Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Qin Ji looked at Cai Si with a disdainful gaze and said coldly, "What can a few taels of silver do? Does the court rely on this little bit of money?"

How did this guy become the Minister of Rites?

There's no spirituality!

Shen Lun, however, sensed something amiss and tentatively asked, "Does Your Majesty intend to use this to weed out those opportunistic individuals among the tribute students who have ulterior motives?"

Qin Ji gave him a look that suggested he was teachable: "Just as you said before, treacherous people are often more destructive than mediocre people. This year's imperial examination expanded its scope, with nearly five hundred people passing, the highest number in nearly a century. This is because everyone in Ning'an is in cahoots. One case involving the river embankment has implicated a whole bunch of officials, leaving a large number of vacancies unfilled. Ning'an is now in dire need of reconstruction. Although Yang Xiuyun has been appointed as the Ning'an Provincial Governor, he is also in a situation where he has no one to rely on."

"Many of those selected now will fill vacancies in Ning'an. Although Ning'an has eradicated the cancer, the poison has lingered for many years. If we are not careful, the old disease will relapse and all our previous efforts will be in vain."

"Therefore, Ning'an must be infused with fresh blood, undergo a complete transformation from top to bottom, and eliminate long-standing problems."

"For this year's Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), especially those transferred to Ning'an, talent is of paramount importance, but moral character should not be neglected either."

"The people of Ning'an have suffered so much; we cannot allow them to experience a second upheaval."

His Majesty's words were earnest and resounding.

Shen Lun and Cai Si both showed admiration upon hearing this.

Cai Si, recalling his earlier words, was extremely embarrassed, his face flushed red: "I was out of line just now, speaking without restraint, and misunderstood Your Majesty's love for the people. I deserve to die."

Shen Lun bowed and said, "Your Majesty's plans are profound and far-sighted. We were so foolish as to fail to grasp even a fraction of Your Majesty's intentions."

Qin Ji waved his hand, "Stop flattering me. I'm asking you how you did with this question."

Cai Si and Shen Lun exchanged a glance.

They had already answered this question, but His Majesty asked again and again, saying that they were prejudiced and had preconceived notions, clearly indicating that he thought the evaluation was too low.

So here's the question.

Should I flatter him or not?

Chase was the first to speak: "I admit that I am not as good as him."

Qin Ji: "Exaggerated!"

Shen Lun followed closely behind: "The perspective is exceptional; only Your Majesty could achieve it."

Qin Ji: "Trickster!"

Cai Si and Shen Lun: They're so hard to please.

In the end, Shen Lun rescued the two: "Your Majesty, if you can answer this question, and answer it well, you will surely become the cornerstone of our Great Yin Dynasty and a talent to assist the king."

Qin Ji was finally satisfied. He returned to his desk, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and considered the matter closed.

Taking the opportunity, Chase asked, "What should be done with the candidates who purchased fake exam questions?"

Although the test questions they purchased were fake, their intentions were genuine and should not be tolerated.

Qin Ji said calmly, "According to the law, strip him of his official title, give him fifty strokes of the cane, and display him in shackles for one month."

"The Ministry of Justice is currently embroiled in the case of the Ning'an cloth merchants. The Minister and Vice Minister are under house arrest, and the Chief Physician has been dismissed and imprisoned. They are overwhelmed with their own affairs. The Court of Judicial Review has temporarily taken over some of the Ministry of Justice's cases but is also too busy to handle them all." Qin Ji paused slightly, as if pondering, and quickly suggested a suitable candidate: "Let the Commander of the Merchants' Division of the Five Cities Garrison assist you in handling this matter."

Qin Ji also wanted to use this matter to give Zhao Siye and Xie Wumian, master and apprentice, a boost, so that it would be easier to carry out covert operations if it was handed over to Shang Jingming.

The two men, without any suspicion, respectfully replied, "Yes."

After discussing the imperial examination, the two chief examiners left the Qianzheng Hall, exchanging a glance with lingering fear.

They saw a line of words in each other's eyes: His Majesty is entrapping the law again. He's so young, yet so full of wicked schemes. He's so cunning!

...

In early May, the much-anticipated ceremony for the candidates to announce their names finally arrived.

The candidates, led by officials from the Ministry of Rites, lined up below the steps according to their rankings.

Qin Ji, dressed in imperial robes, sat high on the throne, with high-ranking officials such as the Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy and the Minister of Rites standing on either side.

As the officials from the Ministry of Rites chanted, "Bow—",

The scholars kowtowed in unison and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

After the clamor subsided, officials from the Court of State Ceremonial unfurled the imperial edict: "In the twelfth year of the Yuanxing era of the Great Yin Dynasty, the results of the palace examination are announced."

"First place in the top tier—Fang Yanqing!"

...

Second update delivered~ A little short today, I have things to do tomorrow, so I need to go to bed early. Please don't mind, love you all.