The Prisoner of Beauty Episode 6 Recap
> The Prisoner of Beauty Recap
In the midst of a heavy rain, Wei Shao carried Xiao Qiao back into the city, holding her tightly as she remained unconscious. Xiaotao, who was struggling to get up, angrily chastised Wei Liang, accusing him of lacking humanity. Wei Liang instinctively offered his cloak to shield her from the wind and rain, but Xiaotao rejected his gesture, calling it insincere. Xiao Qiao stirred awake, catching a glimpse of Wei Shao nearby before closing her eyes again.
Later, her maids rushed in with warming items. Gongsun Yang expressed his concern to Wei Shao, deeming it utterly absurd that Xiao Qiao had been left outside the city for several days, exposed to the elements. He warned that if word got out, it would severely damage Wei Shao's reputation. Wei Shao's expression shifted slightly. After a medical check-up, Xiao Qiao was deemed to be out of danger and gradually regained full consciousness.
Xiaozao and the other maids informed her that a woman named Zheng Chuyu had arranged for Xiao Qiao to stay in a side chamber. When Wei Shao entered to check on her, Xiao Qiao showed no resentment. Instead, she expressed understanding for the difficulties he must have faced recently, and she inquired about the location of the side chamber. She then began to cough incessantly, appearing frail and unsteady, deliberately exaggerating her symptoms.
Seeing her condition, Wei Shao immediately insisted that she remain in the main chamber. Xiao Qiao, in reality, was not as gravely ill as she appeared; she feigned severe sickness to secure her position and avoid being relegated to a side chamber, which would undermine her status after having been left outside for days. Zheng Chuyu, driven by jealousy, had intentionally arranged for Xiao Qiao to stay in the distant side chamber.
However, to her surprise, it was Wei Shao who ended up residing there that night. The next morning, when Zheng Chuyu came to deliver clothes, she discovered that the two had swapped rooms. Furious, she immediately went to her aunt, inciting her anger by portraying Xiao Qiao as arrogant and disrespectful, leading her aunt to believe Xiao Qiao was mistreating her son. Wei Shao began the construction of the Yongning Canal, a project of great strategic importance.
He deployed three thousand elite troops to Panyi to protect it from covetous eyes and to intimidate Yanzhou. Gongsun Yang, however, objected, fearing that the troop deployment would make the Qiao family uneasy and complicate Wei Shao's relationship with Xiao Qiao. Wei Shao remained resolute, stating that he had already made it clear to Xiao Qiao during their marriage that she was to be a Wei family woman, no longer a Qiao.
He declared that he could not afford to worry about such matters at the moment. Upon his return, Wei Shao found Xiao Qiao still in the main chamber and entered to urge her to move. Xiao Qiao immediately began to feign a coughing fit once more, pretending to bravely prepare her belongings for the side chamber. Wei Shao, seeing her persistent coughing and her determination to move, felt a pang of reluctance.
He conceded, allowing her to stay one more day, with the understanding that she would move out the next day. However, once he stepped outside, the coughing ceased, and Wei Shao realized he had been tricked. He merely let out a wry chuckle and left, choosing not to confront her. Wei Dian once again pressed Wei Shao to take a concubine to ensure the continuation of the family line, even recommending one of his own relatives.
He asserted that Wei Shao's marriage to Xiao Qiao was purely for political gain, devoid of any affection, and thus unlikely to produce an heir. Other clan members also stepped forward to suggest potential candidates. Wei Shao, however, publicly announced that he and Xiao Qiao had developed deep affection over time, praising her courage and grace as fitting for the title of Lady of Wei.
Gongsun Yang and others quickly chimed in, extolling their profound relationship and even mentioning Wei Shao's selfless act of moving to the side chamber for Xiao Qiao's sake. Wei Dian recognized that Wei Shao was simply using these excuses to reject his recommendations and grew increasingly displeased. Wei Shao assigned more servants to attend to Xiao Qiao, while also moving his personal belongings to the side chamber.
Chunniang believed Xiao Qiao's hardships were finally over, but Xiao Qiao herself harbored suspicions, knowing not to simply follow others' opinions. Meanwhile, Xiaotao was busy in the city, intent on using Xiao Qiao's dowry to start a business and ensure her Lady's future well-being. Following Wei Shao's deployment of troops to Panyi, Liu Shan began to regret not having encouraged Liu Yan to show more interest in Xiao Qiao, which could have secured Panyi for them.
Now, reclaiming Panyi seemed far more difficult. Liu Yan proposed reinforcing the troops at Xiaogang to pressure Panyi, and Liu Shan promptly agreed, swiftly moving to make the necessary arrangements. A letter arrived from Yanzhou, urging Xiao Qiao to conceive an heir with Wei Shao quickly and appealing to Wei Shao to abandon his designs on Yanzhou. Xiao Qiao, reading the letter, understood that the situation was far more complex than a simple letter could resolve.
In the study, various officials surrounded Wei Shao, once again advocating for him to take a concubine. They expressed doubts about Xiao Qiao's suitability to bear him an heir and continue the Wei lineage. Wei Shao angrily rebuked them, praising Xiao Qiao's composure and bravery, and strictly forbade any further discussion of concubinage. Just then, Xiao Qiao arrived with a bowl of red bean soup and overheard his words.
As she turned to leave, she encountered Xiaotan, who promptly announced her presence to Wei Shao. To publicly demonstrate his affection for Xiao Qiao, Wei Shao personally went to greet her. He took her hand and led her into the study, a place typically forbidden to women. Gongsun Yang led the officials in bowing to Xiao Qiao. Wei Shao then publicly draped his own cloak over Xiao Qiao, prompting the other officials to discreetly withdraw.
Xiao Qiao remained somewhat bewildered by the display. After everyone had dispersed, Xiao Qiao explained that her unexpected visit was to thank Wei Shao for his recent care. She informed him that she had fully recovered and invited him to return to their main chamber for the night. Wei Shao simply responded with a terse "Understood." That evening, as Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao walked back together, the path outside was wet from the rain.
Wei Shao effortlessly picked up Xiao Qiao and carried her over a puddle, bringing a smile to her face. She had expected to move to the side chamber that day but was surprised that Wei Shao was the one who went there instead, causing her cheeks to blush. Xiaotao playfully remarked that Wei Shao had grown accustomed to carrying Xiao Qiao.
Xiao Qiao, feeling a bit shy, then realized that Wei Shao had also carried her all the way into the city that day when she had a high fever. She understood that she had misunderstood him and that leaving her outside the city was never his intention, yet she had inadvertently made him stay in the side chamber for so long.
At that moment, Xiaotan arrived with a selection of plain fabrics, which Wei Shao had thoughtfully provided, knowing Xiao Qiao was still in mourning. The next morning, Xiao Qiao specifically brought clothes for Wei Shao. However, he took the cloak from her and draped it over her shoulders instead, telling her to simply take good care of herself. After Wei Shao left, Xiao Qiao entered the side chamber and found it indeed quite sparsely furnished.
The maids outside the door were gossiping about Xiao Qiao, but Xiaotao quickly chased them away. Feeling a desire to reciprocate Wei Shao's kindness, Xiao Qiao initially intended to have her own people clean his room. But recalling the maids who spoke ill of her behind her back, she changed her mind and ordered those very maids to return and clean the room. Xiaotao secretly sought out Wei Liang to inquire about Wei Shao's habits after military training.
Wei Liang, confused by her questions, consulted Wei Qu and others about why a woman would ask about his daily life. Wei Qu jovially suggested that the woman might have fallen for him, making Wei Liang happy as he believed Xiaotao was interested in him. In reality, Xiaotao was gathering information on Wei Shao's preferences for Xiao Qiao.
When Wei Shao returned to find his room meticulously tidied and rearranged, and learned that Xiao Qiao had personally overseen the decorations, he was touched. He immediately instructed Xiaotan to inform Xiao Qiao that he would take her to meet his grandmother the following day. The next morning, a visibly nervous Xiao Qiao went to find Wei Shao. As Wei Shao walked quickly, Xiao Qiao had to jog to keep up, breathless.
She called out to him, explaining that her short legs and long formal dress made her slower. Wei Shao, though feigning annoyance, told her to walk ahead, boasting that he could catch up even if he left an incense stick of time later. Yet, as soon as Xiao Qiao disappeared through the main gate, he quickly ran to follow her.
