Yesterday, they had returned victorious from Boling, having decisively defeated the invading forces of Chen Xiang, another major warlord from Bingzhou in the north. Tonight, it was the lord’s wedding. In the barracks, sheep and pigs were slaughtered, and wine was exceptionally served, both as a reward and as celebratory drinks bestowed by the lord.
Since Wei Shao had personally taken command of the army at seventeen, whenever they were encamped, he would eat from the same pot and sleep in the same tent as his soldiers. When capturing cities and territories, he would always lead from the front, being the first in every battle. However, his military discipline was also extremely strict, with orders strictly enforced. The soldiers both respected and feared him, rarely having the opportunity to drink freely. Tonight, with double the joy, bonfires blazed in the camps outside the city, and loud singing could be heard everywhere. As the drinking reached its peak, suddenly cheers erupted from the front. Soldiers rushed over to see and found that Wei Shao had left the city and come to the military camp to personally thank the warriors who had fought bravely to recapture Boling.
On his wedding night, the lord had not forgotten to come out of the city to comfort his troops. The entire camp immediately erupted in excitement. Soldiers surrounded him, eagerly offering toasts and congratulations on his marriage. Wei Shao, with a beaming smile and an air of boldness, accepted all comers. It was only when Wei Liang, who had accompanied him, feared he might become too drunk to consummate the marriage, that he repeatedly intervened on his behalf. Finally, Wei Shao was able to extricate himself and return to the city, but by then, the night had already grown deep.
…
After the ceremony, the bride was first led to the bridal chamber set up in Wei Shao’s usual residence, the Sheyang Pavilion. After Xiao Qiao was helped out of her wedding attire, she asked Chunniang and the other maids to leave first. The maids filed out one by one, leaving only Chunniang still standing there, reluctant to leave.
Chunniang’s husband had been a soldier in the Qiao family. She had given birth to a daughter at twenty, but before her confinement period was over, her husband unfortunately died in battle. Her in-laws then refused to keep her and wanted to remarry her for money. Later, hearing that the governor’s mansion had just received a new young lady and was looking for a suitable wet nurse, they thought that if she could be chosen, the money earned would surely be more than selling off a daughter-in-law. So they sought connections to get her in. Chunniang was of good appearance and healthy. Xiao Qiao’s mother inquired and found that she was usually well-behaved and honest. Having lost her husband, her in-laws wanted to sell her off. Feeling sympathetic, and considering that her husband had died fighting for the Qiao family, she disregarded the taboos and, after having a shaman purify her, made her Xiao Qiao’s wet nurse. Grateful for this kindness, Chunniang devoted herself to raising Xiao Qiao, and time flew by. Now that Xiao Qiao was marrying far away, she naturally couldn’t bear to part and had accompanied her here.
At this moment of the wedding night, which should have been a joyous and beautiful occasion, there seemed to be something missing to make it perfect. Chunniang thought of the glimpse she had caught of Wei Shao earlier – tall, strong, and powerful, clearly a man accustomed to bloodshed. The governor’s daughter, on the other hand, was delicate and frail. Her thigh was probably not even as thick as his outstretched arm. Moreover, she had just come of age. Chunniang feared Wei Shao might be violent, and if he treated her roughly, she might suffer. This made her even more reluctant to leave.
Though a servant, Chunniang was like half a mother to Xiao Qiao. Seeing her looking at her with worry, wanting to speak but hesitating, Xiao Qiao instead went to comfort her.
Chunniang forced a joyful expression and leaned in to whisper in Xiao Qiao’s ear, repeatedly instructing her that when Lord Wei entered the room to consummate the marriage, she should not forget to serve him with a delicate and weak demeanor to evoke his pity and love. She said that when men feel pity and love, they naturally become gentle in their treatment.
“You must not try to be strong. Remember, remember!” she emphasized.
Hearing her repeated instructions, Xiao Qiao finally understood why she had been so reluctant to leave earlier. Although she had lived two lives, her experience in this area was still lacking. After listening, she couldn’t help but blush slightly, nodding haphazardly in agreement.
Only then did Chunniang release her hand and leave the bridal chamber, looking back repeatedly as she went.
…
Finally, only Xiao Qiao was left in the room, waiting for the arrival of the groom, Wei Shao.
This was a square and spacious bedroom. At the entrance stood a six-panel folding screen, taller than a person, with a black front and red back, painted with cloud and dragon patterns. It divided the bedroom into inner and outer sections. Beside the screen was placed a large bed, covered with brand new crimson bedding, pillows neatly arranged. On one side of the bed hung two jade discs with grain patterns, serving both as decoration and to ward off evil spirits in the bridal chamber. Opposite was a long, low couch for sitting, covered with cushions, with a small table in the middle. The rest of the furniture – cabinets, chests, and wardrobes – were placed against the walls. On the lampstand burned a pair of red candles as thick as a child’s arm. Besides these, there were no other decorations in the room.
After surveying the room, Xiao Qiao stood in the middle, staring blankly at the red candles.
Perhaps influenced by Chunniang’s earlier instructions, as she stood there, Xiao Qiao, who initially hadn’t felt much, gradually began to feel nervous.
In her previous life, Xiao Qiao had secretly met with her cousin Da Qiao for the last time many years later. By then, Wei Shao was close to declaring himself emperor. He had a woman by his side who was said to be much favored. Although Da Qiao was nominally his wife, he ignored her completely, having long since left her to fend for herself.
It was during that meeting that Xiao Qiao learned that from the first day Da Qiao married him, he had never laid a finger on her.
Although Da Qiao was not as stunningly beautiful as Xiao Qiao, she was still delicately pretty. The fact that he hadn’t touched such a beautiful woman who had become his wife showed the extent of his hatred for the Qiao family. To hate to such an extent, yet still agree to the marriage alliance and wed a Qiao daughter, demonstrated a depth of scheming and ability to endure that was beyond ordinary people.
It was with this preconceived notion that Xiao Qiao thought Wei Shao wouldn’t touch her tonight either. But as long as it hadn’t happened, there was always uncertainty about everything.
What if?
If he were to consummate the marriage normally, given his build and weight, if he sat down too heavily, he might crush her to the point of coughing blood. If he was in a bad mood – which was highly likely – and became bestial, her body, which in the eyes of people of this time was already of marriageable age but in reality would barely be fifteen sui in two days, probably couldn’t withstand it.
She also couldn’t imagine herself following Chunniang’s instructions to use gentleness to overcome strength while doing that kind of thing under him. In her previous life, Xiao Qiao had been married to Liu Yan, but, although she couldn’t be said to be completely ignorant, she hadn’t had the chance to accumulate any practical experience in this area before becoming the current Xiao Qiao.
The more Xiao Qiao thought about it, the more uncertain she felt. Finally, she composed herself and continued to sit on the low couch opposite the large bed, lost in thought.
…
When she first came here, she was very unaccustomed to the sitting postures of people of this time. High-legged chairs and stools were still only found in the tribes of the northern Hu people, and sitting with raised legs was considered crude and disrespectful. Whenever she sat down in front of others, she could only maintain two postures. One was to sit with her buttocks resting on her heels, which was a relatively relaxed daily sitting posture. The other was to raise her buttocks, and straighten her upper body, called long kneeling or ji sitting, which was a posture of respect used when preparing to stand up or receive guests.
Xiao Qiao couldn’t maintain either posture for long, let alone sit for an hour without moving like Chunniang did when sewing and embroidering. Back at home, as long as there were no outsiders around, despite the risk of being scolded by Chunniang for being unladylike, she would often sit with her legs stretched out straight to relax them. So even now, she still hadn’t learned the skill of kneeling for long periods.
Xiao Qiao sat formally on the couch for a long time, but still, there was no sign of Wei Shao’s return. Outside was completely silent, with no sound to be heard. So she stretched out her legs, pulled over a backrest from the side, relaxed her limbs, and half-lay, half-reclined on the couch.
Outside it was cold, but inside the room, the brazier was burning brightly, making it warm and cozy. A faint scent of incense wafted through the air. She hadn’t slept well the night before and had been busy all day today. Gradually, Xiao Qiao began to feel drowsy. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard a noise.
Someone had arrived. Then she heard a maid outside call out, “The lord has returned.”
“Lord” was the respectful term used by servants and concubines for the male master of the house, corresponding to “Lady” for the mistress.
Xiao Qiao’s drowsiness immediately vanished. She rubbed her eyes and quickly scrambled up from the couch. Just as she had resumed a kneeling posture, she heard the sound of the door being pushed open. Raising her head, she saw a tall figure sway behind the screen, as if unsteady on his feet, stumbling slightly.
Xiao Qiao was startled and quickly straightened up, preparing to get off the couch to see what was happening. But the figure had already steadied himself, turned around the screen, and appeared before her.
It was indeed Wei Shao.
He seemed to have drunk quite a bit of wine. His face, usually with stern lines, now showed a slight flush. Upon entering, he walked straight in, removed the crown that bound his hair, and casually tossed it onto the mirror stand with a clatter. Without even glancing at Xiao Qiao, who was still kneeling upright on the couch opposite, he turned towards the large bed. Reaching it, he lifted the bed curtain with one hand, causing the jade discs to collide and emit a clear, melodious sound.
Then came two “thud” sounds as his boots hit the floor, and the room fell silent.
…
Seeing him go straight to bed, seemingly falling asleep in an instant, Xiao Qiao’s previously tense back finally relaxed.
She let out a sigh, her eyes fixed on Wei Shao on the bed, slowly resuming her kneeling posture.
He must have fallen asleep. Or he was drunk.
After a long while, Xiao Qiao slowly stretched out her legs again, clenched her fists, and gently pounded her sore and swollen legs, returning to her previous half-reclining position.
And so, with one lying on the bed and the other on the couch, they coexisted peacefully.
The air in the room, besides the original incense, was now mixed with the smell of alcohol emanating from Wei Shao. After a while, she no longer noticed it, but her head felt a bit dizzy from the fumes.
The night was already very deep. Xiao Qiao sat reclined on the couch, sometimes drowsing off hazily, sometimes suddenly becoming alert, opening her eyes wide to see Wei Shao still lying on the high bed as before, then relaxing again and dozing off once more. This cycle repeated several times. The last time she woke up, it was because of the cold.
Outside the window, it was still pitch black. Judging by the length of the wedding candles left burning on the candlestick, it should be around the fourth watch of the night. The charcoal in the brazier had almost turned to white ash, giving off only a faint warmth. As the room cooled, the chill from outside seeped in.
Xiao Qiao felt cold all over. She hugged herself, rubbing her arms which had developed a layer of fine goosebumps. Estimating that it would still be quite a while before dawn, she stared at Wei Shao on the bed. Seeing that he hadn’t moved for a long time, she hesitated for a moment, then finally got up and tiptoed towards the bed.
According to the customs of the noble class at that time, regardless of whether the husband and wife slept together, there were always two sets of bedding placed on the bed.
Wei Shao was lying only on the outer side of the bed’s edge and hadn’t covered himself. Both sets of bedding were neatly folded on the inner side of the bed.
Xiao Qiao made almost no sound as she finally reached the foot of the bed, stopping at the position in front of Wei Shao’s feet.
She quietly glanced at him.
He was lying on his back, and because of his tall stature and long legs, he occupied most of the bed. The wine-induced flush that had appeared on his face when he first came in earlier in the night had now faded. Perhaps due to the dim light not reaching the corner of the bed, his complexion appeared unusually peaceful. His thick, dark eyebrows stood out even more prominently. His eyes were closed, and he was still sleeping deeply.
Xiao Qiao held her breath and leaned forward as slowly as possible. Her body passed over his legs as she reached out a hand, trying to pull out the bedding closest to her. Suddenly, Wei Shao seemed to awaken without warning. He opened his eyes, and then there was a “shing” sound of a sword being unsheathed. Before she could understand what was happening, Wei Shao quickly drew a long sword from under his pillow. He flipped off the bed, and she felt a chill by her ear as the tip of the sword pressed tightly against the side of her throat.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Qiao froze instantly.
She could feel the cold of the sword’s edge against the skin of her neck. It was completely different from the chill in the air.
She could even smell a faint sweet scent of rust.
She knew this was the smell of blood.
She slowly turned her head and met his eyes.
His eyes still had faint red bloodshot lines, revealing a hint of killing intent.
“I was cold and merely wanted to get a blanket. I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said in a voice that sounded calm.
But she was certain that she hadn’t touched him at all.
Wei Shao stared at her for a few seconds, then turned his head to look around the room decorated in crimson red, as if suddenly realizing something. He closed his eyes briefly, raised his other hand to rub his forehead, and finally, the killing aura that had emanated from him dissipated.
He slowly lowered the sword.