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

Seven days after the betrothal ceremony, Li Ju asked Fan Zigai to act as matchmaker and brought a small gift to the Wei residence to ask for the wedding date.

Two servants followed behind, carrying a gift box. Inside the box were not gold or jade, but several bolts of fine Shu brocade, a Duan inkstone, and a tea set—a small gift, in accordance with etiquette, and unassuming.

Wei Kuangbo received him in the main hall. After tea, Fan Zigai took out a wedding invitation from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

"Lord Wei, Vice Director Li has asked me to request a wedding date. Several auspicious days have been chosen, and we would like to ask Lord Wei for his decision."

Wei Kuangbo took the invitation and unfolded it. Three dates were written on it: October 18th, October 22nd, and November 6th.

He glanced at it and pondered, "October 18th, that's an auspicious day."

Fan Zigai laughed and said, "Li Shaojian said that everything is up to Wei Gong to decide. However, he told me privately that he chose October 18th. There are still five months before next year's expedition against Liaodong. After the wedding, he can accompany His Majesty on the expedition. He dares not let family matters interfere with national affairs."

Wei Kuangbo's heart stirred, and he nodded: "Junior Supervisor Li is both loyal and filial, how could I refuse? Let it be October 18th."

Behind the screen, Wei Gui's ears turned red, and the embroidery frame in his hands trembled slightly.

Fan Zigai glanced at the screen, stroked his beard, and joked, "Junior Supervisor Li is in a hurry to get married, but even more eager to serve his country. Lord Wei, your nephew-in-law is quite a busy man."

The room erupted in soft laughter.

Wei Gui lowered his head behind the screen, but the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.

Wei Kuangbo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and smiled, "Master Fan is joking. It's a good thing that young people have ambition."

"Then I will return to report." Fan Zigai stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Wei Kuangbo, and said, "On the eighteenth of October, the Li and Wei families will be happily married."

Wei Kuangbo saw him off at the door.

Li Ju had been waiting in the courtyard. When he saw Fan Zigai come out, he went up to him and asked, "Lord Fan, has Lord Wei agreed?"

"Agreed. October 18th." Fan Zigai patted him on the shoulder. "Junior Supervisor, go back and prepare well. I'll be waiting to drink your wedding wine."

Li Ju bowed deeply: "Thank you, Lord Fan."

The backyard of the Wei residence.

Wei Gui sat alone in her boudoir, meticulously embroidering mandarin ducks onto her bright red wedding dress.

The wedding dress was made of the finest Shu brocade, bright red with gold thread trim. She spent half a month embroidering it and only finished half of it.

Wei Nizi lay beside her, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes sparkling.

"Sister, the mandarin ducks you embroidered are so beautiful, I want to learn how to do it too."

Wei Gui glanced at her and handed her the needle, saying, "Be careful not to prick yourself."

Wei Nizi took the needle and embroidered two stitches in a professional manner, but the third stitch went astray, the needle tip piercing her fingertip. She hissed and put her finger in her mouth.

"It hurts!"

Wei Gui shook his head and took back the needle and thread: "I told you you're no good."

"Who said that?" Wei Nizi retorted, snatching the needle and thread again. This time, she embroidered more carefully, creating something that looked neither like a mandarin duck nor a duck in a crooked way.

Wei Gui glanced at it and couldn't help but laugh: "This is... a waterbird?"

"They're mandarin ducks!" Wei Nizi pouted. "Sister, you're making fun of me."

"No." Wei Gui suppressed a laugh, took the needle and thread, and continued embroidering.

Wei Nizi lay down beside her and watched for a while, then suddenly said, "Sister, when I get married in the future, I want to marry someone like Li Huairun."

Wei Gui paused for a moment, then said calmly, "You're still young, why are you thinking about these things?"

"Not too young, not too young, I'm already nine years old." Wei Nizi counted on her fingers, "In six more years, I can get married."

Wei Gui glanced up at her and said, "That's my elder sister getting married, not you."

Wei Ni chuckled and ran off.

Wei Gui lowered her head and continued embroidering her wedding dress. The stitches were steady, but denser than usual—she wanted to sew her heart into them.

South of Luoyang City, the Zheng residence.

Zheng Jibo sat in his study with a letter spread out in front of him. He read it once, put it down, and got up to walk to the backyard.

Zheng Guanyin was sitting by the window reading. She was dressed in an elegant autumn-colored dress, and her black hair was tied into a simple cloud-like bun, adorned only with a jade hairpin.

Her eyes held a calmness beyond that of girls her age, like a bottomless pool of deep water.

"Father." Seeing Zheng Jibo enter, she put down her book, stood up, and bowed.

Zheng Jibo sat down opposite her, looked at his daughter, and remained silent for a moment.

"Guanyin, I have something I want to ask you."

"Father, please speak."

"Li Ju's wedding is set for October 18th, and he's marrying the eldest daughter of the Wei family." Zheng Jibo paused, "As your father, I'd like you to marry Li Ju's younger brother, Li Shen, to solidify the relationship between our two families. What do you think?"

Zheng Guanyin did not answer immediately. She lowered her eyes, remained silent for a few moments, then raised her eyes, her gaze calm and firm.

"Father, I refuse."

Zheng Jibo frowned slightly: "Why? Li Shen is the eldest son of the Li family, so it's a good match. Li Ju is currently a fifth-rank official, serving as the Junior Supervisor of the Water Conservancy Bureau, but everyone knows that his future is limitless, and he will become a high-ranking official sooner or later. Marrying into the Li family now is a good match. Once he gets promoted a few more times, it will be considered climbing the social ladder."

He paused, his tone softening slightly: "Guanyin, I know you have high aspirations. But a woman must eventually marry. Although Li Shen is not as outstanding as Li Ju, he is still from a noble family and of upright character. If you marry him, you will be his principal wife."

Zheng Guanyin shook her head, her voice low but clear.

"Father, it's not that I dislike Li Shen. I just—don't want to marry him."

Zheng Jibo looked into her eyes, and in those deep eyes he saw determination.

This daughter has been opinionated since she was a child, and she always has her own way of doing things.

He sighed: "You've taken a liking to Li Ju?"

Zheng Guanyin neither denied nor admitted it.

She simply said softly, "Father, Li Ju is no ordinary man."

Zheng Jibo remained silent for a long time.

He recalled that his daughter had the same expression when she refused to marry Li Min.

He didn't understand at the time, but later, when Yang Xuangan failed, he realized that his daughter had a better understanding than he did.

"That's enough." He stood up, patted her shoulder, and said, "I won't force you. But you must remember, Li Ju has already married a woman from the Wei family. If you really want to, you can only be a concubine."

Zheng Guanyin lowered her head and did not answer.

Zheng Jibo sighed, turned around and walked out of the room.

Zheng Guanyin sat alone by the window, gazing at the deepening twilight outside. She took out the manuscript of poetry from her sleeve and unfolded it.

"A fortified city may be impregnable, but ants can easily burrow inside."

She looked at those two sentences with a deep gaze.

What she saw was not Li Ju, who would one day become a high-ranking official.

He was not a hero of a chaotic era.

An autumn breeze blew in through the window, ruffling a corner of the poem manuscript. She gently pressed it down, folded it neatly, and tucked it into her sleeve.

Li Ju, however far you go, I will watch over you.