Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

The boy kowtowed to the ground, his words earnest, as if he were torn between "filial piety" and "ideals," unsure of what to do.

People at that time valued filial piety, and no one could criticize a young man who was hesitant to enter officialdom because of his filial piety.

Jiang Jibai helped Qin Ji sit up slowly by supporting his shoulders so that they could look each other in the eye.

Jiang Jibai remained calm, making it impossible to tell whether he believed or disbelieved his explanation.

Qin Ji's eyes were a little red, and there were still traces of water on his eyelashes. He had told too many lies to Jiang Jibai, but his desire not to disappoint Jiang Jibai was genuine, and at this moment, his fear of having his lies exposed was also genuine.

The atmosphere was so quiet it was unsettling.

Even if he had doubts, Jiang Jibai would not question the good intentions of a teenager who was grateful to his family and filial to his grandmother and father.

He raised his hand and used his fingertips to wipe away the tears from Qin Ji's eyes. His voice was gentle and had a calming power. "Your father and brothers hope that you live a healthy, happy, and carefree life, which shows how much they love you. They probably don't want this love to put too much pressure on you."

"Although I am your teacher, I cannot make choices for you, but I can tell you this..."

"You are intelligent and quick to understand. You were born into a wealthy and influential family and were pampered, yet you still have the ability to look down on the common people, understand their suffering, and have compassion for them. I took you as my student because I admire you as a person, not because you want to enter officialdom."

"Besides, does that mean one can't achieve anything without entering officialdom?" Jiang Jibai ruffled Qin Ji's hair and smiled nonchalantly. "Then what do you think I'm doing? Is what I'm doing meaningless?"

A performance that was three parts genuine emotion and seven parts feigned sincerity earned him a few gentle and earnest words of comfort. Looking into Jiang Jibai's eyes, Qin Ji's throat tightened, his eyes stung, and he felt a little ashamed. "Teacher..."

Jiang Jibai gently touched the spot where Qin Ji's heart was beating. "Follow your heart and don't make things difficult for yourself. No matter what you choose, I will never be disappointed in you."

Jiang Jibai's fingertips carried a mysterious power, and the spot he touched felt a mixture of sourness and burning heat. The two emotions intertwined and swirled, causing Qin Ji's heart to swell uncontrollably.

With his heart pounding in his ears, Qin Ji, overwhelmed by intense emotions, allowed himself to let his true feelings show for once. He reached out and hugged Jiang Jibai, who was so close to him, burying his face in Jiang's shoulder. "I truly want to become your disciple."

"No matter when, no matter what I do wrong, please teach me well, I will listen, please don't be disappointed in me, okay?"

Qin Ji cunningly extended Jiang Jibai's assurance that he would not be disappointed to "no matter when" and "no matter what," hoping to gain some vague reassurance. However, he was misunderstood as being coquettish, which earned him a reassuring pat on the back from Jiang Jibai.

"Tell me what happened during the fight."

Although the tone was gentle, it was still a question, which completely ruined the atmosphere. Qin Ji stepped out of Jiang Jibai's arms, turned to the wall, and knelt up straight.

Jiang Jibai picked up the ruler placed beside him, stood up, and said, "Although you are audacious and have a lot of ideas, you don't seem like the kind of person who is so stupid as to know that you are His Majesty's companion and represent His Majesty's face to a certain extent, yet still fight in the street without any regard for the consequences."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ji cursed inwardly: Bian Yushu, are you out of your mind!

"What happened?"

Qin Ji accused Shang Jingming, "I've been at odds with him since childhood. When we met on a narrow road, he went too far!"

This reasoning clearly failed to convince Jiang Jibai, and as soon as he finished speaking, he was struck twice hard.

Qin Ji was clearly mentally prepared when he said this, but he still fell forward in pain, crying out in pain, and leaning against the wall, sobbing softly.

"Don't want to talk about it?"

With a sob escaping his lips, Qin Ji said, "Your Majesty has the intention to cultivate talented generals. Although I am at odds with Shang Jingming, we have fought since childhood, so I know a thing or two about his abilities. I recommended him to Your Majesty."

"His Majesty wanted to test him, so he ordered me to find an opportunity to test him. I took advantage of the dispute over the road and fought with Shang Jingming. Although the fight was chaotic, I could see a lot of clues from the fact that his servants were disciplined and well-trained when they retreated."

"There were His Majesty's secret guards in the carriage at the time. They will definitely report the scene truthfully when they return. Whether or not to use Shang Jingming depends on His Majesty's decision."

Qin Ji was testing Shang Jingming, but Jiang Jibai had another purpose in mind.

Although the Shangwu and Rousang tribes, located in the southwest, have submitted to the Great Yin Dynasty and accepted the court's control, the court's control over these tribes has gradually weakened since the late emperor, leading to their increasing restlessness in recent years.

The newly appointed leader of Shangwu is ambitious and has the intention to seize territory and annex surrounding smaller tribes. The leader of Rousang is following suit and disregards the imperial court. Your Majesty's cultivation of military talent may be intended to quell the rebellion by force.

Jiang Jibai casually remarked, "We've never gotten along since we were kids, yet you're willing to recommend him."

"My feud with Shang Jingming is a personal matter, while recruiting talents for His Majesty is a matter of public interest. I can tell which is more important." Qin Ji tried to win Jiang Jibai's favor while secretly glancing at his expression.

"Besides, His Majesty might prefer us to be at odds rather than to be as close as Shang Jingming and me. After all, no great ruler would be happy to see his civil and military officials working together as one."

There are many complicated thoughts in my mind, but I can see things clearly.

Jiang Jibai looked at him meaningfully, "How many times did you hit a wall in total?"

"Five..." Qin Ji immediately changed his mind upon seeing Jiang Jibai's expression, "Six times."

It was clearly taken advantage of my inattention that I was punished twice before I could even get up from the wall. How can that be considered hitting the wall twice?

Poison Master, sob sob.

The penalty for twelve strokes was increased to thirty.

How much additional penalty should he receive for 30?

Surely the poison master can't really kill him, waah.

He explained both matters in a "reasonable and well-founded" manner, so why can't he be treated leniently?

With tears in his eyes, Qin Ji turned to look at Jiang Jibai with pleading eyes, "Teacher..."

Jiang Jibai ignored Qin Ji's attempts to charm and ingratiate himself, "Is street fighting the only way to test Shang Jingming?"

"As the son of the Provincial Governor of Western Sichuan and a companion to the Emperor, even if you violate the laws of the Great Yin Dynasty, the Five Cities Garrison Command would surely not dare to punish you. What would the people who witness this think? Where is the dignity of the law?"

"Isn't provoking Shang Jingming into a hunting bet with words better than a street brawl?"

Jiang Jibai was always as hard as stone, and Qin Ji didn't expect him to let him off easily. He turned his head back, lowered his head, and put on a shameful and remorseful look, "It was my oversight."

What they say is one thing, what they think is another.

I also intend to have the sons of my ministers participate in this year's autumn hunt to show their skills, and take this opportunity to see Shang Jingming's abilities and give him a chance to shine.

As expected of the Emperor, you and your teacher are thinking the same thing.

No, as expected of a teacher, you're thinking the same thing as me, hehe.

"I can understand your hesitation, confusion, and uncertainty about whether to pursue an official career. I will not blame you for not wanting to see Xiuyun. But you could have explained your thoughts to me, yet you chose the most impolite way: simply disappearing without a trace, leaving your elders waiting in vain."

No matter how many unspoken reasons Qin Ji had, or how many hidden stories lay behind them, Jiang Jibai's patient persuasion always touched him. Qin Ji actually enjoyed listening to Jiang Jibai explain his reasoning in detail, even though he already knew some of those reasons by heart.

Qin Ji readily admitted his mistake, "I'm sorry, I know I was wrong."