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

Upon hearing the words "King of Wei," Cheng Jun recalled historical records about the King of Wei.

The King of Wei was named Li Tai, with the courtesy name Huibao and the nickname Qingque.

He was Li Shimin's fourth son.

Historical records state that Li Shimin favored Li Tai above all other princes.

Li Shimin's doting on Li Tai was not without reason. The Prince of Wei was exceptionally talented, intelligent, fond of scholars and literature, had beautiful handwriting, and had collected tens of thousands of books, winning the hearts of many Confucian scholars in the court and among the common people.

Because of his outstanding performance, Li Shimin's regard for him gradually surpassed that of the Crown Prince, and the rewards he received for him often exceeded those for the Crown Prince.

It was precisely because of this that Prince Wei, relying on Li Shimin's doting affection for him, began to covet the throne.

As the boy drew closer, Cheng Jun noticed that this King of Wei was a bit overweight...

However, he was chubby but not annoying, giving off the vibe of a nouveau riche's chubby son.

Cheng Jun withdrew his gaze and lowered his head in deep thought.

Quan Wanji was the teacher of Li Ke, the King of Wu...

But it was King Wei who set the trap for him...

The result is clear: the King of Wei used someone close to the King of Wu as a dagger to stab him...

Once the gambling den's activities are exposed, the investigation will only lead back to the King of Wu...

The King of Wei is very good at hiding his true intentions...

Cheng Jun made a judgment in his mind: it seems that the King of Wei has a powerful backer...

However, King Wei hid it so well, why did it suddenly appear?

Isn't this throwing away a great opportunity...?

Cheng Jun was somewhat puzzled. If it were him advising the King of Wei, he would definitely not let the King of Wei step forward, but would continue to remain hidden and watch the tigers fight from the mountain.

Jumping out now would truly be a disastrous move that would destroy all the previous plans.

Is the other person mentally challenged? Impossible. Someone with a mental disability wouldn't have come up with such a scheme to frame him.

Then there is only one possibility.

The person who advised the King of Wei deliberately let him draw attention...

Could it be that they've had a falling out...?

Cheng Jun seemed to be deep in thought, but remained outwardly calm as he watched Li Tai walk in.

"My son, I pay my respects to my father."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Li Tai stood at the entrance of the palace, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his chubby hands, and then walked into the Ganlu Palace. He first bowed to Li Shimin, who was sitting on the dragon throne.

Then he looked at the others.

"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Wei."

Quan Wanji and Hu Yan immediately bowed and greeted him.

Cheng Jun followed suit and bowed as well.

Li Tai smiled, his eyes narrowing into slits, and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Li Shimin looked at his fat son and asked, "Qingque, what brings you here?"

Li Tai's expression turned serious, and he said:

"Father, I heard that Vice Minister Quan went to the gambling den to arrest his son, but he met Imperial Censor Cheng and dragged him into the palace to meet Your Majesty."

Li Shimin pointed to Cheng Jun and the others and said, "That's right, they're right here."

Li Tai asked, "Father, what do you plan to do?"

Remembering Cheng Jun's earlier words, Li Shimin realized that something was wrong with Li Tai, and said calmly:

"I would like to hear your opinion."

Li Tai's feet were a little sore from standing, but he endured it and said earnestly:

“Father, I heard that this was Cheng Jun’s first time going to a gambling den, and it was on official business. Moreover, someone must have lured him there.”

"It is clear that even if Cheng Jun made a mistake, it was a minor one, while the gambling den owner who lured him to the gambling den was a major one."

"Father should focus on the major offenses and let the minor ones go. He should severely punish the gambling den owner as a warning to others, but as for Cheng Jun, he should only be given a few words of reprimand since it is his first offense."

Li Shimin's heart sank upon hearing this, and his voice turned cold as he coldly snorted, "I can tell you've come to plead for Cheng Jun."

"Qingque, I remember you and Cheng Jun have never met before, why are you helping him?"

Li Shimin questioned him.

"Because Cheng Jun was chosen by the Emperor as an imperial censor."

Li Tai remained calm, a smile spreading across his chubby face. He said, "If Cheng Jun does well, the court and the public will praise Father for his discerning eye. If he does poorly, the court and the public will criticize him, causing Father to lose face."

"Your Majesty, I am thinking of your reputation, not of Cheng Jun."

He's quite eloquent... Cheng Jun looked at him. No wonder the historical records gave him the evaluation of "exceptionally intelligent". The words he spoke were very sophisticated.

Li Shimin's expression softened upon hearing this. After a moment's thought, he shook his hand and said, "Anan, take Qingque out for a bit."

"The slaves obey the order."

Zhang Anan immediately stepped forward, approached the King of Wei, and extended his arm, saying:

"Please, King Wei."

Li Tai was somewhat puzzled as to why he had to be dismissed, but since his father had said so, he had no choice but to comply.

After he left.

Li Shimin looked at Cheng Jun and asked:

"Minister Cheng, do you think he's the one who framed you?"

Cheng Jun pondered for a moment and asked, "Does Your Majesty think it's him?"

"I'm not sure."

Li Shimin remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "What Qingque said makes a lot of sense and doesn't seem fake."

Cheng Jun reminded him, "However, he did come to plead for me."

"Among the many people in the court who have never met me, none of them came to plead for me, but the Prince of Wei came. Isn't that enough to explain everything?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin understood that he had made his stance clear, and frowned, saying:

"Didn't the King of Wei just say that he didn't come for you, but for me!"

Cheng Jun's expression turned solemn, and he said, "If the Prince of Wei is truly acting for His Majesty's sake, he should not plead for me."

"Pleading for me on behalf of Your Majesty would only embarrass Your Majesty!"

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Quan Wanji and Hu Yan both looked at Cheng Jun at the same time.

Cheng Jun said in a deep voice:

"I did go to the gambling den today, and I was caught red-handed by the Left Chancellor. If word gets out, everyone in the world will think that with Your Majesty's wisdom, you will surely punish me severely."

“If we focus on the major issues and let the minor ones go, severely punishing only the gambling den owner Qian Jieyi while letting me off the hook, it will only make the people think that Your Majesty is not a fair and impartial ruler, which will damage Your Majesty’s reputation.”

Cheng Jun said seriously, "If the Prince of Wei truly cares about His Majesty, he should ensure that His Majesty rewards and punishes fairly and impartially, so that the people of the world will see His Majesty as a just and selfless wise emperor."

"Your Majesty is willing to punish him, so as to uphold Your Majesty's wisdom!"

"But he didn't!"

Cheng Jun said in a serious tone, "It is clear that the King of Wei is using sophistry."

What a sharp tongue... Quan Wanji listened from the side, his heart pounding with fear. He had also felt that what the King of Wei said made sense, and the mastermind behind it did not seem to be the King of Wei.

But after listening to Cheng Jun's words, he realized that anyone would think that the mastermind behind it all was none other than the King of Wei.

Li Shimin frowned even more deeply, remained silent for a long time, then acknowledged his words, and said with some annoyance:

"It seems like it's him!"