Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Qin Ji was quite depressed for several days after failing to receive a severe beating from the Grand Tutor.

His frustration made the ministers even more apprehensive during the morning court session.

After the ministers carefully reported on the matters of their respective departments, they began to engage in subtle exchanges and veiled accusations.

Minister of War: Your Majesty, what's wrong? Why is he staring at me? I haven't offended him recently, have I? I'm so scared! Help!

Minister of Revenue: The current emperor is unfathomably cunning, and he is also decisive and ruthless. You are finished. Just wait to die.

Minister of Justice: The last person he stared at with that look didn't last three rounds in my Ministry of Justice prison. Considering we've worked together for so many years, I'll give you a quick death then.

The Minister of War racked his brains over his recent duties several times, but couldn't figure out what he had done wrong. Touching his temporarily unharmed neck, he silently shed tears.

As for what Qin Ji was thinking, he was looking for a new target.

This Minister of War has a nice build; he must be quite strong. I wonder what it would feel like to fight him. It's just that his appearance is a bit lacking—plain and unremarkable, not exactly pleasing to the eye.

Another one that's neither good enough to eat nor good enough to throw away. Qin Ji's eyes showed considerable dissatisfaction.

The Minister of War trembled under his gaze, wishing he could step forward and kowtow to confess his guilt, whether he was guilty or not, in order to beg for leniency.

Just as his knees buckled, the Minister of Personnel came to his rescue. "Your Majesty," the Minister said, "I have heard that the great Confucian scholar Jiang Jibai recently arrived in the capital, but there has been no word from him. It seems he is living in seclusion in the city. Should we send people to search for him, visit him three times, and invite him to serve in the court as Grand Tutor?"

That fool, Grand Tutor Song, was so ambitious and restless before, but for some reason, a few days ago his eyes suddenly became much clearer, as if he had been blessed. He even wisely submitted a memorial requesting to retire and return to his hometown.

The Minister of Personnel estimated that if he continued to act recklessly for a while, His Majesty would help him save face.

Fortunately, that guy was still quite clear-headed in the end, and he withdrew gracefully. He even put on a show of resigning and staying three times in court with His Majesty, thus fulfilling the relationship between the emperor and his subject and being able to return home in glory.

The problem is that it's not easy to find a successor. The Ministry of Personnel searched around but couldn't find a suitable candidate. Just then, a renowned scholar emerged in the capital, who was a good candidate.

New candidate!

Qin Ji had heard of Jiang Jibai. He was a child prodigy in the Jiang family, renowned for his talent from a young age. He began traveling and studying around the world when he came of age, and now, not yet thirty, he was already a renowned Confucian scholar. He was generous in teaching and taught without discrimination, so at such a young age, he could be said to have students all over the world.

Regardless of his academic background, he's under thirty and in his prime, and I've heard his looks are top-notch. Qin Ji's eyes gleamed, and he silently prayed for his ancestors' blessings, hoping for a capable fighter. Then, with a wave of his hand, he ordered, "Go and do it."

Qin Ji's weather cleared up after a period of cloudy skies. The Minister of Rites also mentioned the matter of offering sacrifices to Heaven, saying, "The Autumn Equinox is just around the corner. His Majesty has been in power for a year now. Will this year's Autumn Equinox Moon Offering ceremony follow the usual procedures?"

Offering sacrifices to the moon at the Autumn Equinox and praying for a bountiful harvest are old traditions. Qin Ji had no intention of making the moon-worshiping ceremony any different, and said with little interest, "Let's follow the old ways."

After the moon worship ceremony, the ancestral worship ceremony begins.

Qin Ji had a sudden inspiration and came up with a plan. He coughed lightly, his lips almost curling into a smile, and said, "I... want to change the posthumous title of the late emperor."

The late Emperor Qin Han indulged in pleasure and neglected state affairs. He died young from taking elixirs. Had he not died so young, the Great Yin Dynasty might have been ruined by him. After his death, the court officials reluctantly chose the character "Huai" for him, which was neither outstanding nor bad, but it was still a fair assessment of him.

Is Your Majesty perhaps trying to glorify the late Emperor and preparing to give his father a posthumous title?

The ministers asked: "How can we persuade Your Majesty to reconsider while ensuring the safety of your entire family?"

Qin Ji looked at the troubled faces below, cleared his throat, and said, "The late emperor was obsessed with women and elixirs, neglecting state affairs. During his ten-year reign, natural disasters and man-made calamities were constant. The character '怀' (huái, meaning 'embracing' or 'cherishing') was too lenient for him. Change it to '荒' (huāng, meaning 'wasteful').

Incompetence and inaction, along with extravagance and debauchery, constitute wasteland.

To speak ill of one's father and to change the late emperor's posthumous title is a great act of filial impiety!

Censor, come here! All you high-ranking officials, come here! Don't hold back and point out my faults.

I will go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple with a face full of shame and ask for ancestral punishment. Do not show me any mercy; speak frankly and condemn my filial impiety. I can bear it.

The ministers were shocked and fell silent, never expecting such a change.

After a long while, a censor with a flushed face stepped forward shakily from the ranks of officials.

Qin Ji's eyes lit up: They're here!

The imperial censor knelt down with a thud, saying, "Your Majesty is wise."

Qin Ji: "..."

You little censor, you look so handsome, yet you're just a cowardly sycophant who tries to please your superiors.

The Minister of Rites stepped forward immediately after him, and Qin Ji's eyes lit up.

The Minister of Rites, beaming with pride, spoke with fervor: "Your Majesty dares to defy the world's condemnation, pointing out the late Emperor's shortcomings to rectify the conduct of future generations, leaving all villains and petty men with nowhere to hide and daring not to stir up trouble, even at the cost of bearing infamy. This is truly an act of great virtue and filial piety, setting an example for posterity!"

You, Minister of Rites, look like a gentleman with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, but I never expected you to be such a sycophant! Bah!

"I second that proposal!"

"I second that proposal!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Qin Ji's eyes lost their luster as the ministers sang his praises. He waved his hand expressionlessly and said, "Let's discuss this further. Court adjourned."

Qin Ji rose and left the court with unsteady steps, still able to hear the ministers behind him chanting "Your Majesty is wise!"

It's another day of Qian Gang's absolute power and awe-inspiring influence over the world. How wonderful.

Another day without a proper beating, bah!