It was late at night. Snowflakes were drifting outside. A red plum tree in full bloom defied the cold snow outside the Taihe Hall.
Li Jingyun returned to the Taihe Hall and sat obediently beside Li Shimin, listening to Li Chengqian reporting the latest important affairs in the court to him. The first things were those about the Yang and Wu families.
"Chengqian, the matter of the Yang family has been settled. If it were up to you to handle this, what would you do?" Li Shimin asked.
Apart from listening to Li Chengqian's opinion, he also wanted to test Li Chengqian to see if he had strong and wise means.
"Aye, if it were me, I would surely revoke the hereditary titles of Yang Shidao's descendants, make Yang Yuzhi and Yang Shuzhi commoners, and never allow them to hold official positions again. I would also exile the brothers Wu Yuanqing three thousand li to console the ten souls of the Liu family in the afterlife."
Li Chengqian carefully chose his words. It wasn't that he was afraid of angering his father by saying something wrong. It was just that according to his father's personality, if he agreed with his words, they would be written exactly the same in the imperial edict the next day, without a single word changed.
He didn't mention Yang Shidao. He was only the crown prince for now, and he was still too inexperienced to deal with a prime minister.
Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this. He deliberately wanted to tease the boy. "What about Yang Shidao? Even if he knew nothing about this from beginning to end, he still has the crime of negligence."
"Son thinks that Chancellor Yang has made great contributions and is loyal to Aye. He has never been partial in handling government affairs. No one is perfect. It's normal to have a shortcoming. Maybe it was precisely because he was busy managing the court affairs for Aye that he neglected to discipline his nephews. Therefore, reducing his salary for half a year as a small punishment to serve as a warning would be enough." Li Chengqian said.
"The money Yang Yuzhi earned shouldn't be given to Yang Shidao. He must have taken some money too. Reducing his salary for only half a year is not enough. He should at least learn his lesson. Do whatever you think is right. Even if you, like Hongxuan, pierce a hole in the sky, Aye will back you up."
Li Shimin was extremely satisfied with Li Chengqian's answer. He was smiling from ear to ear, and his words also included Li Jingyun, who was eating a pork knuckle beside them.
That's right. Li Jingyun only had two mouthfuls of porridge with Li Ke in the coal shop and then had to rush back to the imperial city before curfew. She wasn't full at all. While her father and elder brother were discussing court affairs, she listened attentively with one ear and asked Wang De to bring a bowl of freshly cooked pork knuckle from the imperial kitchen.
When Li Shimin mentioned her name, Li Jingyun was enjoying her meal.
She reluctantly lifted her head from the pork knuckle, looking puzzled. She looked at her father and then at her elder brother. Why were they both staring at her and smiling?
"This pork knuckle is just enough for me. Otherwise, Steward Wang, could you go and bring two more servings? For my father and elder brother?" Li Jingyun asked tentatively.
"Hahaha."
The two of them were amused by their daughter (sister)'s train of thought. They exchanged a look, and Li Chengqian almost fell to the ground.
"You're about to be a father. Be more steady." Li Shimin pulled his eldest son up with one hand. "Hongxuan, what do you think of this punishment?"
"I think elder brother is right. If they did something wrong, they should be punished."
Li Jingyun smiled.
"Then, Hongxuan, I heard that you ordered a grand burial for the ten members of the Liu family and took the only remaining Liu San from the Liu family to be a gardener in your princess mansion?" Li Shimin poured a cup of tea for Hongxuan to relieve the greasiness and said with a smile.
"Yes. I saw that he was alone, had no skills to support himself, and was sometimes muddle - headed. So I thought I'd give him a place to earn a living."
Li Jingyun nodded.
"Good, very good. I said we should always have a heart of great love, and my daughter has taken it to heart." Li Shimin patted Li Jingyun on the shoulder and said to Li Chengqian.
Don't be afraid of setbacks. As long as you can overcome them, it's fine. At least for now, everything is going smoothly, and the coal can continue to be sold.
"Dispose of the brothers from the Yang and Wu families as the crown prince said. By the way, Yang Shidao once submitted a memorial asking me to marry Li Yuanji's daughter, the County Princess of Shouchun, to his son. Now it seems this marriage is no longer necessary. Cancel the engagement." Li Shimin said.
"Yes."
Wang De responded and went down to deliver the message.
Li Chengqian thought to himself, see, he guessed right. When his father was happy, he would just let someone deliver the message exactly as it was.
As soon as this imperial edict was passed to the Yang family, memorials from Yang Shidao and Princess Guiyang, the two elders of the Yang family, were submitted.
Princess Guiyang was Yang Yuzhi's mother. In terms of blood relationship, Li Shimin was Yang Yuzhi's uncle, and Li Jingyun was Yang Yuzhi's cousin.
On the one hand, they admitted their mistakes, saying that they had neglected to discipline the two children. Now they had confined them, and the price of charcoal would also be reduced. They would strengthen discipline to prevent the two children from doing anything immoral.
On the other hand, they pleaded guilty. Whether it was Yang Shidao or Princess Guiyang, they took the blame on themselves, saying that they were guilty. Yang Shidao requested a demotion and salary reduction, and Princess Guiyang requested to imprison herself in a Taoist temple to pray for the ten members of the Liu family, hoping that they would be reincarnated soon.
After Li Shimin read them, he just smiled and didn't take them seriously.
He had to give face to his sister and his brother - in - law. A little reminder was enough.
However, Yang Shidao couldn't be the prime minister anymore. The position of the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was still vacant. Let him take that position.
Li Jingyun didn't learn about these news until the afternoon of the next day.
Li Jingyun, Li Mingda, Li Zhen, Li Zhi, and Li Shen were making a snowman in front of the Taihe Hall. They were having a great time when they heard what Chang Sun Wuji, who was passing by, said.
It was a very strange and mysterious sight.
Inside the Taihe Hall, Li Shimin and the court officials were discussing national affairs. Outside the Taihe Hall, on the open space where the court officials passed by, Li Jingyun and her siblings were getting together to make snowmen and have snowball fights.
"Uncle!" Li Jingyun finished putting the head of the snowman on and called out to Chang Sun Wuji.
Walking with Chang Sun Wuji were also Wang Gui, Tang Jian, and Fang Xuanling. Li Jingyun was familiar with all of them.
"Hongxuan? Do you have something to say? Do you want me to take a look at this snowman?" Chang Sun Wuji joked with the children with a smile.
That was what he deliberately said for Li Jingyun to hear.
"The snowman can wait. Is the matter of the Yang family really settled like this? Will Aunt Guiyang really be confined in the Taoist temple?" Li Jingyun asked anxiously.
"The matter is settled like this, but being confined in the Taoist temple is not what the princess thinks." Tang Jian smiled. "Does the princess think it's like being in prison, with inconvenience in coming in and out and no family members around?"
"Isn't it?"
"Of course not. This is just for show. The Taoist temple is built in the back garden of the Yang family. Everything will be the same as before." Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and laughed, answering Li Jingyun's question.
Li Jingyun nodded continuously. The adult world was really complicated.
She didn't understand.
"Hongxuan! Stop chatting!"
A snowball flew over Li Jingyun's head and hit Chang Sun Wuji right on the spot. Li Zhen ran over in a hurry, but he was stunned when he saw the situation.
"Chancellor, would you believe me if I said I didn't do it on purpose?"