Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

A barrage of criticism directed at his cheap nephew won't solve anything.

Qin Ji was worried about his precarious status in front of Jiang Jibai, and he was also troubled about how to deal with his adopted nephew and his two children.

Regarding the second question, the court officials also held differing opinions, resulting in a heated argument.

Some believe that if such acts of treason are not severely punished, villains across the land may follow suit.

Some also believe that His Majesty should bestow appropriate favors to demonstrate his benevolence and win the hearts of the people.

The ruthlessness and coldness that emperors had developed from long reigns taught Qin Ji that if you don't cut the weeds at the root, they will grow back in the spring. It would be best to kill them all once and for all to eliminate future troubles.

A sliver of conscience reminded him that children are innocent and should not be killed indiscriminately.

Qin Ji rubbed his temples. Having ruled the world and held the power of life and death, the blood on his hands had accumulated in a short period of time, inevitably adding a touch of ruthlessness. Human lives seemed to have become cold numbers, which could be taken away at will.

Even the slow-witted Bian Yushu had sensed something was off these past few days and had thoughtfully inquired about Qin Ji's feelings several times. His attempts to ease the tension failed, and he ended up saying the wrong thing, receiving a minor but serious punishment of twenty strokes of the cane and being sent by Qin Ji to study diligently with his swollen backside.

Fu Lu, ever observant, leaned closer and massaged Qin Ji's temples. "Tomorrow is Young Master Bian's day off. If Your Majesty is troubled, why not listen to the opinions of an outsider?"

Qin Ji also wanted to hear Jiang Jibai's opinion, but the thought of Jiang Jibai inevitably brought to mind Shen Jiangliu, that ticking time bomb, making him even more troubled. "Has Shen Jiangliu visited the Jiang residence these past few days?"

Bean sprouted from the shadows and reported to His Majesty that since he returned from Ning'an, he has not sent any letters, except for a few to Jiang Daru.

Both being in the capital, why did Shen Jiangliu not visit Jiang Jibai's door, but instead write a letter?

Qin Ji sneered inwardly. His cheap senior brother had the guts to cause trouble, but not the guts to see the Poison Master. He might not run into him tomorrow.

Just to be on the safe side, Qin Ji summoned his personal guard Lin Suizhi and instructed him, "Shen Jiangliu has done a good job in controlling the floods this time, but he has been away from the capital for a long time and is bound to have many things he is not used to. Tomorrow, take him around to familiarize himself with the environment of the capital, so that he will not be impeached by the censors again if he is not careful."

Lin Suizhi was chosen by Yu Shan and Shang Jingming to serve as his personal guard. He was quite capable and reliable. No matter how much he tried to trip up Shen Jiangliu, he was more dependable than that kid Bian Yushu.

Qin Ji thought to himself, "I'll have to keep him occupied for a whole day, so I don't run into Jiang Jibai at his little house."

We'll have to think about what to do next; let's just get through this pressing day off first.

It seems His Majesty intends to keep Lord Shen in the capital and give him an important position. Lin Suizhi was impressed by His Majesty's high regard for Lord Shen, as even such a small matter was given such meticulous instructions. He quickly replied, "Yes."

...

The next day was Bian Yushu's day off.

With Lin Suizhi holding Shen Jiangliu back, Qin Ji felt relieved and went to Jiang Jibai's small house to hear the opinions of an "outsider".

He didn't ask any questions right away, but patiently listened to the lecture for nearly two hours. After lunch, Qin Ji asked the gatekeeper, Uncle Li, to take a brand-new fox fur cloak from his carriage and give it to Jiang Jibai.

"Winter is here and the weather is getting colder. I hunted a few foxes in Yushan and had this cloak made. It will come in handy. Try it on and see if it fits."

How about it, Poison Master?

I am much more considerate than my cheap senior brother who has been back from Ning'an for many days but has not even dared to come and see you.

Jiang Jibai was surprised that his pampered little disciple had such a kind heart. He stroked the soft fox fur with his fingertips, shook it by the collar, and unfolded the cloak to put it on.

A faint smile appeared on Jiang Jibai's face. "Thank you for your gift. I like it very much."

The size was just right, and the multicolored fox fur cloak wasn't too expensive. It was a token of his disciple's goodwill, and he accepted it without hesitation.

Qin Ji watched with satisfaction as Jiang Jibai carefully put away the fox fur cloak. This was a fox he had hunted himself—what an honor! And this poison master got it for free.

After delivering the gift, Qin Ji took the opportunity to sow discord among his junior brothers, saying, "His Majesty dealt with those people in Ning'an swiftly and decisively this time. Not only did he not pursue the matter of Shen Jiangliu killing the Ning'an Provincial Governor, but he also seemed to intend to keep him in the capital for an important position. Teacher, rest assured."

Look how wise and magnanimous your little disciple is, not stooping to the level of your troublemaking eldest disciple.

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Ji saw the smile on Jiang Jibai's face fade a bit, and even heard a faint sneer.

This was the first time Qin Ji had heard Jiang Jibai sneer without trembling, but rather with schadenfreude. However, he also knew the principle of moderation; if he said a few more words, given the poison master's keen senses, the fire might burn him instead.

So, knowing when to stop, I used the previously mentioned autumn hunt at Yushan and the Ning'an embezzlement case as a springboard to get to today's main topic.

Qin Ji deliberately drew out his words with a "sigh," saying, "I never imagined that the Prince of Rui'an would collude with the Provincial Governor of Ning'an to assassinate His Majesty. Such wolfish ambition is truly chilling."

Listening to his rambling, disjointed ramblings, and then his strange, affected tone as he reminisced about the assassination attempt on Prince Rui'an, Jiang Jibai realized that Qin Ji's true intentions were not what they seemed. He closed the trunk of clothes and looked at him, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Qin Ji bit his lower lip, his expression changing several times, as if he were going through an internal struggle. After a long while, he slowly spoke as if he had made up his mind, "I have made a suggestion to Your Majesty, but I don't know if it is right or wrong. I am uneasy and would like to hear your opinion."

Seeing his young disciple's flustered expression and hearing him mention speaking to His Majesty, Jiang Jibai frowned slightly.

He knew how audacious Bian Feibai was.

Having just become a study companion, he dared to present several unbearable articles to His Majesty, claiming he wanted to "hide his shortcomings."

The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was used to cover up His Majesty's scandals, and some even dared to sit on the throne.

Having saved the emperor's life at Yushan, he gained the emperor's trust. When mentioning Shen Jiangliu several times, his words were full of the intention to curry favor and influence the emperor's decision.

This uncertain demeanor suggests that he may have offered His Majesty some incredibly audacious advice.

Seeing his young disciple's uneasy and even somewhat panicked appearance, Jiang Jibai suppressed his displeasure, took his shoulder, and soothed him in a gentle voice, "Don't panic, tell your master what you advised His Majesty?"

"Whether right or wrong, I can always offer you some advice that you can consider."

Jiang Jibai's comforting manner was gentle, and Qin Ji would always be touched by such care. His "unease" disappeared just right, and "complexity" slowly crept into his eyes.

He looked directly into Jiang Jibai's eyes, cleared his throat, and slowly said, "Your Majesty is struggling with how to deal with Prince Rui'an and his two children. I advise Your Majesty... to nip it in the bud."

In Qin Ji's eyes, the expression of the person opposite him who was supporting his shoulder gradually turned cold.