Li Jingyun never expected that the coal mine mountain, which would be worth a fortune in later generations according to the immortal, was now unwanted even if given away for free.
Then, she bought it. That hilltop only cost 500 copper coins. It was not even comparable to the money from the sweater shop, let alone the price of the villa outside Chang'an City.
She arranged everything as the immortal had said and then rushed back to Chang'an in a hurry.
On the way, she received a letter from Li Shimin. In the letter, Li Shimin said that without Hongxuan (Li Jingyun's nickname), Li Chengqian and the others by his side, he missed them day and night, had no appetite for food, and couldn't sleep well.
This made Li Jingyun's eyes turn red.
The journey that was originally supposed to take a day and a half only took a little over eight hours.
Li Chengqian and Li Yin glanced at each other, not knowing what to say. In other families, it was the children who couldn't leave their parents, but in their case, it was the other way around. They had only been away for three days, and the letter had already arrived.
I'm afraid Li Shimin wrote this letter as soon as Hongxuan left Chang'an City, right?
Hongxuan was still young and was deeply touched. At their age, they were already immune to such sentimental words.
Especially Li Chengqian. His father had also told him that he was incognito to see how competent the officials were and how they were doing.
He had only interacted with the common people for less than a day. What could he possibly see?
The warm - house restaurants had opened in Luzhou? The common people liked to carry a cup of milk tea when they went out?
The sweaters hadn't been sold there yet, so Hongxuan had to work harder?
This wasn't about seeing if the officials were competent. This was about seeing the capabilities of Hongxuan and Xinxing.
No matter how much they complained in their hearts, when they arrived at Taihe Hall, they still had to act properly.
Li Shimin had just finished reading the memorials and was about to take a break when the eunuch came to report, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Great news! The Crown Prince and the Princess are back!"
"Back? So soon?" Li Shimin immediately sat up straight. "Hurry up and open the door. Welcome them in!"
"Yes."
The eunuch responded, and the door opened wide.
Li Jingyun ran over in a hurry and threw herself into Li Shimin's arms, her voice clearly crying, "Father, I read the letter you wrote to me. Hongxuan misses you too!"
The little daughter's words made Li Shimin overjoyed.
He bent down and gently wiped the tears from the corners of Li Jingyun's eyes. "Don't cry, Hongxuan. You won't look good when you cry."
"So what if I'm not good - looking? Father, will you stop loving me if I'm not good - looking?"
Li Jingyun tilted her head and pouted as she asked.
"Of course not." Li Shimin was amused by his daughter's pitiful look. "No need to perform the formalities. Sit down, sit down. Was the journey smooth?"
"It was smooth. There was a shop in Luzhou that made really delicious bofan (a kind of noodle dish)." As Li Yin said, he even smacked his lips.
He casually pulled a chair and sat down, clowning around without restraint, which made everyone in the room burst out laughing.
Li Chengqian only accompanied them for a while and then went to accompany the Crown Princess.
It was Li Tai who came over. "Greetings, Father."
He was wearing a moon - white long robe. He was fat, and from a distance, Li Jingyun thought he looked like a chubby ball with legs running out.
Li Shimin smiled. "Why are you here? It's so late at night."
"Paying respects to you morning and evening is only proper. Father is busy with state affairs, so as a son, I should come and visit often to show my filial piety." Li Tai said with his head down.
These words made Li Shimin, who was already happy, even more overjoyed. "Good. Sit down. Just in time. Yin'er and Hongxuan are back."
"Fourth Brother!" This was Li Jingyun, calling out sweetly.
"Greetings, Fourth Brother." This was Li Yin, mostly out of courtesy.
Li Yin knew exactly what kind of person his fourth brother was. Back then when they were studying in Hongwen Academy together, Li Tai, relying on his good knowledge, mocked him every day. Later, he thought the scholars in Hongwen Academy were shallow in knowledge and went to study in another academy by himself.
On the surface, he was gentle, kind, modest, and yielding, but in fact, he was extremely arrogant. Not only was he arrogant, but he also wasn't very smart.
Otherwise, every time he heard news about Li Tai, it would always be related to reading.
"Back so soon? Hongxuan, how was this trip?" Li Tai asked.
Li Jingyun thought for a while. "There was a shop in Jinzhou that made really delicious mutton hu bing (a kind of Chinese pancake). And there was a porridge seller in Luzhou. The longevity porridge he made tasted the same as the one in the imperial city! And also..."
"Why do you only think about food after this trip?"
Li Tai thought it was boring after hearing this and directly interrupted Li Jingyun.
Li Jingyun snorted and turned her face away, ignoring Li Tai. How come Fourth Brother's personality was still the same after all these years?
Li Shimin stepped in to smooth things over. "I have a question for you. The censor Zheng Min submitted a memorial to me, saying that the method of making sweaters could benefit the people of the Tang Dynasty. He wants the female workers under Hongxuan to teach other common people. Should I approve this request?"
"How can this be allowed?"
Before Li Shimin even finished speaking, Li Yin spoke up.
If they taught others, how could Hongxuan sell her sweaters? And what about the wages of those more than a thousand female workers?
Li Shimin looked a bit unhappy. Li Tai glanced at his impulsive sixth - brother. "Father, I think this method is very good. Hongxuan may not make as much money from the sweater business, but it's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. For the sake of the people of the Tang Dynasty being warmer in winter, it's okay for Hongxuan to suffer a little."
This matter should be considered from the interests of the common people. It was obvious that this younger brother had never been involved in state affairs. He must have played so much outside that his mind was addled.
Li Jingyun took a sip of warm milk and looked full of questions. "Fourth Brother, how do you know that if we spread the method of making sweaters, the common people will be warmer in winter? An ordinary family may have at most two or three sheep. How is that enough to make sweaters for the whole family?"
"Moreover, at this time, those interested in the method of making sweaters should not be the people of the Tang Dynasty, but the Turks, the Tubos, and the Uyghurs, right? Father, is that old guy Zheng Min taking someone's money to say such stupid things?"
Li Jingyun was all too familiar with this name.
When the sweaters were first made, it was he who kept causing trouble in the court. On the Double Ninth Festival when they climbed the mountain at Dongchanding Temple, he made things difficult for Su Gui. Later, when the Turks requested a princess for marriage, he even said that Xinxing should be married off.
How could the words he said be good ones?
Li Jingyun was young, but she wasn't stupid. She could tell who was kind - hearted and who was fake.
"Right. Hongxuan gave the correct answer." Li Shimin sighed.
It seemed that it was really not okay to not raise this child by his side. He couldn't even see such simple things?
He still remembered that when Li Tai applied to study in Mingzhang Academy, he not only mentioned that the teachers in the academy were highly knowledgeable but also said that he wanted to get closer to the common people and experience their hardships.
It seemed that Li Tai's experience had gone to the dogs. He didn't even know as much as Hongxuan.
"Father, Hongxuan is only five years old. How does she know these things?" Li Tai couldn't help but exclaim.
In his eyes, Li Jingyun was still a child who didn't understand anything, only knew how to sweetly call him brother and ask him to play with her.
How could she say such things?
For a moment, he even thought that Li Jingyun had been possessed by some evil spirit.
Li Shimin said, "Hongxuan has experienced a lot in the past six months. She has been to the Political Affairs Hall to discuss state affairs, discussed with the court ministers where the library should be built, and this sweater trade was also handled by Hongxuan. She should have grown up. It would be a problem if she remained unchanged. Qingque (Li Tai's nickname), you should learn more from your sister and divert some of your attention from books."
"Yes, Father. I understand."
Seeing Li Tai being outwitted, Li Yin was extremely happy. He even wished he could take out a wine jar and take a sip right now.