The Marquis Is Innocent

“Man Man! Man Man! Wake up!”

A gentle and worried voice rang in her ears, and then she was awakened.

Xiao Qiao open her eyes and found herself lie in the bed she had slept in for two years, but her whole body was wet as if she had just come out of the water.

The person who woke her up was her cousin Da Qiao, the daughter of her uncle Qiao Yue, the governor of Yanzhou. Her nickname is Ah Fan, seventeen-year-old this year, and three years older than her. The two sisters grew up together and have an excellent relationship, so they often sleep in the same bed.

When Da Qiao saw she woke up, she touched her forehead and found that she was covered in cold sweat. She got out of bed in her clothes and didn’t alert the maids who were already asleep outside. She lit the oil lamp and took a handkerchief and wiped her cousin’s sweat, who was still lying there. Afraid that she would catch a cold, she took a piece of her own clean clothes and helped Xiao Qiao change, and poured her a cup of water and handed it to her.

Xiao Qiao was a little thirsty, so she accepted it.

Da Qiao sat on the edge of the bed, watched her drink the water, and sighed. “Are you having nightmares again? Man Man, I remember you used to sleep soundly, but what happened to you in the last two years? You often have nightmares. Are you touching something unclean outside? Maybe I should tell mother tomorrow and ask a priestess to come to the house to look?”

Xiao Qiao’s mother died a few years ago, and her aunt, Mrs. Ding, took great pity on Xiao Qiao and always cared for her.

Xiao Qiao shook her head. “No need, Sister. I’m fine.”

Da Qiao took the bowl and put it back on the table, still uneasy. “What did you dream about just now that your body is all iced up like this?”

……

Such a dream has been appearing from time to time since two years ago, when Xiao Qiao soul-transformed into a girl in this chaotic world.

She knew it was more than a nightmare.

She had not only become the twelve-year-old daughter of Qiao Ping, the magistrate of Yanzhou in the East County, Xiao Qiao, but she also had all the memories of Xiao Qiao’s previous life of twenty years engraved on her.

The terrible scene in the dream was the last scene of her own life before she died.

Everything in the dream is bloody and real.

Consort Liu, the thirteen-year-old girl who died under the knife of the palace staff, died while staring at her with a strange gaze. Even at this moment when she has awakened, she still feels creepy.

She still seems to have the penetrating pain and chill that came from the sharp sword piercing her heart.

She didn’t want to remember anymore, and leaned over towards Da Qiao and murmured, “It was just a dream about being chased by a vicious tiger ……”

Da Qiao smiled, stroked her hair, leaned over and blew out the light, fumbled back into the blanket, hugged Xiao Qiao, patted her back, and said, “Don’t be afraid, sister will sleep with you.”

Xiao Qiao nodded, leaned against Da Qiao’s soft and warm body, and closed her eyes.

The moonlight in the cold November of the seventh year of the Han Dynasty was sifted through the window paper, brightening the ground in front of the bed.

Xiao Qiao’s mind settled down and closed her eyes.

But she could not sleep anymore.

Da Qiao beside her seemed to be just like her.

She thought Xiao Qiao had fallen asleep and tucked in the corner of her cousin’s blanket while she tossed and turned, unable to sleep for a long time.

Xiao Qiao listened to Da Qiao’s breathing and knew what was on her mind.

……

The two Qiao’s of Yanzhou were famous for their beauty, and they were known all over Henan. When Da Qiao was ten years old, she got engaged to the son of the Cui family, who was a powerful governor of Dongping at that time. Two years ago, when Da Qiao was fifteen years old and ready to get married, Dongping was attacked by the Zhou Army of Ren City and Cui’s father and son were killed in action, so the marriage was over.

Two years had passed, and now Da Qiao is 17 years old. The suitors from all sides almost broke the door, but the marriage was always unsuccessful. And has been delayed until now. It was only half a month ago that Da Qiao learned her father had decided to marry her to Wei Shao, who had just taken over Hebei earlier in the year. He wants to use marriage and Yanzhou’s strength to gain favor with Wei Shao so that they could escape from the attacks of the Zhou Army of Ren City.

Now that they have dispatched the messenger to Jizhou, where Wei Shao lives, uncle is waiting for the reply from the other side.

……

“Did I disturb you?”

Da Qiao noticed that Xiao Qiao was not asleep and asked.

“No.” Xiao Qiao said.

A moment later, in the dim night, Xiao Qiao heard her let out a long sigh. As if asking her, but also as if she was talking to herself. “Marquis Wei has an enmity with my family, so he should not accept this marriage, right?”

Xiao Qiao was silent.

Two years ago, after being named Xiao Qiao, she secretly hoped that all those things she remembered about her past life, or rather, her future, were just a dream.

But as time passed, she realized with horror that it all seemed to be true.

Things were moving step by step at the pace she knew it would.

If nothing was changed, Wei Shao would have accepted the marriage. But when Da Qiao married, she was doomed to a fate even more tragic than her own.

From the first day she married into the Wei family, her husband Wei Shao never touched her. Years later, when Wei Shao became emperor, the Qiao family was scattered and destroyed, and Da Qiao killed herself. And Wei Shao crowned another woman as his queen.

Da Qiao finished her life like this.

Xiao Qiao groped and held her cousin’s hand.

Her fingers were icy without the slightest trace of heat.

……

The next day, Xiao Qiao’s twin brother Qiao Ci, who was the same age and was born only a few moments after her, hurried back to East County from Yancheng, and it was already night when he arrived home.

The relationship between siblings, Xiao Qiao and Qiao Ci, is very good. Although Qiao Ci is only fourteen years old, but he is a half-head taller than Xiao Qiao, the older sister, and already stands out as a valiant and brave young man. Two months ago, he was sent by his father Qiao Ping to Yancheng for training. When she heard from the servants that the young master had returned, Xiao Qiao searched for him. When she reached the door of her father’s study, she heard her brother’s voice coming from inside, sounded very emotional.

“Father! Although the Zhou’s army of Ren City was strong, Yanzhou had 200,000 soldiers. If we work together and fight hard, it is possible to win. I will take the lead! I heard uncle is afraid, and is planning to ask Wei Shao for a favor? Wei Shao is ambitious and, after annexing Jizhou, his power has already reached the Hebei region. Relying on him will give Yanzhou a temporary peace, but how can it be maintained over time? The two families have a grudge, not to mention about the future of Big Sister. Will he help our Qiao family?”

Xiao Qiao stopped, stood in the doorway, looked in, and saw his father standing at the window with his hands behind his back, while his brother Qiao Ci was walking around in the study.

……

Speaking of the grudge between Qiao and Wei, the time goes back ten years.

Wei Shao’s father, Wei Jing, was a third-ranking General of the Tiger’s Teeth, and was made Marquis of Yan for his meritorious fight against the Xiongnu. He was also the Governor of Youzhou and was ordered by the court to join the Governor of Yanzhou, Qiao Gui, Xiao Qiao’s grandfather, in conquering the rebellious Li Su of Chen County. Li Su was powerful and strong. Wei Jing and Qiao Gui allied to attack Chen County from the east and west. But when they got word that Li Su had arrived, Qiao Gui retreated, unaware that Wei Jing and his eldest son, Wei Bao, were outnumbered and both died in the battle. At the time, Wei Shao was only twelve years old. He also went into battle with his father and brother, and with the protection of his family, he escaped from the siege and returned to Youzhou.

The Qiao family later explained that they had sent people to deliver the news, but the messenger was killed in an ambush on the way. There was no choice. During the funeral, they sent a generous gift to the Wei family.

Four years ago, the eighteen-year-old Wei Shao, known as the “Little King”, led an army and finally killed Li Su’s entire family on the shores of the East Sea.

It is said that Li Su himself was first to be tortured, Wei Shao executed the knife, and Li Su was killed after a thousand stabs, and after his death, Wei Shao chopped him into minced meat and fed into the fishes’ bellies.

It is also said that shortly afterwards, when Xiao Qiao’s grandfather died, Wei Shao, who was attacking Hezuo, heard the news and coldly said, “The old thief with the white head is deserved to die.”

The depth of Wei Shao’s hatred is obvious.

……

“My Lord! Are you so weak that you didn’t even dare to make a sound? If you say nothing, I’ll go to my uncle and tell him!”

Qiao Ci saw his father hesitate, clenched his fist, turned around and was about to go out.

“Nonsense! You stop right there!”

Qiao Ping turned around and stopped his son, saying, “Zhou’s army is strong. They swallowed Dongping and destroyed the Cui family’s foundation. They destroyed them in one fell swoop. Their spirits were high after they won the battle a month ago. Now they are on the verge of attacking again, and with Wei Shao watching from Hebei, how can Yanzhou’s 200,000 soldiers survive?”

“Is there no other way but to rely on Wei Shao? I can’t bear the thought of my sister getting married like this.”

Qiao Ping pondered for a moment and let out a long sigh: “I also know that seeking favor from Wei Shao is not appropriate. Do you think I have not fought hard? I once suggested joining forces with Zhang Fu of Chen Liu, but there may not be a chance to win. I had a friendship with Zhang Fu in my early years, and I’m willing to persuade him. But your uncle and those officials, they decided to avoid war ……”

“Father! Please persuade uncle again!”

Xiao Qiao couldn’t help but push the door and kneel towards her father.

If nothing was done, and things continued as planned, the life of Da Qiao would be ruined. And a few years later, the entire Qiao family would not survive. Xiao Qiao remembered her father had died in battle, and her brother Qiao Ci, who had sacrificed his life to distract the pursuers so that she and her later husband, Emperor Liu Yan, could escape, was surrounded by Wei Shao’s soldiers and died in a hail of arrows.

Qiao Ping was only thirty-five years old this year, an extremely handsome man. He has been busy with county affairs, enforcing the law fairly and caring for the people of the county, and the Qiao family has been in Yanzhou for three generations. Although her father was an excellent poet, but he was not a weak scholar, and when he put on his battle robe, he became a white robed general.

In this life, with such a father and younger brother, even if she is not the original Xiao Qiao, she is not willing to lose them like this.

Qiao Ping did not expect his daughter to suddenly barge in and kneel to herself like this, and froze.

“Father, it’s true about sister, I beg you!”

Qiao Ci also knelt together to Xiao Qiao.

Qiao Ping frowned, looking towards the window for a moment, and finally said, “Fine, I’ll persuade again!”