The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Wei Shao had already departed, and Wei Yan remained lying upon the ground of the wilderness like this, resembling a dying person.

Just now, he had used all his strength to strike down. Wei Shao was the same. His hand had shown no mercy.

Up until this very moment, blood was still slowly trickling out from his nose. Yet he remained completely motionless, allowing the warm stream of blood to slowly flow down his face and gradually seep into the muddy ground beneath the back of his head.

It had not rained for most of a month, and the soil of the wild ground was dry.

Wei Yan's breathing was filled with a foul, bloody stench mixed with the raw odor of mud. Yet this scent brought him a kind of pleasure akin to venting resentment.

He did not know how long he had lain there. Suddenly, from the far end of the wilderness, a row of silhouettes belonging to seven or eight people in the attire of ordinary Han natives manifested, galloping rapidly toward his direction. Upon arriving nearby, the leader ran to Wei Yan's side and supported him up, stopping his bleeding.

Wei Yan pushed the newcomer away with a sudden shove and crawled up from the ground on his own, appearing like a drunken man as his footsteps staggered, heading forward.

"Young Master!"

Huyan Lie knelt down behind him. The seven or eight Xiongnu warriors accompanying him also knelt down one after another, calling him in unison.

Wei Yan appeared not to have heard, continuing to walk forward in a swaying and drifting manner.

Huyan Lie crawled up from the ground and chased after him.

"Young Master! Wei Shao already has a rift with the Young Master! Does the Young Master truly intend to willingly accept his constraint for a lifetime? Does the Young Master truly not care a single bit about father-and-son blood relations?"

Wei Yan slowly stopped his steps.

Within the wilderness, the night wind whistled swiftly, and beneath the dim moonlight, his back silhouette appeared to condense into a stone statue. Suddenly, he turned his body around, letting out a roar like an enraged lion as he swung a fist straight toward Huyan Lie.

Huyan Lie was struck onto the ground by his fist. Crawling up, he said again, "The Young Master's lineage is noble; right now you are merely a pearl inside a clam, and sooner or later you will eventually be known by the world..."

Toward Huyan Lie's chest, Wei Yan swung another heavy fist strike.

Huyan Lie fell forward once more, blood spurting from his mouth. He groaned, struggling to crawl up from the ground for the third time as he said, "Once the Young Master returns, establishing accomplishments and founding a career will be just around the corner..."

Wei Yan's two eyes were crimson red and his expression was ferocious as he grabbed and drew Huyan Lie's waist saber, chopping down straight toward his head.

Huyan Lie showed not a single shred of fear: "That day by the banks of the Sangan River when I fell into Wei Shao's hands, if not for the Young Master showing mercy to rescue me, Huyan Lie would have already buried his bones beneath the river sand. How could I stand here today? The Huyan clan swears loyalty to the Rizhu King. If the Young Master kills me, Huyan Lie willingly accepts death!"

"Young Master!"

The row of Xiongnu warriors behind him surrounded Wei Yan, kneeling down together.

The saber edge came to a stop above Huyan Lie's head. The moonlight reflected a wave of water-like, chilly white light upon the saber edge, which was carved with the pattern of a fanged wolf head.

Wei Yan's breathing was rapid, his two eyes reflecting the saber light filled with a frantic look, his shoulders on both sides trembling slightly, and his throat slowly making a clacking sound. Suddenly, he actually vomited a mouthful of fresh blood with a wah.

"Young Master—"

Huyan Lie was startled and hastily went forward to support him. Right at this moment, his form froze. He saw that several dozen paces away in the distance, a person was actually standing. Formidable and tall. The moonlight cast his silhouette upon the ground, and he was completely motionless; it was unknown when he had arrived, having actually gone entirely undetected.

That person suddenly moved his feet, striding over with large steps. Gradually drawing near, the moonlight illuminated a face that Huyan Lie could engrave even with his eyes closed.

"Wei Shao!"

He cried out in alarm, and the Xiongnu warriors on the ground rose instantly, drawing their sabers to form a queue and block at the absolute front, adopting a posture poised for action.

Wei Shao walked to a place seven or eight paces away and stopped, his two eyes casting toward Wei Yan.

Wei Yan slowly straightened his torso, looking toward Wei Shao across the row of Xiongnu warriors blocking before him as well.

The two of them locked eyes.

The wild grass beside their feet was blown flat to the ground by the wind. By their ears was the sound of Huyan Lie's breathing, which had become heavy and coarse due to tension. The distance was silent, leaving only the sound of the whistling wail produced by the night wind sweeping across the mountain ridges.

After a long silence, Wei Shao said, "When did you begin communicating back and forth with the Xiongnu people?"

His voice did not carry a single shred of anger. His voice was composed. It was just as if he were merely inquiring about an ordinary small matter.

Wei Yan tilted his head up, facing the deep blue night sky as he inhaled a long breath of the air outside Yuyang City, which carried the rustling coolness of an autumn night, and closed his eyes.

"I shall go to see Grandmother myself and give her an explanation."

He fiercely tossed the waist saber in his hand and opened his eyes, his expression having already recovered its tranquility as he stepped away to depart.

"Young Master!"

Huyan Lie shouted toward Wei Yan's retreating back silhouette, seeing that he did not turn his head. He looked toward Wei Shao once more, his two eyes staring guardedly, yet in the end he still backed away slowly. After backing away some ten-odd paces, he led the Xiongnu warriors to depart swiftly, their silhouettes disappearing into the wilderness of the night scene.

Wei Shao slowly turned his head, staring at Wei Yan's departing back silhouette, and suddenly chased up with a rapid run, grabbing his collar from behind with a sudden pull.

"What do you want to explain? Explain that you and the Xiongnu people have long been communicating back and forth in secret? Do you wish to anger Grandmother to death?"

Wei Shao said through gritted teeth.

Wei Yan's form stood frozen for a brief moment, and he slowly turned his head back.

"Even if you can choose not to count my offense, I have no place to show my face. Grandmother possesses great benevolence and great wisdom; it will be fine to let her decide everything."

His expression was dismal, just like that crescent moon above the night sky.

Wei Shao's face was iron-blue, his jaws cracking from grithing, and abruptly clenching that palm that was still wrapped with gauze, he delivered another heavy strike, once again knocking Wei Yan over onto the ground.

"Unless I die, otherwise you can forget about barging before Grandmother to speak wild nonsense! I will tolerate you harboring an alien mind even less!"

Wei Shao said.

...

Wei Shao went away once more and did not return.

In the middle of the night, Xiao Qiao, who could not wait for him, also dispatched a person to quietly take a look over at the eastern rooms. The person returned and said there was no abnormality; the lamps inside the eastern rooms were all extinguished, and it was impossible for the Lord to still remain over there at this time.

Xiao Qiao tossed and turned upon the bed alone, unable to figure out what matter had arisen after he escorted Lady Zhu back to the eastern rooms that caused him to stay out the entire night.

She felt somewhat uneasy in mind. She rose exceptionally early the next morning, dispatching a person to the government office. The person returned, however, saying Wei Shao had not gone to the office last night either.

Today was the day Qiao Ci and the others were to take their leave and return toward Yanzhou. Wei Shao had not returned, and it was unknown where the person had gone either. Xiao Qiao had no alternative but to tidy herself up, summon Qiao Ci over, and lead him first to the northern rooms to pay formal leave to Madame Xu.

When she led Qiao Ci inside, she had originally thought Madame Xu might know where Wei Shao had gone last night.

But Madame Xu was clearly unclear as to his whereabouts either. Not seeing Wei Shao accompanying them, she asked Xiao Qiao. Xiao Qiao then related the sequence of events regarding Lady Zhu coming to the room last night, Wei Shao escorting her back to the eastern rooms, and subsequently leaving without returning.

Madame Xu asked, "Have you sent someone to the government office to look this morning?"

"I have dispatched a person. The person returned saying my husband is not there. He had not gone there last night either."

Madame Xu pondered slightly, subsequently looking toward Qiao Ci as she said with a slight smile, "Today you return to Yanzhou, and your brother-in-law by right ought to escort you for a stretch of the journey. It is thought that because a matter arose last night, he has actually not returned up to this moment. Wait for a short while; Grandmother shall dispatch people to search for him right now."

Qiao Ci hastily said, "My brother-in-law must be entangled by an important matter at short notice, which is why he has not returned. Coming here this time has caused much disturbance. Receiving the deep love of Grandmother, brother-in-law, cousin-brother, and the others, this lad is extremely grateful. Last night I also had the fortune of receiving a farewell feast from Grand General Li and the others. This morning my brother-in-law has matters, so there is no need to make a special trip to escort me."

Madame Xu let Xiao Qiao keep him to speak for a while longer. After Xiao Qiao took Qiao Ci away, she dispatched people on her own to separately question Lady Zhu and Gongsun Yang.

Lady Zhu arrived at the northern rooms very quickly, saying she had heard last night that her son returned with a bruised and swollen face, and not feeling at ease, she went over to catch a glimpse. Subsequently her son escorted her back to the eastern rooms, and after she arrived, he departed. She did not know what matter had arisen either, to the extent that he did not return the entire night.

When she spoke, she somewhat dared not face Madame Xu's gaze, keeping her head lowered the entire time.

Madame Xu looked at her for a moment, then let her leave.

The person sent to question Gongsun Yang also returned. The person said that after the Lord left the seats yesterday evening, he had not seen him again. Within the government office, there was no newly arrived intelligence or report regarding any urgent emergency or unexpected matter either.

While Madame Xu was pondering alone, a servant woman suddenly came in, saying with joy upon her face that the Lord had newly returned and was coming toward the Old Madame's side.

Madame Xu let out a sigh of relief. Within no more than a moment, she heard the familiar sound of footsteps drawing near, and a silhouette entered the room; it was precisely Wei Shao. Coming in, he immediately offered his respects to Madame Xu.

Madame Xu hastily let him rise. Examining him closely, just as Lady Zhu had stated, his face indeed carried wounds, and she could not help but ask.

Wei Shao's expression was natural and poised as he smiled: "Last night the intoxication from the wine was severe, and I inadvertently fell from my horse, suffering scrapes. It is merely some minor flesh wounds; Grandmother need not keep it in mind."

Madame Xu harbored doubts in her heart; seeing that he did not speak the true words, she stopped pressing him on this either. She asked him again where he had gone last night.

Wei Shao said, "Yesterday during the daytime matters were busy and guests were numerous. Remembering that the government office had unfinished matters, I wanted to go over to attend to them first. On the way I encountered an old friend whose grand hospitality was difficult to decline, so I went to partake in a few cups of wine. I had not expected to actually remain intoxicated for the night, only returning this morning. Causing Grandmother to worry is your grandson's lack of filial piety."

Madame Xu cast a glance at him, nodding her head: "Your brother-in-law takes his leave today; go ahead and escort him for a stretch of the journey. When he came you did not welcome him, so when he departs you ought to escort him all the more."

Wei Shao assented, rising his body to depart. Madame Xu watched his back silhouette, and suddenly said, "Why has your cousin-brother also not been seen since yesterday? I heard he did not return for the entire night last night either. He has always gotten along well with the young master Qiao; why did he not come to see him off today? Where did he go, do you know?"

Wei Shao's footsteps suffered a slight hesitation, and subsequently he stopped, turning his body around as he smiled: "Last night it was truly a case of partaking in wine delaying matters. Having fallen and injured my own face, I even forgot to report this matter to Grandmother. My elder brother rushed to Dai County overnight last night. Because he feared disturbing Grandmother's rest, he did not come forward to take his leave, entrusting me to convey his apologies to Grandmother when I see her."

Madame Xu said with concern, "What matter arose in Dai County? Is it critical?"

"Grandmother rest at ease; it is not any great matter. It merely requires him to attend to it in person, that is all." Wei Shao said in haste.

Madame Xu pondered for a moment, her face revealing a slight smile: "The hour is also about ready. You go ahead first."

Wei Shao responded respectfully, only then turning around to depart with rapid steps.

...

Xiao Qiao waited left and right, continuously unable to wait for Wei Shao's return. Seeing that the hour was no longer early, although it would leave another regret, it was not good to let Qiao Ci and his group wait in vain anymore, so having fully attired herself, she prepared to set out. Before leaving, she suddenly learned that Wei Shao had returned. Sure enough, within no more than a moment, she saw his silhouette appear in a hurry, and only then did she let out a sigh of relief. Hurrying to welcome him into the room, she served him to change into his traveling garments.

Xiao Qiao helped him dress, seeing him stand there remaining entirely silent the whole time, his expression cold and detached, just as if he had fallen into some unknown world of his own. It was vastly different from last night before he went out, when he had been intimate and full of tender attachment with her.

Because she had the experience of the last time, she did not disturb him at first either this time. Not until she was helping him fasten his waist belt at the very end did she ask in a soft voice, "What matter arose again last night, Husband? Once you left you did not return for the entire night. I worried for a whole evening."

After she finished asking, she raised a pair of bright eyes to gaze at him. She saw that only now did Wei Shao appear to have his soul return to its seven apertures, recovering his wits as he let out an oh, lowering his head to meet her gaze. Pausing for a brief moment, he said, "No great matter." His tone was still extremely cold and detached.

Xiao Qiao seeing his appearance like this, knew he was unwilling to speak with her. She stopped pressing him further. Serving him to finish donning his garments, she went out the door along with him. Walking to the doorway, Wei Shao suddenly stopped for a moment again, turned his body around, and extended his two arms toward her, giving her a brief embrace before releasing her, saying in a tone carrying a touch of apology, "Last night I caused you to worry. I shall escort your younger brother out of the city right now."

Xiao Qiao smiled slightly, saying, "Many thanks, Husband. I have troubled you, Husband.”