Tang Dynasty Hidden Guards

Yuan Min arranged for a carriage to personally escort Princess Taiping back.

Inside the carriage, Yuan Min gently comforted Li Lingyue, "Your Highness, don't worry. Xue Wei needs time to resolve his inner conflict, and I will patiently persuade him as well."

Li Lingyue sighed, "I married Xue Shao when I was sixteen. He was the man I loved most in my life. My greatest wish was to grow old with him, but fate is cruel. Li Chong rebelled, and my husband was imprisoned without cause."

I was pregnant at the time and went to beg my mother for mercy. I knelt for three days without eating or drinking, but she wouldn't see me, ignored me, or grant my request. Then I received the news that my husband had starved to death. I fainted immediately. From then on, I understood a principle: without a knife in my hand, how could I save my beloved husband? Everyone says Princess Taiping was cold-blooded and ruthless, but I was actually forced into it.

Yuan Min held Li Lingyue's hand. As a woman herself, she could understand Princess Taiping's pain at losing her loved ones. She pursued power because she didn't want such a tragedy to happen again, but unfortunately, she almost made the same mistake again.

Li Lingyue said in a low voice, "I gave birth to eight children. Everyone thinks I love my second son, Chongjian, the most, but that's not true. Sometimes, the deeper the love, the deeper the hate. Min'er, do you understand?"

"I understand!"

The carriage arrived at the princess's residence and slowly came to a stop. Li Lingyue patted Yuan Min's hand and said, "Take good care of him for me. If you have any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to me. Min'er, although you are divorced, you will always be my good daughter-in-law."

"Thank you, Mother. I will take good care of him."

The word "mother" brought tears to Li Lingyue's eyes. She hugged Yuan Min tightly before getting off the carriage and entering the princess's residence under the protection of a large group of maids and guards.

Yuan Min sat for a moment, then instructed those outside, "Return to the main store in Nanshi!"

The carriage started and headed towards the south of the city.

.........

Xue Wei kept an eye on Wu Liankun for three days. He figured out Wu Liankun's routine, knowing that he went to the Twelve Palaces every day and who he looked for each day.

That noon, Xue Wei wore a bamboo hat that covered most of his face. He followed Wu Liankun to the Twelve Palaces and watched him go up to the third floor and enter that room.

Xue Wei estimated that it was about time, so he took out a piece of silver and handed it to one of the newlyweds, saying, "Go find Ma Kunniang and tell her that I am her old flame and have brought her some silver. I will wait for her here."

"Please wait a moment, young master, we'll be right there!"

The newcomer received the silver and ran upstairs excitedly. Xue Wei followed behind him and soon arrived at the corner on the third floor. Xue Wei hid to the side and patiently waited for the right opportunity.

Inside the room, Wu Liankun was bound and blindfolded, lying in a large bathtub.

The bathtub was steaming hot, and a seductive woman draped in a light veil held a soft whip in her hand, constantly lashing Wu Liankun inside.

"That was great! Let's do it again!"

Just then, someone knocked on the door. "Sister Kun, someone is looking for you at the gate. They say your old flame has come to give you some money."

The woman's eyes lit up, and she leaned down to kiss Wu Liankun. "Good man, wait for me a moment, I'll be right there!"

The woman drew the curtain and went out happily. Not long after, Xue Wei appeared above Wu Liankun's head, reached out and took off Wu Liankun's blindfold. Wu Liankun suddenly saw the face above his head and was terrified. Just as he was about to shout, Xue Wei gently pushed him, and Wu Liankun's head immediately went into the water, bubbling up.

Wu Liankun struggled desperately, but he was bound all over, his legs couldn't bend, and he couldn't kick all the way down. His struggles were useless, and his body gradually stopped moving. Xue Wei watched him coldly until he was completely quiet before turning and leaving.

The woman waited outside for a long time, but her old lover who was supposed to bring her the money never showed up. She returned in a rage, cursing, "Go to hell! You dare to lie to me and make me come all this way for nothing!"

She pulled back the curtain and suddenly screamed in terror, "My God!"

………….

Wu Jizhi rushed back to the mansion like a whirlwind, shouting as he entered, "Brother, something's happened!"

Wu Chongxun opened the door. "What happened?"

"Lian Kun... Lian Kun is dead!"

Wu Chongxun was stunned for a moment, then asked urgently, "How did he die?"

"In the Twelve Palaces, I heard that someone drowned in the bathtub."

"Drowned? How could that be?"

"Brother, it's possible. Lian Kun likes that kind of bondage thing."

Wu Chongxun walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then stopped and coldly said to Wu Jizhi, "His death has nothing to do with us. Don't mention him again."

"Yes! I won't mention it again."

Wu Chongxun walked to the window, gazed outside, and after a long while, sneered, "Xue Wei, what a shrewd move!"

Wu Jizhi was shocked. "Brother, that's impossible! How could Xue Wei have such ability?"

Wu Chongxun said coldly, "There are not that many coincidences in this world. This man is ruthless. I really underestimated him."

"So what do we do?"

Wu Chongxun suddenly stared into his brother's eyes and said, word by word, "I'll say it to you again, and you'll remember this: Wu Liankun's death has nothing to do with us. We know nothing about it."

………….

Xue Wei hadn't seen Yuan Min for the past two days. He lived alone in Mingyue Tower, spending his days shopping, eating, painting, practicing calligraphy, and honing his throwing knife skills. He was living a carefree and leisurely life.

Xue Wei drew up the blueprints and had a carpenter make two very large sofa frames, legless and floor-standing, much like a folding chair, but with wide and comfortable backrests.

He also found a shop that sold graphite, which made one of his ideas a reality.

That afternoon, he walked back to Mingyue Tower while munching on a sugarcane and immediately spotted Yuanmin's carriage.

Yuan Min was indeed very busy. He could hardly see her during the day. She would only come over in the evening to have dinner together, spend half an hour with him, drink tea, chat, and then leave before dark.

The maid who took care of Xue Wei's daily life was a ten-year-old girl named Xiao Huan. Xue Wei felt that he was the one taking care of her.

As soon as Yuan Min got off the carriage, she turned her head and saw Old Master Xue returning with a sugarcane stalk in his mouth, his clothes disheveled, and his gait measured, looking exactly like a street ruffian.

Yuan Min chuckled, "Old Xue, did you just come back from a trip to the countryside?"

Xue Wei handed her another sugarcane, "Here you go!"

"No way! I usually only drink the juice from sugarcane!"

"Teach me how to juice!"

"It's made with a stone mill! A special stone mill, the juice it extracts is very clean."

"Okay! I'll buy a stone mill tomorrow and I'll make juice for you."

"I won't drink the juice you squeezed. You're so clumsy, it's definitely not clean."

The two went upstairs through a side passage. Xue Wei naturally reached out and put his arm around her waist, but Yuan Min quickly shook off his hand, glared at him, and then winked at him. The three female warriors followed behind, all pretending not to have seen anything.

Xue Wei chuckled, "You're not leaving tonight, are you?"

Yuan Min looked at him seriously and said, "You're not leaving tonight, but it's not what you think. You have important business to attend to."

Xue Wei pursed his lips, "It's like what I'm thinking about isn't important."

"You know perfectly well what you're thinking all day."

Xue Wei blinked. "Actually, I think about the laws of nature every day!"

"What are the laws of nature?"

Xue Wei said with a serious expression, "It's about having children and continuing the family line..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yuan Min grabbed his ear and said, "You shameless snake, you're asking for trouble again."

"I didn't finish what I was saying. There's another law of nature: when you're hungry, you eat. Let's go eat first!"

Xue Wei put his arm around Yuan Min's slender waist and walked towards the dining hall. This time, Yuan Min didn't break free and let this scoundrel take advantage of her.

........

After finishing their meal, the two sat down in the study, where a maid named Xiao Huan brought them tea.

"I have something to tell you first: Wu Liankun is dead."

Xue Wei feigned surprise, "How did he die?"

"I heard from someone inside the county government that he was playing lewd games in the Twelve Palaces, but he went too far and drowned."

Xue Wei sneered, "Retribution! It came swiftly."

Yuan Min stared into Xue Wei's eyes. "Tell me the truth, did you do it?"

Xue Wei remained expressionless. "I wish I had done it, but unfortunately I didn't. What did the authorities say?"

"What can the government say?"

Yuan Min had a feeling that Xue Wei wasn't telling the truth, but she didn't press him for details. She simply explained calmly, "The county government has already determined it was an accidental drowning."

Xue Wei waved his hand, "Since the authorities have already determined the nature of the case, let's not discuss it anymore. Is there anything else?"

Yuan Min took a sip of tea and said slowly, "There is another important matter. Your mother came to see me at noon today."

"What do you want?"

"You are hereby informed that you will present your poem on the second day of next month. The Emperor will summon you at Yingtian Gate. An eunuch will guide you at that time, so there is no need to be nervous."

Xue Wei nodded. "Would you like to take a bath and change?"

"Of course, and we also need to use incense."

"Is it that complicated?"

"The Empress, after all, pays great attention to etiquette in this regard. Old Xue, let me tell you something, so you won't embarrass yourself."

"What is it?"

"Take a bath!" Yuan Min said with a serious expression. "The palace maids will bathe and scent you. This is a ritual, so don't have any improper thoughts."

"Of course I wouldn't have that; I'm just afraid they might have ulterior motives."

"puff!"

Yuan Min covered her mouth and laughed so hard she almost fell over. She rubbed her sore stomach and pointed at him, saying, "Old Xue, you're doomed. You'll lose at least ten pounds the day you leave the palace."

"Do you use a large millstone to extract the juice?"

"You lecherous thief!" A pillow came crashing down on his head.

Xue Wei spread his hands, looking completely innocent. "What did I do wrong? I was just preparing to juice the sugarcane for them. You're the one who misunderstood!"

"You're talking nonsense! What you meant by 'juicing with a large millstone' is clearly that kind of thing. Do you think I don't understand?"

Yuan Min was both ashamed and angry, and she clenched her fist and punched Xue Wei in the chest.

Xue Wei grabbed her wrist, pulled her into his arms, and sighed in her ear, "How I wish you would have inappropriate thoughts about me!"

Yuan Min blushed and pinched his arm hard. "You've only been doing this for a few days and you're already behaving yourself."

Xue Wei had already discovered that Yuan Min had a very strong personality and was extremely principled. Holding hands was allowed, and occasionally putting her arm around his shoulder, waist, or even hugging was also acceptable, but anything further was not permitted.

Xue Wei had a feeling that she didn't seem to have had any physical intimacy with her ex-boyfriend Xue Wei at all. She seemed like a girl who had never been in a relationship before, and had just started her first love.

Xue Wei had been through it all; he understood this subtle feeling. The feelings between men and women have never changed since ancient times.

He now strongly suspects that Yuan Min and her ex-husband Xue Wei did not consummate their marriage; in other words, Yuan Min is very likely still a virgin.

This suspicion is based on evidence. Li Guo'er said that day that her ex-boyfriend Xue Wei spent his wedding night with Li Guo'er.

Given Yuan Min's strong-willed nature, how could she easily forgive Xue Wei for such a humiliating disgrace? Xue Wei had to deeply repent and behave himself for several months before she would forgive him and sleep with him. However, Xue Wei never repented and instead became even more outrageous, having an affair with the famous courtesan Zhou Yinfeng.

Xue Wei wanted to verify this, but he couldn't speak up. He had to wait patiently, and when the time was right, Yuan Min would naturally tell him.

The two joked around for a while before sitting down again.

"What else did my mother say to you?" Xue Wei asked again.

"I told her about what happened to you in prison, and she cried and blamed herself; she was on the verge of a breakdown."

Yuan Min sighed, took Xue Wei's hand and said, "She really didn't know, just like I didn't know. There are strict rules in prison. Prisoners only get one meal a day, even death row inmates. Who knew they would starve you for several days? Don't blame her for this."

"But she can plead with the Emperor!"

"She has no way to plead with the Emperor. You are involved in the Li Chongrun case. Li Chongrun's father was reinstated as Crown Prince three years ago, yet Li Chongrun, as the Crown Prince's grandson, was still poisoned. If the Emperor pardons you, it proves that she is wrong. Li Chongrun was wrongfully killed. How could she possibly admit her mistake? She certainly won't pardon you."

Xue Wei nodded slightly. "What you said makes some sense!"

"Old Xue, let's wait patiently for the pain to scab over, let time heal the wounds, and then give your mother a chance!"

Xue Wei sighed, "Let time tell! But I'm more concerned about the second day of the month. You just said the emperor wouldn't pardon me, so what about the second day? Will the emperor still refuse to admit his mistake?"

"This is different. The Emperor's pardon is not because she wants to admit her mistakes, but because you have already been punished and have atoned for your sins. A year in the Blackwater Prison can offset any sins."

Yuan Min hesitated for a moment and then said, "Your mother said that the emperor has likely already verbally pardoned you, and will officially announce it on the second day of the month. There's also another piece of news: three days ago, the Blackwater Prison was filled in with earth, so you won't be going back."

Xue Wei slowly covered his face, trembling all over. He didn't have to go back anymore. He had finally escaped that hellish water prison. Overwhelmed with emotion, Xue Wei even started to sob.

Yuan Min hugged him and gently patted his back.

She didn't go home that night. The two sat under the moonlight and chatted. Yuan Min told him in detail about the past, the good, the bad, the joyful, and the sad. She told Xue Wei everything.

But she never gave Xue Wei the answer he most wanted to know.