthermore, this was a method very universally utilized among contemporary prominent clans and massive households for the purpose of dissolving resentment and rifts or establishing alliances—how could this manner of hatred of the Wei family toward the Qiao family be capable of being thoroughly expunged through reliance merely upon sending a single woman like herself over?
At present Yanzhou again encountered danger and difficulty. For Wei Shao to rescue would be offering charcoal in a snowstorm to the Qiao family; to refrain from rescue was likewise within human reason. For her to brashly come before Madame Xu to open her mouth in this manner was in truth not appropriate.
Yet at this hour, she truly possessed no choice.
Her affection toward her father and brother in Yanzhou was profound and heavy. Knowing her father was incapable of taking charge and her younger brother was under age, since Wei Shao passed by without entering the door this morning, it was evident within his heart he was unwilling to extend rescue. Her anxious mood was difficult to endure. Although clearly knowing doing so was inappropriate, she could only seek her out. Having spoken to this point, she was truly incapable of speaking further, halting alive, merely executing a deep kowtow toward Madame Xu, her forehead touching the ground without rising.
Madame Xu sat upright upon the couch, fixing her gaze upon Xiao Qiao who was kowtowing upon the ground without rising. After a long half-hour, she stated: "This morning Zhonglin arrived here at my place, speaking a few words upon the military affairs of Yanzhou. You are presumably not yet aware; it is fundamentally not that Zhonglin is unwilling to rescue, but rather that another cause exists."
Madame Xu simply stated a fraction of the matter regarding Chen Xiang and Xue Tai agreeing to simultaneously dispatch troops to attack Shiyi and Yanzhou.
Xiao Qiao turned transfixed, a single heart sinking without a single halt.
Wei Shao originally hated the personnel of the Qiao family; even if the emergency of Shiyi were absent, I fear he would likewise be displeased to rescue the Qiao family.
Let alone the existence of this manner of hidden circumstance.
For him to refrain from rescue was all the more a matter of course.
"Grandmother, your grandson's wife screws up her courage, desiring to request Grandmother to inform me; this morning when Husband came to see Grandmother to mention the military affairs of Yanzhou, how exactly did he speak?"
She collected her wits, finally lifting her head to pose the inquiry.
Madame Xu's single eye watched Xiao Qiao, stating: "Zhonglin has not yet made a decision. Grandmother is likewise unaware."
Xiao Qiao executed a kowtow once more toward Madame Xu to express thanks, arising to withdraw outside.
Nanny Zhong escorted Xiao Qiao a couple of steps; returning to witness Madame Xu still seated there, appearing to be fell into an abstraction thinking upon something, she was unable to resist inquiring a word: "Does the Old Madame believe the Lord-Marquis may extend a hand to offer rescue?"
Madame Xu stated: "To rescue or refrain from rescue rests within his own heart. He ought to be aware. It is merely that that hurdle is a fraction difficult to cross."
...
Xiao Qiao returned from the northern wing, inquiring a word of the servants.
Moments ago Wei Shao had failed to return, nor did a single character or half-phrase exist.
She sat solitary within the room for a brief moment, then suddenly arose to bid Nanny Chun enter inside, to change her garments and arrange her makeup on her behalf, opening a box of unused rouge. Concluding her arrangement of makeup, her human face resembled a peach blossom, vivid, charming, and moving beyond compare.
Draping on her cloak, she instructed the preparation of the carriage, boarding it whereupon she headed toward Wei Shao's government office.
The government office was not exceptionally far from the Wei estate, merely across a single street.
At this hour it was still early, not yet reaching the hour of Si. The pedestrians upon the street were additionally not very numerous. The carriage carried Xiao Qiao, traveling neither fast nor slow upon the level stone-slab street, the carriage wheels pressing across the road surface to emit a continuous sound of rumbling that sounded a fraction hollow.
...
Never before like the present hour had Xiao Qiao clearly turned cognizant that within this chaotic world, no person was capable of being relied upon; only oneself being strong constituted the guarantee capable of securing peace and establishing a life.
An individual person was thus, a city wall and moat were thus, and a family clan was likewise thus.
If the Qiao family persistently continued in this manner, placing hope upon other people's magnanimity and bestowing of grace, relying upon looking to other people's breath to live their lives, even if they by fortunate chance crossed this danger and difficulty, there would additionally exist an identical situation next time.
In her past life, the Qiao family's flowers and fruits drifted and withered, landing in that manner of final outcome in the end; it was both a bloody lesson and a self-inflicted consequence, incapable of blaming other people a single fraction.
Within her natural disposition, originally was carried a fraction of muddled carelessness. Yet at this precise moment, she deeply felt that henceforth she must execute something on behalf of the Qiao family, permitting this family clan to be capable of relying upon themselves to upright their spine anew, successfully establishing a foothold amidst the surrounding calculations and tiger-like gazes. Even if this course were exceptionally difficult or the outcome faint, it was superior to executing nothing at all, merely sitting to await other people, relying upon begging for pity to gamble for the bestowing of grace.
She truly was unwilling for the Qiao family to tread anew the worn path of the previous life. Fortunately, spanning to those final affairs, there remained a fraction of time, and she was capable of obtaining composure to slowly plan.
At present, however, the fire of Yanzhou had already singed the eyebrows; what she was capable of executing was to foremost assist Yanzhou to cross this difficult barrier.
On this occasion, her "husband" Wei Shao must extend a hand to assist. Otherwise, Yanzhou would boundlessly turn into a collapsed nest.
...
The carriage halted before the grand gates of the government office; Xiao Qiao descended the carriage, inquiring a word of the guard at the entrance, and learning Wei Shao was precisely within, she walked straightway toward the inside.
The guard recognized the Female Lord and dared refrain from obstruction, escorting her retreating figure with his gaze as she entered.
Although the hour was still early, Wei Liang and the others had all gathered early within the outer deliberation grand hall, merely awaiting Wei Shao to hold the tallies to issue commands.
Wei Shao had not yet emerged, at this moment remaining solitary within a single study room of his rear hall.
The study was private. He had once possessed a strict command; without permission, no person was permitted to enter inside.
The guards outside recorded it firmly; seeing the Marquis's Lady suddenly arrive, although recognizing her, they dared not disobey Wei Shao's command, respectfully requesting her to await a fraction, permitting himself to proceed to report.
Xiao Qiao halted.
Very swiftly, the guard emerged, bowing his person to invite Xiao Qiao to enter inside.
Xiao Qiao walked before that door, halting a single fraction slightly to exhale a breath; collecting her wits, she pushed open the door and entered inside.