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

The three of them looked up at the same time, and then looked in the direction of the sound.

At this moment, three young men dressed in the robes of censors stood outside the hall.

They knew two of them.

One was Ma Zhou, and the other was Xiao Yi.

The other was a handsome young man with a robust build, square lips and a clear mouth, and an unfamiliar face.

The person who just spoke was him.

"Cheng Jun..."

Wen Yanbo's eyes flickered a few times, and he said calmly, "Come in and talk."

"promise."

Cheng Jun bowed slightly, stepped over the threshold, and entered the hall.

Just as Ma Zhou and Xiao Yi were about to follow him inside, Liu Xiangdao suddenly snorted coldly: "If you have important matters to report, you may come in. If not, stay outside!"

Ma Zhou and Xiao Yi simultaneously withdrew their feet, exchanged a glance, and then looked at Cheng Jun with helpless expressions on their faces.

Liu Xiangdao was a fifth-rank Imperial Censor, the second-in-command of the Censorate.

His order was like a military command, preventing the two from taking a single step into the hall.

The Tang Dynasty had a strict hierarchy, and disobeying one's superior was a serious crime. Once Liu Xiangdao determined that they had disobeyed their superior, a beating would be considered a light punishment.

But if we can't even get into the hall, wouldn't it be a wasted trip...?

Cheng Jun glanced back at them, saw their worried expressions, gave them a reassuring look, and then faced the three people in the hall.

Sitting on the cushion directly in front was an elderly man wearing a round-necked purple robe.

On the way here, Cheng Jun learned about the situation of the Censorate from Xiao Yi and Ma Zhou.

In addition, based on the history books he had read in his previous life, he knew that the old man in front of him was the top official in Taichung, a third-rank imperial censor.

Wen Yanbo!

Cheng Jun turned to look at the middle-aged man who had just reprimanded Ma Zhou and Xiao Yi.

The middle-aged man, wearing a black gauze hat and a round-necked red robe, sat calmly to Wen Yanbo's right.

Judging from the color of his official robe, Cheng Jun knew that this person was a fifth-rank Imperial Censor.

The Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate is the deputy to the Grand Censor. Currently, the Censorate has only one Vice Censor-in-Chief, named Liu Xiangdao.

Cheng Jun finally looked at the middle-aged man in green robes who was standing in the hall staring at him.

If Cheng Jun hadn't met Ma Zhou and Xiao Yi at the Censorate first, he wouldn't have known this person's identity. But after their introduction, he now knew that the other person was Cui Renshi, the Palace Attendant Censor.

The boy with a mole on his neck that Yuchi Baolin beat up today seemed to be shouting "My father, Cui Renshi" the whole time he was being beaten...

Cheng Jun withdrew his gaze and bowed to the three men, saying, "This humble official greets Doctor Wen, Vice Minister Liu, and Deputy Cui."

"Fuduan" is another name for the Palace Attendant Censor.

Unlike later generations who called officials "Ministers," "Master" in the Tang Dynasty referred to one's father. Tang people addressed officials by their surname plus their official title.

Cheng Jun said very humbly, "I am late in paying my respects to the three of you today. I was delayed by some matters. I hope you will forgive me!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Renshi sneered, "Should we thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come here?"

Cheng Jun looked at him and asked, "Does Vice Minister Cui have a prejudice against me?"

"What do you think?" Cui Renshi said sternly, "You instigated the son of a military officer to beat my son, and also the son of Liu Zhongcheng, and you still expect me to be kind to you?"

That's not surprising... Cheng Jun glanced sideways at the Censor-in-Chief, whose face had darkened, then fixed his gaze on Cui Renshi and shook his head, saying:

"This humble official does not understand Vice Minister Cui's words. What do you mean by 'I instigated'?"

"Who else could it be if not you?"

Cui Renshi glared at him and scolded, "Isn't that what you said, that a gentleman who is not dignified will not command respect?"

He learned from his son Cui Zhuo that although Cheng Jun did not take action, he whispered these words in Yuchi Baolin's ear before leaving.

It was precisely because of this statement that his son was severely beaten by Yuchi Baolin.

Cheng Jun nodded and said, "That's exactly what I said."

"That's it!" Cui Renshi gritted his teeth and said, "It's because of what you said that Yuchi Baolin dealt a heavy blow to my son and Liu Zhongcheng's son. What you said is evidence that you instigated the son of a military officer to beat the son of a civil official!"

Wen Yanbo looked up at Cheng Jun seriously, waiting for his reply.

Liu Xiangdao sat upright, his expression indifferent, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

Brother Chuxia has been caught red-handed... Outside the hall, Ma Zhou's expression changed, and Xiao Yi knew something was wrong.

If it is confirmed that Cheng Jun instigated the son of the military officer to beat the son of the civil official, it will likely be more than just losing his position and being dismissed from his post.

Liu Zhongcheng will not let the matter rest after his son was beaten. Given his personality, he will likely send Cheng Jun to Dali Temple prison.

It's fortunate that the Censorate didn't set up a prison, otherwise Cheng Jun wouldn't be able to go home today.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yi tugged at Ma Zhou's sleeve and whispered, "Brother Binwang, it seems that Liu Zhongcheng and Cui Fuduan don't want to let Brother Chuxia go. I'll go to the Cheng residence immediately and tell Duke Su about this, otherwise Brother Chuxia will have a hard time leaving today."

Ma Zhou shook his head slightly and whispered, "You can't leave."

Xiao Yi was taken aback. "Why?"

Ma Zhou sighed, "Haven't you figured it out yet? Liu Zhongcheng is convinced that we're in cahoots with Brother Chuxia. The reason he told us to stand here instead of leaving is because he doesn't want you to tip us off."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi immediately understood his meaning. If he left now, he would inevitably be harassed by Liu Zhongcheng, and might even be accused of disobeying his superior. His expression changed and he said, "Then what should we do? Just watch Brother Chuxia jump into the fire pit?"

Ma Zhou turned to look at him and said, "Didn't we already know very well that this place was a pit of fire before we came here?"

"We have to do something, don't we?"

Xiao Yi became anxious.

Ma Zhou closed his eyes, and after a few seconds, he opened them, fixing his gaze on Wen Yanbo, who sat in the head seat of the hall. His eyes flickered as he said:

"There's still a chance for this to turn around... Doctor Wen's attitude is ambiguous. I have a feeling he wants to protect Brother Chuxia!"

Xiao Yi thought for a moment, but couldn't figure it out, so he said in a low voice, "How do you know?"

Ma Zhou subtly moved closer to him and whispered, "Think about it, Brother Chuxia was chosen by His Majesty as an imperial censor this morning, and the Censorate punished him this afternoon. How can His Majesty save face?"

"Moreover, the incident of a military officer's son beating a civil official's son occurred in the palace. How could His Majesty not know about it? Yet His Majesty has not punished Brother Chuxia."

"The situation is already crystal clear. His Majesty values ​​talent, so he has shown leniency towards Brother Chu."

Ma Zhou looked up at Wen Yanbo and whispered, "With Doctor Wen's insight, he must have already seen through this, so he will likely protect Brother Chuxia."

Xiao Yi suddenly understood, his eyes shining as he said, "That makes sense! Doesn't that mean Brother Chuxia's trip was a close call?"

Ma Zhou did not respond, but looked at Liu Xiang with a serious expression and shook his head, saying, "I'm afraid it's not that simple..."

He had been at the Censorate for half a year and was familiar with everyone there. If he had to choose one person he couldn't offend, it would definitely be the Vice Censor-in-Chief!

Liu Xiangdao has remained silent from the moment he spoke until now.

That's why Ma Zhou felt even more uneasy.

Xiao Yi understood immediately. Looking at Liu Xiangdao, who seemed like an outsider, he felt a chill run down his spine. Liu Xiangdao gave him the feeling of a venomous snake waiting for its chance to strike.

“Vice Cui, you are misinterpreting the words of the sage.”

At this moment, Cheng Jun suddenly asked.

Instantly, everyone's eyes were focused on Cheng Jun.