The long and oppressive funeral ceremonies finally came to an end.
Upon returning, Xiao Qiao removed Fei’er’s mourning clothes, bathed her, and sat her on the bed, shaking a rattle to encourage her to crawl towards her.
As mother and daughter played, Wei Shao entered, still wearing his mourning attire.
Seeing her father, Fei’er made a couple of babbling sounds and turned to crawl towards him.
As she reached the edge of the bed, Xiao Qiao was about to pick her up, fearing she might fall, but Wei Shao had already stepped forward quickly and scooped Fei’er up, lifting her high.
Fei’er, now increasingly bold, showed no fear at being lifted like this by her father, instead giggling with delight.
Wei Shao played with his daughter for a moment before handing her to Spring Maiden, who had followed him in.
Spring Maiden took Fei’er out of the room, leaving only Xiao Qiao and Wei Shao. He removed his outer mourning garments, climbed onto the bed, and embraced her.
“Manman, I’ve relied on you so much these past days. You’ve worked so hard, and I’ve wronged you…”
The funeral rites were full of complex formalities. As a filial son, he had barely slept in days and had stayed up all night yesterday. His voice was now hoarse.
He continuously kissed her smooth forehead and delicate earlobes, whispering in her ear.
Xiao Qiao leaned in his embrace, looking up to study his face.
His eyes were bloodshot, and besides the weariness from lack of sleep, his expression showed gratitude and guilt.
Xiao Qiao smiled, “I’m not tired, nor do I feel wronged. I’ve only done my duty to the best of my ability. Fortunately, the army and civilians were united against the enemy, and the Qiang troops arrived in time as reinforcements, allowing us to hold out until you returned.”
Wei Shao raised his hand to gently brush away a strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead, gazing at her intently. His hoarse voice was filled with tenderness: “I heard that you fainted in Shangu that day, and before you could catch your breath, you had to deal with my mother’s funeral. Let Spring Maiden and the others take care of Fei’er at night. You should rest well.”
Xiao Qiao said, “You should too, my lord. I know you’ve been even more exhausted these past few days. If there’s nothing else, you should rest early.”
“Manman, marrying you has been my greatest fortune…”
He must have been truly tired. As he finally lay down beside her, his eyes closed and nearly asleep, Xiao Qiao heard him murmur in her ear.
…
Wei Shao slept long and deeply, waking up at noon the next day.
Sunlight filtered through the low-hanging bed curtains, illuminating the interior brightly, almost dazzlingly. From the courtyard came the faint sounds of the wet nurse and maids playing with Fei’er, their laughter drifting in.
Fei’er’s laughter was high and carefree, and combined with the brilliant sunlight, it involuntarily lifted one’s spirits.
Wei Shao’s lips curled into a slight smile as he lay with his eyes closed, listening to his daughter’s laughter for a moment. He reached out to feel beside him, but the bed was already cool.
He opened his eyes, got out of bed, stretched his limbs thoroughly, got dressed, and went out.
Xiao Qiao was standing by a carved pillar in the courtyard, talking to several household managers who had come to report. Hearing the door open, she turned to see Wei Shao coming out. She dismissed the manager and went to greet him, calling for water and towels to be brought, and helped him wash up. Then she took his clothes and helped him dress.
With no one else around, Wei Shao spoke softly, “When did you get up this morning? I didn’t even notice.”
Xiao Qiao replied, “Around the usual time. I saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn’t disturb you.”
As she spoke, she lowered her head to fasten his belt.
His hands then moved to her back, slowly caressing, gradually moving downward, finally gripping her waist. His other hand undid the belt she had just fastened for him, casually tossing it aside. Then he embraced her, pressing her soft chest against his own.
“Manman—” he called her name softly, kissing her forehead, their faces close together.
Xiao Qiao removed his hand from her waist and said, “We should go see Grandmother now.”
Wei Shao rubbed his nose and said, “Alright.”
Xiao Qiao smiled at him, bent down to retrieve the belt, and fastened it around his waist again. She said, “I saw Master Gongsun yesterday. He said you’ll be leaving again in a few days?”
Wei Shao nodded, “The area south of the Yangtze River is in chaos now. Various warlords have declared themselves rulers, Chen Ying has rebelled, and although Langya has fallen, Liu Yan escaped during the Xiongnu invasion and is still clinging to life. This time when I returned with the army, I took advantage of the Xiongnu’s scattered morale and pursued them hundreds of li past the Sanggan River, not giving them a chance to catch their breath. This was not only to annihilate their elite forces but also to completely crush their spirit. In this battle, the Xiongnu lost nearly 100,000 men, a significant loss. After this defeat, I estimate they won’t dare to think of invading southward for at least a year or two. I must seize this opportunity to pacify the South as soon as possible. Once the Central Plains are unified and the realm is stabilized, then in the future, we can deal with the Xiongnu again…”
He suddenly stopped, looking at Xiao Qiao with a trace of guilt in his eyes, “I won’t be able to stay home with you again. Are you upset with me?”
With a soft click, Xiao Qiao fastened his belt, examined it, and then looked up with a smile, “Men have their duties, and I have mine. How could I be upset about this? Have something to eat first, then let’s go see Grandmother.”
…
Madam Xu had returned to Yuyang from Wuzhong a few days ago.
After this period of recuperation, her health gradually improved, and her spirits were quite good. Seeing the two arrive, she asked them to sit and inquired about the situation in the south.
Learning that the Green-Eyed General had stopped Chen Tianwang north of the Yangtze River, thus curbing the momentum of the terrifying cannibal refugee army, she said to Xiao Qiao, “In the north, your brother led the Qiang army to help our forces resist the Xiongnu. In the south, the Green-Eyed General fought fiercely against the cannibal army to pacify the people. Your Qiao family has produced such a pair of heroic figures, twins like two stars. Everyone praises them.”
Xiao Qiao replied, “Grandmother, you flatter us. Born in turbulent times, with the common people suffering, it is said that in poverty one should cultivate oneself, and in success, one should help the world. We dare not claim to be heroes. My brother and brother-in-law are simply doing their best.”
Madam Xu looked at her for a moment, then sighed, “You’re good in every way, just too restrained. Being sensible is naturally good, but child, your sensibility makes my heart ache.” She turned to Wei Shao, “During the siege of Shangu, if it weren’t for your wife thinking of requesting help from the Qiang troops if it weren’t for your wife inspiring the soldiers and civilians in Shangu to live and die together, by the time you returned with the army, Yuyang might have already been ravaged by the Xiongnu! You know what you should do, I don’t need to say more, do I?”
Wei Shao glanced at Xiao Qiao, then bowed to Madam Xu, saying, “Grandmother’s wise teachings, your grandson will engrave every word in his heart.”
Madam Xu nodded and said to Xiao Qiao, “In lifting the siege of Shangu, it’s not an exaggeration to say you were the primary contributor. If you have any wishes or thoughts, just say them. Whatever Grandmother can decide, I will certainly grant.”
Xiao Qiao also knelt before her, bowing respectfully. After straightening up, she said, “Thank you for your kindness, Grandmother. If so, I’ll speak boldly.”
Madam Xu smiled, “Speak! Don’t hesitate!”
Xiao Qiao said, “A few months ago, I corresponded with my father. Although his words seemed optimistic, I can’t help but worry about him. If Grandmother and my husband agree, I’d like to take Fei’er back to Dongju for a few days. I know Grandmother has always been fond of Fei’er, and I shouldn’t take her away from you, especially since Grandmother needs me to fulfill my filial duties after recovering from a serious illness. So I know this is an unreasonable request.”
Wei Shao was startled and immediately turned to look at Xiao Qiao, seeing her eyes fixed on Madam Xu, her expression solemn.
He instinctively wanted to say it was inappropriate, but to his surprise, Madam Xu had already nodded, “Granted.”
Wei Shao was stunned, his mouth slightly open, frozen in place.
Madam Xu said, “With Qingzhou and Langya falling, the entire Shandong region can be considered peaceful now, so you can go. Your father is alone, and unfortunately blind. Though he doesn’t say it, he must miss you. Moreover, Fei’er has never met him since she was born. I’m well now and have nothing pressing, so feel free to go back and stay for a while. Spend some time with your father, that’s also part of being a filial child.”
Xiao Qiao bowed to Madam Xu in gratitude.
Madam Xu smiled and gestured for her to rise, then said to the still-stunned Wei Shao, “Can you spare the time? If you can, put aside other matters for now and escort your wife back to Dongju!”
…
“Why do you suddenly want to return to Dongju?” Wei Shao immediately dismissed the servants once they returned to their room and asked, his expression slightly agitated.
“After the incident in Yanzhou, my father was blinded by poison. I only took care of him for three or four days before hurrying back to Yuyang, and I’ve been worried ever since. Now that things here seem to have settled for the time being, and you’ll be leaving soon, Grandmother is kind enough not to insist on me staying to fulfill my filial duties, so I’d like to go back to Dongju for a few days.”
Xiao Qiao sat on the edge of the bed, folding Fei’er’s small clothes as she explained.
Wei Shao looked at her for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward, sat beside her, and embraced her.
“Are you angry with me? That day when I returned with the army, I was indeed negligent. I was only thinking about striking hard at the Xiongnu and didn’t immediately come to see you. Then when the incident with my mother happened, I didn’t consider your feelings much at the time. Are you angry about that?”
Xiao Qiao shook her head, “I’m not angry…”
“Then don’t go back to Dongju. I don’t want you to go—”
Wei Shao held her tightly, like a child whose favorite toy was being taken away.
Suddenly, he pushed her down onto the bed, kissing her urgently, with a pleading manner, his hands starting to undo her sash.
A moment later, he stopped, burying his face in the crook of her neck, his voice muffled and slightly hurt, “You’re still angry with me…”
“What do I need to do for you to stay? Manman, tell me!”
He suddenly raised his head, “I won’t leave? I’ll stay home and spend more time with you, alright?”
He gently shook her shoulders, as if coaxing her.
Xiao Qiao slowly opened her eyes and gave him a faint smile.
“My lord, I’m not angry with you. We’ve been married for several years, and our journey to this point has been full of ups and downs. I deeply understand your difficulties, but to be honest, it hasn’t been easy for me either.”
Wei Shao was stunned.
Xiao Qiao closed her eyes briefly, her long lashes trembling slightly, and let out a soft, delicate sigh.
“I feel very relaxed now, but for some reason, I also feel a bit tired. Since Grandmother has allowed me to be willful, I’d like to follow my wishes for once.”
“So I want to return to Dongju. Besides seeing my father, my elder sister is also at home, and I want to stay there for a few days. I hope you won’t stop me, my lord.”
Xiao Qiao looked at him and spoke slowly.