The result of the court debate spread through the streets and alleys, with all kinds of opinions, both praise and criticism.
The stove that was claimed to reduce the probability of coal poisoning hadn't been on sale yet, so people didn't know if it was really as good as it was advertised.
However, some people took the opportunity to attack, asking why Li Jingyun and her brother didn't build a few more large stoves and place them in the corners of the city for the homeless and passers - by to keep warm.
On the day after this rumor spread, Li Ke gave an order and paid out of his own pocket to get three stoves, which were placed on Zhuque Street and Guangji Street.
This immediately silenced those small - minded people.
The day when coal started to be sold arrived. There was a long queue outside again. But compared with the day when the sweater shop opened, when all the streets were blocked, this was still a bit less crowded.
Those who came to buy coal were all from poor families who couldn't afford charcoal. Li Jingyun was standing upstairs, looking at the endless stream of people coming and going. She couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat and shed tears.
She had never seen so many poor people wearing only single - layer clothes in the cold winter months. They were all dark - skinned, with wrinkled faces and calloused hands. When queuing up to buy coal, they shivered from the cold and kept looking forward. There was even a boy about her height who didn't even have a pair of shoes on his feet, and his feet were terribly frozen.
Eunuch Feng draped a cloak over her. Suddenly, he found her hand was wet.
He understood in his heart that his master couldn't bear to see the sufferings of the world and was feeling sad again. The Emperor liked to cry, and the princess he had personally raised was the same.
"Princess, don't be sad. You've already done your best. It's the merciful Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva who can save all sentient beings. We don't have that kind of ability," Eunuch Feng tied Li Jingyun's belt and comforted her softly.
Mancai also came over and said, "Yes, princess. Once they buy this coal, they won't have to suffer from the cold anymore, right?"
"I'm fine. Maybe I'll feel better after crying for a while."
How could Li Jingyun not understand the truth they were saying?
But looking at the current situation and then thinking about the words the immortal had said to her, "When will there be ten thousand spacious mansions, sheltering all the poor in the world and making them happy, standing firm like a mountain in wind and rain?" She really felt a lot of emotions in her heart.
She didn't know when the grand wish of the immortal could be truly realized.
This was much more difficult than building a library, as it involved thousands of families.
"We have coal! Old woman, our home will be warm!" An old man's shout interrupted Li Jingyun's train of thought.
She looked down and just happened to meet the eyes of an old woman in her sixties who had trouble walking. The old woman was wrapped in several single - layer clothes and lying on a rickety wooden cart. There was the black coal beside her, and the old man was pulling the cart forward.
"Little princess!" The old woman pointed at Li Jingyun and exclaimed.
Hearing this, everyone quickly looked up and was about to kneel down and kowtow to Li Jingyun.
"All be excused!" With a look from Li Jingyun, Eunuch Feng shouted, which stopped everyone's actions.
"Princess, don't stand outside. It's so cold. You're so precious. Don't catch a cold!"
"Yes, princess! Your health is important!"
Li Jingyun smiled. "It's okay. I'm in good health. In half a month, the price of coal will drop to two wen per catty. You can buy less this time and come back for more next time."
This was supposed to be a business secret, but Li Jingyun just said it out directly.
"Thank you, princess, for your kindness!"
At first, she was quite touched by these words, but after hearing them so many times, they didn't mean much to her anymore. Li Jingyun was immune to them.
Watching people come one after another to buy coal and leave happily with the coal, Li Jingyun's mood calmed down a bit.
Li Ke came up. He saw Li Jingyun standing on the balcony in the wind at a glance. He quickly walked up and said, "You're not in good health. What are you doing on the balcony? Come here quickly. Make a bowl of milk tea to warm Hongxuan up!"
There was also a beautiful girl following behind him. Li Jingyun thought she looked a bit familiar.
Wu Meiniang stepped forward, bowed deeply to Li Jingyun and said, "This commoner, Wu Meiniang, pays respects to Princess Chengyang."
"Meiniang? Why are you here?"
"I'm here to apologize for my useless brothers. They were blinded by the small profits from the Yang brothers and did such despicable things, causing a big mistake. Please punish me, Your Highness."
After Wu Meiniang finished speaking, she knelt down. Her tone was firm.
Li Jingyun didn't know what to say. She quickly looked at Li Ke, signaling with her eyes, Third brother, what should I do?
"The ground is cold. Don't kneel. Get up. We've seen how your brothers treated you and your mother and sisters. Wu Yuanqing and his brothers won't affect you in the future. Don't worry," Li Ke saw that Wu Meiniang was sincere, so he simply made things clear.
Li Ke knew very well how Hongxuan had bought that shop from Wu Meiniang back then.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your pity. Meiniang is extremely grateful."
Wu Meiniang quickly stood up, and the tears in her eyes disappeared instantly.
The goal was achieved!
Those brothers were causing trouble every day. One day when they offended someone they shouldn't, they would have to suffer the consequences.
The old man who had bought coal just now came back again. Because he had been under - charged twenty wen, he respectfully bowed to Li Jingyun.
He was hard of hearing. After bowing, he couldn't hear clearly and just turned around and walked away on his own.
"This old man looks so pitiful, brother," Li Jingyun went back to the balcony and watched the old man limp away.
Li Ke sighed deeply but didn't say anything.
Wu Meiniang took a look and said, "I know this man. His name is Liu Laosan. He has two older sisters and four younger brothers who are all idiots. His wife was ill when she was young and has trouble walking. In winter, she was always cold, so both of them have leg problems. They have three children, all born when they were old. This whole family has a kind heart. They live an honest and hard - working life, and all the neighbors speak highly of them."
How did she know so much?
This family was really well - known in the neighborhood. It was said that Liu Laosan had several siblings who were frozen to death in winter.
This was just a rumor without any basis.
So she didn't mention it.
After she said this, the room fell into an eerie silence. Li Jingyun's eyes were red, and it was obvious that she had taken this to heart.
Li Ke gave Wu Meiniang a look, and she quickly said, "Princess, with the coal, this family won't have to suffer from the cold this winter. Maybe their injured legs will get better. This is all the grace of the princess."
Li Jingyun's complexion improved a bit. "Liu Laosan's parents, since their first few children were all idiots, why did they keep having more? They had seven children in a row!"
Well, this question stumped both Li Ke and Wu Meiniang. Wasn't it because they believed in the saying that more children meant more blessings?
Within ten days of the coal going on sale, there were many more people in Chang'an burning coal. Families that couldn't afford charcoal no longer had to rely on firewood.
Correspondingly, the sales volume of charcoal dropped sharply.
Yang Yuzhi and Yang Shuzhi were so worried at home that they cursed. They scratched their heads, trying to figure out how to deal with this situation.