Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

With two classmates who were eager to stir up trouble between them, even the teacher's gaze turned inquisitive.

Fang Yanqing's heart skipped a beat.

Seeing his second disciple's hesitant and guilty demeanor, and recalling the beginnings of the two articles the second disciple had written, Jiang Jibai's expression turned slightly serious.

Everything else can wait, but Fang Yanqing's imperial examination is crucial to his future and cannot be taken lightly.

Jiang Jibai reached out and calmly said, "Yanqing, let me see the article."

The moment he spoke, the study fell silent.

Everyone here is a seasoned veteran, knowing when it's okay to make a scene and when it's best to keep quiet.

Shen Jiangliu's gaze shifted between his teacher and his second junior brother.

Qin Ji wisely abandoned the idea of ​​adding fuel to the fire.

With things having come to this point, Fang Yanqing had no choice but to grit his teeth and take out the article, placing it on the desk in front of Jiang Jibai.

After placing it, he took three steps back, lowered his eyes, and stood to the side, waiting for Jiang Jibai's review and... judgment.

Jiang Jibai unfolded the article and lowered his eyes to read it carefully.

In the study, the only sounds were the rising and falling breaths of the group and the occasional popping of candle flames.

Shen Jiangliu quietly flipped through the travelogue beside him, glancing up at his teacher every now and then.

Qin Ji, feeling utterly bored, propped his chin up and observed his teacher's expression, trying to glean something from the Poison Master's demeanor.

Rereading the first two paragraphs, Jiang Jibai still frowned slightly. The further he read, the deeper his frown became, and the more solemn his expression grew.

Seeing this, Qin Ji couldn't help but wonder: What exactly did this cheap second senior brother write during the palace examination?

Judging from the teacher's expression... Fang Yanqing couldn't possibly have fallen into the ranks of the top one or two hundred Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), could he?

She was only slightly intimidated by him, is her mental fortitude really that weak? It can't be that bad...

Qin Ji lowered his head and took a sip of tea, feeling slightly guilty.

Shen Jiangliu naturally noticed his teacher's less-than-pleasant expression. He glanced at His Majesty out of the corner of his eye and didn't miss the fleeting look of guilt on His Majesty's face.

Who knows how the small-hole honeycomb briquette might scare the miserly man during the imperial examination?

Shen Jiangliu cast a sympathetic glance at Fang Yanqing, but seeing his ashen face, he dropped his spectator's expression.

Could it be that Yanqing's mindset was really affected during the palace examination, resulting in a poor performance?

Fang Yanqing came from a humble background. He did not shy away from mentioning that he was an orphan, but he never talked about it in detail.

Shen Jiangliu had been his fellow disciple for so many years, but he only knew roughly that his parents, brothers and sisters had all died in the nineteenth year of the Xiping era.

The nineteenth year of Xiping was a special year, one that Shen Jiangliu, who was still young at the time, remembers vividly.

He was from Lantai and grew up by the water with his father.

The river flows swiftly, seemingly inexhaustible.

When still, it is as clear as a mirror, reflecting the light of the sky and the shadows of the clouds.

When enraged, the waves surge and crash against the dikes, flooding the fields.

That year, the water level of the Lan River dropped again and again. Although the riverbed was not yet exposed, it was shallow enough to see the bottom.

His father was always frowning. He was still young and didn't understand his father's worries. He asked, half-understanding, "This year there hasn't been heavy rain, and the Lan River hasn't raged. Isn't that a good thing?"

His father simply picked him up, sat him on the doorstep, and looked worriedly at the throngs of refugees coming from the north: "There is a severe drought, and a year of famine."

That year, the three provinces of Jiangbei, Ning'an, and Lingnan were devastated, with countless people starving to death in the fields, all vegetation gone, and people resorting to cannibalism.

Fang Yanqing was only three or four years old at the time. All her parents and relatives had passed away, and it is unknown how she survived.

Anyway, when Shen Jiangliu traveled with his teacher in his youth and met him, he was already twelve years old, and his skin was thicker than a city wall.

It seems that knowing that studying is the only way to change one's destiny, Fang Yanqing cherishes the opportunity to study with his teacher. Since becoming his student, he has been studying diligently day and night, to the point that Shen Jiangliu often feels that this kid is here to exhaust him, so he dares not slack off at all when studying.

Therefore, Shen Jiangliu was not surprised that his second junior brother had passed the imperial examination.

He was naturally intelligent, had a smooth personality, was willing to work hard, and had teachers to guide him.

Everything fell into place naturally.

But... if His Majesty's intimidation causes him to underperform and fall to the ranks of the ordinary scholars...

Shen Jiangliu couldn't help but feel sorry for him when he thought about it.

His previous intention to remain a bystander vanished, and Shen Jiangliu began to mentally prepare his remonstrances, intending to deliver a powerful and scathing critique that would resonate deeply with His Majesty.

After reading the article through once, Jiang Jibai put down the paper in his hand and his gaze suddenly fixed on his second disciple, who wished he could become invisible.

Fang Yanqing felt a chill run down her spine and didn't dare to lift her head, holding her breath.

"Did Yanqing not perform well?" Shen Jiangliu stood up and stepped forward.

Although he often disapproved of the miserly behavior of taking advantage of everyone he met, there was some justification for it.

Under the pressure of His Majesty's authority, his identity could not be easily exposed. Shen Jiangliu pondered how to appropriately exonerate the miser.

Jiang Jibai pinched the bridge of his nose. "It can't be said that he performed poorly."

Feeling guilty, Qin Ji became even more curious about what Fang Yanqing had written.

He moved even faster, grabbed the ink stick, and pretended to grind it a few times, his eyes constantly glancing at the document: "You need to review it, right? Let me grind the ink for you!"

Jiang Jibai followed him, picked up a writing brush, and looked again at the article that Fang Yanqing had handed over.

It can't be said that he performed poorly.

On the contrary, it is expansive, unrestrained, natural, and full of brilliance.

But... that's just too audacious.

Jiang Jibai even suspected that his second disciple had drunk fake wine or was possessed by his eldest disciple.

No... compared to the eldest disciple, he is even worse.

Under my constant criticism, my eldest disciple at least learned to be more restrained in his writing.

The second disciple has always been smooth and tactful, never needing his attention in this regard. He knows what can and cannot be written, and has always been very good at striking a balance. Why did he suddenly change his writing style so drastically?

What triggered this?

Does he no longer intend to serve as an official, or does he simply not intend to live anymore?

Why must you risk your own neck to test whether His Majesty's heart is broad enough, or whether the court's blade is sharp enough?

"Yanqing..." Shen Jiangliu was about to ask in detail.

The young disciple grinding ink nearby accidentally broke the ink stick, splashing ink everywhere. Jiang Jibai couldn't dodge in time, and several glaring black spots appeared on Shengxue's white robe.

He frowned slightly, but had not yet spoken to reprimand his junior disciple for his clumsiness.

The eldest disciple slammed his hand on the desk, staring intently at the second disciple's essay, his eyes gleaming with admiration: "Brilliant!"

Jiang Jibai: "..."