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

"Surrender?"

Li Shimin looked at him with a strange expression, "Your answer is beyond my expectations."

Why did you say you would surrender?

Cheng Jun said, "Where our Tang army goes, the Turks flee at the mere sight of them. Jieli has retreated again and again, clearly having lost the will to resist. He has no choice but to surrender or be destroyed. Therefore, I boldly guess that the Turks will surrender."

Li Shimin pondered for a moment, then gave him an approving look. "Your guess is indeed bold, but it is certainly possible."

"Then, let me ask you, do you believe the Turks truly surrendered?"

Cheng Jun shook his head and said, "It's called surrendering, but it's actually a delaying tactic."

Li Shimin said with a smile, "To think of this, you have already surpassed most of the court officials."

After saying that, he rubbed his hands together and continued:

"If the Turks really want to surrender, it can only mean that Jieli wants to preserve himself and plans to make a comeback next year."

"I know Jieli best."

"However, if Jieli wants to delay, I can use this to keep him in check and buy Li Jing an opportunity."

Do you know how to keep him calm?

Seeing Li Shimin cast a glance his way, Cheng Jun hesitated for two seconds, then shook his head and said, "Your subject does not know."

Li Shimin's expression turned serious, and he said, "No, you know."

Cheng Jun's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. What did he mean? He decisively denied it, saying:

"I truly do not know!"

Li Shimin firmly replied, "I know you know, you're just pretending not to."

“I suddenly remembered that time when you showed me the elm wood cannon, you asked me if you would be sent to the Turks.”

"I was puzzled at the time as to why you thought that way, but now I understand."

Li Shimin looked intently at Cheng Jun and said, "Back then, you already foresaw that our Tang soldiers could defeat the Turks and make them surrender, and therefore you judged that the Turks were not really surrendering, but were just stalling for time."

"You've also deduced that I will send someone to the Turks under the guise of appeasement to relax their guard. Is that right?"

"..."

Cheng Jun stared at him with wide eyes. "Did I think that much? How come I, the person involved, didn't know?"

"Cheng Jun, you have the talent of a prime minister!"

Li Shimin's voice rang out again in the carriage.

Cheng Jun snapped out of his daze and immediately explained, "Your Majesty, I never thought that way."

Li Shimin laughed and scolded, "Now that things have come to this, you're still hiding your abilities? Do you really think I'm blind?"

"However, you should also know that a talented person, no matter how well they try to hide their talents, will always leave clues."

"Anyone who is willing to think carefully can figure it out, just like me right now!"

Seeing Li Shimin's bright eyes looking in their direction, Cheng Jun twitched the corner of his mouth.

This isn't just speculation, it's pure imagination!

Just then, Li Shimin asked with a hint of confusion, "Minister Cheng, why don't you want to go to the Turks? Are you afraid of dying?"

Cheng Jun shook his head and said, "I am not afraid of death."

Li Shimin nodded and said, "In that case, I will send you."

"..."

Is this conversation correct...? Cheng Jun's breath hitched.

If I say I'm afraid of death, would that make me a coward who clings to life?

Isn't this like herding pigs through an alley where both ends are blocked?

Cheng Jun pursed his lips, looked at Li Shimin, and asked:

"Your Majesty has ordered me to go, and I have no choice but to accept. However, I have a question."

"As an imperial censor, if I were to go to the Turks to offer them peace, wouldn't Jieli think that our Great Tang is just going through the motions?"

"Could this make him realize that our Great Tang actually harbors ulterior motives?"

Li Shimin frowned; that was indeed true.

When sending an envoy to appease the Turks, officials from the Court of State Ceremonial should be selected.

Since it concerns the matter of surrendering, it would be appropriate for the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies to go there in person.

"Our Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies of the Great Tang Dynasty is currently busy preparing for the establishment of an embassy in the three kingdoms of Haidong and cannot get away from it."

Li Shimin frowned and asked, "Minister Cheng, what do you think we should do?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, finally getting Old Li back on the right track, and said earnestly:

"That's simple. Your Majesty can first dismiss the former Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies and appoint a new one."

Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "You are not suitable."

That's why I said, if I were suitable, why would I bring this up... Cheng Jun thought to himself.

Just as Cheng Jun was preparing to recommend the most suitable candidate.

Li Shimin then said, "But you can temporarily take on this responsibility."

"..."

Cheng Jun's expression froze, and he stared at him blankly.

Li Shimin's expression was solemn, as if he were not joking, and he said in a deep voice:

"Minister Cheng, listen to my decree!"

"Effective immediately, I hereby appoint you to temporarily serve as Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial!"

"In this way, you will be both an imperial censor and the eyes and ears of the emperor, as well as the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies. Jieli will definitely feel the sincerity of our Great Tang!"

Cheng Jun's facial muscles twitched. "I can't get around this now, can I?" he said patiently. "Your Majesty, isn't it too early for you to issue an edict now? The Turks haven't even sent anyone to surrender yet."

Li Shimin sneered, "If you don't surrender, I'll destroy your country immediately!"

Cheng Jun asked, "What if it's lowered?"

Li Shimin sneered again, "If you surrender, your country will be destroyed soon!"

So, the Turks weren't asking for surrender, they were asking for a golden statue, right...? Cheng Jun twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Cheng Jun, why haven't you accepted the imperial decree yet?"

Li Shimin's authoritative voice rang out from inside the carriage.

Cheng Jun had no choice but to sit up straight and bow, saying, "Your subject receives the imperial decree."

Li Shimin smiled and said:

“Minister Cheng, the reason I sent you is because I now fully understand your intentions.”

"You forged flintlock muskets for this very moment, didn't you?"

"That's for someone else..." Cheng Jun thought silently to himself.

The reason he had flintlock muskets made was to give them to the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, who was sent to the Turks to appease them, for self-defense.

Now that's settled, we don't need that Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies anymore; we'll keep him for ourselves.

Seeing that Cheng Jun remained silent, Li Shimin took it as tacit agreement and his smile deepened. He said:

"Now, when I think back to what you said back then, I finally understand that you were already volunteering at that time!"

Please stop imagining things... Cheng Jun felt he was about to break down.

Li Shimin, however, became increasingly excited as he spoke, patted Cheng Jun on the shoulder, and said:

"Minister Cheng, I should have discovered your intentions sooner. Fortunately, I have discovered them now, and it is timely!"

"Don't worry, I won't give this honor to anyone else. I will definitely choose you, and no one can persuade me otherwise!"

Outside Huai De Fang, Cheng Jun stood at the gate, looking dazed.

After dropping him off here, Li Shimin's carriage returned to the palace.

Cheng Jun didn't know how he got down, nor did he know when Li Shimin left.

After a long while, he rubbed his cheeks, suddenly remembered something, turned to look in the direction where Li Shimin's carriage had left, and muttered to himself:

"Wasn't it supposed to be a clandestine visit? It's over before it even started?"