The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Wei Shao fell into silence. He stood as she sat perfectly straight, looking down at Xiao Qiao, but her eyes were slightly lowered, and she did not look back at him. Barely a low desk separated the two of them, yet both seemed plunged into some particular thoughts of their own. Only a deathly stillness remained in the room. Wei Shao could even seemingly hear the sound of the blood in his body continuously washing through his chest, and his heart pulsating along with it.

A gust of night wind found a crack to steal inside from a window slit in the corner, causing the candle flame to flicker. The shadow Wei Shao cast upon the opposite wall swayed a few times along with it. Only then did a trace of vital energy finally seem to manifest within the room. Following his shadow, Wei Shao's shoulders also moved. Just as he raised his foot intending to walk toward her, Xiao Qiao had already stood up from the couch, raising her eyes as she spoke gently, "It is truly not early. Let us retire for the night."

She stepped down from the couch, walking past his side under Wei Shao's watchful gaze, and arrived at the doorway to open the door, in a low voice instructing the maidservants to come in and serve Wei Shao for his bath.

...

When on campaign outside, Wei Shao bathed with cold water even in the winter, to say nothing of the fact that it was currently summer.

The water drawn from that deep, secluded well in the rear garden was chilled to an immensely refreshing coolness. Closing his eyes, Wei Shao raised the entire water bucket and poured it straight down from his head. The stream of water washed down along the top of his head, his face, and his shoulders. Amidst the loud, splashing sound of water splattering everywhere, the skin across his entire body felt a burst of cool refreshment, yet that scorching sensation brought by the flow of blood beneath his skin, which felt as if it were continuously pricking him, did not fade in the slightest. Furthermore, he felt his chest was immensely stifled, as though it were plugged by a piece of tattered rag.

His feelings were terrible, exceedingly terrible.

He opened his eyes. He was dripping wet from head to toe. Water continuously dripped down along his hair and skin.

Wei Shao felt somewhat inclined to call her in to help him wipe himself down. Recently, every night when he bathed, she would come in to serve him by his side, helping him wipe his hair and body, and sometimes they would even share some intimacy with each other inside the bathhouse.

His mouth parted slightly, but in the end, he still did not call out. Pulling over a bath towel hanging quietly on the rack to the side, he wiped himself down haphazardly, threw on a piece of clothing, and walked out. Seeing that she was not waiting for him on the bed, but was instead standing by the side just as she had when she first arrived here, she was likely waiting for him to go up first.

Wei Shao hesitated for a moment, walked over toward her, and said, "Go to sleep, it is not early."

Xiao Qiao smiled slightly and nodded her head. Walking over to bolt the door, she let down the two layers of bed curtains suspended before the bed.

The light before the bed consequently dimmed.

Wei Shao lay flat on his back upon the bed. She blew out the lamp.

A burst of faint, rustling sounds ensued. Turning his face, Wei Shao watched her as she turned her back to him in the gloom, removing her garments piece by piece, leaving only her inner clothing, before finally climbing onto the bed.

Once she lay down, she seemed to fall asleep instantly, never tossing over even a single time, her breathing even and regular.

...

On this day, Wei Shao had experienced many things. Riding a swift horse back from Zhuo County to Yuyang during the day, encountering Wei Yan and Qiao Ci outside the city in the evening, setting a banquet to welcome Qiao Ci, waiting until she returned home, sharing intimacy with her, flying into a rage at her again, going to the eastern chambers afterward, and finally turning a grand circle before he ultimately returned once more to lie back upon this bed together with her.

Wei Shao felt unsettled, yet it did not stem from physical fatigue. He was in his prime, his energy as robust and vigorous as a male leopard in the depths of spring. He was capable of traveling for three days and three nights without sleep, yet still appearing before the soldiers of his personal troops the next day with his spirits fully roused.

What made him feel unsettled was that sense of uncertainty she brought to him.

She was merely a woman; he could lift her with a single arm, and her neck would be even more incapable of withstanding a single snap from his immense rage, should she truly incense him completely. Back when he arrived at the study and suddenly discovered inadvertently that the chest had been moved by someone and left with eye-catching scratches, he had indeed thought of her at the very first instant, and an uncontrollable rage had arisen within him. Because he had commanded her so clearly not to touch this chest. And from the bottom of his heart, he truly was unwilling to let her touch it. He had established a rule, yet she did not abide by it. He felt the offense of being ignored by her.

If this were within the army and she were his subordinate, then she rightfully ought to have had her head chopped off on the spot. But what Wei Shao failed to understand was that originally, she was clearly in the wrong. Because she had indeed ignored his instructions and moved something he was unwilling to let her touch. Yet after such a bout of tossing and turning, why was it that at this very moment, he unexpectedly felt entirely as though he were the one who had done wrong?

In particular, it seemed he ought not to have flown into such a massive rage at her.

The moment he closed his eyes at this time, the image of her when she was called over by him to be questioned back then would surface. Her beautiful face, which had been carrying a vibrant smile just a moment prior, instantly lost its color. The alarm, shame, and a kind of pleading regret revealed within the pair of eyes looking at him were also things he had not failed to see.

Wei Shao was tormented somewhat uncomfortably by his own tangled emotions, and furthermore, a feeling akin to frustration also slowly arose from within his heart.

He had departed the door under his immense rage, subsequently calming down to go to the eastern chambers; from his mother's reaction, it was not difficult for him to judge that her self-defense was true: she had indeed touched that chest, but she had not committed the foolish act of attempting to open the chest by prying the lock, which would have thoroughly enraged him.

Frankly speaking, he was actually somewhat relieved at that time. On the way back to the western chambers, he surmised that after he departed the door in anger, she ought to be intensely terrified. He had also thought it through; after entering, he naturally would not reconcile with her immediately. Because she had indeed committed a mistake, failing to treat his words as anything serious. He would have her actively reflect upon her mistake once more, and after guaranteeing there would be no next time, inform her that he had already investigated the origin clearly on her behalf, intending to return a clean slate to her.

She would be moved to tears of gratitude by his leniency toward her and his active gesture to clear her of suspicion. And more importantly, with this necessary lesson, she would presumably be utterly devoted to him from then on, no longer daring to do anything akin to this time's compliance in public but opposition in private. Thinking about it afterward, although he also felt a bit of ache for her terrified appearance when she suffered the fright back then, he did not wish to create a misunderstanding for her, thinking that he would infinitely tolerate any of her behaviors.

This was similar to how he handled a subordinate general within the army who had violated military orders but was still to be retained. Displaying might first before showing benevolence, combining benevolence with might; such a method of governing subordinates had always been invincible.

Yet after he entered, he saw her sitting perfectly straight upon the couch, her expression calm, opening the lock in a few quick moves right before his face. Without any need for him, she had washed away her own suspicion of prying the lock.

...

In this era, except for the upper-class stratum that occupied a minority of the population, the degree of education the remaining strata could receive was extremely limited. Slightly advanced calculation was even more distant from the vast majority of people. Wei Shao had been intensely interested in arithmetic since childhood; after his father Wei Jing learned of this, he specifically fashioned a set of jade counting rods totaling two hundred and seventy-two pieces for him, contained within a pouch. The seven-year-old Wei Shao hung it upon his body to carry with him, ready to be taken out and played with at any time or place. The nine-palace lock used for this wooden chest was also something he had a locksmith meticulously forge out of brass when he was ten years old, based upon the "Cosmic Magic Cube" recorded in the River Chart and Luo Inscription, which had once triggered his immense interest.

He had never thought anyone could open the lock. At least within this household, besides himself, there would not be a second person.

He had never expected under any circumstances that she would unexpectedly open the lock so easily right before his face.

Before marrying into their husbands' homes to manage the household, daughters born of prominent noble families would also receive some cultural education at home since childhood, including simple calculations, but it was absolutely impossible to study to such a degree as the River Chart and Luo Inscription; at least he had never heard of it.

For Wei Shao at that time, to call it shocked was not an exaggeration, and following that, it was a faint disappointment. He felt that although he had stepped into this door, he seemed to have soundly received a shut-door rebuff from her.

...

Wei Shao could not fall asleep. He had clearly felt it just now; although she repeatedly apologized to him and still faced him with a smiling countenance and gentle words, she suddenly seemed to have changed back into that Qiao woman from when she had first arrived at his home previously.

He was no fool, so he could naturally feel it. He felt his chest was somewhat stifled and bloated.

He disliked this appearance of hers when facing him.

Closing his eyes, he listened intently to the sound of her breathing coming from the side of the pillow. Finally unable to resist, he extended his hand toward her, tentatively placing it gently upon her slender waist.

She appeared to have fallen asleep, remaining completely motionless without any reaction.

Wei Shao extended his arm a bit further, until he slowly encircled her slender waist completely within his forearm, and subsequently, his body leaned over toward her.

Xiao Qiao suddenly tossed over, sleeping facing inward with her back to him, as though it were merely an inadvertent toss within her dreams.

Wei Shao hesitated for a moment, then continued to press against her back, finally gathering her completely into his chest. Pressing his lips to her ear, he murmured, "I believe you. The lock was indeed not moved by you."

He paused for a moment, failing to see any reaction from her. He thus tightened his arm, his palm beginning to move slowly along her slender waist, finally probing into the lapel of her clothing, caressing her gently with a tender force. His lips followed, falling upon the back of her neck, kissing all the way along the back of her neck to her shoulder. As his chin rubbed against her, he brought her clothing down from her shoulder.

His breathing gradually turned scorching, his breath puffing wave after wave onto her bare skin. Subsequently, when he attempted to turn her body over to face himself, Xiao Qiao suddenly raised her hand, grasping his hand whose palm was gradually turning scalding, and pulled it out from the lapel of her clothing.

"Husband, tonight I am truly exhausted; would you permit me to have a night of sleep?"

Xiao Qiao spoke within the dark curtains, opening her eyes. Her head did not turn back.

Her tone remained very gentle, but her voice sounded truly low and lacking in strength.

Wei Shao's hand that had been removed by her paused slightly. A moment later, he released her and tossed outward to turn away.

...

The next morning, at barely the fifth watch, Wei Shao rose and departed.

Xiao Qiao truly did not know when he rose and left. Waking up as she normally did and seeing no one by her side, she only then knew he had gone. Not long after rising, while she was still combing her hair and making up her face, she suddenly heard a faint sound of weeping and wailing coming from the courtyard outside, as if some matter had occurred.

Xiao Qiao did not go outside to look. After a short while, Nanny Lin ran inside to tell her, stating that Madam had already investigated clearly; the person who had audaciously smuggled themselves into the Lord's study yesterday to break the lock and commit improper conduct was indeed that Nanny Sun whom she herself had caught a hazy glimpse of. Just now, that Nanny Jiang from Madam's side had brought people over to bind that Nanny Sun and take her away. Nanny Sun actually wept to heaven and earth, and Nanny Jiang had people stuff mud into her mouth on the spot; in the end, she was forcefully dragged away by her feet upside down.

As Nanny Lin described it, her two eyes were wide open and she gesticulated with her hands and feet, appearing exceptionally indignant: "The Lady is lenient and generous, yet she failed to think of repaying her master, instead bullying her master and committing insubordination, actually performing such a deed! Tolerated by neither heaven nor principle!"

A flurry of footsteps came from the doorway. Xiao Qiao raised her eyes, seeing that Nanny Jiang had arrived. Her attitude was a complete reversal from her usual self, being perfectly respectful and deferential. Standing outside the door, she bowed to Xiao Qiao and said, "Reporting for the Lady to know, Madam learned of the matter that occurred on this side and was extremely infuriated, interrogating through the night. Early this morning, she uncovered that wicked old woman surnamed Sun, and that old woman confessed to everything without a word of denial. Just now this servant has already bound her; bringing her over will certainly entail strict and severe punishment. Madam was truly angered last night, failing to sleep well the entire night, and early this morning went to the northern chambers once more to admit her guilt to the Old Madam, only just lying down after returning. Madam stated that for these past few days, there is no need for the Lady to head over to her side."

Nanny Jiang only departed after finishing her report. Once Xiao Qiao packed up on this side, she went to the northern chambers as was customary.

Lady Zhu had been here early in the morning and had only just left a moment ago. Seeing that Xiao Qiao had arrived and her spirits appeared somewhat lacking, Madame Xu gestured for her to sit by her side. Examining her complexion for a moment, she said, "Just now your mother-in-law was here at my place, stating that a chest within Er-lang's study had its lock broken privately by a servant. Last night Er-lang was infuriated, demanding that she pursue the responsibility; she handled the matter early this morning, and the person has also been uncovered?"

Xiao Qiao said, "Mother-in-law is resolute and swift as thunder, capturing that lock-breaking person so quickly; I am also exceptionally grateful. Fortunately, there was no harm this time, and it was merely a false alarm. My coming over this morning, aside from seeing Grandmother, is also because along the way there is a matter I wish to discuss with Grandmother."

"Speak."

"The number of servants and maidservants in the western chambers is numerous. I remember when I first married over, there were only some ten odd individuals. Later, receiving Grandmother's generous affection, people were sent over successively, and Mother-in-law's side also had people sent over. The servants are not few, yet the ones to be served are only Husband and myself, two people. Husband is always absent during the day, and I have even less use for so many people. I see that at Grandmother's place here, including the courtyard sweeping servants, there are merely some ten odd people. Husband and I are young and our seniority is also small; we ought not to be wasteful to such an extent. It just so happens that such a matter has occurred again. I thus wondered whether we could reduce some unnecessary manpower. Firstly, to put an end to having more people than there is work to do, and secondly, to avoid the servants having nothing to do and creating further trouble."

Madame Xu nodded. "Reasonable. For a family like ours, although it does not come to disputing over one or two idle servants, if because of idleness such trouble as yesterday's is created, then it is the mistress's lack of scrutiny, which is a grand wrong. It is rare that you furthermore do not care about ostentation. For the matters within your room, make the decisions yourself, there is no need to come and ask me."

Xiao Qiao revealed a smile, expressing her gratitude to Madame Xu, and accompanied her in sitting for another brief moment before departing.