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

"I'm not going to say anything more, I'm going to the palace first."

Cheng Jun stood up, glanced at the basket on the ground, bent down to pick up a flatbread, brushed off the dust, and asked, "Can I take this basket of flatbread with me?"

Du Jingjian snapped out of his daze and quickly replied, "Of course!"

Cheng Jun counted the flatbreads in the basket; there were fifteen in total. He said, "Also, could you please ask your mother to make some more flatbreads? These aren't enough."

Du Jingjian assumed he was going to take it back and asked, "Do you want it stuffed? We have mutton at home!"

"We need to add some filling..."

Cheng Jun's heart skipped a beat. He grabbed a handful of small pebbles from the ground and handed them to him, saying solemnly, "Have your mother add these in, make sure they're evenly distributed, and try to make sure every single flatbread has some."

After saying that, he clapped his hands, picked up the basket, and left the Du residence.

Du Jingjian stood there dumbfounded, holding a handful of pebbles. "Using pebbles as filling, won't it hurt your teeth?"

Cheng Jun walked out the door, untied the reins, mounted his horse, and just then saw Yuchi Baolin riding towards him.

"Brother Chuxia!"

Yu Chi Baolin raised his arm and waved, then rode up to him and asked curiously, "Didn't you send someone to tell me to come over for dinner? Why are you leaving?"

Cheng Jun gripped the reins and said, "I have something to attend to right now and need to go to the palace. I'll be back later."

"Go to Du Jingjian's house first and keep watch at the door for me."

Yu Chi Baolin sensed the underlying meaning and asked, "What happened?"

"The people from the Ministry of Personnel are causing trouble."

Yu Chi Baolin rolled up his sleeves and patted his chest, saying, "Ministry of Personnel? Which ignorant clerk is causing trouble? I'll take care of him for you!"

Cheng Jun pondered for a moment and said, "It could be Changsun Wuji, or it could be Liu Linfu."

"..."

Yu Chi Baolin scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Then I'll have to ask my father to step in!"

He couldn't afford to offend either of them—the Minister of Personnel or the Vice Minister of Personnel!

Cheng Jun shook his head and said, "Uncle Yuchi is guarding the palace gate right now. If he comes, it will be considered dereliction of duty, and the censors will impeach him if they find out."

Seeing his worried expression, Cheng Jun smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm confident in handling this. You just need to guard the door for me and not let anyone in until I get back."

Yu Chi Baolin immediately perked up, "Then I'll go find someone to help!"

Cheng Jun patted his shoulder and said, "It's up to you now!"

"Go with peace of mind, Brother Chuxia!"

…………

Before heading to the palace, Cheng Jun returned home to change into his imperial censor's robes and put on his xiezhi crown before riding his horse to the palace.

After tying the reins, Cheng Jun carried a basket of flatbreads to the outside of Chengtian Gate. In the distance, he saw Yuchi Jingde leaning against the red-lacquered palace gate, yawning incessantly.

"Uncle Yuchi, have you eaten?"

Cheng Jun walked over, picked out a clean flatbread from the basket, and handed it over.

Yuchi Jingde's eyes lit up. He took the flatbread, took a bite, and mumbled as he chewed, "How did you know I was hungry...? This flatbread is delicious. Where did you buy it?"

Cheng Jun laughed and said, "It was made by a friend of mine."

Yuchi Jingde sized him up, noticing he was wearing official robes, and asked, "Are you going to the palace?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go and advise you."

Yuchi Jingde waved his hand and said, "Go...get me two more cakes!"

Cheng Jun handed him two more flatbreads, then walked into the palace gate, inquired about the Emperor's presence in the Ganlu Hall, and went straight there.

…………

Ganlu Temple.

Cheng Jun arrived at the entrance of the main hall and looked inside.

At this moment, Li Shimin, dressed in ordinary clothes, squatted in front of the screen, looking down at the memorials, and occasionally picked up the purple brush to write down the deeds of the governors and prefects of various places on the screen.

The characters above possess a unique beauty in their strokes; some strokes resemble shooting stars piercing the sky, others cascading down cliffs like waterfalls, some stretch out like cotton threads, and others flutter like strands of hair in the wind.

They are varied and beautiful.

Cheng Jun clapped his hands loudly and said, "Well written!"

Li Shimin was concentrating on writing on the screen when he heard the sound. He was so startled that his whole body trembled, and his hand shook, causing wavy lines to appear on his brushstrokes. His face darkened, and he turned to glare at Cheng Jun, saying, "Are you a ghost? You came over without making a sound?"

Cheng Jun explained, "I was so engrossed in what I was watching that I couldn't help myself. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!"

Li Shimin snorted, put down the memorial and the purple-tipped brush in his hand, and then saw the purple-robed eunuch returning after delivering the imperial edict. He asked, "Who was the gatekeeper guarding the palace gate today?"

Zhang Anan immediately replied, "It is the Duke of Wu!"

"I knew it was him!"

Li Shimin put on a stern face and said, "Send someone to tell Yuchi Jingde that if he dares to let people in without informing the authorities again, he can stop guarding the palace gates and go guard the city gates!"

"The slaves obey the orders!"

After Zhang Anan left, Li Shimin turned to look at Cheng Jun, who was holding a basket. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I have a question..."

Seeing that he was about to beat around the bush again, Li Shimin immediately interrupted him, saying, "Don't try that, just say it!"

Cheng Jun held up the basket in his hand, revealing the remaining twelve flatbreads inside to him. He took one out and said, "Your Majesty, I have brought you food."

"This is... a flatbread?"

Li Shimin examined it for a long time, but couldn't see any sesame seeds. He looked up and asked, "Did you buy it from a commoner?"

Cheng Jun nodded, then cut the flatbread in half and handed one half to him, saying, "Your Majesty can try it and see how it tastes."

After saying that, he took a bite and chewed it, looking like he was enjoying it.

Seeing that he had eaten, Li Shimin broke off a small piece and put it in his mouth. He found it tasted surprisingly good and asked while eating, "Why did you think of sending me food?"

Cheng Jun quickly finished half a flatbread, wiped his mouth, and solemnly asked, "How does Your Majesty find the taste?"

"It is sweet and delicious, and although it has no sesame seeds, it is still very tasty."

Li Shimin commented.

Cheng Jun looked down and searched in the basket, then took out a flatbread and handed it to him, saying, "Your Majesty, try this one too."

Li Shimin hadn't had enough to eat, so without thinking, he picked up a piece and took a bite, then suddenly frowned.

"Your Majesty, what does this cake taste like?"

Li Shimin frowned and said, "It tastes bitter and is a bit hard to chew."

Cheng Jun nodded and said, "When I was making the flatbread, this piece accidentally fell to the ground and got dusty."

"Bah bah bah!"

Li Shimin's expression changed, and he immediately vomited, coughed a few times, and glared at him, saying, "Then you still dare to give it to me?"

Cheng Jun looked at him solemnly and said, "How can one know sweetness without suffering, or wealth without poverty? I just want Your Majesty to taste bitterness and know sweetness, to recall the hardships of starting a business in the past, and to cherish the abundance of the present."

"Since ancient times, it has been difficult to establish a country, but it is even more difficult to maintain it. King Goujian of Yue was able to conquer Wu because he endured hardship and humiliation."

"Qin Shi Huang unified the world, thus establishing a foundation for six generations of rule."

"Emperor Wu of Han drove the Xiongnu far away, which led to the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing."

Cheng Jun looked at Li Shimin, who seemed to be deep in thought, and continued, "Moreover, it is as Zhuge Liang wrote in his Memorial on the Expedition: 'The late emperor passed away before he had completed his great undertaking, which shows that founding a country is not easy, and maintaining it is even more difficult.'"

"Now, eleven years after the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the people are still impoverished and all industries are in need of revitalization. I am advising Your Majesty today so that you will not forget the past and will always remember the bitterness and appreciate the sweetness. Only in this way can you be called a wise ruler of the world!"

Li Shimin stared at him, his words like a bucket of cold water poured over his newly ignited anger, calming him completely. After pondering for a long time, he nodded slightly, both annoyed and relieved, and said:

"You, when you offer advice, you always manage to come up with something new."

…………

happy New Year to all!

There will be an extra chapter coming soon!