Li Shimin's petty behavior left Zhang Anan dumbfounded.
Is it really necessary?
It's just a broken lantern.
Zhang Anan could hardly understand Li Shimin's resentment. He could only ponder in his heart how to tell Princess Jinyang about His Majesty's anger and let her think of a way to make amends.
While Li Shimin was furious, Yuchi Jingde's residence was filled with joy.
"Sir, where did you get so many glass lanterns?!"
"This lantern is so beautiful! It's crystal clear, like it's made of crystal. It's much prettier than the one hanging in the palace!"
Yuchi Jingde had a great fondness for luxury. Whether it was the clothes he wore or the utensils he used, they were all extremely exquisite and valuable.
There's nothing we can do; he's so poor all he has left is money.
He had no political ambitions, and after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Shimin bestowed all the wealth from Li Yuanji's mansion upon him. Wasn't that all he had left to do for the rest of his life?
If it weren't for the fact that he happened to witness His Majesty the Emperor's secret rendezvous with his eldest grandson and by chance became Li Jue's tutor, he would probably be even more of a recluse than a lady from a prominent family.
"This was a gift from my apprentice, hahaha!"
Which of your apprentices?
"Is it Xue Shisan?"
"That's not right. Xue Shisan's family can only be considered well-off, far from being extremely wealthy, right?"
“A glass lamp of this quality would cost at least several hundred strings of cash on the market. You’ve brought back more than a dozen of them. Even if you sold the Xue family, it wouldn’t be worth it!”
"Oh, never mind that, just tell me if our lanterns are pretty or not!"
"Of course it looks good, I want one to display in my room too..."
"middle!"
"Choose whichever one you like!"
The same scene was playing out at Li Jing's home.
Li Jing's family was relatively small, consisting of only a Kunlun slave and a large cat.
Therefore, the glass lamps he brought back not only filled the entire courtyard, but even one was hung next to the big cat's cat bed.
Li Jing looked at the dazzling glass lamp and let out a sigh of regret.
"If Hong Fu Nu were alive, she would be overjoyed to see so many glass lamps!"
"Master, how about we hang two lamps in front of the mistress's grave?"
Upon hearing this, Li Jing shook his head.
"No need!"
"This item is far too valuable. If it were hung in front of a tomb, it would surely be stolen. I don't want anyone to disturb Hong Fu Nu's rest..."
"How about we send a few out?"
He immediately countered with a question.
"For whom?"
"I have been keeping to myself and refusing visitors for many years, and I hardly keep in touch with any relatives. Who is there that I would send gifts to?"
Upon hearing this, Kunlun slave lowered his head and thought about it. He felt that what his master said made sense, so he stopped trying to persuade him.
That night, the courtyards of Yuchi Jingde and Li Jing's homes were brightly lit. From Yuchi Jingde's residence, the sounds of his concubines laughing and playing could be heard from time to time.
As Li Shimin passed by the couple's courtyard, he looked at the glass lanterns hanging there and felt a bitter, sour feeling in his heart, as if he had eaten a lemon.
"You unfilial grandson!"
"I've doted on him so much, yet he sent gifts to everyone else but forgot to send one to me!"
"Your Majesty, let's return to the palace..."
"I'm not going back!"
"I'm going to Yuchi Jingde's house and smash all his lamps!"
Zhang Anan was speechless when he heard this. He thought to himself, "Why don't you smash it? Why are you hiding outside someone's yard and bragging?"
Li Shimin certainly couldn't run into someone's yard and smash a lamp, but that didn't stop him. He picked up a few small stones from the ground, climbed up the wall of Yuchi Jingde's yard, and smashed the glass lamp twice with a "smash," shattering it into pieces.
When Yuchi Jingde saw that his beloved glass lamp had been smashed, he was so angry that he cursed loudly.
"Which bastard dares to run wild in our house!"
"Someone, bring me Grandpa's spear! Grandpa will definitely chop this little thief to pieces!"
When Li Shimin saw Yuchi Jingde rushing out with a spear, he immediately jumped off the courtyard wall and led his guards to escape.
"Run!"
Zhang Anan was so angry upon hearing this that he almost vomited blood. "In the middle of the night, instead of sleeping, you're going to someone's house to smash lanterns. Is this something a human being would do?"
...
Li Jue has been extremely busy lately, working on repairing Qujiang Pool, building a food court, and training troops.
However, what gave him the biggest headache was not being busy, but the merchants who were always vying to give him money.
If these merchants were legitimate businesses, it wouldn't be so bad, but unfortunately, they were a group of brothel madams from Pingkangfang...
Ever since the news of Qujiang Pool's opening to the public spread, wealthy merchants from Chang'an have flocked there.
Li Jue welcomed all kinds of businesses, including restaurants, inns, jewelry stores, and silk shops, but he refused to do business in Pingkangfang, saying he couldn't do anything for them.
Then, these madams from Pingkangfang somehow found out where Li Jue lived, and simply blocked his door, begging him day and night to give them, these poor people, a way to survive...
Li Jue's face turned red with anger upon hearing this. A place in Pingkangfang that dared to sell a cup of tea for several strings of cash was actually coming to him to ask for a living. Was there no justice in the world?
When the group of madams couldn't find Li Jue, they started targeting the people around him.
For example, Shan Daozhen, a regular customer of Pingkangfang...
Although Li Shimin killed Shan Xiongxin, he did not confiscate the Shan family's property. Therefore, Shan Daozhen was a wealthy man from a young age, and was proficient in all vices, including eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring.
"Shan Dalang, this matter is entirely up to you!"
"If you can persuade the young master to allow us to enter Qujiang Pool to make money, all seventy-eight brothels in Pingkang Ward will be free for you from now on!"
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
