The Marquis Is Innocent

Xiao Qiao immediately rushed to the north house’s side room and waited to pay her respects.

Mrs. Xu had just arrived home. If she hated her, she might not want to see her so soon, but she should behave herself. While waiting, she saw people coming in and out of the corridor through the window. Besides the servants, there are some Wei family stewards and people who look like county officials.

She waited for some time. When it was about to get dark, the sounds of footsteps in the corridor were disappearing. A servant woman appeared at the door and invited Xiao Qiao to go over.

Xiao Qiao felt a little nervous. She calmed herself and followed the servant to the main hall.

In her previous life, when the two Qiao sisters met, Xiao Qiao learned from Da Qiao the only person in the Wei family who never gave her a hard time and remembered to send things to her room during the four seasons was Wei Shao’s grandmother. When Mrs. Xu’s birthday came, Da Qiao married into the Wei family. Within a year, she passed away because of an accident. Since then, Da Qiao’s situation has become worse.

Because of this, Xiao Qiao is very serious about meeting Mrs. Xu. She did not hope to win her heart. However, as long as Mrs. Xu differed from Wei Shao’s mother, at least for the next year, it would be good for her.

The layout of the north house is like the west house where Xiao Qiao lives. The furnishings are very simple. Simple to the point of almost austere. It was a stark contrast to the east house where Mrs. Zhu lived. In this main hall, the only thing that can highlight the old lady’s status is a high purple sandalwood couch that needs to be climbed up three steps when you go in and meet her. On each side of the high couch is a four-sided table. Behind the couch is a long lacquered screen decorated with clouds. Mrs. Xu, Wei Shao’s grandmother, is sitting in the middle of this high couch at this moment.

When Xiao Qiao arrived, there were a few people inside. Only a few servants were standing sporadically, and Old Zhong was at the side. There was no sign of Mrs. Zhu or Zheng Shu. Wei Shao was present, accompanying the old lady on her side of the table. The long sword that rarely left his body rested in front of the couch.

Wei Shao’s grandmother was thin. She was wearing black clothes and her hair was white. Her forehead was wide and round. Her cheeks were slightly concave. She looked like an ordinary old woman. What was slightly surprising to Xiao Qiao was she only had one eye left. The left eye has been bleached out, but the remaining right eye is full of spirit. As she sat on the high couch, and her one eye swept over, it made her afraid to look at her.

When Xiao Qiao entered, she saw that Mrs. Xu’s one eye fell on her own body, with a look of indistinguishable joy and anger. She lowered her eyes and went to the high couch that had several kneeling cushions on the floor. She knelt on both knees, bowed to Wei Shao’s grandmother, and offered a pair of silk and soft-soled embroidered shoes.

The room was quiet. No sound could be heard.

Old Zhong came and collected the shoes. After that, a servant girl brought out a red lacquer plate, in which a mutton-fat jade and a string of gold beads were placed.

The mutton-fat jade means auspiciousness, while the gold beads are a gift from the elders to their juniors.

“You should accept Old Madam’s gift, and please get up.” Old Zhong said.

Xiao Qiao expressed her gratitude, then rose and stood behind Wei Shao with her head bowed in a dignified manner.

A moment later, she felt Mrs. Xu still seem to look at her. She couldn’t help but raise her eyes and meet her gaze.

……

Some time ago, when Old Zhong returned from Xindu, Mrs. Xu asked about the Qiao girl. She told the story of her being abducted by Chen Rui of Bingzhou on the road and Marquis conquering Shiyi. She said Qiao’s appearance is exceptional, her manners are decent, and her character is good.

It’s a pity. The last thing she added was this.

The woman has been with Mrs. Xu for most of her life. She is cautious and does not say much. It is rare for her to express her opinion in front of Mrs. Xu.

Mrs. Xu asked again, what is the meaning of ‘pity’? Old Zhong said Old Madam will understand when she sees it herself.

Mrs. Xu was unconcerned at the time. But now, seeing this Qiao family’s daughter with her own eyes, it seems like an epiphany. She didn’t think the Qiao family could produce such a rare beauty. It is indeed a beautiful face. When she walked in, even the experienced lady, such as Mrs. Xu, felt that her eyes were bright.

Her appearance is secondary, but her manners are in Mrs. Xu’s eyes.

In this life, the more you have in the first half of your life, the more complicated your life is. When you get older, your thoughts will slowly change and you will prefer simple things. Things are like that, and so are people. That’s why the older people get, the more they like children. As Mrs. Xu looked at the Qiao girl, she sensed she suddenly lifted her eyes and darted a glance at her.

Mrs. Xu’s one eye immediately caught her look. She was not timid. Just a bit indecisive. Other than that, she was bright and honest.

When Mrs. Xu looks at people, the first thing she usually sees is the other person’s eyes. Judging people by their appearance is not without reason. The eyes are also one of the human appearances.

She intuitively had a good feeling about people with such eyes.

Some people, such as her daughter-in-law Mrs. Zhu, Mrs. Xu has never developed good feelings for her. It also started at the first sight.

When her husband wanted his son to marry Zhu, Mrs. Xu was reluctant because of her origins. But her husband insisted. Zhu’s father had saved her husband’s life, so Mrs. Xu reluctantly accepted.

The first time she saw Zhu, although she was well-dressed and well-mannered, Mrs. Xu was not satisfied with her daughter-in-law.

When Zhu looked at her, her eyes showed a bottomless and desperate-to-please-her kind of look.

No matter how well-dressed and well-behaved you are, if you have such a look in your eyes, you will fall out of class.

That is why she can’t like her and has continued to do so until now.

The only thing that makes Mrs. Xu think highly of Zhu is her belly is quite competitive. Giving birth to an extremely outstanding grandson of the Wei family. A mother’s son is an honor. This is probably the reason Mrs. Xu has tolerated Zhu and let her have her way.

When Mrs. Xu let her grandson Wei Shao marry Qiao’s daughter, she naturally did so with consideration.

Outsiders, including her grandson Wei Shao himself, thought she did it for the Yanzhou area.

She had other considerations of her own. But the others did not know about it.

……

Mrs. Xu glanced at Xiao Qiao again and saw she had lowered her eyes again and was standing behind her grandson Wei Shao. They looked like a pair of beauties.

She said the first thing she had said since Xiao Qiao came in: “Zhong Lin, I have seen my grandson’s daughter-in-law and I like her very much. I’m tired after a day’s travel, and I want to rest. You can take her back.”

Wei Shao got up from the couch and said respectfully, “I will leave now. Grandmother, have a good night’s rest. I will come again tomorrow morning to visit.”

Mrs. Xu nodded with a smile.

Wei Shao got off the couch and walked out. Xiao Qiao bowed goodbye to Mrs. Xu and turned to follow Wei Shao. A sound of footsteps came from the corridor outside, followed by a voice: “Grandmother has returned and I could not come out to welcome her. I was late, I should not have done so! Grandmother, don’t blame me for being unfilial — “

A man appeared in the doorway with the voice Xiao Qiao seemed to have heard somewhere. Then he crossed the threshold with big steps.

Xiao Qiao looked up and was stunned.

It’s a coincidence! It’s the man named Wei she met in the store during the day! But at this moment, this man seems as if he did not see her. His eyes fell on Wei Shao. He smiled and walked quickly towards Wei Shao.

Wei Shao’s face showed a smile. Welcomed the man in stride. The two seem to be familiar.

Xiao Qiao stopped and watched these two men greeting each other and laughing as if they were good brothers.

“Shiyuan, you’re finally back! Grandmother thought you were going to be rooted in Dai County, and you didn’t come back!” Mrs. Xu was happy to see the man coming and laughed.

The man’s name was Wei Yan. When he heard Mrs. Xu speak, he let go of Wei Shao and went to the couch and laughed: “It’s grandmother’s 60th birthday. Even if my legs were broken, I had to crawl back.”

Mrs. Xu smiled. Wei Yan knelt on the pier where Xiao Qiao had knelt earlier. He bowed to Mrs. Xu and got up. He glanced as if he had just seen Xiao Qiao, then turned to Wei Shao and smiled: “Second brother, when I was in Dai County, I heard about your big wedding. Could it be this is…..”

He paused and looked at Xiao Qiao.

Wei Shao returned to Xiao Qiao’s side and smiled. “Exactly.” He said to Xiao Qiao, “He is a cousin who has been leading the army in Dai County. He was older than me by a few years. I have always treated him like my brother. You can call him Uncle.”

Xiao Qiao glanced at Wei Yan. Saw him standing in front of her, with a smile on his face. His eyes cast to her face, and there are no strange signs. Remembering the scene when they met outside during the day, for some reason, there is still some discomfort in her heart. But her face showed nothing. She just smiled, saluted him, and called out “uncle”.

Wei Yan returned a brief salute. He continued to speak with Wei Shao, and the two of them exchanged a few words. Then they all said goodbye to Mrs. Xu. The two good brothers were walking side by side. Xiao Qiao followed not far behind. Until they reached the fork in the road leading to the west house, they stopped. Wei Yan said: “Second brother, you and I have not seen for a long time. Today we finally meet. How can we not have a drink? Come and have a drink together!”

Wei Shao hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, “That’s exactly what I want.”

Wei Yan laughed loudly: “Are you not willing to let go of this new sister-in-law who looks like a flower, right? Today is a happy day. I don’t care about you. Let’s have a drink first!” He looked at Xiao Qiao: “Sister-in-law, I have not seen Zhong Lin for a long time, and I will drag Zhong Lin to drink a few glasses. Don’t worry, he will go back to his home. I will send him back to you later.”

Xiao Qiao was embarrassed. She glanced at Wei Shao, who was standing there without looking at her, and his expression seemed stiff.

“Uncle is joking. Just go ahead.” Xiao Qiao said.

“It’s good that my sister-in-law is not angry. Zhong Lin, let’s go!”

Wei Shao smiled and followed Wei Yan a few steps in the forecourt’s direction. When he spun back and glanced at Xiao Qiao, she had already turned around and headed for the west room.

……

It was late, and Wei Shao had not returned yet.

He did not return, Xiao Qiao naturally can not sleep first. She could only sit and wait.

She was staring at the lamp, thinking about the people and events she met during the day.

Wei Yan made an impression on her. Just from the surname, it is confusing.

If he and Wei Shao are cousins, why is he also surnamed Wei?

……

Later, Xiao Qiao learned that Wei Yan’s life is quite twisted and mysterious.

Wei Shao had a young aunt named Qing Yun, the biological daughter of Mrs. Xu. Thirty years ago, a man of high status in the Xiongnu took her away. It was not until three years later Wei Shao’s father recaptured his sister. But upon her return, they learned she was five or six months pregnant. The family asked the young aunt to abort the fetus. She refused and threatened to die, so Mrs. Xu had no choice but to let her. When she gave birth, she, unfortunately, died of a hemorrhage.

Mrs. Xu loved her little daughter very much. When she lost her beloved daughter, she looked at the blood she left behind with a new perspective.

The people could accept a Han woman who had been kidnapped by the Hu people, but they would not treat a child with Hu’s blood the same way. Mrs. Xu didn’t want to send the child to Xiongnu. After much consideration, she let the child take his mother’s name and raised him by herself. Saying his father had been a member of the Wei family and had died.

This past story, only a few people know. Mrs. Xu never mentioned half a word to Wei Yan.