Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

No way.

Qin Ji stood motionless in place, showing no intention of moving his legs, and even the awkwardness on his face gradually faded.

It's one thing for him to approve of Shen Jiangliu's character, but it's quite another for him to kneel down in front of the teacher, holding a rattan cane, to beg for punishment over such a trivial matter as calling him by his name.

Is there any name in this world that he cannot call out directly?

He respected Jiang Jibai as his teacher and was willing to accept his teachings. Jiang Jibai was unaware of his identity and felt that he had lost respect for his junior brother, which was understandable, but it didn't mean he had to accept it entirely.

Jiang Jibai could treat him as a spoiled, unconventional, and ambitious young man from the Bian family, but Qin Ji couldn't really put himself in that situation.

He was the King of the Great Yin Dynasty, ruling the world and possessing the four seas.

I don't want to be a minister who assists the king, nor do I want to become the second Jiang Jibai.

As for blessings, they are what they are; but whether or not one listens to teachings is up to him.

His will can be influenced, but it cannot be controlled.

Qin Ji looked directly into Jiang Jibai's eyes and slowly said, "I'm afraid I cannot comply."

Just now, the junior disciple's expression had clearly softened somewhat, but after he asked to be punished, he became resolute once again.

It didn't sound like a spiteful remark, nor did it sound like a silly joke; rather, it was a well-thought-out statement of unwavering resolve.

Jiang Jibai's face showed no anger at being contradicted; only a hint of coldness in his eyes indicated that the lingering resentment from before had not subsided.

His apprentice was not the target of his anger, so he calmly said, "Tell me your reasons."

Jiang Jibai's calm reaction made Qin Ji sigh in admiration.

No wonder he is worthy of being my teacher.

From the moment he was pressed against the door, he knew how fierce Jiang Jibai's anger was.

Even so, despite having his rattan paddle snatched away and being confronted directly, Jiang Jibai managed to control his emotions, which were on the verge of exploding, and asked him for his reasons, giving him a chance to speak.

This alone surpasses countless others, even making Qin Ji, who had only recently acquired a disciple, admit his inferiority.

Qin Ji breathed a sigh of relief. If Jiang Jibai were to beat him up, although he was not afraid to make a scene with his teacher over this matter, it would still hurt their relationship to some extent. It wasn't worth it for such a misunderstanding caused by their different identities.

Qin Ji approached and said, "Shen Jiangliu entered Ning'an alone, disregarding his own life. As a subject, he has not failed His Majesty's trust; as an official, he has not failed the people's earnest expectations."

"As your eldest disciple, he is outstanding and a good role model. But does that mean I have to wholeheartedly call him 'senior brother'?"

"I don't know about your relationship with him, but I've never even met him."

"Isn't it a bit unreasonable to expect me to be completely and sincerely convinced by someone I've never met?"

Jiang Jibai did not interrupt him, signaling him to continue.

Seeing his indulgence, Qin Ji smiled frankly and winked at him, "You're my only teacher. You always protect your founding disciple, and I, the newly initiated disciple, have been quite jealous."

"Not only do you not offer any incentives, but you also punish me for his sake. Isn't this just making our already strained relationship even worse?"

Seeing that Jiang Jibai's expression had softened slightly, Qin Ji leaned close to Jiang Jibai's ear and said, half affectionately and half domineeringly, "Whether Shen Jiangliu and I submit or not is for us to resolve ourselves. As his teacher, you are not allowed to interfere."

After Qin Ji finished speaking, he took a step back, raised his eyebrows, and smiled at him, "Just consider it as appeasing your jealous little apprentice, okay?"

The words weren't spoken very respectfully, but they made sense.

Jiang Jibai originally thought he had thought highly of Bian Feibai, but he didn't expect that he had underestimated him.

At this age, though seemingly unreliable, they have a thousand plans in their minds. With just a few words, they can reason with people and move them with their emotions.

The complaints are about the teacher's shortcomings, yet they are not annoying; in fact, they even have a touch of youthful cunning that makes them endearing—quite remarkable.

If this kid were to enter officialdom, he would probably be much more adept at it than Shen Jiangliu, that guy who refuses to shut his mouth.

Jiang Jibai sighed, walked to the desk, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Qin Ji.

Qin Ji was thirsty from his long speech, and he was quite pleased with his teacher's attentive service, saying, "How can I trouble you to pour me tea?"

What I was thinking was, at least this poison master still has some conscience.

He accepted the cup without any hesitation and drank it.

Jiang Jibai said calmly, "I lost my temper just now and wronged you."

"This cup of tea is my apology to you for those three blows earlier."

Qin Ji was taken aback and stroked the rim of the cup.

This was the second time Jiang Jibai had apologized to him.

The last time was for those hurtful words at the Mid-Autumn Festival palace banquet.

How many parents and teachers in this world are willing to bow down to their children or students?

Right is right, and wrong is right.

Jiang Jibai, a renowned Confucian scholar, was able to humble himself and offer tea to his students as an apology. His magnanimity is truly admirable.

Qin Ji put down his teacup, looked directly into Jiang Jibai's eyes, and asked, "Teacher, can you tell me what made you so angry that you lost your temper?"

Why would Jiang Jibai make such a fuss over a mere title?

Qin Ji had addressed Shen Jiangliu by his full name before, and Jiang Jibai had casually slapped him twice on the back, mostly with affection and doting intent, unlike today's serious tone.

It was clearly for something else.

Jiang Jibai remained silent.

Even if he didn't say it, Qin Ji could guess the answer pretty accurately.

What else could it be for?

The first thing Jiang Jibai asked him when he saw him today was, "Were you injured while rescuing the emperor at Yushan?"

The deeper the love, the greater the worry, and the more severe the blame.

Because of loyalty, Jiang Jibai could not bring himself to say that he shouldn't have risked his life to save the emperor.

His love and protection for his disciple caused him worry and fear, and a fire of anger rose in his heart.

After confirming his disciple's safety, this smoldering fire finally ignited into a raging inferno that consumed reason.

Qin Ji was filled with a thousand emotions. He looked down at the rattan clapper in his hand, then suddenly took a step back, his knees touching the ground, and knelt in front of Jiang Jibai.

The rattan cane was held above Qin Ji's head. He slightly raised his lips and said, "This student has been unfilial, causing you anger and worry. If you don't punish me, I'll think you don't care about me. Why make a fuss over this, teacher?"