The Marquis Is Innocent

It is normal for people to send Marquis’s new wife out of the city. Wei Liang did not care at first, but saw more people gathered, and they were scrambling to chase the carriage. They crowded the two sides like a marketplace. They might have squeezed through if it wasn’t for the soldiers on both sides of the carriage holding spears along the way. He became anxious, and turned around to look at Wei Shao, and saw he seemed to have some displeasure on his face.

These scenes should not be within his expectation either.

Wei Liang’s heart can not help but complain about Xiao Qiao, and look at the carriage, but she has dropped the curtain. He approached with his horse while escorting the carriage and ordering people to disperse. They out of the city and stopped at the side of the road a few miles away from the city gate.

Wei Shao’s face is sullen as water, doesn’t know what he is thinking, and he even didn’t get off his horse. When Wei Liang and the others reached him to pay their respects, he instructed him twice to be careful on the road, and raised his eyes and swept a glance at the carriage in front of him whose curtain had not been lifted since they left the city, drove his horse and turned around to go back to the city.

Wei Liang stood at the side of the road and watched Wei Shao’s figure fade away, turned to his attendants and bellowed: “On your way! Send the lady back to hometown early, so we can also return earlier!”

……

This New Year’s Day passed on the road. Four or five days later, they arrived at a place called Qiuji, and after crossing a few miles of mountain road, they reached Hejian territory. Soon it will be nighttime, dark and dreary. The wind blows like a knife, as if it is going to snow. It was difficult to walk on the mountain road, so they stopped and settled down in the nearby posthouse to spend the night.

Xiao Qiao sat in the carriage. There is a stove and a mattress pad. But after a day, her toes are frozen numb, not to mention Old Zhong and the maids who are sitting in the ordinary carriage without a stove. Her own carriage can accommodate a few more people, and when she took a break at noon, she asked Chun Niang to call Old Zhong and her maid, so they can sit together in her carriage to keep warm. But Old Zhong refused, saying there is a difference between the master and the servant, not to be confused. It’s time to settle down, although this post house is dilapidated, but at least it’s much warmer than outside. After entering, they’re all relaxed.

Xiao Qiao paid for the postmaster to buy some pork and wine for Wei Liang and the soldiers who escorted her all the way to eat and warm up. The postmaster learned she was a member of Wei Shao’s family, so he dared not ask for money. Xiao Qiao wouldn’t let him pay for it, and asked Chun Niang to hand it over. The postmaster himself went out to buy the wine and served it hot. The soldiers were very grateful to this considerate lady. They sat down and ate and drank. Wei Liang, however, stood at the entrance of the posthouse, looking at the dark and dreary sky outside, with some worries in his expression.

The severe cold of the northern winter is indeed exceptional.

Xiao Qiao was born with rounded toes, and the nail caps are light pink, with neat little crescents growing on them, looking very cute. When she was in Yanzhou, she never had frostbite in winter. It’s only been a few days here, and it itched. Last night, it was even more itchy. She kept rubbing it under the blanket. Chun Niang was thoughtful and brought frostbite cream, and picked out some to give. She rubbed it on and massage her for a while. Xiao Qiao was tossed for a long time before falling asleep in the middle of the night. Early the next morning, Chun Niang woke her up, saying it was snowing outside, and General Wei got up early. The people were waiting outside for her to start on the road, and sent someone to rush her.

Xiao Qiao was sleepy. Yawning and trying to getting up. Plucked out of the hot blanket, with half-closed eyes and served by Chun Niang to put on clothes. After freshening up, she ate a few mouthfuls of things sent over. The maids put away the bedding and went out together.

Wei Liang was impatient. Finally, he saw her coming. Although he was dissatisfied, he did not dare to make a fuss because she was a lady, after all. He bowed and said, “It’s difficult to travel on the Panshan Road, and I’m afraid the snow is getting heavier, It’s better to get on the road earlier and go there sooner,” and then shouted to his attendants to prepare to go out.

Xiao Qiao knew he was eager to get herself to Yuyang as soon as possible. She walked to the door outside the inn under the eaves. Overnight, the world has become a world of silver. The roadside ditch has been accumulated in the snow deeper than the calf. A wind rolled over, and she shivered.

The carriage was already parked at the door. Xiao Qiao was about to get on when four or five people came across the road. Looking like merchants who had left early in the morning, and ran to the entrance of the posthouse to take a shelter. Stomping on the snow on their feet, while saying, “Is the general going to Hejian? The mountain road is blocked in front of us, so we can’t get through!”

Wei Liang asked what was going on. The merchants spoke excitedly. They said they went out early in the morning, and when they reached the mountain, they saw the rocks collapsed on the mountain, blocking the way and making it impossible to pass.

“It’s piled up like a mountain high!”

A merchant gestured with his hands and feet.

“Ugh, I’m afraid I’m going to be stuck here, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to pass.”

Another of his companions sighed.

Wei Liang was dumbfounded, as if he didn’t believe it. After pondering, he asked Xiao Qiao to go in and wait for a while. He took two people on horseback to see what was going on.

He came back with a frown saying falling rocks indeed blocked the road and they should not be able to go away today.

Once Xiao Qiao heard this, she covered her face and yawned, turned around and went inside. The maid opened the bedding and relaid it, so she caught up on her sleep.

No one urged her anymore. This sleep was refreshing. When she woke up, her cheeks were flushed. Her feet were rubbed with frostbite cream, and she had put on socks before she went to bed, so she was warm and comfortable. After getting up and eating, it was already late afternoon.

The lobby in front of the posthouse was much livelier than in the morning.

In such bad weather, except for a few people like Xiao Qiao, who suffered from unspeakable hardships, most of them were merchants and travelers. The lobby was full of people who stay for warmth because the road was blocked. The postmaster did not drive them away, allowing the merchants to stay in the front lobby, only forbidding them to barge into the back hall.

Wei Liang wanted to send Xiao Qiao to Yuyang as soon as possible, but he did not expect the road to be blocked just a few days after he came out. He was anxious. Afraid if it rained again tonight, the stones would freeze together, and it would be difficult to shovel again. Afternoon, when the snow showed signs of stopping, he organized his men to go to the road.

The merchants also can not wait to get on the road. Saw the general took the lead, they responded. Wei Liang counted the number of people and bring tools. After leaving two personal soldiers and ordered them to look after the Lady, he led the people and left.

……

In the back room, the coals of the fireplace were burning and warming the room.

As they could not leave today anyway, Chun Niang took out her embroidery basket and made needlework with some maids around the stove. Xiao Qiao was lying on the couch, dazed. Someone knocked on the door. It was the postmaster who brought a plate of roasted chestnuts, which smelled sweet. Chun Niang handed some money to the postmaster and took the chestnuts. Xiao Qiao asked the maid to wrap some in a handkerchief and give them to Old Zhong in the other room.

After a while, the maid came back and said Old Zhong did not want it, but asked her to pass on the message that she thanked the lady for her kindness.

Xiao Qiao saw she didn’t want it, so she didn’t force her, so she asked her maids to share the food. The maids were happy and sat around the fireplace peeling chestnuts while whispering gossip.

Chun Niang also stopped sewing, washed her hands, sat next to Xiao Qiao and peeled chestnuts for her to eat, said, this Old Zhong, difficult to approach, even a servant is like this, do not know how the other side, Mrs. Xu? And how is the mother-in-law of the lady?

She put a peeled yellow chestnut in Xiao Qiao’s mouth and sighed.

When Xiao Qiao saw she was worried about her again, she also peeled a chestnut and forced it into her mouth, laughing: “Is there someone over there who will want to eat me alive? What are you worried about, Chun Niang? Eat the chestnuts!”

“There’s a fire!”

There was a sudden clamor from outside, and someone shouted.

Chun Niang was startled and pushed the door out to check. She saw just a few rooms away from here were on fire, and the tongues of fire and smoke were coming out of the doors and windows, and it looked like it was burning from the inside. Old Zhong also heard the sound and came out. She asked the people to put out the fire and apologized to Xiao Qiao, saying that it was a storage room. Don’t know how it caught fire, but the fire was fierce, and she was afraid that it would reach here, so she asked the lady to go to the front room for a while.

Chun Niang dashed back to the house and helped Xiao Qiao get her cloak out. Old Zhong took her maid back to her room to pack some belongings and came out as well, and a group of people surrounded Xiao Qiao to the front hall.

The people in the posthouse all followed Wei Liang to the road. There were not enough people to put out the fire. The post master ran back and begged to borrow the two attendants, but Old Zhong refused, saying: “Each has their own duties. The two of them have important duties, and they are guarding the lady……”

After she finished her speech, the door behind her was kicked open, and several people who looked like merchants but had swords in their hands rushed in, and without saying a word, they pounced toward Xiao Qiao.

“Protect the lady!”

Old Zhong reacted extremely fast, shouted and rushed to Xiao Qiao herself, blocking her behind.

Chun Niang also reacted afterwards and jumped to Xiao Qiao’s side.

The two attendants, who were well trained, did not hesitate, even though they were outnumbered. They drew their swords and blocked the front, side by side, confronting each other.

“Who is it? Who dares to attack the family members of Yan Marquis of Youzhou?”

Old Zhong asked in a stern voice.

Outside the door came a rapid sound of horse hooves trampling snow. Almost in the blink of an eye, a white horse broke into the door. There’s somebody sitting high on it, wearing a hat and a straw coat. The brim is very low. Can’t see his face clearly. From the body shape, should be a man. He was skilled in riding. After his horse broke in, he didn’t stop for a moment. Wrapped in a gust of wind and snow, drove straight towards Xiao Qiao. The white horse came to Xiao Qiao and bumped into Old Zhong and Chun Niang, who were in front of him. With a scream, Xiao Qiao was leaning over by the man on the horse, and he made an emergency stop. Turning around, and carrying Xiao Qiao, rushed out of the door. At first, those who were pretending to be merchant travelers gave a whistle and retreated.

All of this happened abruptly, from the beginning to the end, only a few dozen seconds.

The white horse has already run out for more than half a mile. Turning into a white dot in the snow, and disappeared in the vast snowy plains.