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

The next morning, Li Ju's attendant rushed over and found Changsun Wuji in the courtyard. He bowed and said, "Young Master Changsun, news from the court has arrived—Gao Gong's crimes have been determined. He has been spared death but exiled to Lingnan. He will depart in three days."

The clothes slipped from Gao's hands and fell to the ground. Her face turned pale, and her voice trembled: "Exiled to Lingnan... that's a long journey. How can my brother bear it?"

Changsun Wuji supported his mother, suppressing his grief, and turned to the servant, saying, "Thank you for informing me. Please inform Supervisor Li that Wuji is aware of this."

The attendants withdrew. Shortly afterward, Li Ju arrived in person, carrying a letter.

He walked into the courtyard and saw Madam Gao weeping, Changsun Wuji with a solemn expression, and Changsun Wugou nestled beside her mother with red eyes. He then slowed his pace.

"Madam Gao, Wuji, I am aware of this matter." He handed over the letter. "This is the travel money and letter that I asked someone to prepare. The letter has been entrusted to the local officials in Lingnan to take care of Lord Gao's daily life and to minimize his suffering."

He looked at Changsun Wuji and said solemnly, "It is already a great blessing that Gao Gong has escaped death. Now that you are working at the Capital Water Conservancy Bureau, do your job well. If there is an opportunity in the future, I, Li, will try to help Gao Gong reduce his sentence and bring him back."

Changsun Wuji looked at Li Ju, his eyes filled with gratitude and determination.

He immediately bowed deeply, his voice choked with emotion yet powerful: "I will never forget the kindness of Supervisor Li! From this day forward, I am willing to follow Supervisor Li, even unto death!"

Lady Gao also bowed with tears in her eyes, saying, "Thank you, Vice Director Li, thank you, Vice Director Li..."

Although Empress Zhangsun did not understand the deeper meaning, she still curtsied along with her mother and whispered, "Thank you, Supervisor Li."

Li Ju helped everyone up and said gently, "No need for formalities. Take good care of them. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

He turned and walked out of the courtyard, Chen Mo following behind. The autumn sun shone on the bluestone pavement at the alley entrance, making it gleam white.

"Junior Supervisor," Chen Mo said in a low voice, "Changsun Wuji is a capable person."

Li Ju nodded without saying anything.

He glanced back at the half-closed wooden door, through which timid half of Empress Changsun's face could be seen.

He withdrew his gaze and strode towards the Li residence.

Changsun Wuji stood at the door, watching his back, and remained motionless for a long time.

But he silently thought to himself: From this day forward, this life belongs to the Li family.

When Li Ju returned to his residence, it was already late at night.

The lights in the main hall were still on.

Wei Gui sat under the lamp, holding an embroidery hoop in her hand, embroidering stitch by stitch.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up, put down her embroidery hoop, and got up to greet them.

"Rokuro, you're back."

Seeing his tired expression, she took the outer robe he had taken off and hung it on the hanger. She then took a bowl of hot soup from the maid and handed it to him.

"Have a sip of soup to warm yourself up first."

Li Ju took the soup bowl and drank two sips.

The soup was chicken broth, fresh, fragrant, and rich, warming you from your throat all the way to your stomach.

He let out a long breath and sat down on the couch.

Wei Gui sat beside him, looking at him.

Li Ju was silent for a moment before speaking: "Today I went to settle Gao Shilian's family. Gao Shilian was exiled to Lingnan, and his eldest grandson's family is now destitute. I promised him I would take care of his nephew and niece."

Wei Gui nodded: "Where are the mother and her two children currently housed?"

"That empty house next door," Li Ju said, "is home to my nephew, Changsun Wuji. He's talented, and I've arranged for him to work at the Water Conservancy Bureau. My niece is Changsun Wugou; she's only ten years old, and she's well-behaved and sensible."

Wei Gui didn't ask any further questions, only saying, "Now that things have been settled, I will take good care of things from now on. It's convenient since the mansion is nearby."

Li Ju held her hand and said softly, "Zeniang, there's one more thing."

Wei Gui looked at him.

"Yuwen Shu intends to send his daughter, Yuwen Yue, into his household as a concubine," Li Ju said, looking into her eyes. "This is a temporary measure, and also a way to protect himself."

Wei Gui remained silent for a few moments. She lowered her eyes, then raised them again, her gaze calm.

"I understand," she said softly. "Sixth Master is currently walking on thin ice in the court. Yuwen Shu is the Emperor's confidant; with his protection, you will be more secure. I will treat Lady Yuwen with courtesy, and the household will remain peaceful."

Li Ju gripped her hand even tighter.

"Ze Niang, I'm sorry to have wronged you."

Wei Gui shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips: "I'm not wronged. As long as Liu Lang is safe, everything is worth it."

The two remained silent for a moment.

Li Ju leaned back on the couch, closed his eyes, and whispered, "Now every step I take feels like walking on thin ice."

Wei Gui placed his hand in her own palm and gently held it.

"I'm here." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was steady. "There's always a home behind Liu Lang."

Li Ju opened his eyes and looked at her.

Under the lamplight, her face was as soft and beautiful as jade, and there was no worry in her eyes, only a calm and steadfast confidence.

He suddenly felt that the fatigue, scheming, and walking on thin ice of the past few days had all been smoothed out by this lamp, this bowl of soup, and this one sentence.

He gently pulled her into his arms.

"Ze Niang".

"Um."

"It's so good to have you."

Wei Gui buried her face in his chest, said nothing, and simply hugged him tighter.

The next morning, the Water Conservancy Bureau.

Changsun Wuji, dressed in a brand-new blue official robe, stood upright at the door of the duty room.

He reported for duty yesterday, and today is his official start day.

Chen Mo followed behind him, pointed to a stack of documents on the table, and said in a low voice, "Military Advisor Changsun, these are the canal transport accounts for the past half month. They need to be checked item by item. If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask me."

Changsun Wuji nodded, sat down, opened the account book, and began to check each item one by one.

His fingers were long and slender, and his movements as he turned pages were swift and precise. His eyes darted back and forth between the numbers, and he would occasionally pick up a pen to jot down a few lines on the calculation paper.

Chen Mo stood aside and observed silently for half an hour without making a sound.

At noon, Chen Mo returned to Li Ju's duty room and bowed, saying, "Junior Supervisor, Changsun Wuji is efficient and meticulous. He checked thirty accounts in half an hour and found two minor errors, one a copying mistake and the other an omission. He marked them down and wrote them down next to the entries."

Li Ju was looking at another ledger, not even looking up: "What did he ask?"

"He asked about the document processing procedures of the Water Conservancy Bureau, the location of the archives in each warehouse, and also... about your work style, Junior Supervisor." Chen Mo paused, "He said he wanted to know the rules for Junior Supervisors so as not to make mistakes."

Li Ju raised his head, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"Understood. Keep an eye on him, but don't interfere. Let him do it himself."

"Yes."

Chen Mo left.

Li Ju lowered his head again and looked through the account books in his hands.

Footsteps sounded outside the door. Zhou Xiaoli entered and whispered, "Sir, someone from General Yuwen's residence has come. They say they've chosen an auspicious day to send Lady Yuwen to the residence. Please make your decision."

Li Ju put down his pen and remained silent for a moment.

"Reply that you will follow General Yuwen's arrangements."

Zhou, the minor official, agreed and left.

In the evening, Li Ju returned to his residence, but Wei Gui was not in the main hall.

"Where is the lady?" he asked the maid.

"The young mistress is next door, over at Madam Gao's place."

Li Ju turned and went out the door, walking to the neighboring courtyard. The gate was not closed, so he pushed it open and went in, hearing Wei Gui's voice coming from the main hall, gentle and patient.

"This stroke should be lighter, not too heavy. Yes, that's it."

He walked to the door and saw Wei Gui sitting at the table, holding Changsun Wugou's small hand and teaching her to write, stroke by stroke.

Madam Gao sat beside her, holding needle and thread, watching with a smile.

Empress Zhangsun wore a new outfit today, a pink jacket that made her fair face look rosy, like a newly blossoming peach blossom.

She lowered her head, carefully tracing the characters, her long, curled eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes.

"Junior Supervisor Li has arrived." Madam Gao saw him first and stood up to greet him.

Wei Gui raised his head and smiled slightly at him.

Empress Zhangsun also raised her head, saw Li Ju, her face flushed slightly, put down her pen, stood up and curtsied, and whispered, "Junior Supervisor Li."

Li Ju waved his hand to indicate that they didn't need to be so polite, walked to the table, and looked down at the words she had written.

Each stroke is neat and tidy; though the writing is immature, you can tell that the effort was put into it.

"Well written," he said.

Empress Zhangsun's eyes lit up for a moment, then she lowered her head and smiled slightly.

Wei Gui stood up and said to Madam Gao, "Madam, it's getting late, I should go back now. Wu Gou's calligraphy is very good, I'll come again tomorrow."

Ms. Gao thanked them repeatedly and saw them out.

Back in their own courtyard, Wei Gui and Li Ju walked side by side under the eaves.

"Liu Lang, that child is very clever," Wei Gui said softly. "She learned to write very quickly. Moreover, she is meticulous and knows that her mother works hard, so she always rushes to help with chores."

Li Ju nodded: "With you and Madam Gao taking care of her, she won't be wronged."

Luoyang Palace, Imperial Study.

Yang Guang sat behind his desk, a secret report spread out before him. A eunuch knelt below him and reported in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, our secret guards have discovered that General Yuwen has betrothed his eldest daughter, Yuwen Yue, to Li Ju, and she will soon enter the palace as a concubine. Li Ju has agreed, and the wedding date has been set for November."

Yang Guang tapped his fingertips lightly on the imperial desk, once, once, slowly and deliberately. After a moment, he suddenly chuckled.

"Hmph, at least he knows what's good for him. I thought he was a perfect person, but it turns out he also knows how to curry favor and survive."

Empress Xiao sat to one side, holding a cup of tea in her hand, and gently placed it in front of Yang Guang.

"Your Majesty, Li Shaojian is highly accomplished and young. If he is too upright, he will easily be resented. Now, he has attached himself to the Yuwen clan and taken a concubine. He retains a slight worldly flaw, which is the way to protect himself." She paused, her voice gentle and refined. "For Your Majesty, such a talented but unassuming minister, who has support but is not independent, is the most secure."

Yang Guang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and the doubt in his eyes gradually dissipated.

"The Empress is right." He put down his teacup. "With Yuwen Shu watching over him, I have less to worry about."