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

After galloping all the way to the palace gate, Cheng Jun dismounted, tied the black Turkic horse to a tree trunk outside the palace gate, and then walked towards the Vermilion Bird Gate, where he happened to see Yuchi Jingde leaning lazily against the palace gate.

"Huh? Didn't you go back? Why are you back again?"

Yuchi Jingde also saw him and asked in surprise.

"Uncle Yuchi is still here," Cheng Jun greeted politely, then looked around. Only Yuchi Jingde was at the palace gate. He said, "This nephew needs to enter the palace to see His Majesty... Wasn't the selection of censors already over? Uncle Yuchi, why aren't you going back?"

“I can’t go back these few days…” Yuchi Jingde grinned, and seeing his confused expression, he explained, “My son led the way in beating up those civil officials’ sons, and His Majesty is angry, so he made me stay here and guard the gate for the next few days.”

Cheng Jun was taken aback, not expecting Li Er to take such an unconventional approach and punish Yuchi Jingde. He frowned and said, "Isn't Uncle Yuchi being implicated for no reason?"

"It's nothing serious. Guarding the palace is my duty. It just means I won't be home for a few days," Yuchi Jingde laughed heartily, pointing to the palace gate and saying, "Didn't you want to enter the palace to meet the Emperor? Just go in!"

"Then I'll go ahead and get busy, and come back to keep you company later."

Cheng Jun bid farewell and strode into the palace gate. He learned from the palace guards that Li Shimin was still in the Taiji Hall, so he left quickly.

What should I say when I meet Li Shimin...? Along the way, Cheng Jun pondered. In modern terms, he was now the plaintiff and lawyer, Princess Chang Le was the defendant, and Li Shimin was the chief judge, the highest-ranking judge.

According to Zhongbo, Princess Changle was the apple of Li Shimin's eye, and he cherished her dearly.

Directly confronting her would likely not only be futile, but would also bring her a lot of trouble...

But if we don't punish Princess Chang Le, she won't learn her lesson. She might come to the Cheng residence again to confront him about the horse racing incident. Last time it was my second brother who got into trouble; if it happens again, it'll probably be my turn...

Looking at the Taiji Hall so close at hand, Cheng Jun suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "I've got it!" he thought. "Perhaps it can be done like this..."

Thinking of this, he no longer hesitated and quickened his pace. As he approached the entrance of the main hall, he saw a middle-aged eunuch named "Zhang Anan" dressed in purple robes.

…………

After Zhang Anan led the children of the neighborhood to visit the various departments of the Three Provinces and Six Ministries, they returned to the Taiji Hall.

As he approached the hall, he smelled a medicinal odor, his expression changed, and he quickly stepped inside.

Seeing Li Shimin holding a small bowl with black soup inside, Zhang Anan asked in surprise, "Why is Your Majesty drinking medicine?"

Li Shimin glanced up at him and said calmly, "This is tea brewed by Lizhi..."

"..."

Li Shimin finally put down the small bowl, without drinking a drop, and said with a sigh:

"I almost forgot that Guanyinbi and Lizhi are still waiting for me to have a meal in Lizheng Hall... Oh well, since Lizhi brought tea over, it means she already knows about this."

Li Shimin picked up the memorial again and began to read it, but said aloud, "Anan, what do you think of the censor I have chosen?"

Without hesitation, Zhang Anan said, "Your Majesty has a discerning eye; Cheng Jun is indeed the best candidate for Imperial Censor."

Li Shimin murmured, "I feel like I've chosen the wrong person... I think even Wei Zheng isn't as eloquent as him!"

Zhang A'na said, "If that's the case, then His Majesty has made the right choice. Isn't the purpose of an imperial censor to be eloquent and persuasive?"

"But this Cheng Jun is different. He can not only talk a lot, but he can also cause trouble!"

Li Shimin sighed with a headache and said, "Back then, you took those young men from the neighborhood to familiarize themselves with the Three Departments and Six Ministries. I wonder what happened afterward."

"A guard reports that over a hundred sons of civil and military officials are fighting near the imperial city!"

Zhang Anan asked in surprise, "How did they start fighting?"

Li Shimin snorted, "Is there any need to say more? It must have been Cheng Jun who instigated it!"

Zhang Anan thought for a moment and said, "In that case, Your Majesty should summon Cheng Jun to the palace and give him a severe scolding!"

"The problem is, I have no evidence!"

Li Shimin looked at the memorial but couldn't concentrate on a single word. He slammed the memorial on the table and said in a dissatisfied tone, "I just sent someone to summon those young men. I first questioned the sons of the military officers, asking them why they were fighting. They said they couldn't stand the villains, so they took action!"

"I then asked the sons of the civil officials whether Cheng Jun had laid a hand on them, and they said no."

"Look how cleanly they've absolved themselves of their responsibilities!"

Li Shimin grew increasingly displeased as he spoke, saying, "If I didn't know Cheng Jun's background, I would have doubted whether his father was actually Cheng Yaojin. How could a military officer give birth to such a son, who is even more of a civil official than a civil official!"

Zhang Anan glanced outside the hall and blurted out, "Perhaps Cheng Jun is the reincarnation of the God of Literature."

Li Shimin looked up at him and said irritably, "Why are you always speaking up for Cheng Jun?"

"Your Majesty, please look..."

Zhang Anan pointed outside the hall.

Li Shimin looked over and saw Cheng Jun standing at the door with a serious expression. He hissed and said, "Why are you like a ghost, not making a sound?"

Cheng Jun smiled kindly and said, "Your Majesty was speaking very eloquently just now, and I was afraid of disturbing Your Majesty's refined enjoyment."

"..."

Li Shimin's lips twitched slightly. "When did you arrive?"

Cheng Jun said, "I just arrived."

"Come in and talk."

Li Shimin waved his hand, and when he came in, he asked, "I told you to go back and report the good news to your father, why have you come back again?"

Cheng Jun pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, there is something I do not understand, so I have dared to enter the palace to ask for Your Majesty's guidance."

Li Shimin asked with interest, "What is it that you don't understand?"

Cheng Jun asked, "The sons of officials are fighting in the palace. What is Your Majesty's opinion on this matter?"

Li Shimin snorted, "Is that even a question? You were probably the one who instigated it!"

Although there was no evidence, he was certain that Cheng Jun was involved and might even be the mastermind!

Did I come here to hear you say that...? Cheng Jun decided to change his question. "Your Majesty, do you think their fighting was right or wrong?"

Li Shimin glared at him and said, "Is there such a thing as right in fighting? Fighting is wrong!"

Cheng Jun then asked, "But the civil official's son was the one who was beaten. Does that mean they were also at fault?"

Although Li Shimin didn't understand why he asked that question, he still replied, "Of course not! Because they fought back! What does fighting back mean? It means mutual fighting! They could have come to me. As the emperor, can't I uphold justice for them?"

Cheng Jun suddenly realized, "Does His Majesty mean that as long as one doesn't fight back when attacked, then he's right?"

"It's definitely correct!" Li Shimin's tone left no room for doubt, then he looked at him with puzzlement and asked, "You came to the palace just to ask me this?"

Cheng Jun cupped his hands and said, "The reason I entered the palace this time is actually for the matter of Princess Chang Le."

Li Shimin asked, puzzled, "What's wrong with her?"

Cheng Jun looked at him and said seriously, "Princess Chang Le just went to my house."

Li Shimin opened his eyes wide and asked, "What is she doing at your house?"

Cheng Jun countered, "Your Majesty doesn't know?"

Li Shimin pointed to the dragon desk: "I've been staying in the Taiji Hall the whole time and haven't even seen her. How would I know?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jun immediately replied, "Your Highness went to my home to vent Your Majesty's anger."

Li Shimin's expression changed slightly, sensing something was amiss, but he still asked, "And then..."

Cheng Jun solemnly said, "Then Her Highness the Princess beat up my second brother, Cheng Chuliang."

"wait!"

Li Shimin interrupted him and asked, "Lizhi was avenging me, so she should have hit you. Why would she hit your second brother?"

Cheng Jun told the truth: "Her Highness the Princess did not recognize me. At that time, my second brother happened to be borrowing my imperial censor's robe, so she mistook my second brother for me and beat him up!"

"..."

Li Shimin's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably again. "So, you entered the palace just to impeach her?"

Bang! He slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Cheng Jun, you've gone too far! Princess Chang Le is the apple of my eye. I can't bear to say a harsh word to her even on ordinary days, yet you come to me wanting to impeach her. Do you think I'll grant your wish?"

Seeing Cheng Jun open his mouth, Li Shimin didn't give him a chance to speak, and said angrily, "Besides, my daughter is just a woman. Your second brother is tough and thick-skinned. What kind of damage could he have done to him? I ask you, did your second brother break any bones or injure any tendons?"

Cheng Jun shook his head, "No..."

Li Shimin questioned, "Was it his flesh that was bleeding?"

Cheng Jun shook his head again, "No, not either..."

Fearing his rebuttal, Li Shimin deliberately feigned indignation and slammed his fist on the table several times, scolding, "Since there are no broken bones or injured tendons, and no bleeding, it's a minor matter! What are you up to by making such a fuss?!"

Cheng Jun explained, "Your Majesty has misunderstood. I am not here today to impeach Princess Chang Le."

Li Shimin was taken aback for a moment, but seeing that he had wisely stopped, a smile appeared on his face. He subconsciously picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and hummed, "That's more like it... If you had said so earlier, I wouldn't have had to do this."

Cheng Jun said in a deep voice, "What I want to report is Her Majesty the Empress!"

"puff--"

Li Shimin had just taken a sip of tea when he remembered that it was brewed by Princess Chang Le. The tea tasted bitter and unpleasant as soon as it entered his mouth. He thought that since there were outsiders present, he had no choice but to drink it. However, upon hearing Cheng Jun's words, he couldn't help but spit it out.