On the first day of the eleventh lunar month, the sky was overcast with dark clouds, and snowflakes began to flutter down in Chang'an. They were tiny and fine, melting into water as soon as they hit the ground.
After sending off those annoying envoys all at once, Chang'an City finally quieted down.
Li Jingyun started to strive for the remaining twenty - odd points.
Inside the Taihe Hall.
"Aye, please agree. I'm begging you," Li Jingyun pleaded, hugging Li Shimin's arm and acting coquettishly. From time to time, she winked at Li Yin beside her. Brother, hurry up and speak up for your sister!
Li Yin turned his head away. Last time when he went to Henan Circuit, Aye agreed right away, but later they were scolded severely by Niang.
He himself was also lectured for a long time.
If it weren't for Hong Xuan's sincere plea this time, he wouldn't have agreed to go out.
Seeing that acting coquettishly didn't work, Li Jingyun changed her tactic. "That immortal master said that although there is a risk of coal poisoning, it's cheap. It can be used by every household. By then, the common people can drink milk tea, wear sweaters, and sit by the stove. Won't winter be much easier?"
The picture she described was really appealing.
After much weighing in his heart, Li Shimin still shook his head. There was no need to rush this matter. He couldn't let his little five - year - old daughter run around and get busy with everything.
"Aye, we'll sneak out quietly. We'll only go to Luzhou and Jinzhou and will be back in three or five days. Please tell Niang that I'll stay in the villa outside Chang'an for this period. Okay?" Seeing that her Aye kept silent, Li Jingyun was about to throw a tantrum.
She couldn't guess what plans Aye had in mind. She just felt that Aye thought she was too young and didn't explain many things to her clearly.
She also knew that Niang didn't want her to run outside all the time, but those industries that she had worked so hard to build, how could she just abandon them?
Li Shimin gently comforted his little daughter, "What if it can't be sold? It's different from your sweaters."
Sweaters were cheaper than ordinary warm clothes and also provided better warmth. Moreover, since they were created by Li Jingyun, they naturally had brand - name and celebrity effects, as well as the herd mentality of the public, so they were very popular.
If your neighbors were all showing off their sweaters and you touched them and found they were thick and cheap, could you resist buying one?
"It's impossible. My things are always the easiest to sell," Li Jingyun said, holding her chin up, looking unconvinced.
With the immortal master's protection, all the things she had created had been sold out.
"Or let your eldest brother go in your place?" Li Shimin suggested.
"Don't. Sister - in - law is newly pregnant. It's not appropriate for eldest brother to go on a long - distance trip," Li Jingyun hadn't spoken yet, but Li Yin cut in. He had also considered that eldest brother was the oldest and had a special status. If eldest brother accompanied them, everything would go smoothly.
But then again, sister - in - law was newly pregnant, and they were in the honeymoon period.
Just as he finished speaking, Empress Zhangsun entered the hall with Li Chengqian and Li Tai.
"Greetings to Aye," the two saluted properly.
"Get up," Li Shimin said, his eyes still on Empress Zhangsun. He went over to help her up.
Li Jingyun and Li Yin immediately dared not say a word. They exchanged a look and planned to slip away through the back door quietly.
Li Jingyun groaned inwardly. Why did Niang come at this moment?
Wouldn't she be scolded later? Maybe even get her palm beaten!
The best strategy was to run away!
While there were no signs of Niang getting angry yet, it was better to leave this place of trouble quickly.
"Come back here!" Empress Zhangsun saw all their little tricks. "Yin'er, Hong Xuan is young and doesn't understand things. Why are you also causing trouble with her? Didn't you have enough fun on the trip to Qingzhou?"
"Niang, it's not Sixth Brother's fault. I insisted on going. This is a major matter related to the winter heating of all the common people in the world," Li Jingyun waved her little hand in front of her, making a big circle to show how important it was.
Her serious look made Empress Zhangsun laugh. She didn't say anything and sat down with Li Shimin.
Seeing that Niang didn't want to scold her, Li Jingyun quickly changed the topic. "Fourth Brother, when did you come back?"
"Since it's almost the New Year, the teachers stopped teaching and gave us a nearly one - hundred - day long vacation," Li Tai replied. "We haven't seen each other for a few months. Hong Xuan, you've grown a lot. You look like a big girl now."
He deliberately teased Li Jingyun. "Aye, Niang, has Hong Xuan's marriage been arranged? I think Su Gui, who always follows you, is a good match."
Although Li Jingyun was only five years old, in that era, marriages could be arranged in advance, and there were many cases of betrothal in the womb.
But Li Jingyun had never considered marriage. In fact, she was a bit stressed just hearing about it. Last time, Fifth Brother had said something similar to her.
Thinking of Sister Lizhi, who was in danger during childbirth, and Sister Xinxing, who was almost forced to marry a Tujue prince, Li Jingyun thought marriage was not a good thing.
Not to mention marrying Su Gui. Didn't she know this guy well?
He was as stubborn as a donkey! It would be good enough if he could manage the villa and the sweater shop well.
Just then, Li Jingyun suddenly realized that the topic had completely deviated.
Li Tai might really not be good at reading the atmosphere. He should have taken lessons from Songtsen Gampo. When he talked about marriage, Li Shimin's face had already turned unpleasant, but he didn't notice and continued talking.
His mind was probably dulled by too much reading. Otherwise, why would he say that "he would kill his son and pass the throne to his younger brother" when Li Shimin wanted to pass the throne to him later?
"Do you really wish for your sister to get married so soon?" Li Shimin said coldly.
"Aye, Aye, I said the wrong thing. Of course, it's better for Hong Xuan to stay by Aye and Niang's side to fulfill her filial piety," Li Tai quickly apologized with a smiling face.
Empress Zhangsun said, "Hong Xuan, do whatever you want. Let your eldest brother go with you. Duan Jia, protect the princess well."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand," Duan Jia, who had been standing silently with his sword like a wall painting, replied in a deep voice.
Li Jingyun was confused. Happiness had come so suddenly!
"Didn't you just say that sister - in - law is newly pregnant and it's not appropriate for eldest brother to go on a long - distance trip?" Li Jingyun asked timidly.
"Didn't you just pat your chest and guarantee that you could be back in three or five days? Were you lying to me?" Empress Zhangsun glanced at her with endless kindness in her phoenix eyes.
"I can be back. I'm definitely coming back," Li Jingyun quickly agreed. In her mind, she was already planning the shortest route.
"Good," Empress Zhangsun finally didn't stop them. She knew her daughter too well. Once Hong Xuan made up her mind, she would definitely do it. Moreover, with Li Shimin, a doting father, if she didn't agree today, Hong Xuan and Yin'er might just leave Chang'an in a hurry at night.
It was better to let them go openly.
Sending Chengqian out could also let him travel incognito and check on how the officials were doing.