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

Lights gradually illuminated both banks of the Luo River.

The painted boats and pleasure boats still cruised on the river, the sounds of string and wind instruments drifting on the breeze, mingling with the laughter of clinking cups. The night of the Shangsi Festival was even more lively than the daytime, filled with poetry and wine, as if this prosperous age would never end.

Li Ju stood on the Dujia Embankment, leaning against an old willow tree, gazing at the water.

Dujiadi is a secluded wharf on the south bank of the Luo River, rarely visited by people. At this moment, it is even more deserted, with only him present.

He waited for almost half an hour.

Dusk crept in from the river's edge, painting the world a greyish-blue. The distant lights grew brighter, making the spot where he stood appear ever darker.

Finally, he saw a small boat emerge from the group of pleasure boats.

The boat was small and had no lights. It silently waded across the water and approached Dujia Embankment.

The boat stopped about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) from the shore and did not approach.

A woman was standing at the bow of the boat.

As dusk fell, her face was obscured, only a slender silhouette vaguely visible—extremely tall and graceful, like a green bamboo planted at the bow of a boat. Beside her stood a small figure, the girl with the double buns from earlier in the day.

"Li Huairun?" The woman's voice came from the water, not loud, but clear.

"Yes." Li Ju cupped his hands in greeting. "Li Ju of the Longxi Li Clan."

"Wei Gui, of the Wei family of Jingzhao," she introduced herself in a calm tone.

Li Ju's heart skipped a beat, and his breath hitched for a second.

He had already gleaned some meaning from the jade pendant with the character "Ze," but when the six characters "Wei Gui of the Wei Clan of Jingzhao" clearly reached his ears, his heart still tightened instantly—

She was Li Shimin's concubine in history, the most outstanding legitimate daughter of the Wei clan of Jingzhao, and far from being an ordinary noblewoman.

He couldn't help but take another look. The twilight was too thick to make out her features, but he could tell she was very tall. Across the water, she stood at the bow of the boat, almost eye to eye with him.

No, slightly taller than him.

Li Ju was 1.85 meters tall, which was considered quite imposing for that era. But Wei Gui was only fourteen years old, and her height was already almost matching his. He recalled the vague records in historical books, some saying she was nearly seven feet tall—which, converted, would be almost 1.9 meters.

It will grow longer.

In the future, when he stands before her, he will have to look up at her.

"Madam Wei," he said, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, his voice steady, "I wonder what brings you here?"

Wei Gui did not answer directly.

She looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly said, "I've read your poem three times."

Li Ju's heart tightened.

“‘A fortified city wall may be impregnable, but ants can burrow into it.’” She recited the line slowly, her voice exceptionally clear in the twilight. “Borrowing the events of the past to depict the current situation. You are not writing about city walls, but about the human heart.”

Li Ju neither denied nor admitted it.

Wei Gui continued, "You also used the story of 'Yongjia' in your poem. During the Yongjia Rebellion, the Xiongnu captured Luoyang, and the people of the Central Plains fled south. Your line 'The regret of Yongjia still lingers' is not a reflection on the past, but a prophecy."

Li Ju remained silent.

"You're saying," Wei Gui lowered his voice, "that the Sui Dynasty will follow in the footsteps of the Western Jin Dynasty."

A breeze blew across the river, stirring the curtains at the bow of her boat.

Li Ju looked at her for a long time before speaking, "Since Lady Wei has already read it, why ask me again?"

"I want to know," Wei Gui said, "what makes you so certain?"

Li Ju did not answer immediately.

He was thinking about how much to say.

Wei Gui seemed to sense his hesitation and said calmly, "There's no one else here. Only Ni Zi and I can hear what you're saying. Ni Zi is only seven years old; he won't understand."

Wei Nizi, standing to the side, muttered something in dissatisfaction upon hearing this, but did not refute it.

Li Ju took a deep breath.

"Liaodong," he said. "His Majesty intends to conquer Liaodong."

Wei Gui's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Hebei and Shandong are already conscripting laborers to repair warships, manufacture weapons, and transport provisions," Li Ju said. "If a able-bodied man joins the army, his entire family's taxes will remain the same, and the people will be under an unbearable burden. With a million-strong army on a distant expedition, the outcome is uncertain, but changes are bound to occur in the rear."

"How do you know you're bound to lose?" Wei Gui asked.

Li Ju couldn't claim to know history. He could only deduce it logically: "First, the army is on a long and arduous campaign, supplies are running low, and the terrain is unfamiliar. Second, Your Majesty is stubborn and refuses to listen to advice. Third, with a large army pressing in, Goguryeo will surely resist to the death. With these three signs of defeat already present, what else can they expect but defeat?"

Wei Gui remained silent.

She neither refuted nor agreed. She simply listened quietly, her gaze fixed on his face.

"What else did you see?" she asked.

"Yang Xuangan," Li Ju said.

Even he himself felt it was risky to utter those three words. Yang Xuangan was currently the Minister of Rites and enjoyed the deep trust of Emperor Yang Guang; who would have thought he would rebel two years later?

But Wei Gui did not show any surprise.

She simply tilted her head slightly, as if she were thinking about something.

"You mean," she said slowly, "that if the campaign against Liaodong fails, someone in the rear will surely take the opportunity to rebel?"

"It's not just rebellion," Li Ju said. "It's utter chaos. Warlords rise up, vying for control of the Central Plains. The Sui dynasty lost its mandate, and the whole world is now chasing after it."

That's too harsh a statement.

Even Wei Nizi raised his head, looked at him, and then looked at Wei Gui.

Wei Gui remained silent for a long time.

As dusk fell, her fingers, hanging by her side, curled almost imperceptibly. When she looked up again, her initial indifference was gone, replaced by a deep scrutiny.

The young man in blue robes before me was not a pretentious madman making alarmist pronouncements; he truly understood the state of the world.

After a long while, she slowly nodded, a clear hint of approval in her eyes.

"If anyone else heard you say these things," she said, "you'd be beheaded."

"I know," Li Ju said, "so I only say it to those who can understand."

The two looked at each other across the water.

Dusk had completely fallen, leaving only the dappled light of distant lights reflected on the water. Li Ju couldn't see her expression, but from her silence, he knew she was thinking.

After a long silence, Wei Gui finally spoke: "Why are you telling me all this?"

Li Ju thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth: "Because Madam Wei sent your younger sister to see me during the day, it means you have already figured out the meaning of the poem. Since that's the case, if I continue to conceal it, it will only make me seem guilty. It's better to be honest with each other."

"Honest?" Wei Gui's tone rose slightly. "Your statement 'copied' doesn't count as honesty."

Li Ju smiled wryly: "Back then, I didn't know who the other party was, so I didn't dare to act rashly. Now that I know, I feel that..." He paused, "...Madam Wei isn't the kind of person who would inform on others."

How do you know I'm not?

"intuition."

Wei Gui chuckled softly.

The laughter was soft and carried away by the river breeze, but Li Ju understood its meaning—it wasn't mockery, but rather amusement.

"Your intuition is very accurate," she said.

Then she turned around, as if to leave.

Li Ju suddenly remembered something and blurted out, "Lady Wei."

Wei Gui stopped and turned to look at him.

There is something I'm not sure if I should say.

"speak."

Li Ju carefully considered his words: "Does the Wei family have any dealings with Li Zixiong?"

Wei Gui frowned slightly: "Li Zixiong? Right General of the Martial Guard?"

"Yes."

"I may have had dealings with some elders in the clan, but I'm not sure. Why are you asking this?"

Li Ju remained silent for a moment: "If the Wei family intends to marry Li Zixiong, I would like to ask Madam Wei to find a way to dissuade them."

Wei Gui looked at him, his gaze sharpening slightly: "Reason?"

Li Ju thought for a moment and said, "Li Zixiong is ambitious but incompetent, and he is very close to Yang Xuangan. If something goes wrong during the Liaodong campaign and Yang Xuangan rebels, Li Zixiong will definitely follow him. At that time, those who are connected with the Li family will not be able to escape the consequences."

Wei Gui remained silent.

She didn't ask, "How did you know?" nor did she show any surprise. She simply gave him a deep look and then nodded.

"I've got it."

Li Ju took the jade pendant from his bosom and handed it over: "This is Lady Wei's keepsake. I'm returning it to you."

Wei Gui did not answer.

"Keep it," she said. "It can serve as proof, so you can use it to see Mrs. Wei if anything happens in the future."

certificate.

Li Ju's heart skipped a beat.

He put the jade pendant back into his bosom, then took off a piece of jade from his own waist and handed it over.

The jade was of ordinary quality, far less lustrous than Wei Gui's Lantian jade. The front was engraved with the characters "Chang Le" (meaning "Eternal Joy"), and the back with the characters "Huai Run" (meaning "Refreshing and Nourishing").

"This is my return gift," he said. "A small token of my appreciation, offered only to those who share my passion. If you don't find it offensive—"

Wei Nizi leaned out of the boat, walked over, took the jade from him, and handed it to Wei Gui.

Wei Gui took it, glanced at it by the light of the distant lamp, and then put it into his sleeve.

"I don't mind at all," she said. "We'll talk about poetry and philosophy again sometime in the future."

She turned and walked toward the cabin.

The small boat slowly left the shore, heading back the way it came.

Wei Nizi lay on the stern of the boat, peering towards the shore. Li Ju was still standing under the willow tree, his figure growing smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared into the night.

"Sister." Wei Nizi turned around.

"Um."

"You two are exchanging tokens of affection; does that mean you're committed to each other?"