"Shut up, Cui Xian!"
The official overseeing the execution immediately stopped him upon hearing his vulgar curses. "You went horse - hunting, wantonly trampled on farmland, and beat farmers without reason. All these are well - documented. You are now sentenced to death!"
"Xian'er, my Xian'er! You're still so young. How could you die like this?" Cui's mother knelt under the platform, sobbing uncontrollably.
Cui Tian was obviously stunned by Cui Xian's words. She always thought that disciplining him was for his own good, and that persuading him to work hard was the right thing to do. She never expected that in his eyes, she had become a sinner.
"Do you have anything else to say?" the official overseeing the execution asked.
"Nothing to say. I find those two women repulsive just by looking at them! Don't come crying in front of me! I became like this because of you!" By the end of his outburst, Cui Xian was speaking recklessly.
Seeing his state, the official simply waved his hand. "Prepare for the execution!"
The executioner took a mouthful of wine and spat it on the machete.
When the head fell to the ground, Li Jingyun instinctively hid in Li Shimin's arms and didn't see the moment when the blood spurted out.
"I brought you here today just to warn you. You've all been involved in horse - hunting. From now on, this is not allowed to happen again." Li Shimin said as he slapped the table.
The loud "bang" startled Li Jingyun.
Her heart was pounding so hard that it seemed about to jump out. Hearing from her father that Cui Xian was to be executed was completely different from witnessing it with her own eyes.
"At the same time, you should know that human life is of utmost importance. If the death of one person can cause such a scene, what about a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand people?" Li Shimin said calmly, his eyes sweeping over his sons one by one.
Li Chengqian and Li Ke understood. Li You clearly wasn't paying attention, or perhaps he thought it had nothing to do with him. The younger children were looking blank, with expressions of fear and panic.
"Aye, I understand. You mean we shouldn't go to war, and we can't kill people privately either." Li Jingyun poked her head out, sat up straight, and looked at Li Shimin.
"You're right."
It was good enough for her to understand this much for now.
Li Shimin smiled. "Hongxuan, were you going to the villa today? Why did you take this route?"
"I'm not going to the villa. I'm going to my princess mansion. The immortal told me that there's a kind of milk tea made by boiling milk and tea leaves together. It's very delicious. I want to try making it myself." Li Jingyun became more energetic when she mentioned this, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
"It's something new. I'll be waiting for your milk tea so I can have a taste. It's good to have something warm as the weather turns colder."
Li Shimin stroked his daughter's hair. "Go ahead, Hongxuan. Remember to return to the palace early today."
Wasn't a five - year - old little girl at the age when she liked to make things by herself?
Let her do it. Maybe she could really make something.
There had been cement and movable - type printing before. Li Shimin thought that even if Hongxuan suddenly presented him with a vehicle that didn't need livestock to pull, he would believe it.
"Aye, brothers, I'll leave first!"
"Aye, I'll go with Hongxuan too. I'm just curious about what kind of flavor the concoction will have."
Li Yin stood up and excused himself.
He just wanted to leave quickly. He had been lucky not to be caught in the previous incidents, and from now on, he didn't dare to touch such things at all. Facing his father's serious warning, he couldn't help but feel scared and uneasy.
It was better to go with his sister to make milk tea.
Li Shimin waved his hand. "Go ahead. Let today's matter end here."
"Yes."
After everyone left, Li Yin and Li Jingyun returned to the Chengyang Princess Mansion. The small vendors selling silver - silk candy and flower - stealing rice cakes at the gate knew them well, and they were even familiar with their carriage. Every time they came, the vendors would give them candies and snacks.
Outside their street, more and more food stalls were gathering, and it was very bustling with people coming and going.
When they reached the east courtyard, Li Yin put down the pastries and candies in his hand and let out a long sigh of relief.
Li Jingyun was a bit curious but didn't ask.
The servants quickly brought out tea - leaf jars and milk jars. Two distinct scents wafted in the air. There was an exquisite copper stove with some burning charcoal underneath, and it was burning brightly. There were also seasonings such as salt, scallions, ginger, Chinese prickly ash, and cinnamon on the side.
"We don't need water. Just boil the tea leaves in the milk directly. Otherwise, the aroma will be diluted by the water." Li Jingyun said with a smile. After seeing that the stove was ready, she scooped up a ladle of milk and boiled it until it was boiling, then added the tea leaves. A fresh and fragrant smell filled the air.
Li Yin helped Li Jingyun tend the stove. He was quite skillful at this. The siblings did all the work they could.
This mansion was usually empty. Besides cleaning the yard, the servants had nothing much to do, as there was no master to serve.
Now that the master had come, they found that the master didn't like being served by others and preferred to do things on her own.
There was even a rumor in the mansion that if the princess wasn't too young, it wouldn't be Minister Yan and Secretary - Supervisor Wei who were overseeing the craftsmen printing books in the villa, but the princess herself.
"Shall we add some cinnamon or dried tangerine peel? It will add a fresh fragrance."
A young eunuch came over with a box full of cinnamon and dried tangerine peel and suggested.
Actually, Li Jingyun couldn't get used to the tea with scallions and ginger in it. A spicy taste in the sweet drink? What was that? Just thinking about having these things in her milk tea gave her a headache.
"Take away the scallions, ginger, Chinese prickly ash, and salt. Bring some rose petals, jasmine petals, and sucrose. I want it to be sweet when it's cooked."
She didn't come up with these ideas on her own. It was all thanks to the system. The system thought that if Li Jingyun did it herself, it would take her many attempts to select the suitable ingredients for making milk tea from this bunch of cooking seasonings.
It was more efficient for him to step in and give a reminder.
"Yes."
Several people quickly retreated.
Li Jingyun stared at the milk tea bubbling in the stove. The fragrance wafted into her nose.
Even though she seemed calm on the surface, she couldn't erase the image of the blood - soaked ground from her mind.
"Bring me a copy of the Tao Te Ching!" Li Jingyun called out. When the book was handed to her, she found that there were no servants in the room. It was her sixth brother who had just handed her the book.
"When did you start your enlightenment? Can you recognize common characters already? Why are you reading the Tao Te Ching?"
Li Yin was also full of doubts.
Their Li family claimed to be descendants of Laozi Li Er, so almost everyone in the royal family had a copy of the Tao Te Ching, but it was just for show. Who would be so idle as to read it?
"Sixth brother, how could you forget? My library was just built, and I often go there. I've recognized all the common characters. Even if there are some I don't understand, Secretary - Supervisor Wei will teach me. I just don't know some rare and obscure characters. I don't like going to Hongwen Academy to read those articles I can't even understand. It doesn't mean I want to be illiterate."
Li Jingyun chattered away, making Li Yin laugh all the time. "Our little princess has worked so hard. Since the princess is busy, how about I read a passage for the princess?"
"Okay! I sleep better when I listen to this when I can't fall asleep."
Li Jingyun smiled happily. The milk tea was almost ready.
"You sure know how to enjoy life. I wonder what Master Li Er would think if he knew." Li Yin was worried that Li Jingyun would get burned, so he took the copper stove and poured out the milk tea himself.