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

Now that things have come to this, it doesn't matter whether his pot sticks or not... Li Shimin was quite satisfied with the current outcome, and looking at Changsun Wuji in the prison cell, he said:

"Fuji, if the Ministry of Personnel has any important business, someone will come to you. For the time being, you will stay here in my place."

Changsun Wuji pursed his lips and remained silent.

Li Shimin took this as tacit agreement, turned to Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and the others, and said with a smile:

"My dear ministers, please come with me outside."

Cheng Jun suddenly reminded him, "Your Majesty, Minister Changsun is not yet dressed in prison clothes and shackles."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at him with strange expressions.

When it comes to revenge, this kid doesn't hold back at all...

Li Shimin was both amused and annoyed, but he did not object. After all, the blame had already been shifted to Hu Yan, and if Changsun Wuji had to blame someone, it would be him. He turned to the two Dali Temple officials and said, "Go and get the prison clothes and shackles and put them on him."

"According to the order."

The two officials from the Court of Judicial Review quickly responded and turned to leave.

Soon, one of the two men, carrying prison clothes and the other carrying shackles, entered the cell and handed them to Changsun Wuji.

"Minister Changsun, put it on."

Cheng Jun said gently, "Don't catch a cold."

Changsun Wuji turned and glared at him, then his hands trembled as he changed out of his official robes, took the prison clothes, and put them on.

This looks much better now... Cheng Jun was quite satisfied as he watched Changsun Wuji put on shackles with the help of two Dali Temple officials.

At that moment, Li Shimin's voice rang in my ears:

"Minister Cheng, do you have any further requests?"

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

"Then let's go outside and talk."

Li Shimin waved his hand and led the group out of the Dali Temple prison.

As Cheng Jun walked, he turned back and called out towards the prison cell, "Minister Changsun, I'll come to see you another day."

Seeing Changsun Wuji's face flushed with anger, Cheng Jun smiled and followed Li Shimin away.

Outside the Dali Temple.

Li Shimin walked slowly with his hands behind his back, in a very pleasant mood. He turned around and looked at Cheng Jun, who was walking at the back, and waved for him to come forward. He smiled broadly and said:

"Minister Cheng, I have seen gunpowder before; it is a good thing. How did you come up with this idea?"

Everyone looked at him curiously.

Without hesitation, Cheng Jun replied, "I learned it from reading books."

Li Shimin asked in surprise, "Did you read books again?"

Since Cheng Jun was selected as an imperial censor, whenever he made a meritorious contribution, when asked why, he would always mention that he had been reading books.

This inevitably surprised him.

"That's right, it's from reading books, but I'm reading books about the future..." Cheng Jun nodded without changing his expression.

Li Shimin asked curiously, "Which book?"

Cheng Jun said, "It's a Taoist book."

Those standing nearby were also curious upon hearing his words. Fang Xuanling said, "Such a treasure is actually related to Taoism?"

Cheng Jun nodded and said, "When I was studying in seclusion, I discovered that Taoist books recorded that during the process of Taoist alchemy, a defective product would appear. After reading about it, I found it interesting, so I studied it and that's how gunpowder came about."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin suddenly understood. He had heard about Cheng Jun's situation; after Lady Su Guo's death, Cheng Jun's personality had changed drastically. He had abandoned his former carefree nature and devoted himself to studying behind closed doors. He remarked with emotion:

"I never imagined you would have such talent, able to turn the words in the book into practical applications. If Lady Su were alive, she would be gratified to see her son achieve such success."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yaojin's eyes reddened, and he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Majesty is right. My wife in heaven would surely be gratified to see Your Majesty's great love for her son."

Li Shimin smiled and nodded, then looked at Cheng Jun again and said:

"I intend to test this gunpowder in Silla first."

Cheng Jun cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty's will is divinely ordained."

Then, he changed the subject, glanced at Yuchi Jingde, and said, "Regarding the Duke of Wu... how does His Majesty decide to handle this?"

Li Shimin looked at Yuchi Jingde and saw him grinning at him. He waved his hand and said, "Jingde, from now on, you don't need to guard the palace gate anymore. Go do whatever you need to do."

Yuchi Jingde clasped his hands and said loudly, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Li Shimin sat on the imperial palanquin, placed his hands on the armrests, looked at the crowd, and waved, saying, "It's getting late, everyone go back and rest. I'm going back."

"Farewell to Your Majesty."

Everyone bowed and watched his figure gradually disappear into the distance.

Once the imperial carriage was out of sight, everyone turned to look at Cheng Jun, their eyes filled with admiration.

Fang Xuanling gave a thumbs up and said, "Good, well done."

Li Jing praised, "You haven't lost face."

Du Ruhui smiled and said, "You certainly look energetic today."

Wen Yanbo wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "As for today's events, you deserve the praise."

Yuchi Jingde walked over to Cheng Jun and kept patting him on the shoulder, saying with emotion, "It's a pity I don't have a daughter, otherwise I would definitely have arranged for our family to become in-laws."

Li Jing suggested, "You two can also become sworn brothers."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jun almost burst out laughing and looked at Cheng Yaojin.

Cheng Yaojin glared at Li Jing and said, "Sworn brotherhood my ass! What kind of terrible idea is this? If the two of them become sworn brothers, their son will be of the same generation as his father!"

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and said, "Why don't we each do our own thing?"

Du Ruhui nodded and said, "Indeed, their sworn brotherhood won't affect us."

Cheng Yaojin said irritably, "That's right, it affects me. He'll be even more lawless at home from now on!"

Yuchi Jingde said in a displeased tone, "Zhijie, say less of what my good nephew says. Your son is much better than you."

Wen Yanbo said, "The younger generation surpasses the older generation. It is only natural that my nephew Chuxia is better than Zhijie, just as it is only natural that your son is better than you."

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Jingde remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "I'm not going to say anything more. I'm going back to give my son a good beating and see if he'll come to his senses. You guys continue chatting, I'll take my leave first."

After saying his farewells, he left, his face flushed with anger.

They're all masters of stirring up trouble, and they're doing it recklessly... Cheng Jun glanced at Li Jing, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui, then at Wen Yanbo, thinking to himself, "First they stirred up trouble for Old Cheng, then for Yuchi Jingde. They're really something. It's lucky we're close; if they were strangers, they'd be beaten up long ago if they dared to say that..."

"We're going back too."

Fang Xuanling smiled and said, "I still have official business to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

Cheng Yaojin gratefully cupped his hands and said, "Brothers, thank you very much for today. I'll treat you to drinks another day."

Du Ruhui, Li Jing, and Wen Yanbo smiled, bowed, and left.

Cheng Junyi bowed and watched them leave.

For a time, only Cheng Jun and his son Cheng Yaojin remained outside the Dali Temple prison.

Cheng Yaojin patted Cheng Jun on the shoulder and said, "Hero, let's go back too."

"it is good."

Cheng Jun smiled and nodded, then followed him out of the palace.

On the way back, Cheng Jun rode his Akhal-Teke horse Adolf, while Cheng Yaojin rode his black Turkic horse, riding side by side.

Cheng Jun noticed that Cheng Yaojin was staring at him, and smiled, "Father, why are you looking at me like that?"

Cheng Yaojin withdrew his gaze and exclaimed, "I've truly broadened my horizons today."

Cheng Jun laughed and said, "Dad, the kick you gave Hu Yan was also quite stylish."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yaojin beamed and said, "Whether our Cheng family prospers or not in the future depends not on your elder brothers, but on you."

He suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, right, Chuxia, your cousin is here."