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

Cousin… Hearing these two words, Cheng Jun was a little surprised. “I have a cousin?”

Cheng Yaojin replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, you forgot? Your uncle, who is also the son of my younger brother, you met him when we returned to Jizhou before."

Cheng Jun felt as if he had been kicked in the head by a donkey's hoof, and he instantly remembered that Cheng Yaojin had a younger brother a few years younger than him named Cheng Yaoyin.

There is no record of him in history... He seems to be not very famous. At this moment, Cheng Jun also remembered his cousin's name.

Cheng Dong'e.

Using the county name as a name...that's interesting.

Cheng Jun thought to himself.

In Jeju Prefecture, there is a Dong-e County, which became extremely famous in later generations. It is the origin of Dong-e donkey-hide gelatin.

Cheng Jun realized he didn't remember much about Cheng Yaoyin, so he asked, "I can't quite remember, what did my uncle do?"

Cheng Yaojin didn't think much of it and said, "Your uncle is the registrar of Dong'e County."

Cheng Jun asked in surprise, "How can someone hold such a low-ranking official position?"

During the Tang Dynasty, the rank of a county clerk was not uniform. For example, the clerks of Wannian County and Chang'an County were eighth-rank officials.

The registrar of Dong'e County was a ninth-rank official.

Even the county magistrate could control him.

You should know that Cheng Yaoyin is Cheng Yaojin's younger brother. Cheng Yaojin's status is such that no matter which county magistrate is in charge, they would treat Cheng Yaojin with the utmost respect, let alone manage him.

Moreover, it's not like you can just see someone whenever you want.

Therefore, Cheng Jun was very surprised that the Duke's own younger brother was doing so poorly.

What surprised him even more was that Cheng Yaoyin was actually serving as the registrar.

The chief clerk was primarily responsible for clerical work, including drafting documents, managing archives, household registration, and seals; it was an administrative position.

Looking at Cheng Yaojin's imposing figure, which resembled a silverback gorilla, Cheng Jun's eyes held a hint of suspicion. "Is he your younger brother?"

Cheng Yaojin explained, "This was your uncle's own choice. He didn't want to leave his hometown, and he felt that he wasn't capable enough and that becoming a high-ranking official would easily harm the people. So, he stayed in Dong'e County as a registrar."

"Although he doesn't hold a high official position, no one dares to offend him easily because of his father's connections. So he enjoys a leisurely life, always attending this banquet or that banquet, living a much more comfortable life than his father."

"I see..." Cheng Jun suddenly realized, clicking his tongue in amazement, "I never expected my uncle to be just like me, not only tall and strong, but also very talented."

Cheng Yaojin snorted twice and said, "He is indeed talented, but he is neither tall nor strong."

"He's different from his father. He was a skinny kid since he was a child and didn't have the talent to be a military general, which is why he fell in love with reading."

After saying that, he added, "Your cousin is just like him, he's also incredibly thin."

"You'll know when you get back."

Cheng Jun nodded slightly, having gained a clear understanding of his uncle's family from Cheng Yaojin's account. He didn't ask any more questions and quickly returned to Huaide Lane with Cheng Yaojin.

From afar, Cheng Jun saw a thin young man standing outside the Cheng residence.

Cheng Yaojin grinned and said, "This is your cousin."

The thin boy saw the two returning on horseback and quickly stepped forward, bowing to Cheng Yaojin and saying, "Uncle is back."

Cheng Yaojin nodded with a smile, and together with Cheng Jun, they dismounted. He pointed at Cheng Jun and said, "He is your third cousin. You two chat, I'll go in first."

"it is good."

Cheng Jun nodded and watched him return to his residence, then looked at the thin boy.

Just as Lao Cheng said, this kid is as skinny as a monkey.

The thin boy was also sizing up Cheng Jun, admiring his imposing figure in his xiezhi crown and light green imperial censor's robes, and bowed respectfully.

"Cousin Cheng Dong'e greets Third Cousin."

Cheng Jun walked up to him with a smile, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Have you eaten?"

Feeling his warmth, Cheng Dong'e quickly nodded and said, "I'll eat."

Cheng Jun looked at his thin cousin, who was just over 1.6 meters tall, grabbed his wrist, and walked towards the main room, saying, "Come with me to eat some more. If you eat more, you'll gain weight and won't get bullied when you go out."

Cheng Dong'e followed behind him and said, "Third cousin, no one in Jeju dares to bully me."

Cheng Jun turned around and said seriously, "This is the capital city, it's different here."

"In the capital, I have to give way to everyone I meet."

Cheng Dong'e's heart tightened. "Are the people in the capital really that powerful?"

"Yes."

Cheng Jun nodded, pulled him to sit down in the main room, and had Cheng Zhong bring over two bowls of meat soup noodles. He and Cheng Dong'e ate together, and while eating, he asked:

"How is your uncle?"

Cheng Dong'e told the truth: "I made him sick."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jun paused in his chopsticks, looked up in confusion, and asked, "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

At this time, he was still unaware of the specifics, so Cheng Dong'a told him in detail about his father's desire to take a concubine and how he had bought a coffin to send to his concubine's family.

After hearing his words, Cheng Jun frowned. Something was wrong; there was something wrong with what he said.

As a master of the Tang Dynasty non-stick pan, Cheng Jun knows very well what it means to speak the truth and not to lie.

In short, Cheng Dong'e concealed many details, which could easily influence other people's judgment.

Since he chose to conceal it, asking him directly would definitely backfire... Cheng Jun hesitated for two seconds, then decided to take a roundabout approach, put down his chopsticks, and solemnly said:

“Cousin, you did something wrong; you were too radical.”

"You can't treat your father like that."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Dong'e retorted, "I'm doing this for my mother's sake!"

Cheng Jun pressed his palm down to calm him down, and said, "Listen to me, the so-called ruler is the guide for his subjects, and the father is the guide for his son. If you do this, people will gossip."

Cheng Dong'e turned his head and said, "Let them gossip. I just don't want my father to take a concubine."

Cheng Jun asked, "Why?"

Cheng Dong'e was silent for a few seconds, then said in a low voice, "Because my mother is still alive."

This is nonsense. The Tang Dynasty was also a feudal society. Your mother being alive wouldn't affect your brother, the Duke, taking a concubine... Cheng Jun immediately made a judgment, knowing there was a problem. Seeing that he didn't speak, he didn't ask further and continued:

"If you don't want your father to take a concubine, there are plenty of ways. Why be so radical?"

“You can buy a white silk ribbon, hang it on your tree, then stand on a stool and hang it around your neck.”

"..."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Dong'e fell into deep thought. Am I radical...? I feel like I'm being a bit conservative...

Cheng Jun continued:

"Then you start shouting and yelling, alerting your father, mother, and neighbors. Then you pretend to be possessed and start blaming the concubine, saying that she has something unclean on her."

“If something unclean enters your house, your family line will be cut off and your father will have no descendants.”

"Remember, beforehand, you must arrange for a doctor to be stationed near your home. It is crucial that this doctor is from out of town; do not hire a local doctor, as it will be easily discovered."

Cheng Jun said solemnly, "When the doctor that your parents asked you to arrange comes in and examines you, proving that you are possessed by a demon, your parents and the neighbors will realize that it is not your problem, but the problem with the concubine that your father is about to take in."

"Will your father take concubines?"

Cheng Jun asserted, "Your father definitely wouldn't dare, because he's afraid too."

"During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of Han killed Gongsun He and his son Gongsun Jingsheng because he heard rumors that Gongsun Jingsheng, the son of the Han Chancellor Gongsun He, had cursed him with witchcraft. If the emperor was so zealous, what about ordinary people in the streets?"

This was during the Western Han Dynasty. Similar things happened during the Tang Dynasty. Li Junxian was executed for "deceiving the emperor and oppressing the people" because of the rumor that "a female ruler, King Wu, would rule the world."

"In this way, you can not only make your father back down, but you also won't be criticized behind your back. On the contrary, people will sympathize with you because you have become the victim."

Cheng Jun said earnestly, "Cousin, you can't be impulsive. Before you do anything, you must first clear yourself of all responsibility. Unless you are absolutely certain that you can turn danger into safety, taking risks should always be the last resort."

Cheng Dong'e listened with great admiration and said, "Third cousin, you are really amazing. I have learned it."

Cheng Jun smiled and nodded, then asked, "Now you can tell me what's going on, right? Why don't you want your father to take a concubine?"

Cheng Dong'a sighed and said, "I can't hide it from my third cousin's eyes. The concubine my father wants to take comes from an extraordinary family."

"She is the younger sister of the governor of Jeju Province."

Cheng Dong'a said indignantly, "What kind of status does she have to be my father's concubine? Doesn't she take a good look at herself in the mirror? Does she even have the qualifications? My father thinks it's because he's charming! Anyone with eyes can see that, but he doesn't think so. I had no other choice but to resort to this tactic."

Cheng Jun suddenly realized, "So, you actually came here to escape."

Cheng Dong'a said with shame, "I didn't mean to hide it, I was just afraid of causing trouble for my uncle."

Cheng Jun smiled, picked up his chopsticks and continued slurping the meat soup noodles, mumbling, "If you're here to escape from disaster, you've come to the right place. In the capital, no one dares to mess with the Cheng family."

Cheng Dong'e was stunned and said, "Third cousin, that's not what you said just now. You just said that you would give way to everyone in the capital."

Cheng Jun wolfed down a bowl of noodles, put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and said with a kind and gentle smile:

Everyone else gives me a 70/100.