With the queen's decree, Li Shimin led more than a dozen people and easily arrested all the escaped chamberlains. It was the three people whose faces were not recorded by Fan Shixing and others, and they did not leak.

Later, when he returned to Chongwen Pavilion with the people who were convicted and escorted, he saw the eldest grandson Wuji, Fan Shixing and others, all looking at him with incredible expressions. And the little princess Yang Ying and Princess Nanyang also arrived early, and the latter looked at him with a puffed up look.

"You are so bold that you actually begged the queen. ”

The eldest grandson Wuji shook his head for a while, with a strange expression: "It is not bad to deal with these servants directly without going through the court office." But what if the queen doesn't agree?"

"The possibility is extremely small, the little princess must have done this more than once, and before the queen married into the palace, she had the reputation of being virtuous. After the Son of Heaven ascended the throne, although he accepted 3,000 women, the harem was able to maintain no chaos, which shows the sage of the queen. So Your Highness, there is no reason why she should not agree. Of course, if I really don't agree, I have no choice but to-"

Li Shimin glanced around and made sure that no one was eavesdropping, so he whispered: "Didn't you find out a few days ago that our East Courtyard had more than 100 books damp?"

Originally, this shouldn't have been said, but the two have been together for more than a month, and this is about to become his eldest brother, so Li Shimin has gradually become confident about his eldest grandson.

The eldest grandson Wuji didn't know what he meant at first, but after thinking for a while, he understood, and suddenly his eyes condensed slightly: "What do you mean, do you want to plant these books on these rats and ants?"

Books were damp, and it was originally the duty of the officials of Taitsuneji Temple who kept the books complicated. But if Li Shimin wants to excuse them and blame others for this matter, presumably these officials of Taichang Temple will be happy to cooperate.

Once again, he learned Li Shimin's skills and viciousness. If you just throw some snakes, insects, rats and ants into Chongwen Pavilion, the people in the court office will try to please the little princess, and there are ways to exonerate these chamberlains, or only give them a light punishment.

But if it is a substantial damage to the rare books in the Chongwen Pavilion, then the Court Office cannot but consider it carefully when dealing with these internal servants.

This matter is no longer limited to the inner court. Once there is the intervention of Taichang Temple and even the Ministry of Rites, it will be difficult for the Court Office to exonerate these inner servants.

At this time, Taichang Temple, although it was led by Su Wei, the enemy of the Li family. But the person in charge of the Chongwen Pavilion in the palace is the Hongwen Pavilion, a subordinate institution of Taichang Temple.

As far as the eldest grandson Wuji knew, the compilers and scholars of the Hongwen Pavilion were extremely dissatisfied with Su Wei.

Not to mention the Ministry of Rites, although it is rumored in Beijing now, the Duke of Chu and the Duke of Tang have not dealt with each other much recently. But Chen Shuming, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, was friendly with Li Yuan. Not long ago, this person also made meritorious contributions to Liaodong, awarded the general doctor, and looked for the affairs of the judges. Although he is a squire, his power is not inferior to that of the Duke of Chu.

"This is the last resort, and I will only consider this method if I really can't find a formal way to get justice. ”

Li Shimin said lightly: "But my luck is obviously not bad." ”

Eldest Sun Wuji shook his head slightly: "Then what is your intention in inviting the little princess to watch the punishment? Can you be sure that this method will be useful to the little princess?"

"It doesn't matter. ”

Li Shimin said nonchalantly: "If she can take it as a warning, it is naturally the best." But even if this princess is really cold-tempered and arrogant to lawlessness, the East Courtyard of Chongwen Pavilion can still be safe in the future. ”

At this time, Fan Shixing had already led his subordinates and tied all those attendants to the bench. Li Shimin also stepped forward at this time: "On the orders of Her Royal Highness the Queen, according to the palace rules, each person will be punished with sixty rods!"

With Li Shimin's order, more than 20 guards under his command all surrendered the wooden canes in their hands. These people had been taught by Fan Shixing in advance, and they were angry at these servants for causing trouble, so they were ruthless when they attacked. So in just a moment, there was a wail in this small courtyard.

By the time the ten rods had passed, blood had begun to ooze from the buttocks and backs of these attendants.

Yang Ying next to her was as pale as paper, holding the corner of Princess Nanyang's clothes tightly, and her eyes showed unbearable looks.

Twenty rods later, behind these attendants was a blur of flesh and blood. Even the screams they let out were lowered and became weak.

At this time, the little princess finally couldn't bear it anymore and gave up her sister's clothes: "Stop it!"

Although her voice was crisp and delicate, after Fan Shixing and the others heard this, the wooden staff in her hand immediately paused and looked at Yang Ying. At this time, this little princess, although her face was pale, she still managed to maintain the graceful and elegant Fengyi, and walked in front of Li Shimin step by step.

"These snakes and insects in Chongwen Pavilion Academy were done by me alone, and they just obeyed my instructions. ”

When Yang Ying said this, she raised her pink chin slightly, and her voice was unquestionable: "If you want to punish me, just punish me alone, let them go!"

Hearing this, not only the princess of Nanyang in the distance showed a look of relief. It was Li Shimin, and he couldn't help but praise secretly, thinking that this was really worthy of being a noble man and the daughter of a virtuous queen.

But then, he shook his head ruthlessly: "Princess, you are laughing, you are the princess of the princess, the beauty of the world." Who, except Your Majesty and the Empress, has the right to punish you?"

Li Shimin squatted down as he spoke: "However, everyone needs to take responsibility for what they do, whether it is themselves, or relatives and friends, or subordinates—"

Yang Ying forcibly interrupted Li Shimin's words, and his voice seemed to be like gold and iron: "But they just obey orders! Even if they want to be punished, they shouldn't be punished with a cane." How can you be angry with them because you dare not punish me!"

Li Shimin's voice was still unwavering: "I said that everyone needs to take responsibility for what they do, and these people are the same. If they didn't obey the princess's orders, would you punish them for that?"

Yang Ying was slightly stunned when she heard this, and then shook her head slightly. These chamberlains were not from her courtyard, but were found temporarily for the outside. Even if she doesn't obey, she won't do anything.

"That's it, then ask the little princess. Do you know that once the fire spreads yesterday, it will not only be under the ground, but will also lose its official position and abandon its post. These guards guarding the Chongwen Pavilion will also lose their lives and be beheaded? And these snakes and insects, the princess knows, not long ago, one of my genus was bitten. And if the treatment at that time was not timely and illegal, he was likely to die?"

Yang Ying's pupils shrank, and a look of astonishment appeared in her eyes. She also played with fire when she was a child, burning a small wooden pavilion in the yard. But at that time, her father didn't punish her much, just let her be grounded and copy books.

Or those snakes, are they poisonous?

She couldn't believe it, and then looked at Nanyang with an inquiring look, and the latter had a slight blushing face. It was the first time she had learned that someone had set fire to Chongwen Pavilion before, but no one had told her before.

"You don't know the princess, but these servants know that they either covet the princess's reward, or in order to flatter the princess in order to seek promotion, and they ignore the laws and regulations of the palace and human life. How can they not take responsibility afterwards? Even the princess knows that she feels sorry for these servants who work for you, and how can the ministers not know how to take care of their subordinates, and how can they indulge them?"

Li Shimin saw that the girl opposite was speechless, and said in a cold voice: "Before, the princess was loved by thousands of people in the palace, and she has never met someone who can judge your mistakes impartially and even have malicious intentions towards you, but outside this palace, she will not let you do as you like." Therefore, the minister hopes that no matter what the princess does in the future, she can think twice before thinking about the consequences. This is the minister's heartfelt words, and I hope you can take it to heart, little princess. ”

When he said this, he saw that the eyes of the little girl opposite were already full of tears, and she had an expression that wanted to cry but endured it. Li Shimin's heart was still soft in the end, he stood up again, and glanced at his subordinates and others: "Since you are accomplices and are instructed by others, your sentence can be reduced by ten zhang." After you are punished, I will take it as a warning!"

At this time, Fan Shixing and others also understood Li Shimin's meaning, and when they waved their staff to thirty, they reduced their strength one after another.

Although they can't be like those public servants who are dedicated to this way, they can be heavy on the outside and light on the inside, and the outer clothes are torn to tatters, while the people inside are unscathed. But when they lowered their strength, these attendants were still much more comfortable.

But after fifty rods, the nineteen were still in a dying state.

Princess Nanyang next to her waited until the end of the punishment, first glared at Li Shimin fiercely, and then immediately pulled her sister and left from the east courtyard of Chongwen Pavilion.

Seeing this, the eldest grandson Wuji sighed softly: "I estimate that these two princesses will hate you to death." ”

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter, I'll quit my job. ”

Li Shimin shook his head, looking indifferent. Then he looked at the courtyard behind him with a headache on his face.

The snakes, insects, rats and ants that were thrown in just now, although he ordered his subordinates to clean them up as soon as possible. But nearly seventy percent of them still fled into the depths of this courtyard.

Snakes and insects are poisonous and can injure people, but rats and ants are a great threat to those who have books. Especially those termites, they must not be allowed to nest here, otherwise the collection of books in this place will not be able to be saved.

But to clean up these things, not only is it extremely troublesome, but also dangerous.

This is exactly why he was furious and went to meet Empress Xiao. As a princess, Yang Ying's nonsense has been extremely excessive, and it has exceeded the bottom line of what he can endure.

Maybe the little princess doesn't think it herself, but he has to let this person understand the consequences.

The eldest grandson Wuji smiled bitterly, thinking that this kind of thing can only be done by a person like Li Shimin, who has nothing to ask for.