The Wei family residence embodied the grandeur typical of northern aristocratic mansions while adhering to the architectural standards befitting a Marquis. The main entrance, spanning three sections, was crowned with a xieshan roof and supported by massive stone foundations. The beams were adorned with colorful kui dragon motifs, and a pair of bronze lions, each standing half the height of a man, guarded the entrance. The front hall was imposing, while the living quarters in the rear were neatly separated by courtyard walls, interconnected by gardens, creating an overall layout that was both spacious and well-organized.
The most prominent figure in the Wei household was undoubtedly Madam Xu, who currently resided in Wuzhong. Her quarters, situated in the central northern part of the compound, now stood empty. Wei Shao’s mother, Mrs. Zhu, occupied the eastern wing, while Xiao Qiao was accommodated in the corresponding western quarters.
The western quarters, though called a “room,” were a sizeable independent courtyard. One had to pass through two gates, and traverse the main courtyard and side chambers before reaching the most private sleeping quarters, complete with adjoining rooms and a skywell.
About a dozen servants and maids knelt outside the door to welcome Xiao Qiao, addressing her as “Lady.”
Although her return had not been announced in advance, everything inside and outside the quarters was immaculately clean, with the bedroom being particularly spotless.
From now on, this would be Xiao Qiao’s long-term residence.
As Chunniang and the maids unpacked, Xiao Qiao noticed several sets of men’s clothing and some daily necessities left in the room.
It appeared that Wei Shao used to reside in these quarters when he was at home.
Back in Xindu, Wei Shao had openly separated from her in front of Madam Zhong, showing no intention of concealing it. This indicated that he didn’t care how his family viewed their marital relationship. Coupled with his consistent disregard for her, Xiao Qiao deduced that he probably wouldn’t force himself to share a room with her now.
For a newly wedded “Lady” like herself, this was naturally humiliating. By tomorrow, the servants of the Wei household would undoubtedly be gossiping about her behind her back.
Trees have bark, and people have faces. A tree can’t survive without its bark, and while a person won’t die without a face, they certainly become unsightly.
Xiao Qiao was just an ordinary person. As a newcomer, who would want to become the laughingstock of others after just one night? If she could put on a facade, she would gladly endure the hardship.
But this wasn’t something she could resolve on her own. Wei Shao probably hated her so much that he’d rather swat her like a fly to be rid of her, so she could only try to be open-minded about it.
Fortunately, having a big heart and not getting stuck on trivial matters was perhaps Xiao Qiao’s greatest virtue besides her beauty.
So she specifically instructed Chunniang to gather and set aside Wei Shao’s belongings that had been left behind, waiting for him to send someone to retrieve them.
…
Wei Shao had left her with the steward with just a word and disappeared for the entire day.
The master of the Wei family naturally couldn’t have any good feelings towards Lady Qiao. The servants were likely to feel the same. But this didn’t include all the servants.
Money might not buy hearts, but it could certainly buy words.
Back in Xindu, most of the servants in the Xin Palace were locals who knew nothing about the affairs of the Wei family in Yuyang. The few who had come with Madam Zhong were too afraid of her to say much, only speaking hesitantly. After settling in here, Chunniang, using her skills honed in the Qiao family, quickly learned many detailed things about the Wei family and Madam Zhu from a maidservant named Bingnu in the western quarters.
At that time, arranged marriages were common, with an emphasis on matching social status, especially among noble families. Compared to the Wei family, Madam Zhu’s natal family was of lower status. Her father had initially been a postal official in Zhuo Commandery, later joining the military and rising to the rank of Lang General due to his merits. He was highly regarded by Wei Shao’s grandfather. In one battle, he took an arrow meant for Wei Shao’s grandfather, which hit a vital spot, leading to his death. Feeling both guilty and grateful, Wei Shao’s grandfather, upon learning that the Zhu family had a daughter of suitable age and appearance for his eldest son Wei Jing, arranged for her to be married into the Wei family.
After entering the Wei family, Madam Zhu gave birth to two sons. The elder son was Wei Bao, courtesy name Beigong, and the younger son was Wei Shao, courtesy name Zhonglin. Ten years ago, she unfortunately lost both her husband and eldest son at the same time. Madam Zhu was devastated and took a long time to recover from the shock. Later, for some reason, she became close to shamans and became quite devout.
Madam Xu’s attitude towards Madam Zhu had always been neither cold nor warm. Madam Zhu was somewhat intimidated by this mother-in-law who was a princess from the state of Zhongshan. The two were not close. In recent years, as Wei Shao took full control of the military, Madam Xu became less involved in family affairs, spending most of her time living in Wuzhong, leaving Madam Zhu alone in the Yuyang mansion.
Madam Zhu had taken in an unmarried 18-year-old girl named Zheng Chuyu, who was her niece. Zheng’s father had been a Minister of Agriculture but unfortunately died early, leaving her an orphan who sought refuge with her aunt. A few years ago, a shaman divined that Zheng Chuyu was a lucky person in Madam Zhu’s life, and her presence could help Madam Zhu avoid misfortune and attract good fortune. Coincidentally, Madam Zhu fell ill at that time, and Zheng Chuyu took care of her day and night until she recovered. After her recovery, Madam Zhu became a firm believer and grew increasingly fond of her. Because Zheng Chuyu’s background wasn’t sufficient, she wanted her son to take her as a concubine. However, for some reason, Wei Shao had not yet done so. For the past two years, Madam Zhu had been keeping Zheng Chuyu by her side, treating her no differently than Wei Shao’s concubines. The family members all called her Lady Zheng.
“My Lady, do you know why the Marquis Wei hasn’t married yet despite being past his weak years? Besides this Lady Zheng, there was another one before…”
Chunniang leaned close to Xiao Qiao’s ear, about to continue, when the maidservant named Bingnu hurriedly came to relay a message. She said that Madam Zhu had returned from Yushan, and the young master had also come back, requesting the Lady to join them in paying respects to the elders.
Chunniang stopped talking.
Xiao Qiao was already properly dressed and didn’t need to change. She briefly checked herself in the mirror, took the exquisitely made needlework that Chunniang had prepared for her earlier, and walked out the door.
Wei Shao was standing at the intersection of the corridor leading to the eastern quarters, apparently waiting for her.
In his daily life, apart from his battle robes, Wei Shao seemed to only wear cyan-colored clothes. Several times in Xindu when Xiao Qiao had accidentally encountered him, she saw him always in cyan-colored deep robes. Fortunately, his face was still pleasing to look at, so he didn’t appear old-fashioned. At this moment, he was also wearing cyan-colored deep robes, but compared to Xiao Qiao’s, his style was much looser, cinched at the waist with a wide belt inlaid with white jade. It accentuated his narrow waist and broad shoulders, his back straight as an arrow. A breeze swept past him, lifting one side of his robe and hem, softening the usual harshness he exuded when in battle attire, giving him a somewhat elegant and romantic air.
In fact, from the moment Xiao Qiao heard Bingnu’s message to arriving here, it couldn’t have been more than half an hour. The path through the courtyard wasn’t short, and it took some time to walk. Yet he seemed to have been waiting impatiently, his hands clasped behind his back. Hearing footsteps approaching, he turned his head to see her coming, then turned and walked towards the eastern quarters.
He walked quickly, and with his long legs, he soon left Xiao Qiao far behind. At first, Xiao Qiao tried to quicken her pace, but seeing that she couldn’t catch up, she called out to his back, “Husband, could you please slow down?”
Wei Shao seemed to pause for a moment, stopping and glancing back at her.
Xiao Qiao lifted her skirt and took a few quick steps to catch up to his side, smiling slightly as she said, “I’m dressed formally to pay respects to the elders, so my skirt is a bit narrow and I can’t walk fast. You’re taller than me and have longer legs, if you walk any faster, I’ll have to run to keep up.”
Standing beside him now, she only reached his shoulder. In modern times, such a height difference might be considered “the cutest height gap,” but for Xiao Qiao in this situation, it wasn’t so pleasant.
Wei Shao glanced at her again.
She had finished speaking and closed her mouth, the corners of her lips naturally curving up slightly, her bright eyes looking at him with a hint of a smile.
Wei Shao didn’t want to pay much attention to her. But for some reason, he found it hard to be cold-faced towards her. Finally, he grudgingly grunted in acknowledgment, his expression becoming even more rigid. He slightly raised his chin, gesturing for her to follow him, and turned to walk forward again.
This time, he indeed slowed his pace. Xiao Qiao easily kept up with him as they entered the eastern quarters.
There were no less than twenty maidservants in the eastern quarters, all gathered on both sides of the corridor. Seeing Wei Shao leading Xiao Qiao from afar, they all came out to kneel. Under the gaze of a crowd of servants, some amazed, some curious, some disdainful, Xiao Qiao followed Wei Shao into the main room where Madam Zhu was.
The room was luxuriously furnished, with a strong scent of musk floating in the air. Wei Shao’s mother, Madam Zhu, had changed her attire after returning. She sat on a square couch opposite them, partially screened by a purple sandalwood partition. In her early forties and slightly plump, she was dressed in splendid clothes with her hair adorned with pearls and jewels. She must have been a beauty in her youth, and even now her features remained quite refined. However, perhaps due to years of habitually maintaining a stern expression, the corners of her mouth turned slightly downward, with two deep lines framing her mouth, giving her not only an older appearance but also an air of arrogance. Kneeling beside her was a young woman in light purple, about seventeen or eighteen years old. The color of her clothes beautifully accentuated her fair skin and enhanced her delicate features. Upon seeing Wei Shao enter, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She quickly rose from the couch to greet him, addressing him as “Cousin” with a gentle and affectionate demeanor.
Wei Shao responded faintly. The young woman had made an effort to look her best, but seeing that he barely glanced at her, a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes. She then turned her gaze to Xiao Qiao, and her expression subtly changed.
Xiao Qiao realized this young woman must be Zheng Chuyu, Wei Shao’s cousin. After a glance, she followed Wei Shao to Madam Zhu’s couch, standing beside him with her hands lowered.
Madam Zhu had seemingly ignored Xiao Qiao since she entered. She only showed a warm, affectionate smile to her son, beckoning him to sit beside her. She kept examining him, touching his arm, first expressing concern that he had become thinner and darker over the past six months, then inquiring about his daily diet and routine, and finally asking about the military situation. Wei Shao briefly mentioned a few points, to which she sighed, “Though I’m just a woman who doesn’t understand military affairs, from what you’ve said, it seems to be going well. But I know it’s dangerous. Zhonglin, you must take good care of yourself and avoid any mishaps.”
Wei Shao gently reassured Madam Zhu with a few words.
Madam Zhu nodded, “Although these times are perilous, my son is blessed by heaven and protected by divine beings, so I shouldn’t worry too much. What I fear most is the treachery of human hearts…”
She cast her first glance at Xiao Qiao since she had entered, a look full of disgust and hatred.
“Zhonglin, if your father hadn’t been so trusting of others back then, he wouldn’t have met such a tragic end. To this day, when I think of your father and brother’s deaths, my heart aches, and I still can’t sleep at night, wishing I could devour our enemies’ flesh. You must remember this lesson and never trust others so easily!”
She almost spat out the phrase “devour our enemies’ flesh” through gritted teeth, her gaze fixed on Xiao Qiao’s face, no longer just disgust and hatred, but with a hint of ferocity, as if she truly wanted to bite the flesh off Xiao Qiao’s body piece by piece.
Xiao Qiao had prepared herself to be disliked by Madam Zhu, but she hadn’t expected her aversion to be so direct and intense. Experiencing this for the first time in her life, her previous mental preparation fell short. She couldn’t help but shudder, her face unconsciously paling and her fingertips growing cold.
Wei Shao glanced at Xiao Qiao and said to Madam Zhu, “Son knows his boundaries. Mother need not worry too much.” He added, “Mother must be tired from rushing back from the mountain today. I’ve brought my new wife to pay her respects to you, and after that, you should rest early.” He stood up and moved to a kneeling cushion placed in front of Madam Zhu’s couch.
Xiao Qiao composed herself and hurriedly came to the other cushion, kneeling alongside her husband to perform the kowtow ritual to Madam Zhu on the couch.
Madam Zhu sat with a stern face, her eyes lowered toward her son, not sparing a glance at Xiao Qiao.
After completing the kowtow ritual with her husband, Xiao Qiao couldn’t rise yet. Following custom, she presented the prepared needlework with both hands raised above her head, waiting for someone to take it.
She kept her head lowered, holding up her hands for a long time with no response. As her arms began to ache and she could barely hold them up any longer, still gritting her teeth to persist, a hand reached out from the side, took the gift, and placed it in front of Madam Zhu’s couch.
“Mother, if there’s nothing else, we’ll take our leave now,” Wei Shao’s voice sounded.
Xiao Qiao lowered her arms and slowly stood up from the kneeling cushion.
“She can go. You stay. I have more to say to you,” Madam Zhu said coldly.
Xiao Qiao bowed to the person on the couch and silently turned to leave.
“Yuyu, you go out too. Aunt needs to speak with your cousin for a moment,” Madam Zhu looked at Zheng Chuyu, who had been standing to the side, her face once again showing a kind smile.
Zheng Chuyu glanced at Wei Shao, responded softly, bowed to both of them and withdrew.
…
“Zhonglin! You’re not going to take her to pay respects at the family temple tomorrow, are you?” Madam Zhu immediately asked once only mother and son remained in the room.
Wei Shao’s face was expressionless as he uttered two words: “Of course not!”
Madam Zhu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and snorted, “That’s good. I thought you might have been bewitched by that Qiao woman’s beauty and forgotten about your father and brother’s vengeance! Just now, I merely wanted to make things more difficult for her, but you went and accepted that thing on my behalf. Who wants it? The sight of it is offensive!”
Wei Shao frowned slightly, “That’s enough. I still have matters to attend to and can’t keep delaying here because of her. If Mother dislikes it, throw it away or cut it up as you wish.”
Seeing her son’s apparent displeasure, Madam Zhu changed the subject, “You’ll be gone for another half year, and Yuyu misses you very much. Tonight…”
“Tonight, I’ll be sleeping in Qiao’s room,” Wei Shao interrupted his mother. “Mother, I’ll tell you one last time, I have no feelings for my cousin. You’d better find a suitable family to marry her off to soon. Don’t let her waste away her youth any longer, or she’ll regret it later!”
Madam Zhu looked at her son angrily for a long while before saying, “Fine! I raised you with such care and hardship, and this is how you repay me? I’m not forcing you to do anything else, just asking you to take Yuyu as a concubine. Your father’s lineage now rests solely on you. You’re already twenty-two, not young anymore, and still without an heir. You’ve finally taken a wife, but you chose a daughter of the Qiao family! I couldn’t go against your grandmother’s decision, so I had to accept it. But how can a woman from such a family bear children for our Wei family? She’ll have to be divorced sooner or later! What is it about Yuyu that doesn’t meet your approval, that you must upset me like this…”
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Madam Zhu’s eyes widened.
“Could it be that you still can’t forget that Su woman from before? Is that why you’ve delayed marriage for so long and keep making excuses even when asked to take a concubine?”
A shadow passed through Wei Shao’s eyes, but his expression became even colder. He said flatly, “Mother, you’re overthinking. I’m away all year round, busy with military affairs. Where would I find time to think about such romantic notions? As for Chuyu, there’s no need to mention it again. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now. Mother should rest early.”
Wei Shao bowed slightly to Madam Zhu and turned to leave.
Madam Zhu glared at her son’s retreating, her face showing annoyance. Suddenly, she noticed the needlework Xiao Qiao had presented still on the couch. She grabbed it, took a pair of scissors, and with gritted teeth, snip-snip, cut it in half before throwing it to the ground along with the scissors.
…
Chunniang was waiting for Xiao Qiao outside the eastern courtyard. Seeing her come out, she went to meet her and silently accompanied her for a while. Finally, they returned to Xiao Qiao’s sleeping quarters. After dismissing the servants, Chunniang inquired about what had transpired earlier.
Xiao Qiao had already composed herself and saw no need to conceal anything from Chunniang. She briefly recounted her encounter with Madam Zhu.
Chunniang remained silent for a while before saying, “My Lady, given Madam Zhu’s intense hatred towards you, it seems impossible to win her favor. Now, our only hope lies with Madam Xu. If Madam Xu also behaves similarly, then My Lady…”
She hesitated for a moment before leaning close to Xiao Qiao’s ear: “Has My Lady considered subtly serving Marquis Wei to gain his protection? Back in Xindu, this servant felt that although the Marquis was cold towards My Lady due to the old grudge between the families, he didn’t seem to be someone who took pleasure in cruelty, nor was he a truly evil person. From what Bingnu said today, the Marquis rarely spends much time here throughout the year. With Madam Zhu’s hatred, if Madam Xu also shares the same sentiment, once the Marquis leaves, how will My Lady manage on her own?”
Xiao Qiao looked at Chunniang, somewhat surprised by her sudden suggestion.
Chunniang lovingly stroked her long hair and sighed, “This servant had wanted to advise My Lady of this even back in Xindu. I know it’s unfair to My Lady. Chunniang is just a simple-minded person, and My Lady is a hundred times smarter. If I’ve spoken out of turn, My Lady can punish me.”
Xiao Qiao shook her head, “I know you mean well. We’ve just arrived, so there’s no rush. Let’s wait until we’ve met Madam Xu before deciding anything.”
She said with a smile.
…
Xiao Qiao was very tired that day. But the scene from her evening encounter with Madam Zhu kept her awake late into the night.
She suddenly missed Da Qiao more than ever before.
Lying alone in bed, tossing and turning, she thought about how in her previous life, Da Qiao must have been sent back to Yuyang by Wei Shao the day after their wedding night, just like herself. However, she hadn’t encountered any mishaps on the way and had arrived here alone. When she faced Madam Zhu by herself and experienced a scene like this, how did she get through it? And in the countless days and nights that followed, how did she endure it all alone, until the very end when she was discarded by her nominal husband who had become emperor, watching him establish another woman as empress, and then, in what kind of despair and sorrow did she end her life by suicide?
Although she knew that in this lifetime, she would never encounter such a tragic fate, Xiao Qiao’s heart still felt heavy. She was grateful for making the right decision in those last few months of the previous year.
Now she just missed Da Qiao very much, desperately wanting to know where she was and how she and her lover Bi were doing.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the door, sounding somewhat familiar.
It seemed… like Wei Shao.
It was very late now. He hadn’t sent anyone to retrieve his belongings. Either he didn’t need them, or… was he coming to get them himself?
Xiao Qiao was puzzled and still listening intently to the sounds outside when the door seemed to be pushed, but because she had bolted it, it couldn’t be opened.
“My Lady! The Marquis has arrived!” Chunniang’s voice came through.
Xiao Qiao’s heart skipped a beat.
It was indeed him!
“Coming!” she responded, quickly sitting up in bed, grabbing a robe to cover herself, hastily fastening her clothes, tying her belt, and getting up to open the door.
Sure enough, Wei Shao stood outside.
“The Marquis will rest here,” Chunniang hurriedly entered, her face showing a slightly joyful expression as she whispered to Xiao Qiao.
This was quite unexpected. As Xiao Qiao stood in shock, Wei Shao, looking tired, stepped in and headed straight for the bathroom, saying, “Bring my clothes in—”
He walked a couple of steps before suddenly noticing his clothes and some daily necessities neatly folded and placed on the table. He stopped, slowly turned his head, and looked at Xiao Qiao.
Xiao Qiao’s face immediately turned black with embarrassment. She hurriedly went over to block his view, trying to explain in as casual a tone as possible, “The maid said this place hadn’t been lived in for a long time. I was worried about mold and insects, so I drove out the bugs everywhere during the day. At that time, I temporarily removed your clothes and other items, but forgot to put them back…”
Wei Shao kept staring at her.
She couldn’t help but feel short of breath, her voice getting lower and lower. After finishing her explanation, she saw him curl his lip, once again showing that expression she was somewhat familiar with.
“Put them back. I’ll be staying here from now on!” Wei Shao said, then turned and walked towards the bathroom.