Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

After teasing Pei Lian for a while, Qin Ji enjoyed watching the little dwarf's colorful expressions for a while.

He watched as Pei Lian's earlier frustration at being forced to drink milk was quickly replaced by embarrassment, and then transformed into a pale expression of having committed a serious offense. Her usually high-held chin suddenly slammed down as if struck by frost, and she closed her nostrils tightly.

Pei Lian pulled himself out of his chaotic thoughts and looked at His Majesty.

The moment Qin Ji looked over, his smile vanished, and his dark, deep eyes met Qin Ji's cold gaze, instantly amplifying the oppressive atmosphere.

Pei Lian had seen the spirited and ambitious disciple of a great Confucian scholar, and the mischievous young man "Jiang San" who repeatedly poked at his sore spots, but had he ever experienced the true supreme ruler of the Great Yin Dynasty?

The emperor who was so decisive and ruthless at the imperial examination, who could arrest fourteen people with a single gesture and bring them down to their knees with a single sentence, now finally overlapped with the "lifelong enemy" in his memory who had dampened his spirits and mocked him from time to time.

"Thump!"

Cold sweat broke out instantly. Pei Lian knelt down, bowed his head, and pursed his lips until they turned white.

His back was taut, and he tried his best to keep his voice steady, maintaining a semblance of dignity as a newly appointed third-ranked scholar, so as not to appear like an ant under imperial power: "Your Majesty, I have offended you and deserve to die ten thousand times."

The boy's usually fierce and aggressive voice now sounded somewhat tragic and pitiful, as if he had been forced into a desperate situation and was about to be executed.

If Your Majesty truly intends to punish someone, why did you appoint him as the third-ranked scholar?

It's clearly meant to scare children.

Tsk tsk, poor thing.

Fang Yanqing slowly sipped his tea and ate his snacks, shaking his head and sighing as he looked at Pei Lian kneeling on the ground, seemingly lamenting his past self.

However, whether it was him or Pei Lian who offended His Majesty, it was all insignificant compared to the teacher's abundant martial virtue.

Oh no, it's not even close to being a hair.

Thinking of this, Fang Yanqing began to worry again.

The atmosphere in the East Warm Pavilion became stagnant as soon as Pei Lian knelt down. Fu Xingjian saw that Pei Lian was isolated and helpless, like a new sprout struggling to survive in a strong wind, and felt a pang of pity.

He rose and knelt beside Pei Lian: "Your Majesty, I was blind and did not recognize Your Majesty's true identity. I also committed an offense at Pingxin Yashe that day, and I should be punished the same as Pei Lian."

Again, they are "blind to the truth" and "unable to recognize His Majesty's true identity."

This was a reminder to him that he was traveling incognito that day.

They were all ignorant—ignorance is no excuse.

It appears to be an apology, but in reality, it's a plea for leniency.

Why tie yourself to Pei Lian's broken boat? Aren't you afraid of being used as a blackmail tool by me?

Qin Ji narrowed his eyes slightly.

He figured he was just trying to scare Pei Lian and put some pressure on him, so that the kid wouldn't get too cocky and think he knew his place.

Who would have thought that Fu Xingjian would be so tactless as to jump out and plead for mercy.

Look at Fang Yanqing, isn't he very patient?

Pei Lian was young, and Zhao Siye doted on him. Many of his classmates who took the imperial examination with him were more than a decade older than him. Even if he looked down on or despised him, firstly, they saw that he was indeed very capable at such a young age and thought that his arrogance was justified, and secondly, they still treated him as a half-grown child and indulged him without taking offense.

But once they enter officialdom and become colleagues, with shared interests, who will endlessly give way?

Blindly protecting him will only make him more arrogant, and he will eventually suffer a terrible fall.

Qin Ji, being the ruler, had taken a liking to talent and took the opportunity to curb Pei Lian's arrogance, but there was no need to point it out to Fu Xingjian, much less say it in front of Pei Lian.

If he, as Pei Lian's immediate superior, wanted to trip him up, that shorty would have endless opportunities to fall; there was no need to rush.

A friendly smile returned to Qin Ji's face. He stepped forward and helped one of the men to his feet, saying helplessly, "When did I ever say I would question you about your crimes?"

"Ignorance is no excuse. I was traveling incognito, which was something you could not have predicted."

"My association with the scholars was merely to gain insight into the academic atmosphere among the common people, to observe the diverse nature of scholars, and to promote talented individuals so that those with vision would not be buried and become lost gems in the ocean."

"You two are young and outstanding, with exceptional talent. Even if you have overstepped your bounds outside the palace, it is because you were unaware of my identity and treated me as an ordinary person. One of you was personally selected as the second-place scholar, and the other as the third-place scholar. I cherish your talents more than anything; how could I possibly blame you?"

Fang Yanqing, the top scholar personally selected by His Majesty: "..." Why don't I get this kind of friendly treatment, holding hands with him? We're both top scholars, why are we being treated differently?

Fu Xingjian felt ashamed for judging a gentleman by his own petty standards, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty is wise."

After saying this, he pulled Pei Lian along to express his gratitude.

Pei Lian thanked the emperor, his expression changing several times. Seeing that the emperor truly did not blame him, he endured it again and again, but finally could not hold back. He bowed to Qin Ji again in a solemn manner and said in his hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, you are a man of your word. Do you still stand by what you said outside the palace?"

Fu Xingjian was surprised that Pei Lian dared to provoke him, and his brows furrowed.

If the discussion of ruler and subject were truly held outside the palace, Pei Lian's various acts of overstepping his bounds would be enough to warrant his death eight hundred and ten times over.

Since Your Majesty said that ignorance is no crime and will not be investigated, then when traveling incognito, one should not disregard the distinction between ruler and subject. If one does not disregard the distinction between ruler and subject and does not hold oneself to the same standards as a subject, how can one then demand of Your Majesty the standard of "a ruler's word is law"?

If His Majesty is to fulfill his promise, then Pei Lian should also admit to the crime of overstepping his bounds.

Moreover, to compete with His Majesty in a strategy contest... what is this little prodigy thinking?

In contrast to Fu Xingjian's disapproval of Pei Lian, Qin Ji could only silently admire his courage.

This little dwarf is indeed very stubborn; he won't give up until he's completely convinced of his goal.

He smiled knowingly: "Since I promised that the day when the third-ranked scholar and you can compete is not far off, I won't let you wait in vain."

"But I have a prior statement." Qin Ji paused slightly, the smile on his face gradually fading, revealing an unreadable expression: "If you lose, I will punish you for overstepping your bounds."

...

The first update is here; the second update will be after 1 PM.

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