Wei Yan did not live with the Wei family. He had moved out on his own long ago and had a residence in the city.
In recent years, with Wei Shao often away from You Province, Wei Yan had been entrusted with its defense. He stationed troops in Dai Commandery, leaving his residence mostly vacant. Now that he had returned, the house was fully staffed with servants. He invited Wei Shao to his home, passing through the main gate and the hanging flower gate to a flower hall in the courtyard. He ordered bright candles to be lit, and servants quickly prepared a table of fine dishes and brought wine. Wei Yan personally filled Wei Shao’s cup, saying, “With the capture of Shi Yi, Bing Province is now open to us. Taking Jinyang in the west is just a matter of time. This calls for celebration! I toast to you, Zhong Lin!”
“You Province is the foundation of the Wei family, secure as a fortress for many years. Elder Brother’s achievements surpass mine. I toast to you as well, Elder Brother!”
They sat down and each drank a cup. Wei Yan noticed Wei Shao swirling and smelling his wine, and smiled, “Well? Now you know why I invited you to my home? There’s an old saying: Zhao wine is strong, Yan wine is mellow, and Qin wine is astringent. I recently acquired a wine servant whose ancestors were royal winemakers in Zhao. His brews are exceptionally pure and potent.
With such a good thing, how could I enjoy it alone? Of course, I had to invite Second Brother to drink together.” He refilled their cups and added with a laugh, “With fine wine, how can we lack beautiful women?” He clapped his hands, and from behind a beaded curtain came the sound of strings and flutes. A line of colorfully dressed women emerged, dancing to the music. They were all courtesans raised in Wei Yan’s household, graceful and ethereal in their movements.
Wei Yan gestured for the most beautiful woman to accompany Wei Shao in drinking, but Wei Shao waved her away. Wei Yan was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter, teasing, “Zhong Lin is still the same as before, abstinent and avoiding women like a plague! You were like this before, and now with a beautiful wife at home, these ordinary women surely can’t catch your eye.”
Wei Shao smiled without arguing, simply picking up the wine pot to refill his cup.
“Very well, you’re my guest here. If the guest doesn’t like it, we’ll send them away. No need to disturb our brotherly chat!”
Wei Yan waved his hand, and the attending steward immediately signaled the musicians to stop. The dancers quickly retreated as they had come. After a few more drinks, Wei Yan inquired about the defenses of Shi Yi, reminding Wei Shao to be prepared for Chen Xiang’s counterattack.
Wei Shao replied, “Master Gong Sun is temporarily guarding it for me, so there shouldn’t be major issues. The only headache is that Chen Pang refuses to surrender. He has governed Shi Yi for many years and has won the people’s hearts. If he doesn’t yield, I fear the people of Shi Yi will still lean towards Bing Province.”
Wei Yan said, “It’s best if Chen Pang surrenders. If he truly won’t, killing him to warn others is the strategy. Keeping him alive could become a problem in the long run. If he won’t drink our toast, we’ll force him to drink as punishment! Balancing kindness and authority is the way of warfare.”
Wei Shao responded, “I had the same thought. But Master Gong Sun advised me to be more patient. Let’s leave it for now. I might go check on the situation in a few days.”
Wei Yan said, “Do you know why you were called the Little Tyrant in your youth? You were fierce, had strong opinions, and did things your way. A few years ago, ten Chen Pangs might have lost their heads. If I’m not mistaken, it’s you who doesn’t want to kill Chen Pang, which is why he’s still alive. If you had decided to kill him, I doubt even Gong Sun Yang’s persuasion would have mattered. I see your temperament has softened considerably compared to before.”
Wei Shao smiled, “Let’s not talk about the past. We brothers haven’t seen each other in a long time; drinking is the main thing.” He poured a cup for Wei Yan.
Wei Yan smiled and raised his cup, bringing it to his nose to smell the wine. Suddenly, the scene from earlier that day in the picture-mounting shop flashed before his eyes.
Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, he had truly been stunned by her beauty at the time. Her face was more beautiful than any he had ever seen. While her figure might not have been as graceful as a mature woman’s, his experienced eye immediately recognized her unique charm—a blend of girlish innocence and the allure of a young wife. It had genuinely captivated him. When the young woman seemed to dislike his gaze and turned her back to him, she unknowingly revealed a section of her jade-like neck between her hair and collar, partly hidden and partly exposed, as smooth as white jade, inviting even more imagination. At that moment, his heart had skipped a beat. He would have done anything, not just offer a gold-framed red silk mounting, but even pluck stars from the sky to win a smile from this beauty.
In his early years, following Madam Xu’s arrangements, he had married once, but his wife passed away after just two years. Since then, he has not remarried. Unlike Wei Shao, he didn’t abstain from women, and there was no shortage of them around him. However, none had touched his heart, and there were even some whose faces he couldn’t remember the day after spending a night together.
But today’s encounter with this young woman, who appeared to be newly married, had left him so captivated—a feeling he had never experienced before.
Given his status and position, he could have any woman he wanted. Even married women from noble families in Luoyang weren’t out of reach if he truly desired them. Yet, he never expected that when he followed her carriage, it would lead him to the gates of the Wei family.
“Cousin, when I escorted Grandmother back, she mentioned you several times on the way. She said you’re living alone now, without anyone to take care of your daily needs. And you won’t move back home. Grandmother is quite concerned. Your reluctance to return… is it because of my mother?”
Madam Zhu disliked Wei Yan. When they lived together in the past, although she didn’t mistreat him, she seemed to be on guard around him. Wei Yan had noticed this and moved out on his own at seventeen or eighteen, living independently until now.
Wei Yan was lost in thought when he heard Wei Shao suddenly say this. Coming back to his senses, he smiled and said, “What does it have to do with Aunt? I’m just used to living freely and don’t want to be constrained under Grandmother’s watchful eye.” Then, remembering something, he added, “If Grandmother is going to try to arrange another marriage for me this time, let me know so I can return to Dai Commandery early.”
Wei Shao smiled, “Grandmother is just concerned about you.”
Wei Yan smirked, “If she could arrange a marriage like yours for me, I might agree.”
Wei Shao, who had been pouring wine, stopped mid-air upon hearing this and looked up at Wei Yan.
Realizing his slip, Wei Yan covered it with a laugh, “Your wife is exceptionally beautiful, rarely seen in this world. You’re quite fortunate, Zhong Lin. Not only did you get a beauty, but also Yan Province. Grandmother’s arrangement of this marriage couldn’t have been better.”
Wei Shao smiled, filled a cup, raised it in a mock toast to Wei Yan, and slowly drank it down.
…
Wei Shao returned at the end of the hai hour (around 10 PM). As he entered, his steps were slightly unsteady. When crossing the threshold of the door frame that he had broken and had recently repaired, a wave of intoxication seemed to wash over him. He paused and steadied himself by placing a hand on the door.
Over the past two years, Xiao Qiao has developed a habit of going to bed early. There wasn’t much else to do besides sleeping early. Usually by this time, unless she was preoccupied with thoughts, she would have been fast asleep. Earlier, unable to wait any longer, she had gone to bed herself, leaning against the headboard. As the room fell silent and she was drifting off to sleep, she was startled awake by the noise of Wei Shao’s return. She quickly put on a robe and got out of bed to greet him. Seeing him stop at the doorway, reeking of alcohol, she realized he was drunk and called for the maidservants to help him in.
Two or three maidservants from outside rushed over, trying to support Wei Shao on both sides.
Wei Shao raised his eyes and stared at Xiao Qiao, who was standing nearby but not too close. He saw her looking at him with a concerned expression. Perhaps because the wine he drank tonight was indeed stronger than usual, he felt a tightness in his chest and another wave of intoxication. He abruptly shook off the maidservant trying to support his arm and stepped over the threshold, walking in by himself.
Having lived with Wei Shao for just a few days, Xiao Qiao had observed that he seemed to value cleanliness greatly. Although he usually wore dark colors, there was an air of meticulousness about him. The maidservants in the West Chamber, having served him for a long time, knew that their lord had a habit of bathing and changing clothes daily. Madam Wang was no longer in the West Chamber, and another maidservant surnamed Lin, seeing him return, had already ordered water to be brought in and quickly prepared everything.
Madam Lin also knew that their lord didn’t like having people around while he bathed. After preparing the bath, she led the others out to wait outside, planning to return later to clean up.
“The bath is ready, my lord. Would you like to bathe now?” Xiao Qiao asked him.
Wei Shao ignored her, turning his back to remove his sword. With a “thud,” he placed it on the sword rack, then turned and headed towards the bathroom.
Xiao Qiao knew he didn’t need anyone to attend to him while bathing, least of all herself. Seeing him unfastening his clothes as he went in, his figure disappearing at the bathroom entrance, she didn’t feel it was appropriate to go back to bed, so she sat and waited.
She waited for some time. At first, she could hear the sound of splashing water from inside. Then it grew quiet, with no more sounds.
Xiao Qiao hesitated, feeling something wasn’t right. Finally, she stood up, held her breath, and tiptoed towards the bathroom. From a corner, she lifted the curtain slightly and quickly peeked inside.
Wei Shao was leaning back in the bathtub, his arms spread out on either side of the tub’s edge, his head tilted slightly back, eyes closed.
He had fallen asleep.
Xiao Qiao certainly couldn’t have any fondness for this man.
But at the moment, she didn’t particularly want him to slide down in his sleep either. After a brief hesitation, she called out, “My lord.”
He seemed to be in a deep sleep and didn’t respond.
Xiao Qiao raised her voice slightly.
Still no response.
Xiao Qiao walked in, picked up a wooden bath scoop nearby, reached out, and poked his arm while calling “My lord” again.
This time, Wei Shao finally reacted. His eyelids twitched slightly, then slowly opened.
His face still showed signs of intoxication. Droplets of water made his dark eyebrows appear even darker. With his head tilted back slightly, his Adam’s apple was more prominent. His broad shoulders, arms, and chest exposed above the water were muscular, glistening with a warm bronze hue in the candlelight.
As soon as he opened his eyes, Xiao Qiao averted her gaze, focusing instead on a bath towel draped over the edge of the tub next to him. She said, “You fell asleep just now.”
Wei Shao closed his eyes briefly, raising a hand to rub his forehead. He seemed to have a headache. Then he moved his shoulders, slowly sitting up straight, his eyes on her.
Xiao Qiao turned and walked out.
Behind her came a loud splash of water, as if he had stood up.
Xiao Qiao quickened her pace.
“Hand me my clothes,” his voice came from behind, slightly hoarse.
Xiao Qiao had no choice but to stop, take one of his clean robes from the clothing rack, and turn back to hand it to him.
He had already come out, casually wrapping the large towel around his waist. He took the robe and put it on, loosely tying the sash. The towel fell to the ground as he stepped out barefoot, walking towards the exit.
It was unclear how much he had drunk that night, but he was certainly quite intoxicated. The bathroom was dimly lit and filled with steam. As he turned, he failed to notice a nearby basin stand. Xiao Qiao watched helplessly as he walked straight into it.
Being tall, there was a loud “bang” as his forehead hit the crossbar.
The wooden stand was sturdy. The impact must have been quite hard.
He froze.
“Hiss—”
Xiao Qiao heard him let out a low hiss, his hand moving to cover his forehead.
Although she couldn’t see his expression, she could imagine it.
She couldn’t help it anymore and let out a small “pfft” sound.
The sound was very soft, barely escaping her throat before she suppressed it. But Wei Shao’s ears seemed to have become very keen at that moment. He whipped his head around.
He frowned, staring at her for a moment.
Xiao Qiao’s expression immediately became serious.
He slowly lowered the hand covering his forehead.
“Who put this stand here?” His voice sounded very displeased.
“It’s always been here,” Xiao Qiao said softly.
“If it’s in the way, I can have them remove it,” she added.
Wei Shao stared at her again.
“That won’t be necessary,” he said coldly, walking around the stand and finally successfully exiting the bathroom.
Xiao Qiao bit her lip and followed him out, opening the door to let Madam Lin and the others in to clean up. The maidservants efficiently tidied everything and left the room.
Xiao Qiao closed the door and turned to see that he had already laid down on the bed, eyes closed.
She went over, blew out the bedside lamp, and carefully climbed into bed in the dark, taking care not to touch him at all.
She had just lain down when she heard Wei Shao say, “I’m thirsty.”
This, of course, meant he wanted her to bring him water.
So Xiao Qiao got up, again making sure not to touch him, climbed out of bed, lit a lamp, went to the table to pour some tea, and brought it to his bedside.
Wei Shao sat up, took the cup, and drank. Xiao Qiao returned the empty cup to the table, extinguished the lamp again, and carefully made her way back to bed.
She had just lain down and was adjusting her sleeping position when she heard Wei Shao speak again: “Still thirsty.”
Xiao Qiao was suddenly confused. She suspected that she had somehow offended him earlier, and he was now deliberately ordering her around in his drunken state.
If this were in her original future world, she would have kicked him out of bed right then and there, telling him to go drink his fill himself.
But here, a wife serving her husband was considered natural and proper.
Xiao Qiao climbed down again, lit the oil lamp, poured him another cup of water, and brought it to the bedside.
Wei Shao opened his eyes, slowly sat up, took the water, and drank it.
“My lord, do you want more? Shall I pour another cup?” Xiao Qiao asked him.
Wei Shao handed the cup back, looked at her, and raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn’t answer. He simply lay back down.
Xiao Qiao stood by the bed for a moment longer. Seeing that he seemed to have finally fallen asleep this time, she returned the teacup, blew out the lamp once more, and slowly climbed back into bed.
Before blowing out the lamp, she had noted the position of his legs and carefully avoided them as she climbed in. However, just as she got onto the bed, one of his legs suddenly hooked hers. Caught off guard, she lost her balance and fell forward, landing on top of his legs.
Startled, Xiao Qiao felt something hard pressing against her chest and abdomen—it seemed to be his knee. In a panic, she pushed herself up with her hands to get up. But in the darkness, she couldn’t see well and accidentally pressed her hand against his thigh. Before she could retract it, she felt him sit up suddenly. The shadow in front of her shifted as his upper body leaned toward her.
“Was that amusing just now?”
His breath was warm, carrying a strong scent of alcohol, yet his voice felt chilling as it resonated in her ears.