This made Li Shimin anxious, and he wanted to trade one for one with me.

Changsun Wuji was both shocked and furious. He really didn't expect that Cheng Jun would come full circle and try to ruin his reputation.

Before he was beaten, his reputation was damaged, and after he was beaten, his reputation was damaged again. Wasn't it a waste that Cheng Jun whipped him twenty times for nothing?

Cheng Jun looked at the furious Changsun Wuji and frowned, saying, "Minister Changsun, why are you yelling at me? Did I ask His Majesty to hit you? It was His Majesty who wanted to hit you, what does it have to do with me? I was even helping to persuade His Majesty!"

After saying that, he turned to Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, am I not wrong?"

Li Shimin's tone also became agitated as he said, "Shut up! If you say another word, believe me, I'll whip you!"

Cheng Jun hesitated for two seconds, then finally decided to swallow his words to avoid upsetting them.

It's not worth getting beaten up for this!

Changsun Wuji snapped out of his daze and gritted his teeth, saying, "Cheng Jun, you promised you wouldn't let me take responsibility, but you broke your promise!"

After saying this, he cried out to Li Shimin, "Your Majesty, Cheng Jun is deceiving the emperor!"

Li Shimin turned to look at Cheng Jun.

Cheng Jun stared at Changsun Wuji and asked, "Minister Changsun, are you aware that the corrupt officials who collect money have caused families to be ruined and people to die in their pursuit of wealth?"

Changsun Wuji said, "I am only responsible for bestowing official titles; I will not concern myself with what they do!"

Cheng Jun spread his hands and said, "That's it! You don't even know what those money-collecting clerks did, so why should you bear the responsibility for harming the country and the people? This is called ignorance is no excuse. You were deceived by those money-collecting clerks! And I asked His Majesty to issue an edict to reprimand you because you neglected your duties. These are not the same thing, do you understand?"

Changsun Wuji was stunned upon hearing this.

Li Shimin was also stunned for a moment. Cheng Jun's words had indeed completely absolved the three of them of any responsibility.

The responsibility for the disaster that brought harm to the country and its people was borne by the more than six hundred money-catching clerks.

Changsun Wuji came to his senses and realized something was wrong. The crime was indeed one thing, but the matter was another. If he had been charged with dereliction of duty from the beginning, he could have taken the blame without being whipped twenty times by Cheng Jun. He angrily said, "If you said that from the beginning, why should I have to take those twenty lashes?"

Cheng Jun spread his arms wide and cried out that he was innocent, "I just remembered!"

"..."

Who are you trying to fool...? Changsun Wuji laughed in anger. Even if you said this to a ghost on a grave, the ghost wouldn't believe you!

This guy did it on purpose!

At this moment, Changsun Wuji realized that despite his best efforts to guard against it, he still couldn't prevent Cheng Jun from getting in his trap.

When Cheng Jun entered the palace to speak with the emperor, he surprised both the emperor and the emperor. Later, he mentioned the drawbacks of the public office's capital and the money-collecting officials, which attracted their attention.

In addition, he kept circling around, and both he and His Majesty were wondering what the boy was circling, which caused them to overlook such an important detail.

“Auxiliary machine, see this kid? He’s a bird.”

Li Shimin smiled, but he was no longer angry. After all, the matter was resolved, and it was Changsun Wuji who was whipped, so he suffered no loss.

Besides, they still need to rely on Cheng Jun to make money, so it's unreasonable and morally wrong to pursue the matter.

Li Shimin patted Changsun Wuji on the shoulder, and seeing his flushed face, comforted him, "I'll issue you an imperial edict to reprimand you, so don't be angry."

Cheng Jun also looked at him and solemnly said, "Minister Changsun, why don't you quickly express your gratitude and accept the imperial decree?"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji's face instantly turned liver-colored. He suppressed the urge to curse, forced a smile, and said in a trembling voice:

"Your subject thanks you and accepts the imperial decree!"

Li Shimin smiled, very satisfied with the outcome. After Zhang Anan drafted the imperial edict and handed it to Cheng Jun, he said with a smile, "Now that the matter has been resolved, you may go and get to work."

"I resign!"

Cheng Jun accepted the imperial edict, bowed, and then turned and walked out of Ganlu Hall. He took a breath of the fresh air outside the hall and felt very happy.

This matter has finally been resolved.

It was fortunate that he had traveled back to the Zhenguan era and encountered Emperor Li Shimin, who valued officials who were willing to listen to advice... Cheng Jun stood not far outside the Ganlu Hall, watching Changsun Wuji walk towards him, and sighed inwardly.

For the plan against Changsun Wuji to succeed, there is one prerequisite.

The prerequisite is that the emperor must be the one who gives him a chance to speak when he hears that he wants to impeach the emperor.

Otherwise, the moment he spoke, the emperor would have been enraged and ordered his official hat to be removed, his robes to be stripped off, and him to be driven out of the Meridian Gate.

In more serious cases, they would be executed, or even their entire family would be exterminated, and then all would be over.

Throughout history, except for the Zhenguan era, in any other dynasty, even censors could be punished for their words, but only the Zhenguan era did not.

Such a trend is unique in the entire course of history.

Just then, Changsun Wuji limped over, and when he saw Cheng Jun, he snorted coldly and walked past him.

Suddenly, a bulging arm blocked his way.

"Minister Changsun, please wait."

Cheng Jun stopped him, saying with a smile.

Changsun Wuji stopped and stared at him, saying, "What trick are you trying to pull now?"

Cheng Jun said, "Minister Changsun, have you forgotten that our business isn't over yet? If you don't remember, let me remind you about Du Jingjian."

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji sneered and said, "Didn't you say that your entry into the palace this time had nothing to do with this matter?"

“When I face His Majesty, it is indeed none of his business, because I am devoted to the public good.”

Cheng Jun chuckled and said, "Now that His Majesty is not here, I naturally need to settle this private matter with Minister Changsun."

Changsun Wuji looked him up and down and said, "I'm acting according to the law, understand?"

Cheng Jun countered, “Which article in the laws of our Great Tang Dynasty allows ministers to frame others? Please point it out, Minister Changsun.”

Changsun Wuji stared straight at him, spread his right hand and said, "There is indeed no such article in the laws of the Tang Dynasty, but there is one for false accusation. Cheng Jun, you say that I framed Du Jingjian, then produce the evidence. If you can't, I will take you to see His Majesty!"

"Trying to play these tricks on me..." Cheng Jun chuckled. "Did I say that Minister Changsun framed Du Jingjian?"

You're implying something!

"That's just you taking it personally!"

Changsun Wuji choked on his words, lowered his hand, and said angrily, "I don't have time to argue with you here. Have you said enough? If you've said enough, get out of the way!"

Cheng Jun's smile faded, and he became serious. He said, "Minister Changsun, do you know that just because of a few of your official documents, you almost ruined the career of a talented young man?"

"You should be able to tell that I didn't make things difficult for you this time."

Changsun Wuji retorted, his neck stiff, "You almost ruined my reputation, and you say that's not difficult enough?"

Cheng Jun retorted, "Are you completely disgraced now?"

Changsun Wuji was stunned upon hearing this.

Cheng Jun said in a deep voice, "If I really wanted to make things difficult for you, I wouldn't have proposed a perfect solution to His Majesty. I should have watched you be ruined, just as you wanted me to be ruined!"

"I let you off the hook, and instead of thanking me, you blame me?"

If that's the case, where did His Majesty's decree reprimanding me come from...? Changsun Wuji almost couldn't help but swear, glaring at him and saying, "What exactly do you want by stopping me?"

Cheng Jun said, "I would like to ask Minister Changsun to come with me."

"Where?"

"Go to Da'anfang and apologize to my brother Jingjian."

"Why!"

Changsun Wuji opened his eyes wide and roared angrily, "You made me take twenty lashes and that wasn't enough, now you want me to go and apologize to you? Do you think that's possible?"

Cheng Jun frowned and said, "The way you're talking makes it sound like I asked His Majesty to beat you."

Changsun Wuji countered, "Isn't that so?"

Cheng Jun patiently said, "Why don't you think back carefully? Was it His Majesty who issued the decree first, and then ordered me to beat you? When His Majesty ordered me to give you twenty lashes, wasn't I standing by and advising you?"

It would have been better if the topic hadn't been brought up, because once it was, Changsun Wuji couldn't help but get agitated. "What did you try to persuade me to do? If you had, would I have gotten beaten up?"

Cheng Jun spread his arms wide and said loudly and indignantly, "His Majesty won't listen to advice, what can I do? I just don't understand, what does your beating have to do with me? I'm an innocent person!"

"you you--"

Seeing his stubborn refusal to admit it, Changsun Wuji felt a surge of anger rush to his head, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes, unconscious.

…………

Bonus chapter! This is an extra chapter for the readers who sent gifts!