The Marquis Is Innocent

After Wei Shao and Gongsun Yang parted, he went to Xiao Qiao’s place.

The two servants knew the city’s master had changed overnight. Many people, including the entire family of Chen, had become prisoners. The two of them were assigned to serve here now. Their four eyes were wide open and not daring to relax for a moment, lest something go wrong. They saw a man walking at the end of the corridor. Although he was young, but his steps were powerful. They saw the guards under the corridor saluting him, calling him “Marquis Yan “, so they knew he was the husband of the woman in the room, Marquis of Yan, Wei Shao. They hastened to meet him, kneeling on both sides.

Wei Shao stopped and looked at the candlelight coming through the window and asked about the activity in the room. One of them answered, saying after the military doctor and Gongsun Yang had left, the two of them were here to serve, and they did not leave for a moment, but the lady in the room had not been calling for help, so she should have fallen asleep.

Wei Shao walked to the door and paused for a moment.

It is true Chen Rui kidnapped her, but the entire process seems to be suspicious, so why not take this opportunity to ask her about it and make it clear?

As he thought this, his heart was relieved. He lifted his hand and pushed the door in, turned around to go past the bed screen, and saw her lying against the end of the bed, covered with a coverlet to her belly. Her face was facing inside. She was motionless, as the servant had said, sleeping.

Wei Shao walked straight to the bedside, about to wake her up, but saw her cheeks seemed to carry some residual tears marks. His gaze fixed, then downward to her hands.

Her two hands, at the moment, palms facing upwards on the blanket. Her palms are soft. With her fingers curled into a soft natural angle, clean, like green onions. The sleeves are rolled into two folds, piled upwards, folded in the elbow bend. It reveals a jade arm; the skin is smooth, only the wrist is wrapped with a white circle of soft linen. There is a dark color of ointment oozing out. It looks conspicuous.

Wei Shao looked for a moment, his eyes again moved back to her face.

The candlelight shone from the side, through the curtain. Half-bright, half-dark on her face, causing her long eyelashes to cast a fan-shaped shadow on her lower eyelids. Her face was facing inward, and he could only see half of her soft side lines. In the dark shadows, the beauty sleeps alone, like a begonia in the mist, which is a natural pleasure for a man’s eyes.

Wei Shao is a normal man. She was sleeping anyway, so he took another look. He noticed the corners of her lips seem to have been slightly upturned. Just like this moment, perhaps because of the pain, her eyebrows are knitted in her sleep, but because of her upturned corner’s lips, her sleeping face looks charming.

Wei Shao watched for a moment, suddenly didn’t want to wake her up. He retracted his gaze and turned to go. But Xiao Qiao in bed seemed to feel something. Her eyelids moved. She opened her eyes, vaguely saw a figure shaking in front of the bed. Astonished, with a low cry, she sat up with a shock.

“It’s me!”

Wei Shao stopped, turned around, and said.

The experiences of the past few days are unpleasant. With the sudden awakening from sleep, made her extremely suspicious. At this moment, Xiao Qiao has seen the person clearly. She slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

She guessed he should have a reason to come. And nine times out of ten, it should be related to her kidnapping. But he said nothing else and sat there with his face tilted. She looked at him. Waiting for him to speak.

After a while, he still didn’t speak. She saw him looking down. She shrunk her hand inside the blanket to cover up.

Wei Shao averted his eyes. Turned his face sideways, not looking at her, and said in a flat tone, “I came to tell you to take care of your injuries. You don’t have to go to Yuyang for now. I’m going back some time later, so I’ll bring you back with me then.”

Xiao Qiao was a little surprised. But said nothing else. Just looked at him and mumbled.

Wei Shao glanced at her, turned and went out. Xiao Qiao heard him talking outside the door as he instructed the servants to serve her well, and the sound of his steps faded away.

Xiao Qiao lay down again.

In her heart, she felt something was wrong.

He didn’t ask about her being kidnapped. Was it because he didn’t know that Liu Yan was the one who had kidnapped her in the first place?

If he never asked, could she pretend it didn’t happen and just forget about it?

……

The following day, Wei Shao issued official documents in the city. Pacify the people, take over the government offices, and busy for several days in a row, did not show up again. Xiao Qiao did not go out half a step. She stayed in her room to eat, drink, and sleep to recuperate. Four or five days later, the two servants who served her came to ask her to go out to the carriage, and Xiao Qiao realized it was time to go back to Xindu.

Wei Shao entrusted Shiyi to Gongsun Yang. Wei Liang and the wounded soldiers stayed behind to recuperate. Leaving most of his men on guard, and he led the rest of his troops, taking Xiao Qiao back.

Xiao Qiao was riding in a carriage with a comfortable interior. That morning, when she left Shiyi City, she looked out of the carriage window and saw that the streets were cold and quiet. Most of the doors and windows of the houses on both sides of the road were closed, but she was sure behind these doors and windows, there should be countless pairs of eyes with fear or resistance peeping through the cracks at the new masters of the city who passed by the road. Occasionally, she saw someone, but they just stood far away at the alley and at the end of the street. When they were gone, the people emerged from the corners of nowhere, gathering in twos and threes, looking at the back and whispering.

When they were about to leave the city gate, a four- or five-year-old child ran out from a half-open door at the side, chasing a cat, and blocked Wei Shao’s horse. Wei Shao lifted the reins and turned his horse’s head at a sharp angle so he could avoid the child.

“How dare you! Whose child is this? How can you let them out and rush around?”

Tan Fu, another general under Wei Shao’s command, had lost two powerful lieutenants on the night of the attack, and was unhappy. These days, when he accompanied Gongsun Yang to pacify the people, he saw the people were still avoiding him. The progress was not smooth. He was annoyed these people did not know what was good for them. Now, he got angry and drew his sword and yelled at the side.

The child was frightened. Fell to the ground, wailed and cried. The woman in the house heard, only then found that her son had run out while she was unaware. Her face was pale and panicked. She rushed out. Hugged her son and kneeling in front of the horse, kowtowing repeatedly to beg for mercy.

Wei Shao stabilized the horse, and his face was gloomy. His brow was wrinkled, and he seemed to hold back. He waved his hand impatiently. The woman knew this was the meaning of the pardon and kowtowed again. She holding her son and ran into the house. Once inside, the door closed with a bang.

Tan Fu looked at Wei Shao and saw his face had returned to its usual distant look, so he inserted his sword back into its sheath and continued to leave the city.

Xiao Qiao watched nervously, but this brief episode passed peacefully. She released her breath and lowered the curtain of the carriage.

……

Xiao Qiao followed Wei Shao’s group of people and returned to Xindu without incident.

Chun Niang and the girls had already returned before Xiao Qiao.

Chun Niang’s own daughter died of a disease when she was three or four years old. From then on, Chun Niang put all her heart and soul into Xiao Qiao, and regarded her as more important than her own life.

On that day, in front of her own eyes, watching her be kidnapped, Chun Niang was heartbroken. After returning to Xindu according to Wei Liang’s instructions, these few days she could not eat and sleep at night. Her eyes were swollen from crying. In just a few days, her plump face lost a lot. She was looking forward to Xiao Qiao’s safe return. At first, tears of joy came out. Then she saw Xiao Qiao’s wrist injury and learned she used a fire candle to escape herself. Her heart ached and cried again.

After some crying and laughing, they returned to the Sheyang House, where Xiao Qiao had stayed for one night before. The maids unpacked the baggage, arranged the appliances, and prepared to stay.

This “new room”, which was supposed to be Wei Shao’s usual sleeping room, seems to have been cleaned up the day after Xiao Qiao left. There is no longer any sign of the festive atmosphere of the “new room”. That night, Xiao Qiao spent the rest of the night as usual, knowing Wei Shao would not come to be in the same room with her.

But for Chun Niang, after this incident, didn’t know what she was thinking, as if she had something new on her mind. It’s called ‘the emperor is not anxious, but the eunuch is anxious’. She waited until very late. Xiao Qiao went to bed early. She still stayed up and refused to go to sleep. Until the maid in Wei Shao’s study, whom she had bribed with money, secretly passed a message, saying that the Marquis had ordered to make a bed in the study for the night, then her heart gave up, resentfully closed the door and went to bed.

In the next few days, Chun Niang took Xiao Qiao care of in every way. Literally fed her to the mouth and dressed her. Xiao Qiao is sure that in this life, as long as she has Chun Niang around, she can still live a very comfortable life even if she has no hands or feet.

After surviving the initial days of pain, the burns on her wrists are now healing. The layer of dead skin faded away and growing new skin. The doctor comes by every day to change her medicine. Yesterday, instead of using the original black and smelly ointment, he replaced it with a new creamy white medicine that smells very good and comfortable. The doctor said this ointment has the effect of eliminating decay and regenerating muscle. According to the degree of the lady’s burns, his experience inferred the recovery is good. Should be able to produce smooth skin as before, will not leave any scars.

Chun Niang had been worried about this, lest Xiao Qiao’s beautiful pair of jade wrists left burn marks. After hearing the doctor say, she was relieved.

That night, Xiao Qiao bathed.

She was bathing frequently. In the past two years, even in such a severe winter, as long as the circumstances were allowed, she must have a bath every two days. At first, Chun Niang was surprised by her sudden change in bathing habits, but she got used to it. Anyway, the Qiao family is so wealthy. It is only a matter of asking the kitchen to boil a few more buckets of hot water.

The bath room was connected to Xiao Qiao’s bedroom, separated by a screen. Chun Niang helped Xiao Qiao take off her clothes and helped her into the large bathtub. Ordering her to hold her hands high and not to get her wrists wet. After seeing her obedience, she was satisfied and washed her long hair.

Xiao Qiao leaned against the side of the bathtub. The hot water soaked over her chest. The water line fluctuated with Chun Niang’s movement. Like there was a small tongue licking and kissing the skin on her chest. It’s tingling. Her whole body soaked in it. Warm. Feeling Chun Niang with rub her scalp with excellent technique. It’s comfortable, and she was about to fall asleep.

“…… lady, there is something this servant is not sure if I should say it ……”

When Xiao Qiao closed her eyes. She heard Chun Niang whispering in her ear, so she gave a hmmm.

“I always feel the person who kidnapped the lady in the posthouse on horseback that day is familiar ……”

Chun Niang’s voice was close to Xiao Qiao’s ear and came through.

Xiao Qiao gave a start. She opened her eyes, sat up straight and turned her head to look at Chun Niang. Seeing that she also looked at her, there was some uncertainty in her expression, but it should be worried more. Xiao Qiao saw it.

“Lady ……” Chun Niang looked at her and sighed, “That person is indeed the gentleman who this servant thinks of?”

Liu Yan lived in the Qiao family for many years. Although he left and a few years have passed, but a person’s physical features, even if they change with adulthood, remain the same. It was normal for Chun Niang to recognize him.

Xiao Qiao looked at her worried eyes, hesitated and leaned down to her ear and whispered, “Don’t worry, he won’t come back in the future.”

Chun Niang froze, and her expression became more worried.

“Marquis Wei, does he know about this?”

She asked in a whisper-like voice in Xiao Qiao’s ear.

Xiao Qiao shook her head.

“The night he conquered Shiyi, he saw me, and I thought he was going to ask me about the day I was kidnapped. If he had asked then, I would tell him, but he did not ask, so I thought it was better to have less than more ……”

Chun Niang was out of breath for a moment.

“Let’s hope things just go away ……”

She sighed.

Seeing her worry, Xiao Qiao’s two snow-white arms hugged her neck and hummed in her nose, “Chun Niang, my wrists itch, I want to scratch them so much …… what to do ……”

Her wrists are growing new muscles and itch, plus the heat in the bathtub is dense. It is not a lie.

Chun Niang tensed up. Hastily grabbed her hand, stroking with her fingertips near her injury, and said: “Endure it and it will pass. Do not scratch yourself, you hear? What if you scratch and leave scars?”

Xiao Qiao mumbled twice, face leaned to her warm and soft chest, closed her eyes and rubbed a few times, voice soft: “Chun Niang, you are so good to me ……”

Chun Niang then laughed, “My Man Man is so beautiful and sweet, who would be cruel enough to mistreat you ……”

The door of the room seemed to be pushed open by someone with an implied roughness and anger.

“Marquis! The lady is still bathing in the bathroom — “

The servant girl’s voice came with it, and one could hear the panic.

Xiao Qiao opened her eyes.

Chun Niang froze for a moment. Patted her shoulder and rushed to get up. When she was about to greet, a sound of footsteps closed. And the screen shakes. The low-hanging curtain was ripped open, Wei Shao walking straight into the bathroom.

The candlelight on the candlestick at the four corners flickered. In this space filled with fragrant mist, with his sudden intrusion, the air seemed to cool down.

He stood there with a cold expression, but his gaze showed a kind of anger that could not be concealed. Sweeping his eyes across Xiao Qiao, who was still sitting in the bathtub.

“Get out.” He said.

Chun Niang knew he was talking to her, suppressed the uneasiness in her heart, and said in a trembling voice: “Is Marquis here to look for the lady? The lady is still bathing. Please allow this servant to help her dress first ……”

“Get out!”

Wei Shao raised his voice.

Chun Niang’s shoulders shook, but she still half-bowed in front of Xiao Qiao, refusing to go out.

“Chun Niang, you can go. I’m fine.” Xiao Qiao said.

Chun Niang looked back at Xiao Qiao. She bowed her head and walked out.