The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 154

Chapter 154

Xiao Qiao felt as though she had slept for a very long time.

In her dream, she felt her entire being emptied, light and unburdened. It was as if she had returned to her past life, where she was not the Qiao daughter, but merely a pampered child by her parents' side—no burdens, no responsibilities. She was free to follow her heart; she was simply herself.

This was a feeling she had not experienced for a very, very long time.

She was almost unwilling to wake up, wishing only to remain within that dream.

Yet, deep within her heart, there seemed to be faint, hidden bonds. She was entangled, thousand-fold, and in the end, she could not truly be free.

She kept telling herself that she must wake up.

Struggling, she finally opened her eyes and heard anxious voices by her ear.

The voices were blurry at first, but gradually, they became clear.

It was her brother’s voice.

"How is my sister?"

"Young Master Qiao, do not worry. The Lady-mistress is likely suffering from extreme exhaustion. With a few days of proper rest, she should recover..."

Xiao Qiao’s eyelids twitched.

So it had only been a moment in reality, yet the feeling in the dream had been so long...

"She just fainted! Didn't you see?"

Care breeds anxiety; Qiao Ci raised his voice.

Xiao Qiao slowly opened her eyes and found herself lying on a bed. Qiao Ci was by her side, his face flushed red as he shouted at the helpless military physician.

"Young Master Qiao, look, the Lady-mistress has woken up!"

The physician wiped his sweat and said with pleasant surprise.

Qiao Ci turned around, and seeing that Xiao Qiao had indeed awakened, he lunged over and gripped her hand tightly. "Sister, you’re awake! How do you feel? You were fine one moment and suddenly fainted; you scared me to death..."

Xiao Qiao felt extremely weak, but steadied herself. "I am fine. It is likely just as the physician said—simply fatigue. I will be better after resting a while longer; do not worry..."

Qiao Ci breathed a sigh of relief. "Sister, please rest well. Brother-in-law is personally pursuing the Xiongnu; he should be back soon."

After the siege was lifted, Wei Shao had led his troops to continue the pursuit of the Xiongnu to the north, while the Qiang soldiers brought by Qiao Ci and Lei Yan's garrison remained stationed in place for the time being.

Xiao Qiao gave a faint smile and nodded.

Just at that moment, a rush of hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by Jia Cai's voice: "My Lady, urgent news from Yuyang! Something has happened at home!"

...

Deep in the night, a fire broke out in the ancestral hall. Lady Zhu was trapped inside and severely burned, her arms tightly clutching the spirit tablets of her husband and eldest son. When the servants risked their lives to drag her from the sea of fire, she was still muttering over and over: "The Xiongnu are here! I must protect the ancestral temple! The Xiongnu are here! I must protect the ancestral temple!"

Madam Xu had fallen ill earlier and been sent to Wuzhong, a place closer to the border where she was accustomed to staying, to recuperate. The servants had not dared to disturb her with this news, so it was sent to Xiao Qiao instead.

...

The timeline must be traced back seven or eight days.

Lady Zhu had finally been unable to endure the agony of waiting and had returned to the Wei residence in Yuyang from Fanyang.

The demeanor and tone of voice the Qiao woman had used when leaving Fanyang had placed immense pressure on Lady Zhu.

A thought had sprouted in her heart: what the Qiao woman could do, she could do better. She was the mistress of the Wei family; she absolutely could not let the Qiao woman outshine her, much less let Madam Xu or her son look down upon her.

It was because of this thought that she suppressed the fear in her heart and, in a moment of impulse, embarked on the return journey, masquerading as the guardian of the Wei family, ready to live and die with them.

When she returned to the Wei residence, the news in Yuyang regarding the siege of Shanggu was growing worse by the day.

She naturally hated the Xiongnu and hoped the Wei soldiers in Shanggu could hold on until the moment her son led his troops back.

But soon, as the people of Yuyang whispered to one another that the Qiao woman had replaced Madam Xu’s position, staying in Shanggu to inspire the soldiers, and that the Qiao woman’s younger brother had brought Qiang reinforcements, Lady Zhu was stunned. She was struck by another heavy blow.

She understood that her son had always treated that Qiao woman like a precious pearl or jade. After this battle, if Shanggu were held, then in her son's heart, the Qiao woman would likely crowd her out until not even a half-inch of space remained.

She felt despair, rage, and agony. She could not sleep through the night, and deep within her heart, a dark thought, one that even terrified her, began to crawl out.

She hoped for Shanggu to fall, for Yuyang to fall. If that happened, all of the Qiao woman's schemes would be for naught, and she would be able to exist in her son's heart forever as the guardian of the Wei family. Even if she died, in her son's eyes, her status as a mother would never again be shaken by so much as a hair's breadth.

Lady Zhu was deeply seized by this thought, as if possessed, and she could no longer extricate herself. She fantasized over and over about Yuyang falling, about the beast-like Xiongnu rushing through the gates to kill and plunder. At that moment, she would use her own body to firmly guard the doors of the Wei family ancestral temple, letting her son, Madam Xu, and all the Wei soldiers see that she, Lady Zhu, was the true mistress who could live and die with the Wei family.

That moment would be the most glorious and radiant moment of her life.

She no longer felt fear; instead, she longed for that moment with increasing fanaticism. She made all the preparations.

Just two days ago, news of the difficult defense in Shanggu reached Yuyang once more. Since the Xiongnu's southern invasion, the oppressive atmosphere hanging over Yuyang had reached a peak of tension. In the deep of the night, Lady Zhu suddenly had a delirious episode.

Old Nanny Huang said that Lady Zhu ran out of her room in disarray, sprinting madly toward the ancestral hall, shouting repeatedly that "the Xiongnu are attacking." Upon reaching the hall, she drove everyone out and bolted the doors. Not long after, flames erupted from the ancestral hall.

...

By the time Xiao Qiao rushed back to Yuyang, the news that the Lord Marquis had returned to Shanggu and that the Xiongnu army had been defeated and was fleeing was already being spread everywhere. The tense and oppressive atmosphere that had shrouded the entire city for so many days was swept away, and everyone was beaming with joy.

Lady Zhu was severely burned, her face almost unrecognizable, lying there on the verge of death, her eyes vacant.

Xiao Qiao brought a bowl of medicine and called out to her by the bed. Lady Zhu did not react at first, as if numb. It was only after a long while that she seemed to have her consciousness recalled. She slowly fixed her gaze on Xiao Qiao's face. After staring for a long time, she suddenly sat bolt upright in bed and clamped her hands around Xiao Qiao's throat.

"Xiongnu! Xiongnu! I am the mistress of the Wei family! With me here, you wretches will not take a single step into my Wei family ancestral hall—"

Her eyes shone with a strange light as she shouted incoherently and through gnashed teeth.

Old Nanny Huang and the others were terrified, crying out "You mustn't!" and rushing forward to stop her.

Lady Zhu’s strength was extraordinarily great; it took three or four people pulling and dragging to finally pry those hands from Xiao Qiao's neck.

Lady Zhu’s hands clawed at the air for a moment, her eyes rolled back, and she suddenly collapsed backward, her body curling up in agony, emitting continuous groans from her mouth.

The medicine bowl smashed to the floor, and Xiao Qiao slumped to the ground, coughing.

Old Nanny Huang hurried over to help her up.

Xiao Qiao clutched her throat and waved a hand. "Go take care of her..."

Suddenly, a rush of hurried footsteps came from outside, and then the door was pushed open.

Xiao Qiao turned her head and saw Wei Shao standing in the doorway.

He had not yet removed his battle armor, and the hem of his robe was stained with blood.

"My Lord!"

Old Nanny Huang and the others started, then hurriedly went to greet him, kneeling on both sides and lowering their heads, not daring to make another sound.

Wei Shao's eyes landed on Lady Zhu on the bed. His form froze for a moment, and then he rushed inside, brushing past Xiao Qiao and practically charging to the bedside.

"Mother!"

His voice was trembling slightly.

"Where is the physician? Where is the physician? Where is he?"

He roared, his voice sharp and demanding.

"Reporting to My Lord, the physician was by the Lady’s side all night last night and just went out for a short rest. This servant will go call him now—"

Old Nanny Huang scrambled up from the ground and hurried out to fetch him.

"Shao'er, is it you? You’ve returned—"

Lady Zhu slowly opened her swollen eyelids. Her gaze lingered on Wei Shao's face for a moment, and she struggled to lift her hand, wanting to caress his face.

"Mother, your son is unfilial. I returned late, letting you suffer such pain!"

Wei Shao gripped Lady Zhu's hand, which was wrapped in medicinal bandages, his voice low.

"I am fine; Shao'er, do not worry for me..." A look of gratification appeared in Lady Zhu's eyes, and a satisfied smile curled her lips as she muttered, "The Xiongnu attacked and broke through the Yuyang city gates. They wanted to harm our Wei family ancestors, so I vowed to protect the ancestral temple to the death and would never let the Xiongnu succeed..."

Wei Shao lowered his head, his back and shoulders trembling slightly, his voice choked with sobs. "Son knows... I know. Mother, say no more; rest and heal your wounds first..."

"No, no, I am fine! I am very well!" Lady Zhu’s gaze suddenly fell on Xiao Qiao behind Wei Shao, and her entire body tensed. Pointing at Xiao Qiao, she said, "Tell her to get out! I don't want to see her—"

She frowned, gritting her teeth, as sighs of sorrow escaped her throat.

"Mother, please be at ease!" Wei Shao tried his best to soothe her.

"Shao'er! You are still protecting her—she is a Xiongnu! A Xiongnu! My Wei family cannot tolerate Xiongnu!"

Lady Zhu’s eyes rolled back, and her body shook incessantly.

Wei Shao turned his head and cast a glance at Xiao Qiao that seemed filled with an imploring tone.

His eyes were red, and tears seemed to be welling within them.

Xiao Qiao nodded at him, slowly retreated, reached the doorway, turned, and stepped out.

She returned to the west room and sat alone before the candlelight for a long time.

Chunniang and Feifei were still in Fanyang, and without a message to fetch them, they would not be back for some time.

...

The next morning, when Wei Shao returned to the west room, the room was already empty.

The servant said that the Lady-mistress had left for Wuzhong overnight.

The Lady-mistress had left a message: please rest assured, My Lord, she would take good care of Grandmother.

...

Wuzhong was a good place for convalescence. After Madam Xu was sent here, her condition slowly began to improve.

When Xiao Qiao arrived, Madam Xu’s spirit was much better than before.

Half a month later, when news of Lady Zhu's passing arrived, Madam Xu was already able to stand up and take walks in the courtyard with Xiao Qiao's support.

Upon learning the news, she was silent for a moment before saying: "A foolish person, yet a pitiable one.”