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

"You two bastards, how dare you bully me!"

"I came to the Imperial Medical Academy to recuperate, not to be scolded! And you all do the opposite!"

"Do you know how angry I am right now?"

Li Shimin walked up to them, cursing and swearing.

Cheng Jun and Changsun Wuji bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, please calm down."

Seeing their perfectly synchronized movements, Li Shimin chuckled in exasperation and said:

"I've already been scolded, and only now do you tell me to calm down? Where were you all before!"

After saying that, he shouted loudly outside, "Someone come here!"

In a flash, four palace guards carrying long sticks entered.

Li Shimin looked at the two men with furious eyes and gritted teeth, and said:

"If you make me get scolded, I'll make you get beaten!"

His Majesty is serious... Changsun Wuji looked at the long sticks in the hands of the guards and felt a little scared, but the thought that even if he was beaten, Cheng Jun would be with him, gave him some comfort.

At this moment, Cheng Jun's voice rang out:

"Your Majesty, you may punish us, but shouldn't you at least give us a charge?"

"If you want charges, we've got plenty here!"

Li Shimin said coldly, "Changsun Wuji has failed in his duties; he shall be given thirty strokes of the cane."

"Changsun Wuji disobeyed the imperial decree and shall be punished with fifty strokes of the cane!"

"Changsun Wuji has shown utter disrespect; he shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane!"

"Changsun Wuji has disobeyed the emperor's will; he shall be given one hundred strokes of the cane!"

Changsun Wuji exclaimed in shock, "Your Majesty, please don't just talk about me, talk about Cheng Jun too!"

"Cheng Jun..."

Li Shimin uttered his name, but then could not continue.

Li Shimin had already considered what crime to charge Cheng Jun'an with long before Cheng Jun'an arrived.

Cheng Jun entered the Imperial Medical Bureau to treat his two elder brothers, while the golden tablet was something the retired emperor had threatened him to hand over.

Upon careful consideration, it became impossible to find a single charge that could be leveled against him.

Li Shimin thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a crime. He looked at Changsun Wuji and said, "Speak!"

Changsun Wuji said incredulously, "Your Majesty, could it be that all you've thought about all this time is my fault?"

"If it weren't for you, would I have been scolded?"

Li Shimin cursed, then glared at Cheng Jun and said:

"Cheng Jun, you're really something! You've really managed to absolve yourself of all responsibility!"

Cheng Jun solemnly replied, "I am not trying to absolve myself of all responsibility; I am simply acting with integrity and uprightness."

Whether you are upright and honest or have ulterior motives, it no longer matters to me!

Li Shimin waved his hand, stared at him, and said, "Cheng Jun, you are a capable minister. You are eloquent and efficient. However, I cannot tolerate what you have planned for the Emperor Emeritus today!"

“I have no evidence to prove that the Emperor Emeritus was able to enter the Imperial Medical Bureau because of your scheme.”

"However, I can no longer trust you!"

Li Shimin said in a deep voice: "The censor is the emperor's eyes and ears, overseeing all officials and reporting matters based on hearsay. Although his position is low, he holds great power. What happened today makes me feel that you are no longer suitable to serve as the censor."

After saying that, he shouted:

"Guards, remove Cheng Jun's xiezhi crown, strip him of his imperial censor's robes, and banish him from the palace. From this moment forward, Cheng Jun is no longer an imperial censor!"

Changsun Wuji's face lit up with joy, and he shouted:

"Your Majesty is holy."

"The minister obeys the order."

Cheng Jun didn't say anything, but directly took off his xiezhi crown and his imperial censor's robe.

The white undergarment underneath was visible.

Seeing his appearance, Li Shimin's anger subsided by half. He asked with a stern face, "Before you leave, is there anything you want to say to me?"

Cheng Jun pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty just mentioned the Emperor Emeritus's thoughts, as well as yours. I also have my own thoughts to share now."

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow.

Cheng Jun explained, "These are truly my honest thoughts."

Li Shimin sat back down on his sickbed, glanced at the doorway, and saw Chao Yuanfang, Sun Simiao, Dai Zhou, Hu Yan, Feng Deyi, and Liu Linfu all listening intently outside. He didn't shoo them away, but instead stared at Cheng Jun and said:

"Speak, I'm giving you one last chance to speak."

You can speak freely!

Li Shimin said calmly, "But remember this, this will be your last time speaking out in court!"

"I understand."

Cheng Jun nodded and said.

Li Shimin asked, "What do you want to say?"

Cheng Jun said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to record what I am about to say."

"can."

Li Shimin responded, pointed to Dai Zhou and the others standing at the door, and said, "Minister Dai, Minister Feng, Minister Liu, Minister Hu, come in and take notes on what Cheng Jun said."

"The ministers obey the order."

Dai Zhou and his three companions immediately entered.

Zhang Anan walked to the side, picked up paper and pen, and handed them to them.

Everyone was ready and looked at Cheng Jun.

Cheng Jun straightened his back, looked at Li Shimin, and asked, "May I ask Your Majesty, how did the Emperor Emeritus enter?"

Li Shimin sneered, "How else could you have come in? Of course, you walked in, and you're still holding the golden tablet that I bestowed upon you."

Cheng Jun turned to Dai Zhou, Feng Deyi, Hu Yan, and Liu Linfu and said, "Please write: His Majesty has suffered from heatstroke and is resting quietly in the Imperial Medical Bureau. The Emperor Emeritus is here to visit you with his official tablet."

The four men were shocked upon hearing this.

Changsun Wuji, who was watching the commotion with great interest, widened his eyes upon hearing this.

Holding a scepter...

This is the etiquette of a subject!

The phrase "the retired emperor holding a tablet to visit" means that the retired emperor visits His Majesty with the respect due to a subject.

Another meaning is that the retired emperor is acknowledging his status as a subject to Your Majesty!

Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, then immediately became restless, staring intently at Cheng Jun and asking, "Can it be written like this?"

Cheng Jun said in a serious tone:

"When I, along with Duke Wei and the Emperor Emeritus, arrived at the Imperial Medical Bureau, the guards at the gate blocked our way. Duke Wei spoke up for justice and reprimanded the guards, saying that the Emperor Emeritus had heard that Your Majesty had suffered from heatstroke and had come to visit Your Majesty."

As he spoke, Cheng Jun looked at Changsun Wuji, Dai Zhou, and the others, pointing at them and saying:

"At that time, Minister Changsun, Minister Dai, Duke of Mi, Vice Minister Liu, and Vice Minister Hu all witnessed the Emperor Emeritus holding a golden tablet and knocking on the door."

He then pointed to Chao Yuanfang and Sun Simiao at the door and said, "In addition, Imperial Physician Chao, Taoist Master Sun, and everyone here saw that the Emperor Emeritus, holding his tablet, walked into this room."

"Therefore, the statement 'The retired emperor held his tablet to visit His Majesty' is based on fact, and thus this sentence can be written."

Dai Zhou whispered, "The style of the Spring and Autumn Annals..."

Li Shimin glanced at him, then looked at Cheng Jun with some anticipation and said, "Go on."

Cheng Jun continued, "As we all know, after Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, became emperor, he honored his father, Liu Taigong, as the Supreme Emperor of the Han Dynasty."

"Although Liu Taigong and Liu Bang were father and son, when Liu Taigong learned that Liu Bang was coming, he respectfully greeted him at the door with a broom."

Cheng Jun solemnly said, "I, the founding emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty, and now the retired emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty, have come to visit Your Majesty, following the example of Liu Taigong, while Your Majesty suffers from heatstroke, holding a tablet as a subject."

"If Your Majesty informs the court of this matter during the morning court session tomorrow and grants a general amnesty, then this story will surely be recorded in the annals of history."

Cheng Jun cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Your Majesty, I have finished speaking my mind."

Everyone looked at Li Shimin.

Li Shimin strode to Cheng Jun's side, shook off his light green imperial censor's robe, and said sincerely:

"Come, Minister Cheng, let me help you put on your official robes."