Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Bian Yushu didn't dare to breathe loudly. He didn't expect that His Majesty would discover his thought so soon after it arose.

As expected of His Majesty, this is truly amazing.

Bian Yushu moved her lips, wanting to explain, but after thinking about it carefully, she felt there was nothing to explain.

He did indeed have the idea of ​​going to the casino today to relax, so there's nothing wrong with that.

"Yu Shu is unruly; Your Majesty, please punish him."

The person kneeling beside him looked dejected, his head almost touching the ground, like a kitten caught doing something wrong, every single hair drooping down.

Qin Ji sized him up and asked casually, "Do you know what the law stipulates for officials who gamble away money?"

Bian Yushu couldn't answer, and lowered her head even further.

He... he shouldn't be considered an official yet, right?

Could the penalty be reduced by one degree?

He doesn't want to lie down today, boohoo~

In just a short while, the swaying carriage came to a steady stop in the East Market.

Bian Dou lifted the carriage curtain, and the huge plaque of Jin Yu Man Tang Ge immediately caught Bian Yushu's eye.

The largest gambling den in Dongshi, which Bian Yushu had frequented many times before, was once his favorite place of entertainment. Now, it seemed like the entrance to the eighteenth level of hell to him.

Bian Yushu nervously gripped the seam of her trousers.

Qin Ji chuckled lightly, his eyes full of meaning, "Didn't you want to go have some fun? Go on downstairs."

What a terrifying tone, Your Majesty! Is this... this entrapment?

Bian Yushu crawled on her knees, her soul nearly leaving her body, and hugged Qin Ji's leg. Her voice was almost crying. "I don't want to think about it anymore. I never want to think about it again."

Qin Ji looked leisurely at the trembling person beside him, scoffed, and was the first to climb out of the carriage.

Bian Yushu didn't dare to move, kneeling on the spot, shrinking her neck and looking pitifully at Qin Ji.

With such little courage, like a quail, easily frightened.

"Remember this clearly, it's eighty strokes of the cane according to the law. If it happens again, you'll get the same kind of cane as Shang Jingming, not a single stroke less."

Qin Ji had seen the boy's hard work these past few days; he was practically living in the Ministry of Works. It was understandable that he wanted to relax a bit. In the end, Qin Ji took it all on high and put it down gently.

The faint bloodstains on Shang Jingming's silk trousers flashed through Bian Yushu's mind. Her face turned ashen, and she shook her head vigorously, "No, there won't be a next time."

Qin Ji knew he didn't have the guts, "Aren't you going to follow?"

Bian Yushu hesitated and dared not follow.

Qin Ji lost his patience and said impatiently, "Hurry up, get down and lead the way."

Bian Yushu quickly climbed out of the carriage, leading the way by looking back every step of the way.

The Golden Jade Pavilion, the largest gambling den in the East Market, truly lived up to its reputation.

Shouts, the sound of dice hitting the dice cup, the sound of shuffling cards, and the clamor of voices filled the air.

Many beautiful maids with flowing hair and fragrant cheeks moved among the gambling tables, pouring a glass of fine wine for the gamblers with their eyes sparkling.

Having been reprimanded by His Majesty, Bian Yushu appeared somewhat reserved, no longer as at ease as he had been during cockfighting at the entertainment venue.

Qin Ji looked at him with great interest and teased, "Since you're already here, aren't you going to introduce me?"

Bian Yushu tucked his tail between his legs and looked at His Majesty. Under Qin Ji's unquestionable gaze, he was forced into a corner.

"This is Pai Gow, thirty-two cards in total. Each person gets four cards from the dice and compares their hand with the dealer's..." Bian Yushu's eyes never left Qin Ji's face, her voice floating like a cloud. At the end, she couldn't help but add, "Gambling is a bad habit that should be changed."

"This is a dice game. Three dice determine the outcome. You bet on big or small, and a triple is a guaranteed win... If you can't win, you'll have to sell everything you own and lose all your wealth."

"This is backgammon, played by two people, each with fifteen pieces, one playing white and the other black... The sea of ​​gambling is boundless, but there is always a shore to return to."

Bian Yushu twisted her sleeves with her fingers, trying to cover up her mistakes with each sentence, her survival instincts running high.

He acted as if he were there to cause trouble, completely ignoring the fact that the atmosphere was already a bit off and the gambling den's thugs had been glancing at him several times.

Out of the corner of his eye, Qin Ji noticed a follower dressed as a merchant mingling among the gamblers, listening intently to catch any information he overheard.

He raised his hand.

"Snapped!"

Bian Yushu only saw a section of wide sleeve flutter past, his head turned sharply to one side, his face burning like fire, his mind buzzing, and he looked at Qin Ji with a deathly pale face, meeting a pair of cold eyes.

"I asked you to introduce me to the place and show me around, not to spoil my fun."

His Majesty's words finally made Bian Yushu realize that something was wrong. Although he didn't understand why, His Majesty, his teacher, was never like this.

The anxiety in her heart dissipated somewhat. Bian Yushu bit her lip, blinked hard to wipe away the tears in her eyes, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "I'm sorry."

The situation was unusual, and he didn't know how to cooperate with His Majesty, but an apology was always the right thing to do.

Their little incident attracted many subtle glances. When the casino manager received the news and looked over, he saw the two troublemakers and his fierce expression turned into a smile full of wrinkles.

As if he hadn't noticed Bian Yushu's slightly flushed cheeks, he casually broke the awkward silence between the two, "Isn't this Young Master Bian? It's been quite a while since you've been here. Did you not have enough fun last time?"

The son of the Sichuan Provincial Governor was not someone they could easily bully, so they immediately changed their strategy and turned to appeasement.

Bian Yushu remained silent, while Qin Ji said calmly, "I asked him to bring me out to see the world, but he was afraid of being scolded and kept saying things that would spoil the fun."

Whether one is scolded by family members or verbally and in writing criticized by censors depends on individual interpretation.

The followers exchanged glances. They were not qualified to enter the palace and had never met Qin Ji. They simply wrote down everything they heard in secret.

There's no need to ask about the difference in status between Bian Yushu and this unfamiliar young master; the scene just now made it perfectly clear.

The casino manager assumed that the young master in front of him was of higher status and that Bian Yushu would be scolded by his family for leading him astray. He said with a smile, "Young master, this is your first time back. Would you like to try backgammon? There are private rooms on the second floor where it's not so noisy. You can play against Young Master Bian. Today's prize is a tribute from Jin Yumantang. We won't take a cut of the winnings or losses."

Before Bian Yushu could answer, Qin Ji stepped up the stairs. "Lead the way."

The steward bowed and scraped as he led the two men upstairs and prepared tea for them.

A backgammon set was already laid out in the private room, and Qin Ji was fiddling with the pieces. "What are you standing there for? Come over here!"

Bian Yushu walked over silently and sat down opposite Qin Ji.

"Get out, everyone."

The maids who were serving tea filed out of the private room and closed the door.

Those subtle, prying glances were kept out of reach.

Bian Yushu was a little uneasy, and lowered her voice to ask, "Did I do something wrong?"

His eyes were clear and clean, without a trace of resentment.

Qin Ji regretted it the moment he slapped her.

He beckoned, and Bian Yushu immediately obediently leaned over the chessboard, knocking over the pieces and making a crisp sound as they hit the wooden board, which inexplicably annoyed Qin Ji.

He pinched Bian Yushu's chin, his fingers gently stroking her slightly red cheek from the unexpected slap, his unfathomable eyes swirling with unpredictable undercurrents.

A fire ignited within him, a fire directed at the stalkers, and... at himself.

He asked, "Does it hurt?"

...

Thank you @隋兜兜 for the generous update!

Thanks to @虫～它它@行风… for the inspiration capsule.

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