The Marquis Is Innocent

Under the moonlight shadow, Da Qiao broke away from the young man’s grip. She turned away with her head down. The man hugged her after she took two steps.

She stopped, but in a moment, she broke away again.

The man did not chase her anymore, only stopped there to look at her fading back, and slowly knelt down. His knees were on the ground. A black figure seemed to freeze, not moving.

Xiao Qiao’s heart was pounding, and she returned to the house. The maid was still sleeping, so Xiao Qiao crossed to her side and climbed onto the bed in the inner room. Lifted the quilt and lay back down. Just before she closed her eyes, she heard a slight creak of the outer door, and the sound of footsteps showed that Da Qiao had also returned.

The maid was awakened from her dream and opened her eyes. When she saw a figure near her, she was shocked that she was about to shout.

“It’s nothing. You can sleep. I was just relieving myself.”

Da Qiao’s voice sounded as if nothing was wrong. The maid did not doubt it. A few moments later, Xiao Qiao heard a slight rustling sound of undressing. Then, the curtain was lifted and Da Qiao climbed onto the bed, facing outward with her back to Xiao Qiao, and lay down.

She did not move at first, as if she had fallen asleep. But after a few moments, her shoulders shrugged. And in the night’s darkness, there was a small choking sound that reached Xiao Qiao’s ears.

Xiao Qiao’s heart was at war and hesitating to decide. She heard Da Qiao choke on her breath because she was afraid of waking her up. Her voice was silent, but her shoulder was twitching even more.

She opened her eyes. Turned her face and looked at her back as she curled herself into a tight ball, gritted her teeth and decided. She pressed herself towards her cousin whose back was to her, reached back, hugged her soft waist and came to her ear and whispered: “Sister, don’t cry. When you went out, I followed you. I saw it all.”

Da Qiao’s body stiffened. She rolled over and said. “Man Man, please don’t be mistaken! Sister is ……”

Xiao Qiao reached out and covered her mouth, signaling her to be silent. She got out of bed and walked to the door. She heard the maid outside making a slight grinding sound before she returned, lit the oil lamp, and turned her head to look.

Da Qiao has sat up from the bed. Her green silk ribbon hangs down to her neck and shoulders. Both hands grabbed the quilt around her waist. Her face was pale and her eyelids flushed with the light pink after crying. Her cheeks were carrying a few remnants of tears, staring at Xiao Qiao.

When she saw Xiao Qiao carrying the oil lamp and put it on the bedside lamp stand, she came back to her senses and grabbed her hand in a panic, saying in a low voice: “Man Man, I didn’t think of anything else. It’s just that it’s late at night, and it’s so cold outside. I don’t want that person to wait in the garden, and in case someone sees him, it’s another disaster for no reason. That’s why I asked him to leave ……”

One of her hands was trembling, just like her voice.

Xiao Qiao held Da Qiao’s hand back and looked at her, “Sister, I saw that man. But don’t be afraid, I won’t tell anyone. You like him, don’t you?”

Da Qiao’s pale cheeks flushed a light red. After a moment’s hesitation, she met Xiao Qiao’s gaze, nodded, and said, “He has a lowly status, but he is very good, really good ……”

……

The boy grew up on Qiao’s horse farm. He was silent, as if he were a mute. But he was strong and could chase the wind at a gallop. And he was good at horsemanship that even the toughest horse would bow down before him.

But over a long period of years, this young, strong, handsome slave with a pair of strange pupils left Da Qiao with the impression that every time he knelt down and acted as a human stool to help herself get on and off the carriage, he was much more stable than stepping on other horse slaves.

When she stepped on his back, her feet did not move, steady as a rock.

Da Qiao remembers this slave from three years ago, when her fiancé died. Although they had never met, it was still a sad event for her. For a while, she used to go with her mother to burn incense at the Changsheng Temple outside the city. One day, on the way back, the horses were frightened and threw the coachman off the carriage, dragging the carriage into a wild ride. She and her mother were locked in the upside down carriage that threatened to tip over or even tumble off the road. When she was frightened, a sharp whistle came from behind her, and then someone caught up. And the horses slowed down their speed and stopped at the side of the road.

When she was in shock and her face was still white, she looking out of the windows. She saw the man who had just caught up with the scared horse. He standing at the side of the horse’s head, holding the horse’s head, which was still snorting. Stroking the horse’s mane, while moving to the horse’s ear, whispering something in a low soft tone that she could not understand, as if soothing it.

The horse quieted down completely.

The rest of the attendants arrived at that moment. The steward angrily whipped the horse. When the whip was raised high, the slave rolled it in his hands. The black whip wrapped around his muscular arms, the skin beneath the green veins snaking up and out, as thick as her little finger.

The steward was even angrier, and when the situation was tense, the horse slave looked back at the Da Qiao, who was looking at him, and sought help.

She still remembers the clear sky, the breeze and the smooth wind on that day. Under the sunlight, the green eyes were as strange as crystal.

From that day on, she remembered his name: Bi Zhi.

……

Da Qiao hated herself for her clumsy speech. Not knowing what words to use to convince her sister, who had discovered her secret and make her believe that Bi Zhi was fine, really fine, at least, in her eyes.

Her face turned red, her eyes widened, and she looked at Xiao Qiao anxiously.

Xiao Qiao smiled and said, “Sister, I don’t need you to tell me. I know he is very good. He asked you out because he wanted to take you away, right?”

As if taken aback, Da Qiao shook her head at first. After a moment, she lowered her head, and when she raised her head again, her expression had become much calmer. She said, “Man Man, I will not go with him, and I also made it clear to him just now. Don’t worry, I won’t see him again either.”

“Sister, let him take you away. Don’t stay here anymore.” Xiao Qiao said.

……

Even if Da Qiao got married, she would lose her life and later the whole Qiao family would be destroyed. It would be better to do what Father wanted and give it a shot. There may be another way out. Once Da Qiao is gone, there is nothing Uncle can do, and it will be easier for Father to make a suggestion then.

……

Da Qiao was stunned, looked at Xiao Qiao for a moment and smiled, a bitter smile, and said: “Silly, do you think I’m not clean anymore, afraid that I’ll be found out if I marry there? Don’t worry, he and I are innocent. There is nothing.”

“It’s not because of that.”

Xiao Qiao came up to her ear.

“Sister, you must go. The Wei family will agree to the marriage. If you don’t go, you will have to marry. Marrying over like this, your life will be over. Besides, didn’t you have a man you like?”

Da Qiao was lost for a moment, and shook her head. “Then I can not go even more. If the Wei family agrees to the marriage, and I leave. What will happen to my family then? I am the daughter of the Qiao family, and I have to accept all of this.”

Xiao Qiao paused, exhaled secretly, raised her eyes and said, “Sister, if I tell you I want to marry Wei Shao in your place, will you be willing to fulfill me?”

Da Qiao was stunned again, staring at Xiao Qiao with wide eyes, for a long time, then said: “Man Man …… why do you think so? You and Heir Liu are in love and will be married next year, aren’t you? Besides, that Marquis Wei, I heard that he …… he ……”

She hesitated, heard ‘cruel nature, tyrannical and immoral’ and so on. She didn’t dare to say out.

“Yes, Wei Shao is not a good man,” Xiao Qiao said on her behalf, “But Sister, there are two kinds of marriage. The first, such as you, with the person you love until old age, with simple life but satisfied! But I am different from you. What I want is not the husband who painting my eyebrows in front of the mirror, but the one who could bring the status and power. I used to like Heir Liu, but now I know he is not the person I want. He is too weak, and if I marry him, even if he inherits the throne of Langya in the future, with the power of the world today, what is a mere princess of Langya? But Wei Shao is different. I expect him to be a great asset in the future. Since the two families are united in marriage, how can I let go of such an opportunity?”

Da Qiao looked at her sister, who looked like a different person, and froze for a long time before saying, “Man Man, do you think so? Is it really not for my sake?”

“Sister, on the contrary, I am asking you. I beg you to help me!”

Xiao Qiao’s tone was certain.

Da Qiao froze for a long time, and a glimmer of hope that had not been seen for a long time appeared in her eyes, but she was still not very sure, and looked at Xiao Qiao, murmuring, “Is it possible? Can I leave everything here and go? Will my father blame me? Will mother be sad ……”

“Sister!” Xiao Qiao held her hand hard. “After you leave, I will serve on your behalf of the filial parents. When time goes by, your parents will understand you, too. Besides, think about it. If you marry like this, what will happen to that person?”

Da Qiao’s face was pale, but her cheekbones were red. She closed her eyes and murmured, “I’ll think about it …… let me think about it ……”

“Sister, I’m not forcing you. Take your time to think about it.”

Xiao Qiao helped her to lie down, covered her with the blanket, blew out the lamp, and followed to lie beside her. After a while, she said: “Sister, didn’t I often have nightmares before? I didn’t tell you, but I had a dream about you and that horse slave. In the dream, you were married to someone and died early, leaving only a lonely grave in this world. He also lived alone. Do you know what he did in the end? In the end, he found your grave, raised you out of the ground and took you with him ……”

“Don’t say it anymore……”

Da Qiao murmured in a low voice, tears falling along her cheeks and seeping into the pillow.

……

Three days later, Mrs. Ding took the Two Qiaos to the Changsheng Temple to burn incense and make a wish. After burning incense and adding incense oil, she went to the back room for a nap as usual because she was tired from the long journey. But she felt that her daughter Da Qiao differed from her usual self. Her mind was heavy, and she kept clenching her hand. Even when she was lying down, she was sitting next to her.

Mrs. Ding thought little about it, she just thought her daughter was worried about the marriage with the Wei family, so she touched her hand and smiled, “Child, just now I made a wish in front of the Buddha, as long as you can get a beautiful marriage in the future, I will sacrifice my life, I think the Buddha will grant the wish, don’t worry about it anymore.”

Da Qiao held back the sadness of parting and held her mother’s hand for a long time, unwilling to let go.

……

Behind the Changsheng Temple, there is a secluded mountain path, made by the nearby woodcutters, who walk up and down the mountain every day to cut firewood.

Da Qiao, who had changed out of her fancy clothes and was dressed in coarse cloth, and the man beside her left along the trail side by side. When they walked out for a while and their figures were about to be completely swallowed by the shadows of the trees on both sides of the trail, the young man with one green eye stopped, turned around and walked back to Xiao Qiao, knelt down towards her and made a big salute.

“Lady, if there is anything you need in this life, I will give you my life!”

He said word by word.

This was the first time Xiao Qiao heard his voice. The voice was mellow and steady, and one could not help but feel a sense of trust.

He finished his salute, got up and walked towards Da Qiao, who looked back at him, and the two figures soon disappeared from Xiao Qiao’s sight.

“…… Hua Xudou once sleepwalked, the first floor of the World Rivers and Mountains ……”

Xiao Qiao back to the Changsheng Temple. Her ears faintly heard a few woodcutter singing from the depths of the forest. The voice is thick and distant, but also seems to bring some of the world’s immortal atmosphere.