Li Jingyun was also somewhat taken aback.
How could he so easily say that "killing someone is no big deal"? Was this how the Cui family educated their own children?
No wonder Cui Tian had that attitude during the talent show.
It was all in the same vein.
"Hey, stop crying, please. I'm begging you, don't cry. Your crying gives me a headache!" Cui Xian broke free from Cui Tian's arm and pointed at Sun Rong'er, scolding loudly.
The sound of Sun Rong'er's crying always made him think of the mother - and - son pair, Cuizhong and her child, who had died last night.
His beloved concubine and his son were gone just like that, and he hadn't even gotten to see them for the last time.
Dai Ying had also cried like this while holding Cuizhong in her arms.
But instead of stopping, Sun Rong'er cried even louder after being scolded like this.
Cui Tian staggered a few steps and looked at Cui Xian in surprise. "Are you possessed by something?"
Her younger brother, who had always obeyed her every word, was now daring to treat her like this. It was something Cui Tian couldn't accept for a moment.
"No, you come home with me. We'll have a good talk when we get back!" Cui Tian grabbed Cui Xian and insisted on taking him out.
My little ancestor! Please go back quickly! If this drags on any longer, it'll be even harder to resolve this matter!
Li Jingyun coughed. "The county magistrate hasn't finished the case yet. How can you leave?"
"Yes, do you dare to ignore the dignity of the Tang Dynasty's court?" Li Yin followed his younger sister's lead and added a sharp remark.
He was actually somewhat capable and not just a complete good - for - nothing.
As the son of a Sui Dynasty princess and Emperor Taizong of the Tang, since the previous Li Ke was praised as "as heroic and capable as I am", this one couldn't be too far behind. After all, it was all in the genes.
"Your Highness, you're being too harsh. It's really our fault for poor discipline." Cui Gan was forcing a smile. He now thought that the second branch of the Boling Cui family didn't need to be so tightly united.
Li Jingyun felt like she had just watched a farce. Cui Tian was arrogant and looked down on others, but she was so kind to her younger brother.
It was already noon, but Li Jingyun didn't feel hungry at all. She was fully focused on helping the Sun family get justice.
"Here, take this gold ingot. It's enough for your family to live on for the rest of their lives. Stop crying, please."
Cui Xian was on the verge of madness.
With red - rimmed eyes, he stuffed a gold ingot into Sun Rong'er's hand and shouted.
Sun Rong'er touched the gold ingot, feeling as if it were all a dream. She stared blankly at Cui Xian.
The county magistrate, Wang Zhihe, seized the opportunity and slapped the gavel. "Sun girl below the hall, if you take this gold ingot, are you willing to withdraw your lawsuit?"
"Yes, yes, I am." Sun Rong'er's mind was completely blank at the moment.
This gold ingot was more than what her whole family could earn from farming in a lifetime, no, even in several lifetimes.
"This matter is settled. Cui Xian, you can leave now. And Your Highnesses, please return as well." As Wang Zhihe spoke, he glanced at Li Jingyun.
He let out a long sigh of relief.
Finally, he had managed to resolve this matter. Being the magistrate of Chang'an County was really tough. Every now and then, he had to deal with cases involving princes and nobles.
Who was he anyway? If it weren't for this case, he might not have seen the fathers of those young masters for years.
"Thank you, County Magistrate. I'll take Cui Xian back right away and teach him a good lesson so that he won't dare to make such mistakes again." Cui Gan's hanging heart finally dropped.
He grabbed the back of Cui Xian's neck and wanted to take him away quickly.
Li Jingyun got anxious. "Just leave like this?"
He had beaten someone. Shouldn't he be given a good beating with the bamboo boards? Could he just leave unscathed?
This was too easy on him!
"Princess, what else do you want? The Sun girl has already withdrawn her lawsuit, and the county magistrate has clearly said that we can leave. It seems that it's you who is now defying the court, isn't it?" Cui Tian glared at Li Jingyun. She actually scolded Li Jingyun as if she were scolding her younger siblings at home.
Li Jingyun instantly felt wronged. Even her parents had never spoken to her like this!
The little princess's eyes were red with grievance. She pursed her lips, her nose twitched, and tears rolled down one by one.
Li Yin and Li Zhen didn't hear their younger sister's retort and immediately looked over. They saw their sister crying pitifully.
"Cui Tian, I once said that I wouldn't hit women, but you're the exception." Li Yin instantly got angry. He raised his hand but was stopped by someone. This made him even angrier. When he looked, it was actually Princess Gaoyang!
"Why are you here?"
"My younger sister is being bullied. How could I not come? And I'm not the only one who came."
After Princess Gaoyang walked in, everyone noticed the person behind her. It was actually Emperor Li Shimin of the current dynasty.
She had been in the ice - building all day. After hearing about this matter and knowing that the Cui family was very difficult to deal with, she went to the palace to find her father.
And just in time, they had caught this scene.
"Greetings to Your Majesty. Greetings to Princess Gaoyang."
Everyone quickly knelt down and kowtowed.
Only Li Jingyun ran straight into her father's arms and cried loudly, gasping for breath. She cried even more fiercely than before.
"Hongxuan, don't cry. Your little face is all streaked with tears."
Li Shimin took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Li Jingyun's tears. He was a bit at a loss. Although he had two daughters, neither of them liked to cry. But today, this incident had made Hongxuan cry out of anger.
Was the Cui family thinking that their family had been developing too well in recent years? How could they be so arrogant and defiant?
Li Shimin didn't tell them to get up, so the members of the Cui family, Wang Zhihe, and even Sun Rong'er didn't dare to stand up. The hall was completely silent, with only Li Jingyun's sobs.
Cui Gan glared at Cui Tian angrily. What a stupid woman!
How could the Cui family produce such a fool?
During the talent show in Zhaoqing Hall, it was her who had lost her mind and agreed to make a bet with the little princess, which had led to the current situation of the library.
And now she was doing this, openly scolding the little princess? She was really asking for death!
If it weren't for the fact that they were from the same clan, he wouldn't even have bothered to look at this kind of thing.
Li Jingyun cried in her father's arms for a while. Her emotions gradually calmed down, and her tears stopped. But her eyes were still red, looking as pitiful as a little rabbit.
"Aye, I'm not defying the court. I just... I just can't swallow this anger." Li Jingyun sobbed.
Li Shimin nodded repeatedly. "Aye understands. How could Aye not know what my Hongxuan is thinking?"
Then he looked at his two sons. "Yin'er, Zhen'er, you two did a good job. At least you know how to protect your younger sister."
"Aye, Hongxuan has suffered so much grievance today. You have to get justice for her." Princess Gaoyang chose to add fuel to the fire.
"Cui Xian, the Cui family has actually produced a scoundrel like you. The whole Cui family should be ashamed of you!"
Cui Gan suddenly pointed at Cui Xian and scolded angrily.
In his current mental state, he was not far from going crazy. Scolding Cui Xian now was just to vent his anger.
"Roaring in the court, what's the punishment? Wang Zhihe, you tell me."
"Your Majesty, according to the newly revised 'Tang Code', roaring in the court should result in three years of imprisonment. If the criminal is an official, demotion can be used instead of imprisonment."
Wang Zhihe forced himself to calm down and replied.
Even so, he still felt that his heart was about to jump out of his chest.
"Then you don't need to be the Yellow - Gate Gentleman of the Palace anymore. Go be a scholar in the Jixian Academy." Li Shimin said.
He was demoted from a fourth - rank official to a fifth - rank official, going from being just one step away from the position of the prime minister - the Palace Attendant to an official with no real power.