Tang Dynasty Hidden Guards

Xue Wei didn't wake up until dusk, and he was starving. Yuan Min had already prepared dinner.

At the dinner table, Xue Wei remained silent, burying his head in his rice, his ears burning red, the extreme shame still lingering in his heart.

Yuan Min sat to the side, staring at the man like a mother leopard, feeling both ashamed and angry, and also a little helpless.

It was so hot that she had to come back to shower every day at noon. She used to close the bathroom door, but today the room was too stuffy, so she left a crack open for ventilation. She never expected this...

"Are you drunk and have entered the wrong room, or are you spying?"

Yuan Min asked him with a half-smile, but her fists were clenched tightly.

"I......"

"to be honest!"

"I was drunk, and when I heard noises coming from the bathroom, I...instinctively wanted to go check it out, but I didn't expect you to be in the shower."

Xue Wei buried his head almost in the rice bowl. He admitted he was wrong, but he would never admit that he was spying.

"You..." Yuan Min was furious, pinched his leg hard, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Do you know why I'm angry?"

"I know, there are three other people nearby..."

Xue Wei couldn't bring himself to say it. Then he remembered that the three young women weren't wearing any clothes either. He also knew that this was what Yuan Min was actually concerned about.

"You knew...you knew and you still peeked?"

"I didn't peek!"

Xue Wei said urgently, "I'll say it again, I really just wandered in by mistake while drunk, and I didn't even look at the three of them. I was just attracted to you. At that moment, I only had eyes for you and didn't notice them at all."

Yuan Min stared intently at him. What angered her wasn't that Xue Wei had seen her, but that she was afraid he would discover her bath and, with malicious intent, rush in.

"Tell me the truth, did you catch me taking a shower and have some bad thoughts about me? You wanted to...?"

How could you think like that?

Xue Wei was also a little angry. He put down his rice bowl and said, "I, Xue Wei, am not that despicable. I admit I am an adult, I have emotions and desires, and I have normal needs for women... But I never go to brothels. Even when your shop assistant asked me to watch a foreign woman perform a striptease, I didn't go. Do you know why?"

Xue Wei's chest heaved with anger, and all the pent-up grievances he had been holding in for so long finally burst forth at this moment.

"Because I didn't want to see you sad, I chose fishing rather than going to a brothel and seeing orchids. But do you know how much I actually wanted them? Do you know how much pain I was in?"

Even so, I have never harbored any ill intentions towards you, let alone intended to force you. I'm not saying I have any lofty morals; I simply like you, love you, and don't want to hurt you. You said you trusted me, but now you're doubting me again.

After Xue Wei finished speaking in one breath, his emotions gradually calmed down. Looking at Yuan Min's shocked gaze, he slowly said, "You can scold me for being reckless at noon, scold me for getting drunk, but you can't say that I had bad intentions towards you. That's not fair to me. I didn't, I never did."

Yuan Min was shocked by Xue Wei's words, and her anger gradually subsided. She realized that she had wronged her lover and felt a great sense of guilt, but she was still a little embarrassed.

She gritted her teeth and asked, "When? Which shop assistant told you to watch orchids perform a striptease?"

"On the day of the Dugu family head's birthday banquet, I was bored in the morning and went out for a stroll. When I walked into Qinghuafang, a waiter from Qingfeng Restaurant stopped me. I didn't know who the waiter was. Amin, that's how they all attract customers, especially single men. Actually, it's nothing much, just the Zhezhi dance, and the Hu girls are dressed rather scantily."

"I will never allow such vulgar methods of soliciting customers in my shop. I will deal with them later. I am very happy that you can resist the temptation of the orchids and not go to brothels. I will remember this."

Yuan Min finally softened her tone, "I'll let it go this time, but don't be so reckless next time. I'm not angry that you saw me. If you really want to, you can look. I'm just angry that there are three young ladies next to me, and they're not wearing any clothes. If this gets out, it will become more and more scandalous, and your reputation will be completely ruined."

"I know, rumors can spread like wildfire. Just tell them I was drunk and went to the wrong door. I promise I'll be more careful next time."

"You want to do it again?" Yuan Min glared at him.

"Didn't you say I could watch it? I'll watch it when they're not around."

Yuan Min gritted her teeth in anger, "I gave you a pole and you think you can climb it? I mean you can watch, but only if you get my permission first, understand?"

"knew!"

"Alright! I'll let you off this time. I've already told them you were drunk and went to the wrong place, and they all said they don't blame you. Let's call it even. Also, don't drink this again next time."

Yuan Min pointed to the empty vase on the table, feeling both annoyed and amused.

Xue Wei couldn't help but laugh, "I didn't even know myself."

Yuan Min chuckled and poked Xue Wei's forehead with her slender, jade-like fingers. "You're quite cute when you're drunk."

Yuan Min took the invitation and asked, "What's this?"

"This is Prince Xiang, Li Dan's, fortieth birthday. The Emperor held a birthday banquet for him at the Shendu Garden. It is said that several thousand people were invited, including celebrities from all walks of life in Luoyang."

Yuan Min frowned. "Why weren't you invited? Am I not a celebrity?"

Yuan Min suddenly remembered something, got up and went to the living room to get her handbag. Tang women all had their own fashionable handbags. Yuan Min's bag was made of lambskin, with a smooth and exquisite shape, fine stitching, and several fine gemstones. It could hold a lot of things.

She took an envelope out of her bag; it was one she had received that day, and she hadn't had a chance to open it yet. When she opened it, sure enough, it contained an invitation.

"I actually do!"

Xue Wei leaned closer to take a closer look and discovered that Yuan Min's invitation was exactly the same as his own; both invitations were gold and both read "First Class Guest".

"Why are all our invitations the same color?"

Yuan Min compared the two and said with a grin, "Although you have more power than me, I have more money. People are very pragmatic these days; money makes the world go round!"

"Perfect timing, we can sit together!"

Xue Wei reached out and quietly put his arm around her waist. Seeing that she didn't push his hand away, he knew she wasn't angry anymore. He felt a surge of joy; she was willing to show him her body.

He suddenly remembered something, took out a wooden box from his pocket and handed it to her, "I almost forgot, the jade pendant that the Emperor gave you."

Yuan Min opened the wooden box, and inside was a piece of warm and delicate mutton fat jade, radiating a soft, oily luster. The front was engraved with the Black Tortoise, with a tortoise and snake intertwined, below which was a magnificent lotus flower, and behind which was the entire Diamond Sutra.

"The Emperor said, with this jade tablet, you no longer need to fear those corrupt officials and wicked bureaucrats."

Yuan Min gently shook her head. "I don't care about this jade pendant. No amount of jade pendants can replace you. Only you would protect me without hesitation when the corrupt officials came to my door. Only you would shield me from all the storms in the court with your body. How could I not know that?"

Yuan Min's eyes reddened as she nestled in Xue Wei's arms, stroking his face softly as she said, "I know you've been wronged. After we get married, everything I have will be yours. If you want to see it then, I'll let you see it every day."

The last vestiges of dissatisfaction in Xue Wei's heart were completely soothed by her gentle tenderness, and he lowered his head to kiss her.

........

News of the Prince's birthday banquet spread like wildfire throughout Luoyang. A grand banquet was held at the Shendu Garden, inviting dignitaries and celebrities. This was the first grand banquet in nearly three years.

The common people watched the spectacle and talked about the various luxurious scenes, but the officials saw the real story. The emperor's various favors towards the Prince of Xiang were undoubtedly a way of putting the Crown Prince in a bad light.

When the Prince of Luling became the Crown Prince, the Prince of Xiang went to Chang'an in a low-key manner to make way for the new Crown Prince. Only a few years have passed, the Li Chongrun case broke out last year, and the Prince of Xiang has made a strong comeback this year. Is this a sign that the Crown Prince will be changed again? After all, these two brothers have taken turns ascending the throne like a revolving lantern, so it is not surprising that they will take turns being the Crown Prince again.

Early in the morning, Prince Xiang, Li Dan, and his sons finalized the guest list in the study.

His guests were divided into three categories. The first category consisted of first-class dignitaries and first-class celebrities. The first-class dignitaries included prime ministers, high-ranking officials, members of the royal family, relatives of the empress, and imperial concubines, while the first-class celebrities included the seven great families, renowned scholars, and so on.

The second-class guests consisted of second-class nobles and high-ranking officials, prominent families outside the five surnames and seven clans, Guanzhong nobles, mid-to-high-level officials, and wealthy merchants.

The third class of guests was of lower rank, including mid- to low-ranking officials, professors of official schools, candidates who had passed the provincial examinations, somewhat famous scholars, well-known businessmen, polo stars, and so on.

The third tier of guests has the widest range and the largest number of people, numbering in the thousands, while the first tier has the fewest, numbering less than a hundred.

At this moment, the eldest son, Li Chengqi, quietly stepped forward, pointed to a name, and asked, "This Yuan Min is just a businesswoman. How can she be placed as a first-class guest? She should be in the second class. Isn't there a mistake?"

"No mistake, she's Xue Wei's ex-wife. Princess Taiping likes her very much and specifically put in a good word for me. That's all!"

After a moment of surprise, Li Chengqi whispered, "Actually, I don't quite understand. Princess Taiping's second son, Xue Chongjian, is clearly placed in the second tier, so why is her eldest son placed in the first tier? This doesn't make sense!"

"I said that's it, why are there so many questions?" Li Dan glared at his eldest son.

Li Chengqi dared not utter a sound, but his second son, Li Chengyi, couldn't help but interject, "I've heard of Xue Wei, a notorious playboy. I think he's now a Fengche Duwei (a military officer in charge of carriages), which is probably a sinecure. Although he's a viscount, it's not much. If he's considered a relative of the empress and placed in the first rank, then why can't Princess Anding's son be placed in the first rank? That doesn't make sense!"

"You two are done!"

Li Dan was displeased and said to his eldest and second sons, "You two should quickly go and give this list to Wei Shaoqing of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and tell him that the list has been confirmed and the seating arrangements should be made according to this list."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqi took the list and hurriedly left the hall with his brother.

After his two sons had gone far away, Li Dan slowly said to his third son, Li Longji, "There is a reason why Xue Wei is placed as a first-class guest. Xue Wei's title of Fengche Duwei is just a cover. His true identity is the fourth Hidden Guard, a confidant of the Emperor, and he possesses a golden token that allows him to be seen as if the Emperor himself were present. He is a thorn in the side of the Zhang brothers, a thorn in the flesh of the Wu clan, and the guardian of the Li clan's blood pact. The Emperor personally named him to be placed as a first-class guest. As for Yuan Min, it is because of the Emperor's favor towards Xue Wei that she is also placed as a first-class guest."

Li Longji nodded silently and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your son understands!"

Li Dan then slowly said to Li Longji, "I've also received some inside information. It seems that the Emperor has ordered Xue Wei to investigate the 20,000 catties of coarse silver from six years ago."