The Marquis Is Innocent

Wei Shao was very busy for several days in a row. He left early and returned late. Last night, he returned early and stayed in the study alone to deal with official business. Xiao Qiao sent him snacks when he hadn’t returned to his room. After returning to his room, he told Xiao Qiao he would go to Zhuo County and back in three or two days because of unexpected events. Xiao Qiao sent Wei Shao away early in the morning and copied the scriptures in her room, as usual. Then, Wei Shao sent a private soldier back to the Wei Manor to get something. He said he had forgotten documents in the study cabinet last night and asked the lady to fetch them and let the soldier take them away.

When Xiao Qiao went to the study to send snacks, he did not eat a few bites of them, but she became his snack instead. Later in his hurry to back to his room, he probably forgot about it.

Xiao Qiao knew he should be waiting for the documents. She hurried to his study and found the documents that Wei Shao wanted in the cabinet drawer.

She turned around to go but slightly hesitated, and her steps finally stopped.

She saw a box placed in one of the cabinets.

When she first arrived at the Wei Manor, the first day she lived in this house, she inadvertently moved this box, and Wei Shao questioned her about it. Then the next day, he took it away.

At that time, she guessed that the things in this box must have a special meaning for him, so he did not even let it be touched.

Xiao Qiao’s eyes fell on the box, looked at it for a moment.

She knew she shouldn’t touch it. But her cultivation was not enough. Finally, she could not resist taking the box out of the drawer.

The box is locked. Not an ordinary lock, but a nine-grid combination lock.

The box is not heavy. The wood itself should have accounted for a large proportion of the weight. Xiao Qiao held the box, took it to her ear, and gently shook it, feeling that the inside should be similar to letters or paper.

Out of intuition, Xiao Qiao visualized the appearance of the Su girl she had met in the Zhongshan country.

In his previous life, Wei Shao had favored her for many years, and not long after Da Qiao’s death, he made her his queen.

This woman, who was two years older than Wei Shao, was a special person to Wei Shao.

Indeed, she was beautiful and charming. Even the first time she saw her, she was mesmerized.

Xiao Qiao was quite satisfied with her appearance but compared to this woman, her appearance seemed less important, not to mention her body shape. As for the charm, perhaps she will not be able to cultivate it in this life.

Let alone a man.

Xiao Qiao put the box back gently, hastily turned around and came out, and gave the documents to the soldier.

……

The next day, Yang Feng, the messenger sent by Qiao Yue and Qiao Ci, arrived in Yuyang. They were accompanied by 20 to 30 people under the banner of Yanzhou’s ruler.

Mrs. Xu took this very seriously. She sent Wei Yan out of the city to meet them. She then asked Xiao Qiao to go with him.

Xiao Qiao is excited to see her brother’s face soon. After changing into formal clothes and coming to the gate, she saw Wei Yan was already waiting with his people. A summer carriage with a canopy on the top surrounded by gauze curtains on the three sides parked at the side. The carriage decorations are gorgeous. Even the horse in front of the carriage is a divine steed with high spirit, shiny and neat hair, without half of the impurities, with nine small gold bells hanging on the neck collar. Every time the horse moved the gold bells issued a series of pleasant sounds.

In this kind of BMW carriage, only a marquis’s wife, Xiao Qiao, is qualified to ride.

Wei Yan waited a few moments but did not seem impatient, sitting on horseback calm and relaxed. When Xiao Qiao’s figure appeared from the gate, he turned off his horse and greeted her. Smiling and inviting her to board the carriage, saying: ” The news just arrived. There are less than 20 miles to go. If you follow me to the city gate, your brother will be there.”

” I’ve troubled Uncle.”

Xiao Qiao smiled faintly at him and turned to lift her skirt to board the carriage. Wei Yan ordered his attendants to escort her on the road. He got on his horse, followed Xiao Qiao’s carriage, and set off for the south city gate.

Although Xiao Qiao married Wei Shao and came to Yuyang for a period, she mostly lived in seclusion, going back and forth to the Golden Mother Hall for inscriptions in a carriage. The people of Yuyang rarely had the opportunity to see the ruler’s wife. Today, this luxury carriage from the Wei Manor caught the attention of passers-by as soon as it hit the road. Although there are three curtains, when the carriage moved, it will be swept by the wind.

The fluttering gauze curtain, in the carriage, sat a beautiful woman in a fancy dress, attracting countless eyes, spreading the word that she was Wei Manor’s lady. Passers-by are even more excited, and many people follow to the south gate. The previous scene of Xiao Qiao leaving the city in Xindu seems to happen again.

Wei Yan saw more people on both sides of the road lest they bump into Xiao Qiao, and he ordered his attendants to guard closely. He drove his horse closer, watching her back in the light curtain. Finally, they were out of the city, and the driver stopped at the side of the stone pavilion a few miles away. The pavilion was covered with a curtain on three sides, with a seating pier inside. Wei Yan asked Xiao Qiao to alight the carriage and enter the pavilion to rest, waiting for Yanzhou’s party to arrive.

Wei Yan is a meticulous person. There are two plates of freshly washed fruit, two delicate cakes, and tea in the stone pavilion. Xiao Qiao wants to see her younger brother soon and does not care to eat. She only felt thirsty and slowly drank a cup of tea. She was drinking the second cup when sees the shadow of horses and men in the distance.

She could see the Yanzhou flag, and when she got closer, she saw a red horse in front with her brother Qiao Ci sitting on it, coming in her direction.

Qiao Ci also saw Xiao Qiao waving at him from the side of the road. He was overjoyed. Immediately, he spurred his horse out of line and galloped towards his sister, and when he reached him, he flew off his horse and ran to her.

” Sister!”

“Brother!”

Xiao Qiao clutched her brother’s arm with both hands. In a burst of excitement, her chest heated up and her eyes were red. Carefully look at the brother who has been absent for more than half a year.

He had grown much taller. Before she married, he was only half a head taller than her. In the past six months, she grew a bit but he grew even faster, only slightly shorter than Wei Shao. She had to look up at him, and his shoulders were broader as if he already had the appearance of an adult.

Qiao Ci also misses his sister. He always felt the Wei family married Qiao’s daughter with ill intentions and worried his sister was abused. This time when Qiao Yue sent an emissary to the north, he followed them. He measured his sister.

Xiao Qiao is taller than last year, with gorgeous clothes and a face full of energy. Before she got married, she was an innocent and simple girl in a boudoir, but now between her eyebrows, she has added more charm than before. Qiao Ci felt that his sister seemed to look better than last year. But he could not say where does she look good. Anyway, seeing she was fine, his heart that had been hanging on was put down. Suddenly he saw her eyes seemed slightly red again and was at a loss for words, asking in a panic: ” Sister, why are you crying?”

“Your sister saw you bold than before. One against two in front of the battlefield at a young age, heroic, her heart was happy and shed tears.”

Xiao Qiao didn’t answer yet. Wei Yan comes closer, smiling at Qiao Ci.

Qiao Ci looked at Wei Yan, slightly stunned. He thought the man was Wei Shao, and then he felt it was wrong. He heard Wei Shao was in his early twenties. This man looks outstanding, but he seems a bit older. He looked at Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao quickly wiped her eyes and then laughed: “He is your brother-in-law’s cousin, Lord Wei, the Duke of Dai County, the third-ranking general of the court. He came out of the city to welcome your party by order of Grandmother.”

Qiao Ci suddenly understood. Slightly looked at Wei Yan. This person’s appearance is good, clever, and strong, but also full of smiles and a friendly attitude.

When he arrived, he prepared to be treated coldly by Wei’s family. He was surprised at this moment. He mentioned his battle outside the city of Juno with a compliment in his tone. Qiao Ci was embarrassed, but his heart inevitably felt happy. He immediately had a good impression of him. After hearing Xiao Qiao’s introduction, salute Wei Yan with respect, calling him ” Lord.”

Wei Yan smiled: “You are my sister-in-law’s brother, so you and I are like family. There is no need to be formal. Just call me cousin.”

Qiao Ci, after all, is less than sixteen. Although he grew tall, his heart is still a half-child. Seeing Wei Yan’s attitude, he is also not polite and calls him cousin Wei. They call each other brother, and once they see each other, it is like a long-forgotten friend.

Her brother had not entered the city, but he had made a warm relationship with Wei Yan. Xiao Qiao feels something wrong in her heart. Moreover, her disgust towards Wei Yan although not as strong as at the beginning, always feels this person has something. Subconsciously, she does not want her brother close to him. Of course, in this situation, she will not say anything.

Yang Feng, the Yanzhou envoy, who had been left behind by Qiao Ci, arrived with an entourage a moment later.

Xiao Qiao had met Yang Feng before. He was his uncle’s secretary, a Confucian scholar, and a famous scholar in Yanzhou. After exchanging pleasantries, Xiao Qiao boarded the carriage again, and the group, led by Wei Yan, made their way home.

On this trip, Yang Feng brought Qiao Yue’s letter with a generous gift. He offered Mrs. Xu and Mrs. Zhu a total of 1,000 pieces of silk, satin, brocade, and ten carts full of local products from Yanzhou.

The carriage was driven through the streets under the attention of the people of Yuyang. Wei Yan arranged for Yang Feng to stay at the post house, explaining that Wei Shao had to leave yesterday and would return in a few days, asking him to rest. And then he arrived at the Wei Manor with Qiao Ci.

The first thing Qiao Ci did was to visit Wei Shao’s grandmother and mother. When he arrived at the residence, he changed into formal attire after cleaning off the dust from the journey.

Xiao Qiao was waiting outside his house. She saw her brother come out looking refreshed with a new coat of broad-sleeved. His face was like a jade crown, and he had a heroic spirit. She was extremely pleased as she had a sense of pride that ‘my brother was growing up.’

Xiao Qiao personally took Qiao Ci to the north house. On the way, when the attendants of the Wei Manor saw the lady’s younger brother, they turned their heads.

Mrs. Xu and Mrs. Zhu were already in place. Wei Yan was beside her. After Qiao Ci was led in by Xiao Qiao, he bowed to Mrs. Xu and Mrs. Zhu, respectively.

Although Qiao Ci is less than sixteen and the Qiao family is declining, after all, it is an old family. The etiquette of meeting guests has been taught since childhood. After the first ritual, Qiao Ci rose. Mrs. Xu looked happy, praising him for his excellent posture. She ordered Old Zhong to give him the gift of a short sword with a magnificent cat’s eye jewel in its sheath.

Mrs. Zhu saw Qiao Ci glowing like a jade and immediately thought of her husband and eldest son who had gone. Now, the enemy family’s son has not only grown up but is also welcomed into the door as a guest. The disgust in her heart can not be described with ink. However, on such occasions and in front of Mrs. Xu, how dare she show half of her rudeness? She forced down her dislike and ordered someone to give him a gift.

Qiao Ci accepted it with both hands, thanked her again, and got up. Mrs. Xu called him to her side and asked a few questions, left him to stay here for more days, and said to Wei Yan: “Coincidentally, your second brother happens to be away from the city. These two days, Grandmother will need to assign you on behalf of your second brother to take him out for a stroll. Although our north is not as beautiful as the south but has some of the majestic scenery.”

Wei Yan laughed: “No need for Grandmother to order. I will naturally be at your service.”