Just then, Kong Yingda walked over from behind. "Prince of Yue, stop being naughty. Copy the Guidelines for Children once you get back and try to remember your lesson."
"Yes, sir. I understand."
Li Zhen pursed his lips but didn't dare to refute. He could only obediently listen.
However, since he was just a child, he quickly forgot about it and continued to happily play with his siblings.
The snowball fight immediately livened things up. The youngest, Li Shen, hid behind a snowman that had been battered beyond recognition and occasionally launched a sneak attack. No one even noticed that there was someone hiding behind the snowman.
Li Jingyun was hit three times. On the last occasion, she saw an arm protruding from behind the snowman and quietly circled around to the back.
"Number Ten! So it's you sneaking around back here, huh!"
"Sister, I'm sorry!"
Li Shen shouted as he ran, but he still couldn't escape being "chased and killed" by his elder siblings. In the end, he obediently lay on the ground and pleaded until they finally let him off.
The group of children played for over an hour before they stopped.
In the rear hall of the Taihe Hall, they changed into clean clothes and drank some ginger soup to ward off the cold.
On a Hu bed, five children bundled up like snowballs were wrapped in blankets, each holding a bowl of ginger soup. They all had bitter expressions on their faces. The taste of ginger soup was truly unpalatable.
The whole room was filled with the spicy smell of ginger.
Li Chengqian looked at them. "Drink it quickly. It's better to endure the bitterness for a while than to catch a cold and have to take medicine every day."
Hearing this, Li Jingyun pinched her nose and took a gulp. As soon as she finished, Manjing quickly handed her a candied fruit. The sweet taste helped to mask the spiciness of the ginger soup.
But with the candied fruit in her mouth, looking at the half - bowl of ginger soup left, Li Jingyun didn't want to drink it even more.
Li Zhen snorted. "Watch me. I can drink it all in one go!"
He tilted his head back and gulped down most of the bowl of ginger soup. Before he could even swallow the last mouthful, he rushed to stuff some rock sugar into his mouth. He almost choked.
His hands were moving so fast they were a blur.
Instead of showing off, his behavior almost made Li Zhi, sitting opposite, spit out the ginger soup in his mouth.
The room was filled with joy and laughter.
An unfamiliar female official walked over. "Greetings to all the highnesses."
"Rise," Li Chengqian said, sizing her up. He searched his memory for her name. "You're Ziwan, aren't you? The personal maid of Princess Yongjia's aunt?"
"Yes, Your Highness. You have a good memory. Princess Yongjia's birthday is coming up soon, and the plum blossoms in the mansion are in full bloom. She invites all the highnesses to the banquet to enjoy the flowers. Here are the invitations."
Ziwan smiled and presented six invitations.
Li Jingyun looked at the invitation and tried to recall the few remaining memories of her time with Princess Yongjia.
There weren't many. She only remembered that this aunt was straightforward, good - looking, and very generous. She seemed to have gotten married to someone.
She forgot. She'd ask later.
"Five days from now? Big brother, do you have time to go?" Li Jingyun turned to Li Chengqian.
It was already the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month. In seven days, the officials would start their holiday, which was like the ancient version of the New Year's vacation.
Before the holiday, there would be another grand court session to summarize what had happened during the year and make plans for the future.
Father would definitely be there, and big brother would have to accompany him.
"I'm afraid I don't have time. I'll just pick out two gifts and send them to Princess Yongjia then," Li Chengqian said with a smile.
"I want to go. I've never been to Princess Yongjia's new mansion, and I don't know what the plum blossoms there look like," Li Mingda said, trying to persuade Li Jingyun. "Hongxuan, dear sister, I know you're itching to go too. Let's go together?"
"Sure."
Li Jingyun had also planned to go.
Now that both the sweater shop and the coal shop didn't need her to worry about them anymore, she could go and have fun.
Li Zhen sighed. "My mother is very strict. I'm afraid I can't go. You guys have fun."
"Then I won't go either. I'm going to play with Fourth Brother!"
Li Zhi shouted. He drank the last mouthful of ginger soup before it got cold. It took him a great effort to swallow it, and his face contorted.
One wondered where Li Tai would take Li Zhi to play. Given Li Tai's personality, it was quite possible that he would invite a great Confucian scholar to give a lecture and then tell Li Zhi that there would be a grand spectacle.
It was entirely possible.
"Your highnesses can discuss as you like. Our Princess Yongjia's mansion has prepared tea, fruits, and snacks. We look forward to your arrival."
Ziwan bowed again. "Your servant takes her leave."
After Li Jingyun finished the ginger soup, she felt a warm current flowing in her stomach. Listening to the sound of the snow outside, the chatter in the room, and the faint crackling of the burning coal, she dozed off.
Just as her head was about to droop, Li Chengqian quickly reached out and supported her head. "Hongxuan, shall we go to the side hall to sleep?"
Li Jingyun nodded groggily and nestled in her big brother's arms as he took her to the side hall.
It was normal to be tired after playing for so long.
After Li Jingyun fell asleep, everyone else left, except for Li Mingda, who stayed with her.
These days, Li Jingyun had been running around outside, while Li Mingda had been quietly staying in the Lizheng Hall, practicing calligraphy, reading books, and reciting poems by Empress Zhangsun's side. Both Empress Zhangsun and the female officials serving in the Lizheng Hall were well - read, and they could give her some pointers.
In other words, Li Mingda was the opposite of Li Jingyun. She was the kind of daughter that Empress Zhangsun wanted to raise. She was obedient, gentle, sensible, well - educated, and a caring little cotton - padded jacket.
Li Mingda lay beside Li Jingyun, looking sleepy.
"Hongxuan, you've accomplished so many great things. You're really amazing, but I think you're so tired. You don't even have a chance to rest properly," Li Mingda mumbled. She didn't know if Li Jingyun could hear her, but these words had been weighing on her heart for a long time.
Even though what she said was a bit jumbled, it came from the bottom of her heart.
At this moment, Li Jingyun suddenly sat up, scaring Li Mingda. "What's wrong, Hongxuan? Did you have another nightmare?"
Li Jingyun rubbed her eyes and listened to the mechanical voice again: Congratulations to the host. The coal has been successfully sold, and you have earned 100 points.
"No, this time it was a wonderful dream!" Li Jingyun woke up a lot.
Finally, she had gotten those points. Sister Lizhi and the baby in her sister's belly were saved!
In a corner where they weren't noticed, Empress Zhangsun was chatting with Consort Yin. Consort Yin had been lectured for a long time. Listening to the same old things and the long - past stories, she let them go in one ear and out the other.
It was only when Empress Zhangsun mentioned Li You and Shi An that Consort Yin perked up. Since Shi An had started causing trouble, she had understood Empress Zhangsun's intention of putting Shi An beside Li You.
She had repeatedly advised Li You to drive Shi An away or even kill him, but Li You always refuted her, saying that this person was given by the Emperor and the Empress. In the end, he even said bluntly that he wouldn't get rid of Shi An.
Had the Emperor and the Empress put some kind of spell on her son?
Empress Zhangsun warned her not to cause any more trouble for Li Chengqian. The previous rumors were in the past.
Consort Yin stared blankly at her still - youthful face in the mirror and nodded numbly.