When the news reached Chang'an, Li Jingyun saw the new maid who had been sent over. Zhishisili had given her the new name Manjing.
Manjing was a kind of vegetable that was very popular in the Tang Dynasty. Giving her such a name was like naming someone Chrysanthemum Lettuce or Lettuce in modern times.
The main idea was that an ordinary name would make the child easier to raise.
There were traces of frostbite on her hands and face, and she looked a bit uncomfortable.
"Your humble maid pays respects to Princess Chengyang."
Li Jingyun was sizing up Manjing, and Manjing was sizing up Li Jingyun in return. The girl in front of her had the most common double-bun hairstyle and was wearing a red narrow-sleeved ruqun. Even in the cold weather, she didn't look bulky.
Of course, the first impression of Li Jingyun was that she was really beautiful! Whether at home or on the road, Manjing often heard her name, and now she finally got to see the real person!
During this journey, she finally understood what death was. On the night when her parents and elder brother passed away, in the Tang army's camp, she had grown a lot.
She originally thought that she would have to work in some other courtyard like the other surviving women, earning a monthly wage of over a hundred wen. Who would have thought that she would be brought to the side of the princess.
"Get up." Li Jingyun took Manjing's hand and helped her up. "I've been short of a hand around me, and now you've come. How old are you?"
"Your humble maid is fifteen this year."
Manjing replied.
She was the same age as Li Jingyun, but their situations were worlds apart.
Li Jingyun was happy to find a playmate of the right age. She cheered excitedly, "I'm fifteen too! You can stay here. When things calm down, I'll take you out to play."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Manjing nodded with a smile.
By following Li Jingyun, she would have enough to eat and drink for the rest of her life. On the way here, General Zhishisili had instructed her that the princess was never stingy with those around her. She would always think of them when there was something good, and Manjing should serve her loyally.
She wondered if her parents and elder brother in the sky would be satisfied with how she was now.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Li Jingyun looked at Zhishisili.
"Your Highness is too polite. This lowly general thought this girl was quite articulate and had great admiration for Your Highness, so I brought her here." Zhishisili bowed. "Now that I've brought the girl here, this lowly general shall take his leave."
"Alright." Li Jingyun nodded. "Feng, take Manjing down and settle her in."
"Come on." The eunuch Feng motioned for Manjing to follow.
Manjing couldn't help but want to laugh. Such a handsome eunuch, yet his name was Feng? It was so cute.
On the other hand, Li Shimin received new news. Khan Tong Yabgu had used iron-fisted measures to directly suppress those who were dissatisfied with him. The affected commoners had also been relocated and settled properly.
In a nutshell, the Western Turks had regained their former combat strength and had not been affected by the heavy snow. As for Yan City, which had been captured by the Tang Dynasty, after some time, Tong Yabgu would send people to take it back.
"Tong Yabgu's hot temper is still the same as before. Yan City has been a city of the Tang people since ancient times. It was snatched away by them, which led to this year's tragedy! How dare he even have the audacity to say that he wants to take back Yan City?" Li Shimin was immediately angry. He threw the memorial down forcefully and his face turned ashen.
"Your Majesty, please calm down."
Fang Xuanling bowed and said, "As long as the little princess's plan can be successfully implemented, even if it can't completely destroy the Western Turks and Tubo, it should be able to cause internal strife in the two countries, making them lose their combat strength and not dare to covet our Tang Dynasty."
Fang Xuanling's words represented the views of almost everyone in the court on Li Jingyun's plan.
"Yes, Father. The Turks will come to reply soon, and our plan will be realized." Li Chengqian also tried to persuade.
This time, it was the Turks who needed to stall for time. Zhenzhu Tong Sijin had fallen seriously ill. He had been tortured until he was just a bag of bones. He coughed every day and was only hanging on by medicine. No one knew when he would die.
As they were talking about the Turks, the Turks arrived.
Zhenzhu Tong Sijin was supported by two people as he came in. His hair and beard were all white, and he walked shakily. After bowing, he still tried to put on the former airs of the Turks in front of Li Shimin. He tried to straighten his back, but it only made him feel more pain.
After maintaining it for just one or two seconds, his back bent again, even more than when he first came in.
"Honorable Tian Khan, we accept the price of three hundred and fifty wen for a woolen sweater. May I ask how much the Tang Dynasty is willing to pay for one of our sheep?" Zhenzhu Tong Sijin said after coughing twice.
It sounded reasonable at first, right?
Li Jingyun had proposed to raise the price of a woolen sweater to ten times the original price. So it was only natural for them to ask about the price of a sheep.
But actually, there was a trap in it. According to their custom, they would surely put dozens or even hundreds of sick and old sheep in the flock. If the Tang Dynasty paid the same price for them, wouldn't it be at a loss?
At this moment, Li Jingyun came out from the back with the eunuch Feng and Manjing. She said loudly, "How about one thousand wen for a sheep?"
She had pushed the price as low as possible. With just one sentence, she made the other side lose their composure.
"Princess Chengyang, you can't just talk nonsense! How could a sheep be worth only one thousand wen!" After Zhenzhu Tong Sijin said this, he seemed to be so angry that he started coughing violently. He bent over and couldn't even lift his head. It seemed like he was going to cough up his lungs.
Li Jingyun looked at her father and elder brother with a smile. Seeing them nodding with smiles, she knew that they agreed with her words.
"Whichever family sends the most and best-quality sheep will receive an additional ten taels of gold as a reward from me! The family that comes second will receive six taels of gold, and the third will receive three taels of gold." Li Jingyun then dropped another bombshell.
It scared all the Turks in front of her. Zhenzhu Tong Sijin, who had been about to continue coughing, was so shocked that he managed to hold it back.
The main hall of Taihe Hall suddenly fell silent.
Ten taels of gold! Outside, it was enough to buy several Silla maidens. It was enough for a family to live without worrying about food and drink for a lifetime, and maybe even for the next generation with some left over.
The sheep farmers were all commoners. When had they ever seen so much money?
Did this mean that this little princess really wanted to do business with their Turks?
"If you don't agree, then this deal is off." Li Chengqian's light words broke the current silence.
Zhenzhu Tong Sijin quickly said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince! You should at least give us some time to think, right?"
"You've already used the excuse of being ill to stall for nearly ten days. Haven't you thought it through yet?"
Fang Xuanling chimed in.
"If you don't agree to this price, then I'll have to raise the price of the woolen sweaters to seven hundred wen." Li Jingyun said with a smile. She looked more like she was joking with a friend.
After she said this, everyone else actually nodded. Zhenzhu Tong Sijin's heart sank.
Did they really have to dote on this child to such an extent? Didn't their lives matter?
"Your Highness, please don't!" Zhenzhu Tong Sijin exclaimed. "We accept!"