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

He helped Wei Gui out of the carriage, straightened his clothes, and stepped inside.

In the main hall, a young man in his early twenties sat in the guest seat. He had a handsome face and was dressed in luxurious clothes. He was slowly drinking tea from his cup.

Upon seeing Li Ju enter, he put down his teacup, stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and smiled broadly.

"Junior Supervisor Li, my name is Yuwen Chengji. My grandfather often mentions you. I hope you will forgive my abrupt visit today."

Li Ju returned the greeting with a composed expression: "It is an honor to have Young Master Yuwen grace my humble abode with your presence."

Their eyes met.

Yuwen Chengji smiled warmly, but his eyes held a scrutinizing gaze. Li Ju remained calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant.

Wei Gui stood behind the screen, listening to the conversation in the front hall, his fingers gently clenching the jade in his sleeve.

"On the occasion of Li Shaojian's wedding, my grandfather has instructed me to deliver a small gift. Please accept this humble offering." Yuwen Chengji waved his hand, and his servants carried in two boxes. Upon opening them, one box contained fine Shu brocade, and the other contained a complete set of gold and silver wine vessels.

Li Ju glanced at it, then cupped his hands and said, "General Yuwen's kindness is too much for me to bear."

"Oh, you're too kind, Junior Supervisor," Yuwen Chengji said with a smile. "My grandfather often says that Junior Supervisor Li is a pillar of the court, and we should get closer to him in the future."

Li Ju nodded and instructed the steward to accept the gift.

A hint of secret joy flashed in Yuwen Chengji's eyes—accepting it would be giving face to the Yuwen family, and it would mean that they could talk.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said in a more casual tone, "Junior Supervisor Li, there's a batch of grain supplies from Hedong that needs to be sent to Liyang, and it requires the dispatch of the Water Conservancy Bureau. My grandfather hopes that you can be more flexible with the accounts..."

He put down his teacup, looked at Li Ju, and his gaze deepened. "Don't worry, Junior Supervisor, it's just a small amount. It won't cause you any trouble."

Li Ju's expression remained unchanged, but a thousand thoughts were already racing through his mind.

The Yuwen family is testing the waters.

By helping him, he's now considered "one of their own" in the Yuwen family, making things easier to discuss in the future.

Not helping is tantamount to shutting people out.

He picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, then put it down, looked at Yuwen Chengji, and said calmly, "Young Master Yuwen, you're too kind. It's nothing; helping each other out is only right."

Yuwen Chengji's smile deepened, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Junior Supervisor Li is straightforward! Grandfather was right about you."

After exchanging a few more polite words, Yuwen Chengji rose to take his leave.

As he reached the door, he glanced back at Li Ju, a hint of certainty flashing in his eyes, mixed with a subtle disdain.

It's as if to say: He's nothing more than a person who seeks profit and avoids harm, and who goes along with the crowd.

But Li Ju caught on to it.

He didn't care. What he needed wasn't Yuwen Chengji's respect, but Yuwen Shu's protection.

This slight is not worth mentioning.

After seeing Yuwen Chengji off, Li Ju turned and returned to the hall.

Wei Gui emerged from behind the screen, his face slightly worried.

"Sixth Brother, the Yuwen family is trying to win you over," she said softly. "The court is in turmoil right now. Yang Xuangan has just rebelled, and the Emperor is wary of his high-ranking officials. You also control the lifeline of the Grand Canal... If you associate with the Yuwen family again, it will be seen as forming a faction. If you help them manipulate the accounts, the censors will fight tooth and nail to impeach you once it comes to light."

Li Ju took her hand and helped her sit down.

"Zeniang, you're right about everything." He looked into her eyes, "But it's precisely because the Emperor is suspicious that I need to get closer to the Yuwen family."

Wei Gui was taken aback.

“His Majesty has always been suspicious of me,” Li Ju said. “With the Liaodong campaign imminent, he needs me to manage the grain transport, so he won’t touch me for the time being. But what about after the Liaodong campaign?” He paused, his voice lowering slightly. “Once the Liaodong campaign is over, the grain transport will be useless, and the first people he will want to get rid of are young people like me who are in charge of troops and have the surname Li.”

Wei Gui's face turned slightly pale.

"Therefore, I need the Yuwen family. I need them to have flaws." Li Ju looked at her. "Corruption is a good way to tarnish one's image. It makes the Emperor think that I am not a perfect person, but someone who is greedy, dependent on the powerful, flawed, and controllable. The Yuwen family will protect me, and the Emperor will trust me."

Wei Gui remained silent for a moment, then gently exhaled.

"Liulang, you've thought further ahead than I have." She squeezed his hand. "Whatever you do, I'll support you."

Li Ju embraced her, looking at the fallen leaves in the courtyard.

Ultimately, it's a matter of being unable to control one's own destiny.

Yuwen Shufu.

Yuwen Chengji stood in his study and reported in detail on his conversation with Li Ju that day.

Yuwen Shu sat behind the desk, holding a teacup, listening attentively.

"He said, 'It's nothing, we should help each other out'?" Yuwen Shu put down his teacup.

"That's right," Yuwen Chengji said. "I see that he didn't refuse at all; on the contrary, he was quite agreeable."

Yuwen Shu nodded, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Good. You did a good job."

Yuwen Chengji was overjoyed. His grandfather rarely praised anyone, and this single sentence was worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.

"Grandfather, what's next...?"

"No rush." ​​Yuwen Shu raised his hand to stop him. "We'll know whether he's genuinely loyal or just putting on an act when he comes to us in person."

Three days later, Li Ju arrived with generous gifts.

Yuwen Chengji personally greeted him at the door, his smile as warm as ever, but with a greater degree of respect than last time—at least on the surface.

"Junior Supervisor Li, your grandfather is waiting in the main hall."

Li Ju nodded and followed him inside.

In the main hall, Yuwen Shu sat upright in the main seat, dressed in a black brocade robe, his face dignified.

Upon seeing Li Ju enter, he rose to greet him, smiling and saying, "Junior Supervisor Li, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Li Ju cupped his hands in greeting: "General Yuwen is too kind; I dare not be impolite."

The two men sat down, one as host and the other as guest. Yuwen Shu first praised Li Ju, saying that he had rendered meritorious service in defending the city and devised a plan to cut off supplies during Yang Xuangan's rebellion. He added that Li Ju was young and had already accomplished so much, so his future was limitless.

"However," Yuwen Shu changed the subject, "the court is treacherous, and one cannot achieve anything by fighting alone. Li Shaojian is young and needs someone to support him."

Li Ju cupped his hands in agreement: "I wholeheartedly agree. I hope General Yuwen will offer his assistance in court in the future."

Yuwen Shu was overjoyed, stroking his beard and laughing, "Of course, of course."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and suddenly said, "I haven't had a chance to congratulate Vice Minister Li on his marriage yet. However..." He put down his teacup, his gaze deepening, "Vice Minister Li is young and promising, now in charge of the grain transport and enjoying the Emperor's favor. It's rather lonely for him to have only his wife in his household."

Li Ju remained expressionless and listened quietly.

"It's common for scions of noble families to have three wives and four concubines," Yuwen Shu said with a smile. "It not only brings honor to the family but also helps manage the household, so you have no worries."

Li Ju nodded and cupped his hands, saying, "General Yuwen is absolutely right. However, I am newly married and dare not rush to take a concubine, for fear of wronging my wife and offending my beloved."

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Yuwen Shu's eyes.

This was a sensible way of speaking; it showed respect for the legal wife without making any absolute statements.

"I have a daughter named Yuwen Yue, sixteen years old, dignified and virtuous, skilled in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting." Yuwen Shu's gaze was intense. "She often tells me that she has long admired the young hero, Li Shaojian. If it's convenient today, I wonder if Li Shaojian would do her the honor of letting her come out to meet me?"

It is against the rules for an unmarried woman to meet a man outside the marriage.

But Yuwen Shu was asking Li Ju what he meant.