Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

I used to think that this tightwad was all talk and no action, smooth-talking but lacking in integrity.

I never expected him to perform so boldly in the palace examination.

He dares to think and write, disregards his future, fears neither life nor death, and is undaunted by martial virtue. Every word is precious, and his writing is just to his liking.

Without saying a word, Shen Jiangliu walked over, patted Fang Yan on the shoulder, and gave him a look of admiration: Good lad, you're starting to resemble your senior brother.

Fang Yanqing: "..." Although your eyes tell me that you admire me at this moment, it is really not an honor to sit at the same table with you, you spray bottle spirit... Do you want to turn around and take a look at the teacher and His Majesty's expressions?

Qin Ji casually tossed aside the broken ink stick, pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe his hands, his dragon-like face stretched long, and the corners of his mouth were pursed into a straight line.

It's true that what the cheap second senior brother wrote is true, but anyone would be furious if someone pointed at them and said, "Don't think that just because you're the emperor, the ruler of the world, and the helmsman of the Great Yin, your ship has holes in the bottom, is drafty on all sides, and is about to sink."

Even though Qin Ji knew he was rowing a dilapidated boat, it was the first time someone had dared to write it down so boldly and clearly, describing in detail just how dilapidated the boat was.

Seeing this made him think of his own pathetic state of working day and night, patching things up and fixing things, and he couldn't shake the anger in his chest.

However, the fact that there is much room for improvement also suggests that if he, as emperor, could save the dynasty from collapse, achieve great things, and have a lasting legacy, his name would be remembered for eternity.

Thinking of this, Qin Ji felt half of his anger subside.

His gaze swept over the article once more.

A good policy essay should not only raise questions, but also provide solutions to those questions.

I wonder if he was provoked into giving up entirely.

Fang Yanqing's strategies were all quite bold.

But it's not the kind of wishful thinking that can't be put into practice. He keeps a low profile, starts from the details, and uses small things to reveal big things, achieving great results with minimal effort.

He did not go against the "general trend." Faced with the court's chronic problems, he did not act rashly or drastically. Instead, he skillfully applied the rules and used his unique logic to fight fire with fire, eventually revealing the true nature of the problem and eradicating its root cause without bloodshed.

People... Pshaw!

Qin Ji's anger, which had been half appeased, turned sour again; he couldn't stand Fang Yanqing no matter what.

He casually tossed the handkerchief he was using to wipe his hands aside, then turned to Jiang Jibai, "with deep emotion": "I originally thought my second senior brother was a coward who clung to life and death, greedy for money and profit. I never expected that he would dare to defy the world and disregard life and death for a single imperial examination, regarding fame and fortune as dirt. He is truly a role model for us all!"

Fang Yanqing: "..." Are you afraid the teacher won't beat me to death? I never expected Your Majesty to be like this!

Shen Jiangliu: "..." Your Majesty, you look like one of those troublemaking villains on a stage.

Fang Yanqing and Shen Jiangliu exchanged a glance. For once, the two fellow disciples, who usually didn't get along, were on the same wavelength at this moment: Da Yin is doomed!

Jiang Jibai glanced at the junior disciple who was stirring up trouble, then at the senior and second disciples who seemed to appreciate each other, his temples twitched, and his vision blurred.

Uncle Li, my head hurts so much.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, pressing back the will-o'-the-wisps that had surged to the top of his head.

She walked up to the display shelf with a smile.

As his footsteps echoed in the study, three pairs of eyes turned to look at him simultaneously.

Jiang Jibai pulled a feather duster from the vase and was pleased to see the three traitors freeze in place, each standing like a statue.

Looking at Jiang Jibai's warm smile, Shen Jiangliu had no doubt that whether or not his teacher would punish him was another matter, but at least he wanted to give both of his junior brothers a beating.

I won't go into how many problems the miser has caused, but Xiao Kong's actions just now, stirring up trouble, are probably just asking for trouble himself.

How could Shen Jiangliu stand by and watch this fire spread to His Majesty?

Little did they know that as the fire burned, the teacher's entire family lineage would be burned away.

You can burn him, but you can't burn His Majesty!

In the blink of an eye, Shen Jiangliu stepped forward and grabbed His Majesty's wrist.

Shen Jiangliu, what are you doing? How dare you!

Qin Ji glared at him unhappily, suppressing the urge to attack.

Your Majesty, as the supreme ruler, truly lacks any sense of propriety. Didn't you see the teacher was about to erupt in a beating?

Under the Emperor's piercing gaze, Shen Jiangliu half-pushed and half-dragged the people out, giving Fang Yanqing a thumbs-up as they walked, "Well written, you have backbone."

After saying that, he braced himself and stood at the door, bowing to Jiang Jibai: "I won't disturb you any longer by guiding Yanqing in revising the article. I'll go and talk to my junior brother about the importance of brotherly love."

With that, the study door was slammed shut.

Fang Yanqing glanced at the tightly closed door, then at the expressionless teacher.

A certain wronged person: "..."

Alright, alright, you're sacrificing the pawn to save the king, huh?

You've truly mastered the roles of a loyal minister and a filial disciple of the Great Yin Dynasty!

As the teacher walked towards him step by step, Fang Yanqing shuddered and retreated.

"T-Teacher, I just misunderstood for a moment, I'll never do it again."

Jiang Jibai stopped and looked him up and down. He picked up the article on the desk and praised it generously: "This article is well written and very outstanding."

He placed the article back on the desk, paused slightly, and said with a probing look in his eyes, "But... you've always been much more tactful than your senior brother, and your words and actions are more roundabout. Rather than sacrificing your future by speaking frankly, you prefer to proceed slowly and subtly, achieving your goals quietly. Why did you take such a radical step in this palace examination?"

"You should know that an article like this is not stable enough and can cause many variables. If things go wrong, you could lose your job, not just your future."

"Yanqing, this isn't like you," Jiang Jibai said, staring into Fang Yanqing's eyes. "Is there some reason behind this?"

...

I originally wanted to update earlier, but I was having some writer's block. Fortunately, the time is still about the same as yesterday, before midnight.