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

Luoyang Palace, Qianyang Hall.

Great court meeting.

The hall was brightly lit with candles, and civil and military officials lined up on both sides, completely silent.

Officials of the third rank and above wore purple robes, while officials of the fourth and fifth ranks wore scarlet robes. They stood according to their rank, remaining completely still.

This was the court assembly where Yang Guang announced the second campaign against Liaodong.

All the officials in the court knew that the matter to be decided today concerned the fate of the nation.

The first campaign was defeated due to the lack of grain transport, and 300,000 troops were wiped out in Liaodong. The emperor was furious and executed some and demoted others. Now that the second campaign is imminent, who dares to mess things up again?

Yang Guang sat high on his throne, his face gloomy, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials below.

"Proclaim the imperial decree."

The eunuch unfolded the imperial edict and read it aloud.

"The edict said:

The insignificant Goryeo people, having escaped punishment and returned again, have disregarded the natural order and oppressed our border regions.

In previous years, when the king was punished, no one was punished; the ugly and treacherous returned, especially the wicked and rebellious.

Now I, the Emperor, respectfully carry out Heaven's punishment and once again raise the Liao army.

Orders to all counties and prefectures:

Soldiers, horses, boats, provisions, laborers, and transport personnel;

All must gather in Zhuojun by the appointed time; no one dares to be late.

The authorities are strictly enforcing the law; those who violate it will not be pardoned.

Anyone who stays behind, fails to go, suffers a loss, or avoids service shall

From generals down, all were beheaded as a warning; commoners were registered as households and all were sentenced to death, their wives and children were also punished, and their property was confiscated.

The proclamation was made known far and wide.

The Lord administers it.

January 15th, Year 9 of the Daye Era

After the imperial decree was read, the hall fell silent.

Yang Guang did not ask, "What do you all think?" but spoke directly, his voice not loud, yet each word as firm as iron:

"The defeat in the first campaign was due to the failure of grain transport. Corruption was rampant in the rear, while famine littered the front lines. I hereby declare this beforehand—in the second campaign, anyone who dares to lay a finger on grain will have their entire family executed."

The ministers bowed their heads, none daring to respond.

Yang Guang paused, his gaze sweeping across the hall, and suddenly asked, "Is Li Ju, the Attendant of the Riverbank, outside the hall?"

The entire court turned a sidelong glance.

Officials below the sixth rank were not allowed to enter the palace without being summoned. Li Ju was a sixth-rank official, and according to the rules, he couldn't even touch the palace gate. At this moment, he was standing under the eaves outside the palace.

The eunuch announced loudly, "Summon Li Ju, the Riverbank Attendant, to the palace to receive the imperial decree!"

The sounds came one after another, traveling from inside the hall to outside.

Under the eaves outside the palace, Li Ju heard his name called and his heart skipped a beat.

He straightened his clothes and stepped inside.

The threshold of Qianyang Palace was very high. As he stepped in, he bowed respectfully, his steps steady and unhurried, drawing all eyes to him.

Wearing purple and scarlet robes, officials of the third and fifth ranks, those high-ranking officials he usually couldn't even get a word in, were all looking at him now.

There was surprise, curiosity, jealousy, and disdain.

Li Ju walked straight ahead without glancing to the side, to the designated spot in front of the emperor—not in the civil officials' group, not in the military officials' group, but in a separate spot, outside the ranks, closer to the throne than many fourth-rank officials.

He bowed deeply and said, "Your subject, Li Ju, the Attendant of the Riverbank, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Yang Guang looked down at him from his high vantage point.

"Raise your head."

Li Ju looked up.

Yang Guang stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

"I know everything about you. From the emergency response in Liyang to the dispatch of grain transport, not a single grain of fodder was delayed. Throughout the Imperial Water Conservancy Bureau, the corrupt and the incompetent are the only ones who have not disappointed me."

"I dare not take credit," Li Ju said. "It is all thanks to Your Majesty's divine might and the skillful command of my superiors."

Yang Guang waved his hand, impatient with these empty words.

"I don't like listening to nonsense." He went straight to the point. "This spring, I will launch another campaign against Liaodong. I have specially appointed a Grand Envoy for the Grand Canal Transport. From Luoyang to Zhuojun, the Grand Canal transport, waterways, docks, and grain ships will all be under your command and coordination."

A buzzing sound filled the hall.

"Overall coordination and dispatch"—these four words mean that the lifeline of the two-thousand-mile canal transport from Luoyang to Zhuojun rests on the shoulders of a low-ranking official of the sixth rank.

The Water Conservancy Commissioner, the Junior Supervisor, and the Assistant Supervisor all had to make way for him.

Ignoring the commotion in the hall, Yang Guang continued, "I grant you the authority to act as you see fit. All granaries, wharves, and ferries along the river, and all matters related to the canal transport, are at your disposal. Anyone who disobeys this order will be executed first and reported later if they are below the fifth rank, and impeached and punished if they are above the third rank."

The entire court was astonished.

For officials of the fifth rank and below, execution was carried out first and reported later. This was a power reserved for imperial envoys.

Li Ju bowed deeply and kowtowed: "Your subject obeys the decree."

"Get up," Yang Guang said.

Li Ju stood up, stepped outside the classroom, and stood with his hands at his sides.

Yang Guang's gaze swept over the assembled officials, finally settling on Li Zixiong, where it lingered for a moment.

Li Zixiong's face was ashen; he lowered his head and remained silent.

Yang Guang said nothing, only calmly stating, "Dismiss the court."

The assembled officials shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and then withdrew in turn.

Li Ju stood still, waiting until all the people in purple and crimson robes had left the hall before turning to walk out.

The sunlight outside the hall was blinding. He squinted and took a deep breath.

Just now in the hall, when he kowtowed, his palms were covered in sweat.

He was a sixth-rank official, in charge of the grain transport, and was given the authority to act as he saw fit.

Yang Guang gave him a protective charm, but also a death warrant.

If it's done well, that's expected. If it's done poorly, you'll lose your head.

After the court session ended, Yang Xuangan waited for Li Ju outside the palace.

"Congratulations, Attendant Li," he said with a smile and a cupped-hand salute.

Li Ju returned the greeting: "Duke of Chu."

Yang Xuangan lowered his voice: "I have instructed Zhao Wenyuan to mobilize troops, supplies, and personnel as you see fit. Just go ahead and do it; I'll take care of things from behind."

He paused, his gaze deepening: "From now on, you will do your best in all matters concerning the canal transport, and you will have a bright future. I will definitely support you."

Li Ju's heart skipped a beat, but he remained respectful: "Thank you for your kind offer, Duke of Chu. I will certainly do my utmost."

Yang Xuangan nodded in satisfaction and got into the sedan chair.

Li Ju stood there, watching Yang Xuangan's sedan chair disappear into the distance, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

It's not a laugh.

It's cold.

Future prospects? Backing someone up?

He knew what Yang Xuangan meant by "future prospects." But he couldn't possibly follow him.

However—we can't afford to turn against him now. Yang Xuangan's support is his shield against Li Zixiong and helps stabilize the Water Conservancy Bureau. Let's use it for now and deal with it later.

He turned and walked towards the Water Conservancy Bureau.

Li Ju's power and influence skyrocketed, drawing attention from everyone in the Water Conservancy Bureau.

When the water envoy met Li Ju, he would also cup his hands in greeting and politely address him as "Li the Attendant".

Zhao Wenyuan was even more attentive, personally going to Li Ju's duty room to ask him what he still needed and whether he needed more manpower.

"Consultant Li, the Duke of Chu said that everything is at your convenience. Just let me know if you need anything," Zhao Wenyuan said with a beaming smile.

Li Ju cupped his hands in greeting: "You've gone to a lot of trouble, Vice Director Zhao. We have enough manpower at the moment. If there's any shortage, we'll consult with you again."

Zhao Wenyuan nodded repeatedly, said a lot of nice things, and then left.

Wang Yu watched his retreating figure and spat, "You scoundrel, this man changes his face faster than turning the pages of a book."

Du Chen didn't even look up: "Because the person behind him has changed."

Wang Yu thought for a moment, then chuckled, "That's true. Now the Attendant is appointed by the Emperor himself, and Yang Xuangan is backing him up. Who would dare to offend him?"

Li Ju did not respond, but looked down at the documents.

Not everyone dares to mess with them.

It's just not the right time yet.