Qiao Ci finished paying his respects to Madam Xu and Lady Zhu. Little Qiao also expressed her gratitude to them and Wei Yan before leading her younger brother to her western chamber.
Chun Niang had been eagerly waiting halfway, and upon seeing Qiao Ci and Little Qiao approaching side by side, she went to greet them with a smile, deliberately asking, “Young Master, do you remember this servant?”
In their time in East Commandery, Little Qiao had only spent about two years with Chun Niang, while Qiao Ci had truly grown up under her care since childhood. Although the head of the Qiao family was mediocre and incompetent, they had one quality that other noble families could hardly match – they were always kind to the people under their rule and the servants in their household. Qiao Ci was the same, having a good relationship with Chun Niang. Upon seeing her, he went up and said, “Chun Niang looks even younger than before. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Chun Niang knew the young master was just teasing her to make her happy, but she was genuinely delighted by his words. She happily welcomed him, chatting casually as they made their way back to the western chamber. Little Qiao inquired about the health of their father, uncle, and aunt. Qiao Ci replied, “Father is in good health. Before I left, he specifically instructed me to tell you, Elder Sister, not to worry and to take good care of yourself here. As for Uncle, he fell ill with worry when Xue Tai came to attack some time ago. But after Xue Tai retreated, he recovered after a few days of rest. Aunt is doing well as usual.”
Little Qiao felt relieved upon hearing that her father was in good health.
Chun Niang stayed to chat for a moment, but realizing the siblings might have private matters to discuss, she excused herself, leaving Qiao Ci and Little Qiao alone.
…
The Wei family, whether it was Grandmother or Elder Sister’s mother-in-law, had been so courteous, not to mention Cousin Wei’s attentive reception, which was simply impeccable. It seemed that Elder Sister’s accidental marriage here had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and she was living quite well. As long as Elder Sister was doing well, it was even more important than his well-being. Qiao Ci, pleasantly surprised by this unexpected joy, was in high spirits. As soon as Chun Niang left, he eagerly asked, “Elder Sister, when will my brother-in-law return? I’ll go to the outskirts of the city to welcome him!”
Little Qiao recalled the brief conversation she had with Wei Shao the night before he left when he mentioned he would be going to Zhuo Commandery the next day.
Little Qiao didn’t think Wei Shao had gone to Zhuo Commandery specifically to avoid welcoming her brother and the visitors from Yanzhou.
Although she couldn’t claim to understand him deeply at this point, she felt that given Wei Shao’s status and his self-assured personality, if he truly didn’t want to receive guests, he would simply ignore them. He didn’t need to resort to avoidance tactics.
Perhaps he did need to go there at this time.
But then again, even if it was a coincidence, during these days, Wei Shao’s attitude towards Qiao Ci’s arrival gave her the impression of indifference and passivity. It felt like he had a “whatever Grandmother decides is fine, it’s none of my business” attitude.
If he had maintained the initial cold and disgusted attitude towards her, she wouldn’t have cared.
But now, they had done everything intimate. Judging by his behavior, he seemed quite infatuated with her. Just before he said those words in the study, he had forcibly made her sit on his lap so he could caress and kiss her.
This was also why she felt a bit upset when she learned he was leaving at this time, without any intention of explaining or at least comforting her.
No matter how open-minded and understanding she tried to be, she couldn’t help feeling a bit hurt.
Of course, she wouldn’t expect Wei Shao to suddenly like her family just because they had become intimate. After all, the enmity between their fathers was irreconcilable.
But still, she felt somewhat disappointed.
To put it bluntly, she felt like she was just a plaything for Wei Shao, her nominal husband. Like she was serving him with her beauty. Now that he was indulging in the novelty, he was showing her some favor, but who knew what would happen in the future?
Seeing her brother so excited upon his arrival, fearing he might think Wei Shao was similar to Wei Yan, she said, “Your brother-in-law is mature and steady, always serious, and quite different from Lord Wei. He’s also solitary and doesn’t like to socialize much. When you meet him, make sure to maintain the necessary etiquette. There’s no need to be overly friendly, lest he misunderstands it as disrespect and forms a poor impression of you.”
Qiao Ci was taken aback. He looked at his elder sister, seeing her serious expression, realizing she wasn’t joking. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded, “I’ll remember that.”
Only then did Little Qiao smile, pulling him to sit down and asking about his daily life. Qiao Ci answered everything, then hesitated before suddenly asking, “Elder Sister, do you have any news of our elder cousin sister?”
Little Qiao shook her head.
“I encountered the green-eyed horse servant Bi Zhi earlier!”
Little Qiao was startled.
Qiao Ci recounted the events outside Juye City, where their father led fifty thousand Yanzhou troops to face Xue Tai’s invading army in a life-or-death battle. He described how he went out to fight, first killing Xue Tai’s son, then battling two of Xue Tai’s subordinates, and how he was saved in a critical moment by a mysterious stranger who suddenly appeared.
“Elder Sister, when he sent me back to Father, I was standing on the ground and saw his face. It was the horse servant Bi Zhi who disappeared with our elder cousin’s sister from our home before. As soon as the battle ended, I focused on him and desperately chased after him. He stopped and said he and his elder cousin’s sister were now husband and wife! From his tone, it seemed as if the elder cousin’s sister had willingly left with him! Elder Sister, you’ve always been close to elder cousin sister, did you not know anything about this beforehand?”
Little Qiao had only known that her father had led troops to repel Xue Tai outside Juye City and that Xue Tai later retreated to save himself upon hearing that his main camp was under attack by Yang Xin. She was unaware of these intervening events. After listening, she was both surprised and delighted.
Previously, there had been no news of Bi Zhi and Da Qiao. In chaotic times, humans fare worse than dogs in peaceful times. Although she knew Bi Zhi should be able to protect Da Qiao well, she still worried and thought about them from time to time. Now, suddenly hearing this news from her brother, it at least indicated that the two of them had likely settled down somewhere. Bi Zhi must have learned of Yanzhou’s troubles and secretly returned to help.
Little Qiao met her brother’s confused gaze and said, “I did know. Not only did I know, but I also helped them escape.”
Qiao Ci was shocked, staring at Little Qiao speechlessly.
Little Qiao said, “I know you don’t understand. You’ll know in the future. Sister wants you to remember that Bi Zhi is not simply our family’s former horse servant. He is extremely capable, and in these chaotic times, if given the opportunity, he might even become a ruler of a region in the future. The elder cousin’s sister married him out of mutual love; they are a perfect match. I’m telling you this because I trust you. Perhaps in the future, the lives and fortunes of Yanzhou and our entire Qiao family might need his help. Keep this in mind. However, when you go back, don’t let Uncle and the others know about this yet, understand?”
Qiao Ci had always obeyed Little Qiao. Although he was still in shock and unable to recover, seeing his sister’s serious expression as she spoke, he nodded and murmured, “I’ll remember.”
Little Qiao continued, “This time, when Xue Tai attacked Yanzhou, Yanzhou was saved thanks to the grace of others. If our Qiao family continues like this, today Xue Tai may leave, but tomorrow there will be Wang Tai or Li Tai. If the Qiao family doesn’t strengthen itself and always relies on others, how can we survive?”
Qiao Ci looked ashamed, “Sister is right. It was because of Zhou Qun’s attack on Rencheng that our family’s men proved incompetent, forcing you to marry far away to this place. It’s been barely half a year, and we’re facing Xue Tai’s attack, living in constant fear and unrest! If our Qiao family doesn’t establish itself, Yanzhou will eventually fall into the hands of others!”
Losing Yanzhou would be bad enough, but the fear was that in the end, not a single person would be left.
Little Qiao gazed at her brother, her tone softening, “Sister knows that you want to revitalize the family business, but you’re only fifteen now. Even if you have the heart, you lack the power to take sole charge. We can’t count on Uncle anymore. Now we can only hope that Father will exert himself. If Father can become the pillar of the Qiao family, and in a couple of years with your help, leveraging our family’s popularity in Yanzhou, with these three forces combined, how can we not revitalize our family business?”
Qiao Ci was excited by Little Qiao’s description, his face flushing red, “Don’t worry, Sister! I’ll go back and strongly persuade Father to stop blindly following Uncle! If we keep listening to Uncle, our Qiao family will be finished sooner or later!”
Little Qiao smiled, “If you dare to be so rash, Father won’t listen to you, but will beat you instead. There’s no need for you to persuade him. Before you go back, I’ll give you a letter for you to pass on to Father. With Yanzhou facing repeated disasters, I expect Father won’t be content to rely on others or sit idly by waiting for destruction.”
Qiao Ci felt embarrassed by Little Qiao’s words. He scratched his head and agreed. After chatting for a while longer, Qiao Ci remembered something and said happily, “Sister, Cousin Wei said he’d take me out for a horseback ride later. Can I go?”
Little Qiao didn’t want Qiao Ci to get too close to Wei Yan. However, earlier in the north room, Madam Xu had personally said that Wei Yan would host and accompany the guest. If she didn’t allow it, it would seem inappropriate. Moreover, her brother was now looking at her expectantly. After a slight hesitation, she nodded.
Qiao Ci became excited.
“However, everything has its limits. Even if he’s friendly and easygoing, that’s because he’s being courteous to you as a host. You should maintain proper etiquette and decorum. Don’t get too familiar with people, understand?”
Qiao Ci readily agreed.
Little Qiao looked at her brother’s excited appearance, still very much a child, and couldn’t help but smile and shake her head.
Qiao Ci had lunch with Little Qiao. Madam Xu sent over a food box of delicacies. After the siblings finished their meal and rested for a while, a servant came to inform them that Wei Yan had arrived.
Little Qiao escorted Qiao Ci to the main gate.
Wei Yan was dressed in hunting attire, accompanied by more than a dozen similarly dressed attendants. They were all in fine clothes and on spirited horses, exuding an air of wealth and nobility. Seeing Little Qiao leading Qiao Ci out, Wei Yan came forward, quickly ascending the steps, and said to Little Qiao, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to take good care of your brother and return before dark.”
Little Qiao thanked him and watched as Qiao Ci mounted his horse and rode off with Wei Yan toward the outskirts of the city. The shouts of the group gradually faded away.
…
As promised, Qiao Ci returned before dark. The next day, he went hunting with Wei Yan again. They arrived at the Yushan hunting grounds and had a bountiful harvest, catching two roe deer and countless pheasants and hares. As the day passed and the sun began to set in the west, Wei Yan was about to call for the group to return to the city when he suddenly saw a startled adult deer emerge from the dense forest ahead. It was large and its belly was swollen, appearing to be a pregnant doe.
He immediately drew his bow and shot an arrow, hitting one of the running doe’s hind legs. The doe let out a painful cry and tumbled to the ground, then got up and limped away, dragging its bleeding leg but still desperately trying to escape. The attendants rushed to catch the doe. Wei Yan dismounted, took out a leather pouch, and pulled a dagger from his boot. He was about to cut the doe’s throat to collect its blood in the pouch when Qiao Ci, who was nearby, saw the doe’s pitiful cries and felt compassion. He said, “Cousin Wei, could we let this creature go?”
Wei Yan looked up at him.
Qiao Ci saw that many attendants were also looking at him with surprised expressions. His face turned red with embarrassment as he stammered, “My elder sister once taught me that when hunting, if we encounter a pregnant animal, we shouldn’t harm it. I see this doe’s belly is so swollen, it must be near its time…”
As a young man, saying such things was truly embarrassing, so he stopped halfway through.
Wei Yan was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. He immediately put away his dagger and tossed aside the leather pouch. He ordered his men to remove the arrow from the deer’s leg, apply medicine to the wound, and release it. Then he patted the blushing Qiao Ci on the shoulder and said with a smile, “Your elder sister’s words are right. I’ll remember this in the future.”
Qiao Ci had been worried that Wei Yan would mock him, but he didn’t expect such a quick and positive response. He immediately felt relieved and grew even fonder of Wei Yan, quickly expressing his gratitude.
…
As the group returned from Yushan, riding towards the city, a team of about a dozen horsemen appeared in the distance on a road to the west, approaching under the setting sun. They were also heading towards the city, and the two groups gradually converged at a crossroads.
The attendants following Wei Yan had already recognized that this group of horsemen approaching in the sunset was none other than Lord Wei Shao, who had gone to Zhuo Commandery three days ago.
The attendants quickly stopped their horses by the roadside, dismounted, and knelt to welcome him.
Wei Yan slowly reined in his horse but didn’t dismount. He just sat on his horse, watching as Wei Shao approached.
Qiao Ci didn’t recognize Wei Shao, so he naturally didn’t dismount either. He just followed Wei Yan’s lead and stopped his horse, watching the group of horsemen galloping towards them. He saw that the man in the lead was very young, with handsome features and a resolute expression. His eyes were fixed straight ahead as the evening breeze fluttered his robes. In the blink of an eye, he had galloped up close.