Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Shang Jingming knew what His Majesty wanted to ask. "The sleeve dart has a short range, weak armor-piercing ability, and high cost, making it difficult to use on a large scale in the army. However, it may achieve unexpected results for generals to use it for self-defense and for spies to use it for assassination and surprise attacks."

Arming His Majesty's secret guards would be the perfect solution. However, Shang Jingming couldn't say this directly; he left it at that, and the two of them, the emperor and his subject, understood each other perfectly.

"Hyacinth bean".

A figure darted out from the tree.

Qin Ji tossed the hidden arrow he had taken off to him, and then said to Fu Lu, "Have the Ministry of Works supervise the Ironworks to make another 500 sets."

"Yes"

"Jade Book".

Bian Yushu, who had repeatedly made meritorious contributions, looked at Qin Ji with bright eyes, like a little dog begging for a bone.

Qin Ji, understanding the situation, praised Shang Jingming in front of him, "Well done. With your abilities, you will surely become a pillar of our Great Yin in the future."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Bian Yushu was flattered by the Emperor's praise, his eyes crinkling with pride. If he had a tail, it would probably be wagging high in the sky. He proudly raised his chin at Shang Jingming.

During the autumn hunt at Yushan, his arch-rival displayed astonishing skills, saving the emperor and earning his favor. Meanwhile, he himself was of no help whatsoever and even hindered the emperor's efforts.

Now, Bian Yushu has finally pieced together the confidence that had been shattered, and feels a great sense of triumph in front of his arch-rival.

Like a peacock, quite smug. Shang Jingming's teasing mood was aroused again, and he glared at Bian Yushu "angrily".

Bian Yushu beamed with delight, becoming even more smug.

He is the future pillar of the nation in His Majesty's eyes; I won't stoop to his level.

Qin Ji took in the subtle misunderstandings between the two men and found it hard to look at the foolishness on his cheap apprentice's face.

He could tell from Yushan that this kid was prone to getting cocky and needed to be kept in check from time to time.

Seeing Bian Yushu's radiant beauty, Qin Ji didn't want to spoil his mood. Instead, he rewarded her for her contributions, saying, "Fu Lu, have the craftsmen forge a pair of hidden arrows out of gold and bestow them upon Bian Yushu."

Gold is not very hard, so the hidden blade wasn't made for him to use as a weapon, but rather as a symbol of honor. Bian Yushu bowed deeply, tears streaming down his face, "Yushu thanks Your Majesty for this gift."

"I'm giving you another task. If you do it well, I'll reward you handsomely."

The Shangwu and Rousang tribes in the southwest are becoming increasingly restless, and their tribal leaders are ambitious and treacherous. Qin Ji has been planning to wage war in the past two years.

However, these two tribes are located deep in the mountains and forests, guarded by watchtowers. Since ancient times, they have been subject to the whims of the imperial court rather than under its actual control, making them no easy task to conquer.

If we could improve the heavy ballista and catapult...

I just don't know if Bian Yushu will be able to give him this surprise.

Qin Ji raised the need to improve the crossbow and catapult. Bian Yushu thought about it carefully for a while, and although he didn't make any promises, he sincerely said that he would do his best.

Shang Jingming seemed to be deep in thought.

The improvement of long-range suppression weapons—does His Majesty perhaps intend to wage war?

They returned to the Qianzheng Hall from the training ground.

Qin Ji dismissed Shang Jingming, and Fu Lu went to the Ministry of Works to deliver the imperial decree, leaving only Qin Ji and Bian Yushu in the hall.

Bian Yushu hesitated, then said, "Your Majesty, the day after tomorrow..."

This kid's demands are written all over his face.

He's been working very hard lately, and probably wants to go out and get some fresh air too.

Since it was just a trip to the market anyway, Qin Ji glanced at him, ignored him for a moment, and then relented, "You come along too, but don't run around."

Bian Yushu's eyes instantly lit up like little stars, and she nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "Thank you, teacher."

...

Two days later, in a small teahouse in the market, three young men sat by the window drinking tea.

The three men were all outstanding in appearance and had extraordinary bearing.

The teahouse owner, with years of experience and a keen eye, immediately recognized that these three were not from humble beginnings. So, with a beaming smile, he personally carried the teapot over and asked, "You gentlemen look unfamiliar. Is this your first time visiting my humble establishment?"

Qin Ji held his teacup without saying a word.

Shang Jingming knew that His Majesty had brought them to the market for some other purpose, and it could even be said that it was inseparable from his position as the commander of the Five Cities Garrison.

Seeing that His Majesty had no intention of speaking, he naturally took over the conversation, "We usually stay at home studying and rarely go out. As the year draws to a close, we heard that there are variety shows in the market, so we thought we'd come and join in the fun."

The innkeeper poured them tea and pointed out the window, "Then you've come to the right place. The acrobatic performance is in that open space, but you three have arrived a bit early, so you'll probably have to wait for another hour."

Bian Yushu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked with great interest, "Before the acrobatic performance begins, are there any other places to pass the time?"

"Walk two hundred steps south along this street, and you'll find theaters for watching plays and listening to music, and entertainment venues for cockfighting and sumo wrestling. I guarantee you'll have a great time."

Bian Yushu's eyes lit up as he listened, eager to try.

Since becoming His Majesty's study companion, his former life of debauchery has been gone forever. The fighting roosters he kept have become huge fat balls from being idle, and their fighting ability has been greatly reduced.

It was a rare opportunity to leave the palace, and upon hearing that there was cockfighting at the entertainment venue, Bian Yushu couldn't help but feel a little itchy. She looked at Qin Ji expectantly, "Young Master~"

Shang Jingming was amazed. A fool is a fool. He really thought he was out having fun today.

Qin Ji scoffed lightly. He had to admit that this kid was getting bolder and bolder, daring to make such a request in front of him.

Bian Yushu had already tested the tea; it wasn't poisonous. Qin Ji took a sip. "I heard that a few days ago, someone caused trouble in the market, incurring public wrath. But his companion was a master; he not only escaped with his men but was also unharmed. Is that true?"

Shang Jingming's eyelids twitched, and he immediately chimed in, "Such a master is like a character from a story. I really want to get to know him."

What young person isn't interested in the "heroes and heroines" in these kinds of stories?

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper smiled wryly and said, "That is indeed true, but unfortunately the person has long since disappeared. If the three of you want to make his acquaintance, it will be like searching for a needle in a haystack."

Qin Ji put down his teacup. "Shopkeeper, is there some hidden reason behind your behavior?"

"Young master, you don't know this, but that young man who angered everyone said some really nasty things. My son impulsively joined in the beating, but he didn't even get a scratch. Instead, he was swept off his feet by that expert's sweeping leg and was knocked to the ground, his head was even broken. He's still lying in bed now, and he says he feels dizzy as soon as he stands up."

Bian Yushu asked curiously, "What did he say?"

The original saying was, "In this capital city, nine out of ten shops are run by scoundrels; even the stingiest man would be plucked bald."

The shopkeeper looked bitter. "He has no idea that our small businesses don't make much profit at all."

"The fishing gangs have to pay protection fees here and there, river maintenance fees there, and on top of that, they have to give bribes to the officials of the Five Cities Garrison. If they set the prices too high and there are no customers, they can only barely make ends meet with their meager earnings?"

The shopkeeper pointed to the teapot on the table, "To be honest, this pot of tea is 10 coins more expensive than elsewhere, but you can see the acrobatics in the open space across the street, right? We can't bear the label of 'shady merchants'."

Qin Ji had already received intelligence, so he was not surprised to hear these words and leisurely drank his tea.

Bian Yushu, holding her teacup, was filled with righteous indignation. "What a venomous mouth! Spouting nonsense without even knowing the truth. It's really a shame that the person got away unscathed."

"He's really spewing nonsense," Qin Ji thought to himself.

Upon hearing the instruction, "In addition to this, we also need to pay tribute to the officials of the Five Cities Garrison," Shang Jingming almost pressed his handprint on the table and subconsciously looked at Qin Ji.

If they weren't outside, he would have already knelt down.

...

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