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

After finishing his shift, Li Ju sorted through the documents on his desk, got up, and left the Water Conservancy Bureau.

He did not return to the Li family residence.

Ever since he was refused help by his clansmen, he had been considering splitting up the family.

Yang Guang bestowed upon him a great deal of silk, gold, and silver, and with what he had secretly accumulated, he built a two-courtyard house on the south bank of the Luo River.

The house is small, with blue bricks and gray tiles, an old locust tree in the courtyard, and stone tables and benches under the tree, quiet and peaceful.

That's enough.

On the day of the move, Wang Yu and Du Chen came to help. Wang Yu carried the boxes in and out, muttering, "You're going to live here? Why don't you stay in the Li family's big house, instead of this remote corner?"

Li Ju was tidying up the bookshelves in the courtyard, not even looking up: "Peace and quiet."

Wang Yu wanted to say something more, but Du Chen pulled him back: "Get to work."

Li Ju did not mention the matter of dividing the family property to Li Xiaochang. He only sent a letter back to Li Ju's steward, Li Fu, on the third day after the move was completed.

The letter contained only one sentence: "Your son has bought another house and will be moving out soon. Take care, Father."

Li Fu held the letter, opened his mouth as if to say something, but seeing Li Ju's expression, he swallowed his words back.

Li Xiaochang did not reply.

evening.

After finishing their business at the government office, Wang Yu and Du Chen arrived at Li Ju's new residence one after the other.

Wang Yu was carrying a pot of wine, while Du Chen was carrying a roll of account books.

Li Ju was waiting for them in the main hall. An oil lamp was lit on the table, its flame flickering slightly.

The three entered the secret room.

The secret room is located behind the main hall and was originally used by the owner to store valuable items.

After Li Ju bought the house, he had the walls reinforced and a hidden door installed.

The space is small; it feels cramped if three people stand there, but you don't have to worry about being overheard.

Du Chen spread the account books out on the table.

"Your Excellency, the numbers of the granaries at Huangshi Mountain in Wu'an Prefecture are all here."

Li Ju picked up the account book and turned the pages one by one.

Du Chen, standing nearby, said, "The grain reserves are 43,700 shi. There are over 3,200 sets of armor, swords, spears, and crossbows. The guards are 330 men, all former dockworkers and refugees, so they are reliable. The warehouse is managed by Wang Yu's younger brother, Wang Yuan, who is honest, reliable, and handles matters steadily."

Li Ju nodded and closed the account book.

"Xingyuan, the granary needs to be expanded. The bigger the better."

Wang Yu was taken aback: "Your Excellency, you want to expand again? The campaign against Liaodong is over, the canal transport has stopped, where are we going to collect grain?"

Du Chen also raised his head and looked at Li Ju, his eyes filled with doubt.

Li Ju leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table.

"Is the campaign against Liaodong over?" He shook his head. "The emperor won't let this go easily. He can't swallow the fact that 300,000 troops were wiped out in Liaodong. The second campaign against Liaodong will begin no later than next spring."

Wang Yu's eyes widened: "Still fighting? The imperial court still has grain?"

"We must fight even if we have no grain," Li Ju said. "The emperor is not one to listen to advice."

Du Chen was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "If we launch another campaign against Liao, the suffering of the people will be even greater than before. The world—I'm afraid—will descend into chaos."

Li Ju looked at him and nodded.

"Therefore, we must stockpile grain and weapons. In chaotic times, grain is life, and soldiers are courage."

Wang Yu and Du Chen exchanged a glance but remained silent.

The room was quiet for a while.

Li Ju added, "There's one more thing. From Luoyang to Liyang, we need to assign our own people to the docks, granaries, and ferry crossings along the way. Replace any disobedient members of the canal escort teams. Gradually replace the river embankment soldiers as well. We need to keep these places under our control."

Wang Yu slapped his thigh: "Don't worry, Your Excellency, leave it to me. I can't guarantee anything else, but all the brothers at the docks are at my beck and call."

Du Chen said, "I'll keep an eye on the accounts."

Li Ju nodded.

After discussing for a while, Wang Yu and Du Chen got up to say goodbye.

After seeing the two off, Li Ju returned to the main hall. Just as he sat down, there was a knock at the courtyard gate.

He got up to open the door.

Wei Feng stood outside the door, dressed in casual clothes, carrying a jar of wine in his hand and a brocade box tucked under his arm.

"Li Cheng—no, Li Yezhe," Wei Feng said with a smile, "Congratulations on your promotion."

Li Ju stepped aside to let him in: "General Wei, you're too kind. Please come in."

The two sat down at the stone table in the courtyard. Wei Feng placed the wine jar on the table and opened the brocade box, which contained several kinds of pastries.

"It's homemade, it's not worth much," Wei Feng said.

Li Ju accepted the wine, thanked him, went inside to get two bowls, and poured the wine into them.

Wei Feng picked up his bowl and offered it to him. The two drank it down in one gulp.

"Wei Lang brought this here not just to offer congratulations, right?" Li Ju put down his bowl.

Wei Feng smiled and said, "The transfer order has come down. Liyang, to assist in the garrison. I'll be taking up my post in a few days."

Li Ju's brow twitched slightly: "Li Yang?"

"Exactly," Wei Feng said. "Liyang Warehouse is a crucial transit point, with complex internal affairs and a mix of all sorts of people. The imperial court sent me there to put order."

Li Ju pondered for a moment, then said, "Liyang is indeed not simple. Although Zhao Huaiyi has been eliminated, Li Zixiong still has quite a few men there. Wei Lang, take this journey with utmost care."

Wei Feng nodded: "I understand. Going to Liyang will also keep an eye on the grain depot's movements for you, so that we can exchange information if there are any needs in the future."

He paused, then added, "There's one more thing. The Wei family is hosting a small banquet tomorrow, just my uncle, father, and me. We would like to invite Attendant Li to attend."

Li Ju glanced at him.

Wei Feng added with a smile, "There's no one else here, just a family dinner. My uncle said he'd like to talk to you some more."

Li Ju thought for a moment and nodded: "Since you are so kind as to honor me, I will definitely pay you a visit tomorrow."

Wei Feng picked up his bowl and offered him another. The two drank a few more cups, then Wei Feng got up to take his leave.

Li Ju saw him to the door. Wei Feng took a few steps, then turned back and said, "Li, please come early tomorrow."

"it is good."

Wei Feng's figure disappeared at the alley entrance.

Li Ju closed the door, returned to the courtyard, and sat down at the stone table.

The moon rose, hanging above the locust tree, its clear light spilling down onto the bluestone ground, as white as frost.

He took out the jade piece engraved with "Yonggu Ze" from his pocket and held it in his palm.

Tomorrow, the Wei family will host a small banquet.

Will she be there?

He recalled the last time the Wei family held a banquet, when she came out from behind the screen with a tea tray, knelt down, lowered her eyes, and said softly, "Li Cheng, please have some tea."

The moment she looked up, her eyes were soft and gentle, like the waters of a lake in late autumn.

He put the jade back into his bosom, stood up, and walked into the house.

He took two steps, then stopped and looked up at the moon.

The moon is very round.