Tang Dynasty Hidden Guards

The Qingfeng Restaurant flagship store covers an area of ​​eight acres and consists of three four-story buildings, each with a floor area of ​​over a thousand square meters. The Qingfeng Restaurant flagship store is also the second largest single commercial store in Luoyang, after the Twelve Palaces.

The three restaurants are named Qingfenglou, Mingyuelou, and Canxinglou respectively. The restaurants are located in Qingfenglou, while Canxinglou and Mingyuelou are office buildings. Yuanmin's main room is on the fourth floor of Mingyuelou, occupying an entire floor. The other twenty-odd managers and a bunch of accountants work in Canxinglou. Yuanmin is also preparing to place the headquarters of the business she is building in Canxinglou.

Zuo Qingling invited Xue Wei into Yuan Min's office. An office is an office, and it can be used not only in government offices but also in the offices of wealthy and powerful families.

Yuan Min's official residence is at least two hundred square meters, decorated in a simple and elegant style, with various exquisite furnishings.

Yuan Min wore her hair in a cloud-like style, a long brocade red dress, a yellow blouse, and gauze wrapped around her arms, revealing a large expanse of fair and smooth skin on her chest—a typical attire of a noblewoman from the Tang Dynasty.

Outside, Yuan Min wouldn't expose her chest directly; instead, she would wear an elaborate necklace to cover it, or simply button up her ruyi (a type of traditional Chinese dress). In her own room, she was much more casual.

Xue Wei suddenly realized that Yuan Min did not have a plump face like women in the Tang Dynasty. She had a beautiful oval face with firm skin on her cheeks, which gave her a look similar to women in later generations.

At this moment, Yuan Min stood on the carpet, her beautiful eyes curving into crescents, smiling as she greeted Xue Wei.

"Why are you so happy today?" Xue Wei asked with a smile.

"I am naturally flattered that the great poet Xue has come to visit me!"

Yuan Min was in a very good mood today because of what Xue Wei said to Li Guo'er this morning.

"Just because I was a scoundrel before doesn't mean I want to be one now or in the future. Princess, you're already engaged, cherish the person in front of you!"

This was reported to her by Yuan Min's informant planted at the stadium. Many palace maids were watching the game, and her maid, Xiao Luo'er, disguised herself as a palace maid and mingled in the crowd, actually to observe whether Xue Wei had truly repented.

These words made Yuan Min overjoyed for the entire morning.

Xue Wei sat down, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Li Guo'er came to see me today."

Yuan Min's lips curved into a smile. "Are you reporting to me?"

"Yes, I will not hide anything from you from any woman I have contact with in the future."

"You've done well. I'll reward you with breakfast."

Yuan Min clapped her hands, and a maid brought in two food platters and a pot of wine.

The two ate different foods; Yuan Min only had a few delicate side dishes and a steamed cake.

Xue Wei's meal consisted of three catties of flatbread, a large piece of roasted lamb chops, and a large bowl of rich lamb soup.

Xue Wei quickly picked up the wine pot, poured a full cup of wine for Yuan Min, and then poured one for himself as well.

Yuan Min smiled broadly, "You never used to pour wine; the maids always did it. Now you're actually pouring wine for me on your own initiative."

"If you like, I'll pour you drinks often from now on."

"OK!"

"I have something to tell you. My mother wants me to see her this afternoon, it might be related to the poem."

Yuan Min nodded. "As I expected, your two poems have had a great impact and have already reached the palace. I reckon the emperor is asking about them too. Your mother doesn't know how to answer the emperor, so she wants to ask you first."

"Could I take this opportunity to ask my mother for an audience with the Emperor?"

"No!"

Yuan Min quickly waved her hand, "You can't say it so directly, your mother will become suspicious. You need to be more tactful."

"How can I be more tactful?"

Yuan Min smiled slightly, "I've already found out. On the second day of next month, the emperor will be meeting with ten people over eighty years old. Just tell your mother that you have a poem for the Double Ninth Festival and would like to present it to the emperor. That would be a more tactful way to ensure that the emperor will definitely meet with you on the second day of next month."

Xue Wei gave a thumbs up, "Female strategist!"

Yuan Min smiled sweetly, "Then shouldn't someone invite me on a spring outing?"

"Okay! Let's go on a trip together on Qingming Festival and drink apricot blossom wine."

"It's a deal, no excuses allowed!"

"Even if the emperor summons me, it wouldn't be as important as you."

Yuan Min felt as sweet as if she had been drinking honey, and she rolled her eyes at Xue Wei.

"When did you become so eloquent? You've never said anything like that to me before."

Xue Wei gently took her hand. "It was my fault before. I didn't see you. Now, you're the only one in my eyes."

Yuan Min blushed and lowered her head shyly, asking, "And what about after that?"

"Let time prove it!"

Yuan Min suddenly flipped her hand and pinched the back of his hand hard with her fingernails.

"From now on, you are not allowed to say such things to any other woman but me."

"Absolutely not!"

Yuan Min sighed, "There's something I need to tell you. My grandfather has proposed marriage to me."

Xue Wei's heart skipped a beat. "Who is it?"

"Have you heard of Cui Shi?"

Xue Wei opened his mouth wide. Wasn't Cui Shi the lover that Princess Taiping and Shangguan Wan'er later shared? He was known as the "soft rice prime minister."

It's truly a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road; someone's actually competing with me for a woman.

However, Cui Shi was an exceptionally handsome man, with outstanding talent and ability, which is why he caught the eye of both Shangguan Wan'er and Princess Taiping.

He should still be young now, but if he pursues Yuan Min, he will truly be a formidable rival.

"So... what do you mean?"

Yuan Min glanced at Xue Wei and said quietly, "He invited me to a spring outing, but I refused outright."

Xue Wei breathed a slight sigh of relief, then said, "He might still pester you, and even try to pressure you through your grandfather."

"I know, but I won't give him a chance. Frankly, although he's very qualified, my gut feeling is that he's not very reliable."

Yuan Min's intuition was correct; historically, Cui Shi was an unreliable person.

Xue Wei suddenly remembered Wu Chongxun's burning gaze that day, and he asked again, "What about Wu Chongxun? I think he might make a move on you too."

Yuan Min nodded. "Yes, he also invited me to a spring outing, but I refused outright. He should be taking his fiancée on the trip. I hate people like that who are always looking for something better."

Xue Wei thought for a moment and said, "Yuan Min, you should increase your security! I'm worried that someone might use despicable means to deal with you, and I'm really not at ease."

Yuan Min blinked and said mischievously, "Then you shouldn't live in Tongjifang anymore. Move downstairs to my apartment and protect me."

Xue Wei chuckled, "I'm afraid I might embezzle!"

"You dare!" Yuan Min gently bit her lip.

Xue Wei suddenly had a change of heart and immediately agreed, "Okay! You arrange the accommodation, I'll move!"

.........

In the afternoon, Xue Wei arrived at Princess Taiping's residence. He wasn't there to cut hay for the stables; this time, he entered the residence directly through the main gate.

Steward Liu led him quickly toward the inner courtyard.

"The princess is not in a good mood, young master, please try to speak as little as possible!"

"I know my limits."

Upon entering the inner courtyard, one finds Princess Taiping, Li Lingyue, sitting alone in the hall, sulking.

Li Lingyue was sulking because of Gao Jian.

Li Lingyue and her ex-husband Xue Shao had a deep and loving relationship. After Xue Shao was imprisoned and starved to death, Li Lingyue was forced to remarry Wu Youji.

Li Lingyue disliked Wu Youji, and Wu Youji disliked her as well. He had a former wife with whom he had a loving relationship, but his wife was poisoned by Wu Zetian's men to make way for a princess to marry.

The two were forced to sleep in the same bed due to their arranged marriage. Although they had a child, the marriage could not resolve their inner turmoil, and they began to seek solace elsewhere.

While Wu Youji was out having affairs, Li Lingyue also began to turn to politics, seeking solace in other men. Li Lingyue had been with many men, but few of them moved her heart.

Gao Jian was one of them. His smile and gentle demeanor were very similar to Li Lingyue's ex-husband, Xue Shao.

More importantly, Gao Jian was shrewd and capable, and could help Li Lingyue politically. Therefore, Gao Jian was favored by Li Lingyue. He was her confidant in politics and her emotional support.

But Li Lingyue received an unexpected message today. Her informant in the palace reported to her that Gao Jian and Shangguan Wan'er had a close relationship. Every time Gao Jian entered the palace, he would report to Shangguan Wan'er. The two would always stay alone behind closed doors for an hour. What were they doing?

Moreover, this situation had been going on for half a year, and Li Lingyue only learned about it today for the first time, which made her furious and enraged.

However, today the Emperor's mother summoned her to the palace specifically to inquire about her eldest son, Xue Wei. Two of his poems had entered the palace, and the mother was very pleased with them.

This surprised Li Lingyue greatly. Although her eldest son had been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood, he later became unruly and dissolute, preferring riding, archery, and playing ball, and never reading books. Li Lingyue thought that her son had given up on literature. Unexpectedly, he wrote two regulated poems that had just begun to become popular and even received his mother's praise.

She was eager to see her son.

"Your Highness, the eldest son has arrived!" a palace maid announced from below the hall.

"Send him to see me!"