In the moonlight, Daqiao finally broke free from the young man’s grasp on her hand. She lowered her head and turned to leave, but after just two steps, he embraced her waist tightly from behind.
She paused briefly, then broke free once more.
The young man didn’t pursue her further. He stood still, watching her slowly disappearing figure, then gradually sank to his knees. His dark silhouette seemed to freeze in place, motionless.
Xiaoqiao’s heart pounded as she hurried back. The maid was still asleep. Xiaoqiao crept past her into the inner chamber, climbed onto the bed, lifted the covers, and lay down. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard a faint creak from the outer door. Amid soft footsteps, Daqiao returned.
Perhaps due to her unsettled state, Daqiao accidentally caught her foot on the small stool by the maid’s bed as she passed. The stool toppled with a clatter, startling the maid awake. Opening her eyes, the maid saw a shadowy figure nearby and was about to cry out when she recognized Daqiao.
“It’s nothing, go back to sleep. I just went to relieve myself,” Daqiao said nonchalantly. The maid, unsuspicious, hurried to right the stool. Moments later, Xiaoqiao heard the soft rustle of clothes being removed outside the curtain. Then, the curtain parted slightly as Daqiao quietly climbed into bed, lying down with her back to Xiaoqiao.
At first, she lay motionless, as if asleep. But soon, her shoulders began to quiver slightly. In the darkness, Xiaoqiao heard faint, suppressed sobs.
As Xiaoqiao wrestled with indecision, she suddenly heard Daqiao choke back a sob, apparently trying not to wake her. The sound was stifled, but Daqiao’s shoulders shook more violently.
Xiaoqiao slowly opened her eyes and turned to face her cousin’s tightly curled back. Finally making up her mind, she moved closer, gently embracing Daqiao’s soft waist from behind. She whispered in her ear, “Sister, don’t cry. When you went out earlier, I followed you. I saw everything.”
Daqiao’s body stiffened. Quickly, she turned over, urgently saying, “Manman, don’t misunderstand! I just…”
Xiaoqiao covered her mouth, signaling her to be quiet. She then got up, tiptoed to the door to listen, and hearing only the maid’s faint teeth-grinding, returned to light the oil lamp. She turned to look at Daqiao.
Daqiao had slowly sat up, her black hair cascading messily over her shoulders. She clutched the blanket tightly around her waist, her face pale, her eyelids flushed from crying, with traces of tears still on her pink cheeks. She stared at Xiaoqiao, looking utterly pitiful.
Seeing Xiaoqiao place the oil lamp on the bedside stand, Daqiao came to her senses. She hastily grabbed Xiaoqiao’s hand, whispering anxiously, “Manman, I truly had no other intentions. It was so cold outside in the dead of night, and I didn’t want him waiting in the garden. Besides, if someone had seen him, it could have caused trouble. That’s why I went to tell him to leave…”
Her hands were ice-cold and trembling, much like her voice.
Xiaoqiao held Daqiao’s hands and looked at her, saying, “Sister, I saw that man. But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. You like him, don’t you?”
A faint blush slowly spread across Daqiao’s pale cheeks. After a moment’s hesitation, she met Xiaoqiao’s gaze, nodded, and said softly, “His status is low, but he’s a good person, truly very good…”
…
This boy had grown up on the Qiao family’s horse farm. He was quiet and rarely spoke, almost like a mute, but he was strong and healthy, with incredible strength and speed. Moreover, he had a way with horses; even the most unruly stallions became docile in his presence. Eventually, the steward assigned him as a horse attendant for the master’s outings, and that’s how he first appeared in the sight of Lord Qiao’s eldest daughter, Daqiao.
For years, this young, strong, and handsome slave with heterochromia left only one impression on Daqiao: when he knelt to serve as a mounting block for her to get on and off the carriage, it felt much more stable than stepping on other slaves.
Stepping on his shoulders and back, her foot remained as steady as if on solid rock.
Daqiao truly took notice of this slave three years ago, when her fiancé passed away. Although they had never met, it was still a sorrowful event for her. For a while, she often accompanied her mother to burn incense at the Changshou Temple outside the city. One day, on their way back, the horses were spooked and threw off the driver. The carriage, with Daqiao and her mother inside, was dragged wildly, in danger of overturning or falling off the road. In their moment of terror, a sharp whistle pierced the air, followed by someone swiftly catching up to them. The horses gradually slowed down and finally stopped by the roadside.
Still shaken, Daqiao peered out of the carriage window with a pale face. She saw the person who had caught up and calmed the frightened horses standing beside the horse’s head, cradling it and stroking its mane while whispering something she couldn’t understand in a low, gentle voice as if soothing the animal.
The horse finally calmed down completely.
The rest of the entourage arrived at this moment. The steward, enraged, raised his whip to lash the horse, but the slave caught the whip mid-air. The black leather whip was tightly wrapped around his muscular arm, the blue veins beneath his skin bulging prominently, as thick as Daqiao’s little finger.
The steward grew even more furious. As they stood in a stalemate, the slave turned his head and looked at Daqiao, who was watching him, with a pleading gaze.
She still remembers that day—the sky was clear and the breeze gentle. Under the sunlight, his jade-green eye was strangely crystalline.
From that day on, she remembered his name: Bizhi.
…
Daqiao hated her ineloquence, not knowing how to convince her sister, who had suddenly discovered her secret, that Bizhi was good, truly good—at least in her eyes.
Her face flushed red as she stared at Xiaoqiao with wide, anxious eyes.
Xiaoqiao smiled gently and said, “Sister, you don’t need to tell me. I already know he’s good. When he asked you to meet him earlier, he wanted to take you away, didn’t he?”
Daqiao seemed startled. At first, she shook her head, but after a moment, she slowly lowered it. When she looked up again, her expression had become much calmer. She said slowly, “Manman, I won’t go with him. I’ve made that clear to him just now. Don’t worry, I won’t see him again.”
“Sister, let him take you away. Don’t stay here,” Xiaoqiao said.
…
Even if Daqiao were to marry into the Wei family, sacrificing herself would only buy temporary security. In the future, the entire Qiao clan would still face destruction. It would be better to follow Father’s plan and take a risk—perhaps there might be another way out. With Daqiao gone, Uncle would have no options left, and Father’s advice would likely be more readily accepted.
…
Daqiao was stunned. She stared at Xiaoqiao for a moment, then smiled, though with a touch of bitterness. “Silly girl, do you think I’m no longer pure and fear being discovered after marriage? Don’t worry, nothing has happened between us. We’re completely innocent.”
“It’s not because of that,” Xiaoqiao said.
She leaned close to Daqiao’s ear.
“Sister, you must go. The Wei family will agree to the marriage. If you don’t leave, you’ll have to marry him. If you marry like this, your life will be over. Besides, don’t you have someone you love now?”
Daqiao was lost in thought for a moment, then gently shook her head. “That’s even more reason why I can’t leave. If the Wei family agrees to the marriage and I run away, what will happen to our family? Whether it’s good or bad, I am a daughter of the Qiao family. This is my duty to bear.”
Xiaoqiao paused, then took a deep breath and looked up. “Sister, what if I tell you that I want to marry Wei Shao in your place? Would you allow me to?”
Daqiao was stunned again. She stared at Xiaoqiao with wide eyes for a long while before asking in confusion, “Manman… why have you suddenly decided this? Aren’t you and Young Master Liu in love and planning to marry next year? Besides, I’ve heard that Wei Hou is… he’s…”
She hesitated, not daring to voice the evaluations she had heard about Wei Shao’s “cruel nature” and “tyrannical character.”
“Yes, Wei Shao is not a good man,” Xiaoqiao said to her. “But Sister, there are generally two types of marriages for women. The first is like yours, spending a lifetime with the one you love. Even with simple food and plain clothes, your heart is content! But I’m different from you. What I want is not a husband who paints my eyebrows in front of a mirror, but the status and power he can bring.
I used to like Young Master Liu, but now I know he’s not the one I’m after. He’s weak-natured. Even if he successfully inherits the title of King of Langya in the future, given the current state of the world, what significance would the position of Queen of Langya hold? Wei Shao is different. I believe he will be extraordinary in the future. Since our two families are to be joined in marriage, how can I let such an opportunity pass?”
Daqiao stared at her sister, who suddenly seemed like a different person, in confusion. After a long moment, she stammered, “Manman, is this truly what you think? It’s not just to help me?”
“Sister, it’s I who should be asking you to help me!” Xiaoqiao’s tone was resolute.
Daqiao was stunned for a while. Finally, a glimmer of hope that she hadn’t felt in a long time appeared in her eyes. Still uncertain, she looked at Xiaoqiao hesitantly and murmured, “Is it okay? Can I leave everything behind and go? Will Father blame me? Will Mother be heartbroken…”
“Sister!” Xiaoqiao gripped her hands tightly. “After you leave, I will fulfill your filial duties to our parents in your stead. In time, your Uncle and Aunt will surely understand you. Besides, think about it—if you just marry like this, what will happen to him?”
Daqiao’s face turned pale, but her cheeks flushed red. She closed her eyes and murmured, “Let me think about it… let me think a bit more…”
“Sister, I won’t push you. Take your time to think it over.”
Xiaoqiao helped her lie down, tucked her in, blew out the lamp, and lay down beside her. After a while, she slowly said, “Sister, remember how I used to have nightmares? I didn’t tell you, but I once had a dream about you and that horse attendant. In the dream, you married someone else and died young, leaving only a lonely grave in this world. He lived alone. Do you know what he did in the end? He found your grave, dug you up, and took you away with him…”
“Stop… please stop…” Daqiao murmured, tears silently falling down her cheeks and soaking into the pillow.
…
Three days later, Madam Ding took the Qiao sisters to Changshou Temple again to burn incense and make wishes. After burning incense and adding oil to the lamps, feeling tired from the long journey, she went to the back chambers to rest as usual. She noticed that her daughter Daqiao seemed different from usual, looking pensive and hesitant, constantly holding her hand tightly, and even sitting by her side as she lay down.
Madam Ding didn’t think much of it, assuming her daughter was worried about the marriage alliance with the Wei family. She stroked Daqiao’s hand and smiled, saying, “My child, I just made a wish before the Buddha. Even if it costs me years of my life, I will gladly accept it as long as you can have a happy marriage in the future. I believe Buddha will surely grant this wish, so don’t worry anymore.”
Daqiao held back her sadness at the impending separation and held her mother’s hand, reluctant to let go for a long time.
…
Behind Changshou Temple, there was a quiet mountain path created by local woodcutters who used it daily to climb up and down the mountain to chop firewood.
Daqiao, having changed out of her fine clothes into coarse cloth garments, walked side by side with the man along the mountain path. As they walked some distance and their figures were about to be swallowed by the shadows of the trees lining the path, the young man with one green eye suddenly stopped, turned back, and quickly approached Xiaoqiao. He knelt before her and performed a deep bow.
“Young Miss, if you ever need anything in this life, I will serve you with all my might!” he said, enunciating each word.
This was the first time Xiaoqiao had heard him speak. His voice was rich and steady, instinctively inspiring trust.
After completing his deep bow, he stood up and quickly walked back to Daqiao, who kept looking back. Their figures soon disappeared from Xiaoqiao’s sight.
“…Once dreamed of Huaxu and Doushuo, the world’s finest pavilion…”
As Xiaoqiao slowly made her way back to Changshou Temple, she suddenly heard faint singing from deep in the forest. The voice was deep and far-reaching, seeming to carry a touch of otherworldly charm.