Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Seeing Bian Yushu's terrified and bewildered state, Qin Ji stopped trying to frighten him. Instead, he had the articles and selected books piled up beside Bian Yushu's pillow. "Your scholarship is lacking. The things the Hanlin Academy teaches are mostly for my benefit and are not suitable for you. Since you have a desire to learn, once you are better, I will have Hanlin Shen give you two hours of private lessons every day. You can start from the beginning and listen attentively."

"I will not dwell on how well you learned in the past, but I must see your progress. If you do not satisfy me, I will not let you off so easily as I have today."

When Bian Yushu heard Qin Ji say that his scholarship was poor, he blushed with shame. Later, when he heard that Shen Hanlin was going to give him private lessons, he was even more embarrassed. "Your Majesty has gone to so much trouble for me," he said.

Bian Yushu curiously flipped through the few books stacked beside her pillow, finding only the most basic texts like "The Great Learning" and "The Analects." Intrigued, she asked, "Your Majesty, what are these?"

Qin Ji casually said, "This is the one I used when I was young. It has my annotations on it. I am giving it to you in the hope that you will understand that it is never too late to start studying. Study hard, and you will not be any worse than your father and two older brothers."

Bian Yushu was flattered and overwhelmed. When he saw the articles that Qin Ji had just personally revised for him, he was moved to tears. Ignoring all attempts to dissuade him, he got off the bed and knelt down beside Qin Ji with red eyes. "Your Majesty's kindness is beyond my gratitude. I am willing to serve Your Majesty with all my heart and soul to repay Your Majesty's kindness."

After Bian Yushu finished speaking, he paused for a moment. He realized that his knowledge was terrible and he had no special talents. He felt powerless to do anything for His Majesty. He felt dejected and secretly resolved to study hard.

Qin Ji's ability to win people over through a combination of kindness and severity had become almost instinctive, and every minister proclaimed their loyalty to him. Some were fully aware of the situation and put on a show of harmony between ruler and subject, while others feigned ignorance and played games with him. Of course, there were also ministers who were truly loyal to him, but those who were completely fooled like this young man were rare.

Qin Ji personally helped the man up. "Leaving aside the quality of your previous writing, the 17 errors were due to your carelessness, and I punished you with twenty strokes of the cane. This time, however, there wasn't a single error, which shows that you sincerely want to correct your mistakes. Therefore, the previous errors are forgiven. It will be the same in the future. If you make a mistake, I will punish you myself. There's no need for you to feel guilty or go back to your residence to ask for family punishment. As long as you correct your mistakes, the matter is over."

This time, Bian Yushu forced the servants to give him a beating, only then realizing how merciful the little bamboo cane in front of His Majesty was. Hearing Qin Ji say this, he was even more moved, "Your Majesty is merciful, Yushu is deeply grateful."

After giving him the sweet treat, Qin Ji released his grip and ordered someone to help him to bed to rest. Then, preparing to leave, he didn't forget to give him a few words of warning before he left: "If Young Master Bian dares to be as naughty as before, smearing paste on the teacher's desk and adding salt to the tea, I won't be as lenient as your father and brother. There will be plenty of beatings, do you hear me?"

Bian Yushu nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

How could he dare? Even if he did, he wouldn't.

Oh dear, how could he have told His Majesty everything back then? His Majesty must have thought he was so unruly!

...

After comforting Bian Yushu, Qin Ji returned to the Qianzheng Hall and summoned several secret guards.

While reviewing the memorials, Qin Ji ordered the red dates, longans, and peanuts who were kneeling respectfully below him, "I order you to travel day and night to Yangping to protect Shen Jiangliu closely and to record his every word and action in secret memorials."

Shen Jiangliu was a knife Qin Ji threw into Ning'an Province. The officialdom in Ning'an was a murky mess, and Shen Jiangliu, caught in the turmoil, was bound to attract those who would turn against him in desperation. The court was short of talent for water management, and if Shen Jiangliu was truly a capable man, having secret guards protecting him would at least guarantee his safety.

If Shen Jiangliu is merely a good-for-nothing with an empty reputation, then withdrawing his secret guards and letting Shen Jiangliu die in Ning'an would be a way of making the best use of him. At that time, with the Jiang family's backing, would the renowned scholar Jiang Jibai, for the sake of his eldest disciple, turn his sword against the Ning'an officialdom?

Given Jiang Jibai's influence in the officialdom, Qin Ji could leverage his strength to reshuffle Ning'an without bloodshed.

The guards obeyed and left. Not long after, the Ministry of Rites sent over the seating chart for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was a grand banquet, attended by more than two thousand officials, with only officials of the third rank or above allowed to sit inside the hall.

Arranging seating was a rather troublesome matter for the Ministry of Rites. If it wasn't arranged well, although no one would dare to cause a scene at the banquet by arguing over seating arrangements, there would inevitably be people who would submit petitions to protest.

Qin Ji glanced at it and found no major problems.

Even Jiang Jibai, though a commoner and not suitable to be placed in the palace, was arranged in a refined and elegant garden, taking into account his status among officials. This arrangement was appropriate, as it was neither presumptuous nor disgraceful to his status as a great Confucian scholar, with the presence of the Chancellor and Hanlin scholars.

He will personally receive him then, to show his importance and to give this great scholar face.

Without much thought, Qin Ji approved the seating chart and tossed it to the Ministry of Rites official, saying, "Let's do it this way."