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

Du Jingjian shook his head and said, "The eunuch Zhang in the palace said that we have three days to consider it. After we have made up our minds, we will tell him and then go to our respective departments to take up our posts."

Cheng Jun asked curiously, "Have you decided which government office you want to go to?"

Du Jingjian's expression turned serious as he said, "I wish to go to the Censorate!"

Cheng Jun was surprised, "With me?"

Du Jingjian pursed his lips and said, "My mother and I have been bullied by the neighborhood chief for years. After seeing Brother Chuxia deal with Zhu Fangzheng today, I yearn for the Censorate. If I can become a censor, Zhu Fangzheng will not dare to treat me like this again!"

“The Censorate is indeed impressive,” Yuchi Baolin said, shoveling a couple of mouthfuls of rice into his mouth and chewing his cheek. “Look how capable Brother Chuxia is! An eighth-rank official, yet he dares to go against a fourth-rank vice minister! Even a lowly official can wield great power!”

Du Jingjian asked expectantly, "What do you think of me going to the Censorate, Brother Chuxia?"

Cheng Jun shook his head and said, "It's best not to go."

"Why?"

Not only was Du Jingjian puzzled, but Du's mother and Yuchi Baolin were also confused.

Cheng Jun explained, “You see me as successful on the surface, but behind this success, I have offended a lot of people. Fortunately, my father is the Duke of Su, so they dare not do anything to me. If I didn’t have a background, I would have packed my bags and left the Censorate by now, let alone going against the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel today.”

"The reason why the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel dares not do anything to me is because my father is the Duke of Su, and many military officials in the court are on my side. If you, Brother Jingjian, were to go to the Censorate, given our relationship, you would definitely be seen as a thorn in the side by many ministers in the court. They would not dare to lay a hand on me, but they would definitely take their anger out on you!"

Upon hearing this, Du's mother turned her head and said, "Jingjian, what Cheng Sanlang said makes sense. You'd better not go to the Censorate!"

"Then where should I go?"

Du Jingjian looked somewhat confused and turned to Cheng Jun, hoping to get an answer from him.

Cheng Jun pondered for a moment and said, "I suggest you go to the Ministry of Justice."

"The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate are the Three Judicial Offices. Go to the Ministry of Justice to gain experience first. If you want to become a censor in the future, having experience in the Ministry of Justice will make you more adept at handling matters."

Upon hearing this, Du Jingjian's eyes lit up. "Brother Chuxia is absolutely right. I'll head to the Ministry of Justice now! I'll offer Brother Chuxia another bowl of wine!"

Cheng Jun smiled and picked up the wine bowl, taking a sip.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, Cheng Jun continued chatting with them to strengthen their friendship. In the afternoon, he stood up and said apologetically, "I have to go to the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice this afternoon to handle criminal cases, so I can't stay any longer!"

Du Jingjian quickly stood up and said, "Then I'll see you off!"

Cheng Jun smiled, and seeing that Yu Chi Baolin had also stood up, asked, "Where are you going?"

Looking at the cleaned-up table, Yu Chi Baolin said matter-of-factly, "I've finished eating, so of course I'm going home."

"You can't go."

Cheng Jun pulled him aside and whispered, "You have to keep an eye on this side for me."

Yu Chi Baolin asked doubtfully, "You've already sent the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel to the Imperial Medical Academy, what are you still worried about?"

Cheng Jun asked, "Do you think that the clerks who arrested money framed Brother Jingjian were actually Liu Shilang's doing?"

Yu Chi Baolin replied matter-of-factly, "That's right!"

"Have you forgotten that there's someone above Vice Minister Liu?"

"Minister of Personnel Changsun Wuji?" Yuchi Baolin immediately perked up. "Is he involved in this matter?"

Cheng Jun nodded and offered his guess: "The clerks who collect money are responsible for accumulating wealth for the country. Those who make contributions are granted official positions by the Ministry of Personnel. Although Liu Linfu is the Vice Minister of Personnel, he cannot accomplish what he wants without the approval of the Minister of Personnel."

"Moreover, among the people who came today, there are people from the Dali Temple. Liu Linfu doesn't have the ability to get people from the Dali Temple to come and help. It can only be Changsun Wuji!"

Yu Chi Baolin said in astonishment, "If it really is Changsun Wuji, then isn't staying here just waiting to die?"

Cheng Jun said with a solemn expression, "I hope my guess is wrong, but we still have to be careful. Anyway, you stay here for now. Before I come back, you must guard the Du family's gate and not let anyone in!"

Yu Chi Baolin's throat tightened: "I'm a little scared... That's Changsun Wuji. The Empress is his younger sister, the Crown Prince is his nephew, and do you know how close he is to His Majesty?"

Worried that Cheng Jun might not understand, Yu Chi Baolin explained:

“I heard my father say that when His Majesty summoned Changsun Wuji two years ago, Changsun Wuji forgot to remove his sword before entering the palace. It is a great disrespect and threat to His Majesty for a subject to bring a sharp weapon into the palace.”

"According to the laws of our Great Tang Dynasty, he should have been sentenced to death. Guess what His Majesty did?"

"His Majesty invoked the 'Eight Deliberations' law and ultimately settled the matter with a fine!"

The so-called "Eight Deliberations" refers to the legal provisions that when eight specific categories of people commit crimes, the three judicial departments cannot directly try them. Instead, they need to petition the emperor, who will then convene the prime ministers to discuss the matter. Finally, the results will be reported to the emperor, who will then make a final decision.

Yuchi Baolin said seriously, "So if Changsun Wuji really wants to deal with you, then no matter how eloquent you are, Brother Chuxia, His Majesty will absolutely not stand on your side!"

"If what you suspect is true, I advise you to leave Du Jingjian alone..."

Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Jun raised his hand to interrupt him, saying, "No!"

"I must protect him with my life!"

The Ministry of Personnel's actions against Du Jingjian were specifically aimed at him.

If Du Jingjian is convicted for this, the talented people in the neighborhood will definitely avoid him like the plague, and his reputation will inevitably plummet.

Therefore, protecting Du Jingjian is protecting ourselves!

Moreover, Du Jingjian is innocent.

Seeing his resolute attitude, Yu Chi Baolin gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, I'll accompany you to the death. Go with peace of mind. As long as I have a breath left, I will never let anyone into the Du family's gate!"

What a wonderful person... Cheng Jun patted his shoulder and said sincerely, "Brother Baolin is willing to share my hardships. From now on, your affairs are my affairs!"

"This time, I won't leave you to guard the goal alone either."

Cheng Jun said, "Send someone to my house later and call my eldest and second eldest brothers over. With them there, they can share some of your burden."

Yu Chi Baolin's eyes lit up and he said, "I'll send someone over right away. Don't delay, go and get on with your business."

"it is good!"

Cheng Jun smiled, then bid farewell to Du Jingjian and his mother, left the Du family home, untied the reins from the tree trunk, mounted his horse in one smooth motion, and headed towards the imperial city.