Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5243 Deep love between brother and sister
Ever since he was instigated by Changsun Wuji to rebel and was defeated, Li Zhi had been in a state of extreme fear and apprehension. Even though His Majesty, out of consideration for his brotherhood, pardoned him, and even forgave his past transgressions, Li Zhi never lowered his guard for even a moment.

Because he knew that with His Majesty's current prestige, he could not subdue those aristocratic families that had been established for thousands of years, and even the Li Tang imperial family could not make his word law and decide decisions with a single word.

Whether it was to demonstrate "benevolence" or to avoid exterminating the imperial clan, the fact remains that despite the two consecutive defeats and the subsequent "Zhaoling" case, the matter ultimately came to nothing. Apart from a few ringleaders, the vast majority of the imperial clan members who had participated in the rebellion and embezzlement remained unscathed.

Your Majesty cannot eliminate the root of the problem, lest it shake the foundation of the state. But those members of the imperial clan, like Li Zhi, are also sleepless at night because they have committed serious crimes. How can they rest easy if Your Majesty is not overthrown?
On the surface, all is peaceful, with His Majesty being magnanimous and the imperial family grateful. But in reality, the struggles are all beneath the surface, with undercurrents surging and omnipresent.

To this day, Li Zhi does not know if His Majesty intends to kill him, but those members of the imperial clan are determined to use his life to smear His Majesty.

Looking around, one is surrounded by enemies on all sides, one's life hangs by a thread, and one's life is in grave danger. What kind of torment must one be going through?

But he couldn't show it; he could only keep it deep in his heart.

At that moment, when Princess Jinyang loaded all her belongings onto a cart and moved them to the storeroom of Prince Jin's residence, she took his hand and said with a smile through her tears, "I support Brother Zhinu," Li Zhi completely broke down, and tears welled up in his eyes.

……

Back in the main hall, Princess Jin had pastries and nuts brought over, and then personally poured tea for Princess Jinyang, stroking her temples with a gentle and kind smile.

It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. Upon hearing that Li Zhi was about to establish a kingdom on an "island in the south," even the servants and maids in the mansion harbored resentment, let alone others. Yet, Princess Jinyang generously donated all her family's wealth at this time, a gesture that truly moved people.

Li Zhi composed himself and said with a smile, "How about we unload half of it and take the rest back? To be honest, in places like 'Rosas,' no amount of gold, silver, or money will be of any use. They're just savage natives who eat raw meat and drink blood. What could they possibly have that's worth buying?"

No matter how much money you have, it's better to have a few more steel knives. Even if you see something you like, there's no need to buy it; just rob it.

Princess Jinyang shook her head, her expression resolute: "How can I take back what I gave to Brother Zhinu? Besides, I've already asked my brother-in-law. Although Tiannan Island is remote and isolated, it has trade relations with some countries in Southeast Asia. As long as there is enough money, you can still buy some things if you want... By the way, what did my brother-in-law give Brother Zhinu when he went to Tiannan Island?"

"Uh... no gifts were given."

"Huh? How could he do this!"

Princess Jinyang became anxious upon hearing that Fang Jun was stingy: "He gave Brother Qingque hundreds of thousands of strings of cash back then, and even personally led the navy to escort Brother Qingque to Japan to assume his fiefdom. How can you treat your brother-in-law and his sister-in-law differently?"

Princess Jin held Princess Jinyang's hand with some concern: "Isn't that unnecessary? The Grand Commandant and the Prince of Wei have always been on good terms, so it is only right that he would give you some gifts. But my princess doesn't have much of a relationship with him, so how could she ask for them?"

Although they were dissatisfied with Fang Jun's preferential treatment, stability was of paramount importance to the Prince of Jin's mansion at the moment. Whether or not Fang Jun gave them money or silk was not important. What was important was to avoid any unexpected complications and to ensure a smooth voyage to their fiefdom.

Everyone knows that His Majesty is only an emperor on land. Once he goes out to sea, that is Fang Jun's world. How dare they ask Fang Jun for gifts?

She wished she could give Fang Jun some money and silk so that he would show leniency!
Princess Jinyang smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. I will ask my brother-in-law for some benefits. There's no need for money or silk. I'll have him secretly give Brother Zhinu some armor and firearms for self-defense. After all, Tiannan Island is too far away, and we don't know the situation well. It's always good to have some confidence."

"This……"

Princess Jin couldn't bring herself to refuse.

Even a woman knows that going to a fiefdom will inevitably lead to resistance from the local natives. The amount of money and silk is secondary; weapons and armor are of utmost importance.

However, the Tang Dynasty had extremely strict control over military equipment. Apart from the troops allocated to them, getting an extra set of armor was as difficult as ascending to heaven, let alone firearms that were easy to operate and powerful. Given the Prince of Jin's past record, getting an extra thunderclap bomb was impossible...

But all of this was effortless for Fang Jun.

Not only were all the arsenals under his influence, but the navy was also his elite force. Any "losses" he reported were a significant boost to Li Zhi's forces.

Li Zhi neither confirmed nor denied this, but instead asked, "While my journey to Rossus is fraught with uncertainty and danger, it is also a case of getting what I wanted and escaping the cage to enjoy the vast sky. No matter the outcome, I can face it with equanimity... The only thing I am worried about is your marriage. What are you thinking?"

Princess Jinyang's marriage has long been a major problem for the royal family. She has already passed the age of marriage and is of marriageable age, but she doesn't like any of the men she meets, and she has her heart set on Fang Jun.

Advice was ignored and scolding was useless; it was absolutely impossible for her to marry Fang Jun, both in terms of human sentiment and law, which was both infuriating and worrying...

Princess Jinyang blinked and said, "I will marry when I want to, and I have my reasons if I don't want to. Brother Zhinu, you don't need to worry about it."

Li Zhi was furious: "How old are you this year? If you continue to be so hesitant and indecisive, three or five years will pass in the blink of an eye. When you're an old maid of eighteen or nineteen, how will you get married!"

In ordinary families, there are many women who marry at the age of eighteen or nineteen, and there are even many women who are over twenty years old and still unmarried. However, for aristocratic families, once a woman reaches the age of marriage (age of 14 or 15), she must be married off. At the very least, a marriage must be arranged, let alone for the royal family.
Seeing Princess Jinyang smiling gently but remaining silent, he became even more indignant: "If that fellow truly cared, he should have given you a definite answer. This dragging on and vague talk must mean he has ill intentions. Sizi, don't make a mistake for yourself!"

Princess Jinyang smiled and said, "Okay, I understand!"

Li Zhi shook his head speechlessly and sighed deeply. His younger sister was intelligent, quick-witted, and very principled. Even Emperor Taizong couldn't do anything about her back then, and now His Majesty could only spoil her. What else could he do?

Seeing that Li Zhi was talking incessantly, Princess Jinyang quickly got up to take her leave, letting the carriage unload all the things and return to the mansion on its own. She herself took a four-wheeled carriage to Xuanqing Temple in Shengping Ward and sent someone to the Fang residence to deliver a letter, inviting Fang Junxue to visit the temple one day.

*****
Fang Jun was at home comforting his child. Fang Jing, who was in his arms, was just as her name suggested. Her face was delicate and pretty, and her eyes held a gentle and elegant air. She was held in her father's arms and hugged his neck. She was quiet and didn't cry or make a fuss. Every now and then, she would look up and meet her father's doting eyes, and a sweet smile would appear on her face.

But it completely melted the old father's heart...

In contrast, Fang Shu and Fang You, the two sons, were extremely mischievous. They carried wooden knives carved by some servant in the mansion and started banging and clanging all the way from the main hall to the bedroom, and then from the bedroom to the courtyard, shouting and yelling all the while. In no time, they were covered in mud and snow, and Jin Shengman grabbed them by the collar to take them to bathe and change their clothes.

Princess Gaoyang watched this scene through the window and couldn't help but laugh: "These two scoundrels are most afraid of this 'Fourth Sister' and also respect her. If it were anyone else, they would have struggled desperately long ago and even called for their family soldiers to come and help."

Princess Silla was a straightforward person and didn't know much about Tang Dynasty etiquette. She never put on airs in front of the children. Whenever the children pestered her to teach them martial arts, she patiently guided them. In fact, she was very respected by the children.

Fang Jun remained noncommittal, then kissed his daughter on the cheek, making her giggle. She then kissed her father back, making Fang Jun beam with joy: "Those two rascals aren't exactly well-behaved. The younger one seems quieter, but he's actually too cunning and arrogant. Who knows what kind of trouble he'll cause me in the future? I can't count on him at all... Only my daughter is beautiful and sensible; she's the apple of my eye."

Princess Gaoyang was somewhat troubled by this and complained, "Your daughter is good, but don't spoil her too much! In my opinion, our two sons may not necessarily become spoiled brats in the future. On the contrary, this daughter is spoiled by you and has become lawless, just like her aunt, who is arrogant and haughty."

The so-called "little aunt" naturally refers to Princess Jinyang. Back then, not only did Emperor Taizong cherish her like a precious jewel, but His Majesty and his siblings also liked and doted on her. As a result, she developed a proud and arrogant personality, and once she made up her mind about something, no one could persuade her otherwise.

As it turned out, speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives.

A steward came in from outside and reported: "It's just that the city is buzzing with the news that Princess Jinyang has loaded all the furniture in her palace onto carts and sent it to Prince Jin's mansion. She has also given Princess Jinyang hundreds of thousands of strings of cash to support her in her voyage to establish a kingdom overseas."

Fang Jun was taken aback, then exclaimed in admiration, "Your Highness Jinyang has great spirit!"

Then, smiling, he said to his daughter, "Your aunt says your aunt is spoiled rotten, but if I had to say, she should learn from your aunt! She's kind, righteous, and has great spirit; she's truly an extraordinary woman!"

Princess Gaoyang ignored his nonsense and frowned, saying, "Since the Zhinu have set sail to establish a kingdom, should we also send them a travel allowance?"

Fang Jun waved his hand and said, "Our family is different from others; the best gift is to ignore it."

Before he could finish speaking, another maid rushed in and said, "Your Highness, Princess, Princess Jinyang has sent someone to invite you to Xuanqing Garden to enjoy the snow and tea."

Upon hearing this, Princess Gaoyang's eyebrows immediately shot up.

(End of this chapter)