Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Three days later, the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet will be held.

Since Qin Ji ascended the throne, countless palace banquets, large and small, have been held every year. On such occasions, the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were extremely busy in charge of the banquet's ceremony. Qin Ji arrived in his carriage, took his seat to the accompaniment of grand music, and then the whip was cracked. The officials took their seats in turn, and after they paid their respects, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices presented the imperial feast. Then, the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices offered Qin Ji nine cups of wine, and the Music and Dance Department performed.

After the whole ordeal, not only were the ministers outwardly enthusiastic but actually exhausted, even Qin Ji, who was sitting on top, felt tired, especially since his injuries had not fully healed. He had neither the refined taste to listen to music nor the patience to watch the ministers sing his praises.

Halfway through the banquet, Qin Ji, under the pretext of getting some fresh air, left early with Bian Yushu.

Jiang Jibai also left early. The scenery in the garden was quite nice. Although he was a commoner, he was personally invited by His Majesty to the banquet and was a renowned Confucian scholar. The Chancellor and the Hanlin scholars were exceptionally enthusiastic towards him, or rather, a little too enthusiastic.

Although Jiang Jibai could handle such occasions with ease, he didn't like them; he had never liked them since he was a child.

If he hadn't just refused the court's summons, and refusing the banquet would have been too disrespectful to the court, and if the emperor hadn't invited him to attend under the pretext of bestowing favor upon his eldest disciple, he wouldn't have wanted to attend the palace banquet at all.

I barely ate two bites of food, but I had to deal with a lot of people, both acquaintances and strangers.

After several rounds of drinks, Jiang Jibai seized an opportunity, using the excuse of changing clothes, to leave the banquet midway through. He completely ignored the Imperial Censor's piercing gaze and the swift, flowing strokes of his pen.

He was just a commoner with no intention of entering officialdom, so why would he be afraid of being recorded in the censor's notebook?

After leaving the washroom, the eunuch who had led the way was nowhere to be found. It was forbidden to wander around the forbidden palace grounds, so Jiang Jibai could only follow his memory and walk back to see if he could find him. After all, His Majesty would summon him after the banquet.

Qin Ji, who had just peeked out from around the corner and was leading Bian Yushu out for some fresh air, saw him first.

What's the old teacher doing here? Did Gu Huaijin appear at the palace during the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet?

Qin Ji's heart nearly stopped beating, and he looked like he had seen a ghost.

In a flash, many thoughts raced through my mind.

He had never held an official position and was a commoner, yet he was able to appear in the palace on the very day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, hosting a banquet for his officials. One answer was obvious.

No wonder Gu Huaijin told himself he didn't want to enter officialdom, and then the Ministry of Personnel reported to Jiang Jibai that he had rejected the court's offer of service.

He said that if even one or two people don't want to serve the court, where in the world can there be so many great scholars who are unmoved by fame and fortune? They learn both literature and martial arts, and then sell them to the emperor. There are many scholars in this world who pretend to "retire to the countryside" to maintain their reputation, but few can truly give up the easy path to success.

No wonder Gu Huaijin, whose talent was astounding and comparable to some of the renowned scholars Qin Ji had met, remained unknown, living in a small two-courtyard house with only two servants. It turned out he was trying to conceal his whereabouts from others.

Just as Qin Ji had predicted, Gu Huaijin was merely an alias.

His true identity is Jiang Jibai, a man who lives in seclusion in the city.

You, Jiang Jibai, have used a false name to deceive me! You have committed treason!

Qin Ji was furious with guilt, but the moment Jiang Jibai looked this way, he acted faster than he thought, grabbed Bian Yushu, rolled to the side, and rolled into the palace next door, then slammed the door shut.

The two fell to the ground. Qin Ji didn't care about anything else and reached out to pull off Bian Yushu's clothes.

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Let me change my clothes!

Bian Yushu was completely bewildered by what had happened. How had he ended up in bed with His Majesty? His large, doe-like eyes widened, his lips trembling, and he cried out in terror, "Your Majesty, why are you taking off my clothes?"

Qin Ji quickly covered Bian Yushu's mouth.

Jiang Jibai paused as he reached the door.

Jiang Jibai: "..." What did he hear?

"Your Majesty," "Take off your clothes"—Jiang Jibai couldn't quite make out whether the voice belonged to a eunuch or a man, and wasn't sure.

He looked down at the small piece of bright yellow embroidered clothing stuck under the door crack, his mind buzzing.

On one hand, there is concern about the monarch's moral failings and the impending doom of the Great Yin Dynasty; on the other hand, a hundred ways to die after discovering palace secrets keep popping up one after another.

Bian Yushu, whose mouth and nose were covered by Qin Ji, almost choked and made "uh, uh" sounds as she tried to break free from Qin Ji's grasp.

Seeing Bian Yushu's face turn red from holding it in, Qin Ji quickly moved his hand down a little to cover Bian Yushu's nose and released it.

Bian Yushu gasped for breath, breathing in the fresh air she had finally gotten.

Do not listen to what is improper.

Hearing the unintelligible panting coming from inside the door, Jiang Jibai's expression turned grim. He silently turned and left, and just as he reached the corner, he heard a soft chuckle, "Who's there?"

Jiang Jibai paused in his steps as the Imperial Guards rushed over upon hearing the commotion.