Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

The word "insolence" was already on the tip of his tongue, but he held it back, tightening his grip on the teacup slightly.

Yes, he didn't want to be a fearsome tiger, respected but kept at a distance, and out of place in his sect; yet he couldn't completely let go of his imperial dignity and privileges, allowing Shen Jiangliu and Fang Yanqing to treat him like an ordinary boy and put on airs as his senior brother in front of him.

The bond between fellow disciples and the etiquette between ruler and subject are inherently intertwined, making it difficult to strike the right balance. So how can one find a way to have both?

He yearned to have emotions like ordinary people, but his kingly pride, ingrained in his bones, could not be trampled upon.

These two emotions intertwined, creating a complex and contradictory situation that left him conflicted and unpredictable.

But if he doesn't lower himself and humble himself, who would dare to risk their life and cross that line?

Qin Ji stared intently at Shen Jiangliu without uttering a word.

Shen Jiangliu met the unfathomable eyes of the Emperor without fear, his expression calm and composed, showing no hesitation or apprehension.

For a moment, the study was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and beneath the calm surface, undercurrents surged.

Just as the atmosphere was so tense it felt like a string about to snap, Qin Ji looked away, took a sip of tea, and the air finally began to flow again.

The young emperor smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "You speak of daring, but do your words and actions carry even a trace of that daring?"

"Go out and ask any subject if they dare to openly preach to me the saying that a ruler's heart is unpredictable and serving a ruler is like walking on thin ice."

He suddenly looked up, pressing closer: "Senior Brother, is this your duty as a subject?"

His Majesty's tone was sarcastic and his words were ironic. He could address others as "eldest brother" and changed his self-reference from "朕" (Zhen, the imperial "I") to "我" (Wo, the "I").

Shen Jiangliu keenly noticed these subtle details and knew that His Majesty had taken his words to heart.

He calmly took two steps forward, and before Qin Ji could speak, he gracefully sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and, holding the teacup, smiled tentatively, saying, "Offering advice is the duty of a subject, and reasoning is the duty of a senior brother. Junior brother, I have a few words to say, perhaps inappropriate, but I must speak them. Would you please listen?"

The words "Junior Brother" made Qin Ji's brow twitch, and his gaze shifted from Shen Jiangliu's composed face to the cup he was pouring himself a drink from.

He sat down even though I told him not to.

He drank it even though he wasn't told to.

It's not right to talk to him, yet you trouble him to listen; what audacity!

It was a relatively novel experience. There was no displeasure at being offended, but rather an indescribable sense of novelty mixed with a slight unease that someone actually dared to try to treat him like an ordinary person knowing his true identity.

Qin Ji stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly said, "What if I don't want to hear it?"

Shen Jiangliu, without batting an eye, put down his teacup, stood up, and bowed: "Then I have no choice but to offer my advice."

Qin Ji: "..."

Qin Ji leaned back in his chair, glancing at him sideways, "I don't think you take tigers very seriously either."

Shen Jiangliu's face showed no trace of flattery, only uprightness and integrity. He bowed to the east and said, "Your Majesty is a wise ruler who readily accepts advice. I only dared to speak freely because I was certain that I would not be punished for my words."

Qin Ji: "..."

To be honest, flattery sounds more pleasant and convincing coming from Shen Jiangliu than from anyone else, after all, his foul mouth is notorious.

Qin Ji tapped the table with his fingers: "That's not true. When Wang Jing hosted you for a banquet before, weren't you just as bold in your argument about orphans and widows?"

Shen Jiangliu: "..."

Dare to admit it? I haven't dared to have my chair replaced in a month.

Qin Ji picked at his ear: "Senior Brother, please speak your mind. As your junior brother, I am all ears."

Shen Jiangliu then stopped being polite to him, saying, "It is not easy for a student to study for ten years. Regardless of whether this person is your second senior brother or how he has offended you, it is not the behavior of a ruler to frighten him in the palace examination."