Tang Dynasty Hidden Guards

It took a long time for Xue Chongjian to gradually calm down after his breakdown.

He wiped away his tears, and his gaze hardened.

"Brother, I'll help you, I definitely will. What do you want me to do?"

Xue Wei thought about it and decided that he should trust his brother; he really needed help.

"Zhang Changzong's first task for me was to kill Gao Jian, but if I kill Gao Jian, I will be burdened with a serious crime, and Zhang Changzong might even kill me to silence me. But if I don't kill Gao Jian, the Zhang brothers won't let me go. They gave me three months, and now there are only eighty-one days left."

The only one who can save me now is the Emperor. I want the Emperor to see my worth. As long as she speaks up, the Zhang brothers won't dare to touch me again.

Xue Chongjian pondered for a long time and said, "Brother, if you want to see the Emperor, you should go to Mother and apologize to him. She will protect you, and she may even make it easier for you to see the Emperor."

Xue Wei shook his head. "This is the second request I have for you: don't tell Mother about this for now."

Why?

"This matter is complicated. The Zhang brothers released me because I am the son of Princess Taiping. They wanted to influence my mother through me. Their real purpose was probably to use my mother to deal with the Wu family."

"Then we should let Mother know, otherwise she'll be being used without even realizing it."

Xue Wei shook his head again, "Let's wait a little longer! Let me see the Emperor first. If that doesn't work, I'll go to my mother."

Xue Chongjian stared at Xue Wei, then suddenly asked, "You don't actually trust your mother?"

Xue Wei fell silent. Xue Chongjian's words pierced his heart like a knife. He truly did not believe Princess Taiping. In history, Princess Taiping, like her mother Wu Zetian, trampled on family ties for power.

The fact that she herself was imprisoned shows that she suffered terribly in the water dungeon for a whole year. As a mother, Princess Taiping actually ignored her child. Can such a mother be trusted?

Xue Chongjian sighed, poured his brother a full glass of wine, and said in a low voice, "There are some things you may not know. Yesterday morning, Mother went to the palace and had a big argument with Shangguan Wan'er. She heard that Shangguan Wan'er arranged for someone to assassinate you. Mother was very angry and questioned her about why she broke her promise. Shangguan Wan'er has already promised that she will not hurt you again."

Also, your mother saw you working in the stables, so she asked me to bring you clothes and supplies. Even if you two fall out, the bond between mother and son can never be erased.

As he finished speaking, Xue Chongjian's voice choked up a little, "My mother didn't say it, but I know she actually regrets it. She regrets not helping you and letting you suffer for a year."

Xue Wei remained silent for a long time. He truly did not know that his mother had found out about Zhou Yinfeng's assassination attempt on him and had even gone to the palace to have a big argument with Shangguan Wan'er.

But knowing this is one thing; the iceberg in Xue Wei's heart cannot be melted by Xue Chongjian's few tears or tender words. Sometimes, belated affection is cheaper than grass.

"Give me some more time. I need to think about it and clear my head before I say anything."

Xue Chongjian nodded and smiled, "Come to the palace to find me tomorrow. Let's set a time. I'll wait for you at the Xingjin Bridge."

"What are you going to the palace for?"

"I'll help you find a way to see the Emperor!"

.........

After the two brothers had breakfast, they went to the West Market Wine Shop.

"There are a total of thirty wine shops in the winery, and all the wine in Luoyang is supplied from here, including the imperial palace. Among them, four wine shops are the most famous. The first is Jiuxianlou, which is Wu Sansi's property; the second is the Persian Wine Shop, which is run by Sogdians and is famous for selling wine and Sanlejiang; the third is Bailinglou, which is the property of the Crown Princess Wei family; and the fourth is Xinghualou, which is the property of the Xue family, that is, the property of the eldest brother, and you, as the eldest son, will inherit it."

Xue Wei smiled slightly and said, "I went to Nanshi the day before yesterday and happened to enter Baigongzhai. I met Manager Hu and only then did I realize that Baigongzhai was actually my business."

"Oh! It seems my brother really has lost his memory. You used to go to the shop every day."

Soon they arrived at the street lined with distilleries, where the air was thick with the smell of fermented grains. Xue Chongjian pointed to a large shop and said, "That's it. See the signboard? It has three big characters: 'Apricot Blossom Wine.' It was written by my grandfather."

"I think I saw the Xinghua Restaurant near the Zodiac Palace. Is it related to us?"

Xue Chongjian nodded. "Xinghua Restaurant also belongs to the Xue family, but it has nothing to do with us. The Xue family is a large clan with many branches, and we are just one of them."

"Do you own any property?"

"Yes!" Xue Chongjian laughed. "They have several shops in Chang'an. I went to Chang'an on official business before and took the opportunity to check on the shops."

The two entered the wine shop, where the tall, thin manager, Liu, greeted them excitedly, "The young master is back! That's wonderful! He's finally safe and sound!"

As he finished speaking, Manager Liu's voice became choked with emotion.

Xue Chongjian patted his arm. "Alright, stop crying. My brother has forgotten a lot of things. You can give him a proper introduction to the wine shop again. Brother, I have to go back now because I have to work today."

Xue Wei nodded. "I'll come find you tomorrow!"

…………

"Would you like to visit the wine cellar, young master?" Manager Liu asked cautiously.

"Pour me a cup of tea first!"

Xue Wei wasn't in the mood to look at the wine shop; he was still thinking about his conversation with Xue Chongjian earlier that day.

Before long, Manager Liu brought him a cup of hot tea and said in a low voice, "Young master, your house is all ready. Would you like to go and take a look?"

Xue Wei was taken aback. "What house?"

"It's that little house in Tongji Lane! You bought it two years ago, but you've never lived there. I've been keeping it safe. You've probably forgotten about it!"

It wasn't that he forgot; he simply didn't know. He obtained his weapon from the Hundred Crafts Workshop and acquired a small house from the Apricot Blossom Pavilion. He cherished these small moments of happiness.

"Give me the key and the address, I'll go check it out another day."

Xue Wei wasn't in the mood today. After finishing his tea, he hurriedly returned to his residence.

He sat cross-legged in the dimly lit room, closed his eyes, and listened to Xue Chongjian's words echoing in his mind.

"She saw you working in the stables!"

"Yesterday morning, Mother went to the palace and had a big argument with Shangguan Wan'er..."

"My mother didn't say it, but I know she actually regrets it. She regrets not helping you and letting you suffer for a year."

.........

After an unknown amount of time, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with pain and depth.

He piled all the clothes and belongings that Xue Chongjian had brought in the yard, lit a torch and threw it in. The fire grew bigger and bigger, gradually engulfing all the clothes.

Gazing at the raging fire, he thought of the rats and snakes he had devoured, skin and all, in the Blackwater Prison; he thought of the stark white bones that kept him company; and he thought of the boundless loneliness and despair.

This kind of iceberg, formed from countless heart-wrenching pains, cannot be melted by a few words of regret, a few tears, or a few pieces of clothing.

He doesn't need her regret, he doesn't need her help, he never has.

He went back to his room, took out his writing materials and a stack of white hemp paper, which he had taken from the wine shop earlier that day. He wanted to write something; he needed to vent his pent-up resentment.

Xue Wei spread out the paper and began to write seriously. His muscle memory gradually returned, and his writing became better and better, more and more fluent.

The pen scratched away as he frantically vented his inner loneliness, a loneliness that grew ever stronger until he was about to be overwhelmed.

Those who have abandoned me, the days of yesterday cannot be retained;

Those who trouble my mind, today is filled with worries.

A long wind carries wild geese across ten thousand miles; one can enjoy this view from a high tower.

Penglai's writings have the strength of the Jian'an period, and in the middle, Xiao Xie's style is also elegant.

..........

Have you not seen the Yellow River's waters come from the sky, rushing to the sea never to return?

Do you not see the bright mirror in the high hall reflecting the sorrow of white hair, black as silk in the morning, turning to snow by evening?

Life is full of joy, so that the gold is empty for the moon.

I am born to be useful, and come back when my wealth is gone.

...........

After writing dozens of pages in one go, Xue Wei finally put down his pen, his pent-up anger finally released, leaving him feeling utterly lost.

He slowly walked out of the house and threw the thick stack of poems into the fire.

At that moment, he made a decision: from this day forward, he would completely sever ties with Princess Taiping. He would be called Xue Wei, not Princess Taiping's son. He could keep a low profile, but he no longer needed to be humble.