My wife, Wei Gui, was 1.9 meters tall and fought against the Tang dynasty for the throne.

Li Ju remained silent for a moment.

"Because your surname is Wei," he said.

Wei Feng's brow twitched slightly.

"Someone from the Wei family helped me with Li Zixiong's matter," Li Ju said vaguely, but the meaning was clear. "I owed the Wei family a favor. I've repaid it this time."

Wei Feng looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Steward Li, how old are you this year?"

"sixteen."

"Sixteen years old." Wei Feng read it aloud, then shook his head. "Sixteen years old, an eighth-rank official, daring to arm wrestle with Li Zixiong. At your age, I was still reciting lessons in the clan school."

Li Ju did not respond.

Wei Feng stood up, walked to the desk, and looked at the spread-out documents and maps. The routes of the Grand Canal, the allocation of grain and fodder, and the distribution of granaries were all meticulously detailed.

"Steward Li, what you've done," Wei Feng said, pointing to the map, "isn't it more than just for the sake of the Grand Canal transport?"

Li Ju looked at him but did not answer.

Wei Feng did not press further.

He turned around and cupped his hands to Li Ju, this time with solemnity and respect.

"Sir Li, I will remember your kindness today. If there is anything I can do to help you in the future, I will do my best without hesitation."

Li Ju returned the greeting: "Commander Wei, you flatter me. We are of the same ilk, and we should support each other."

Wei Feng nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave the duty room.

Wang Yu watched his figure disappear into the night, then turned to Li Ju and said, "Master, this man is good. He repays kindness promptly and doesn't mince words."

Li Ju sat down again and picked up his pen.

"It's good," he said.

Du Chen didn't look up from beginning to end, focusing solely on calculating accounts. Only after Wei Feng left did he say, "Master, you saved him not just because of the Wei family, right?"

Li Ju paused for a moment.

"Wei Feng is Wei Kuangbo's nephew," he said. "The Wei family doesn't have deep roots in the army, and Wei Feng is one of the few who can fight. He'll come in handy in the future."

Du Chen grunted in agreement and continued calculating the accounts.

Wang Yu leaned against the door and chuckled.

"Master, I'm truly impressed by your brain."

Li Ju ignored him.

Outside the window, the moon is very round.

He lowered his head and continued reviewing documents.

It was late at night.

Li Ju was the only one left in the duty room. Du Chen was gone, and Wang Yu was gone too. The candlelight flickered, casting an eerie glow on the walls.

He took out the letter from his bosom—Wei Gui's reply.

The letter was very short.

To Huai Run:

Despite the pressure from my clan, I remain unharmed. The innocent are innocent, there's no need to argue.

The canal transport work is arduous; please prioritize your health and avoid overexertion.

I only wish you peace and await your return.

Li Ju looked at the last two sentences and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"May you be well, and may you return."

He folded the letter and put it, along with the lock of hair and the jade pendant, into his inner pocket.

Blow out the lamp.

In the darkness, he closed his eyes, the smile on his lips still lingering.

Outside the window, the lights of Luoyang city went out one by one. The night was deep and all was silent.

But there was a light shining in his heart.

======

Du Chen came again, holding an account book, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.

"Sir, something terrible has happened. There's a serious problem with the accounts at Liyang Granary."

Li Ju looked up at him: "Which stroke?"

"Not just one item, but the entire ledger." Du Chen spread the ledger out on the table, turned to one of the pages, and said, "In the past month, the 'transit losses' reported by Liyang Warehouse are more than the total losses of the previous three months combined. But I've checked this route; there's no backlog, no shipwrecks, and the weather is normal."

Li Ju put down his pen, took the account book, and turned the pages one by one.

"The loss rate has increased by 40%," he said slowly, "but every single one is within a 'reasonable' range."

"That makes perfect sense," Du Chen said. "It makes perfect sense, as if someone had calculated it."

Li Ju closed the ledger, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

Who was the supervisor of the Liyang granary?

"Zhao Huaiyi. Li Zixiong's man."

Li Ju was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Shoucheng, go and retrieve the dike repair accounts from Liyang Granary for the past three years."

Du Chen was taken aback: "Does the person in charge suspect there's a problem with the dike?"

"The losses have skyrocketed; either there's a problem with the grain, or there's a problem with the warehouse," Li Ju said. "We've already checked the grain, but it's not apparent on the surface. So let's check the warehouse."

Du Chen nodded and turned to leave.

Two days later.

Wang Yu rushed back from Liyang, travel-worn, and immediately downed a large bowl of tea upon entering the house.

"Sir, something's wrong in Liyang." He wiped his mouth. "The dam is leaking."

Li Ju's expression hardened: "How serious is it?"

"When I went there, the northern section of the embankment was already wet, and water was seeping out from the dam. The local laborers said that section was just repaired last year and had been in use for less than a year."

"Repaired last year?" Li Ju frowned. "The dike repaired last year is already leaking this year?"

"So I dug a shovelful." Wang Yu took out a cloth bag from his pocket, opened it, and inside was a clump of blackened soil. "The dam wasn't filled with rammed earth, but ordinary clay. It was covered with a layer of lime on the outside, making it look shiny, but inside it was full of slag."

Li Ju picked up the clump of soil, squeezed it, and found it soft and easily broken.

"Was it repaired by Zhao Huaiyi?"

"It was him. Eight thousand strings of cash were allocated for the dike repair, but I haven't seen two thousand actually used for the dike."

Li Ju put down the soil, got up and walked to the map, staring at the location of Liyang Granary.

The confluence of the Yongji Canal and the Yellow River was the lifeline for the Sui Dynasty's grain supply during its campaign against Liaodong. If the dikes collapsed, the Liyang Granary would be lost. If the Liyang Granary fell, the grain supply for the 100,000-strong army would be cut off.

"Go far." He turned around.

"exist."

"Go back to Liyang and keep an eye on the dike. Report to me immediately if there are any signs of a breach. Also, please deliver a letter to Wei Feng for me."

"Wei Feng?" Wang Yu raised an eyebrow. "Is he in Liyang?"

"Li Zixiong has transferred him to guard the grain," Li Ju said. "He's from the Wei family, so he's trustworthy. When you get there, find him and let him know what's going on."

Wang Yu nodded, accepted the letter, and left the city that very night.

Three days later.

At a meeting in the Imperial Water Conservancy Bureau, Li Ju presented a report.

He did not mention Zhao Huaiyi's embezzlement or the hidden dangers of the dike. Instead, under the guise of "the Grain Transport Office checking the grain and fodder transportation," he reported the situation of grain ships being stranded in Liyang Warehouse and attached the accounting data calculated by Du Chen—the loss rate was abnormally high and the number of ships dispatched was declining continuously.

The Director of Water Conservancy took the report, glanced at it, and then glanced at Li Ju.

"You mean, there's something wrong with Liyang Warehouse?"

"I'm just presenting the data," Li Ju said. "As for whether there are any problems, the prison needs to send someone to verify it."

The Director of Water Conservancy pondered for a moment and placed the report on the table.

"Okay. You can go back now."

Li Ju bowed and withdrew.

That afternoon, the inspection order from the Water Resources Bureau was issued.

Another day has passed.

Wang Yu's messenger arrived. It carried only five words: "The dike is about to collapse; come quickly."

Li Ju took the letter and went straight to the Water Conservancy Bureau.

The Director of Water Conservancy was reviewing the accounts of Liyang Granary when Li Ju entered. He looked up and asked, "What is it now?"

"The dike in the northern section of Liyangcang is leaking badly and could breach at any time." Li Ju presented Wang Yu's letter, "I request permission to go to Liyang immediately to deal with the emergency."

After reading the letter, the Director of Water Conservancy's expression changed.

"Where's Zhao Huaiyi? Why isn't he in the news?"

"If he reports it, the whereabouts of the funds for the dike repair will need to be investigated," Li Ju said.

The Director of Water Conservancy gave him a deep look, then picked up his pen and issued a written order.

"Go. Once you arrive in Liyang, act as you see fit."

Li Ju accepted the order and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate obeys."