The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 167
Chapter 167
"Close your eyes; no peeking..."
Held by the hand by Wei Shao and guided according to his repeated instructions, Xiao Qiao kept her eyes tightly shut. With a group of palace attendants watching from afar, he led her slowly around the Ganquan Pond in the Imperial Garden, finally coming to a stop.
"We’re here. Open your eyes!"
Hearing his voice, which sounded rather smug, ringing in her ears, Xiao Qiao opened her eyes.
The moment she looked up, her gaze instantly locked onto the sight before her.
This was clearly the Cloud Cliff Carvings!
She stared at the massive rock formation standing before her: nearly thirty feet high and forty to fifty feet long, it stood like a miniature mountain peak...
To be precise, this was a fragment of a mountain wall, forcibly chiseled away from its original location. Although it had undergone careful restoration, traces of moss still lingered in the fissures of the rock surface, which had been eroded by years of wind and rain.
She slowly turned her head to meet the Emperor’s expectant gaze, clearly seeking praise.
"Is this the surprise you mentioned you wanted to give me?"
"That’s right!"
Wei Shao had already taken in her reaction.
She didn't jump for joy?
Did she not recognize what this was?
Wei Shao poked the giant object standing beside Ganquan Pond and emphasized, "The true Cloud Cliff Carvings!"
Aren't you happy? Aren't you moved?
Actually, it’s nothing—just a little gesture.
The Emperor forcefully suppressed these words, which were already at the tip of his tongue, and stood aside to watch the Empress, waiting for a stronger reaction.
Xiao Qiao walked to the cliff carvings and slowly reached out to touch the characters, which seemed to carry the scent of several hundred years of wind and rain, each one painstakingly chiseled by blade and axe.
"I was afraid I wouldn't have time to take you out of Luoyang in the near future. Knowing you were always thinking of them, I simply had them moved here. From now on, you can look at them whenever you like, however you like..."
No matter how good Gao Heng’s rubbings were, how could they compare to the living, chiseled cliff? He had left him in the dust!
"Well? Do you like it?"
After a long time, seeing her stand with her back to him, long silent, Wei Shao couldn't help but walk closer and ask.
Xiao Qiao finally turned around.
"Your Majesty is truly thoughtful. I am truly..."
"Taken by surprise!" she said with a laugh, weighing her words.
Xiao Qiao’s reaction left Wei Shao feeling a bit deflated. Driven by a need for compensation, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Xiao Qiao glanced back. A group of palace attendants were by the Ganquan Pond, their gazes seemingly fixed on this direction. She struggled slightly and pushed at his arms. "There are people watching. In broad daylight..."
"What of it?"
Wei Shao didn't care at all. Seeing her dodge, he didn't even look back as he waved a hand at the servants. The attendants hurried away. He then lowered his head, gently licking and biting her delicate ear, whispering sweet nothings into her ear with a rich, hoarse, and seductive tone: "As long as Manman likes it, just say the word to your husband. No matter what it is in this world, I will get it for you..."
Her ear was ticklish from his blowing and biting. After shrinking her neck and pushing his face away, she smiled radiantly. "My husband is so good to me, but..."
She paused. "These cliff carvings have been perfectly fine at Cloud Gate for hundreds of years. You had them chiseled away just because you said so, and moved them to Luoyang through such a long journey. Fortunately, they weren't damaged. If they had been ruined, wouldn't I have become a sinner?"
Wei Shao hesitated. "Are you unhappy?"
Xiao Qiao shook her head. "I know you did this for me, so how could I be unhappy? It’s just that I’m a little worried for you..."
"Worried about what?" Wei Shao startled.
"If Wei Quan and the others find out that you moved the Cloud Cliff Carvings into the palace just to satisfy my curiosity, they will definitely impeach you. You know Wei Quan’s temperament, Your Majesty..."
Wei Shao’s heart skipped a beat involuntarily.
No one knew better than him what Wei Quan was like. The scene of him being chased all the way to the latrine was still vivid in his mind to this day.
"Don't worry about him!" He frowned, his tone hard. "I just had people get a rock for you. Does he even have to manage that?"
Xiao Qiao sighed. "Forget about Wei Quan. Once the Empress Dowager returns to the palace, she will definitely find out. If she asks me, what am I supposed to say?"
Lady Xu was now the Empress Dowager and resided in the Jiade Palace. When she was in the palace, Feifei would go every day to bask in her great-grandmother's affection, and the two had a very close bond. A few days ago, the Empress Dowager had taken Feifei out of the palace to the Royal Daming Temple and had not yet returned.
According to the original plan, she would return in a couple of days.
Xiao Qiao grabbed the sleeves of Wei Shao’s dragon robe and shook them gently. "If the Empress Dowager asks how these cliff carvings ran from Cloud Gate to the Imperial Garden, how am I to answer her, Your Majesty?"
Wei Shao was left speechless.
He had actually forgotten about this! His mind had been hot, he had called Jia Si, given the orders, and waited for the carvings to arrive in Luoyang—he hadn't thought that far ahead.
Now that the item had been delivered, Wei Shao suddenly realized he might have moved a hot potato into the palace.
Not to mention Xiao Qiao’s reaction, which was nowhere near the ecstatic joy he had anticipated. Such a famous historical site as the Cloud Cliff Carvings could not possibly be hidden away. As Xiao Qiao said, the news would reach Wei Quan’s ears sooner or later. He was the Censor-in-Chief that Wei Shao had personally appointed. Now that the dynasty was newly founded and the civil service was clean, there were no faults for the officials to find. If Wei Quan, who had nothing better to do, found out about this, he would certainly nag him endlessly.
Wei Shao himself didn't mind; it was in one ear and out the other. If he got really annoyed, he would just chase him away.
But this would mean Xiao Qiao would suffer as a bystander. It might even lead people to mistakenly believe that the Empress had forced the Emperor to do this.
Furthermore, there was the hurdle of his grandmother. If she asked, it would indeed be hard to explain.
"How about... when Grandmother returns, I will say it myself—that I wanted to appreciate the carvings and ordered them to be brought here!"
Xiao Qiao shook her head. "If you say it yourself, Your Majesty, will she believe you? She will certainly know you did it for me. She may not reprimand me to my face, but she will surely think to herself that Manman is being imprudent, letting the Emperor do such things without trying to talk him out of it..."
It must have been that the weather was too hot and the sun directly overhead was too intense; after standing for a while, Wei Shao felt his back begin to heat up.
"Then what should I do?"
Wei Shao glanced at the big rock. "I’ve already brought it here. Are you saying I have to send it back?"
His tone was filled with frustration.
Even as Emperor, there were so many constraints!
A tyrant... Wei Shao suddenly envied the tyrants of the previous dynasties who could do whatever they pleased. He wanted to be a tyrant who spoiled his Empress, but why was it so difficult!
Xiao Qiao shook her head. "Such a massive cliff carving is inconvenient to transport over long distances; taking it down the mountain was not easy, and sending it back up would be even harder. Even if we sent it back, since it’s already been chiseled, I’m afraid it wouldn't be possible to restore it to its original state..."
She smiled. "Why don't you have it sent to the Daming Temple to be housed there? Famous temples and ancient inscriptions reflect each other, not only adding to the grandeur but also allowing the people of the world to continue appreciating the masterpieces of our predecessors. And... look, Your Majesty," she pointed to the surface of the cliff, eroded by wind and rain, "it has been in the mountains for hundreds of years, and some of the carvings are already showing signs of weathering. Having it brought to Luoyang and properly installed can be considered a way to protect the masterpiece. The imperial palace is not far from Daming Temple. If I want to see it, I can go at any time. What does Your Majesty think of this suggestion?"
Wei Shao exhaled a long breath. He stared at Xiao Qiao, suddenly pulling her into a tight embrace and kissing her hard. Leaning to her ear, he whispered in a low voice, "My wife, no matter how I love you, it is never enough..."
...
Jia Si had been on official business for two months, using all his might to chisel away half a mountain to bring the giant stone block the Emperor wanted into the palace. He hadn't even caught his breath yet when, that very night, he was ordered to take the thing to Daming Temple. He was completely baffled. Yet, the order came from his supreme superior; how could he dare to question it at all? He hurriedly took his men, packed the cliff carvings back into the box, and delivered them to Daming Temple overnight.
...
Early the next morning, before the sky was fully bright, the Emperor held the morning court. Before he was even settled on his throne, the Censor-in-Chief Wei Quan couldn't wait to step forward. Holding a tablet filled with his notes, he knelt to perform the rites. After being told to rise, he wore a look of solemnity and began to admonish the Emperor. The gist was that he had learned last night that the Emperor had sent people to Cloud Gate to seize the cliff carvings and bring them into the palace. This was highly improper behavior. Although everything in the world belonged to the Emperor, this did not mean the Emperor could bring everything he laid eyes on into the palace. The local people of Cloud Gate were very dissatisfied, and such behavior harmed the glorious image of both the Emperor and the Empress. He was only speaking out to protect the Emperor’s reputation and asked the Emperor to correct his mistake, blah blah blah...
Censor Wei finished in one breath, his throat parched.
The Emperor fixed a cold dragon-like gaze on him, haughtily tilted his chin, and replied that he had indeed done this, but it was not as he said—he was not fighting the people for their belongings! He was saddened that the local people of Cloud Gate did not know how to protect the masterpieces of the ancients, letting them weather and decay on the cliff. Out of a desire to protect them, he had chiseled the carvings down to be transported to Luoyang. They had been sent to Daming Temple last night to be properly protected. Once the restoration was complete, they would be open to the world. He didn't know the full details, yet he listened to rumors and acted on them; what was his intention in slandering the integrity of this Emperor?
Wei Quan froze, then hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground, begging for the Emperor’s forgiveness.
Consequently, Gongsun Yang and others also came forward to plead on his behalf.
The Emperor naturally stopped while he was ahead, generously stating that it was fine, saying this was the duty of Censor Wei. Even though he had wronged the Emperor, the Emperor would not hold it against him.
And so, that day’s morning court ended amidst a chorus of praise from the civil and military officials.
After the Emperor descended from the court, he recalled the stunned and submissive look on Wei Quan’s face in the throne room and felt extremely pleased. Upon returning to the back palace, he didn't go to the Xuan Room but went straight to the bedchamber to find the Empress, intending to have some daytime indulgence first.
The world says it is good to be an Emperor, with three palaces and six courtyards at his disposal. Wei Shao didn't care for the three palaces and six courtyards; he deeply felt that ever since becoming this Emperor, he was as tired as a donkey. He had to go to court before dawn every day and didn't return to his bedchamber until midnight—it was more exhausting than fighting wars.
The only opportunity he had each day to fully relax and be with Xiao Qiao in private was that short span of a few hours in the middle of the night. After subtracting the "normal" sleep and the time the little princess often woke up in the middle of the night to compete with him for Xiao Qiao, the time he could hold his beautiful Empress while sleeping was never enough.
If he didn't seize this final bit of time, once the Empress Dowager returned to the palace with Feifei in a couple of days, he wouldn't be able to do as he pleased whenever he wanted.