Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Before Zhao Siye could faint from anger, Shang Jingming quickly explained, "Don't worry, although Pei Tanhua is in prison, it's just a publicity stunt. He won't be treated like a real prisoner. My Five Cities Garrison will take good care of him and will never mistreat him."

Zhao Siye took a deep breath, clutching his chest, and slowly exhaled: "He passed the imperial examination yesterday and is now a prisoner in your Five Cities Garrison. What's the use of just not mistreating him?"

"If we wear down his spirit, he'll never recover..." Zhao Siye became more and more worried as he spoke, and stood up: "No, I have to go see him."

Shang Jingming stopped him, saying, "There are too many people and too many eyes in the prison, so it's easy for news to leak out. I've already made the necessary arrangements with the third-ranked scholar. He'll soon understand the reason behind it, just like you."

Zhao Siye was still worried: "He's only fifteen, still a child. How can we leave him alone in jail?"

"Pei, the third-ranked scholar, passed the imperial examination at the age of fifteen. His abilities and willpower are both top-notch. How could he not withstand such a small setback? Now that he has achieved the highest honors, he can already be addressed as 'Lord Pei'..." Shang Jingming paused slightly, refilling Zhao Siye's teacup. "Please trust him a little more. After all, no one can grow up under the wings of their elders without experiencing hardship. In the future, he will have to face the trials and tribulations of officialdom alone, won't he?"

That's the truth, but everyone cherishes their own apprentice.

Zhao Siye frowned, finding Shang Jingming utterly displeasing. He slammed his hand on the table: "How old are you, kid? You speak like an old man, and you dare tell me how to teach my apprentices?"

Shang Jingming smiled apologetically and said, "How dare I? I'm just trying to put your mind at ease. In a few days, I will definitely return to you a complete and unharmed scholar, a third-place scholar without a single hair on your head."

Zhao Siye retorted irritably, "He may not be physically injured, but after spending a night in the prison of your Five Cities Garrison, what will become of his reputation? How will he face others and serve as an official in the future? Commander Shang, you're just talking without understanding the situation!"

Shang Jingming asked in feigned surprise, "How come you're in jail?"

He pulled an official letter from his sleeve: "It is clear that Scholar Pei has accepted the invitation from our Five Cities Military Command to assist us in investigating the case of selling examination papers."

Upon closer inspection, Zhao Siye found that the official letter was complete with the official seal and signature, and there was not a single flaw to be found.

Seeing Shang Jingming's pretentious expression, he was furious: "So you've got everything ready, except for me and my apprentice to act as bait, is that it?"

Shang Jingming clasped his hands apologetically: "I'm really sorry, I was also..." He sighed, leaving everything unsaid.

Zhao Siye knew his job was difficult and he had been forced into it, so he pressed on to the crucial point: "Then let me ask you, you said you would take good care of Pei Lian, aren't you afraid that there are many people in the prison who might reveal that he is being treated well, thus alerting Pei Lian?"

Shang Jingming looked at Zhao Siye, hesitating to speak.

Zhao Siye slammed down his teacup, stood up, and made as if to leave: "Speak plainly if you have something to say. If you keep beating around the bush, Commander Shang should find someone else. My apprentice and I will not keep you company any longer."

Shang Jingming quickly stopped the man, and under Zhao Siye's fiery gaze, he could only say, "Please don't be angry."

Zhao Siye raised his white eyebrows: "That depends on what you said, you little brat."

Shang Jingming coughed lightly: "You...don't you have another disciple? I heard he's a wealthy merchant."

Zhao Siye was taken aback.

Shang Jingming bluntly stated, "I suppose he couldn't bear to see his teacher and junior brother suffer in prison, so he had to make some arrangements. Since I've taken their money, I can't just refuse to do my job. Giving them a little help and taking care of Pei Tanhua in prison is perfectly reasonable."

After hearing what he said clearly, Zhao Siye was so angry he almost laughed: "At such a young age, you're so cunning. Are you perhaps a reincarnation of a shrewd calculator? So you didn't even spare my abandoned disciple, arranging everything perfectly for you?"

Shang Jingming smiled sheepishly, remembering the real mastermind behind it all, and cupped his hands, saying, "I only dared to take such a gamble because I know that Mr. Zhao is an upright man and that your disciple is certainly no mistake, someone I can entrust with important matters."

Zhao Siye plopped back into his chair, his hand trembling as he pointed at Shang Jingming: "Did I forget to check the almanac when I went to the capital? How did I end up running into you, allowing you to take advantage of me like this?"

Shang Jingming repeatedly cupped his hands and said kindly, "Your reputation is renowned throughout the land, and I have long admired you. There was no need for me to bump into you. Meeting you today, I can see that your reputation is indeed well-deserved. You are of high moral character and great prestige, and your righteousness is boundless. I am truly honored..."

Zhao Siye finally threw the teacup out of his hand, no longer caring about whether it was cooked or not.

After this conversation, even if you weren't familiar with each other, you'd at least be halfway to becoming acquainted.

Shang Jingming didn't dodge, taking the blow head-on. Tea spilled onto his clothes, soaking his chest. "Calm down," he said.

Zhao Siye sized him up, seeing that he was respectful and his attitude was fairly sincere, and said impatiently, "Didn't you say you invited me to authenticate handwriting and analyze style? Where's the stuff?"

Upon hearing this, Shang Jingming finally felt relieved and said with a smile, "Please wait a moment, I'll go get it right away."

After leaving the room, he glanced casually in the direction of the palace and thought to himself: I have fulfilled my mission.

...

With his teacher and junior brother imprisoned, Xie Wumian became the most anxious person.

Instead of wandering around aimlessly like a headless fly, he sorted out his teacher's connections in the capital while bribing officials and bribing those in power, hoping to make things easier for his teacher and junior brother in prison.

Since Commander Shang took office, the Five Cities Garrison has been an impenetrable fortress, if not a monolithic entity. Despite spending a considerable amount of money, they were only allowed to send in a quilt, which was then thoroughly inspected several times to ensure there were no smuggled items.

The constables promised to take care of Zhao Siye and Pei Lian by providing them with better food, but visiting them in prison was out of the question.

After going through several twists and turns, Xie Wumian finally found a middleman to whom he had once done a favor. This person had a life-or-death friendship with a constable surnamed Chai in the prison of the Five Cities Military Command. After much persuasion, he finally got the constable to agree to let Xie Wumian disguise himself as a food deliveryman while on duty, so that he could meet Pei Lian.

As for Zhao Siye, the bailiff's attitude was clear: Commander Shang had specifically instructed him not to make any mistakes, and even if they had a life-or-death relationship, there was nothing he could do to help.

Seeing Pei Lian would at least give me some information about what's going on in prison, which is better than getting no information at all.

Xie Wumian agreed without hesitation.

The meeting was scheduled for the night following Pei Lian's imprisonment.

Before that, Xie Wumian looked at the names he had written down.

Yu Tingyuan, the headmaster of Songjian Academy.

Former Chancellor of the Imperial Academy – Liu Zongxue.

The current Chancellor of the Imperial Academy is Zheng Ying.

Jiang Jibai, a renowned Confucian scholar whose fame spread throughout the world.

...

First update delivered. I'm 600 words short of writing this thanks to my love for it. Second update should be around 1 PM.