Tang Dynasty: Taking the Empress Dowager to a brothel, Father Emperor, what a coincidence!

Cui Mingan punched Changsun Wuji in the eye socket, and Changsun Wuji grabbed Cui Mingan's beard and pulled it down with all his might.

The two rolled around on the ground.

The civil officials split into two factions, cheering each other on from the sidelines.

Wei Zheng stood aside, angrily pointing at the two wrestling on the ground and cursing them for their disgrace to literature.

Li Shimin, on the other hand, was watching with great interest.

This is a rare sight indeed.

With Changsun Wuji breaking ties with the aristocratic families, the balance of power in the court will be much easier to manage in the future.

Li Chengqian watched the two fight back and forth using only a few moves, and yawned out of boredom.

He looked around, and while everyone's attention was on the two of them, he slipped away to the ranks of the generals.

The military officers' side was already bustling with activity.

As Cheng Yaojin read, he kept muttering to himself:

"Hey, hey, hey, Changsun Wuji, you're no good at this! What's the use of scratching your beard? Kick my balls!!"

Yuchi Jingde watched from the side, his lips pursed in disapproval.

"It's no fun fighting among civil officials. If I were in their shoes, I could kick that old fox Cui Mingan to death with one kick."

Niu Jinda crossed his arms and snorted coldly:

"Shut up. If you really go up there, the memorials from the Censorate tomorrow will be enough to bury your front door."

Li Chengqian moved closer to Cheng Yaojin and poked his lower back.

"Uncle Cheng, are you watching a play?"

Cheng Yaojin was engrossed in watching and, without turning his head, pried Li Chengqian's hand away:

"Stop fooling around, this is getting interesting. That old fox Changsun is going to suffer."

Li Chengqian took out a cloth bag from his sleeve and waved it in front of Cheng Yaojin.

"Uncle Cheng, just looking around isn't very interesting. I brought some fun things to keep you entertained?"

Cheng Yaojin then turned his head and looked suspiciously at the cloth bag in Li Chengqian's hand.

Yuchi Jingde and Niu Jinda also gathered around at this time.

Li Chengqian untied the cloth bag, inside which were a dozen or so palm-sized wooden mechanisms.

"What is this thing?"

Cheng Yaojin reached out and grabbed one, curiously turning it over and over in his hand.

Li Chengqian said with a grin:

"This is called the miniature version of Zhuge Repeating Crossbow."

I had the carpenter at the Crown Prince's Palace make this when I was bored. Standing during court sessions is too boring, so I can hold it in my hands and stretch my muscles.

Upon hearing that it was a repeating crossbow, Yuchi Jingde immediately snatched one away.

"Your Highness, how far can this thing shoot?"

Yuchi Jingde fumbled with the mechanism on it and asked.

Li Chengqian pretended to think and said:

"It can't shoot very far, only about ten paces. It's filled with unsharpened wooden sticks, not even iron spikes."

"If it hits someone, it'll only leave a red mark; it won't even break the skin."

Cheng Yaojin said with a smile:

"That's wonderful. Your Highness is so thoughtful; I was just feeling bored standing here at the court assembly."

Li Chengqian generously addressed the surrounding military officers:

"Let's share this, one for each person, just to pass the time."

The officers rushed forward and quickly divided up the dozen or so wooden crossbows.

Li Chengqian picked one up and pointed to the wooden piece on the side to demonstrate for them:

"Watch closely, grip this hanging knife with your fingers, and press it back."

There's a spring in the wooden box on top, which allows the stick to fly out.

"Never point your finger at someone's face! It's no joke if it pokes their eye."

The military officers nodded repeatedly, each holding the wooden crossbow with obvious delight.

These people usually enjoy playing with knives and guns at home, so how could they not like this exquisite little gadget?

Cheng Yaojin held the wooden repeating crossbow, his thumb stroking the hanging blade.

He completely ignored Li Chengqian's warning, his mind solely focused on studying the structure of this thing.

"Can this thing really fire in rapid succession?"

Cheng Yaojin muttered something, raised the wooden crossbow to his chest, and aimed at the center of the hall.

At this moment, Changsun Wuji and Cui Mingan were exhausted from the fight. The two were clutching each other's collars and panting heavily on the ground.

Wang Gui couldn't stand it any longer, so he stepped out from the ranks of civil officials, ready to step forward and mediate the fight.

"My lords, please stop immediately! What kind of behavior is this?"

Wang Gui shouted as he walked forward.

Cheng Yaojin's fingers suddenly gripped the suspended blade.

"Whoosh!"

A wooden stick, about the thickness of a toothpick, shot out of the wooden box.

"what!"

Wang Gui screamed and fell backward, clutching his forehead with both hands.

Everyone was bewildered by this sudden situation.

Changsun Wuji and Cui Mingan were so frightened that they let go of his hand and stared blankly at Wang Gui lying to the side.

What's going on?

We're fighting and you're trying to scam me?

Wang Gui was seen clutching his forehead, where the small wooden stick was stuck right in the center.

"There's an assassin!"

Someone shouted.

Chaos erupted instantly inside the Taiji Hall.

The civil officials quickly hid behind the pillars.

Li Shimin suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up from the dragon throne.

"Imperial Guards! Protect the Emperor!"

Wang De stood in front of Li Shimin and shouted.

The Imperial Guards outside the hall rushed in and surrounded the dragon throne.

Li Shimin pushed aside Wang De, who was blocking his way, and looked at the civil and military officials below the stage.

This Taiji Hall is the inner palace of the imperial palace. All officials are searched before attending court. How could there be an assassin?

His gaze stopped abruptly when he saw the ranks of military officers.

Cheng Yaojin was still holding the crossbow with both hands.

He stared in disbelief at the little gadget in his hand.

Is this wooden lump really that powerful?

Li Chengqian was stunned the moment the wooden stick flew out.

He never expected that Cheng Yaojin would dare to fire on the spot.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly and slipped back to his original position in the first instant.

Then his head tilted to the side, his eyes closed, and he fell asleep.

Li Chengqian wasn't the only clever person.

The military commanders reacted just as quickly.

When Yuchi Jingde saw Wang Gui fall to the ground.

He immediately took three large steps back, keeping his distance from Cheng Yaojin.

Niu Jinda followed suit, also taking three large steps back.

Li Ji, Duan Zhihong, and a group of veterans all retreated in unison.

In the blink of an eye, the once crowded ranks of generals were reduced to just Cheng Yaojin standing there all alone.

Everyone in the hall followed Li Shimin's gaze and looked at Cheng Yaojin.

"Cheng Zhijie! How dare you commit murder in the Taiji Hall?"

Wei Zheng pointed at Cheng Yaojin and shouted angrily.

Cui Mingan also realized what was happening. He hid to the side, pointed at Cheng Yaojin, and shouted:

"Your Majesty! Cheng Zhijie is plotting a rebellion; he even brought a hidden weapon to court."

Li Shimin's face turned green with anger.

We were finally about to witness a good show, but Cheng Yaojin ruined it all.

Cheng Zhijie.

Li Shimin glared at Cheng Yaojin through gritted teeth.

"What are you holding in your hand? Explain yourself to me."

Cheng Yaojin trembled with fright and almost dropped the wooden crossbow in his hand.

He was sweating profusely with anxiety.

There's no way to explain this.

"Your Majesty! I am innocent."

Cheng Yaojin promptly knelt down, raised his wooden crossbow, and shouted,

"This thing doesn't belong to me. I just held it in my hand and gestured with it, and it flew away on its own."

Wei Zheng sneered:

"Just a casual gesture? Lord Wang is now dead on the spot, and you still dare to argue? Hiding hidden weapons in the Taiji Hall is punishable by death according to the law."

Cheng Yaojin panicked and turned to look behind him.

"Old Black, Old Ox, you two are my witnesses!"

Cheng Yaojin frantically winked at Yuchi Jingde.

At this moment, Yuchi Jingde kept his eyes down, hands behind his back, with an expression that said, "I don't know you."

"Duke Lu, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."

I've been standing here the whole time, and I haven't seen anything."

Niu Jinda simply turned his head away, pretending to admire the caisson ceiling of the Taiji Hall.

Cheng Yaojin was so angry at these bastards that he gritted his teeth.

These old bastards, they call each other brothers all the time, but they all turn cowards when it really matters.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Li Chengqian pretending to be asleep.

"Your Majesty! I remember now."

This was given to this old minister by His Highness the Crown Prince.

Your Highness said it was a toy for amusement; I truly had no idea this thing could hurt someone.