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

Your Royal Highness?

The Crown Prince actually came to the banquet?

Everyone was taken aback and quickly stood up, bowing in Li Chengqian's direction as they said:

"Meet His Highness the Crown Prince."

Li Chengqian smiled and waved his hand, saying, "We're all here for the banquet, so there's no need for formalities. Please sit down."

Cheng Jun spread his palm and pointed into the room, saying, "Your Highness, please come in."

As he spoke, he led Li Chengqian into the house and sat him in a high position.

The talented young men in the neighborhood watched Li Chengqian chatting and laughing with Cheng Jun, and were secretly excited.

What is the Crown Prince's status? He's the future heir apparent.

What kind of treatment is it to eat with them?

Just thinking about it is enough to excite them.

The women also looked at Li Chengqian, observing his demeanor and temperament. At this moment, Li Chengqian's behavior was natural, and his smile was very approachable.

As expected of the Crown Prince, he looks every bit the part of a ruler...

The sons of military generals were quite carefree, especially Yuchi Baolin, who was the first to toast Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian accepted all their toasts with a smile.

Cheng Jun then introduced them to Li Chengqian in a low voice, "Your Highness, this is Du Jingjian, and this is Zhang Wenguan. These two men have the talent of prime ministers."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian's eyes lit up.

To receive such a comment from Cheng Jun, these two people are clearly quite accomplished.

Moreover, although Cheng Jun was talking about these two people, he was pointing at other people with his finger.

Clearly, they are all talented individuals.

Li Chengqian immediately struck up a conversation with them.

The sons of military officers and the women were not left out either.

Cheng Jun discovered that Li Chengqian had been suppressed too much in the past, which led to his self-abandonment.

His future looks bright, and his approachable manner and humor kept the room filled with laughter.

This must be the scene of clinking glasses, rising and sitting, making noise, and all the guests enjoying themselves... Cheng Jun also smiled and occasionally chimed in, further enhancing the atmosphere in the room.

Just then, a loud laugh rang out from outside, "Your Highness is in high spirits!"

Li Chengqian went to investigate upon hearing the sound and found an elderly man in his fifties, dressed in a purple robe, standing at the doorway, smiling at him. He recognized the man immediately and exclaimed in surprise:

"Chancellor Kong?"

Cheng Jun also looked over, and the person who came was none other than Kong Yingda, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

Upon hearing the other person's name, everyone in the room immediately stood up and bowed.

The crown prince was no exception.

Cheng Jun bowed in return, then asked curiously, "Chancellor Kong, you're here too?"

Kong Yingda first smiled and nodded to everyone in the room, then looked at Cheng Jun and said:

"I have come here today to attend a friend's banquet."

Cheng Chumo asked curiously, "Really? What's your friend's name?"

Kong Yingda looked at Cheng Chumo and said with a smile, "My friend is in the next room. Would you like me to introduce you?"

Cheng Chumo stood up, grinned, and said, "Okay!"

Cheng Chuliang also stood up and said, "I'll go too!"

Kong Yingda's face stiffened; he really hadn't expected to run into two hotheads who would try to sabotage him.

The crown prince seemed somewhat tempted and said, "Then I'll go and see them too?"

Kong Yingda was silent for a few seconds, then looked at Cheng Jun and gave him a wink.

The friend you mentioned, could it be yourself...? Cheng Jun muttered to himself, having already made up his mind, and said:

"Since there are many of us, we won't bother Chief Minister Kong."

As he spoke, he strode to the door, stood beside Kong Yingda, and asked in a low voice:

"Did Chancellor Kong come to see me?"

Kong Yingda secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded slightly.

Cheng Jun pointed inside the room, "Let's talk inside."

Kong Yingda said in a low voice, "I just told them I was coming to the banquet..."

Cheng Jun replied softly, "Since you're already here, we'll toast you round and round to show our politeness. Would you do us the honor of sitting down and having a drink with us? It'll show you care about the young. What's the reason?"

Kong Yingda's eyes flashed, and he smiled, saying, "It's truly hard to refuse such kindness."

Cheng Jun smiled and said, "Please come in, Master Kong."

Kong Yingda immediately followed him into the house, and under Cheng Jun's guidance, sat down next to His Highness the Crown Prince.

Cheng Jun looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Your Highness, shall we offer a toast to Confucius?"

Li Chengqian immediately picked up his wine cup and offered a toast.

Kong Yingda smiled and picked up his wine glass, raised it in greeting, and then took a small sip.

Cheng Jun gave the others a wink, and they immediately understood and came over to toast Kong Yingda.

Kong Yingda accepted everyone's invitations without hesitation. After going around to each person, he finally put down his wine glass and, taking the opportunity, revealed his purpose, looking at Cheng Jun and saying:

"I was having drinks with a friend next door when we talked about you."

“My friend suggested that I invite you to the Imperial Academy to give a lecture to the students.”

"I was just pondering this matter when I heard from the waiter at Qingfenlou that you were hosting a banquet here. It seems this is the will of Heaven. Nephew Chuxia, what do you think?"

Giving a lecture? I've never done anything like this since I transmigrated to the Tang Dynasty... Cheng Jun pondered for two seconds and said:

"I'm not a Doctor of the Imperial Academy, nor a great Confucian scholar; I'm just an Imperial Censor. How can I possibly lecture at the Imperial Academy?"

Kong Yingda waved his hand and said, "Of course it wouldn't work for anyone else, but you're different."

“You are now very famous in Chang’an. Half of the students in the Imperial Academy who are a few years older than you admire you. Moreover, I believe you have the ability to do so.”

Kong Yingda solemnly said, "Besides, if His Majesty hadn't arrived early and prevented the academic exchange between the Imperial Academy and the Hongwen Academy when we went to the Hongwen Academy for academic exchange, you would have already been hired as a teacher by the Imperial Academy."

"Therefore, both morally and logically, you have the right to do so."

Cheng Jun asked in confusion, "I don't understand, why do you suddenly want me to give lectures at the Imperial Academy?"

At this moment, not only him, but also more than a hundred people including the Crown Prince, were looking at Kong Yingda with curiosity, waiting for him to continue.

Kong Yingda said in a deep voice: "After the academic exchange with Hongwen Academy, I have always felt that if you stir up the waters of the Imperial Academy, perhaps fish will emerge."

That makes it sound like I'm just a stick... Cheng Jun thought to himself, thank goodness, Old Kong was just talking about a stick that stirs up water...

Kong Yingda continued, "To put it bluntly, I want to instill in the students of the Imperial Academy a kind of thought other than Confucianism."

"Originally, I intended to look within the Imperial Academy, but after searching around, I discovered that none of the scholars there possessed the kind of thinking I was looking for."

Kong Yingda solemnly said, "After much thought, I believe that the only person in the entire city of Chang'an who can satisfy me is you."