The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 119

Chapter 119

The "few more days" Wei Shao had casually mentioned stretched out into a half-month wait, keeping Xiao Qiao on tenterhooks.

Finally, at the end of the month, the day of their departure arrived.

Both her own luggage and Wei Shao’s had long been packed and readied.

Taking advantage of the cool morning air, they prepared to set out. Xiao Qiao dressed neatly, her heart leaping with excitement as she walked out the door side-by-side with Wei Shao.

Before they left, Wei Shao turned to her and admitted that he usually detested riding in carriages, finding them too slow and excessively stifling.

However, heading east from Jinyang, their journey would take them through Leping Commandery, past Julu—the territory of the ancient Zhao State—and finally into Anping Commandery of Jizhou to arrive in Xindu. Traveling by day and lodging by night, the journey would take at least ten days. Fearing she would grow bored traveling all by herself, he decided to forego his horse entirely and squeeze into the carriage to accompany her.

He made it sound as though he were putting himself out under great reluctance.

Xiao Qiao feigned a deeply moved expression but shook her head decisively. "Husband, you really do not need to wrong yourself for my sake. It is better if you follow your own heart and ride your horse. Spring Nurse will sit with me, so I will not feel bored at all."

She meant every single word. Riding in the carriage with Spring Nurse was far less effort and infinitely more comfortable.

If she had to sit with him...

To say nothing of having to wait hand and foot on that high-and-mighty master the entire way, Xiao Qiao could already vividly imagine the rather indescribable things that would bound to happen during the journey.

She was not the least bit willing.

Wei Shao’s gaze remained steadfast and earnest. "For Manman’s sake, what does a little grievance matter?"

And so, the matter was cheerfully settled.

The grand carriage was already waiting outside the main gates.

Spring Nurse, naturally tactful and knowing her place, boarded another carriage with the handmaidens.

Xiao Qiao climbed into the grand carriage first and settled down. Peering through the small viewport, she watched Wei Shao a short distance away as he bid farewell to Li Chong, Zhang Jian, Wei Liang, and the others who had come to see them off.

Gongsun Yang had already departed for Xindu ahead of schedule.

Li Chong, Zhang Jian, and Wei Liang would remain behind to garrison the city.

After Xiao Qiao waited for a short while, Wei Shao finally turned around and climbed into the carriage, squeezing himself inside. "Have you been waiting long?"

Xiao Qiao nodded. "Mm."

Wei Shao flashed her a brief smile and sat down beside her, pulling her into his arms with a sweeping gesture before ordering the procession to start.

Amidst the echoing voices of Wei Shao's subordinates sending them off in unison, the carriage rolled forward, carrying Xiao Qiao away from the city she had inhabited for over half a year.

It felt as though everything that had transpired within these city walls had finally reached a definitive conclusion.

Su Ehuang had submitted a letter written in her own blood, weeping as she confessed her transgressions. Last night, under the cover of darkness, she had been escorted out of Jinyang to return to Lunu.

As the carriage rolled out of the eastern city gate, gradually leaving the sprawling walls behind, Xiao Qiao leaned comfortably against Wei Shao’s chest, never once looking back.

She was a person who adapted easily to whatever circumstances she found herself in.

When one lived in a place for a long time, more or less, a sliver of affection would naturally develop.

Yet for this city, she could not muster even the slightest trace of lingering attachment.

She only wished to leave as quickly as possible.


The traveling procession of carriages and horses journeyed northward after departing from Jinyang, winding their way toward Lunu, the capital city of the Kingdom of Zhongshan.

Their pace along the road was exceedingly slow.

When this very group of carriages and horses had traveled south months ago, they had been resplendent and magnificent.

Now returning to the north, they were utterly dim and devoid of glory.

The accompanying attendants, handmaidens, and servants were all as quiet as cicadas in winter, their expressions so mournful it looked as though they were grieving their own parents.

They were all personal servants and retainers of the Lady of Zuo Fengyi, the daughter of the Su clan, entirely dependent upon her for their livelihood.

To them, Lady Su was their absolute sky.

Everyone knew that the daughter of the Su family of Zhongshan had been born accompanied by heavenly signs, possessing a destiny of peerless nobility.

Just how noble "peerless nobility" could truly become was a tacitly understood secret among them.

They believed in this implicitly, maintaining fierce loyalty as they followed her across the years, starting from more than a decade ago when Lady Su first married into Luoyang, extending all the way to the present day.

Just last month, when they had first departed from Lunu to travel south, their spirits had been remarkably high.

Their lady, who had lived in deep seclusion in Lunu for half a year, was finally heading south once more, bound for Luoyang.

They still held pristine memories of the days when the Lady of the Jade Pavilion reigned supreme in Luoyang, enjoying unparalleled luxury and receiving endless adulation. Even today, mentioning it brought a shared sense of reflected glory.

Back then, their lady had once stood incredibly close to fulfilling that fated prophecy.

Who could have foreseen that Liu Li would perish, leaving their lady a widow.

Yet even so, they had never lost faith.

Because their lady was still with them.

No matter what setbacks they encountered, whenever they beheld her chin lifted high, displaying that proud, queen-ly countenance that they could never quite fathom, they would willingly prostrate themselves at her feet, their confidence swelling anew, filled with fresh strength.

But today, that beautiful dream they had nurtured for over a decade had shattered in a single night like a fleeting illusion.

A bleak darkness lay before everyone's eyes.

Ten days later, as they reached Changshan Commandery, drawing closer and closer to Lunu, a restless anxiety began to ripple through the ranks.

Deep within their hearts, the seeds of doubt regarding their lady's legendary "peerless nobility destiny" began to slowly germinate and spread.

No one knew for certain exactly what had transpired in those final days of their stay in Jinyang concerning their lady.

But rumor had it that because she had deeply offended the Marquis of Yanzhou, Wei Shao, she had suffered a savage punishment at his hands.

Although the exact nature of the punishment remained a mystery, whispers had already begun to circulate in secret.

Their lady had been disfigured!

What this implied for a noblewoman whose fame in Luoyang was entirely built upon her exquisite beauty was something everyone understood perfectly.

Furthermore, ever since that night when she had boarded the carriage with her head and face completely shrouded to flee Jinyang, she had not shown her face even once along the entire road.

All instructions were relayed strictly through Old Nurse Su, the elderly attendant at her side.

The carriage she rode in remained tightly shut, doors and windows barred, exuding a heavy, suffocating air of death. It resembled a coffin draped in a beautiful exterior, striking discomfort into the hearts of any who looked upon it, even in broad daylight.

They began to doubt, to worry, and to panic.

If this rumor proved true, then what future or hope could possibly remain for them?

A few days prior, Old Nurse Su had severely punished two maidservants she caught gossiping about their master behind her back.

Yet even that failed to stem the tide of rumors.

Until this day, when they came to a temporary halt in Changshan Commandery.

They stayed halted for three whole days. Within the posthouse, their lady still failed to make an appearance.

Three days later, just as the collective anxiety was reaching a fever pitch, the lady who had hidden away for numerous days suddenly materialized before them.

Upon beholding her, every single person stood utterly dumbfounded.

The Lady of the Jade Pavilion wore her hair in a high, elaborate coiffure and was adorned in magnificent robes, her makeup exquisitely striking, entirely retaining her grandeur of old.

Upon her face, she wore a half-mask shaped like the wings of a butterfly.

The butterfly mask was forged from pure red gold and inlaid with precious gems, crafted with incomparable refinement. It rested across the center of her face, revealing her wondrous eyes and her crimson, water-chestnut lips, concealing only her nose.

Far from detracting from her appearance, it added a distinct air of captivating mystery instead.

As her two piercing eyes swept over the maidservants and retainers from above the golden butterfly mask, a collective shudder ran through the crowd, and one by one, they hastily lowered their heads.

"We set out for Luoyang," Old Nurse Su, standing at her side, announced clearly.

After traveling along the road for some ten days, Wei Shao's procession finally entered Xindu on this evening.

Gongsun Yang had arrived a few days prior. The garrison commander and the local magistrate of Xindu naturally knew that Wei Shao would be arriving around this time.

However, Wei Shao had not informed them of his exact itinerary, nor had he sent word commanding them to come outside the city walls to welcome him.

As such, their entry into the city at dusk consisted merely of two carriages escorted by several dozen guards ahead and behind.

While it drew curious sidelong glances from the pedestrians along the road, it caused no significant stir, and no one knew the true identities of the travelers entering their gates.

It was only later that night, when the citizens of Xindu looked up and saw that the Sandalwood Terrace within the Xindu Palace—which usually dissolved into pitch blackness after nightfall—had been illuminated by row upon row of bright lamps just as it had been during the Lord's grand wedding, that they finally realized their Lord had entered the city.

Scarcely had Wei Shao stepped foot into the Xindu Palace when Gongsun Yang, the garrison commander Pei Jian, and the local magistrate, having received word of his arrival, rushed over posthaste to request an audience.

Wei Shao naturally went out to meet them.

Xiao Qiao was long accustomed to such occurrences, knowing that once he went to such a meeting, it would be at least half an hour before he returned. She entered the Sheyang Residence where they had previously resided and set about settling herself in.

The servants and maidservants of the palace all came forward to pay their respects.

After a bout of bustling activity to get everything arranged, as the lamps were being lit, Spring Nurse came to inform her that dinner was ready.

Wei Shao had still not returned.

Xiao Qiao instructed them to wait until he returned so they could dine together.

Finding herself with nothing to do while waiting, Xiao Qiao sat down and retrieved the past letters written to her by Big Qiao to look through them once more.

Since her return from that trip down south at the end of last year, over half a year had passed in the blink of an eye.

Though Xiao Qiao and Big Qiao had not found another opportunity to meet face-to-face, they had exchanged correspondence once during the interim.

With vast distances separating them as they gazed across north and south, and with countless territories controlled by fractured warlords lying between them, the safe delivery of letters was an exceedingly difficult affair.

Back in March while she was in Jinyang, estimating that Big Qiao must have already given birth, Xiao Qiao’s heart had been filled with worry. Setting all other concerns aside, she had penned a letter and tasked Jia Cai with sending someone to deliver it to Lingbi. She inquired after the child's well-being and asked about the state of the war around the Huai River region.

Two months ago, Xiao Qiao had finally received Big Qiao’s reply.

In the letter, Big Qiao shared that she had safely given birth to a son at the beginning of the year, and Bi Zhi had been utterly beside himself with joy.

By the time she wrote the letter to Xiao Qiao, the child had just passed his one-month milestone and was incredibly adorable.

Bi Zhi treasured the child like a precious jewel, and his original devotion toward her remained entirely unchanged. She was living very well.

However, regarding the military situation Xiao Qiao had inquired about, though Big Qiao maintained a light tone and offered only a few sparse lines, Xiao Qiao could still read between the lines to discern a trace of hidden anxiety.

Big Qiao mentioned that following Xue Tai’s death at the beginning of the year, Xue Tai’s eldest son, Xue An, had mobilized troops to seek vengeance. His first two offenses had both been successfully repelled by Bi Zhi.

During the third clash, both sides had remained deadlocked for numerous days, culminating in a fierce battle on the plains of Pengcheng. Just as Bi Zhi was on the verge of securing a complete victory, Yang Xin had suddenly led an army to attack Lingbi from the rear.

Bi Zhi had been forced to hastily withdraw his troops to defend Lingbi.

Yang Xin, who had historically been an enemy of Xue Tai, had somehow formed an alliance with Xue An this time, launching a coordinated pincer attack against Lingbi from both north and south.

Nonetheless, Big Qiao added that fortunately, Bi Zhi's defenses were incredibly tight, and neither Yang Xin nor Xue An could gain any advantage over him for the time being, leading them to successively withdraw their forces.

For now, the Huai River region had formed a three-way standoff between Yang Xin, Xue An, and Bi Zhi.

She and Bi Zhi were both doing very well, so Big Qiao urged Xiao Qiao to set her mind at ease and not worry over them.

Now, a few more months had flown by.

As Xiao Qiao reread Big Qiao’s letter, falling deep into thought, she suddenly heard Spring Nurse greeting the "Lord" outside. Lifting her eyes, she saw Wei Shao striding into the room. She hastily began to put the letter away.

"What are you reading?"

Wei Shao approached her side.

Xiao Qiao originally had no intention of saying much, but seeing his two eyes intently fixed upon her, she realized there was nothing truly worth hiding. She replied, "It is merely a letter from my elder sister from a few months ago. Having nothing to do just now, I pulled it out to glance over it again."

As she spoke, Xiao Qiao placed the letter back inside its casket.

Wei Shao's gaze lingered on her face. "What did it say? I saw you staring blankly into space just now."

"Nothing much," Xiao Qiao smiled. "My elder sister was blessed with a son at the beginning of the year, who should be about five or six months old by now. Just thinking about him brings such warmth to my heart. It is a pity the journey is so long, otherwise I would truly love to visit Lingbi again just to hold my nephew."

Wei Shao arched an eyebrow slightly. "What is the fun in holding someone else's child? If you bear a child for me, will you not have your own to hold?"

Xiao Qiao felt a touch slighted. "How can my elder sister's child be considered 'someone else's child'? He is to call me Aunt!"

"Very well, very well, I misspoke!"

Wei Shao let out a low chuckle.

"My sister also mentioned in her letter that Yang Xin seems to have formed an alliance with the son of the Xue family, launching a joint attack against my brother-in-law from both sides. Yang Xin had been at odds with the Xue family for the longest time, so why have they suddenly allied now? Husband, do you happen to know anything about this matter?"

Since the topic had already been raised, Xiao Qiao took the opportunity to ask in a casual tone.

What he knew would naturally far exceed her own knowledge.

Wei Shao’s expression did not change in the slightest.

"That bandit leader..."

He caught himself, glancing at Xiao Qiao before correcting his words: "Bi Zhi slew Xue Tai, incurring a deep grudge with the Xue family. It is entirely possible that Xue An sought an alliance with Yang Xin in his quest for revenge."

Seeing Xiao Qiao knit her brows slightly upon hearing this, he reached out and patted his own stomach. "Manman, those men cornered me just now and rambled on about a mountain of affairs. I am famished."

Xiao Qiao knew he had always looked down upon Bi Zhi. Moreover, during that previous occasion when he came to fetch her, he and Bi Zhi had broken into a fight the very moment they laid eyes on each other. Seeing that he seemed disinclined to discuss the matter further at this moment, she refrained from pressing him, lest he misunderstand and assume she was trying to coax him into sending aid to Bi Zhi. Thus, she said, "I was just waiting for you to have dinner.”