The Marquis Is Innocent

Wei Shao had left. Wei Yan stayed on the ground in the wilderness like a dying man.

He used all his strength to knock down Wei Shao. Wei Shao also did the same. He did not hold back his hand.

His nose continued bleeding out. He did not move, allowing the warm column of blood to flow down his face, gradually seeping into the mud under his head.

It had not rained for half a month, and the mud was dry.

The smell of blood filled Wei Yan’s nostrils. But those smells made him feel a kind of pleasure.

He did not know how long he lay, but suddenly, from the far side of the wilderness, a line of seven or eight people dressed in Han clothes ran in his direction. When they got close, the leader ran to Wei Yan’s side, helped him up, and stopped his bleeding.

Wei Yan pushed the visitor away. He stood from the ground like a drunken man, stumbled, and headed forward.

“Young master!”

Huyan Lie knelt behind him. The seven or eight Xiongnu warriors with him also knelt and called out to him in unison.

As if Wei Yan did not hear him, he continued to stagger forward.

Huyan Lie got up from the ground and chased after him.

“Young master! Wei Shao already has a rift with you! Is the young master willing to be restrained by him for a lifetime? Young master does not remember the blood of father and son?”

Wei Yan slowly stopped in his tracks.

Under the dull moonlight, his back froze into a stone statue. Suddenly, he turned around and roared, like a raging lion, swinging his fist towards Huyan Lie.

Huyen Li was knocked to the ground by his fist. Climbing up and said: “Young master is of noble lineage, but now it is just a pearl in a clam. Sooner or later, the world will know ……”

Wei Yan once again swung a heavy punch toward Huyan Lie’s chest.

Huyan Lie fell again and spat out blood from his mouth. He groaned and struggled to get up from the ground for the third time, saying, “Once the young master returns, building a successful career is just around the corner ……”

Wei Yan’s eyes were bloodshot and fierce. He pulled out Huyan Lie’s belt knife and brought it down on his head.

Huyan Lie did not have any fear: “When I fell into Wei Shao’s hands on the banks of the Sangan River, if not for the young master’s kindness to save, Huyan Lie has long been buried under the river, how can I stand here today? The Huyan family vowed to be loyal to King Rizhu. The young master killed me, Huyan Lie is willing to die!”

“Young master!”

The line of Xiongnu warriors behind him surrounded Wei Yan and knelt in unison.

The knife was on the top of Huyan Lie’s head. The moonlight reflected a cold white light like water on the knife.

Wei Yan gasped for breath. His eyes reflected the light of the knife, both shoulders trembling slightly, and his throat slowly rattling, ‘puke’ spit out a mouthful of blood.

“Young master–”

Huyen Lie was shocked and hurriedly went forward to help. At that moment, his body stopped. He saw a few dozen paces away, a man was standing. He was tall and slender. Moonlight cast his figure to the ground. He did not move and did not know when he came without a trace.

The man suddenly took a step, striding over. As he approached, the moonlight illuminated a face Huyan Lie could carve out with his eyes closed.

“Wei Shao!”

He cried out in alarm, and the Xiongnu warriors on the ground immediately rose, swords drawn and lined up in front of them, ready to strike.

Wei Shao walked seven or eight paces away and stopped, his eyes cast to Wei Yan.

Wei Yan slowly straightened up and looked at Wei Shao across the line of Xiongnu warriors in front of him.

The two of them look at each other.

The wind blew the grass beneath his feet and crumpled to the ground. There was the sound of Huyan Lie’s heavy breathing in his ears. In the silence, only the sound of the night wind blowing over the mountains.

After a long time, Wei Shao said, “When did you and the Xiongnu people start to communicate?”

His voice did not carry the slightest hint of anger. His voice was calm like he was asking about a small matter.

Wei Yan tilted his head, facing the deep blue night sky, took a long breath of the cool autumn night air outside of Yuyang City, and closed his eyes.

“I will go to see Grandmother and give her an explanation.”

He violently threw the knife in his hand, opened his eyes, his expression had returned to calm, and stepped away.

“Young master!”

Hu Yan Lie shouted at Wei Yan’s back and saw he did not turn back. He looked again warily at Wei Shao and finally backed away. He withdrew a dozen steps and led the Xiongnu warriors away, his figure disappearing into the night wilderness.

Wei Shao turned his head, staring at Wei Yan’s departing back, and suddenly ran after him, pulling him by the collar from behind.

“What do you want to tell? Explain your secret dealings with the Xiongnu people? Are you trying to kill Grandmother?”

Wei Shao gritted his teeth and said.

Wei Yan’s body froze and turning his head.

“Even though you can ignore my offense, I have no place to be. Grandmother is benevolent and wise. Leave everything to her decision.”

He looked as miserable as the stringed moon above the night sky.

Wei Shao’s face turned blue. He clenched his teeth and fiercely gripped his hand, which was wrapped in gauze, and with a heavy blow, he knocked Wei Yan down to the ground.

“Unless I die, you will not be able to barge in front of my grandmother and talk nonsense! I will not allow you to have second thoughts!”

Wei Shao said.

……

Wei Shao did not return.

In the middle of the night, Xiao Qiao sent someone to check on him in the east house. There was nothing unusual, and the lights were out in the east house. The master could not have stayed there at this time.

Xiao Qiao tossed and turned in bed alone, wondering what had happened after he sent Mrs. Zhu back to the east house and how he had stayed out all night.

She felt distracted. The next day, she got up early and sent someone to the government office. But Wei Shao hadn’t been to the government office last night either.

Today Qiao Ci and the others go back to Yanzhou. Wei Shao didn’t return, and she didn’t know where he had gone. Xiao Qiao had no choice but to pack up and call Qiao Ci to come over and lead him to the north house to say goodbye to Mrs. Xu.

When she took Qiao Ci inside, she thought Mrs. Xu might know where Wei Shao had gone last night.

But Mrs. Xu wasn’t sure of his whereabouts either. She didn’t see Wei Shao walking with her and asked Xiao Qiao. Xiao Qiao told her how last night Mrs. Zhu came to the room, Wei Shao sent her back to the east room, and then never returned.

Mrs. Xu asked, “Did you check the government office this morning?”

“I sent someone. He came back and said my husband was not there. He was not there last night either.”

Mrs. Xu pondered, then looked at Qiao Ci and said with a smile, “Today, you return to Yanzhou. Your brother-in-law should send you off. I think there was a reason why he hadn’t returned by now. I’ll send someone to look for him again.”

Qiao Ci said, “My brother-in-law must have had some important business to attend to, and that’s why he hasn’t returned. This time I have come to disturb you a lot. I am very grateful to Grandmother, brother-in-law, cousin, and others for their kindness. Last night, I was honored to have General Li and others practice. This morning, my brother-in-law has something to do, no need for him to see us off.”

Mrs. Xu asked Xiao Qiao to stay with him for a while. When Xiao Qiao took Qiao Ci away, she sent someone to ask Mrs. Zhu and Gongsun Yang separately.

Mrs. Zhu soon came to the north house, saying last night she heard her son return with a bruised face. She was worried and went over to have a look, then her son sent her back to the east house, and he left after she arrived. She did not know what had happened again to make him stay away all night.

As she spoke, she was somewhat afraid to meet Mrs. Xu’s gaze and kept her head down.

Mrs. Xu looked at her for a moment and let her go.

The man who went to ask Gongsun Yang also returned. He said he hadn’t seen Marquis after he left his seat last evening. The government office also did not have any urgent and unexpected new reports.

When Mrs. Xu was alone and pondering, a servant came in and said with a happy face that the master had returned and was on his way to the old madam.

Mrs. Xu sighed with relief. Within a few moments, she heard familiar footsteps approaching, and a figure entered the room. None other than Wei Shao entered and saluted Mrs. Xu.

Mrs. Xu hurriedly asked him to get up. When she looked at him, she saw his face scarred, as Mrs. Zhu had said, and could not help but ask questions.

Wei Shao smiled, “I was very drunk last night and accidentally fell off my horse and bruised myself. It’s just a small flesh wound, so don’t worry about it, grandmother.”

Mrs. Xu was suspicious, but when she saw he was not telling the truth, she stopped asking about it. She asked him where he had been last night.

Wei Shao said: “Yesterday, I was busy during the day. There were many guests. I remembered something pending at the government office, and I wanted to go over there to deal with it first. I met an old friend on the way, who was kind enough to invite me, so I went to drink a few glasses of wine and got drunk. I returned this morning. It’s my fault for causing grandmother to worry.”

Mrs. Xu glanced at him and nodded: “Your brother-in-law is leaving today. You should go and send him off. When he came, you have not welcomed him, so you should send him off.”

Wei Shao answered, got up, and left. Mrs. Xu looked at his back and said, “How come your cousin didn’t show up yesterday? I heard he did not return last night. He and Mr. Qiao have always got along well. Why didn’t he come to send him off today? Where did he go, do you know?”

Wei Shao hesitated slightly, then stopped, turned around, and laughed: “Last night was a mistake to drink. I fell on my face and forgot to report this to Grandmother. My brother ran to Dai County last night. Because he was afraid of disturbing grandmother’s rest, he did not come to say goodbye and asked me to apologize to him when I saw grandmother.”

Mrs. Xu said with concern, “What happened in Dai County? Is it important?”

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing serious. It’s just something he has to deal with personally.” Wei Shao said.

Mrs. Xu pondered and smiled, “It’s about time. You should go first.”

Wei Shao respectfully replied, turned around, and quickly left.

……

Xiao Qiao waited left and right, but could not wait for Wei Shao to return. The time was not early. She could no longer ask Qiao Ci and his party to wait in vain. They loaded up and were ready to go. Before leaving, they informed Wei Shao had returned. Sure enough, a moment later, his figure appeared in a hurry. She hurriedly welcomed him into the room and served him to change clothes for the trip.

Xiao Qiao helped him get dressed and saw him standing there, silent and cold as if he had fallen into some unknown world. It was a far cry from last night when he was intimate and loving with her before he went out.

Because of the previous experience, this time she did not disturb him. When he tied his belt, she asked softly: “What happened to you last night? You left and didn’t return all night. I have been worried all night.”

After she asked, she lifted her bright eyes to look at him. Wei Shao, as if his soul had returned to his seven senses, gave a sound, lowered his head to meet her gaze, and after a pause, said, “Nothing important.” The tone of his voice was still cold.

When Xiao Qiao saw his appearance, she knew he did not want to talk to her. She didn’t ask any more questions. After serving him, she went out with him. When she reached the door, Wei Shao suddenly stopped, turned around, reached over to her and hugged her, then let go and said in a somewhat apologetic tone, “I made you worry last night. I’ll send your brother out of town.”

Xiao Qiao smiled faintly and said, “Thank you very much, husband. Sorry for bothering you.”