Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Qin Ji's incognito trip ended in failure, and not only that, he also suffered from aftereffects.

That is what he used to think was barely acceptable, but now he always feels it's lacking. He would often compare it with the teacher he saw in the outskirts of Beijing.

It's better not to compare them, because once you do, it gets even more agonizing. You feel like none of them can compare to that little vixen outside.

Fortunately, he had already sent Bian Dou to track down the teacher's residence, so there's plenty of time.

After reporting the teacher's whereabouts, Bian Dou, not daring to look directly at the Emperor, bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, shall we investigate that person's identity?"

Logically, when tracing someone's residence, verifying their identity should be a straightforward matter. However, Bian Dou knew the proper way to serve this emperor: ask for instructions before taking any action and never try to be clever.

Seek no merit, but no fault.

An investigation is necessary. As the supreme ruler of Qin, how could there be anyone of unknown identity serving him? He put down his imperial pen expressionlessly. "Go and investigate. If it does not harm me, you do not need to report back unless I ask. I do not need to know."

If one knows the truth, it's inevitable to put on an act to conceal one's knowledge. And if one conceals it, it's difficult to interact with others with sincerity.

Sincerity is the most touching thing.

Having finally encountered such a satisfactory "henchman" in every aspect, I don't want to scare him away, so I must be careful.

Bian Dou received the decree and withdrew, sighing in admiration. "His Majesty is truly eager to seek out talented people. He treats them with such respect, disregarding their backgrounds and origins, and personally befriends them. This is truly a blessing for our Great Yin Dynasty, and a sign that the nation will prosper!"

...

Knowing the whereabouts of the scholar, when the Minister of Personnel anxiously reported at the morning court that he had not yet found any trace of the great scholar Jiang, Qin Ji was somewhat disappointed, but his expression was not too bad. He simply replied with three words, "Keep searching."

I can walk on two legs, and I can never have too many capable fighters. I can have them all!

The Imperial Academy Chancellor, who rarely submits memorials and is usually a nobody at court meetings, has surprisingly come out to present a memorial this time.

It concerns the reorganization of the Imperial College.

It turned out that after Qin Ji staged that incognito performance at the Imperial Academy that day, the Chancellor, wanting to atone for his mistakes, thoroughly investigated everyone at the Imperial Academy.

It would have been better if we hadn't investigated; once we did, my heart sank.

Leaving aside the issue of strangers being able to easily enter and leave the Imperial Academy, even when facing punishment in the Hall of Punishment, the students tacitly concealed a "substitute punching" business chain.

If a member of a noble family or the son of a high-ranking official commits a crime and does not want to be punished in a way that would make him lose face, nor does he want to be accused of being a spoiled brat who abuses his power, he will bribe a classmate who is willing to take the punishment for him with money.

Those who were bribed with money were mostly students from impoverished families. Some were talented but unsuccessful candidates in the imperial examinations who were selected to become supervisors at the Imperial Academy, while others were outstanding students sent by prefectural and county schools from various regions. Because of their poverty and various difficulties, they took the risk to exchange money for some to supplement their family income.

As luck would have it, the student Qin Ji caught on a whim that day was a perfect example.

He wasn't the person in question; he was a corrupt official named Liu Qinghong who took money to "stand in" for others.

After the incident, he was caught and severely punished with sixty strokes of the cane in the punishment hall, yet he still complained that the chief priest was heartless and that he was entrapping the law.

Of course, it wasn't the Grand Master of Ceremonies who was "entrapped," but the Emperor. However, Liu Qinghong didn't know that the one who had repeatedly said he would stand up for him was the Emperor himself. So even though he knew that the Emperor had personally come to the Hall of Punishments and questioned the Grand Master of Ceremonies with the identification information he had written, he simply assumed that a subordinate had acted on his behalf and presented it to the Emperor. Besides, he wasn't stupid enough to be so foolish as to curse the Emperor as well. So he simply blamed the Grand Master of Ceremonies for the entrapment and berated him severely.

The chief priest knew this was a troublemaker, but because of his father, he couldn't do anything about him. So he just ordered his men to gag him and beat him severely, which was a way of venting his anger.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies reported the findings truthfully, omitting only the part about Liu Qinghong, and then asked, "Your Majesty, how should these corrupt officials who committed offenses, including those who acted as scapegoats and those who were recommended for official positions, be dealt with?"

Qin Ji looked at the Chief Priest with a gaze that was neither too light nor too heavy, but very oppressive.

You old fox! You don't want to offend the powerful families behind those corrupt officials, so you've come to me hoping to use me as a pawn, haven't you?

The Imperial Academy Chancellor broke out in a cold sweat under his gaze, realizing he had been presumptuous and that His Majesty had seen through his intentions. He quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "I believe that the offending students should be expelled from the Imperial Academy and never be employed again."

As soon as he finished speaking, the chief priest felt several unfriendly gazes fall on him, but he didn't care about that anymore. He knew who was holding his life in their hands.

Wouldn't that just benefit those who do the work for others? Some people want to get hit but can't, while others get paid after getting hit. Is there no justice in this world?

Qin Ji lightly tapped the dragon throne with his fingers. "Those who committed crimes and had someone else take their place should be expelled from the Imperial Academy. As for those who took their place, expelling them is too lenient. They should be punished by copying books in the Imperial Academy's library. Their wages should only be half of the normal price. Since they like money so much, they can come and be my cheap laborers."

Only by ruthlessly exploiting them could Qin Ji vent his anger and resentment.

Qin Ji looked at the Minister of Revenue with a blank expression.

I am truly a master at saving money. I have both tormented those substitutes and saved the national treasury a considerable amount of money. Shouldn't we learn from this?

The ministers thought to themselves, "This is really too good for them. Poor scholars probably can't even afford books normally, but now they can freely read the Imperial Academy's collection, copy the classics without even needing to prepare their own paper and pens, and they even get paid! It's like a windfall! This isn't a punishment, it's clearly a reward! It seems His Majesty intends to promote poor scholars."

The Minister of Revenue, sensing the Emperor's gaze upon him, stepped forward knowingly and said, "Your Majesty is wise. In this way, scholars will be drawn to you, and all the talented people in the world will know Your Majesty's desire to seek out worthy men, and they will flock to serve the court."

The officials followed suit, and once again there was a chorus of praise and admiration.

Qin Ji was quite pleased with himself after hearing this.

Another day of absolute power and dominance over the world, how wonderful.

We've found out where the Master lives. That's great.

Master, wait here, I am coming.