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

"A memorial to the Censor-in-Chief?" This single sentence left everyone stunned.

After a long while, everyone came to their senses, and Wen Yanbo looked at the two of them with great interest.

Ma Zhou seemed lost in thought, his mind unreadable.

Xiao Yi clicked his tongue in amazement. He had been in the Censorate for over a year, and this was the first time he had ever seen someone so brave as to impeach the second-in-command of the Censorate.

What are you impeaching me for?

Liu Xiangdao frowned and asked in a cold voice.

Cheng Jun pondered for a moment and said, "Lord Liu, if two people are fighting and one of them says, 'I'm going to hit you on the head,' do you think the other person would be on guard?"

"By the same token, if I had told you in advance that I was going to impeach Liu Zhongcheng, wouldn't you have been prepared?"

Liu Xiangdao glared at him and said, "I sit upright and act justly, why would I be afraid of your accusations?"

He snorted coldly, ignored him, turned and left the Censorate, heading towards the palace.

Cheng Jun did not chase after him, but instead slowly adjusted the xiezhi crown on his head.

At this moment, Wen Yanbo walked up to him and asked curiously, "Imperial Censor Cheng, are you really planning to impeach Vice Minister Liu?"

Cheng Jun nodded and said, "I never make threats."

That's true, you always do things directly... Wen Yanbo swallowed the words that were already on the tip of his tongue, watched the departing red-robed figure, and sighed:

"Both of you are almost as long as my waist, and you can both keep up with the same amount of trouble!"

After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "Go if you want to. Liu Zhongcheng has already gone, so one more won't make a difference."

"promise."

Cheng Jun smiled, seeing Xiao Yi's hesitant expression, and then looking at Ma Zhou who was looking this way, knowing they wanted to persuade him, he shook his head and said, "This is between me and Liu Zhongcheng, you two just wait for my news."

After saying this, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and strode away.

"I'm really worried about Brother Chuxia."

Xiao Yi watched him walk further and further away and said with concern.

Ma Zhou stroked his chin, watching Cheng Jun leave. Suddenly, he seemed to realize something, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly:

"So that's it..."

…………

Inside the Taiji Hall of the Imperial Palace.

Li Shimin sat cross-legged, now wearing a black hat, a reddish-yellow robe, a nine-ringed belt, and six-jointed boots. He had changed from his formal imperial robes to this casual imperial attire.

He looked down at the memorials, occasionally picking up his purple-tipped brush to write down the names of the governors and prefects who had submitted them.

At this moment, a middle-aged eunuch in purple robes walked quickly from outside the hall to Li Shimin's side, bowed, and whispered, "Your Majesty, Cheng Jun is still near the palace."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin looked up and asked, "Why hasn't he gone back yet?"

Since learning that the Empress and the Princess had apologized one after another, Li Shimin became increasingly angry. He then told his personal eunuchs that whenever Cheng Jun appeared around the palace, they had to report his every move.

Now, upon hearing that Cheng Jun hadn't gone back, he felt a tightness in his chest. "This kid isn't going back? Is he planning to impeach me?"

Where is Cheng Jun now?

Li Shimin asked.

"Censor Cheng has gone to the Censorate."

Li Shimin was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, but quickly realized that he was going to pay his respects to his superior. He snorted and said, "He's quite sensible."

Seeing that the ink on the table was almost used up, Zhang Anan immediately bent down, picked up the ink stick, and ground the ink. At the same time, he said with a smile, "Although this is the first day that Imperial Censor Cheng has served as an Imperial Censor, his father is the Duke of Su. Although the Duke of Su is a military general, he knows his place. He will definitely tell him that it would be impolite not to go to the Censorate to pay respects to the Grand Censor and the Vice Censor-in-Chief."

Li Shimin glanced at him, his tone tinged with displeasure, and said, "What manners does he know? What courtier who understands manners would impeach the Empress and the Princess?"

Just then, a guard strode over, stopped outside the hall, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Your Majesty, Liu Xiangdao, Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and Cheng Jun, Supervising Censor, request an audience!"

Li Shimin hissed in shock, "How come everything I say comes true!"

"What do they want to see me about?"

The guard said, "Lord Liu said that this matter concerns the sons of all the officials."

Li Shimin frowned. Was it about the military officer's son beating up the civil official's son? Wasn't that a thing that had already passed? Why did Liu Xiangdao bring it up again?

He suddenly remembered that yesterday afternoon, the list of imperial censors to be selected, submitted by the eunuchs of the Inner Palace, included the name of Liu Xiangdao's son.

Liu Xiangdao thought that I had been too lenient in punishing only Yuchi Jingde?

No... I punished Yuchi Jingde to give the civil officials an explanation. The civil officials have already accepted my decision, so he has no reason to jump out and say that my decision was problematic.

Although there is no evidence that the son of a military officer beat up the son of a civil official, it is certain that Cheng Jun did it. Could he have been targeting Cheng Jun?

Li Shimin thought it over and found it increasingly plausible, so he asked the guard, "What is Cheng Jun doing here?"

The guard said, "Imperial Censor Cheng said he has come to impeach Vice Minister Liu."

"..."

As expected, Li Shimin understood. He put down his purple-tipped brush, a playful smile on his face. He couldn't wait to see the two of them start fighting, and waved his hand, saying:

"Let them in!"

Soon, a middle-aged man in a red robe, about 1.7 meters tall, and a tall man in a blue robe, about 1.85 meters tall, walked in one after the other.

"Your subject, Imperial Censor Liu Xiangdao, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

"Your subject, Censor Cheng Jun, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Liu Xiangdao and Cheng Jun bowed simultaneously and addressed Li Shimin, who was dressed in the emperor's everyday robes.

"My two esteemed subjects, you may dispense with the formalities."

After Li Shimin finished speaking, he looked at Cheng Jun and said, "He dares to impeach my empress and make my daughter apologize. I will not take his side today!"

"Minister Liu, what do you have to report?"

Li Shimin shifted his gaze from Cheng Jun and turned to Liu Xiang, speaking in a gentle tone.

Liu Xiangdao said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I request that you issue an edict summoning the son of the military officer to the palace for a face-to-face confrontation with me!"

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow. "What's the reason?"

Liu Xiangdao raised his head and said sternly, "I believe that the reason why the son of the military officer beat the son of the civil official was because he was instigated by Cheng Jun!"

Li Shimin raised his hand and tugged at his beard, pondering, "If that's the case, wouldn't it be wrong for me to punish Yuchi Jingde?"

Liu Xiangdao nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty should punish Cheng Jun!"

Li Shimin asked, "Is there any evidence?"

Liu Xiangdao said in a deep voice, "I have no evidence at the moment. As long as Your Majesty summons the son of the military officer to the palace, I can confront him face to face and prove that what I said is not a single lie!"

"They've got a handle on us," Li Shimin said, looking at Cheng Jun with a playful tone.

"Minister Cheng, Vice Minister Liu just said that the son of a military officer assaulted someone, and that you instigated him behind the scenes. Do you admit it?"

Cheng Jun countered, "Does Your Majesty believe that I was created directly by Nuwa?"

Li Shimin shook his head and said, "I don't believe it!"

Cheng Jun chuckled and said, "Even His Majesty doesn't believe what I say, so why would he believe what Liu Zhongcheng said is true?"

Does that mean Liu Xiangdao's words are even more outrageous than yours? Li Shimin understood his unspoken meaning, snorted, and decided to put some pressure on him.

At this moment, Cheng Jun changed the subject and said:

"However, I believe that there is something fishy about this matter, and I think it should be investigated until the truth is revealed. Only in this way can I avoid being wronged and suffering injustice!"

"No one should say those words, 'wrongfully accused'..." Li Shimin muttered to himself, then asked, "Aren't you afraid that what's found out will be detrimental to you?"

Cheng Jun solemnly replied, "Doctor Wen once asked me the same question, and this is how I answered him. This is how I will answer Your Majesty now!"

"What is pure will become pure by itself, and what is turbid will become turbid by itself!"

Li Shimin was somewhat surprised. Was this kid so certain that he couldn't find out?