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

"Your Majesty is absolutely right!"

Cheng Jun's voice instantly resounded throughout the Ganlu Hall.

He didn't refute me... Li Shimin felt a chill run down his spine.

Given Cheng Jun's personality, he would definitely stand up and refute on the spot when he was at a disadvantage.

But now he's acting completely out of character. What is he planning to do? Is he holding back something even bigger for him?

The more Li Shimin thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He tensed up and stared intently at Cheng Jun.

Cheng Jun continued, "According to His Majesty, gambling is illegal."

“It is also illegal for ordinary people who do not know each other to gamble together.”

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's eyes narrowed. Shouldn't this kid be bringing up the emperor himself? Why is he bringing up the common people?

If you want to refute him, you don't need to go through such a long and roundabout way, do you?

This is almost outside the city!

Cheng Jun continued:

"I have heard that a gambling craze has recently swept through the capital."

"As far as I know, there was a man who was addicted to gambling. In the end, he sold his daughter into a brothel. When his son grew up, he was no different from his father and became addicted to gambling. He was forced by the people in the gambling den to go to the brothel to ask him for money from his sister."

"Among them, the woman's father is certainly hateful, and the woman's brother is despicable, but what is even more hateful and despicable is the gambling den at its core!"

Cheng Jun cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said earnestly:

"Since Your Majesty has realized that gambling is the problem, you should not remain indifferent. I request Your Majesty to issue an edict to shut down gambling dens and eradicate the unhealthy trend of gambling in order to reassure the people."

"..."

Li Shimin stared at him blankly, and after waiting for so long, this was it?

So it has nothing to do with me?

Li Shimin was both relieved and puzzled, but he couldn't directly ask him why he didn't refute him.

After all, what if he suddenly turns around and comes back to challenge you if you ask him that question?

But without asking, Li Shimin couldn't resist his curiosity and pondered:

"Minister Cheng, this has nothing to do with playing chess, does it?"

Cheng Jun said solemnly, "It is related! Because Your Majesty just mentioned the prize and gambling, I remembered this matter."

Li Shimin was completely relieved and said, "You're right."

If he's wrong, I'm afraid I'll have to give up the new golden scepter today.

Li Shimin turned to Zhang Anan beside him and said, "Anan, draft an imperial edict for him."

Zhang Anan immediately accepted the decree and went to the side to begin drafting it.

Li Shimin turned his gaze to Cheng Jun and said:

"I'm entrusting this matter to you. Go and get to work."

"The minister obeys the order."

Cheng Jun bowed, and after Zhang Anan finished drafting the imperial edict and handed it over, he took the edict and bowed again, saying:

"My minister retire."

Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "Go, go!"

After Cheng Jun left, Li Shimin began to move the chess pieces on the board again. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked up sharply and said:

"Wait a minute, what's this kid doing here?"

Zhang Anan, who was helping to pick up the chess pieces from the board on the opposite side, saw this and said:

"It seems that Imperial Censor Cheng didn't say anything, he just received the imperial decree and left."

"Should I call him back?"

Li Shimin frowned and pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Never mind, let him be."

It seems it really wasn't a big deal, otherwise he wouldn't have left without saying a word.

Li Shimin was completely relieved and began playing chess with Zhang Anan.

Meanwhile, Cheng Jun left the palace, satisfied with the imperial edict.

He originally thought it would take him half an hour to get Li Shimin inside.

To my utter surprise, before he even began to maneuver, Li Shimin had already leaped into the arms of the fisherman like a fisherman in water, thus turning the tables on himself!

Cheng Jun thought to himself, "Old Li probably still doesn't understand."

After leaving the Vermilion Bird Gate, he rode his Ferghana horse to the Joyful Cloud Tower.

"Third brother! Over here!"

Just as he approached Leyun Tower, Cheng Chumo's voice came over.

Cheng Jun glanced at him and saw Cheng Chumo standing at the entrance of Leyun Tower. He immediately spurred his horse to him, looked around, and seeing no one else, asked:

"Where are my second brother and Li Dejiang?"

Cheng Chumo said, "When I came back, they had already been arrested."

Cheng Jun asked, "Where did they take them?"

Cheng Chumo replied, "Wannian County Government Office!"

Wannian County Government Office... Cheng Jun paused for a moment and asked, "Wannian County Government Office has a new Wannian Magistrate?"

Cheng Chumo nodded and said, "Yes, I heard from the yamen runners of Wannian County that the new magistrate of Wannian just took office today!"

Cheng Jun said no more, gripped the reins, turned his horse around, and said, "Brother, come with me to Wannian County Government Office!"

.............

Xuanyangfang, Wannian County Government Office.

A middle-aged man in his thirties sat in the government office, looking down at the scarlet official robe he was wearing, still finding it unbelievable.

His name was Wei Yaoguang, and he came from the Wei family of Jingzhao. He was originally the magistrate of Jingyang County, but suddenly the Ministry of Personnel issued a transfer order to him to be the magistrate of Wannian County.

The magistrate of Jingyang County was a seventh-rank official, while the magistrate of Wannian County was only a fifth-rank official.

This speed of promotion is enough to make others envious.

Wei Yaoguang had also learned about the situation and knew that it was the Minister of Personnel, Changsun Wuji, who petitioned His Majesty, thinking that he was good enough to be the Magistrate of Wannian. After His Majesty's approval, he had the opportunity to wear this uniform.

"I have never met Changsun Wuji before... Why did he promote me?"

Wei Yaoguang muttered to himself, "Could it be because of my father, who is the Prefect of Longzhou?"

"Is it because of my uncle who is a Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate, my uncle who is a Prefect, and another uncle who is a Vice Minister of Rites?"

"It can't be because of my cousin who's a royal concubine, can it?"

Wei Yaoguang frowned as he pondered.

He felt that anyone could be a potential candidate, after all, they had played a crucial role in his rise to the position of Wan Nian Ling.

He carefully reflected on his past and found that his career had been very smooth.

At the age of twenty, he became a county lieutenant through family connections, then a county assistant, and finally the magistrate of Jingyang County.

Now, he's already wearing a red official robe.

He estimated that in another ten to fifteen years, when he was forty to forty-five years old, he should be able to wear a purple robe.

"May everything go smoothly and peacefully..."

Wei Yaoguang thought to himself.

Just then, he suddenly heard the sound of the grievance drum. He frowned, looked at the county magistrate sitting beside him, and asked:

"Is someone trying to seek justice?"

The county magistrate of Wannian was a man around forty years old. He had been sizing up his newly appointed young superior, secretly doubting his ability to govern the county. Upon hearing the question, he quickly stood up, cupped his hands, and said:

"I heard it too."

Wei Yaoguang hadn't expected that on his first day in office, someone would be beating the grievance drum. Not daring to be careless, he stood up and said solemnly:

"Prepare for court to begin."