The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Following the direction of Diaomo's gaze, Jiang Meng saw a woman wearing a veiled hat walking toward the slave broker, closely escorted and protected by several people at her side.

……

The accumulated grievances between the Han and Qiang peoples in the western region had always been deep and severe.

Yet it differed somewhat from the conflicts with the Xiongnu. Aside from the objective reason of both sides contending for living space, there were also historical causes stemming from the improper governance of the Han court.

As for the scene just now, although Xiao Qiao could not bear to watch it, she had considered that since things had always been this way, and she was a newcomer, she should not easily disturb the vested interests of these local magnates despite having Wei Shao as her backing. Therefore, after her initial hesitation, she had ultimately decided to depart.

Yet she never expected another incident like this to happen. Hearing that youth crying out for his "elder sister," and seeing him suffer such a vicious beating for that Qiang woman while still refusing to yield—for some reason, it made her think of her own younger brother, Qiao Ci. How could she bear it any longer? She turned around and walked back with brisk steps.

Seeing that the Young Mistress would not heed his advice and appeared intent on interfering, the steward had no choice but to follow her.

The youth had already been beaten until his eye sockets were bruised and swollen and blood was trickling from his mouth. Still unable to vent his fury, the middle-aged slave broker kicked away the Qiang woman who was bitterly weeping and begging at his side, preparing to administer another beating when he suddenly heard a woman's voice drift over from behind him: "Stop!"

The slave broker turned around. Seeing that the speaker was a woman wearing a veiled hat, he was stunned.

Winds and sands were frequent in the western region, and it was a common sight for women to cover their heads with cloth scarves to shield themselves from the dust when going out. Thus, he scrutinized her for a moment.

Separated by a layer of thin silk, though her countenance could not be seen clearly, the general outline of her facial features could be faintly discerned. He instinctively felt the woman was beautiful, and hearing her voice—clear, crisp, and exceedingly pleasant to the ear—she could not be very old either.

He further sized up her garments. Though the material was of fine quality, there was nothing extraordinary about them.

Finally, he looked at the attendants at her side. A middle-aged man with a goat-like beard and a servant woman. Thereupon, he guessed her to be a young woman from an ordinary wealthy family.

This slave broker was surnamed Hu and possessed a backer, so he usually did not place the ordinary wealthy households within this city of Jinyang in his eyes at all. Being a lecher by nature to begin with, wicked thoughts arose in his heart, and he grew intensely eager to cast aside that layer of veil to get a clear look. He actually stopped in accordance with her words and said with a beaming smile, "Which family's woman are you? Why aren't you staying properly at home holding a needle and drawing thread, but coming here instead?"

The steward was furious and rebuked him sternly, "Presumptuous! Do you know—"

Xiao Qiao intercepted the steward. Casting a glance at the dozens of bound Qiang people on the ground, she said coldly, "These people of yours, how much money? I shall buy all of them!"

The steward was stunned.

The slave broker and the onlookers enjoying the bustle were also stunned. Once he registered it, he hesitated for a moment and said, "You want to buy all of them?"

Xiao Qiao said, "Did you fail to understand my words?"

Only then did the slave broker believe her. Pondering for a moment, he quoted a slightly high figure. He originally thought she would haggle over the price for a bit, but before he even had time to blink his eyes, he heard her say, "Deliver all of the people to the government office north of the city! Once they are delivered, the money and the people shall be settled!"

The slave broker was truly astonished.

When Bing Province changed masters last year, the Marquis of Yan, Wei Shao, replaced Chen Xiang to become the master of Bing Province. The local prominent households had all been waiting for Wei Shao to come so they could forge connections. They had waited on their tiptoes until not long ago, when news finally spread that the Marquis of Yan had arrived in Jinyang and settled at the government office in the north of the city. In the first few days, the magnates of Jinyang moved upon hearing the wind, competing to pay visits at his door; those presenting beauties and those presenting gold and silks nearly broke the threshold from treading upon it.

Wei Shao lived right in the government office north of the city. The slave broker naturally knew this.

The moment this woman opened her mouth, she told him to deliver the people over there...

The slave broker wavered for a moment, testing her with an inquiry: "Could Madame be playing a joke on me? How can things be delivered at whim into the government office?"

He had already changed his form of address, calling her "Madame."

Xiao Qiao said coldly, "If I tell you to deliver them, you just deliver them there for me. Where does all this chatter come from?"

The slave broker instantly detected that kind of indisputable tone that only those in high positions would unconsciously carry. Immediately not daring to act wildly, he hastily changed his expression, becoming perfectly deferential as he assented repeatedly. He then turned his head to shout loudly at those Qiang people on the ground who were tied together in a continuous rope, ordering them all to stand up.

Just as the youth had said, these Qiang people were indeed not prisoners of war, but had been innocently abducted from the various Qiang tribes around the Huangshui region. In this batch, nearly a hundred people had originally been dispatched together, wandering from Huangshui all the way to this place. Some fell ill and some died, until finally only these dozens of people remained. Most among them could not speak Han speech, nor could they understand it. They only knew that this young woman with her face covered by a veiled hat had bought them. Not knowing what would become of them upon this journey, they were driven forward, stumbling as they went.

Xiao Qiao came to the youth's side. Seeing that he appeared to be at his last gasp, she instructed the steward to bring him along onto the carriage.

Seeing that the youth was filthy and covered in blood, the steward hesitated for a moment. He had not expected this youth to be extraordinarily resilient; the youth actually scrambled up from the ground slowly on his own, bowing deeply toward Xiao Qiao as he said, "The life-saving grace of my benevolent master shall never be forgotten until my teeth fall out! My person is filthy and grimy, and I dare not defile the master's carriage. I can still walk on my own."

Seeing that although his face was filthy and disheveled, his pair of eyes was very clear and bright, and his speech was also refined and polite as if he had received an education, Xiao Qiao's favorable impression of him increased further. Thereupon, she nodded with a smile.

Chun Niang was kind-hearted and had long since been feeling immensely distressed while watching from the side. She hastily went over in person to untie the ropes on the Qiang woman's hands as well. The Qiang woman kowtowed seven or eight times in succession to Xiao Qiao, then rolled and crawled to the youth's side, letting out a long string of words that Xiao Qiao could not understand, which should be inquiring about his injuries. The youth shook his head, appearing to soothe her with a few words, then turned around to keep up with that group of Qiang people, walking haltingly. The Qiang woman hastily supported him, her expression perfectly respectful. It actually made Xiao Qiao feel that these two did not resemble elder sister and younger brother.

The thought flashed across her mind, and Xiao Qiao did not ponder further. Under the watch of countless gazes around them, she departed the marketplace, boarded the carriage, and returned to the government office.

The onlookers began to discuss the background of this mysterious young woman. After discussing it for a while, they gradually dispersed as well. In the end, only those few people remained standing in their original spots.

Jiang Meng said, "What is that woman's background? She actually resides in the Jinyang government office as well! Could she possess some connection to that Marquis of Yan?"

Diaomo did not speak. He merely watched the carriage carrying that young woman gradually distance itself until it was no longer visible before finally withdrawing his gaze.

"Chief, just now when I glanced over, it appeared as though that youth bore the tattoo of the Beihe tribe upon his arm."

Another attendant suddenly spoke up.

Jiang Meng was startled, and immediately a look of disdain surfaced upon his face: "To think he is a Beihe person! Willingly living under the breath of the Han people's nostrils, to be plundered and suffer such humiliation is well-deserved!"

The Beihe people were another major tribe among the Longxi Qiang people besides the Shaodang. Their current old tribal chief was named Yuan Wang, who had held the chief's staff for over forty years. He was quite wise, leading his clansmen to farm and construct dwellings, gradually changing from nomadic life to settled living. Their population had once multiplied significantly, giving them great prestige among the Qiang people in the Huangshui region. It was only later that the Beihe people, just like the rest of the Qiang people in Longxi, suffered the oppression of Chen Xiang as well as the Liang Province Inspector, Feng Zhao, and were forced to migrate far away.

Last month when Diaomo was planning to attack Shang Commandery, he had invited the Beihe tribe to join the joint operation, but was politely declined by the old chief Yuan Wang. The Beihe people held their troops and did not move. Following their defeat, when Jiang Meng mentioned the Beihe tribe that had failed to cooperate in the battle, he naturally felt dissatisfied.

Diaomo said, "Every man has his own aspirations. The Beihe chief is of high virtue and great prestige; his failure to dispatch troops also possessed his considerations. I have always respected him. Speak no more nonsense!"

Seeing him say this, Jiang Meng finally closed his mouth.

Diaomo pondered, the appearance of that youth just now rising before his eyes. He suddenly felt the boy looked somewhat familiar, yet for the moment, he could not recall where he had seen him. After a moment's hesitation, he instructed an attendant to follow them to investigate what was going on. Afterward, he led his men and left the city first.

……

With Xiao Qiao suddenly buying back these twenty to thirty Qiang slaves, the steward could not make sense of it.

But since the Madame liked it, a servant naturally did not dare to ask a single question. The first thing they did upon returning was to order all these Qiang slaves to wash their hair and drench their bodies. Once they were clean, they changed into the clothing of Han people, and each person was issued a pair of shoes. Afterward, they were taken to eat. Each person was issued two flatbreads, with no limit on the porridge.

Once the Qiang slaves finished their meal, the steward went to ask Xiao Qiao what she prepared to have these Qiang slaves do.

Xiao Qiao did not know what she needed them to do either. Buying them back from the marketplace earlier had been pure impulsive consumption. Seeing the steward finish his words and wait for her instructions, she said to ask them themselves first; those who wished to leave should be allowed to leave, and no one was permitted to force them to stay.

The steward was dumbfounded.

So it turned out the Madame spent money to buy so many Qiang slaves for no reason other than to keep them around for amusement.

He did not dare to ask anything either. Turning around, he called over someone who could speak the Qiang language and truly went to ask.

Those Qiang slaves could not believe at first that they had run into such good fortune. First being smoothly bought away, not only did they get to wear clothes and shoes, but they also ate a filling meal. They originally thought this was already good enough, yet they never expected that now, that young Madame actually went so far as to let them leave.

In the beginning, no one believed it. All of them looked at one another. Later, once they confirmed it was real, a dozen or so people left. In the end, half still remained, refusing to leave, saying they no longer had families to return to, and moreover, the journey was long and distant, so they might not necessarily return to the Huangshui region alive. They merely wished to stay behind to serve the Madame. There were twelve men and two women. All were very young.

Seeing that the people could not be driven away even if he tried, the steward turned around once more and went to report to Xiao Qiao again.

Xiao Qiao thought for a moment, letting the men temporarily fill the roles of miscellaneous laborers and the women do the laundry. If there was truly nothing to do, they could just remain idle, and she would use them when she thought of something.

Then she gave another instruction, ordering that all of them be arranged in the outer courtyard and not permitted to enter the inner courtyard.

This was also out of safety considerations. After all, although she bore no malice toward these Qiang people, there was no guaranteeing what others might intend.

Finally, there remained that pair of elder sister and younger brother. Xiao Qiao instructed the steward to arrange a single room for them to live in, and furthermore to invite a physician over to treat the youth's injuries.

The steward assented to each item.

……

A few days later, the Qiang youth's injuries had already recovered considerably.

He referred to himself by the single name Yuan, coming once more to express his gratitude. When he looked at Xiao Qiao, his pair of eyes was bright and sparkling, filled with an expression of gratitude.

That day he had been thoroughly filthy, and Xiao Qiao had only noticed that he possessed a pair of eyes that were born clear and bright. She had not expected that once he was washed clean and changed into tidy garments, his appearance would actually be remarkably neat.

To commemorate their ancestors, it was the custom for Qiang men to leave their hair disheveled, wearing a headband horizontally across their forehead.

This youth named Yuan had black hair falling to his shoulders and snow-white skin, standing there like a stalk of trimmed bamboo. If not for the fact that his forehead and the corners of his eyes still bore traces of bruised swelling, he actually looked a bit like her younger brother Qiao Ci when he was twelve or thirteen.

Xiao Qiao felt an even greater sense of familiarity and fondness toward him.

It was only that the more she looked, the more she felt that he and this Qiang woman did not resemble biological elder sister and younger brother.

If they were not biological siblings, then being plundered and sold together must entail some hidden story.

But it was also inconvenient for her to press with questions.

Moreover, buying him that day had only been a momentary impulse; she did not wish to pry too much into other people's hidden matters. Thereupon, she smiled and said, "It is good that you are fine now. Among those people who came together with you that day, some have already left. Once you have nursed your injuries well, if you wish to leave, you may depart on your own accord; I shall not stop you."

……

On this evening, Chun Niang was doing needlework in the room, keeping Xiao Qiao company as they chatted.

This was already the tenth night since Xiao Qiao arrived in Jinyang.

Wei Shao had still not returned, and there was no new news from the steward's side either.

Not just Chun Niang, in truth, Xiao Qiao herself gradually felt that something was a bit amiss in her heart.

Chun Niang cast a glance at Xiao Qiao, who was leaning over the table intently tracing embroidery patterns for herself, and could not resist saying, "The Young Mistress has been here for so many days already, yet we do not know on what day the young master will finally be able to return."

Xiao Qiao did not pick up her words.

Chun Niang added, "Perhaps the young master does not know yet that the Young Mistress has arrived? Since the Young Mistress has nothing to do anyway, why not send a letter to the young master?"

Xiao Qiao's eyes remained fixed upon the patterns, and finally she smiled as if casually speaking, "Then Chun Niang, what do you think would be good for me to say in my letter to him?"

Chun Niang said hastily, "Just say the Young Mistress misses—"

Suddenly right at this moment, a succession of footsteps sounded from outside the door, followed by the steward's voice rising: "A letter has arrived from Xihe County for the Young Mistress!"

Xiao Qiao abruptly raised her eyes, stopping her brush.

Chun Niang hurriedly rose to receive the letter, and upon returning, she handed it to Xiao Qiao happily: "What a coincidence! Just now this servant was saying the Young Mistress should write a letter to the young master, and at this very moment, the young master has sent a letter to the Young Mistress!"

Xiao Qiao took the letter that was sealed into a bamboo cylinder with sealing wax. Extracting it, she unfolded it and cast a glance over it; her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her gaze became fixed.

Chun Niang had originally been full of smiles, waiting for Xiao Qiao to speak of the contents of the letter. Suddenly seeing that her expression was unusual, her smile gradually faded, and she asked uneasily, "What has occurred?"

……

The letter was written by Gongsun Yang, who was together with Wei Shao in Xihe County.

Three days ago, Wei Shao had originally decided to return to Jinyang, leaving Gongsun Yang in Xihe County to defend against Feng Zhao of Liang Province. Before leaving, however, he had a sudden inspiration, taking only a small detachment of horsemen to go scout the terrain together with Gongsun Yang, never expecting to encounter a sudden ambush.

At that time, Wei Shao protected Gongsun Yang and successfully broke through the encirclement, but one side of his own shoulder was inadvertently wounded by a crossbow bolt.

He originally thought it was merely a minor flesh wound, and Wei Shao himself had not taken it to heart at that time either.

But that crossbow bolt had been smeared with poison. Fortunately, treatment was administered in time, and it had only grazed the skin, so his life was out of danger.

However, the residual poison inside the Marquis's body had not yet been completely drawn out, and his body was still very weak; at present, he was nursing his injuries.

The Marquis did not wish for the Young Mistress to know, and had issued strict orders that no letter should be sent.

Gongsun Yang, however, felt a thousandfold weight of guilt and responsibility. Knowing that the Young Mistress was in Jinyang, he did not dare to conceal it, and specially drew up this letter to report.