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

"Of course we'll ask someone for help."

While having Cheng Zhong prepare the carriage for the Emperor Emeritus to ride in and the oxcart for the musicians, Cheng Jun spoke to Yuchi Baolin.

Yuchi Baolin followed him out of the mansion and asked in confusion, "Why do we need to use the Imperial Guards just to invite someone?"

"If the person we invited is respectable, then we'll make him respectable."

Cheng Jun pointed to the carriage that Cheng Zhong had brought, then to the Imperial Guards and the others, and continued, "If he doesn't want to be respectable, we'll help him be respectable, understand?"

Yu Chi Baolin's eyes lit up. "I understand. Don't worry, Brother Chuxia, with me here, I will make sure he has a dignified life."

Cheng Jun was taken aback, not expecting him to take on this task, and nodded:

"Okay, let's go."

Soon, everything was ready, and Cheng Jun and Yuchi Baolin rode forward on horseback.

Behind them was a guard pulling a carriage.

The other hundred Golden Guards followed behind.

Following them were fifty musicians riding in oxcarts.

At this moment, an older musician ran over and asked:

"Cheng Sanlang, shall we start playing the music now, or shall we follow your suggestion?"

Cheng Jun shook his head and said, "Listen to me, we'll talk about it when we get there."

"promise!"

The musician bowed and said.

The group left the city and traveled along the official road.

Because the three hundred Imperial Guards were all on foot, they were not moving fast, and it took them more than half an hour to see the Da'an Palace.

The area around Da'an Palace is shaded by green trees and is very quiet.

Cheng Jun looked at the Da'an Palace complex, which was clearly visible in the distance, and said, "We've arrived."

Sitting on horseback, Yu Chi Baolin kept her head down, pondering how to persuade that person to behave more respectably. When Cheng Jun invited her back, she looked up and asked curiously:

"What is this place?"

Cheng Jun said, "Da'an Palace."

Yu Chi Baolin frowned and said, "Da'an Palace... that sounds familiar. I think my father has mentioned it before. Who lives there?"

Cheng Jun said, "The Emperor Emeritus."

Yu Chi Baolin was taken aback. "Who?"

Cheng Jun said, "His Majesty's biological father."

"Brother Chuxia, our friendship will last forever, like the green hills and flowing waters. Farewell."

Yuchi Baolin decisively turned his horse around and prepared to leave.

Cheng Jun grabbed his reins, both amused and annoyed, and said:

"Come back! Why are you running?"

Yu Chi Baolin shouted, "If I don't run now, it will be too late to run once I'm inside!"

"So the person you're inviting is the retired emperor?"

"Yes."

Cheng Jun nodded and said, "His Majesty's decree instructs me to invite the Emperor Emeritus back to the capital."

Yu Chi Baolin shook his head vigorously, saying, "If you were inviting him, you shouldn't have asked me. Do you know the relationship between my father and the Emperor Emeritus?"

Cheng Jun said seriously, "I know, didn't I say it when we came here? Your father's relationship with the Emperor Emeritus used to be okay, but it hasn't been so good since."

Yu Chi Baolin was speechless. "Can you describe my father's relationship with the Emperor Emeritus as 'not very good'?"

“When Your Majesty followed the example of the Duke of Zhou in executing Guan and Cai, my father, covered in blood and carrying a lance, went to see the Emperor Emeritus. Where did that blood come from? It was the blood of the Emperor Emeritus’s two sons. The Emperor Emeritus hated my father to the bone, and he must have hated me too.”

Yu Chi Baolin pointed at Da'an Palace and said with a pounding heart, "If he sees me, I'll probably be dead."

After speaking, he looked at the fifty musicians, suddenly realized something, and asked:

"Brother Chuxia, the musicians you found, could they be for me?"

Cheng Jun twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "What are you thinking about?"

"Don't worry, just stay with me. Nothing will happen, don't be afraid."

Yu Chi Baolin stiffened his neck as if in response and said, "Afraid? When have the people of the Yu Chi family ever been afraid? Brother Chuxia, you don't need to try to provoke me, it won't work. You go first and I will definitely follow behind."

"Didn't you say it was useless...?" Cheng Jun smiled, turned his head and waved his hand, signaling three hundred Imperial Guards and fifty musicians to follow.

Cheng Jun led Yuchi Baolin to the entrance of Da'an Palace.

Outside the Da'an Palace, a guard stood. When he saw Cheng Jun leading hundreds of people, his expression changed, and he hurriedly went into the palace and closed the gate tightly.

Cheng Jun walked to the door, knocked on the tightly closed palace gate, and said:

"Open the door, it's the Censorate."

A tense voice came from through the crack in the palace gate:

"Which censor from the Censorate are you, sir?"

Cheng Jun said, "I am Cheng Jun, the Supervising Censor."

"What are you doing here?"

"Request an audience with the Emperor Emeritus."

"Imperial Censor Cheng, please wait a moment. I will go and report right away!"

As soon as the sound from behind the door faded, Cheng Jun heard someone hurrying away. He wasn't in a hurry; he put his hands behind his back, looked at the surrounding scenery, and waited for news.

At this time, in Da'an Palace.

Inside the main hall, the sounds of musical instruments rose and fell.

More than ten young women, with graceful figures, danced in the hall, their long sleeves billowing, moving to the rhythm of the music.

Li Yuan closed his eyes and played the pipa. The pipa's sound was sometimes fast and sometimes slow, sometimes gentle and sometimes gentle, blending harmoniously with the other instruments.

"His Majesty the Emperor..."

Just then, an anxious voice rang in my ears, disrupting the rhythm.

Li Yuan frowned, slowly opened his eyes, and looked to his side.

An old eunuch was looking at him anxiously.

Li Yuan stopped plucking the pipa and asked in a steady voice:

"What's the matter?"

The old eunuch, panting heavily, said in a low voice:

"The Censorate people are here again."

Li Yuan frowned and said, "It's that Ma Zhou again?"

"No, the censor who came this time is named Cheng Jun."

"Cheng Jun..."

Li Yuan's eyes flashed, and he looked up at the women who were still dancing gracefully, waving his hand and saying:

"You all go down."

"According to the order."

More than ten young women had been observing Li Yuan's movements. When they saw him wave his hand, they immediately stopped, bowed, and turned to leave.

Li Yuan looked directly at the old eunuch and asked, "The Cheng Jun you mentioned, is it the Cheng Jun I know?"

The old eunuch nodded: "It is indeed this person."

"That's interesting..."

Li Yuan snorted coldly. Although he wasn't in Chang'an, he knew everything that was happening there. He said:

"Erlang sent Cheng Jun here, which shows that he is very confident."

The old eunuch said cautiously, "Your Majesty, if you do not wish to see him, this servant will send him away."

Li Yuan asked, "Did he come alone?"

The old eunuch said, "I heard that he also brought several hundred Imperial Guards."

Li Yuan stared at him and asked, "So, can you get rid of him?"

The old eunuch immediately fell silent.

Li Yuan put down his pipa and said slowly, "Cheng Jun came prepared; we can't drive him away."

The old eunuch thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty may choose not to see him."

"Wouldn't that make it seem like I'm afraid of a mere subject?"

Li Yuan said in a calm tone, "Summon him in. I want to see how much he can really do."

…………

First update.