Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Pei Lian was speechless after those two sentences, his face turning red and trembling.

How could he not know that His Majesty was using reverse psychology on him again?

Going back on one's word is a breach of integrity.

But when he said, "Please punish me, Your Majesty," and "Leave me to your fate," he never imagined that His Majesty would have him held down, stripped of his lower garments, and beaten with bamboo sticks like a child...

Although the doors and windows were closed, His Majesty could still see the chief eunuch and two eunuchs in charge of punishments.

He is now, after all, a third-place scholar in the imperial examination and a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

How is he supposed to face people after this?

Seeing that the eunuch was about to pull him again, Pei Lian inexplicably remembered the bowl of milk he had been forced to drink before.

A surge of grief and indignation welled up within him, making his head spin and his face flush red.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Killing someone is just a matter of beheading them. Even if I have offended you, why must you humiliate me like this?"

"To humiliate you?" Qin Ji scoffed, his playful expression vanishing as he became aloof and unapproachable.

His Majesty's voice seemed to come from the highest heavens, ruthless and unquestionable, making Pei Lian feel suffocated.

"Pei Lian, you should be glad that I have taken a liking to your talent and am willing to treat you like a child."

"Leaving aside what happened outside the palace, just look at your tone now, and your actions of pushing and shoving the eunuchs under the emperor's decree..." Qin Ji paused slightly, put down the jade lock in his hand, and the pressure of the emperor descended.

Do you know how to write the word "usurpation"?

Pei Lian's pupils contracted.

He knew "Jiang San" as his acquaintance, so even after learning that Jiang San was the emperor, he was still prejudiced and attached to "Jiang San," forgetting that he was not facing a "lifelong enemy," but the emperor of the Great Yin Dynasty, the ruler of the world, and the father of millions of subjects.

Can he utter a single word of dissent when His Majesty issues an order?

Pei Lian moved his lips silently.

Qin Ji slowly picked up the teacup beside him: "Pei Lian, you are a smart man."

"Will you accept my slight punishment as if you were a child, or will you insist on your status as a newly appointed third-ranking scholar and an official of the court, and have a proper discussion with me about what constitutes overstepping your bounds?"

Qin Ji lightly touched the corner of his mouth with tea, then casually put the tea down: "You choose."

The color drained from Pei Lian's face.

If we were to truly consider the issue of usurpation, I'm afraid even one of his heads wouldn't be enough to warrant the execution.

But if he accepts this so-called "minor punishment," how will he save face?

Reason told him that the two options in front of him were worlds apart, and even a fool would know which one to choose.

But his youthful impetuosity burned so intensely that his heart felt like it was about to explode.

Although he came from a poor family, he became a student of a teacher at a very young age and passed the exams smoothly. He was the teacher's favorite student, the pride of his classmates, and a child prodigy in the eyes of his fellow villagers.

He is a golden phoenix that flew out of the grass nest.

His parents were proud of him and never dared to act arrogantly in front of him.

In his entire life, he had never suffered such a huge setback or hit such a hard wall.

Pei Lian's lips moved, but she couldn't bring herself to utter that humiliating choice for a long time.

His Majesty tapped the imperial desk lightly with his fingers, seemingly very patient, waiting for him to say the choice himself.

Pei Lian lowered his head in embarrassment, not daring to look at His Majesty's face, nor at the expressions of the head eunuch and the eunuch in charge of punishment, for fear that they would read ridicule from above, and even more so, the well-intentioned knowing "as expected."

He spoke each word with great difficulty: "I... choose the first one."

He didn't even refer to himself as "your subject," but instead used "I," making his choice quite clear.

Qin Ji raised an eyebrow: "What was the first one again?"

Pei Lian knew that His Majesty was asking a question he already knew the answer to, just to force him to say the option that would embarrass him.

He closed his eyes briefly, keeping his voice as low as possible, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

"Please, Your Majesty, treat me like a child and punish me lightly."

Unfortunately, his voice, which was hoarse and strained during puberty, was difficult to control, causing him great distress.

A very faint smile flashed across Qin Ji's eyes.

"Since it is the request of the third-ranked scholar, I will grant you this favor." He tapped the imperial desk twice with his slender fingers.

Seeing this, Fu Lu gave a wink to the eunuchs in charge of punishment.

The two men stepped forward again and dragged Pei Lian to the bench.

This time, Pei Lian did not resist and was captured by them without uttering a sound.

My chest and abdomen were pressed against the bench, and my knees stung slightly when they hit the ground.

Pei Lian felt the eunuch deftly lift the corner of his robe, and a chill ran down his spine.

He closed his eyes and did not struggle.

The bamboo planks whistled as they descended, and Pei Lian let out a muffled groan, suddenly opening his eyes, which were red-rimmed.

He was always the model child, the teacher's favorite student.

The teacher is too busy showing off to him to ever give him such a hardship.

Unexpectedly, I suffered this unprecedented treatment from His Majesty.

Pei Lian was incredibly proud. He bit his lower lip hard, swallowing all his resentment and embarrassment, sealing it in his throat.

Clench both hands into fists, with fingertips tightly clasped in the palms.

Qin Ji closed his eyes to rest and did not look at him.

Fu Lu gently massaged His Majesty's forehead.

The sound of the board hitting someone was heard in the Qianzheng Hall for a moment.

Pei Lian's eyes were red, but she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.

He bit his lower lip for a while, then remembered that if the teacher saw it when he got back, he would definitely question him, so he quickly loosened his lip and started biting his back teeth instead.

After fifty strokes, Pei Lian's back swayed slightly. He took a deep breath, barely managed to compose himself, and forced himself to stand up.

My legs wouldn't obey me; every step aggravated my injuries, as if I were walking on a knife's edge.

Pei Lian's face was as white as paper, but she stubbornly persevered.

He knelt down and kowtowed to Qin Ji to express his gratitude. When no one could see him, two tears fell to the ground.

He quickly blinked to wipe away the moisture, his voice hoarse and barely audible: "Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty."

"Raise your head," Qin Ji instructed calmly.

While kowtowing, Pei Lian discreetly wiped the water stains off her eyelashes on her sleeve, and then slowly raised her head.

Looking at Pei Lian's red eyes, how could Qin Ji not know that the little dwarf had secretly shed tears?

He pretended not to see: "If you don't want people to treat you like a child, don't act like a child."

"Acting impulsively and disregarding others will not make you appear more capable."

Qin Ji rose from his desk, walked to Pei Lian, and looked at him with his hands behind his back: "If you think most people in this world are fools and don't deserve your attention, then why should those who are smarter than you respect you and accept your unwarranted provocations?"

"While ignorance is no excuse, I've stumbled into this predicament, to the point that I feel embarrassed and even humiliated by this 'minor punishment' today..."

"Then I'll tell you," Qin Ji drawled, enunciating each word clearly so Pei Lian would hear him perfectly: "This is something you brought upon yourself."

...

Here's the second update from yesterday!

Today's energy generation is 700 units short of reaching the target, everyone keep it up!