"I, your humble subject, receive the imperial edict and express my gratitude."
Cui Gan was on the verge of tears.
How could these two kids be so stupid?
He really shouldn't have come today!
"Cui Xian, for wounding others without cause and showing no remorse afterwards, he shall be sentenced to death and executed after autumn," Li Shimin's gaze swept over Cui Xian as he directly decided Cui Xian's fate.
"Yes, I, Cui Xian, receive the imperial edict."
Cui Xian was very calm. He even raised his head, vaguely seeing Cui Song and their child waiting for him in the distance.
"Your Majesty, this cannot be! This cannot be! My younger brother injured the peasants and trampled on the farmland. It was his fault. But he has already given the peasants a gold ingot, and they said they would not pursue the matter. Please show mercy, Your Majesty, and spare him this time," Cui Tian reacted more strongly than Cui Xian. Tears welled up in her eyes instantly as she pleaded bitterly for Cui Xian.
But who was Li Shimin?
After implementing benevolent policies for several years, did people really forget about his Xuanwu Gate Incident?
Previously, there were people like Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng to dissuade him. But this time, the incident happened suddenly. He only brought his daughter with him. Who could dissuade him now?
"Take him away and detain him. Cui Xian is so stubborn. You also have the responsibility of poor discipline. Moreover, you showed disrespect to the princess. Copy the 'Mengqiu' thirty times and think about your mistakes carefully," Li Shimin said.
He wasn't reluctant to sentence Cui Tian to death to avenge his daughter and let Cui Xian have a companion on the way to the underworld. But the imperial library hadn't been built yet. If he sentenced Cui Tian to death at this moment, she wouldn't be able to see the magnificent sight of the future imperial library.
It was better to give a small punishment as a warning.
The 'Mengqiu' was a book to teach children to pursue knowledge and be kind. It was a reading material for toddlers. Asking Cui Tian to copy it was no different from slapping the Cui family in the face.
It was saying that the Cui family's family education was poor.
"I, your humble subject's daughter, receive the imperial edict and express my gratitude."
Cui Tian knew that there was no room for negotiation in this matter. She didn't even know how to plead. She could only accept her fate. When she spoke, her voice was choking, looking so pitiful.
Li Jingyun wiped away her tears. "Hongxuan made Father worry."
"No, you've done very well. It's them who relied on their family background and were too arrogant," Li Shimin comforted his daughter gently, trying to soothe her injured heart. Li Jingyun nodded obediently and didn't say anything else.
This scene made Li Shimin even more heart - broken. He always thought his daughter was lively and carefree, seemingly not caring about anything. He rarely saw her cry like this.
"I, your humble woman, thank Your Majesty. Thank Your Majesty for seeking justice for my family," Sun Rong'er put away the gold ingot and kowtowed to Li Shimin. She kowtowed very sincerely, and her forehead turned red after just a few times.
"Get up quickly. Go back and see how your parents are," Li Shimin said. "Wang Zhihe, you've neither done great merit nor made mistakes. Remember to be more courageous when judging cases in the future. You're in charge in the courtroom. Just judge according to the law. There's no need to worry too much."
"Yes, your humble subject will follow Your Majesty's teachings."
The stone in Wang Zhihe's heart finally fell to the ground.
He was worried that because of the little princess's crying, the emperor would go on a killing spree and implicate him as well.
Fortunately, the emperor was still sober and spared him. He didn't even deduct his monthly salary.
Li Shimin pulled Li Jingyun's hand. "Hongxuan, the matter is over. Go back to the palace and take a nap. You'll feel better after waking up."
Li Jingyun first nodded, then quickly shook her head. "No, no. Su Gui told me that Big Sheep Li is pregnant. I want to go and see."
This made Li Shimin speechless. It sounded as if Big Sheep Li was some kind of royal relative of the Li family. After giving birth, relatives from the same family would go to visit with supplements.
But who was Su Gui? Why had he never heard of this name?
Li Zhen also said, "Father, your son finally got out of the palace. How can he go back without seeing the villa?"
"Fine, you can go." Li Shimin finally relented.
However, before Li Yin got on the carriage, Li Shimin stopped him. "Who is Su Gui? Why is he so familiar with Hongxuan?"
"He's the younger brother of Crown Princess Su Rui and a disciple of Master Wang Ji from the Shuren Academy. He promised Hongxuan before that he would send someone to inform Hongxuan of any news," Li Yin told the truth.
"I see."
Li Shimin nodded and let them go.
Cui Gan and Cui Tian from the Cui family left dejectedly. When they returned to the Cui Mansion, they didn't know how to answer when their family members asked about Cui Xian's whereabouts.
It took a long time for them to tell the news that Cui Xian had been sentenced to death by the emperor. This matter soon spread all over the streets and alleys.
At this time, Li Jingyun had already returned to the villa. Master Tian and the others were working enthusiastically. When they saw Li Jingyun coming, they quickly wiped the sweat off their faces and came over to pay their respects. "Princess, thanks to your care, an imperial edict was issued today, assigning new residences and workplaces to us craftsmen who make cement. We'll leave tomorrow."
"Really? You're leaving so soon. What about my rewards?" Li Jingyun felt a headache coming on. She slapped her forehead. "Then I'll send someone to deliver them to you this afternoon. Three thousand coins for each person!"
"Thank you, Princess!"
Hearing this, the craftsmen also put down their work one after another and bowed to Li Jingyun.
Not to mention anything else, this little princess was really generous. If possible in the future, they still wanted to work for her. The work was the same, but she paid well, and paid a lot.
Taking this money back to subsidize their families, their wives and children would have an easier time.
Li Zhen was curious. "Hongxuan, where did you get so much money? There are quite a few of these people. Three thousand coins for each person!"
Were princesses all so wealthy? Why was he so poor?
"Father gave it to me," Li Jingyun smiled and didn't elaborate.
During festivals, Father, Mother and the concubines in the palace would give her a lot of things, especially gold, silver and jewelry. There were many pieces she didn't like or had never worn. It was better to exchange them for money and pay these craftsmen.
At least the money was really useful to them.
Yan Lide and Su Gui walked over from the left and right respectively. They bowed at the same time and said in unison, "Princess, Your Highnesses, we..."
"Su Gui, you want to say that Big Sheep gave birth to lambs, right? How many were born? How are the mother and the babies?" Li Jingyun asked.
"Reply to the princess. Three were born. They're all very strong. The ewe, no, Big Sheep Li is also in good health."
In order not to go to class, Su Gui had been squatting beside Big Sheep Li for a whole day and night. He finally witnessed the birth of the lambs with his own eyes.
The ewe kept screaming. The blood was so glaring that even Su Gui felt as if he was in pain. It wasn't until the three lambs were born smoothly that he felt relieved.
"Great. I'll go and have a look later. I'll also give names to the three little ones," Li Jingyun said with a smile. Finally, she looked at Yan Lide. "Master Yan, do you want to say that the papermaking or printing technique in the backyard is ready?"
"The papermaking has reached the drying stage. We'll be able to see the finished product soon. Bamboo grows quickly. It'll be easier to find raw materials in the future. As for the movable - type printing technique, a version of the 'Mengqiu' has been printed. Does the princess want to go and have a look?" Yan Lide said.
Just as Li Jingyun was looking left at Su Gui and right at Yan Lide, not knowing how to choose, Li Zhen spoke.
"Hongxuan, Yan Lide has just been promoted to the Minister of the Ministry of Works. You should call him Minister Yan now."