The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 163

Chapter 163

After Wei Shao left Dongjun that morning, several months passed in the blink of an eye.

Winter departed and spring returned, and the season entered the third month.

In late spring, "the paulownia begins to bloom, the duckweed begins to grow, the shrikes flutter their wings, and the hoopoe descends onto the mulberry trees." Everything was so full of vitality. On the third day of the third lunar month, the Shangsi Festival arrived once again, following the message of spring.

Shangsi is the day for the fuxi spring cleansing ritual. As early as the pre-Qin era, southern states had the custom of fuxi on this day. Men and women, young and old, would pour out of the cities to the banks of streams in the suburbs. Holding orchid sprigs, they would dip them in water to sprinkle over their bodies, washing their hair and skin while barefoot to cleanse away the misfortunes of the past year, hoping to banish disasters and illnesses, and start the new year with a fresh beginning.

Shangsi is also the Daughters' Festival. Long ago, when Xiao Qiao was still at home and her mother was alive, every third month, her mother and Lady Ding would take their respective daughters to the Flower Goddess Temple south of the city to join the crowds in participating in the Flower Goddess spring sacrifice, praying for blessings and peace for their daughters.

Since the passing of Xiao Qiao's mother, for so many years, the Qiao family had been caught up in a myriad of complicated affairs, and the spring sacrifice had been discontinued.

This year was different. Although the Qiao family had just experienced a massive upheaval, it felt as though they had been reborn. The two sisters, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, were both gathered at home with their children. Just two days ago, Bi Zhi had returned from the south, passing through Dongjun to visit his wife and children. Since he was still at home today, Lady Ding had long since walked out of the shadows of gloom, preparing early to take the two Qiao sisters to celebrate this long-lost Daughters' Festival.

Early in the morning, outside the gates of the Qiao estate, carriages decorated with orchid sprigs gathered fresh the night before were already parked. Jia Si stood to one side with his guards in neat formation, waiting patiently for the women of the Qiao family to depart.

A short while later, they heard the sound of women's happy laughter drifting from afar. Looking up, they saw Lady Ding, accompanied by Da Qiao and the Lady (Xiao Qiao), surrounded by a group of maidservants and attendants. The little master, Li'er, was held by his wet nurse, while Bi Zhi carried Feifei. The group emerged from behind the screen wall.

The Lady (Xiao Qiao) wore a spring shirt in the tender, willow-green color of early spring today, with a thin primrose-colored silk cape draped over her shoulders. Her waist was slender, and the hems of her wide sleeves and skirt were embroidered with exquisite orchids. Her long, ink-black hair was tied in a bun at the back of her head and cascaded down, bound by a satin ribbon of the same color as her dress to prevent the wind from disordering it. This outfit, reminiscent of a young maiden, was both appropriate for the season and peerlessly elegant. Wherever her clear eyes glanced, they shone like radiant jewels. Walking beside her, Da Qiao wore a spring shirt in the color of a gosling, with a deep blue cape, looking incomparably bright and beautiful.

The two walked side by side, chatting and laughing, their skirts trailing as they moved. Jia Si dared not look too closely and hurriedly ordered his guards to retreat with him to both sides of the gate, holding their breath as they waited for the ladies to leave and board their carriages.

Feifei would soon be one year old. Now, not only was she as beloved as jade and snow, but she could stand on her own. If held by the hand, she could even take a few wobbling steps. She had begun to speak last month, vaguely calling "Xiao Qiao A-niang" (Mother), and now she called it very fluently.

Feifei’s hair had been very thick since birth. After having her baby hair shaved off at her one-month milestone, it had grown down to her ears. Today, celebrating her first Daughters' Festival, she had been carefully dressed by Xiao Qiao early in the morning: her hair was parted down the middle and tied into two little perky pigtails, each adorned with a tiny silk butterfly bow. The bows were handmade by Chun Niang, vivid and exquisite. She wore a tender willow-green dress of the same texture and color as Xiao Qiao’s spring shirt, with little silk socks and shoes on her feet. When she was first carried out by Chun Niang, just like her brother Li'er, she held an orchid sprig tied with colored silk ribbons in one hand, while clutching a plum-blossom cake in the other.

Having been confined at home by her mother for days, she knew she could go out to play today, and even better, with her favorite Brother Li'er. She felt very happy and laughed incessantly the moment she left her room. Having met her aunt’s husband, Bi Zhi, whom she had only known for two days, she was not at all shy and threw herself into his arms. Just now, as Bi Zhi carried her to the main gate and she turned her head, she suddenly saw the familiar Jia Si standing to the side.

Every time her mother took her out, this uncle would always appear.

Therefore, the moment she saw him, Feifei knew she could go out to play. She flashed him a sweet smile, waved at him, and babbled something unintelligible.

Bi Zhi stopped in his tracks. Lady Ding, seeing the little one's cute appearance, teased her, "Is Feifei trying to talk to General Jia?"

Jia Si also loved Feifei very much. He stole a quiet glance at the Lady and, seeing she had stopped and was watching with a smile, he gathered his courage and leaned a little closer to Feifei.

Feifei stretched out her chubby little hand, which had several shallow dimples on the back, and first offered the plum-blossom cake to him.

Jia Si was stunned. Before he could react, Feifei had already retracted the hand holding the cake and instead offered him the hand holding the orchid.

She extended it halfway, then retracted it again.

She lowered her head, looking at the cake one moment and the orchid the next, as if hesitant.

Lady Ding and the accompanying wet nurses and maids also stopped and turned their heads, watching the troubled Feifei with great interest.

Lady Ding smiled and said, "Feifei, are you reluctant to give it up?"

Before she finished speaking, Feifei seemed to have made up her mind. She took a big "Ah-woo" bite out of the plum-blossom cake, and then offered both the cake—now with a corner missing—and the orchid to Jia Si.

Lady Ding and the maids were taken aback, and then they all burst into laughter.

Even the usually composed Bi Zhi had a flash of amusement in his eyes.

Jia Si was overjoyed, yet he hurriedly waved his hands, saying to Feifei with utmost seriousness, "This subordinate does not dare to accept the little Lady's reward; I appreciate the sentiment."

At this, even Xiao Qiao couldn't help but burst into a giggle. "She must be trying to be close to General Jia. She already took a bite of the plum-blossom cake, so forget that; General Jia, please just accept the orchid. If you don't accept it, she'll keep fussing, and no one will be able to leave the house today."

Jia Si, in truth, wouldn't have minded eating the cake the little Lady had bitten, but knowing he didn't have such luck, he accepted the orchid from her little hand with both of his own and said respectfully, "This subordinate thanks the little Lady, and thanks the Lady."

Seeing him accept the orchid, Feifei smiled brilliantly, babbling a few times in response to Jia Si.

Beside them, seeing his sister no longer had an orchid, Li'er hurriedly offered his own, saying, "Little Sister, for you."

Li'er was very clever, but he had been very late to talk. Da Qiao had been worried about it before, but after he met Feifei at the end of last year and started playing together, perhaps influenced by Feifei—who loved to babble and coo—he suddenly began to speak. Once he started, he learned many words in just a few months.

It was as if he had known how to speak all along, but had kept it bottled up and simply refused to say anything.

This "Little Sister, for you" was spoken clearly, making Da Qiao unable to hold back a smile as she stroked her son's head.

Feifei was delighted. She took the orchid tied with the beautiful purple silk ribbon from her older brother and gave him a sweet smile.

...

On this day, with the wind gentle and the sun bright, the several carriages of the Qiao estate filed out of the South City Gate, heading toward the Flower Goddess Temple.

The people of Dongjun had not seen the two sisters appear together at the Flower Goddess Temple for many years. Today, seeing them again, the two sisters were peerless, their beauty stunning the nation. One was the wife of General Green-Eyes, revered by all the people of Dongjun; the other was even more remarkable—it had long been rumored in the streets that the Marquis of Yan, Wei Shao, would soon unify the world and reach the pinnacle of power, making Xiao Qiao the future mother of the nation. Thus, when the news spread that the two Qiao sisters were coming to the Flower Goddess Temple spring sacrifice for Shangsi, the entire city turned out, and the crowds poured in. Before they had even left the city, the roads were nearly blocked.

Bi Zhi rode his horse in the lead to clear the way, with Jia Si in the rear. Finally, the carriages arrived at the Flower Goddess Temple, which was surrounded by spring streams. The temple priest, who had been waiting for a long time, brought his assistants and hurried forward to welcome them.

Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao helped Lady Ding down from the carriage. The group walked inside with smiles, met with cheers on both sides of the promenade.

After paying respects to the Flower Goddess, the sisters took Li'er and Feifei to the banks of the spring stream behind the temple.

There were simply too many people today.

The stream twisted and turned for several miles, and both banks were planted with peach blossoms. Besides this section of the stream, there were many other spots along the banks where one could perform the ritual cleansing. For the sake of caution, Jia Si had sealed this area off in advance, only letting in a small number of women and young girls who had been verified, so it was much quieter than the sea of people outside.

Xiao Qiao came to the bank, dipped the orchid in the stream water, and lightly sprinkled a few drops on Feifei’s hair for good luck.

Da Qiao did the same, sprinkling stream water to bless Li'er. When the siblings were taken by their wet nurse to play in a nearby pavilion, Xiao Qiao saw Bi Zhi walking toward them from afar. He stood by the pavilion, looking over. Xiao Qiao smiled to herself, gave Da Qiao a gentle nudge, and gestured with her chin. "Go on!"

Da Qiao had long seen her husband arrive, but she didn't want to leave Xiao Qiao, so she had pretended not to see him. Seeing Xiao Qiao urging her, her cheeks grew slightly warm. "I think I'd rather stay here with little sister..."

Xiao Qiao whispered with a laugh, "Brother-in-law will have to leave again in a few days. It's such a beautiful day, and it's not like I don't have company. Who needs you to stay here with me?"

As she said this, she pushed her toward Bi Zhi's side.

Bi Zhi said to Da Qiao, "There is a peach blossom grove ahead where the flowers are in full bloom. Shall we go for a walk?"

Da Qiao looked at Xiao Qiao and, seeing her smiling and looking at her as if urging her on, she finally said "Mm."

Bi Zhi smiled slightly, picked up Li'er, nodded respectfully to Xiao Qiao, and taking his beloved wife by the hand, the three of them walked slowly toward the peach blossom grove.

Xiao Qiao had a smile on her lips, watching the silhouette of the family of three gradually move away. With Chun Niang carrying Feifei, she faced the stream and sat on a stone stool on the bank, which had been cushioned with a handkerchief.

A spring rain had fallen just the day before, so the spring stream was swollen. It flowed leisurely from west to east, clear and green. The water could not hide the pebbles on the bank or the clusters of water grass slowly swaying at the bottom of the stream bed beneath the dark currents. The peach blossoms on both banks were in full bloom. As a breeze passed, the peach blossoms fell with a rustling sound; petals drifted into the stream and floated slowly away with the current, attracting a group of small wild fish that gathered and competed to snap at them, constantly leaping out of the water, which was quite a charming sight.

Xiao Qiao smiled, watching Chun Niang and the wet nurse take Feifei to point out the playful fish, gradually moving forward along the bank. With only her left alone, she fell into a daze.

She wondered where he was now, and how he was doing.

Another breeze blew, and a rain of peach blossoms drifted down from above.

Half fell into the stream, and half drifted onto Xiao Qiao’s skirt.

She picked up a peach blossom petal that had landed on Feifei’s braid, cradled it in her palm, brought it to her nose, and lowered her head to sniff it gently.

When she raised her head, her gaze froze.

On the opposite bank, along the stream ten-odd zhang away, the spring breeze was blowing, and falling petals were dancing everywhere. A person was standing there.

She was at one end of the peach blossom stream; he was at the other. Separated by the peach blossom stream, they looked at each other from afar.

He was dressed in a traveler’s clothes, dusty from head to toe, but his eyes were bright and piercing.

He seemed to have arrived not long ago.

And yet, it was as if he had been standing on the opposite bank like this, watching her and Feifei for a long time.

When she finally raised her eyes to cast her gaze upon him, his feet suddenly stepped into the stream, and he waded toward her.

The stream gurgled, wetting the hem of his robe. He walked faster and faster, his steps becoming larger. Wherever he passed, white foam and ripples bubbled on the surface of the water.

Not far away, several young girls holding peach branches and playing under the trees stopped their chasing, looking with astonishment at this handsome man who seemed to have descended from the heavens, wading through the water toward them. The hearts of the young girls could not help but flutter wildly.

Xiao Qiao slowly stood up from the stone stool.

The peach blossoms in her skirt fell, scattering with the wind.

She stood under the peach tree by the bank, staring unblinkingly at the man as he waded step by step toward her. Finally, he reached the shore and paused for a moment.

"I’m back."

He gazed at her and said.

Xiao Qiao rushed toward him.

He opened his arms, received her without hesitation, and held her tightly.

Xiao Qiao wrapped her arms around his waist as well. She rested her face against the side of his broad, thick chest, closed her eyes, and felt the rapid, powerful beating of his heart.

Neither of them spoke; they just held each other like this.

The peach blossom rain grew more urgent with every gust of wind, drifting and scattering. Petals landed on his shoulders and also upon her hair.

After a long while.

"My husband—"

Xiao Qiao finally raised her face from his embrace, calling out to him gently in a tone that sounded both like a sob and a coquettish plea.

Wei Shao lowered his head and used his finger to gently brush her eyelids, which were stained with the color of peach blossoms.

"Manman, the war is over. I’ve come to pick you and Feifei up, and we are going to Luoyang together. From now on, I will never be separated from you again!"

He gazed at her, saying every word clearly.

A thin layer of tears welled up in Xiao Qiao's eyes, and she slowly took hold of one of his hands.

Wei Shao held her hand in return. Their fingers interlaced tightly.

"Let me take you to find Feifei. She can already call for Mother. Don't you want to hear her call you Father?"

She turned back and smiled at him. Her smile was brilliant, far outshining the full tree of peach blossoms above their heads.