The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 125

Chapter 125

Gongsun Yang said, "Please appease your anger, Lord. Would the Lady dare to be disrespectful to you? She simply has her own difficulties. Just as she mentioned, you are her husband, yet Bi Zhi is no outsider either. Given her position, she naturally does not wish to see the two families clash in battle. Even if her actions were improper, it is entirely understandable. You should show some forbearance, Lord."

Wei Shao's face darkened. "Military Advisor, why do you always speak on her behalf? What exactly did she say to you just now? Did she complain about my faults?"

Gongsun Yang had long noticed a pattern: whenever the Lord Marquis was displeased with him, the form of address would shift from "Mister" to "Military Advisor." He had clearly touched a sore spot once again.

He hastily replied, "Please do not misunderstand, Lord Marquis. When the Lady came to find me just now, she only mentioned that she had incensed you and feared you would no longer allow her to speak. To resolve the misunderstanding, she transferred Bi Zhi's letter to me. I am deeply honored that you have kept me as your Military Advisor for so many years. As your Military Advisor, the situation at Lingbi is not merely your private family matter. Therefore, I took the liberty of accepting the letter."

"There is no need to say more, Military Advisor! My mind is made up regarding Lingbi. How could I alter it for the sake of a woman?"

Gongsun Yang observed him closely.

Wei Shao's gaze was fixed straight on the doorway. His eyes were wide and blank, carrying a peculiar expression. Although his tone remained stiff, his anger seemed to have largely dissipated.

For a moment, Gongsun Yang could not fathom what the Lord Marquis was thinking. He presented the letter the Lady had brought and said, "This is Bi Zhi's letter. You may wish to have a look, Lord."

Wei Shao withdrew his gaze, cast a cold glance at it, and refused to take it.

Gongsun Yang unfolded the scroll and read it aloud from start to finish, his voice rising and falling with measured cadence. Once finished, he said, "I have already enumerated whether the situation at Lingbi warrants such an aggressive campaign at this moment. Furthermore, you have always been wise, Lord, and must already have weighed the pros and cons in your heart. You naturally understand the priorities far better than I. I dare not display my meager skills before an expert today. Let us speak only of Bi Zhi's letter."

"Bi Zhi rose from the ranks of refugee leaders, yet he brought about Xue Tai's demise and twice defeated Yang Xin. There is no doubt that he possesses the talents of a great general. In his letter, he does not presume upon his status as your brother-in-law to demand favors. Instead, every line is filled with sincerity, stating that if he has misunderstood you in any way, he begs your indulgence. Since he has actively sought peace, why not grant him this favor, Lord? 'A mind capable of keeping righteousness in check is called forbearance; shedding light upon the four quarters is called wisdom.' In ancient times, Gao Yao spoke of the Nine Virtues to Emperor Yu, saying: 'To be broad-minded yet resolute, strict yet gentle, powerful yet righteous—displaying these consistently brings good fortune!'"

Wei Shao remained silent.

Gongsun Yang suddenly let out a few coughs. Wei Shao's brow twitched slightly, and he looked up, intending to rise. Gongsun Yang waved his hand to stop his coughing. "I still remember the day before you personally took charge of the military and administration at seventeen. The Old Madame summoned me for a talk, expressing much emotion and joy. She asked how I viewed her. I replied that she could unleash thunderous fury and make swift, decisive judgments, proving that women are in no way inferior to men. But she said something that remains fresh in my memory to this day."

"The Old Madame said, 'A person's heart is but the size of a fist—it could not be smaller. Yet the breadth of one's tolerance can swallow a hundred rivers and sustain an entire generation.' Looking back on her life, the path had been fraught with hardships. To have achieved what she did was nothing worth boasting about; she merely held that single profound reflection."

Wei Shao still remained silent.

Gongsun Yang spoke no further.

After a long while, Wei Shao said in a cold voice, "Mister, your intent must be for me to spare that refugee leader. Otherwise, I would be a narrow-minded man, would I not?"

Gongsun Yang smiled and said, "How can you say that, Lord? If you were narrow-minded and incapable of tolerating others, why would so many fine generals and capable ministers gladly follow your commands?"

Wei Shao's gaze fell upon the doorway opposite him once more, lost in thought. After a long silence, he finally spoke: "Write to Yang Xin. Withdraw the troops."

Overjoyed, Gongsun Yang hastily replied, "As you command."

Wei Shao rose and walked out immediately.

Gongsun Yang escorted him.

When Wei Shao reached the door, he remembered something and asked, "On what day will Guo Quan's envoy arrive in Xindu?"

Guo Quan was the Marquis of Jibei, whose territory bordered that of Yuan Zhe in Qingzhou. After Wei Shao pacified the west, his power and prestige grew even more formidable. Guo Quan admired him greatly. Like Yang Xin, Guo Quan realized he lacked the strength to contend for the realm. Rather than being swallowed by Yuan Zhe, he preferred to align himself with Wei Shao. Learning that Wei Shao was currently staying in Xindu, he had dispatched an envoy to express his allegiance.

Gongsun Yang replied, "Calculating the travel time, they should arrive soon." Escorting him down the steps of the corridor, he thought of the Lady and added, "The Lady was deeply anxious when she came just now. When you return and see her, Lord, she will surely be delighted to hear the news."

Wei Shao halted his steps. "Military Advisor, though that refugee leader has sent a letter seeking peace today, who is to say he will not oppose me in the future? The reason I am refraining from crushing him and sparing him this time is purely out of deference to your counsel. It is by no means my original intent, and it has absolutely nothing to do with that woman. Whether she is pleased or not matters little to me."

Gongsun Yang was taken aback, then quickly straightened his expression and said seriously, "What you say is perfectly correct, Lord. Your acceptance of my humble opinion stems from your magnanimity and far-reaching vision. The battle at Lingbi was entirely born of a misunderstanding. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared, it is only natural for you to accept Bi Zhi's peaceful overture. How could it have anything to do with a woman?"

Wei Shao then bade Gongsun Yang stay his steps while he strode toward the government office. His mind was slightly unfocused when a guard suddenly approached from ahead, knelt down, and said, "Reporting to the Lord Marquis, just moments ago, General Jia sent a subordinate to deliver a verbal message. He states that the Lady has already hit the road and departed, escorted by General Jia. He specially sent someone to inform you."

Wei Shao blanked. "Where has she gone?"

The guard opened his mouth, shaking his head blankly.

Wei Shao stood frozen for a moment. Suddenly, his expression shifted drastically. He rushed out of the government office gates, descending the foot-high green stone steps in a few swift bounds. Reaching the hitching post, he flipped himself onto his horse. Passersby only saw a rider flying past like the wind, racing toward the city's southern gate. Recognizing the silhouette as the Lord Marquis, they stopped and turned to watch.

Wei Shao rode hard until he reached the southern gate. He reined in his horse and gazed down the highway leading south. The road stretched out with travelers moving north and south, but at the edge of his vision, there was only billowing yellow dust. Not a single trace of her carriage could be seen. He barked an order to the gate captain: "Did Jia Si just escort a carriage out of the city?"

The Lord Marquis had arrived in such a frantic rush, his expression frantic and exasperated without explanation. Shocked, the captain hastily replied, "I have been stationed here all day, and I have not seen General Jia leave the city."

Wei Shao froze, then immediately wheeled his horse around and hurried back to the temporary palace. He burst into the room where the two of them stayed within the Sheyang Residence.

The room was completely empty. Not only was she gone, but more than half of the belongings had vanished. All of her daily articles were nowhere to be seen.

Wei Shao roared for someone to come, and several maidservants hurried in.

"Where is the Lady?" Wei Shao demanded harshly.

Terrified, a maidservant whispered, "Reporting to the Lord Marquis, the Lady has already hit the road to return to Yuyang."

Wei Shao stood rooted to the spot, motionless.

The affection between the Lord Marquis and the Lady was extraordinary, a world apart from when they were first married—a fact visible to everyone in the Sheyang Residence. They had no idea what unpleasantness had occurred to make the Lady abandon the Lord Marquis and head back to Yuyang alone. The servants waited outside the door for a moment. One of them, who was sharper and bolder, stole a glance at the sky and summoned her courage to say, "When the Lady left, the sun was still up. Now it is growing dark, and it looks like the weather is about to turn. The Lady has not been gone long. If you pursue her now, Lord, you should still be able to catch up..."

Before she could finish, she encountered the Lord Marquis's gloomy expression and cold gaze, causing her to fall silent immediately.

...

Past midday, the sun vanished entirely. Clouds gathered over Xindu, heavy and dark as if night were falling early. It was not yet evening, but lamps had already been lit inside the room.

Wei Shao was alone in the study, the doors and windows tightly shut. Yet the candlelight on the stand flickered unsteadily, buffeted by the wind draft filtering through the cracks.

Wei Shao felt rather restless. The military scroll in his hand had remained on the exact same page for a long time. Finally, he cast it aside, walked to the northern window, and threw it open.

A fierce wind rushed against him, whipping his robes wildly. Behind him, the row of candles on the stand was instantly snuffed out.

Wei Shao gazed toward the northern horizon. Dark clouds weighed heavily in that direction, with lightning occasionally tearing through the sky, accompanied by the low, rumbling sound of distant thunder.

He remained lost in thought for a long time.

A raindrop the size of a bean suddenly blew in from the eaves and splashed loudly against his cheek.

Immediately following that, a dense pattering sound, like beans being scattered on a sieve, echoed from the tiled roof.

Wei Shao felt a touch of chill.

Autumn had arrived.

...

Deep into the night, the rain poured heavier.

A flash of lightning streaked past the window. With a loud crack, a clap of thunder rolled directly overhead, nearly shattering one's soul with its force.

Wei Shao opened his eyes, turned his head, and looked at the empty pillow beside him.

She was extremely timid and could not bear such lightning and thunder. If she were still lying beside him now, she would surely have burrowed into his embrace long ago, seeking his protection.

Wei Shao's heart felt hollow, as if a piece had been hollowed out.

Another flash of lightning tore through the pitch-black night sky, illuminating half of Xindu as bright as day.

Amidst the ceaseless, roaring thunder, Wei Shao's heart seemed to race in tandem. Suddenly, he flipped himself out of bed and quickly dressed. Going to the outer room, he took down the straw raincoat and conical hat hanging on the wall, pushed open the door, and stepped out. His boots splashed through the puddles as he strode quickly into the dark.

...

When Xiao Qiao left the city near midday, the weather was still clear. Unexpectedly, past midday, the sun was gradually obscured by layers of clouds.

Before evening, the sky had turned as dark as night, and the rain began to fall.

The rain grew heavier, pouring down in torrents. Traveling another ten li through the wind and rain along the highway, they finally reached a courier station and took shelter inside.

The station master prepared a refined room and welcomed Xiao Qiao to stay.

The bedding on the couch had been brought along by Nanny Chun herself. Knowing that Xiao Qiao feared lightning and thunder, Nanny Chun slept beside her that night.

Xiao Qiao, however, remained unable to sleep. She kept her eyes closed, burying her head beneath the covers.

It was not until the latter half of the night, when the thunder gradually grew sparse, that she finally closed her eyes.

Suddenly, another rumble of distant thunder echoed.

Xiao Qiao startled awake, her heart pounding wildly. Opening her eyes in the darkness, she heard Nanny Chun's familiar, deep breathing of sleep, and her heartbeat slowly steadied.

She felt a dryness in her throat and a bit of stifling heat. Trying not to disturb Nanny Chun, she quietly slipped out of bed, walked to the table, poured half a cup of water, and took a few sips. Setting it down, she approached the window and pushed open a small pane that was slightly swollen from the rain.

A damp wind, carrying the chill of late night, rushed toward her.

Unwittingly, another year of autumn had arrived.

A rustling sound came from behind her. It seemed Nanny Chun was about to wake up.

Xiao Qiao closed the window and climbed back onto the bed.

Half-asleep, Nanny Chun reached out and touched Xiao Qiao's soft body. Feeling that she was a bit cold, she tucked the corners of the quilt around her.

Xiao Qiao was finally exhausted. Closing her eyes, she listened to the relentless rustling of the rain falling on the tiles overhead and drifted off to sleep.

An unknown amount of time passed when she suddenly felt someone gently shaking her.

Opening her eyes in a daze, she saw a dim lamp had been lit in the room. Nanny Chun had risen at some point and was now bending over, calling her in a low voice.

"Lady, the Lord Marquis has arrived."

Xiao Qiao heard her say. Her tone carried a hint of cautious discretion.