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

When Li Ju returned to the Li family residence, it was already completely dark.

As soon as he stepped through the second gate, he saw his father's servant standing in the corridor with a "you're finished" expression on his face.

"Sixth Brother, Ah Lang is waiting for you in the study."

Li Ju straightened his clothes and pushed open the door to go inside.

Li Xiaochang sat behind his desk, several sheets of paper spread out in front of him. Li Ju glanced at them and recognized them as records of the "performance" of the young men from various families at today's Luoshui gathering—who wrote what poem, who was favored by which family's women, and every single detail was meticulously documented.

"Kneel down."

Li Ju knelt down.

Li Xiaochang stood up, walked up to him, and looked down at him.

"How many people are laughing at you and the Li family for the poem you wrote today?" His voice wasn't loud, but every word was sharp and chilling.

Li Ju lowered his head: "Your son knows he was wrong."

"You admit your mistake?" Li Xiaochang sneered. "Do you know that today, all your brothers—the eldest has been noticed by the Cui family, the third has made connections with the Lu family, and even the eighth has had two families speak to him. And what about you?"

He said, emphasizing each word: "Not a single one. Nobody even glances at you."

Li Xiaochang took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and sat down behind his desk.

"That's enough. It's too late to scold you now." He flipped open a piece of paper on the table. "There's a concubine's daughter in the Zheng family, fifteen years old, and quite pretty. I've sent someone to talk to her. It's a good match, and neither side will lose out. Go to the Zheng family in a couple of days, meet her, and settle things."

"Father," Li Ju finally spoke.

"Um?"

"I don't want to get married."

Li Xiaochang looked up, thinking he had misheard.

"What did you say?"

"My son doesn't want to get married right now." Li Ju raised his head, his gaze calm. "My son is only sixteen this year, still young. He wants to do something first, serve the family, and then talk about marriage when he has gained some experience."

Li Xiaochang stared at him for a long time.

"You didn't say that before," he said slowly. "You used to hang out with that bunch of scoundrels all the time, cockfighting, horse racing, doing absolutely nothing productive. How come you've suddenly changed your ways?"

Li Ju said, "I was ignorant before. Today at the Luo River gathering, seeing those legitimate sons so full of vigor, I felt terrible standing on the bank."

This statement is half true and half false. Half of it is true that he genuinely feels uneasy, while the other half is false because he is no longer the carefree Li Ju he once was.

Li Xiaochang remained silent for a while.

"What do you want to do?"

"The Grand Canal," Li Ju said. "His Majesty is about to conquer Liaodong, and the Grand Canal is of paramount importance. I would like to find a job in the Grand Canal to share the burden of the family and also to build up connections for the Li family."

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Xiaochang's eyes.

The canal transport department was indeed the most lucrative position. When His Majesty campaigned against Goguryeo, the provisions for his million-strong army relied entirely on the canal. Officials in charge of the canal transport enjoyed rapid promotions, lucrative positions, and, most importantly, the opportunity to cultivate relationships with influential figures from all walks of life.

How did this illegitimate son suddenly become so enlightened?

"Go down," he waved his hand. "Wait for news."

Li Ju bowed deeply, then bowed again before slowly rising and leaving the study.

Three days later, the assignment came down.

The Luoyang Grain Transport Office was a civil official in charge of grain and fodder allocation, ranking as a ninth-grade official.

The official rank was extremely low, but he was in charge of real supplies—where the grain and fodder came from, where it went, which ship it traveled on, and who handled it all had to pass through his hands.

When Li Ju received the appointment document, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

A lowly official of the ninth rank is insignificant in this era. But he knew this was just the beginning.

night.

Li Ju sat in his duty room, a thick stack of documents piled on the table in front of him. He had only been there three days, but he had already gone through the accounts of the grain transport over the past six months.

Numbers don't lie.

The number of laborers conscripted from Hebei and Shandong was 30% higher than the official figure released by the court. Records of grain allocation showed signs of alteration, with at least tens of thousands of bushels of grain unaccounted for. The rate of ship damage on the Grand Canal was twice that of peaceful times.

Embezzlement, exploitation, and deceiving superiors.

The bones of the empire have been hollowed out by ants.

He put down his pen and took out the jade pendant from his pocket.

The jade pendant is warm and smooth like water, and the character "泽" shines brightly under the light.

He recalled the tall, slender figure standing at the bow of the ship. His face was obscured in the twilight, but his voice was clear and his tone was calm.

A fourteen-year-old girl could understand the metaphors in his poems and discuss the state of the world with him.

not simple.

No wonder he is a person whose name has been recorded in history.

He gently stroked the jade pendant, wondering what she was doing at that moment. Was she also reading under the lamp? Was she also thinking about their conversation that night?

He put the jade pendant back into his bosom and continued reviewing official documents.

Meanwhile, at the Wei residence.

Wei Gui sat by the window, his hand supporting his chin, gazing at the moon outside.

She was clutching the jade in her hand.

The characters "Changle" were carved neatly, and the characters "Huairun" were carved with even more care.

This person certainly knows how to take shortcuts.

Her lips curved slightly, then disappeared.

His words were still echoing in her mind that night at Dujiadi.

"When the Sui dynasty lost its mandate, the whole world vied for it."

A sixteen-year-old illegitimate son dares to say such things. It's not arrogance, it's insight.

The tone in which he spoke these words was not youthful impetuosity, but rather a kind of...certainty.

It's as if we've already seen the ending, and are just waiting for it to happen.

"Sister."

A voice came from the doorway. Wei Nizi, wearing pajamas and barefoot, stood on the threshold, rubbing her eyes.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Wei Gui frowned.

"I got up to get some water and saw the light was still on in your room." Wei Nizi came in, climbed onto the couch, and leaned close to her. "Sister, are you looking at that jade?"

Wei Gui put the jade into his sleeve: "No."

"I saw it all," Wei Nizi chuckled. "You're thinking about that person, aren't you?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"I'm not making this up. You've been acting strange ever since you came back from Dujiadi. You're always spacing out and staring at that jade." Wei Nizi tilted his head. "If you miss him, I can deliver a letter for you. I'm too small for anyone to notice."

Wei Gui's cheeks flushed slightly, but her expression remained unchanged as she reached out and pushed Wei Nizi off the couch.

"Go back to sleep."

"Sister, your face is red!"

"no."

"It's famous! It's famous!"

"Nizi!"

"Okay, okay, I'm going, I'm going." Wei Nizi ran out with a grin, then turned back at the door, "If you've made up your mind, just call me anytime."

Wei Gui ignored her.

Only after Wei Nizi's footsteps disappeared at the end of the corridor did she take the jade out of her sleeve again.

Chang Le.

Huai Run.

She placed the jade in her palm and held it gently.

The moonlight outside the window was like water, shining on her fair profile. Her eyelashes drooped slightly, casting a small shadow under her eyes.

What is that person doing right now?

the next day.

Guests have arrived at the Wei residence.

Wei Kuangbo was receiving guests in the main hall, and Li Zixiong was among them.

Wei Kuangbo had tea served, and after a few pleasantries, Li Zixiong got straight to the point.

"Brother Wei, I have come today to discuss matters concerning my children."