Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Qin Ji paused slightly while placing the dishes, then casually put the dishes on Jiang Jibai's plate. The momentary pause seemed like an illusion, leaving no trace of anything amiss.

Jiang Jibai withdrew his gaze from the junior disciple, his gentle smile undiminished: "Without official rank, his ambitions lie elsewhere."

Liu Jijiu was somewhat surprised to hear this, but since whether or not someone participates in the imperial examination is their own business, he didn't want to pry. So he just sighed with some regret, "It's a pity that your little disciple would definitely be on the list if he took the exam."

Yu Shanzhang's gaze swept between Jiang Jibai and his disciple Qin Ji, and he joked, "Brother Jiang is a free spirit, and it's not surprising that his disciple follows suit. Like master, like disciple."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jibai glanced at his young disciple beside him, who exuded filial piety from head to toe, raised his cup, and smiled: "It's my fault; I've misled this young man."

After a few jokes, the atmosphere at the celebration banquet became more relaxed. After several rounds of lively drinks, Liu, the Imperial Secretary, and Zhao, the Vice Director, were too old to hold their liquor and stopped drinking. Yu, the Headmaster, however, chatted with Jiang, who had just returned to the capital to take up his post.

The young people were less reserved than before and relaxed a bit; Yan Mingli found an opportunity to chat with Xie Wumian; Fang Yanqing, as the main guest at the celebration banquet, accepted all invitations and drank quite a bit.

Before they knew it, the banquet was coming to an end, and everyone stood up to say goodbye.

Jiang Jibai and his disciples escorted them to the restaurant entrance. After watching the young people help the gentlemen into their respective cars and leave, Fang Yanqing turned to instruct the waiters to pack up the unfinished dishes. Qin Ji also turned to the manager and whispered something to him. A moment later, the manager handed him a food box.

The four of them split into two carriages. Qin Ji, carrying a food box in one hand and pulling Jiang Jibai with the other, climbed into the front carriage. Fang Yanqing, unable to carry so many packed dishes by herself, gave half to Shen Jiangliu and boarded the back carriage.

The clatter of hooves echoed on the stone slabs as the wheels rolled forward.

Jiang Jibai raised his right hand and lifted the curtain of the carriage window. A gentle night breeze, accompanied by moonlight, flowed into the carriage, dispelling the smell of alcohol emanating from the master and his apprentice.

The sound of the food box being opened suddenly rang out in the carriage, and a porcelain bowl filled with amber liquid was handed to Jiang Jibai.

Jiang Jibai looked down and saw a bowl of clear hangover soup, its surface rippling as the carriage moved forward.

It was his apprentice, Fu, again.

Jiang Jibai knew that his junior disciple had taken the initiative to serve him at the victory banquet, probably because he didn't want him to lose face in front of his old friends. He just didn't expect that his thoughtfulness would be so long today, even extending from the banquet to the carriage.

He slightly raised his gaze to his youngest disciple, who seemed unusually considerate tonight. A gentle smile spread across his lips, his tone ambiguous between praise and admiration: "Why are you being so considerate today?"

I'm afraid I won't have this opportunity again.

He didn't have much time left, and he wanted to do his best to fulfill his duty as a disciple.

Qin Ji's eyes flickered slightly.

He snorted in dissatisfaction and pushed the hangover soup into his hand, gesturing for him to drink it quickly: "Weren't you considerate enough before?"

Jiang Jibai followed his little apprentice's wishes and drank the hangover soup in one gulp, not forgetting to turn the bowl over to show that he had drunk every last drop.

Qin Ji took the empty bowl with satisfaction and put it back in the food box. As he looked down, a slender hand covered his hair.

That hand gently patted his head: "Good boy."

Qin Ji pursed his lips, slightly raised his eyes, and remained silent.

Jiang Jibai gazed gently at his young disciple: "I originally thought you would..."

Before he could finish speaking, their eyes met, and the boy's usually unfathomable eyes softened, revealing a gentle warmth devoid of any aggression.

The doubts in his heart were put aside, and the words that were about to come out became a helpless sigh: "Never mind."

All the original questions were sealed away in my heart again.

Qin Ji lowered his gaze slightly; he knew that his appearance tonight had been somewhat impulsive.

He wore a mask, but only as a precaution. He was originally staying in the private room next door, planning to arrive late after the celebration banquet.

When he heard others boasting about their disciple's good fortune in front of Jiang Jibai, he finally couldn't resist. Wearing a tattered disguise and risking his identity being exposed, he appeared in the private room as a disciple.

He was wearing a mask. Zhao Siye was a smart man; even if he recognized him, he might not expose his disguise.

Although Jiang Xu is upright and likely won't cooperate with his acting, he might not recognize him.

Everyone else who knew his identity had been warned by him and knew what to do.

He convinced himself with many reasons full of uncertainties, but in essence, it was nothing more than wanting Jiang Jibai to have everything that others could have.

Jiang Jibai is the best teacher in the world, and he deserves to enjoy the most attentive service from his disciple. He has no need to envy anyone, even if his disciple is the emperor, even if his disciple holds the world in his hands.

Qin Ji closed the food box.

Jiang Jibai took in the young disciple's unusual behavior and reached out to touch the silver-patterned mask on the boy's face.

Qin Ji remained motionless, allowing Jiang Jibai to remove his mask.

With the mask resting on his lap, Jiang Jibai casually stroked it and asked, "Did you and your second senior brother have some kind of falling out?"

Qin Ji's half-lowered eyes flickered slightly, and instead of answering, he asked, "Will you punish him tonight?"

Jiang Jibai's fingers paused slightly, his expression unchanged, but he posed a question instead of an answer: "Do you think I should punish him?"

Qin Ji was silent for a moment: "Today is his victory celebration banquet, a great day."

Jiang Jibai's expression darkened slightly as his junior disciple acted strangely today: "You want to plead for your second senior brother?"

Fang Yanqing exposed his identity tonight because he felt indignant on behalf of Jiang Jibai, even ignoring his warnings and disregarding his own life.

However, in the teacher's eyes, Fang Yanqing's deliberate attempt to bring up the old story of the Mangshan Poetry Gathering was disregarding his junior brother's wishes and forcing him to do something against his will.

If Jiang Jibai punishes Fang Yanqing tonight, regardless of whether Fang Yanqing feels wronged, his teacher will surely regret it and feel sad when he learns the truth in the future.

Qin Ji didn't want Jiang Jibai to be sad.