Tang Dynasty Hidden Guards

As night fell, Xue Wei stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back, deep in thought. Yuan Min slowly walked to his side. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about two things. First, what was Li Longji's true intention?"

"I don't think he meant any harm. He was afraid that you would be used by others and end up becoming an accomplice of the Zhang family and the Wu family. To be precise, he was afraid that your mother would be affected by you."

Xue Wei looked at her. "Is there something else you haven't told me?"

"There is something, but I promised your mother that she would tell you about it."

"Tell me now, and I can pretend I don't know."

Yuan Min thought for a moment and said, "Have you ever heard of the Li family blood pact?"

Xue Wei shook his head, and Yuan Min continued, "This is a folk legend. It is said that eighteen years ago, Crown Prince Li Xian, the current Crown Prince Li Xian, Prince Li Dan, and your mother Princess Taiping signed a blood pact to ensure the eternal continuation of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, the emperor was not yet an empress, but the momentum was already there, so the four siblings secretly signed this blood pact."

"Just a legend?"

"Your mother told me that this is not a legend, but the content is wrong, the time is wrong, there is no Crown Prince Zhanghuai, and it is not eighteen years ago. This blood contract was signed four years ago. A month after it was signed, Prince Xiang, Li Dan, voluntarily gave up the position of Crown Prince, and Li Xian was made Crown Prince."

Does the Emperor know?

"Of course she knew. Your mother said that this blood oath was signed under the emperor's direction."

"Therefore, the content is definitely different from the legends, and it will never support Li and oppose Wu."

"Of course not!"

"Didn't my mother tell you the contents of the blood pact?" Xue Wei pressed on.

Yuan Min shook her head. "She only told me that this blood pact exists, when it was signed, and who was in charge of it, but she wouldn't tell me the contents."

Xue Wei vaguely guessed that it wasn't some kind of blood pact, but rather a blood oath promise—a promise for Li Wu to share the world, and also a condition for Wu Zetian to make her son the crown prince.

Of course, there might be other contents in the blood letter, which Xue Wei couldn't guess for the time being.

"So you think Li Longji's attitude towards me is related to the blood pact."

Yuan Min nodded. "He was afraid that you would affect your mother, Princess Taiping, and ultimately the blood pact. That's what I think. He has no ill intentions towards you, but he has kept a lot from you."

Xue Wei snorted coldly, "He did indeed hide a lot from me. For example, he actually knew where Wu Chengsi's wealth was. I suspect he has already obtained it, which is why he was so calm during the Weishui Huanglong incident. He also knows the secret of the former Crown Prince Li Hong's case, but he refuses to tell me."

"His refusal to tell you might be related to the blood pact. Didn't he say at the end that you're a relative of the imperial family and there are some things you'd better not know? That means the royal family knows."

Xue Wei and Yuan Min exchanged a glance, and said in unison, "Mother knows too!"

Xue Wei patted his forehead. The Li Hong case only came to light after they went to Chang'an. They hadn't even asked their mother about it. Since Li Longji knew about it, their mother must know about it too.

Yuan Min smiled slightly and said, "Please invite Mother to our restaurant tomorrow. Find an opportunity to ask her about the blood pact and the Li Hong case."

"Okay, please deliver the invitations for me tomorrow afternoon!"

"You said you were thinking about two things, what's the other one?"

"Another thing, you promised me twice that you would give me a gift. Where is it?"

Yuan Min was taken aback, then lowered her head and smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "I only promised you once!"

"Twice!" Xue Wei stared into her eyes. "Once was with the Fish Intestine Sword, and the other time was in Chang'an. You said exactly what you would say: 'That's a good compliment. I'll reward you with a treasure later.'"

Yuan Min was both amused and annoyed. She playfully punched him in the chest, "You naughty guy, you remember all of this? Did you do it on purpose?"

Xue Wei suppressed a laugh and held out his hand, "Where's the gift!"

Yuan Min rolled her eyes at him, took a box out of the cabinet and handed it to him, "I prepared this for you a long time ago."

Xue Wei recognized the box and exclaimed in surprise, "You gave me the celadon porcelain?"

"I found these celadon wine cups for you. I was planning to play with them for a few days before giving them to you, but since you're in such a hurry, I'll give them to you now."

"Just leave it here! Use it to serve me drinks when I'm drinking."

"Alright!"

Yuan Min happily put the box back, "You said it yourself! I didn't force you."

Xue Wei pulled her into his arms, kissed her forehead, and said softly, "A gentleman does not take what others cherish. I was not a gentleman before, but now I want to try my best to be a gentleman to you."

Yuan Min pressed her pretty face against his chest and said softly, "Sometimes it's quite cute when you act like a little devil."

"Like Chang'an?"

"That won't do!"

Yuan Min punched his chest twice with her small fists. "You can't molest me in front of others. You promised me, so don't do it again!"

Xue Wei suddenly kissed her, and Yuan Min wrapped her arms around his neck, responding passionately to the kiss. They kissed for a long time before slowly separating, their foreheads touching.

Yuan Min said softly, "I'm not ready yet. Give me some more time, okay?"

Xue Wei knew she wasn't Li Guo'er and would never easily take that step, but it was precisely because of her cherishing of emotions and chastity that he was ultimately able to obtain her as a virgin.

He understood Yuan Min's obsession; the wedding night she missed was her greatest regret, and he felt he should make it up to her.

Xue Wei kissed her forehead again and nodded gently in agreement.

Yuan Min felt very guilty. She knew he had normal male desires, but she still wanted to save her first time for their wedding night. Her previous marriage had hurt her too much, and she wanted to be husband and wife with him again and start over.

As long as they don't cross the final line, she's happy to give him the same level of intimacy that couples usually share.

The two sat down hand in hand, and Xue Wei smiled, "Actually, I was thinking about something else. Wu Chengsi transported one million strings of cash to Chang'an. First, how did he get so much money? Second, how did he evade Yu Jianxiu's surveillance? One million strings of cash, 6.4 million catties—how did he manage to transport it?"

Yuan Min thought for a moment, "What if it were silver and gold?"

"This is the only possibility. Tomorrow I will ask my mother how much she knows. I must find out the truth about the death of Crown Prince Li Hong, otherwise I won't be able to sleep."

"Old Xue, Li Longji also advised you not to ask too many questions. This is a secret within the royal family, and I also think that it's better for you... not to know about this matter."

Xue Wei shook his head slightly. "Ever since I came out of the Blackwater Prison, my fate has been closely linked with the Tang Dynasty royal family. Now that I've become a hidden guard, if I don't even know this much, I'm a terrible hidden guard."

........

The following afternoon, Princess Taiping's carriage slowly came to a stop below Mingyue Tower, where Yuan Min personally greeted her at the entrance.

"Welcome, Mother!"

Li Lingyue smiled and asked, "When did you get back?"

"I just arrived yesterday, Mother, please come upstairs."

Li Lingyue had the palace maids and guards wait downstairs, and she followed Yuan Min upstairs, with four female warriors following behind.

"Amin, I've heard about your grandfather's situation. I'm so sorry I couldn't help him!"

"It happened suddenly and has nothing to do with my mother. He just can't walk right now, but he's fine otherwise."

The two went up to the third floor, which was Xue Wei's room. Xue Wei was already waiting at the door.

"Welcome, Mother!"

Li Lingyue smiled slightly, "Wei'er, you're too kind."

"Please come in, Mother!"

Xue Wei pushed open the door, and Li Lingyue walked in. She saw that there was a new spiral staircase in the main hall, connecting the fourth and third floors. It wasn't there last time she came.

She pointed to the stairs and laughed, "Now there are stairs?"

"We installed it during our trip to Chang'an."

Li Lingyue nodded and then went into the room on the left to visit; this was Xue Wei's study.

"It's nice and comfortable here. Aren't you planning to move back to the old house?"

"I want to sell the old house and move to Chang'an to set up a new house. I prefer Chang'an."

"Whatever you want! It's your house, you decide for yourself."

Li Lingyue turned her head and suddenly saw an item in the bookcase. Her expression changed drastically.