Wei Shao initially dragged Xiao Qiao along, but seeing her uncooperative, with her fists pounding on his body and her feet stubbornly resisting, he grew increasingly irritated. Finally, he simply hoisted her under his arm, ignoring her struggles and punches as he strode towards the door. At the carriage, under Jia Si’s wide-eyed stare, he tossed her inside and slammed the door shut with a “bang.”
The carriage was lined with thick fur cushions, so when Xiao Qiao was thrown in, she rolled but didn’t feel pain, just dishevelment. As she sat up catching her breath, she realized one of her shoes was missing, leaving her with one bare foot.
Suddenly the door opened again, and Wei Shao reappeared, tossing a shoe with a “whoosh” before slamming the door shut once more.
Xiao Qiao heard him exchange a few quiet words with Jia Si, then the carriage began to move forward. After traveling at a steady pace for a while, she heard voices outside, seemingly at the west city gate. She got up and peeked out the window, seeing two guards opening the gate in the torchlight.
Once through the gate, the carriage sped up, leaving the pitch-black wilderness along the road and Yuyang City far behind.
They traveled through the night and all the next day, only stopping briefly at a relay station for a short rest before continuing. Late into another night, they finally arrived at Zhuojun and stopped. They were to spend the night here.
Xiao Qiao was truly angry, having once again been plucked from her bed in the middle of the night like a toy and tossed into a carriage. She resented having absolutely no say in the matter when it came to him. Now that she was already in the carriage and had traveled so far, what could she do? Making a fuss would only bring her more humiliation. Feeling dejected, and having sat in the carriage for so long with barely any stops, she felt dizzy when she got out. In the deep night, surrounded by darkness, without a word, she followed Wei Shao into the relay station.
Zhuojun was a large commandery, so the relay station was well-appointed. Not only did the room have an attached bathroom, but when the station manager learned that the Lord had returned unexpectedly with his Lady, he immediately replaced the large wooden bathtub with a brand new, fragrant one, filled with hot water for the Lord and Lady to relax and refresh themselves.
Xiao Qiao had spent almost two full days and nights in the carriage. The early spring weather in the north was dry and cold, with dust flying on the roads. Although the carriage was enclosed, the interior inevitably collected dust. Xiao Qiao felt grimy, so the sight of a large tub of hot water to wash in was the only comfort she’d had in these two days of travel. She removed her clothes and got into the tub.
Shortly after, a figure appeared at the bathroom door. Wei Shao had followed her in. He quickly removed his clothes and stepped into the tub, sitting opposite her.
As soon as his body entered the water, it overflowed, splashing over the sides of the tub. The space inside suddenly became crowded.
Xiao Qiao felt a hairy leg brush against her calf under the water. She pulled back, tucking her legs against her chest, and lowered her head to focus on washing herself, wanting to finish quickly and get out to leave the space for him.
Whether intentional or not, that hairy leg extended towards her again under the water. This time, it pressed against the skin of her thigh.
Xiao Qiao raised her head and looked at Wei Shao across from her.
He moved his shoulders, leaning closer to her through the water. He raised a wet hand and slowly cupped her chin, saying softly, “If you behave well, I’ll naturally treat you well too.”
This was the first thing he had said to her in the two days since he had tossed her into the carriage in the middle of the night.
Xiao Qiao met his gaze for a moment, then slowly curved her lips into a smile and said, “I understand. Does my husband have any other instructions?”
Wei Shao’s gaze slowly moved down from her misty eyes, past her lips, porcelain neck, and fragrant shoulders, finally settling on the half of her chest visible above the water, its increasingly full curves outlined by the water’s surface. His Adam’s apple bobbed, but he didn’t speak.
Xiao Qiao waited for a while, then turned her head, freeing herself from his hand. She grabbed the edge of the tub and climbed out of the water, quickly covering herself with clothes as she left the bathroom.
She finished tidying herself and lay down on the bed. It was quite some time before Wei Shao came out, looking somewhat disgruntled.
That night, they slept in the same bed. He didn’t touch her, just as he hadn’t during their cold war at home.
The next morning, when Xiao Qiao woke up, unfamiliar maids came in carrying a complete set of brocade garments to help her wash and dress.
After two days of dishevelment, Xiao Qiao could finally wear proper clothes again, thanks to Wei Shao’s great kindness and virtue.
After she finished her toilette, servants brought in a dining table. Wei Shao entered as well.
He didn’t speak, and neither did she. They sat facing each other, staring at one another as they ate breakfast.
After the dining table was taken away, Wei Shao finally spoke: “I’m heading to Jinyang today. You’ll stay here at the relay station until Chun Niang arrives, then you can set out. There’s no need to rush, take your time coming. I’ve asked Jia Si to lead five hundred soldiers to escort you.”
Xiao Qiao said, “Thank you for your thorough arrangements, husband.”
Wei Shao saw that she didn’t even raise her eyes to look at him. Remembering how she had refused to bathe with him last night, he abruptly stood up. He was about to leave but finally held back, turning to add, “It’s not that I don’t want to travel with you. There’s been some trouble in Jinyang that I need to attend to. I also don’t want you to have an exhausting journey, so I’m leaving General Jia with five hundred elite soldiers to escort you. Don’t worry, your journey will be safe.”
Xiao Qiao said, “Important matters come first. Husband should go ahead.”
Wei Shao suppressed the churning anger in his chest and turned to leave.
…
As promised, Wei Shao left Zhuojun early in the morning, leaving Xiao Qiao at the relay station. The Commandery Governor’s wife came to visit Xiao Qiao during the day, keeping her company. By evening, Chun Niang and two maids had finally caught up in a carriage, joining Xiao Qiao. After spending another night at the relay station, the next day, Xiao Qiao switched to a comfortable large carriage that could easily accommodate ten people inside. Under the escort of Jia Si and five hundred soldiers, they set out for Jinyang.
The vast area from Youzhou to Jinyang now all belonged to Wei Shao, so their journey was smooth and unobstructed. They passed through Dai Commandery, entered Pingcheng, went through Yanmen Commandery, and then entered Bingzhou. Xiao Qiao didn’t rush the journey, traveling by day and resting at night. At this leisurely pace, it took about twenty-five or twenty-six days. By early March, they finally approached Jinyang City.
The day Xiao Qiao arrived at the ancient city of Jinyang, the weather was beautiful. The breeze carried the scent of spring.
Although her journey had been unhurried, they had still been on the road every day, inevitably facing bumps and jolts. After nearly a month, she was thoroughly exhausted and increasingly eager to reach their destination.
Today, they would finally enter the city. Sitting in the carriage with Chun Niang, she opened the window to gaze at the countryside outside, which was beginning to show new green growth. Her mood gradually lifted as they smoothly crossed the moat and passed through the city gate.
The carriage traversed the orderly streets and brought her to an imposing mansion located in the northern part of the city, where it came to a stop.
This was the Jinyang government office, Wei Shao’s residence since his arrival.
The steward, having learned of the Lady’s arrival today, had been waiting outside with servants. Seeing a beautiful young woman alight from the carriage, he knew it was the Marquis of Yan’s wife and welcomed her in.
Upon entering, Xiao Qiao learned that Wei Shao was not in Jinyang City, but had gone to Xihe Commandery.
“The Lord left the city five or six days ago. He should be returning in the next couple of days,” the steward explained, fearing the Lady might be disappointed at not seeing the Lord upon her arrival.
Xiao Qiao nodded with a smile. That day, she busied herself with settling in. After bathing in the evening, she retired early. She slept well that night and woke naturally the next morning, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, all the fatigue from the journey dissipated.
With Wei Shao absent and Xiao Qiao newly arrived, there wasn’t much to do. For the first few days, she ate, slept, wandered around the mansion, and daydreamed, and the days passed.
After a couple of days, Chun Niang mentioned that when they entered the city, she had noticed a shop selling fine lambskins. She thought it would be good to buy a few to make knee protectors for winter, fearing they might be put away as the weather warmed. She suggested going to select some today.
Xiao Qiao, having nothing else to do, changed into ordinary clothes, put on a veil, and set out with Chun Niang.
The steward, knowing that the area of the city where the Lady was heading was inhabited by commoners in the south, feared for her safety and personally led the way as an escort.
Xiao Qiao rode in a carriage out of the mansion, but as they approached the market, she alighted to walk. They strolled, found the stall selling lambskins that Chun Niang had seen, selected four or five pieces, paid for them, and put them away. They continued to wander back, picking up some miscellaneous items along the way. As they were about to leave, they suddenly noticed a crowd gathered by the roadside.
A middle-aged man was beating a copper gong and shouting to attract customers. It turned out to be a slave-selling stall. The people being sold were both men and women. The men had loose hair, and the women had their hair tied up. They were all Qiang people captured from who knows where.
They were all disheveled, with their hands bound. Their clothes were in tatters, and several women were barely covered, exposing chests and bellies marked with gray-black streaks of dirt. They were surrounded by onlookers who pointed and stared, their gazes full of lewdness. The Qiang women, however, remained expressionless, like clay or wooden statues, showing no reaction.
Jinyang was the administrative center of Taiyuan Commandery. It had once been the capital of the State of Zhao and was a famous northern metropolis along with Fanyang, Yuyang, and Xindu. Besides the Han people, there were also mixed communities of Qiang and Hu people who had been assimilated since their ancestors’ time.
The Qiang people had always been known for their hardiness and endurance. Even in childbirth, their women didn’t avoid wind or snow, known for their strength and bravery. They considered dying in battle auspicious and dying of illness inauspicious, they truly a brave and vigorous people. However, over the past hundred years, they had been in constant conflict with the Han dynasty. Now, these assimilated Qiang and Hu people held a low status, mostly reduced to slaves or dependents. Especially during Chen Xiang’s decades-long occupation of Bingzhou, they had either been forcibly conscripted for war or suffered widespread plunder, their situation truly miserable.
Seeing the Lady slow her pace, the steward hurriedly tried to block her view, not wanting Xiao Qiao to see. He said, “These are just lowly Qiang and Hu people. They must have offended their masters to be sent to the market for sale. My Lady, please don’t look. It will only sully your eyes.”
Xiao Qiao asked, “Has it always been like this, openly selling Qiang slaves in the market?”
The steward replied, “It’s always been this way. It’s a custom.”
Xiao Qiao frowned, looking again at the barely-clothed Qiang woman. She hesitated but ultimately turned to leave. After taking a few steps, she suddenly heard a commotion behind her. She saw a Qiang boy of about ten or eleven years old get up from the ground and rush over, biting hard on the wrist of a man who was pretending to want to buy but was reaching out to grope a young Qiang woman’s chest. The boy bit down fiercely and wouldn’t let go.
The man cried out in pain, shouting. They were finally separated, but the man’s wrist was already bleeding. The middle-aged man selling the slaves flew into a rage, ordering people to pin the boy to the ground. He pulled out a whip and, while cursing loudly, began to lash the boy mercilessly.
The boy was extremely stubborn. His eyes flashed with anger as he shouted in halting Chinese, “We have no master! My sister and I were caught by this bad man while we were herding sheep on the mountain behind our home…”
The middle-aged man became furious. He stopped whipping and went over to kick the boy hard in the head, grinding his teeth as he cursed, “Lowly slave! I’ll teach you to spout nonsense!”
The boy’s head was bleeding, pinned to the ground by the man’s boot, but his body continued to twist and struggle. The young Qiang woman who had been expressionless suddenly burst into tears, throwing herself down and kowtowing to the middle-aged man, begging for mercy.
More and more people gathered around. Among them was a group of four or five people dressed as ordinary locals. In the center was a young man in his mid-twenties, with heroic eyebrows and bright eyes. As he watched the scene unfold, his gaze gradually darkened.
His companions were already seething with anger.
Among the followers, Jiang Meng had the most volatile temper. The veins on his forehead bulged as he gritted his teeth and said, “How dare the Han people bully our people like this!” He clenched his fist and was about to charge forward, but was stopped by the young man, halting his steps.