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

Wei Nizi sat on the stone bench, resting his chin on his hands, staring blankly at the bare old locust tree in the courtyard.

She hadn't seen Li Ju for over a month.

I promised to make her milk crisps, osmanthus cakes, and milk pearl tea, but Li Ju has been so busy lately that she can't even go home.

Every time she ran over excitedly, she found nothing.

She couldn't get into the office of the Water Conservancy Bureau, so she could only wander around outside, like a bird trapped in a cage.

Wei Gui sat on the veranda, holding needle and thread, embroidering a pair of leather boots.

She embroidered a few stitches, then looked up and saw Wei Nizi pouting, as if she were throwing a tantrum at thin air. She put down her needle and thread and asked gently, "What's wrong? Your lips are pouting so much you could hang an oil bottle on them."

Wei Nizi turned her head and looked at her expectantly: "Sister, when will Li Huairun be back?"

Wei Gui said, "He's busy right now and can't go back. With the Liao campaign imminent, there are countless things to do at the Water Conservancy Bureau, and he can't even get a proper night's sleep."

Wei Nizi wrinkled his nose: "Won't he be able to sleep at night?"

"Perhaps." Wei Gui picked up her needle and thread and embroidered another stitch. "What's wrong?"

Wei Nizi did not answer, but simply lowered his head and traced lines on the stone table with his fingers.

After a moment, she asked again, "Sister, what are the ingredients used to make calming incense?"

Wei Gui paused for a moment, then looked up at Wei Nizi.

The little girl's eyes darted away for a moment, then she stubbornly met her gaze again.

Wei Gui's heart skipped a beat—the girl's questions today were getting stranger and stranger.

Just as she was about to speak, Yuwen Yue walked over from the other end of the corridor, dressed in a light purple dress with a white fox fur coat over it, holding a book in her hands.

She bowed to Wei Gui and said softly, "Madam."

Wei Gui nodded. Yuwen Yue turned to Wei Nizi and smiled slightly: "Little sister Nizi, would you like to make calming sachets?"

Wei Nizi blushed slightly and nodded.

Yuwen Yue sat down beside her, placed the book on his lap, and said softly, "The calming incense requires agarwood, sandalwood, frankincense, and borneol, along with poria cocos and jujube seeds. Grind them into a fine powder and put them into a pouch. Agarwood calms the mind, sandalwood regulates the breath, frankincense and borneol open the senses, and poria cocos and jujube seeds nourish the heart. If you want to make it, I will teach you."

Wei Ni's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously: "Okay!"

Yuwen Yue then explained the spice ratio and how to sew the pouch. Wei Nizi listened attentively, muttering to himself as if reciting a text.

Looking at her, Wei Gui shook his head helplessly, but a knowing smile appeared in his eyes.

This girl has probably really grown up and knows how to care about people now.

Yuwen Yue followed her gaze and said softly, "The child has grown up and has his own thoughts now."

Wei Gui nodded without replying and continued embroidering the leather boots.

Wei Nizi ran out of the Li residence, jogged all the way through the alley, and pushed open the gate of the Changsun family's courtyard next door.

Madam Gao was sitting in the hall doing needlework, sewing a blue robe for Changsun Wuji.

Empress Zhangsun sat beside her, head bowed, meticulously embroidering a handkerchief with slender bamboo branches, the embroidery quite skillfully done.

"Sister Wugou!" Wei Nizi ran in breathlessly, grabbed Changsun Wugou's hand, and pulled her aside.

Empress Zhangsun stumbled slightly as she was pulled along, but regained her balance and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Wei Nizi lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously: "Do you know how to make sachets?"

Empress Changsun blinked: "I...didn't do it."

Hearing this, Madam Gao put down her needlework and smiled, "I can. Miss Wei, do you want to make a sachet as a gift?"

Wei Nizi blushed again, but did not deny it and nodded.

Gao did not ask any further questions and took out several pieces of plain silk from the sewing basket.

She called the two of them to her side and patiently began to teach them.

"First, cut two pieces of cloth, the same size." Gao's needlework was excellent; her fingers flew, and in a few strokes, she cut out two square pieces of silk. "Then sew them together, leaving a small opening to fill with spices, and finally seal the opening and sew on the tassels."

Wei Nizi clumsily tried to learn, cutting the cloth crookedly and making stitches of varying sizes. After sewing a few stitches, he pricked his finger and gasped in pain.

Empress Zhangsun was more composed than her. Although it was also her first time doing this, she was meticulous and skillful. Although her stitches were immature, they were neat and tidy.

Mr. Gao offered guidance from the side, remaining calm and patient.

Night, at the Capital Water Conservancy Bureau.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating the dark circles under Li Ju's eyes.

A map was spread out on the table, with the banners of the Hebei rebels densely packed, stretching from north of the Yellow River all the way to Zhuojun, like a festering sore that was spreading.

The land supply routes were mostly intercepted by rebel bandits, resulting in heavy losses.

Although it wasn't his responsibility, the share that couldn't be transported by land fell entirely on the shoulders of the Water Conservancy Bureau.

If we abandon the land route and switch to the waterway, we need to increase the number of boats, the number of people, the number of guards protecting the canal, and the amount of grain stored at the docks along the way.

Wang Yu and Zhang Yi have been traveling around, one patrolling the river and the other setting up defenses on the dike. They haven't returned to Luoyang for seven or eight days.

The entire Yongji Canal was busy, with fleets of boats stretching endlessly. The escort troops worked in shifts day and night, yet they were still stretched thin.

Li Ju rubbed his temples, picked up his pen, and wrote a memorial to the throne.

The memorial only mentioned two things: the guards of the grain transport and the river embankment camps were insufficient in strength, and requested that the army be expanded; the rebel army in Hebei was powerful, and fortifications needed to be built along the Yongji Canal to ensure the safety of the grain route.

After finishing writing, he put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes for a while.

There was a gentle knock on the door.

Zhou Xiaoli poked his head in and whispered, "Your Excellency, the young mistress has arrived. She came in through the side door and is in the side hall."

Li Ju opened his eyes, got up, and quickly walked out of the duty room.

There was only one lamp lit in the side hall, making the light dim.

Wei Gui stood by the window, dressed in a plain white dress with a black cloak over it, and a white magnolia hairpin in her hair.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around.

Under the light, she could see his face clearly—he had lost weight, his eyes were sunken, his cheekbones were prominent, and his lips were chapped.

Her eyes instantly reddened, and she quickly stepped forward, raising her hand to gently stroke his cheek.

"Liulang, you've lost weight again."

Li Ju held her hand; his palm was warm.

He didn't say anything, he just pulled her into his arms.

She was half a head taller than him, and he tilted his head slightly, resting his chin on her shoulder.

The two embraced quietly, neither of them saying a word.

After a long while, Wei Gui gently pushed him away, picked up a blue cloth package, placed it on the table, and opened it.

Inside were several sets of clothes to change into, neatly folded.

There was also a pair of black leather boots, with a shiny upper, thick cotton lining, and dense, even stitches, which showed that a lot of work had been done.

"I made these boots. They're thick and warm, perfect for the cold nights." She set the boots aside and took out a set of dark blue undergarments and trousers. The material was Shu brocade, soft and smooth to the touch. "These were made by Lady Yuwen. She said your undergarments were worn out and needed to be replaced."

Li Ju picked up the set of undergarments, looked at them, and put them aside.

Wei Gui then took out two sachets from the bottom of the package and placed them side by side on the table.

It was bright red, bulging, and embroidered with a peony—the petals were crooked and the colors varied, like a flower that had been blown askew by the wind.

The stitches are uneven in size, some are dense and some are sparse, and there are a few loose threads on the edges that haven't been trimmed clean.

The other piece is white, small and exquisite, with only a tiny plum blossom embroidered in the corner. Although the stitches are immature, they are neat and tidy, almost invisible unless you look closely.

Beside the plum blossom, two small characters are faintly embroidered – “Peace”.

Li Ju picked up the bright red sachet, brought it close to his nose and smelled it. The scent of agarwood and sandalwood was mixed together, faint and very calming.

A slight smile curved his lips: "Made by Nizi?"

Wei Gui nodded, and couldn't help but smile: "That girl spent several days learning and pricked her fingers many times before she could sew this one. She said it was for you, so you could sleep more soundly at night."

Li Ju held the sachet to his nose and smelled it again, a smile in his eyes: "The stitches may be ugly, but the sentiment is profound."

He picked up the pale white sachet again and gently stroked the small plum blossom on it. "Did you make this?"

Wei Gui shook his head: "Wu Gou and Ni Zi did it together. That child is meticulous; she was satisfied after two attempts. She said you work day and night and wished you peace."

Li Ju carefully put both sachets into his bosom.

Wei Gui straightened his collar and said softly, "Sixth Brother, don't overwork yourself. So many people at home are thinking of you."