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

Yuchi Jingde rubbed his eyes and looked over again. Looking at the familiar face, he opened his mouth but couldn't say a word for a long time.

Why did Cheng Jun come out first?

He's even wearing the robes of an imperial censor and a xiezhi (mythical beast) crown?!

He became an imperial censor?!

"Did you borrow these clothes from Wei Shuyu or Feng Yandao?"

At this moment, Li Baiyao, a middle-aged and elderly civil official and vice minister of the Ministry of Rites, asked in surprise.

The crowd realized what he meant and looked at Cheng Jun.

Cheng Jun frowned and said, "What do you mean by 'borrow'? This was bestowed upon me by His Majesty."

Yuchi Jingde asked curiously, "His Majesty selected you to be an imperial censor?"

Cheng Jun glanced at the unfamiliar middle-aged and elderly civil official, then at Yuchi Jingde, somewhat puzzled as to why he was standing with the civil official. He nodded in response, "Yes!"

Li Baiyao frowned and said, "How could the son of a military officer become an imperial censor? The sun doesn't rise in the west."

Yuchi Jingde cursed, "You old man, watch your mouth! Who do you think you are!"

The dozen or so military officers around him all glared at him.

Li Baiyao stroked his beard calmly, looking at Cheng Jun and waiting for his response.

Cheng Jun pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps it is because I am the son of a military officer that I was able to become an imperial censor."

Li Baiyao asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Cheng Jun pondered for a moment and said, "I am good at military strategy."

“Speak in a way we can understand!” Yuchi Jingde nudged him with his elbow.

Cheng Jun succinctly stated, "The military officer's son and the other young men in the neighborhood felt they wouldn't be selected, so they gave up the exam."

The crowd was somewhat surprised, but they could understand.

The sons of military officers were just there to make up the numbers, and the talented young men in the neighborhood, though talented, had such poor backgrounds that they were also just there to go through the motions.

The true candidates for censor must be the sons of civil officials.

"What about the sons of the civil officials?"

Li Baiyao frowned and said, "They can't just skip the exam, can they?"

Cheng Jun said, "His Majesty considers them to be petty people and has no intention of employing them!"

"what?!"

The military officers were stunned for a moment, not expecting him to say that. After regaining their senses, they all looked on with amusement at the surprised expressions on the civil officials' faces.

"This is impossible!"

Li Baiyao said with absolute certainty, "They would never do such a despicable thing! Where are they?"

Cheng Jun thought for a moment and said, "I'm getting along very well with the military officer's son."

Civil officials and military officials are at odds in the court, so how come their sons are so close...?

Li Baiyao almost blurted it out, but he held back. He looked at the palace gate of the Vermilion Bird Gate and, seeing that no one came out, asked, "Why didn't I see Wei Shuyu and Feng Yandao? Didn't they come out with you?"

Cheng Jun said, "They can't get out."

Li Baiyao asked in surprise, "Why?"

Cheng Jun explained, "They've entered the Imperial Medical Academy."

"..."

Li Baiyao pondered his words, then suddenly realized something. His eyes widened, and he grabbed Cheng Jun's arm, saying urgently, "When you said that the sons of civil officials and the sons of military officials were getting along well, did you mean the literal meaning?"

Cheng Jun countered, "Is there some other meaning?"

"Fuck!"

The civil officials' expressions changed, and they turned and ran quickly toward the Vermilion Bird Gate.

Yuchi Jingde frowned, looked at Cheng Jun, and asked, "Is my son involved in this?"

Cheng Jun nodded. "Yes."

Yuchi Jingde turned to his deputy behind him and said, "Pass on my order: no one is allowed to enter the palace!"

"promise!"

The deputy general standing behind him responded and immediately ran to the palace gate before the civil officials, shouting inside, "Close the palace gate!"

boom!

The palace gates were instantly slammed shut!

The dozen or so civil officials were both shocked and furious. Li Baiyao turned and glared at Yuchi Jingde, "Lord Yuchi, what do you mean?"

Yuchi Jingde said calmly, "I just remembered that His Majesty forbids us from gambling. Here's the money back to you."

As he spoke, he took out a string of copper coins from his sleeve, clenched his fist tightly, and the coins clattered to the ground.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I dropped the money."

The civil officials could easily see that he was stalling for time. Li Baiyao suppressed his anger and said, "We don't want this money. Quickly have someone open the palace gates. We want to go in!"

Yuchi Jingde squatted on the ground, not even raising his head, and said, "That won't do. If His Majesty blames me, I can't bear the consequences! Minister Li, please don't harm me!"

"Alright, alright!" Li Baiyao didn't want to waste time with him, so he went over, squatted down, and picked up the money, saying, "I bet ten coins, I'll pick it up myself!"

"slow!"

When Yuchi Jingde saw him pick up ten coins, he suddenly grabbed his wrist and asked, "How do you know these ten coins are yours?"

Li Baiyao said, "This is my ten coins!"

Yuchi Jingde said, "Nonsense, the ten coins in your hand are clearly mine!"

Li Baiyao pointed to the copper coin and said, "Look, my name is engraved on it!"

Yuchi Jingde looked down and, sure enough, saw the words "Li Baiyao" engraved on the ten coins. He questioned, "Why did you engrave your name on my money?"

Li Baiyao angrily retorted, "Isn't all this money the same? I can just take ten coins and leave!"

"No, you have to take your own money. Find your own money and take it!"

Yuchi Jingde's sharp gaze swept over the other civil officials. "And you too! No one is allowed to leave until they can produce their own money!"

The civil officials were immediately enraged. Judging from Yuchi Jingde's unreasonable attitude, the fact that the son of a civil official was getting along so well with the son of a military official must be related to his son!

Li Baiyao, thinking of his son who had also entered the palace today and was currently there, and wondering how badly he had been beaten, angrily pointed at Yuchi Jingde and said, "Lord Yuchi, you'd better beg your son not to be too ruthless, or I'll never forgive you!"

Yuchi Jingde sneered, "You're threatening me? Do you believe I'll make you lose your civility right now?"

Li Baiyao slammed the money in his hand to the ground, shouting, "I don't want this money anymore!"

"Take it or leave it, you're too kind of me!"

Yuchi Jingde cursed and turned to his deputy, saying, "Keep a close watch on the palace gates. Anyone who dares to approach, break their legs!"

The lieutenant immediately clasped his hands in greeting, "Yes, sir!"

Li Baiyao and the civil officials were furious. Li Baiyao shouted, "Yuchi Jingde, how dare you!"

Seeing the civil officials' expressions of near-madness, Yuchi Jingde remained completely calm, picking his ear and saying, "Why wouldn't I dare? I am the Right Martial Marquis General, a third-rank official, in charge of the palace guards. If I let you in at will, would I still be an official?"

"Also, those stools were prepared for you by me. If it weren't for me, you would still be standing here. Stop cursing me while you're eating!"

Li Baiyao took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Very well, Lord Yuchi, you are acting impartially, and I admire you. However, I must ask you a question: if people were fighting in the palace and you did not stop them, are you guilty of dereliction of duty?"

Yuchi Jingde frowned.

Li Baiyao continued quickly, asking, "Among those civil officials' sons, there are sons of the Censor-in-Chief, as well as sons of Attendant Censors, Palace Attendant Censors, and Supervising Censors. If you let this go unchecked, it's tantamount to offending the entire Censorate. Do you think they won't report you to His Majesty afterward?"

"Don't blame me for not warning you. If you offend so many censors, they'll keep hounding you. Even if you're made of steel, you might not be able to withstand them ruining your image in front of His Majesty!"

Yuchi Jingde fell silent, and after a few seconds looked at his deputy and said, "Send someone to the palace to see if anyone is fighting. If so, kick them all out of the palace gates!"

The lieutenant quickly replied, "Yes, sir!"

Only when Yuchi Jingde's deputy general sent someone into the palace gate did Li Baiyao and the other civil officials feel relieved.

Yuchi Jingde breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking of what the Vice Minister of Rites had said earlier, he grinned and turned to Cheng Jun, saying, "Chuxia, you see? Civil officials are all sharp-tongued!"

Cheng Jun looked at the group of civil officials pacing back and forth at the palace gate and nodded, saying, "They are formidable, more difficult to deal with than I imagined."

Yuchi Jingde tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Is there really a fight inside?"

Cheng Jun nodded. "Yes."

Yuchi Jingde asked curiously, "Why? They have no past grudges and no present grievances."

Cheng Jun hesitated for a moment and said, "I asked them to take the taxi."

Yuchi Jingde exclaimed in surprise, "Huh?"

Cheng Jun immediately explained the situation. Hearing Cheng Jun's words, especially when he heard that the sons of those civil officials had actually thrown the wooden plaque that Cheng Jun had given him at his feet, Yuchi Jingde's dark face turned even darker: "How dare they humiliate you like this?"

As he spoke, he turned and roared, "Deputy General Wang!"

The deputy general surnamed Wang, who was standing behind him and wearing bright armor, clasped his hands and replied, "Your subordinate is here!"

Yuchi Jingde glanced at the civil officials at the palace gate and said in a low voice, "Take a few men and go to the palace to find the sons of those civil officials. Give each of them five more lashes!"

"promise!"

The deputy general surnamed Wang immediately entered the palace gate.

Cheng Jun asked, "Wouldn't that be too obvious?"

Yuchi Jingde snorted and said, "No, it is my duty to guard the palace. If they are slow to leave the palace, it is only right to give them a few lashes."

"However, you instigated my son to fight with those teenagers against the son of a civil official. You're probably going to be impeached."

Cheng Jun was stunned. "Did I instigate it?"

Yuchi Jingde was also taken aback, "Didn't you tell them to hit me?"

Cheng Jun retorted, "Who said that?"

Yuchi Jingde pointed at him and said, "You."

Cheng Jun spread his hands and said, "I don't admit it!"

Yuchi Jingde was taken aback, then grinned and said, "That's the temperament of us warriors, hahahahaha!"

“However, if you don’t acknowledge it, my son and the sons of those military officers will be in trouble.”

Yuchi Jingde could already imagine the situation in the palace. The sons of civil officials were not as physically strong as the sons of military officials. He clicked his tongue and said, "His Majesty will probably have us take those brats back and discipline them properly."

“Disciplining them is necessary, and they should be taught a lesson,” Cheng Jun said earnestly. “Uncle Yuchi, please don’t be stingy with the wine and meat in your house. Let Baolin eat himself to death, or get him drunk!”

"Hahahahahaha!"

Yuchi Jingde grinned from ear to ear and said, "That's right, that's right!"

"The more I look at you, the more pleasing you become. Alright, enough said. Hurry home and tell your father the good news. I have to clean up this mess. I won't see you off!"

Yuchi Jingde waved his hand and said.

"Alright, I'll take my leave now!"

Cheng Jun clasped his hands in a fist salute, then walked over to the Turkic horse that was tied to a tree trunk and grazing with its head down, and untied the reins.

He then mounted his horse in one swift motion and galloped towards Huaidefang.

…………

The Imperial Palace, Lizheng Hall.

Empress Zhangsun leaned lazily on the soft couch, squinting as she flipped through books filled with poems and songs. Every now and then, a teacup would be handed to her, and she would take a sip each time before calmly handing it back.

The poems and songs in the book were collected by her from within the city. Most of them were written by talented men and beautiful women, but some were also written by civil officials.

Whenever she sees a wonderful sentence or a beautiful article, it makes her forget the bitter taste of her tea.

Beside her was a small red clay stove.

Tea was brewing on the stove, its aroma filling the air.

A girl in a crimson dress carefully observed the small stove.

The girl was fifteen years old, about 1.7 meters tall, with her hair tied in a spiral bun, her skin as white as snow, her eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as a painting, and her posture captivating.

The girl in the crimson dress sensed that the tea was ready. With three slender, white fingers, she carefully scooped up a spoonful of the gently boiling tea, placed it in a small bowl, and handed it to Empress Zhangsun, saying in a crisp voice:

"Mother, it's time for tea!"

Empress Zhangsun said gently, "Let it cool down first."

The girl in the crimson dress reminded her, "It won't taste good when it gets cold; tea should be drunk while it's hot!"

Empress Zhangsun then put down the book in her hand, turned her head expressionlessly to look at the girl in the crimson dress who was holding a teacup and looking expectant, and forced a smile, saying, "Alright, Mother will try it!"

Empress Zhangsun took a small sip, forcing herself to suppress the bitter taste in her mouth, and said against her will, "Mmm, delicious!"

The girl exclaimed happily, "Then I'll give all this tea to Mother!"

"..."

Seeing the girl in the crimson dress cheering and jumping for joy, Empress Zhangsun's hand trembled so much that she almost dropped her teacup. Looking down at the boiling, dark tea on the small stove, she swallowed hard, then looked up at the girl and said:

"Lizhi, didn't your father say he would bring the selected censors over for lunch? It's almost noon, why haven't your father and those three new censors arrived yet?"

The girl in the crimson dress tilted her head thoughtfully and said, "It is a bit strange... Should I go to the Taiji Hall to take a look?"

"We should go and see," Empress Zhangsun said gently, pointing to the boiling tea on the small stove. "Your father must be very tired after a busy morning. Take this tea over."

"Yes, Mother!"

The girl in the crimson dress summoned a palace maid who carried a tea set, and gracefully headed towards the Taiji Hall.

On the way, she suddenly overheard two young eunuchs talking about the selection of censors. She immediately stopped them and asked curiously, "Has the selection of censors already ended?"

"Yes, Princess!"

Now that it's all over, why hasn't Father Emperor brought them over for a meal yet...? The girl in the crimson dress muttered to herself, and asked, "Besides Wei Shuyu and Feng Yandao, who else did Father Emperor select as imperial censors?"

In her view, Wei Shuyu was the son of the Grand Counselor, and Feng Yandao was the son of the Prime Minister, so it was only natural that the two of them were selected as censors. She was curious about who the third censor would be.

One of the young eunuchs replied, "Your Highness, there is neither Wei Shuyu nor Feng Yandao, only an imperial censor named Cheng Jun, the third son of Duke Cheng Yaojin of Su State!"

"The military officer's son?"

The girl in the crimson dress asked in surprise, "What about Wei Shuyu and Feng Yandao? Why didn't Father Emperor choose them?"

Another young eunuch explained, "Cheng Jun slapped them into the Imperial Medical Bureau!"

"..."

The girl in the crimson dress widened her eyes and said, "Isn't this ruining the imperial censor selection that my father meticulously prepared?"

The two young eunuchs nodded in agreement, one of them saying, "Who says otherwise? His Majesty is sighing and lamenting in the Taiji Hall right now, and he can't even concentrate on reading the memorials!"

Upon hearing this, the girl in the crimson dress was furious, her eyebrows furrowing. "How dare you provoke my father!"

"You two, take the tea that I personally brewed to the Taiji Hall and let Father Emperor drink it. Perhaps it will calm him down!"

The two young eunuchs quickly agreed.

"You should go back too!"

The girl in the crimson dress waved for the palace maids who had followed her to leave, but she herself neither went to the Taiji Hall nor returned to the Lizheng Hall. Instead, she went back to her own residence, the Qiju Hall.

Not long after, a chestnut horse galloped out of the palace.

The girl changed into a white Hu-style dress with floral patterns, and with a cold expression, she rode her horse toward Huaidefang.