Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Jiang Jibai's instructions were simple and clear. Qin Ji glanced at the Poison Master's cold face and was so frightened that he immediately looked away and did as he was told without delay.

His chest was pressed against the bench, and his arms were crossed and clasped behind his back on the bench's wooden planks.

The cool bamboo whip pressed down gently. Jiang Jibai suppressed his anger and gave his young apprentice one more chance to speak, "You really advised His Majesty?"

Although it was a question, Qin Ji sensed a certainty that he had been seen through.

Qin Ji gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and said without changing his mind, "I have made my suggestion."

Jiang Jibai had anticipated this and knew that he wouldn't easily change his tune. "Alright, then we'll go with your suggestion."

As soon as he finished speaking, the bamboo whip was raised, followed by a chilling whistling sound that made one's scalp tingle.

Qin Ji's expression went blank for a moment, then he burst into a loud, earth-shattering cry. He picked up a bench and crawled forward on his knees, touching the wound on his back. He turned around and looked at Jiang Jibai, crying so hard that it moved everyone who heard it to tears.

Even if I came here looking for a beating, isn't this force a bit too vicious?

Jiang Jibai, you assassinated me, go sit at the same table with my cheap nephew.

Cut the weeds and eliminate them completely!

Jiang Jibai remained unmoved by his junior disciple's overly exaggerated reaction. He pointed his bamboo whip at the spot and uttered two words, "Come back."

Qin Ji choked back his sobs, not daring to delay, and, clutching the bench, rushed back to his original spot with a death-defying resolve.

Unfortunately, the junior disciple's cooperation failed to impress Jiang Jibai, and the punishment remained unchanged, without the slightest leniency.

Qin Ji nearly cried himself to death, in so much pain he couldn't even utter a single word of begging for mercy. He twisted and turned, falling to the ground several times along with the bench.

No matter how Qin Ji staggered or swayed, Jiang Jibai's bamboo whip seemed to have eyes, always hitting its mark precisely.

As Qin Ji's soul seemed to leave his body, he heard Jiang Jibai ask in a calm, deep voice, "Has your feverish mind cleared up a bit while you were accompanying your studies?"

"Do you know whether your teacher approves of this or not?"

Qin Ji hugged the bench and sobbed, not daring not to answer, "I understand, I don't agree."

With a sharp crack of the bamboo whip, Qin Ji let out another loud wail.

"Answer me one more time, did you really advise His Majesty?"

The burning pain from his wound made Qin Ji momentarily consider relenting, but he still insisted on saying, "I have offered my advice."

Jiang Jibai frowned deeply. "What exactly are you thinking, saying such things to me?"

Qin Ji feigned ignorance, saying, "I just felt uneasy about it after speaking to His Majesty..."

"Feeling guilty and coming here to ask for a beating?"

Qin Ji's eyes flickered slightly, and he replied decisively, "Yes."

Jiang Jibai did not believe it.

In Jiang Jibai's view, although his junior disciple was audacious and had a very righteous mind, he was not stupid and would not be so reckless as to be so ignorant of death.

When serving the ruler, one should not only be careful with one's words and actions, but also know what not to say easily. In terms of conduct, a junior disciple should be more discerning than a senior disciple.

The suggestion was incongruous at every turn, but Bian Feibai insisted on it. It would be a shame not to make him suffer a little.

Jiang Jibai stared at Qin Ji's back with a slightly darkened expression. "At such a young age, after only a few days as His Majesty's study companion, you can't even find your way around?"

"Those in positions of power learn quickly the habit of regarding human life as worthless as ants."

"Even His Majesty is struggling with how to handle this, yet you seem to know how to share his burdens."

"Aren't you asking for a beating?"

"Alright, I'll grant your wish. Whip me with the bamboo whip..."

How could someone say such terrifying things in such a calm tone?

Jiang Jibai is also a man of his word.

Qin Ji was terrified. Before he could utter the word "sever," he tried to rush forward and hug Jiang Jibai's leg, "Old..."

With a flick of the bamboo whip, Qin Ji's leaping motion was abruptly stopped, freezing him in place.

"Do you think that being punished by me will make your conscience feel better?"

"While you're tutoring me, what's your conscience worth?"

conscience?

Qin Ji thought that if his conscience was too valuable, he probably wouldn't be able to sit securely on the dragon throne.

Throughout history, how many truly good people have been in his position?

A virtuous person cannot be an emperor who holds the power of life and death.

Traitors and rebels should all be executed.

The Ning'an Provincial Governor was beheaded, his nephew was beheaded, his grand-nephew was beheaded, and the Poison Master was beheaded!

While muttering to himself, Qin Ji returned to his original position and lay down, still crying.

Jiang Jibai's bamboo whip followed relentlessly, adding insult to injury to Qin Ji.

Qin Ji was brutally struck, trembling like a leaf in the wind. His cries, as always, were full of vigor, rising and falling in rhythm with Jiang Jibai's whip, shaking the heavens.

He cried until his voice was almost hoarse, and his eyes and brows were wet, it was hard to tell whether it was tears or cold sweat from the pain.

Jiang Jibai stopped for a while before Qin Ji recovered. He touched the burning wound on his back and cried out in pain for a long time after touching it himself.

The youngest disciples' reactions to being punished were always surprisingly pitiful. They didn't put on any dignity at all, and they were all in tears and snot, looking particularly miserable.

Jiang Jibai was pierced by Qin Ji's demonic voice. Several times he tried to speak, but his cries drowned out his words. So he simply flicked the bamboo whip at Qin Ji, which successfully shut him up. Qin Ji shrunk like a duck with tears welling up in his eyes.

"Does your conscience feel better now?"

Qin Ji generously squeezed two packets of tears from his eyes and shook his head pragmatically.

He bet that if he nodded, Jiang Jibai would hold him down and give him another beating.

After cursing the poison master several times in his heart, Qin Ji said in a somewhat muffled voice, "Even if I don't speak up, His Majesty may not let them off the hook."

"His Majesty will decide how to deal with them; what right do you have to offer advice?"

Jiang Jibai raised his hand, and the bamboo whip whistled twice in succession, cutting through the air. "You've got guts, you're not afraid of death?"

I'm asking for it!

The wound felt like it had been scorched by two fiery snakes. Qin Ji's eyebrows furrowed in pain, his feet kicked, his knees lifted off the ground, and his body tensed like a string.

"Whether it is Prince Rui'an or his two children, they are all His Majesty's blood relatives."

"Today His Majesty listened to your advice and killed them. If His Majesty regrets it in the future, you will be the first one to be punished."

Jiang Jibai couldn't understand why his little disciple would insist on putting such a stupid and vicious label on his head.

Could it be that he had this idea, but knew it was inappropriate, so he came to test his opinion?

Jiang Jibai bluntly commented, "Both toxic and stupid."

Jiang Jibai, how dare you!

It's one thing to call me poisonous, but to call me stupid?

This title was truly unpleasant, and Qin Ji was furious. Ignoring his own feelings, he turned and, with his neck stiff, shouted, "You clearly saw it all! I didn't offer any advice, not a single word!"

Now is no longer the time to grit your teeth and be prepared to be beaten just to say that you have offered your advice.

He got all flustered by just one sentence, showing his childish side.

He was the one who blurted out the truth for such a childish reason. He was also the one who had previously delivered a superb performance, singing and acting, claiming that he was advising His Majesty, and almost fooled even Jiang Jibai.

This young disciple is fickle and deep-thinking, yet he is also surprisingly frank at times. He has opinions about Yang Xiuyun and is jealous of Shen Jiangliu, making no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction with even a single comment from him.

But to say he is sincere is an understatement; his heart is clearly full of hidden grievances, and he has many secrets from others and is not honest.

Jiang Jibai said calmly, "It seems you know you can't advise His Majesty to kill members of the imperial clan."

"Since you can't do it, you probably didn't intend to speak up after going through a pang of conscience."

Jiang Jibai's gaze was like a knife, sharply shooting at Qin Ji, "But you insist that you have already done it, acting, lying, and asking for a beating in front of me."

"Bian Feibai, what is your purpose? What are you testing?"

Qin Ji's breath hitched.

If he's both poisonous and stupid, then he's both poisonous and stupid. Why should I argue with him?

Brain tea! Share this quickly!