Little Sizi came to my house and became the family's darling, and Li Shimin got anxious.

Li Yinxun came out of the kitchen with a small bowl in her hand.

The bowl contained several pieces of chopped sea bass and chicken breast. I also pulled out a small bag of freeze-dried anchovies from the cupboard. They were made by Green Ivy and were originally meant to be eaten as snacks, but they came in handy now.

She broke the dried fish into pieces, mixed them into the meat bowl, squatted down, and handed it to Chengyang.

"Place it under the flower stand, and once it's in place, move it a little further away."

Fifteen minutes have passed.

The orange cat didn't come.

The little princess's shoulders gradually slumped, and Chengyang's lips also drooped.

"Mimi isn't coming..."

"Don't be sad," Li Yin patted the little princess's head. "Mimi didn't not want to come, it's just that she's timid and doesn't dare to come out when she sees people here."

The little princess looked up, "The rich kids have retreated so far..."

"That's not far enough. Kittens have very sharp eyes; they know you're still watching them. Once you go back to sleep and feel safe, they'll sneak out and eat all the meat."

The little princess asked skeptically, "Really?"

"real."

Li Yinxun took the two little maids by the hand and led them back to the house.

After putting the children to sleep, Li Yinxun looked at Guo Qian and whispered, "Go to the backyard first thing tomorrow morning and put away the bowls if they're empty. If you don't have time, don't let them see them."

Guo Qian nodded.

The next day, just as dawn broke.

To be precise, it was 6:15 a.m.

Li Yinxun was woken up by two little hands tugging at her.

"Auntie, Auntie."

"I'm going to see Mimi."

Li Yin tried to continue sleeping, but her two little hands pulled and tugged at the blanket and her arm, working together seamlessly.

Li Yinxun was so exhausted from being tossed around that she couldn't sleep at all, and finally resigned herself to opening her eyes.

"Okay, okay, I'll get up."

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly reached out and pulled the little princess into the bed.

"But before that..."

Ten fingers precisely poked at the little princess's waist.

"Hehehehe, no~"

The little princess laughed so hard she twisted and turned, kicking her legs frantically.

Li Yinxun's other hand was not idle either; she grabbed Chengyang and used the same technique to attack him.

Chengyang was more patient than the little princess. She bit her lip and endured it for three seconds, but finally couldn't hold back anymore and curled up in a ball laughing.

"Beg for mercy?"

"Spare me, spare me!"

The little princess laughed so hard she could hardly breathe, desperately trying to block the laughter with her tiny hands.

"Will you still disturb your aunt's sleep in the future?"

"No, no."

Breakfast consisted of millet porridge with a fried egg and a few slices of toast.

The two little ones ate very quickly because their minds weren't on the food at all.

The little princess went to the backyard and found that the orange cat was not there.

The little princess's face was filled with disappointment. "Does Mimi not like me?"

Li Yinxun walked over and squatted down in front of her.

"It's not that I don't like you. The kitten has its own home. Maybe it lives far away from here, and it's not easy for it to come all the way. Or maybe it has already eaten its fill at home and isn't hungry today."

She looked into the little princess's eyes and said earnestly.

"It doesn't mean it doesn't like you just because it doesn't come to eat. It's like sometimes you don't want to eat breakfast; it's not that you don't like your uncle who cooks, it's just that you don't feel like eating."

The little princess tilted her head and thought about it, seemingly finding it reasonable.

"Alright, let's go back to find Father and Mother."

……

Lizheng Hall.

Li Chengqian's leg is fine. He just needs to pay attention to it and have regular check-ups.

Li Shimin then sent Li Chengqian back to the Tang Dynasty to recuperate and begin assisting in handling some state affairs.

Li Chengqian himself didn't have any objections, but his expression was somewhat subtle at the moment.

"Qingque, you don't need to take care of me. My leg is healed and I don't need anyone to serve me."

"Do you think I wanted to come?" Li Tai muttered, leaning against the brocade stool with a wronged look on his face.

Empress Zhangsun looked at her two sons, who were in the same room but separated by a thousand walls, and her gaze darkened.

She made this arrangement intentionally. When Li Chengqian returned to the palace to recuperate, she specifically asked Li Tai to take care of her brother's daily life.

In historical records, the Crown Prince and the Prince of Wei turned against each other, vying for the throne, taking sides in the court, and becoming suspicious of each other. In the end, Li Chengqian was deposed for treason, and Li Tai also lost the emperor's favor.

It is truly tragic that brothers born of the same mother have come to the point of fighting to the death.

Empress Zhangsun didn't know if she could change the outcome, but she could at least try.

Let Li Tai get closer to his elder brother, and let Li Chengqian feel his younger brother's care more, even if it's just sitting a little longer or talking a few more words each day, it's better than being like strangers.

Unfortunately, the effect is minimal at present.

Empress Zhangsun sighed and did not insist.

"Mother, I'm here!"

The little princess rushed into her eldest grandson's arms, giggling foolishly.

Li Yinxun's gaze swept over Li Tai.

"Li Tai, have you lost weight?"

Li Tai's eyes lit up instantly. "Auntie, you figured it out?"

"Your face is a bit too sharp."

Li Tai was so excited he almost jumped up. "Auntie, please tell Mother to let me eat meat, just one meal, or even half a meal."

Before Li Yinxun could answer, Empress Zhangsun's voice rang out.

"I need to lose another 20 pounds before I can eat meat."

Li Tai looked as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, and he wilted.

"Mother~ just one bite~ just one bite of meat~"

Empress Zhangsun remained unmoved.

Not even a single bite.

Li Tai let out a wail, feeling utterly hopeless.

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something.

"Auntie, are you going out to play?"

Li Yinxun nodded.

"I want to go too! How can you go on a trip without me?"

The place my aunt took me to must be extraordinary.

Li Yinxun: "Okay, but it'll cost extra."

Without saying a word, Li Tai pulled a jade pendant from his waist.

"Here, is this enough?"

Guo Qian glanced at the jade pendant from the side, and his lips twitched. It was worth at least seven figures in modern times.

Li Yinxun took the jade pendant and said, "Alright, approved."

Li Tai was overjoyed and turned to shout to Empress Zhangsun.

"Mom, I can go play now."

Empress Zhangsun shook her head helplessly.

Liangyi Hall.

The court assembly was drawing to a close, and only Dai Zhou remained in the hall, giving his final report to Li Shimin on the throne.

"Your Majesty, preparations for potato planting are proceeding as ordered. Pilot projects will be conducted first in Guanzhong, Henan, and Hedong. Each prefecture has designated the number of acreage for experimental fields, and the seeds will be allocated by the Imperial Household Department and will all be in place before autumn."

Li Shimin nodded. "The promotion should be fast, but the scale should be small. Potatoes and sweet potatoes, I want them to be quietly spread across every inch of farmland in the Tang Dynasty, rather than arousing the covetousness of powerful families before they are even spread across the land."

"Your subject understands," Dai Zhou replied, bowing.

His Majesty's recent plans are becoming increasingly incomprehensible.

First, refined salt was state-run, then white sugar was piloted, and now potatoes are being secretly promoted.

Every single one of these policies is a major policy that benefits the country and its people. Every single one of them is carried out in secret, without fanfare or fanfare, as if they were playing a very big game of chess.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the palace gate.

Zhang Anan quickly entered the hall and bowed to report.

"Your Majesty, Princess Anping and her husband are currently in the Lizheng Hall."

Li Shimin immediately stood up. "That's enough for today. You and Dou Jing continue to secretly advance the potato matter. Proceed with the data compilation at full speed and do not delay."

"I obey your decree."

Li Shimin straightened his clothes and strode out.

"Go and see if Princess Anping has brought back anything good."