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

Cheng Jun said seriously, "If the son of a military officer comes to the Censorate and can prove my innocence, I hope they can come as soon as possible."

Are you really not afraid?

Wen Yanbo asked in surprise.

Cheng Jun said, "The innocent will remain innocent, and the guilty will remain guilty!"

Could he really be innocent? Wen Yanbo stroked his beard, looking him up and down, and his doubts about him began to waver.

Cheng Jun carried the bowl of water back to Ma Zhou and Xiao Yi, knelt on the cushion, and sipped the water from the rim of the bowl.

Xiao Yi said admiringly, "Brother Chuxia, you are really brave, daring to even touch the tiger's whiskers."

Cheng Jun put down the bowl of water, turned his head and asked, "Where did the ivy get its whiskers?"

"Pfft..."

Upon hearing this, Ma Zhou couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Xiao Yi exclaimed in surprise, "You really dare to speak your mind! From now on, I will respect no one in the Censorate but you! I'll toast you with water instead of wine!"

Cheng Jun smiled and took another sip.

Xiao Yi glanced at Wen Yanbo, who was slurping water with his head down, and whispered, "Brother Chuxia, our Doctor Wen has been really good to you. He's been helping you ever since you arrived."

Cheng Jun shook his head and said, "That's not right. He's not helping me, he's helping His Majesty save face."

Xiao Yi was surprised, "Brother Chuxia also discovered it?"

Also... Cheng Jun looked at Xiao Yi, then at Ma Zhou.

“I didn’t notice; it was Brother Bin who told me,” Xiao Yi said with a smile. “When you were being questioned by Cui Renshi just now, I thought he had gotten something on you. Brother Bin told me that Doctor Wen would protect you, and that’s why he would protect you!”

"Brother Binwang is truly talented!" Cheng Jun praised, then, not forgetting to give Xiao Yi an opportunity to showcase his abilities, deliberately asked:

"Brother Xiao Yi, do you know why Doctor Wen protected me to save His Majesty's face?"

Xiao Yi nodded and said, "Of course I know!"

"In the eighth year of the Wude era, the Turkic Khan Jieli invaded our Bingzhou. The court appointed Wen Dafu as the chief secretary, who, together with the old general Zhang Jin, led 50,000 elite troops to resist the Xiongnu."

"That August, Zhang Jin and Doctor Wen joined forces with Li Gaoqian and Zhang Dezheng in Taigu County, Bingzhou, with 100,000 troops to fight against the Turkic army of Khan Jieli!"

"In that battle, our Tang soldiers fought a bloody battle with the Turkic army for seven days. Unfortunately, we were outnumbered and all 100,000 soldiers were wiped out. Zhang Jin fled, Zhang Dezheng was killed in battle, and Doctor Wen was captured!"

"Fortunately, Doctor Wen was a close attendant of the emperor, so Khan Jieli did not kill him, but exiled him to the harsh and cold Yinshan Mountains."

Xiao Yi continued, "In the ninth year of the Wude era, His Majesty ascended the throne, and Khan Jieli led a large Turkic army to the banks of the Wei River."

"The Wei River is just a stone's throw from Chang'an. His Majesty personally led the expedition and, separated from Jieli by only the river, rebuked him for breaking the treaty. Jieli was terrified and offered to swear an oath with His Majesty by sacrificing a white horse. This is the Wei River Alliance."

"Afterwards, Jieli retreated and offered three thousand white horses and ten thousand sheep, but His Majesty did not accept them and ordered Jieli to return the Tang people he had captured."

The choice of words is truly brilliant... Even Cheng Jun couldn't help but admire him. Every word Xiao Yi said was meant to save face for Li Er. If one hadn't read history books, they would have thought it was Li Er who was besieging the city.

Xiao Yi, unaware of his inner thoughts, continued, "That is precisely why Doctor Wen was able to return to the court. He has been diligent in his duties for the past two years, and last year His Majesty appointed him as Imperial Censor."

"It can be said that His Majesty saved Doctor Wen's life."

Xiao Yi smiled and said, "Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, there have always been ministers who dared to speak frankly and remonstrate. Only Doctor Wen's remonstrances have not angered Your Majesty. Not only that, he will also step forward to protect Your Majesty. Therefore, I think it is reasonable for Doctor Wen to protect the face of the emperor by protecting you."

Cheng Jun solemnly replied, "Brother Xiao Yi's literary talent is truly admirable!"

Ma Zhou was also full of admiration, especially when he saw Wen Yanbo look up and give Xiao Yi an appreciative look, his admiration for him deepened even more.

He admitted that he couldn't match the skill of flattering the two men with his words.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the hall, and Liu Zhongcheng walked in with a stern face, carrying a bowl of water.

He sat down but didn't drink any water; instead, he glared at Cheng Jun first.

A look can't kill... Cheng Jun chuckled, met his angry gaze, and asked thoughtfully, "Lord Liu, you dare to drink water scooped from a pot?"

Liu Xiangdao picked up the bowl of water, about to take a sip, but upon hearing this, he immediately moved the rim of the bowl away from his lips and stared intently at him.

Did this kid pee in there...?

"What do you want to say?"

Liu Xiangdao placed the bowl of water on the table and asked in a cold voice.

Cheng Jun shook his head and said, "Never mind, Liu Zhongcheng, you didn't say anything just now."

"..."

The veins on Liu Xiangdao's forehead bulged, his fists clenched, and he was having some difficulty breathing.

He had spoken so much in the hall and was now parched, but Cheng Jun's words made him uneasy. He faced the bowl of water, wanting to drink but not daring to.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, stood up, and went out again.

Wen Yanbo suddenly asked, "Lord Liu, what are you going to do?"

"Boil water!"

Liu Xiangdao said without turning his head.

You actually believed that... Wen Yanbo was speechless. He turned to Cheng Jun and asked, "Is there something wrong with the water in Liu Zhongcheng's bowl?"

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

"Then why did you say that to him?"

Cheng Jun explained, "I wanted to remind him that the water in the pot had been sitting for too long and had cooled down, and that drinking cold water would make his stomach uncomfortable."

Wen Yanbo said, "Then you should remind me!"

Cheng Jun spread his hands innocently and said, "I'm afraid he'll take my kindness for granted."

"..."

Wen Yanbo twitched the corner of his mouth. He didn't see Cheng Jun's good intentions, but he saw Liu Zhongcheng was furious.

Ma Zhou and Xiao Yi stared at Cheng Jun with admiration in their eyes. In all their time at the Censorate, this was the first time they had seen Liu Zhongcheng looking so frustrated, wanting to get angry but unable to.

After a long while, Liu Xiangdao came in carrying a steaming bowl of water, his lips chapped.

While he was boiling water, he didn't even drink a drop of the well water... Cheng Jun watched him blow on the bowl of water and sip it, feeling both surprised and amused. Did he think I poisoned the well water?

At this moment, Cheng Jun heard footsteps approaching from outside the hall and turned to look.

A middle-aged man dressed as a clerk or official walked in quickly with a worried look on his face.

Xiao Yi leaned closer to Cheng Jun and whispered, "This man is Feng Lingshi from our Censorate."

Cheng Jun nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

"Doctor Wen, Vice Minister Liu, your humble servant has returned."

Facing the top two leaders in the hall, Feng Lingshi bowed his head and clasped his hands in a salute.

Wen Yanbo glanced behind him and found that there was no one else outside the hall.

Before he could ask, Liu Xiangdao spoke first, asking, "Officer Feng, which military officer's house did you go to?"

Feng Lingshi braced himself and said, "This humble servant went to the residence of Guerrilla General Qiao Shiwang."

How many sons did Qiao Shiwang have?

"two."

Who entered the palace today?

"Qiao family's second son".

"what is it call?"

"Qiao Bei!"

Liu Xiangdao pointed behind him and said coldly, "I ordered you to summon Qiao Bei. Where is he?"

Feng Lingshi said helplessly, "This humble servant can't summon him."

"Then what are you still doing standing here?"

Liu Xiangdao slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Go and call him again, keep calling him until he comes!"

Feng Lingshi felt more bitter than if he had drunk Chinese medicine. His face was so worried that wrinkles appeared on his face. He said, "Lord Liu, even if I went to the Qiao residence a hundred times, I still couldn't get him to come."

"Nonsense! The Censorate has the power of oversight. Tell him to come to the Censorate for questioning. Would he dare not come? I think you're neglecting your duties!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiangdao flew into a rage, but Wen Yanbo raised his hand to stop him and asked curiously, "Officer Feng, tell me, what exactly happened?"

Feng Lingshi said with a wry smile, "I went to the Qiao residence as ordered by Liu Zhongcheng and explained my purpose to the steward of the Qiao residence."

"Then the steward of the Qiao family asked me why I wanted Qiao Erlang to go to the Censorate. I replied that I was acting on the orders of Vice Minister Liu to ask Qiao Erlang to go to the Censorate to be questioned about the matter of the son of a military officer beating the son of a civil official."

Wen Yanbo asked, "And then?"

Feng Lingshi's throat tightened, and a look of fear suddenly flashed in his eyes.

"Then, he told me to wait outside the mansion. I didn't see Qiao Erlang, but I did see Qiao Erlang's mother, Princess Luling..."

"As you know, Doctor Wen, Princess Luling is His Majesty's sister. As soon as she came out, she ordered the Qiao family's steward to throw buckets of water at the entrance..."

Only then did everyone notice that his trouser legs and shoes were wet.

Cheng Jun asked, puzzled, "You didn't scold her?"

In an instant, everyone's eyes turned to Cheng Jun.

Feng Lingshi said with a wry smile, "I am just a minor official in Taizhong. How dare I scold the princess? Insubordination is punishable by death."

After saying that, he looked at Wen Yanbo and Liu Xiang and said:

"Doctor Wen, Vice Minister Liu, Princess Luling sent me with a message that this water-splashing incident was just a warning. If the Censorate dares to send anyone to the Qiao residence again, she will not be so lenient."