Tang Dynasty Hidden Guards

Yuan Min looked at Xue Wei quietly for a while before she said softly, "My promise to you is true. Even though we have been divorced for a year, I have not let any man into my carriage, including my grandfather. This promise has not been broken to this day."

"And my shoes..."

"Your shoes are your mother's!"

Yuan Min decisively interrupted him, "Your mother is very big, and her feet are big too. All the other shoes are too small. Only your pair fits. Yesterday I asked her for help, and she accompanied me to the Ministry of Revenue."

Xue Wei was speechless for a moment. He really didn't know how big his mother's feet were, but Yuan Min's words were very convincing because it was easy to verify.

Xue Wei suddenly lost his confidence. "What do you need the Ministry of Revenue for?"

"Because I wanted to open a money counter, but opening a money counter required approval from the Ministry of Revenue, and the final approval authority was in the hands of the Vice Minister of Revenue, which was in the hands of Wu Sansi. So Wu Chongxun took the opportunity to come and usurp the host's position and said a lot of nonsense."

"What did he say?"

"He said he wanted to break off his engagement with the princess, that he wanted to marry me, and then he asked me if I would be willing to become his concubine if he couldn't break off the engagement?"

"So what was your answer to him?"

"I told him he was delusional, then I got up and left. I won't give him a kind look."

Xue Wei lowered his head, feeling truly ashamed.

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen you for the past three days, and I've been having some wild thoughts. Wu Chonglie said something like that again, and it felt like a knife was stabbing me in the heart, but I had to pretend not to care."

Yuan Min was silent for a moment before saying, "I did deliberately ignore you these past three days because I was angry with you."

"Why?" Xue Wei asked in astonishment.

"Because you're hiding something from me."

"What...is there that I'm hiding from you?"

Yuan Min sneered, "Wu Liankun!"

These three words were like a bolt from the blue. Xue Wei's face turned pale instantly. Yuan Min couldn't possibly know that secret. He had kept it so well hidden.

After a long pause, he asked in a low voice, "How did you know?"

"You asked me to help you find a new manager for the wine shop. I went to the wine shop in the West Market that day and happened to run into the old manager, Liu. He came back to pick up some things, and under my questioning, he admitted that he had revealed your address to Manager Liang."

Then I sent someone to the Prince Ding's mansion to investigate and found that the steward Liang was Wu Liankun's steward. So when you found out who the real culprit was, you kept an eye on Wu Liankun and eventually drowned him in the Twelve Palaces.

Later, I even had Qingling ask that Kunniang, and gave her one hundred taels of silver. She told the truth, saying that someone had sent her away for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Wasn't that you who did it?

Xue Wei gave a wry smile. "Why did you think of going to the Prince Ding's residence to inquire about Steward Liang?"

"Because every cause has an effect, and every effect has a cause. You were just assassinated, and Wu Liankun died a few days later. There's no such thing as a coincidence in this world. Wu Liankun must be related to your assassination."

Xue Wei gave a thumbs up. "You're very smart, smarter than most women. Yes, it was definitely me who did it."

"Then why didn't you tell me? Were you afraid I'd report you to the authorities?"

Xue Wei shook his head. "I just don't want you to know my ruthless side, I don't want you to know that there's a dark corner hidden in my heart."

"You have indeed become ruthless. You used to be quite useless, and you didn't dare to fight back even when you were bullied by the Wu brothers. You kept saying that you wanted to avenge your father, but you didn't dare to do it. I'm telling you the truth. You are just that kind of person. You are cowardly and incompetent at heart. So when I found out that you were the one who killed Wu Liankun, I was really shocked. I felt like I didn't recognize you anymore."

Xue Wei said sadly, "I'm sorry, I've let you down!"

Yuan Min stepped forward, squatted down in front of Xue Wei, took his hand, looked up at him, and her eyes held a light that Xue Wei had never seen before.

"I'm not a saint, and I've never thought being ruthless is wrong. Wu Liankun killed you first, so it's only right for you to take revenge. I'm not blaming you for taking revenge. I'm angry that you hid it from me. You actually hid such an important matter from me. You make me feel like all the effort I've put into you over the past month has become a joke."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Old Xue, why did you hide this from me? Don't I deserve your trust? Haven't we been comrades fighting side by side for the past month?"

Looking at the tears glistening in her eyes, Xue Wei felt both ashamed and moved. He was ashamed because he did not quite trust Yuan Min, which was an instinctive self-protection brought about by his painful experiences in his previous life. But he also knew that Yuan Min had done so much for him and deserved his trust.

What moved me even more was Yuan Min's mention of "comrades-in-arms," ​​which is something deeper than lovers. It represents mutual support and sharing hardships. Thinking of his ex-wife's cold-hearted abandonment of him, the comradeship Yuan Min shared with him in their struggles was all the more precious.

He took a deep breath, looked into Yuan Min's eyes, and said, word by word, "I'm sorry, I was wrong. I admit I hid it from you, but I promise this is the last time."

Yuan Min grasped his hand. "One last time?"

Xue Wei nodded. "The last time!"

Yuan Min suddenly smiled slyly, "But you also hid the fact that you bathed and perfumed yourself in the palace from me. I can give you a chance to be honest and tell me, have you lost ten pounds?"

Xue Wei laughed heartily, "I'll tell you now, but you're not allowed to laugh at me!"

.........

After dinner, the two stood hand in hand by the window, enjoying the light rain falling outside.

How did the polo match go today?

"It went very smoothly, with no trouble at all."

"With your skills, you should have no problem in the first round, but you must not be careless. This polo match is very important to you. It is the Emperor's test of your abilities. You must go all out. I will also help you strategize and support you from behind."

Xue Wei glanced at her and laughed, "You manage over two hundred shops all by yourself, and you also have to help me. How can you possibly handle it all?"

"I am setting up a business and hiring ten managers, each in charge of more than twenty shops, who will report to me. I will also hire dozens of accountants who will regularly go to each shop to check the accounts."

"Let me help you! I'll be your strategist and come up with ideas for you."

Yuan Min gently shook her head, "Not now. After you become my husband again, you can be my strategist."

"When? I've been looking forward to this day every day."

"So you need to behave well and not hide anything from me anymore. Once I trust you again, we can talk about the future."

What will be the sign that you trust me again?

Yuan Min shook her head again. "I don't know now, but when that day really comes, I think I'll understand."

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Yuan Min immediately let go of Xue Wei's hand.

"Come in!"

Zuo Qingling entered and handed Yuan Min a file folder, which looked very similar to the files from later generations.

Yuan Min opened the file folder, glanced at it, and nodded to Zuo Qingling, "You can leave now!"

Zuo Qingling bowed and withdrew.

Yuan Min said to Xue Wei, "It's Gao Nian's information, very detailed."

Xue Wei quickly opened the file bag, took out the documents inside and examined them closely; what he saw was truly shocking.

Gao Nian was appointed as the manager of the scrap yard of the Ordnance Bureau, responsible for remelting the old weapons that were recycled and the weapons destroyed by the Ordnance Bureau. However, he cheated by secretly selling a lot of high-quality iron and buying back inferior ironware at low prices to make up the difference. He made a fortune.

Yuan Min frowned. "At most, this is his personal conviction; it doesn't involve Gao Jian!"

Xue Wei said calmly, "I have a way!"

"What are you planning to do?"

Xue Wei sneered, "It's simple. Find a few Tibetans to buy old weapons at high prices. They'll definitely take the bait. That's not making a profit, that's treason. Then implicate Gao Jian and kill him for treason to shut everyone up. That's called 'fishing for justice'..."

Yuan Min stared at Xue Wei for a long time, then suddenly whispered, "Now I believe it, there really is a dark place in your heart."

Do you care?

Yuan Min gently shook her head. "A sword can kill, and a kitchen knife can kill. The key is not the knife, but the person wielding it. It's okay if you have dark corners in your heart. I'm just afraid that darkness will devour your entire heart. I hope you can allow me to walk into your heart with a torch. I will help you guard the boundary of darkness."

"You have always been my light!"

Yuan Min laughed, "Old Xue, let's go on a spring outing tomorrow!"

"Okay! Where to?"

Yuan Min thought for a moment, "Let's take a boat trip on the Chan River. This is the most popular way for Luoyang people to enjoy spring outings now. It's not too tiring, but we can still appreciate the beautiful spring scenery."

"Okay! I'll go with you."

Yuan Min gently rested her head on his shoulder and whispered, "This is the first time you've accompanied me on a spring outing since we got married. You've always accompanied other people before."

Xue Wei squeezed her hand tightly. "From now on, I'll only be with you!"