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

Li Shimin then noticed that on the ground outside the prison cell, there were beds and desks piled up, with writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones clearly visible on the desks.

Hu Yan became increasingly indignant as he spoke, crying out, "Cheng Yaojin, on the contrary, kicked me as soon as he saw me and even threatened me! Your Majesty, please distinguish right from wrong and uphold justice for me!"

Li Shimin said with a stern face, "That's too much!"

Hu Yan immediately hardened his stance, glaring at Cheng Yaojin and saying, "Did you hear that? His Majesty said you went too far!"

Li Shimin scolded, "I'm talking about you, Minister Hu, you've gone too far!"

Hu Yan froze, then turned to look at Li Shimin in disbelief.

He didn't think there was anything wrong with what he had just said, and he was confident that Li Shimin had understood.

However, now that you understand, you should stand on your own side.

Why are you speaking up for Cheng Yaojin instead!

Hu Yan asked, "Why does Your Majesty say this?"

Everyone pricked up their ears and listened carefully.

Cheng Jun stood in the cell behind the bars, watching with great interest as Li Shimin tried to save face for him.

Li Shimin asked with a stern face, "Minister Hu, I ask you, what crime has Cheng Jun committed?"

Hu Yan replied without hesitation, "Cheng Jun disrespects the Emperor; this is your decree."

Li Shimin countered, "Is my decree always correct?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Hu Yan nearly lost his composure. "You issued the decree, how could I dare say it's wrong...?"

Li Shimin stared at Hu Yan, seeing his aggrieved expression, and continued, "Since I ascended the throne, I have broadened the channels for public opinion and made important appointments for officials who speak out. You know this, yet these officials have been punished for their words. Isn't this my fault?"

"You know perfectly well that I am wrong, yet instead of offering advice, you come here to make things difficult for Cheng Jun. Tell me, aren't you going too far?"

"..."

Hu Yan was speechless. If this logic were followed, he would indeed be wrong.

Just then, Cheng Jun's voice came from the cell: "Minister Hu, didn't you notice that there's a problem with His Majesty's decree?"

Hu Yan turned to look at Cheng Jun.

Everyone looked at Cheng Jun.

Cheng Jun said seriously, "You haven't discovered the crux of the problem, which means you are blind. You hold a high position and are responsible for reviewing criminal cases. If you are blind to this, you are harming the country and its people!"

After saying this, he cupped his hands to Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, please send someone to remove Hu Yan's official hat, strip him of his court robes, and dismiss him from his post for investigation!"

"..."

Inside the Dali Temple prison, it became so quiet you could hear a pin drop once again.

Even in jail, he still can't stop talking... Li Shimin twitched the corner of his mouth, ignoring his words, and instead looked at the two Dali Temple officials standing beside him, pointing to the prison cell door and saying:

"Open the cell door."

Two judges from the Court of Judicial Review immediately stepped forward, took out the keys, and opened the cell door.

Li Shimin looked at Cheng Jun, smiled, and said gently, "Cheng Jun, you can come out now."

Cheng Jun took a few steps back, stood in the corner, and shook his head, saying, "I'm not going out."

Li Shimin's smile froze on his face.

Cheng Yaojin urgently advised, "Hero, do not speak nonsense in front of His Majesty!"

Cheng Jun said seriously, "I'm not talking nonsense! Everything needs to be clarified. Why should I be imprisoned?"

Seeing Li Shimin remain silent, Wen Yanbo quickly stepped forward and advised, "Cheng Jun, this is His Majesty's decree. If you do not obey, you will be defying the imperial edict!"

Cheng Jun retorted, "Even the Jade Emperor would have to distinguish right from wrong. What did I do wrong? I just spoke a few truths."

“As an imperial censor, how can I not tell the truth? Is that wrong? Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has always advocated that everything should be based on reason. But when it comes to me, reason is no longer the answer. I was punished for my words and imprisoned!”

"Isn't it time to clear my name and exonerate me?"

Cheng Junyi said sternly, "No, I can't go out like this without knowing what's going on."

After saying that, he looked at the two Dali Temple prison guards, pointed to the cell door and said, "You two, lock the cell door. I'll be living here from now on and I'm not going anywhere else."

Li Shimin angrily said, "According to you, you want me to send people to carry you out in a sedan chair carried by eight men?"

"You dare to reenact this scene for me?!"

Cheng Jun shouted, "Your Majesty can also send people to carry the door panel so that I can walk out sideways."

Li Shimin glared at him and said, "What are you complaining about here!"

Cheng Jun slapped his left palm with the back of his right hand and said indignantly, "Was I wrong to stand up for Duke Yuchi Jingde of Wu and speak out for him?"

"Your Majesty is clearly in the wrong, yet you have imprisoned me. I have suffered a tremendous injustice. If I were to leave like this, what would my neighbors think? What would the court officials think? What would the Ferghana horse Your Majesty bestowed upon me think?"

"Putting aside everything else, there's the Ferghana horse that His Majesty bestowed upon me. Who knows how it will roll its eyes at me when I ride it to court in the future?"

Cheng Jun said indignantly.

Li Shimin retorted angrily, "Speak properly!"

Cheng Jun opened his arms wide and exclaimed, "What I say is true!"

"Duke Wu went to Haichi. Was that a reenactment? He had important business to discuss with the Emperor. His Majesty has misunderstood and is being overly suspicious. How can you blame him?"

Cheng Jun gave an example and asked, "If His Majesty chokes while eating, and then someone brings him food, would His Majesty think that person is deliberately trying to choke him?"

“Is this the behavior of a wise ruler to punish his subjects with this charge? It’s the same as punishing someone just because you don’t like them and you see their right foot enter the house today!”

Cheng Jun walked to the fence, looked at Li Shimin through the fence, and said in a serious tone:

"The law serves as the standard for all under heaven, and is shared by all people. When people commit crimes, they are judged by the law. Whatever crime is written in the law, someone who violates it will be punished accordingly. Therefore, people are all convinced."

"If Your Majesty can just arbitrarily concoct a crime and pin it on your ministers, how can they possibly accept it with a clear conscience?"

Cheng Jun declared righteously, "If Your Majesty does not exonerate me today, I will not go anywhere!"

"..."

This kid is so eloquent... Li Shimin almost broke down listening to him. Exonerate him? How can I exonerate him? I'll punish myself.

This won't work.

Li Shimin had a headache. His goal was not to refute Cheng Jun, but to release him from prison. However, the boy was hiding inside and refusing to come out, and he was even arguing his point!

Unable to persuade him or persuade him, Li Shimin turned to Cheng Yaojin.

Cheng Yaojin solemnly replied, "Your Majesty, my son is right."

"..."

Li Shimin decisively shifted his gaze from him to Yuchi Jingde, then immediately looked away again. Cheng Yaojin was no good, and Yuchi Jingde was even less so. If Cheng Jun pleaded for him, he would definitely help Cheng Jun.

Finally, Li Shimin looked at Wen Yanbo, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Li Jing.

Wen Yanbo solemnly walked to the cell bars, looked at the tall man inside who was 1.85 meters tall, and said solemnly, "Cheng Jun, His Majesty was also angry at the time, you must understand."

Cheng Jun countered, "Has His Majesty calmed down now? If so, shouldn't he reflect on this? It's like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. If you regret it and put the eggs back in the goose's belly, will it still answer when you call it?"

Wen Yanbo was speechless upon hearing this, and shook his head helplessly at Li Shimin. It wasn't that he didn't want to persuade him, but that he couldn't persuade him.

When Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Li Jing saw Li Shimin looking at them, they all showed expressions of helplessness and despair.

Li Shimin twitched the corners of his mouth and had no choice but to speak himself, forcing a smile as he spoke gently to Cheng Jun:

"Minister Cheng..."

Cheng Jun cried out in anguish:

"Minister Cheng is already dead. You chose him, Your Majesty!"