The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 146
Chapter 146
Xiao Qiao held her daughter in her arms, waiting until she fell fast asleep before gently laying her down onto the bed.
The weather was gradually turning warm. The little one was chubby and prone to sweating around her neck and armpits whenever she slept.
Xiao Qiao unfurled a thin quilt suitable for this early summer weather and covered her daughter's body. Leaving the wet nurse to watch over her, she made her way to Madam Xu’s side.
When she had first arrived at the northern estate earlier, her very first priority had been to pay her respects to Madam Xu.
Madam Xu, however, merely asked a couple of questions about her journey before quickly dismissing her to go see Feifei.
At this moment, the elder matriarch was in the greenhouse Xiao Qiao had previously built for her, watering a cluster of multi-petaled Jishan roses that had been transplanted just last year.
The courtyard was bursting with vibrant life. Water droplets clung to the lush green leaves of the roses, and the branches were heavy with all kinds of flower buds. Though they had not yet blossomed, their emerging fragrance had already drawn a few bees and butterflies to flutter and play among them. Suddenly, a round-backed, golden-spotted black longhorn beetle flew in from an angle, colliding straight into Madam Xu. With a sharp clack, it tumbled onto its back in the dirt. It buzzed incessantly, its wings vibrating and its antennae-like legs flailing in the air. Clumsily, it struggled time and again to flip itself over and take flight, but all its efforts were in vain.
The family cat slipped out from some unknown corner, pounced with agile grace, and pinned the insect down with a single paw. It sniffed the creature, swatting at it playfully.
Madam Xu scooped up the cat and flipped the beetle over onto its feet.
The longhorn beetle crawled a few steps through the dirt, let out a sharp whir of its wings, and took flight once more. Its black dots traced a sweeping arc through the air before it vanished deep into the foliage.
"Is Feifei asleep?"
Madam Xu withdrew her gaze and asked with a gentle smile.
"She is,"
Xiao Qiao replied.
"Grandmother..."
She called out once more, her throat tightening as if she had countless words she wanted to say.
Yet she did not know where to begin.
"Pass me the shears," Madam Xu said.
Xiao Qiao took them from Nanny Zhong and handed them over.
Madam Xu took the gardening shears and carefully snipped away a cluster of withered leaves that bore white insect eggs.
"I know everything," she said, continuing to prune the branches and leaves. "It is good that Shao'er managed to exercise restraint. I heard your father lost his sight. How is he doing now?"
"He is out of danger. With gradual treatment and care, his vision should recover in the future,"
Xiao Qiao replied, suppressing the sorrow in her heart.
Madam Xu paused her shears, looking as though she were reminiscing about the past. "I still remember when your father came to Youzhou all those years ago. He was elegant, refined, and magnanimous; he left a deep impression on me. More than a decade has passed. Time truly flies like a white stallion passing a crevice, gone in a mere flash..."
A hazy, indistinct thought suddenly began to drift to the surface of Xiao Qiao’s mind.
She wanted to ask this elderly woman—whom she respected immensely and looked up to with deep affection—why she had been willing to accept the Qiao family's overtures of peace in the beginning, allowing her only, dearly beloved grandson to marry a daughter of the Qiao family.
"Did Shao'er mention when he would be able to return?"
Madam Xu suddenly inquired.
"With the outbreak of war in Hanzhong, he must be busy preparing his forces. I am afraid he will not be able to return anytime soon..."
Xiao Qiao snapped out of her reverie and quickly responded.
Madam Xu’s gaze lingered on her face for a brief moment.
Xiao Qiao met her eyes squarely, without shrinking back.
"You have just returned, and the journey was long and grueling. Go and get some proper rest first. Tomorrow, once you have recovered your energy, you can bring Feifei back to the western quarters."
Madam Xu scrutinized her for a moment, then nodded, a warm smile gracing her face.
Since ancient times, the military had always employed specialized marching secretaries to record and inspect the names of fallen soldiers, ensuring their families received compensation after a battle.
Though this ancient practice existed, those who could truly implement it were limited to prosperous dynasties during golden ages, or the benevolent and righteous armies envisioned by sages.
Living in a chaotic era of continuous warfare where military campaigns brought extreme peril, far too many people died. Human life was genuinely treated as cheap as common weeds.
Whenever a major battle occurred, the corpses of fallen soldiers would pile high, intertwined like rolling hills.
It was not even uncommon for dead soldiers' bodies or plundered civilians to be used as military rations when food supplies ran desperately low.
When fighting and dying had become a part of daily life as mundane as eating and drinking, even within Wei Shao's army, it was impossible to log the name of every single fallen soldier during prolonged periods of warfare.
More often than not, mothers and wives could only stare down the roads until their eyes grew weary through days of endless waiting, culminating in absolute despair.
The sixteen guards who had accompanied Wei Liang to Yanzhou and perished there had a complete and orderly ledger. A few of them were natives of Yuyang, all hailing from ordinary civilian households.
The tragic news had already been delivered to their families along with the standard military compensation, treating their deaths as standard casualties of war.
Xiao Qiao prepared an additional, substantial sum from her own dowry—enough to ensure the families of the fallen guards could comfortably sustain themselves—and sent trusted messengers to distribute it.
She did not visit them in person to offer her condolences.
The inherent disparity in social status meant that even if the families of those guards discovered the true cause of their sons' or husbands' deaths, any resentment they harbored would likely be masked by nothing but outward gratitude and fearful reverence.
A few days later, she went only to visit Wei Liang’s mother and wife.
Back in Luoyang, when she had bid farewell to Wei Liang, he had explicitly requested that if the Lady returned to Yuyang and saw his elderly mother, she must not tell her that he had been wounded to the point of near-death.
It had been nearly a year and a half since they last saw the young master's face.
Upon suddenly learning from the Lady's own lips that Wei Liang should be able to return home to visit his family in a short while, Wei Liang’s mother and wife were absolutely overjoyed.
They were profoundly grateful for the Lady's personal visit to their home.
When Xiao Qiao took her leave, Wei Liang’s mother disregarded her advanced age and insisted on escorting her all the way to the front gates.
On her journey back, the radiant, joyful smiles of Wei Liang’s mother and wife from moments before flashed across Xiao Qiao’s mind, stirring a complex cocktail of emotions in her chest.
The carriage rolled leisurely through the streets, gradually nearing the Wei estate in the north of the city before coming to a halt at the entrance.
Xiao Qiao was helped down from the carriage by Chun Niang. At a single glance, she noticed a massive black Dayuan steed hitched to the post beside the stone foundation on the right side of the main gates.
The black stallion was tall, majestic, and long-limbed. Its coat was sleek and glossy as if it had only just come to a halt, and its shoulders and neck were drenched in sweat.
A stable hand stood beside it, thoroughly wiping down its sweat.
"It's the Master's horse!"
Chun Niang recognized it instantly, blurring the words out in a voice bursting with pleasant surprise.
Xiao Qiao’s heart skipped a beat, and the blood throughout her body suddenly seemed to race.
Seeing the carriage return, the doorman hurried forward to greet them. "The Lady is back! The Master just returned as well! He was only a step ahead of you!"
Chun Niang took Xiao Qiao by the arm and practically dragged her through the main gates in her excitement, heading straight for the western quarters. She did not come to a stop until they reached the courtyard gates.
Their pace had been rather brisk, leaving Xiao Qiao slightly breathless upon stopping.
A row of maidservants and female attendants stood beneath the stone steps. Nanny Lin was peering out from the courtyard entrance when she suddenly spotted Xiao Qiao. Hurrying out to meet her with a face full of smiles, she lowered her voice and said, "The Master is back! He's right inside the room! The young lady is asleep, and the Master is sitting right beside her, staring at her without even blinking. Oh my, it's enough to melt your heart..."
Chun Niang’s eyes shone with delight. She continued to escort Xiao Qiao to the foot of the steps, reaching out to gently tuck a few stray hairs behind her ear that had been slightly disheveled by the wind. After looking her over, she smiled warmly and spoke in a soft voice, "The Lady looks beautiful today. Go on inside."
Xiao Qiao paused at the entrance. Facing the partially open door, she composed herself, pushed it open with a light touch, and stepped inside.
This tiny, snow-pale infant sleeping peacefully beneath his very eyes, stretching her little hands and feet, looking as delicate and beautiful as a tender blossom—could this truly be his, Wei Shao’s, daughter?
Wei Shao sat perched on the edge of the bed, leaning his upper body inward. He held his breath as he gazed down at the tiny creature sleeping soundly on the mattress.
Her hair was soft, her eyebrows faint, her eyelashes long, and her nose delightfully small. Her pink lips were slightly parted in her sleep, and her little arms and legs were wonderfully chubby...
Wei Shao leaned in even closer, catching the faint, sweet scent of milk radiating from her body.
In an instant, his heart softened into absolute mush. A sudden impulse even welled up within him, making him desperately want to pop her tiny hands or feet into his mouth and give them a gentle, loving nip.
It felt as though only a gesture like that could truly express the sheer adoration and profound guilt he felt toward her.
She had already grown so big, yet he had only managed to return and see her just now.
Wei Shao widened his eyes, greedily drinking in his daughter’s sleeping face, when he suddenly noticed a very thin layer of tiny sweat droplets pooling on the tip of her little nose.
He slowly extended his hand, moving it toward her tiny face with absolute caution, wanting to wipe away the sweat for her.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch her nose, he turned his head and saw Xiao Qiao standing by the small window next to the screen, her eyes fixed upon him.
A gentle breeze drifted in from outside the window, lightly stirring the low-hanging, intricately carved bamboo curtain. The curtain could not entirely block out the brilliant afternoon sun, allowing a few scattered fragments of sunlight to dapple across one side of her cheek. Her skin looked as flawless as jade, and the light in her eyes appeared exceptionally clear and bright.
She simply watched him in tranquil silence, a soft, tender smile playing upon the slightly upturned corners of her lips.
Wei Shao’s hand hovered frozen in mid-air for a brief moment.
Without returning her gaze, he snapped his eyes back, immediately stood up from the edge of the bed, and walked toward the exit.
As he passed directly in front of her, his silhouette swiftly vanished beyond the threshold.
Wei Shao kowtowed to Madam Xu. "Your grandson has only just returned to visit Grandmother; it is truly unfilial of me. Is Grandmother's health well?"
From the moment Wei Shao had departed for Bingzhou at the beginning of last year, his schedule had been consumed by military matters. Only now was Madam Xu finally seeing his face again. Overjoyed, she grasped him by the arms to help him up, studying him for a long moment before saying with a warm smile, "Good, good. Though you have grown a bit tanned and thin, your spirit is excellent. Have you gone to see your wife and daughter just now?"
Wei Shao replied, "I have seen them."
"Your mother has also not seen you for a very long time and misses you dearly."
Wei Shao said, "I have already sent word to her just now. Once I depart from Grandmother’s quarters, I will go visit her."
Madam Xu nodded and smiled. "It is good that you are home. I am perfectly fine, and everything is peaceful here. How long will you be staying this time? Spending time with your wife and daughter is what matters most..."
"To inform Grandmother, your grandson's return this trip is due firstly to my deep concern for Grandmother after not seeing you for so long. Secondly, I failed to return when Feifei was born, which was highly inappropriate. Therefore, I carved out this trip before the army deploys. I am afraid I cannot stay for long; I must depart in a few days."
Madam Xu glanced at him. "Are you going to wage war against the Yuezheng brothers of Hanzhong?"
"No. I will deploy the army to attack Langya. Once Langya is annihilated, I will deal with the Yuezheng brothers."
Madam Xu was slightly startled, her expression gradually growing solemn. "What is the reasoning behind this? Yuezheng Kai issued a manifesto denouncing you, so why are you attacking Langya first?"
"I know that regarding the recent matter in Yanzhou, Liu Yan was stirring up trouble from the shadows..." she hesitated.
"Grandmother misunderstands," Wei Shao allowed himself a slight smile. "My formulation of this strategy is not born out of a desire for revenge. Rather, I have other considerations."
Madam Xu’s brow smoothed out. She fixed her single eye upon him, a subtle glint reflecting within it as she smiled. "Tell Grandmother about it."
"Liu Yan used his status as a scion of the Han imperial house to declare himself emperor, proclaiming himself the orthodox ruler. Though the Langya court has managed to gather a few factions at present, none are worth worrying about aside from Yuan Zhe. Even Yuan Zhe, following his defeat at the Battle of Sishui, now commands an exhausted army and a weary populace; his strength is a shadow of what it once was. While Liu Yan’s wings are not yet fully fledged, and the entire world expects me to deploy forces to respond to Hanzhong, I shall catch him completely off-guard. I intend to split my forces into three routes, launching simultaneous assaults on Langya and Xuzhou from Taishan, Pei, and Qiao Commanderies. Once we form a complete encirclement, it will be like catching a turtle in a jar. Langya will inevitably fall!"
Wei Shao’s tone sounded entirely nonchalant.
Madam Xu pondered for a moment before noting, "This strategy indeed strikes where they are unprepared and catches them by surprise. However, the conflict has been ignited in Hanzhong. If they launch a military campaign against us, how do you intend to counter it?"
Wei Shao laughed. "Though the Yuezheng clan of Hanzhong possesses formidable strength, they harbor internal perils. I have heard that Yuezheng Gong’s sons have always maintained a facade of harmony while harboring discordant intentions, secretly vying against one another for power and profit. Yuezheng Gong’s death is akin to a pack of wolves losing its leader; the sons will inevitably suspect and guard against one another. As for Yuezheng Kai, he is a man who loves grand achievements and craves vanity. Although the manifesto he issued denouncing me after declaring himself emperor sounds impassioned and stirring, it was actually done out of a desperate need to save face—a helpless gesture. If I send him lavish gifts to appease him, throwing in a city to demonstrate my peaceful intentions, he will undoubtedly seize the opportunity to back down and lower his banners. Let the Yuezheng clan arrogantly proclaim themselves emperors in Hanzhong and consume themselves in fraternal strife. Once I have annihilated Langya, I shall turn my forces to strike them. At that point, who in the world will be left to contend with me?"
As he reached the end of his explanation, a shred of unvarnished pride finally bled into his tone.
Madam Xu slowly rose from her couch, leaning on her walking stick as she walked to the window. She stood in silence for a brief moment, gazing out at the distant mountains beyond the pane.
"Shao'er, by my reckoning, I am also a distant branch of the Han imperial house. The decline of the Han began with Emperor Ai. If a day comes when you can fully realize your grand ambitions, you must remember: success and failure stem from one another, and prosperity is not a permanent state. Those who align with virtue will flourish, while those who defy virtue will perish."
"Your grandson will surely keep Grandmother’s teachings firmly engraved in his heart,"
Wei Shao stood up, responding with utmost respect.
Previously, Xiao Qiao had been loath to sleep apart from her daughter at night, so she generally kept the infant in her own bed, with either the wet nurse or Chun Niang sleeping in the same room.
Today, Wei Shao had returned. As soon as darkness fell, Feifei was carried to the adjacent side room by the wet nurse.
Xiao Qiao followed them over. Around the end of the evening, just like any other day, Feifei drifted into a sweet sleep after nursing until she was perfectly full.
The wet nurse softly urged her, "Go on, Lady. Leave her to me."
Xiao Qiao pressed a gentle kiss against her daughter’s forehead, offering the wet nurse a few final instructions before returning to her own quarters.
Wei Shao had gone out after visiting Madam Xu and Madam Zhu during the day, and he had not yet returned.
Attended by Chun Niang, Xiao Qiao took a bath and changed into a newly tailored set of lake-green, casual summer lounge clothes.
After giving birth, likely due to her youth, her figure had recovered incredibly quickly. Now that four months had passed, her waist could still be encircled by a single grasp, and her physique remained as lithe and graceful as ever, looking no different from when she was an unmarried maiden.
However, her breasts had become exceptionally full, to the point where her old clothes felt far too tight, forcing her to have several new sets tailored.
The soft silk fabric clung snugly against her skin, completely enveloping her exquisite contours while leaving them clearly outlined at a single glance.
Xiao Qiao personally prepared the fresh clothes for Wei Shao to use after his bath, then waited for him in the room.
She waited until very late, near the end of the night, before she finally caught the sound of his approaching footsteps.
Xiao Qiao stepped forward to welcome him.
Wei Shao wore an expressionless face as he strode inside. His gaze swept over the bed before shifting to focus entirely on Xiao Qiao.
Xiao Qiao spoke softly, "Feifei is in the next room, sleeping with her wet nurse."
Wei Shao’s brow furrowed tightly, looking as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent. Sweeping past her, he walked straight into the bathhouse on his own, shutting the door behind him with a sharp thud.