The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 50
Tonight, I went out to admire the moon, but never expected events to take such an unexpected turn. Now, there was no chance of returning home. If they were to go to the capital, they could only first borrow some travel funds and clothing from the Prince Mansion.
After thanking Madam Zhou, Xie Shao turned and motioned for his wife to follow. The group went together with the serving women toward the rear courtyard’s side rooms.
As they passed through the long corridor, they could still see the fire glow outside.
After the Deputy Commander Xie’s troops had surrounded the mansion, he began to shout toward those inside, his voice carrying through the night, “Since Wangye dared harbor rebellious intentions, he should have anticipated this day. As a subject, one must know one’s place and not contend against fate. Wangye has now been stopped outside the city; he will soon be expelled from his fief and escorted back to the capital. I advise Jing Wangfei not to persist in futile resistance and commit irreparable errors. Open the gates at once and surrender without resistance!”
In the early years, when Wangye followed His Majesty on campaigns across the land, Madam Zhou had accompanied him at his side. At that time, she was the Zhou family’s eldest daughter-in-law, and everyone addressed her simply as “Madam.”
Later, when His Majesty ascended the throne, and Wangye was stationed on the frontier, Madam Zhou still accompanied him, coming and going through wind and rain alike until her face grew tanned, hardly resembling the elegant and pampered Wangfei she was meant to be.
Even Madam Zhou herself would joke, “Don’t let me disgrace the title of Wangfei of Great Feng, just call me Madam Zhou.”
And so, even after they arrived in Fengcheng, no one ever changed the way they addressed her.
Today, it was rare indeed to hear someone call her Jing Wangfei.
If they truly intended to act, there was no need for all this shouting. Madam Zhou turned a deaf ear and went first to prepare clothing for Wangye and for Xie Shao.
Unable to hold back, Zhou Kuang turned and strode toward the main gate. Relying on his booming voice, he cursed loudly, “You’re nothing but a pack of traitors, betraying your master for glory! How dare you spout such insolence! Deputy Commander Xie’s wife is a guest in our Prince Mansion tonight. I advise all of you not to disturb her…”
The farther they went toward the rear courtyard, the more distant his voice became.
Wen Shuse glanced back, then followed closely behind Xie Shao. The serving servant led the two of them to the door of a guest room and bowed. “Young Master and Madam, please rest here for a moment. This servant will go prepare water.”
Xie Shao nodded and pushed the door open.
They entered, and the door closed again behind them. At last, there was a brief moment of quiet.
He lifted his gaze to look at the young lady before him. Her complexion was paler than usual; a loose strand of hair had somehow come free at her temple and was clinging to her cheek. Perhaps she had brushed it aside with her hand, leaving a smudge of blood on one side of her face.
Every time he returned from duty, she was always immaculate. Seeing her in such a disheveled state today made something unfamiliar ache in his heart. He could not help reaching out, gently lifting the strand of hair stuck to her face with his fingertips, and asked softly, “Are you frightened?”
From the moment she heard that Deputy Commander Xie intended to rebel, Wen Shuse’s heart had been clenched tight all night.
Even though she and Xie Shao had taken the Eldest Madam hostage and brought her to the Prince Mansion to pledge their allegiance, at the end of the day, they were still members of the Xie family.
Shizi Zhou might be willing to trust them out of brotherly affection for Xie Shao, but she dared not guess what Madam Zhou truly thought.
She had not expected Madam Zhou to be so straightforward. Things had gone far more smoothly than she had imagined. As for the fate of the Xie family in the days to come, she couldn’t predict it, but at least the heavy stone pressing on her heart had finally lifted.
The moment she entered the room, her tension collapsed, and her legs went weak. When she thought again of how she had held a blade to someone’s throat, her hands began to tremble.
When her husband’s hand reached out, she didn’t even think about avoiding it, letting him brush aside the loose strands of hair and tuck them behind her ear.
Facing the threat of having one’s entire clan executed, how could she not be frightened?
Tonight had truly pushed her to her limits. She lifted her head and said to her husband before her, “Whether you believe me or not, I have never hurt anyone in my life. I’ve never even held a blade. Tonight was the first time…”
Before she could finish, she suddenly met his gentle gaze.
Earlier, she had still been able to sit calmly in the front hall and face Madam Zhou with composure, but under this look of his, she finally could not hold herself together. As her last words fell, her voice trembled.
Afraid he might laugh at her, she hurriedly turned her head away. Just as she did, her arm was caught, her husband grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him. As if guessing what was about to happen, the young lady hesitated, her steps faltering for a brief moment.
His arms tightened a little, and in the end, he pulled her fully into his embrace, holding her as he said softly, “Mm. My wife did very well.”
Once she was wrapped in those arms, she finally had somewhere to lean, somewhere she could feel safe. A warmth surged in her chest, and the defenses she had forced herself to hold all night completely collapsed, giving way to the helplessness and fear that had been building within her. Tears spun in her eyes before spilling down her cheeks, scalding hot as they fell. Held tightly in his embrace, she couldn’t raise her hands to wipe them away. As her vision blurred beyond recognition, she pressed her face against his shoulder, letting her tears soak into his robe.
Her husband remained still, letting her wipe her tears against his shoulder and cry her fill.
After the crying passed, the panic in her heart slowly settled. She knew the situation was still dire and that they couldn’t afford to linger. Wen Shuse tried to straighten up, but the moment she moved, his arms tightened again, as if unwilling to let her go.
Wen Shuse stiffened, her cheeks flushing crimson almost instantly. Earlier, holding her hand, even hugging her, could all be explained as comfort between companions facing hardship together.
But this… this felt different, as though there was intention behind it now.
Her heart thudded wildly in her chest, her face burning so hot she could hardly bear it. She didn’t dare move, not knowing what to do, when there came two light knocks at the door. A servant woman announced herself and came in to deliver water.
Startled, Wen Shuse hurriedly pushed him away. Xie Shao released her just in time.
The servant came in, set the basin onto the wooden stand, and quietly withdrew.
Silence fell over the room again, and the atmosphere grew somewhat awkward. But Wen Shuse had never been one to linger in discomfort. Setting aside his earlier boldness, she turned to more pressing matters. “Are you truly planning to go to the Eastern Capital?”
Even if Madam Zhou was willing to trust the second branch of the Xie family, their safety was only temporary at best. Once the news spread, let alone the Emperor, every official at court and people across the empire would unite in condemning the Xie family.
In the eyes of the world, members of the same clan were bound together in glory and in ruin. There would be no distinction between the first and second branches. When the time came, the entire nine degrees of kinship would be hunted down and executed without mercy.
Thus, their only hope now, as Xie Shao had said, was to travel with Wangye to the Eastern Capital and personally seek an audience with the emperor, to tell him the truth.
Though Deputy Commander Xie’s betrayal of his master was unforgivable, the root of it all lay in the imperial edict he possessed. Only once the full truth was uncovered could the Xie family be spared.
But once he left, what would become of her? Deputy Commander Xie’s proclaimed purpose was to capture the rebel Jing Wang. The Wen family had committed no crime or wrongdoing. There was no reason to target her family, and likely wouldn’t have the means to do so anyway.
But she was different.
Together with Xie Shao, she had wielded a blade against the Eldest Madam, marking herself as a fellow ‘rebel.’ Now that her accomplice was about to leave, wouldn’t she know that meant she alone would be left to face everything?
As if seeing through her worries, Xie Shao said, “You can rest easy and stay in the Prince Mansion. Madam Zhou and Shizi will keep you safe.”
From Fengcheng to Eastern Capital, even riding day and night without food or rest, it would still take five or six days at best. And the two of them, making their way there, would face countless hardships. They would be little more than moving targets.
They hadn’t even set out yet, and already she could imagine the anxiety of waiting day after day, night after night.
She had never been a patient person. When she was young, if her elder brother made her wait for even half a stick of incense, she would be tempted to skin him alive. To have her stay in the Prince Mansion, blind and helpless, simply waiting for the end to come? She couldn’t do it.
The Eastern Capital…
Aunt Qing would not return for some time yet.
A thought suddenly stirred in Wen Shuse’s mind. She turned her head and asked him, “Then when will you come back, Husband?”
“Soon,” he replied. Seeing that she still hadn’t moved, Xie Shao stepped forward and took her hand. Once was new, twice was familiar, now holding her hand in his palm felt as natural as could be.
The young lady, however, was still lost in her thoughts.
He led her to the wooden stand, lifted her hand, and gently rolled up two or three layers of her sleeve. The thin gauze fell back, revealing a stretch of fair, delicate wrist. He held both of her hands and lowered them together into the water. “Wash your hands first.”
The water in the basin rippled, and only then did Wen Shuse come back to herself.
He was already lightly rubbing away the blood between her fingers. Noticing her attempt to pull her hand back, he tightened his grip and drew it in again, saying calmly, “If you find it hard to stay here, you can bring your father and Wen Huai over, or go back to the Wen family instead.”
The deputy commander’s men had seen them enter the Prince Mansion earlier; they would not be suspicious. As long as she stayed inside the mansion and did not go out, there would be no problem.
Wen Shuse barely took in his words. Her gaze remained fixed, dazed, on the five fingers he was washing bit by bit in the basin. That warmth which had surfaced again and again in her heart throughout the night welled up once more.
Even in childhood, neither her father nor her elder brother had ever washed her hands like this.
Aside from her mother and the nannies who had cared for her, he was the first.
Touched by his gesture and surprised that a young master raised in such privilege knew how to care for others, she tilted her head slightly out of curiosity and stole a glance at his profile.
The whole night had been chaos—soldiers, danger, a hair’s breadth from death, knives drawn across throats—yet he still looked immaculate, his robes neat, his hair not a strand out of place.
Though such thoughts were hardly appropriate at a moment like this, she could not deny it. He was truly good-looking.
She couldn’t help looking twice.
Suddenly, he turned his head toward her. Flustered, she quickly averted her eyes and hurriedly responded, “Oh, I just think Husband should bring more men with him. Zhongzhou will be fine, but once you reach Eastern Capital, the Crown Prince surely won’t let you leave easily. At a critical moment, even having a young lady by your side could be useful.”
Xie Shao glanced at her in surprise.
He could hear exactly what she was implying and cut it off without hesitation. “Impossible. Stay obediently in the mansion and wait for me to return.”
Her hope fell flat. The young lady stiffened, then forced a stubborn tone. “I didn’t say anything. Look how anxious you are.” Pretending ignorance, she asked back, “Does Husband think I want to follow you to Eastern Capital?” Then, as if a sudden idea had struck her, she added. “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I really wouldn’t have thought of that.”
Then she added, “If Husband takes me along, I can keep watch for you or even help divert attention, too.”
He ignored her, wrung out the cloth in the basin, and pulled her toward him.
The young lady tipped her chin up, watching him warily. “A great man shouldn’t fuss over small things, I know, but Husband has already held my hand and embraced me tonight. There’s truly no need to embrace me a second time. I’m not scared anymore. After a night like this, I count as someone who’s seen the world. Even if I witness another killing, I won’t even blink.”
Her little schemes were loud and clear, but the man before her was completely unmoved. Whatever she said, it made no difference, he wasn’t going to take her along.
Wen Shuse: …
That really took the fun out of it.
After crying, the young lady’s eyes were swollen and red, her makeup slightly smudged. When he reached out again to pull her closer, the cloth in his hand had just touched her stained cheek when she snatched it away, roughly wiped her face herself, dropped the cloth back into the basin, and said, “Then I’ll go back to the Wen Mansion.”
“Be careful on the road, Husband.” She suddenly remembered something. “Do you have any silver on you?”
Xie Shao: …
The only twenty taels of salary he’d had last time hadn’t even warmed in his pocket before he handed it all to her.
He thought she might be carrying some money and would give him a bit before leaving, but instead she frowned and said, “I don’t have any either. I only came out after bathing tonight. You can ask Shizi for some later, and we’ll pay him back next time.”
Once she decided to leave, she really meant it. She didn’t even see him off. Before Xie Shao could set out, she went to find Zhou Kuang, who led her to the secret passage entrance.
On the way, she asked Zhou Kuang, “Shizi, do you have any silver on you? My husband and I both went out today without bringing any money. He was planning to borrow some from you.”
Zhou Kuang froze, caught off guard.
Last time he invited Xie Shao out for a drink, he’d already emptied his pockets, but that was fine. “Don’t worry, Sister-in-law. My mother will find a way to handle the travel funds.”
“Forget it. My husband is thin-skinned. He might bring himself to ask you, but he would never take silver from Madam Zhou. How about this: after I return to the Wen Mansion, I’ll have my brother send some over to him. If it’s late, please have him wait a little while.”
Xie Shao did indeed care about his pride.
The exit of the Prince Mansion secret passage was extremely well-concealed, emerging inside a teahouse manned by their own people, so there was no fear of exposure. Zhou Kuang nodded. “Alright, Sister-in-law, please try to be quick.”
Escorted by two guards, Wen Shuse turned and plunged into the tunnel, running forward with all her strength.
—
That night, Second Master Wen had just finished bathing and was lying in bed, nearly asleep, when he suddenly heard a disturbance outside and snapped his eyes open instantly.
Ever since becoming a magistrate, he’d grown extremely alert. He hurriedly threw on a robe and got up, asking the servant beside him what had happened.
The servant went out to inquire and soon returned, flustered, reporting, “Deputy Commander Xie has closed the city gates, trapped Wangye outside, and even sent troops to surround the Prince Mansion.”
Second Master Wen was startled. “What for?”
The servant shook his head. “This servant doesn’t know either.”
Whatever the reason, once things had come to this, wasn’t it outright betrayal of one’s master—open rebellion?
Second Master Wen was badly shaken. He stood there for a long while without coming back to himself. Had Deputy Commander Xie been kicked in the head by a donkey? Did he want to die himself and drag the entire Xie family to the chopping block with him?
Thinking of his own daughter still at the Xie Mansion, Second Master Wen immediately panicked like an ant on a hot pan. Just as he was ordering a servant to fetch a horse so he could go out and find out what was happening, he suddenly heard a sound coming from the small side gate by the left wall.
He halted mid-step and turned to stare, watching in mounting shock as bricks at the corner of the wall were pried loose one by one from the outside.
Before he could fully process it, a head poked in from outside, followed by a body.
When the person finally straightened up, he could see clearly. It was none other than the daughter he’d been worrying about. He silently thanked the Bodhisattva and blurted out in astonishment, “How did you come back?”
Wen Shuse didn’t have time to explain. Cutting straight to the point, she said, “Father, lend me some silver.”
Second Master Wen froze. “What silver do I have left? More importantly, how are things at the Xie family? Has Deputy Commander Xie lost his mind? How could he dare betray his master? And since you’re back, what about your husband? Did he join the rebellion, too?”
Wen Shuse truly had no time to answer him. She hurried past his side, her steps charging straight into the inner room.
Second Master Wen followed close behind, still rambling anxiously, “Rebellion means losing your head! A mere deputy commander going up against Wangye. Isn’t that like an egg smashing a rock, overestimating himself? You must persuade your husband, don’t let him make a foolish mistake…”
Suddenly, he saw Wen Shuse heading straight for the head of his bed.
His heart leaped. He lunged forward, nearly throwing himself onto the bed, but it was still too late. He turned and glared at the young lady clutching his pillow, his expression changing as he ground his teeth. “You can’t touch that.”
“I’m out of ready silver. I’m borrowing some from Father. I’ll pay you back when I return.”
Out of ready silver? She was slippery as ever. He rushed to stop her. “You spendthrift, put that down. That’s what I saved for your elder brother to take a wife!”
“Brother hasn’t even been betrothed yet. When he is, I’ll pay it back to him with interest.” Wen Shuse turned and rummaged through the room for a cloth bundle. She flipped the pillow over, grabbed the scissors beside it, and with one snip cut it open. Inside were stacks of brand-new silver notes.
And not even Fengcheng notes, but drafts from money houses in the Eastern Capital.
Wen Shuse froze. She lifted her head and looked at the old man in front of her, whose face had gone pale, and couldn’t help exclaiming, “You old fox.”
When had he gone to the Eastern Capital?
“Put that down,” Second Master Wen hurried forward anxiously. “Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been hiding money yourself. You might fool others, but you can’t fool your own father. You tell me first, where has all your money gone?”