The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 145

Chapter 145

The Xuan Office of the Southern Palace

During the golden eras when the Han Dynasty's national destiny flourished, this palace complex, situated not far from the Hall of Great Ultimate, was utilized across several generations of emperors as their daily living and administrative quarters after imperial court sessions concluded.

Later on, the Desolate Emperor squandered immense sums of wealth, spending over a dozen years to construct the Northern Palace on a grand scale. Upon its completion, its sheer magnificence and luxury far surpassed that of the Southern Palace.

From the Desolate Emperor onward, the daily court sessions and routine activities of the Han emperors shifted entirely to the Northern Palace.

The Southern Palace was gradually abandoned, and the Xuan Office was repurposed as the Office of Grand Ceremonies.

After Wei Shao occupied Luoyang, he re-commissioned the Xuan Office to serve as his temporary quarters.

Xiao Qiao was well aware that during the days since his return from Yanzhou, Wei Shao had been exceptionally busy.

Lezheng Gong's northern expedition had concluded in failure without achieving any merit. After vomiting blood on his return journey to Hanzhong, his spirit became so thoroughly depressed and his energy so depleted that his old injuries flared up, and he passed away abruptly soon after.

The entire territory of Hanzhong was draped in funeral white. The moment the mourning rituals concluded, just a short while ago, his eldest son Lezheng Kai proclaimed himself emperor, establishing the state title of Great Liang. He posthumously honored Lezheng Gong as the First Emperor, following which he dispatched a denunciation proclamation bitterly reviling Wei Shao, swearing to exact vengeance on behalf of the founding emperor of Great Liang.

Lezheng Gong had managed Hanzhong for several generations. Centered around Liangzhou, his influence stretched broadly from the west of Hangu Pass to encompass Qinzhou, Jingzhou, and Yizhou. His troops were numerous and his generals vast, further aided by the natural topographical barriers of Mount Hua and the Shu roads. Although he was now dead, none of his sons were mediocre figures. Harnessing the momentum to claim the imperial throne, they had broadly gathered military forces, showing a tremendous momentum that signaled their intent to wage a decisive grand battle against Wei Shao.

Xiao Qiao had been waiting for a very long time by the side of the covered corridor outside the Xuan Office.

A faint, throbbing discomfort from engorged breast milk arose once more within her chest.

It served as yet another reminder that her daughter, Fei Fei, was still at home at this very moment, waiting for her return.

Finally, a chorus of footsteps echoed out from within.

She saw Li Dian, Wei Quan, and several others striding out in a great hurry, their expressions urgent.

Upon spotting Xiao Qiao, the men were slightly stunned and halted their steps, following which they walked over to offer their formal salutations to her.

Li Dian said, "When did My Lady arrive in Luoyang?"

"I have only just arrived today."

Xiao Qiao cast her gaze toward the red palace gates ahead: "Is the Lord inside?"

"He is within."

Xiao Qiao nodded slightly and stepped inside.

Gongsun Yang emerged last alongside Wei Shao. Recalling a particular matter, he spoke to Wei Shao, saying, "My honorable master had originally returned to the mountains, but upon hearing reports of a pestilence in the south, he journeyed southward. As he passed near Luoyang, he learned of our posted notices seeking physicians, and only then did he enter the city. General Wei's condition is no longer of any grave concern, and my master departed early this morning; despite my bitter entreaties, I could not make him stay..."

The moment Wei Shao stepped over the threshold, he suddenly spotted Xiao Qiao walking toward him from the opposite side. His footsteps faltered, and his gaze locked onto her figure, freezing for the span of a single breath before his countenance darkened instantly.

Gongsun Yang lifted his head and hastily came forward to welcome her, saying, "My Lady has endured a grueling journey. Having just arrived in Luoyang today, why did you not rest first?"

Xiao Qiao stepped up the stairs and stopped before the two men, saying with a gentle smile, "Many thanks to the Military Advisor for dispatching people to receive me here. I am not weary."

Shifting her gaze onto Wei Shao, she said, "Husband, could you perhaps halt your steps for a brief moment?"

Wei Shao spoke coldly, "Instead of returning to Yuyang, what have you come here to do?"

Xiao Qiao said, "I have words I wish to speak to Husband."

Wei Shao lifted his foot to stride away.

Xiao Qiao reached out her hand and gripped his sleeve in a single motion.

Wei Shao lowered his head, casting a glance at that fair, delicate little hand tightly grasping his sleeve, before lifting his eyes to glare at her, a look of annoyance surfacing upon his face.

Yet those two little hands still held firmly onto his sleeve, refusing to let go.

"I shall only occupy a mere moment of Husband's time; it will not delay your affairs," she said, her voice not loud, but thoroughly resolute.

Gongsun Yang swallowed his saliva, hastily turning his face away as he said, "My Lord might as well listen to My Lady's words. I shall take my leave first..."

Offering a hurried bow to the two of them, he turned around and departed.

Wei Shao remained standing rigidly by the edge of the threshold, completely motionless.

The surroundings were devoid of a single soul. Only that massive sweetwood tree before the hall spread its dense canopy over the pathway; as a gust of wind swept past, the leaves emitted a rustling murmur.

Xiao Qiao slowly released her grip.

"I went to visit General Wei Liang just now. My younger brother accompanied me to plead for forgiveness on Father's behalf."

Wei Shao's line of sight remained fixed upon the sweetwood tree beside the corridor in front of the hall.

Xiao Qiao gazed intently at his stone-like countenance: "Mercifully, General Wei did not hold a grudge. Before taking our leave, I spoke to General Wei, expressing my hope that he could take my younger brother under his banner to train and gain experience. Thanks to General Wei's lack of disdain, he agreed. However, without your nod of approval, he does not dare to make the decision on his own authority."

Wei Shao whipped his head around.

"Is this also something you can take the liberty to decide arbitrarily?" His tone was heavily weighted.

"Therefore, I have come to inform Husband so that you may be aware," Xiao Qiao said. "There is no other intent. It is simply that now that the matters at home have passed, I anticipate there should not be many complications in the coming period. My younger brother is young and ought not to waste his prime years. Furthermore, my family owes a debt of shame to General Wei; letting my younger brother serve before the General—whether it is to lead his horse or hold his saddle—is only proper."

Wei Shao stared intently at her.

Xiao Qiao met his gaze squarely: "Naturally, whether to keep him or not, and for how long to keep him, everything will ultimately be decided according to Husband's own heart and mind."

Wei Shao fell silent for a brief moment. Suddenly, he lifted his foot, his sleeves catching the wind as he strode rapidly down the steps, walking until he stood beneath that sweetwood tree.

Xiao Qiao pursued him, stopping directly across from him to block his path.

Wei Shao finally halted his steps: "Just what else do you want to do?" His tone carried a sense of interrogation and impatience.

He stood more than half a head taller than Xiao Qiao. As the two stood face-to-face like this, Xiao Qiao tilted her face up slightly, gazing intently into his countenance.

"I know you hate my Qiao family for repeatedly breaking faith, and you hate me even more for merely dealing with you superficially—having the name of husband and wife while secretly remaining guarded against you. Since I stated just now that I wished to speak the words from the deep core of my heart to you, then regardless of whether you can map them into your heart or not, I must say them out loud."

"A long time ago, I repeatedly had a terrifying nightmare. In that dream, the Qiao and Wei families formed a marriage alliance, and my Qiao family married a daughter to you to be your wife. However, it did not succeed in dissolving the hatred between the two houses as desired. Your heart was entirely set on vengeance, and in the end, not a single member of my family escaped the disaster; they either died directly by your hand or perished indirectly because of you."

She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them.

"It was precisely bearing such a nightmare—one that felt as though I had personally experienced it in a past life—that I married you to be your wife. After our marriage, I acted with extreme caution, not daring to make a single misstep. Gradually, the relationship between you and me finally experienced a thawing of ice. Yet at that time, no matter how good you were to me, your words and deeds always caused me to feel a profound sense of pressure. It felt precisely as though the life, death, fortune, and disaster of myself and my maternal family rested entirely upon a single whim of your joy or anger. Furthermore, there was still that dream-omen which I could not shake off."

"It was precisely under those circumstances that I hoped my family would strive for strength. It was by no means to become enemies with you, but rather thinking that if a day should ever come when the affection between us as husband and wife could no longer sustain our present state of stolen peace, my family would possess the means to protect themselves. Even if it was akin to a mantis trying to stop a carriage with its arms, it would still be better than sitting and waiting for death, just as I saw in my dream."

Initially, Wei Shao did not look at her.

Slowly, he fixed his line of sight onto her face.

He stared at her, the look within his eyes dark and sullen, his brow furrowed deeply.

"All I sought was nothing more than the two words: peace of mind," she said slowly.

"Today, our relationship has reached this point, and your accusing me of acting with calculated intent is originally not incorrect. It is just that, Husband, under the circumstances of the past, how could there be any talk of us sharing our inner hearts? Given that there was no sharing of hearts, from where would trust emerge to allow me to rest easy and deliver the lives of myself and my maternal family entirely into your hands?"

"Even at this very moment, I still do not consider that my doing so back then was a mistake. It is just that I did not anticipate at the time that later on, Husband, you would make such concessions for my sake, granting me the very promise I so desperately desired. Now that you hate me, it is also natural according to human sentiment."

"I have indeed let you down. I have let down the full measure of absolute sincerity you possessed that night when you pursued me all the way to the courier station in the outskirts of Xindu."

As she uttered this single sentence, a wave of stifling tightness arose within her chest. Her breasts felt as though, in response to her shifting emotions, the milk was suddenly surging forth in torrents, causing an intense, aching engorgement.

She turned her body slightly aside, releasing a long, heavy breath, waiting for her emotions to calm down a fraction.

"I have come to offer my apologies to you. For the past when I drew forth your genuine heart to face me, and though you gave it, I myself failed to offer an equivalent expenditure in return."

"If in the past I entered your household bearing the heart of a daughter of the Qiao clan, then from this moment onward, I am your wife, and the mother of Fei Fei."

The moment she finished speaking, the surroundings fell into a deep silence.

Creamy yellow blossoms from the sweetwood tree drifted down from the canopy with the wind, silently brushing against the crown of her head and falling upon his shoulders.

Wei Shao remained completely motionless.

"Fei Fei is nearly three months old and is exceptionally endearing; I think of her day and night. I shall set out immediately onto the road to return to Yuyang."

Xiao Qiao said suddenly. She nodded her head slightly toward him, turned around, and departed.

That countenance which was entirely devoid of the color of blood—and which even a smile could not completely conceal the haggardness of—abruptly turned away before his eyes.

Wei Shao seemed to only just snap back to his senses, watching that departing, sky-blue, elegant silhouette ahead.

She walked very quickly, her steps becoming faster and faster.

It seemed as though within the mere span of a single blink of his eyes, she had already vanished into the far end of the palace pathway.

The carriages were all still halted outside the Vermilion Bird Gate of the imperial palace.

Accompanied by Chun Niang, Xiao Qiao quietly departed from Luoyang, exactly the same as when she had arrived.

At the beginning of the sixth month, she smoothly returned to Yuyang.

The moment she entered the gates, disregarding the exhaustion of her travels, she changed her garments, swiftly washed her face and hands, and immediately went to the northern room.

Having not seen her for more than a month, Fei Fei seemed to have grown a bit larger again. Opening wide a pair of beautiful, round eyes, she initially appeared as though she did not recognize Xiao Qiao, merely staring at her.

"Little Mistress, your mother has returned!"

The wet nurse spoke anxiously, continuously reminding the infant from the side.

Yet Fei Fei still appeared as though she failed to recognize her.

Xiao Qiao extended her hand toward Fei Fei. Her finger was instantly captured by the babe, who held onto it tightly.

The infant's strength was quite considerable as the flesh of mother and daughter pressed together.

"Fei Fei—"

Xiao Qiao gazed at her daughter's pink, chubby, and tender cheeks without blinking her eyes even once, calling out her name.

Fei Fei instantly distinguished that soft, familiar voice which belonged uniquely to her mother. Her expression immediately turned joyful, and she let out soft babbles from her mouth while her tiny arms waved about. She reached out her other hand toward Xiao Qiao, causing the old silver bell carved with auspicious patterns worn upon her wrist to emit a pleasant, faint clinking sound.

Xiao Qiao immediately received her daughter, cradling that tiny body within her embrace, greedily inhaling that familiar, faint scent of milk emanating from her skin.

In an instant, all her weariness and sorrow vanished entirely without a trace. Her heart was filled to the brim with a soft, tender pity and a deep sense of guilt.

Following childbirth, her supply of breast milk was extremely abundant and sweet, and Fei Fei seemed to prefer consuming her mother's milk. Thus, although Lady Xu had previously prepared two wet nurses, Xiao Qiao had always nursed the child herself.

After leaving home, she had been unwilling to let her daughter's milk dry up. Under Chun Niang's guidance, she had regularly expressed it at set times every day to avoid the milk drying up due to prolonged engorgement.

At this moment, finally cradling her daughter back within her embrace, the milk surged forth once more.

As if scenting the familiar aroma of milk coming from her mother, Fei Fei immediately pressed herself closer toward her chest.

Xiao Qiao took a warm towel, unfastened her garments, and wiped herself gently before nursing her daughter.

Fei Fei's chubby little hand tightly grasped Xiao Qiao's lapels. Closing her eyes, she took large, deep gulps, swallowing with audible thuds. Once she had eaten her fill, she drifted off to sleep within Xiao Qiao's embrace.