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

Chapter 48: Laying out a secret plan, waiting for the wind to blow.

Li Xiaochang returned to his residence and locked himself in his study, examining the Imperial Guard's military token again and again.

The gold gleamed under the lamp, and the jade buckles on the Western Region horse harness were warm and translucent. Each item was a fine piece, and each one was hot to the touch.

Yang Xuangan's words were still echoing in my ears.

"The world is in turmoil," "The tyrannical ruler is deposed," "A wise ruler is established"—each of these phrases carries the weight of a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

Li Xiaochang has been in the court for so many years, always going with the flow and never daring to overstep the bounds.

Now, however, he has been dragged down by a son of a concubine, stepping into the quagmire of treason.

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

Do they regret it? No. By associating with Yang Xuangan, the Li family's position in Luoyang became as secure as Mount Tai.

Are you afraid? Yes. On the day the plan fails, not a single member of the Li family will escape.

He opened his eyes, locked the waist token in the hidden compartment, got up and walked to the door, saying to the steward Li Fu, "From today onwards, everyone in the household must be careful with their words and actions. Don't ask what you shouldn't ask, and don't say what you shouldn't say. Anyone who can't control their mouth will be punished according to family rules."

Li Fu had never seen Ah Lang so serious before, and quickly agreed.

Li Ju returned to his residence late at night.

He went into the study, lit the lamp, placed the Liyangcang token on the table, and looked at it for a long time.

Yang Xuangan gave them to him; it was a sign of trust, but also a constraint.

Li Mi will arrive from Chang'an soon. This man is exceptionally intelligent and meticulous, ten times more difficult to deal with than Yang Xuangan.

He had to prepare in advance and not let Li Mi see any flaws.

He put away the token and waist badge, spread out the paper, and began writing the list.

At the docks, whoever is replaced stays. At the river embankment, whoever is transferred leaves. At the canal escort team, whoever is promoted is demoted.

Every name was one that he had carefully considered.

Wang Yu's brothers, Zhang Yi's old subordinates, and people recommended by Du Chen—these names were written down one by one on the paper, densely packed.

After he finished writing, he folded the list and put it in his pocket.

Outside the window, the moon is setting in the west.

Just as he was about to blow out the lamp, a soft knock came from outside the courtyard gate.

The maid opened the door and returned a moment later to report: "My lord, someone from the Wei residence has arrived, saying they are delivering a message."

Li Ju took the letter and opened it.

The letter contained only one line of text, written in Wei Kuangbo's handwriting:

"Was the banquet well?"

Four words: Don't ask about details, don't ask about reasons, just ask for peace.

Li Ju picked up his pen and wrote six characters on the back of the letter:

"All is well, do not worry."

He returned the letter to the person and gave him a few coins as a reward. The person thanked him and quickly left.

The next day, Li Ju began to take action.

He assigned the three men sent by Yang Xuangan—one surnamed Ma, one surnamed Chen, and one surnamed Zhou—to deputy positions at the dock, the river embankment camp, and the canal protection team, respectively.

The position is neither high nor low, looks respectable, but in reality, it doesn't hold any core position.

Deputy Captain Ma oversees vessel registration, Deputy Captain Chen manages logistics and miscellaneous tasks, and Deputy Captain Zhou is in charge of recruit training.

They were all legitimate jobs, but he didn't get involved in anything related to the granary keys, the ferry crossing dispatch, or the military seal of the canal escort team.

To the outside world, Li Ju said it was "a reorganization according to the Duke of Chu's wishes." Internally, he only said four words to Wang Yu: "Keep an eye on them."

Wang Yu understood immediately.

Secretly, Li Ju replaced the warehouse supervisor of Luoyang with someone recommended by Du Chen—surnamed Sun, from a poor family, who had worked in the Capital Water Conservancy Bureau for ten years, was honest and conscientious, and only recognized the account books, not people.

The manager of the vital ferry crossing was replaced by one of Wang Yu's brothers, named Wang Yuan, who was the same one who had previously looked after the granary in Wu'an County. He was honest, reliable, and dependable.

The head of the grain and fodder relay station was replaced by one of Zhang Yi's old subordinates, surnamed Zhao. He had served in the army for eight years, but was demoted for offending his superior. He was devoted to Li Ju.

Each and every matter was handled discreetly.

Liyang, Yang Xuangan's temporary headquarters.

Liu, a trusted advisor, rushed back from Luoyang and entered the study, bowing and saying, "Duke, everything has been settled with Li Ju. Our men have all been deployed to the docks, the riverbank camp, and the canal transport team. Deputy Supervisor Ma, Deputy Captain Chen, and Deputy Captain Zhou have all taken up their posts."

Yang Xuangan was reading a book and didn't look up: "What jobs do they do?"

"Deputy Captain Ma oversees vessel registration, Deputy Captain Chen manages logistics and miscellaneous tasks, and Deputy Captain Zhou is in charge of recruit training."

Yang Xuangan put down his book, thought for a moment, and nodded.

"Good. Li Ju is sensible." He picked up the book again. "Tell Ma, Chen, and Zhou to do their jobs well and not cause Li Ju any trouble."

"Yes."

Liu's advisor withdrew.

Yang Xuangan leaned back in his chair, a slight smile playing on his lips.

We made the right choice in employing Li Ju.

Li Ju spent five whole days completing all the adjustments.

On the sixth day, he took half a day to visit Wei Kuangbo at the Wei residence.

Wei Kuangbo met him in the main hall. After tea, he dismissed everyone else, leaving only the two of them.

"Li Lang, you've had a hard time these past few days," Wei Kuangbo said calmly, picking up his teacup.

"You flatter me, Lord Wei." Li Ju bowed slightly. "Although the canal transport is busy, thanks to the strong support of the Duke of Chu, it is proceeding relatively smoothly."

Wei Kuangbo glanced at him, his gaze deepening.

"The Duke of Chu has treated you well."

"Yes," Li Ju replied, "I will never forget the Duke's kindness."

Wei Kuangbo didn't ask any further questions, but changed the subject: "Regarding your relationship with Gui'er, has your father mentioned it to you or her family?"

Li Ju said, "Father has already discussed this with Lord Wei, and I will follow Father's arrangements. However, the canal transport is currently very busy, so it will take some more time."

Wei Kuangbo nodded, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly said, "Stability should be the priority in all things."

He paused, looked into Li Ju's eyes, and said, slowly and deliberately, "The Wei family will always stand behind you."

Li Ju felt a surge of warmth in his heart, stood up, and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Master Wei."

Wei Kuangbo waved his hand and said, "Go ahead. Gui'er is in the backyard, go see her. That girl Nizi talks about you every day."

Li Ju agreed and left the main hall.

In the backyard, under the osmanthus tree.

Wei Gui stood under the tree, holding a scroll in his hand, looking down at it.

Wei Nizi sat on the stone bench next to him, swinging his legs, chewing on candied fruit, and looking around.

As soon as she saw Li Ju walking from the other end of the corridor, her eyes lit up, she jumped off the stone bench, and tugged at Wei Gui's sleeve.

"Sister! I'm here!"

Wei Gui raised his head, saw Li Ju, and nodded slightly.

"Young Master Li".

"Madam Ze," Li Ju said, bowing respectfully.

The two stood two steps apart under the osmanthus tree.

Wei Nizi tactfully retreated to the corridor, muttering, "They always say the same few words, don't they get bored?"

Wei Gui ignored her, his gaze lingering on Li Ju's face for a moment.

He had dark circles under his eyes, was thinner than when we last met, had slightly prominent cheekbones, and his lips were a bit chapped.

She lowered her eyes, took out a sachet from her sleeve, and handed it over.

The sachet is made of plain white satin, embroidered with a pale blue orchid. The stitches are so fine that they are almost invisible unless you look closely.

"It's calming," she said softly. "Put it by your pillow; it'll help you sleep better."

Li Ju took the sachet, his fingertips touching her fingers, which felt slightly cool.

"Thank you, Madam Ze."

Wei Gui did not reply, but simply nodded slightly.

The two remained silent for a moment.

Wei Nizi couldn't wait any longer and poked his head out from under the eaves: "Li Huairun, you said you'd bring milk crisps last time, did you bring them?"

Li Ju chuckled: "I forgot. I'll make it up next time."

"It's always 'next time,'" Wei Nizi pouted. "When is 'next time'?"

Wei Gui said softly, "Young lady, you must not be rude."

Wei Ni stuck out his tongue and then pulled it back in.

Wei Gui turned to look at Li Ju and said softly, "You're busy with official duties, please take care, Young Master Li."

"Ze Niangzi is one too."

The two looked at each other, then looked away.

Li Ju bowed and took his leave, then turned and walked towards the corridor.

Wei Gui stood there, watching his retreating figure.

Wei Nizi ran out from under the eaves, tugged at Wei Gui's sleeve, and whispered, "Sister, when you gave him the sachet, his eyes lit up."

Wei Gui did not answer.

"Sister, smile."