Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Qianzheng Palace.

Qin Ji sat before his desk, the folded document in his hand unfurled for an unknown period of time.

After the tea in his cup had been refilled three times, Shen Jiangliu finally stood up and bowed: "Does Your Majesty have any important matters to instruct you on?"

Qin Ji closed the folded book in front of him, put it aside, pinched the bridge of his nose, and uttered only one word: "Sit."

Shen Jiangliu had no choice but to sit back down and wait for His Majesty to explain his intentions.

After waiting for a long time without His Majesty showing any sign of speaking, Shen Jiangliu had no choice but to ask again, "Is it a difficult matter?"

Xiao Kongfeng briquette has always been decisive and resolute, so it's rare to see him so hesitant.

Qin Ji leaned against the armrest of the throne, as if he had finally found a suitable entry point for the topic, and spoke: "Last night at midnight, Teacher disguised himself as a cook and went to the prison of the Five Cities Garrison."

Shen Jiangliu: "..."

Who?

When?

What are you dressed up as?

Where did you go?

He understood every single word of the sentence, so why did it sound so incomprehensible when put together?

How could a teacher, a gentleman of such high character, disregard his status and disguise himself to go to a place that sounds suspiciously off in the middle of the night?

Shen Jiangliu remained silent for a full five breaths: "Where did Your Majesty hear this news?"

Qin Ji touched his nose: "I saw it with my own eyes."

Shen Jiangliu: "..." If the lower beam is not straight, the upper beam will be crooked too!

Qin Ji picked at his ear expressionlessly: "Are you going to offer your advice again?"

Shen Jiangliu barely managed to stop the "kind words" that were about to come out of his mouth. "Your Majesty summoned me here, surely not to hear my advice?"

"You and your teacher wouldn't have made a surprise visit to the Five Cities Military Command prison at night without a reason. What was the cause?"

It's not that such advice is unacceptable to listen to.

Qin Ji's lips tightened: "Zhao Siye is a guest at the Five Cities Military Command, as is Pei Lian."

Shen Jiangliu: "?"

Was the teacher going to see Zhao Siyue and the newly appointed third-ranked scholar Pei Lian?

If he hadn't misheard, His Majesty had said that the teacher had disguised himself as a cook and gone to the Five Cities Military Command prison. What kind of good person would go to the Five Cities Military Command prison as a guest?

Is this a proper meal?

Shen Jiangliu looked puzzled: "How come Mr. Zhao and Pei Lian are at the Five Cities Military Command? I have never heard of this. Wasn't Pei Lian just appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy?"

Qin Ji coughed lightly, his right fist pressed against his lips: "They're going to do something for me..."

Before he could finish speaking, he swallowed the rest of his words and, looking at Shen Jiangliu's bewildered face, changed his tune expressionlessly: "I framed Zhao Siye for the exam question-selling case and had Shang Jingming go to Zhao's residence to arrest the person."

These words were so informative that Shen Jiang felt like his head was about to explode.

What was the sentence His Majesty didn't finish at the beginning? Was it "to do" something? To carry out an official business?

Later, he changed his tune to "the case of selling exam questions was pinned on Zhao Siye," and even changed his self-reference from "朕" (the imperial emperor) to "我" (I).

In other words, in the second sentence, Your Majesty does not consider yourself the emperor, but rather places yourself within the school of disciples, as one of your teacher's disciples and his junior brother.

The so-called "arresting people" means that Zhao Siye and Pei Lian were not as relaxed as they were when they were "guests" as previously said, and the word "framed" further illustrates their innocence and that His Majesty deliberately framed them.

However, no one in the court or among the people has heard any rumors about this. Even at the morning court session today, the Minister of Personnel seemed completely unaware of the matter, saying that the third-ranked scholar of this year's imperial examination had been granted the position of compiler in the Hanlin Academy.

Besides, why is His Majesty making such a fuss over Zhao Siye, a retired official who is over sixty years old, and Pei Lian, that arrogant kid who hasn't even grown his beard yet?

Are they too idle, or do they think the teacher is almost thirty and can no longer wield the dragon whip?

"May I ask Your Majesty why you don't arrest the real test-sellers? What is the deeper meaning behind this action?"

Qin Ji gently pressed the edge of the imperial desk: "On the surface, invite Zhao Siye and Pei Lian to the Five Cities Military Command to make it look like an arrest operation to confuse some real exam cheaters. Zhao Siye can also help the Five Cities Military Command to check the notes and categorize the fake exam questions, in preparation for a final roundup."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jiangliu's spray bottle nozzle was already itching to open, but the phrase "on the surface" implied that what followed was merely a pretext and not His Majesty's true intention. Therefore, he listened attentively to what this young and brilliant ruler was really up to: "In reality?"

Qin Ji suddenly raised his eyes, looked into Shen Jiangliu's eyes, and calmly stated: "The reason we didn't arrest the mastermind is because I had someone sell the fake question in the first place. The reason for framing Zhao Siye was to force Xie Wumian to give up everything he had to save Zhao Siye, so that Zhao Siye could see his sincerity and that they could reconcile as master and disciple."

Shen Jiangliu: "..." Da Yin pills.

He remained silent for a full ten breaths, then suddenly stood up, clasped his hands together in front of him, straightened his spine, and spoke each word with a clear and forceful tone, at an extremely fast pace.

"They sold fake exam questions, framed retired officials who were over seventy years old and newly appointed third-ranked scholars who were not yet twenty, and used conspiracies and tricks to test the candidates and the people, corrupting the atmosphere of the examination and inducing human greed."

"Your Majesty is truly perplexed. Are you purifying the court and the people, selecting virtuous individuals for peace and stability, or are you turning good citizens into rebels and corrupt officials into criminals?"

Qin Ji sat upright on his throne, expressionless, his fingers slightly clenched within his sleeves, his tone revealing no emotion whatsoever: "How can you, my dear minister, know that they are not inherently greedy, rebellious people or immoral individuals harboring侥幸心理 (a gambler's mentality)?"

Shen Jiangliu's gaze was sharp, his words like knives, each sentence drawing blood.

"First, you sell fake exam questions; then you frame loyal officials. You deceive the Emperor's authority and betray the people's trust. Your Majesty claims to select virtuous and capable officials for peace and stability, yet you resort to underhanded tricks to muddy the waters of public opinion. The scholars buy exam questions hoping for a lucky break, and the common people follow suit with selling them out of greed. So what about Your Majesty leading the way in selling exam questions?"

"To tempt someone into committing a crime and then punish them is the act of a tyrant, not a wise ruler. If this gets out, what will become of the court's prestige?"

"According to the laws of the Great Yin Dynasty, those who sell counterfeit exam questions shall be put in cangues, flogged one hundred times, and exiled three thousand li. Your Majesty claims to want to clean up officialdom and rectify discipline, yet you lead the way in trampling on the law. Is this your way of ruling?"

"Your handling of those who bought exam questions and dismissed those who purchased them is truly upright and selfless. Then, I dare to ask, if this matter was not your doing, what should be done with the masterminds who corrupt the order and act lawlessly?"

...

First update delivered! Still 400 words short of being updated out of this thread, everyone keep going!