Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

The boy spoke in a low voice, and although he did not outwardly express his emotions, he somehow conveyed a sense of helplessness.

It was as if he was not the supreme emperor at this moment, but just a child who had disappointed his teacher, did not know how to make amends, and sought help from his senior.

Shen Jiangliu pondered for a moment, then slowly sat back down in his chair. "Junior brother, what you said is incorrect."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the boy's gaze fixed on him like two nails.

The young man lifted his shirt and sat down imposingly on the chair next to him, looking all ears as he awaited what he would say next.

Shen Jiangliu gently ran the lid across the rim of the cup: "A habitual liar, incorrigible. The word 'some' is too mild; I suggest changing it to 'very.'"

"Your teacher is powerless to help you and is very disappointed. He plans to expel you from the school soon."

Qin Ji, who was hoping to hear some comforting words, thought: "...Get out of here!!!"

I have reason to suspect that you deliberately stabbed me in the back because you still harbored treacherous intentions and wanted to take advantage of my weakness to dissuade me from staying under my teacher's tutelage and save my teacher's entire family.

Go sit at the same table with Fang Yanqing and offer him poisoned wine!

Qin Ji, with a long face, said succinctly, "Nonsense!"

Shen Jiangliu: "To tell the truth is hard to swallow."

Qin Ji's face was as black as the bottom of a pot: "Did you even ask the teacher's opinion? You're just spouting nonsense and making wild guesses!"

Shen Jiangliu slowly took a sip of tea, then looked up and asked, "Junior brother, does this mean... you've already asked?"

Qin Ji's gaze sharpened, and he understood Shen Jiangliu's implication almost instantly.

—Since you didn't ask, what makes you think the teacher is disappointed in you?

Shen Jiangliu looked at the boy's changing expression and said slowly, "Although I don't know how you explained the matter of Zhao Siye to the teacher, the teacher is not the kind of person who punishes without teaching. When a disciple makes a mistake, he always thinks about how to make you better, rather than easily feeling disappointed and expelling you from the sect once and for all."

Shen Jiangliu rose and took the folding fan on the imperial desk that His Majesty often showed off, which read "A great scholar's belly can hold a boat," and placed it in front of Qin Ji: "Junior brother, perhaps you could try to trust our teacher more, and also trust yourself a little more?"

Qin Ji raised his hand and stroked the fan, somewhat lost in thought: "It's not that I don't want to believe him."

"Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher—throughout history, the ruler has always come before the parents and the teacher. My teacher is a renowned scholar, gentle and respectful. If one day he were to learn my true identity, would he still tolerate such a topsy-turvy and inappropriate relationship, and merely treat me as his junior disciple?"

Even Shen Jiangliu, who had been Jiang Jibai's disciple for eleven years, could not give a satisfactory answer to this question.

The teacher-student relationship between the teacher and His Majesty is certainly precious, but if it is to be placed on the gambling table, with nine generations of one's family as stakes, to gamble on whether the emperor's heart will remain unchanged, even outsiders can see the unpredictability and danger involved.

Teachers are not ordinary people, but they are still mortal beings.

There are relatives, friends, disciples, students, and blood ties that cannot be severed.

Shen Jiangliu boasted that he was neither afraid of death nor power.

But if he could go back in time, he would definitely stop his teacher from establishing such a dangerous relationship with His Majesty.

Once the teacher finds out that his past with his junior disciple was based on deception, and that the disciple who knew him to be sincere pushed him into a dangerous situation, who can guarantee that things will be as they were before?

Although Shen Jiangliu did not answer the question, his silence was an answer in itself.

Qin Ji seemed to have expected this, and simply stroked the fan ribs without saying a word, lost in thought.

The Qianzheng Hall remained quiet for a long time.

Shen Jiangliu sensed the desolation emanating from the young emperor and finally broke the silence: "Although I cannot answer this question, one fact is already before us."

"A relationship built on lies is like the long dike of Ning'an. Every lie you tell is like taking away a few bricks. The longer you deceive, the weaker the dike becomes. Once a storm comes..." Shen Jiangliu reached out and pushed the teacup over.

The tea spilled over the wooden table, running down its edge and dripping onto the floor tiles, creating a mess and unexpectedly soaking Qin Ji's sleeves.

"Your current reluctance to face the truth and your deception are eroding the bond between you in the most hurtful way. The longer it goes on, the more genuine the teacher invests, and the more painful and heartbreaking the moment will be when they learn the truth."

"If you truly hope this relationship can have a good beginning and a good end, you should make up your mind early on to be honest and open with your teacher, and tell him everything, instead of wearing down his trust in you and extinguishing the last glimmer of possibility yourself."

Qin Ji clutched his soaked sleeve, staring at the large water stains on it, speechless with shock.

He glanced at the overturned teacup on the wooden table, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the fan that, although placed far enough away, was about to be affected. His expression changed, and he quickly grabbed the folding fan and examined it carefully.

Qin Ji angrily said, "Shen Jiangliu, are you jealous that I have this fan and you don't?"

Shen Jiangliu: "..."

Shen Jiangliu smiled.

No, I won't. After all, I won't need to be reminded of people by seeing things in the future.

Qin Ji asked suspiciously, "What are you laughing at?"

Shen Jiangliu, eyes downcast and mindful, said, “Your Majesty is open to advice. I imagine my junior brother will also heed my words. The thought that Your Majesty and my teacher’s friendship will last forever fills me with joy.”

Qin Ji narrowed his eyes: "You'd better really think that way!"

...

First update delivered.

I'm having writer's block today. I'm only 200 words short of the goal, I can't keep going. The second update for today will be postponed to tomorrow. Goodnight everyone~