Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Bian Yushu was restless, feeling uneasy, and racked her brains to replay the events of the afternoon in her mind.

Doesn't "This is the last time" mean letting him off the hook this time?

Did he misunderstand?

Without thinking twice, Bian Yushu hurriedly put down the scalding teacup and, bewildered and trembling, knelt beside Shang Jingming, "Young...Young Master?"

The teacup lid lightly scraped against the teacup, and Qin Ji saw two people kneeling side by side below him.

None of them give me any peace of mind.

"Go and invite Doctor Liang to the mansion," Qin Ji instructed his servant as he put down his teacup.

The servants left, leaving only the emperor and his ministers in the main hall.

Doctor Liang is skilled at treating wounds from beatings, and His Majesty's decision to send someone to invite him at this time clearly indicates that he will not let them pass easily today.

Bian Yushu was struck dumb, and looked at His Majesty in a panic.

Shang Jingming was somewhat relieved. If His Majesty was willing to punish someone in his private residence, then even a severe punishment was a form of discipline. What he feared was not the punishment itself, but the possibility of being dismissed from his post for life due to a single dereliction of duty.

Qin Ji's gaze lingered for a moment among his still-young left and right arms before finally settling on Bian Yushu.

He leaned back in his chair, his voice still relatively calm, "Last time you fought with Jingming, I asked you why you deserved to be hit?"

Qin Ji's fingers tapped rhythmically on the coffee table beside him, making a "tap-tap" sound that made Bian Yushu's heart pound.

Bian Yushu glanced several times at her mortal enemy, who was kneeling beside her with his eyes fixed straight ahead.

It's embarrassing enough to recount the reasons why you were beaten, let alone having your mortal enemy kneeling next to you?

But when His Majesty asked the question, Bian Yushu dared not refuse to answer, no matter how embarrassed she was.

He bit his lip and repeated in a voice barely above a whisper, "Reckless, impulsive, naive, deserves a beating; attacking the enemy's strengths with one's own weaknesses, deserves a beating; making a move without understanding the opponent's strengths and weaknesses, deserves a beating."

"Unwarranted, unwarranted self-deprecation, deserves a severe beating." By the end, Bian Yushu's voice was almost inaudible, her entire face flushed crimson.

"You memorized it perfectly." Qin Ji scoffed lightly, asking casually, "How many of these did you break this time?"

Even if Bian Yushu were stupid, he would understand that His Majesty's "this will not be repeated" meant nothing.

It was he who grabbed a stool and rushed out to block the big man.

So he began to ponder the situation at that time by comparing it with His Majesty's words.

He rushed out on a whim, which seemed reckless and impulsive.

He wasn't good at fighting, and his opponent was a burly man. It wasn't wrong to use his weakness to attack the enemy's strength.

As for acting rashly without ascertaining the other party's true strength, he didn't think that much about it at the time...

The more Bian Yushu pondered, the more interesting her facial expression became, as she kept secretly observing His Majesty's expression.

Just as he was about to honestly state the "three points," the person sitting at the head of the table had already run out of patience.

The crisp sound of the teacup lid hitting the cup wall startled Bian Yushu so much that she shrank back like a quail.

Qin Ji's voice, neither too loud nor too soft, rang out in the main hall, "While you're reading aloud, do you just ignore what I say?"

Compared to being punished, His Majesty's rebuke was much heavier for Bian Yushu. His eyes reddened almost instantly, and he whispered, "I have remembered your words well."

Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to memorize it so clearly.

Sometimes, I act impulsively before my brain has even processed what I've done.

Upon hearing this, Shang Jingming, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but glance at him.

After he received forty lashes last time, he was politely asked to leave. He had never seen His Majesty instructing him one by one, treating Bian Yushu like a son.

That would have been bad enough, but Bian Yushu, who was serving as a study companion, not only showed no fear or remorse, but even dared to contradict His Majesty.

Who exactly lent him the courage?

Nine generations of relatives?

Despite being childhood rivals, Shang Jingming tried to wink at Bian Yushu several times, but his efforts were in vain.

Bian Yushu didn't know how to explain, but he really didn't mean to ignore His Majesty's words.

He remembered every single word.

The fact that he had repeated the offense was undeniable and left no room for excuses. His voice choked with emotion, "I'm sorry, Yushu shouldn't have done it again."

After admitting her mistake, Bian Yushu couldn't hold back her tears and whispered an explanation, "I made a mistake on impulse. You can punish me however you want, but I didn't take your words seriously..."

"cry?"

Qin Ji silenced Bian Yushu with a single word, frightening him so much that he held back tears welling in his eyes, refusing to let them fall.

Qin Ji looked at Bian Yushu's pitiful appearance, with her grievances unspoken and her eyes wet with tears, and rubbed the two dates beside him.

For the sake of those two dates, he spoke slowly with a cold face, "I take back what I just said."

"If you encounter such a situation and want to save someone, first consider your own capabilities."

"Aren't Jingming and Biandou more suitable to take action than you? Is it really necessary for someone as defenseless as you to rush in?"

The situation took an unexpected turn, and Bian Yushu's doe-like eyes widened in surprise. Tears welled up in her red-rimmed eyes, shimmering and overflowing with emotion.

His Majesty trusted him and patiently taught him.

Alas, he was willing to lay down his life and give his blood for His Majesty...

Still crying?

Bian Yushu was so frightened that she sobbed.

"If you want to cry, I'll let you cry your fill later."

Qin Ji tapped the tea table as if to remind him, "Ten strokes for each offense, ten more for repeated offenses, for a total of forty."

Bian Yushu originally thought that the punishment for the second offense would be more severe than the last, but to his surprise, the number of offenses was even less. He obediently kowtowed and accepted the punishment, saying, "Yushu thanks Your Majesty for your instruction."

Shang Jingming was truly amazed by the extent to which his arch-rival was favored.

A king's words are not to be taken lightly, yet His Majesty used "I" to retract his words, clearly indicating that he was not speaking to Bian Yushu in the capacity of a monarch.

How come this kid is so lucky?

Shang Jingming sighed countless times.

Just as he was sighing, His Majesty's gaze fell upon him.

Shang Jingming's throat tightened.

Without Qin Ji needing to remind him, he kowtowed deeply, saying, "I have failed in my duty. Someone in the Five Cities Garrison accepted bribes right under my nose, colluding with the 'Cao Gang' to plunder the people, and I was completely unaware of it."

"Please punish me."

Qin Ji picked up his teacup, lightly moistened his lips with tea, and said, "The appetite of the 'Cao Gang' cannot be cultivated overnight. You have been in charge of the Five Cities Garrison for less than a month. Logically, this matter should not be attributed to you."

Shang Jingming's eyes flickered slightly.

It sounds like he could clear himself of all charges by following the way His Majesty offered him.

But Shang Jingming knew that if he wanted to be valued by His Majesty and become His Majesty's confidant, he could not do so.

Those in positions of authority will not like a subordinate who cannot solve practical problems and is instead eager to shirk responsibility.

"Those in positions of authority should fulfill their duties. As the commander of the Five Cities Garrison, I have been deceived by my subordinates and have been blind to their true intentions. I was completely unaware of their collusion with internal and external forces to accept bribes and their tolerance of the gang's oppression of merchants. This is a serious dereliction of duty, and I beg Your Majesty to punish them severely."

"But..." Shang Jingming raised his head slightly and said earnestly, "I hope Your Majesty will give me a chance to investigate this matter and restore justice to the merchants and the people."

He's quite responsible, though.

Qin Ji could see right through Shang Jingming's slight unease.

"You are young and inexperienced, and as you enter officialdom for the first time, you are bound to be deceived. Learn from your mistakes and don't make the same mistake twice."

"Yes."

"In addition..." Qin Ji tapped his knuckles on the wooden table.

Shang Jingming raised his head.

"I will not tolerate you just because you are young and inexperienced."

Upon hearing this, Shang Jingming was completely relieved.

He wasn't afraid of high expectations; in fact, it was a good thing that His Majesty had high expectations of him. Shang Jingming bowed again, "Neglecting my duties, according to the law, I shall receive sixty strokes of the cane."

...

Good news: It's been updated to the latest version on Old Ford!

A ghost story: I'm out of drafts!

I'll try to update daily, and the update time will still be 11 AM, but I can't guarantee how much I'll update each day. I'll update as much as I write, haha. Love you all!