Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

After giving a series of instructions, Qin Ji thought he could finally get some rest, but Jiang Jibai dragged him back to the study again to give him a lecture.

Qin Ji, incredulous, supported Tuanzi and protested, "Teacher, I'm injured now!"

"You only get a day off every ten days, so you already have very little time to study with your teacher. You went on the autumn hunt in Yushan with His Majesty for another month, and there will inevitably be more such events in the future. When you are by my side, you must make the most of your time and not slack off."

Although Bian Feibai was undecided about whether to enter officialdom, if he did choose this path in the future, he would not waste his time since he currently had no official rank or title, even though his foundation was decent. He would not want to squander his time on the imperial examinations in the future.

Qin Ji naturally had no worries about his studies. His learning was taught by the Grand Tutor and the Hanlin Academy scholars, all of whom were extremely learned and laid a solid foundation for him.

If they needed clarification, they could summon someone to the emperor's presence at any time, and even compare the opinions of several sources. If the emperor would say "not bad," it would be a great honor for them.

Qin Ji was also troubled by the fact that he spent too little time with the Poison Master.

Jiang Jibai was unwilling to enter officialdom, and Qin Ji dared not reveal his identity, so the time the master and disciple spent together was too little.

What if, in the future... the truth comes out, and Jiang Jibai's feelings for him aren't deep enough... Qin Ji didn't even dare to think about what would happen.

No, I need to think of a way to deepen my relationship with my teacher!

These thoughts cannot be shared with Jiang Jibai.

In Jiang Jibai's eyes, he was just a study companion. Although he also studied with the emperor, the Hanlin scholars' progress was based on the emperor's, and they would not teach him according to his aptitude as a study companion.

Qin Ji grumbled, looking at the chair in front of his personal desk, "Couldn't you have waited until you finished teaching me before you started? You have no conscience at all..."

Jiang Jibai glanced at him, and Qin Ji shut his mouth.

Poison Master, Jiang the Skinflint!

In the palace, he was punished by sitting while reviewing memorials; in the poison master's lectures, he was punished by sitting.

Is there no justice left?

My dragon's rear end is so blessed, waaaaah~

Having just been punished, even when in contact with a cushioned chair, the burning sensation is still excruciatingly intense as the weight of the body flattens the affected area, sending the pain straight to the top of one's head.

Qin Ji's legs went weak.

The only difference between this and reviewing memorials in the palace was that he didn't have to maintain the stability of the state. So he grimaced in pain, looked at Jiang Jibai with tears in his eyes, and his eyes were full of accusation.

Jiang Jibai looked at Qin Ji, who was sitting obediently in the chair, his face pale with pain, and even his hard heart softened a little.

No matter how you look at it, it was his temper that got out of control. The little disciple showed up in his house and was immediately beaten up, so much so that the boy now has to listen to his lectures while injured.

Jiang Jibai looked away, cleared his throat, and began to teach his young apprentice in a gentle manner, tolerating being ordered around to grind ink and pour tea.

When the lecture ended, Qin Ji put down his pen, indicating that he could not get up.

Jiang Jibai didn't rush to help him up. Instead, he took a box from the bookshelf and placed it next to Qin Ji. When he opened it, a box full of books came into view.

"Since you became my disciple, I have not yet given you a formal apprenticeship gift."

Before Qin Ji could even grumble in his mind after receiving a box full of books, Jiang Jibai casually picked one up and handed it to him.

Qin Ji opened the book and turned the pages one by one. Each page was full of annotations, some with old ink marks, and many with new ones.

Qin Ji could tell that the newly added annotations were Jiang Jibai's thoughtful answers to some of the questions he had raised during his lectures.

The book that hadn't yet been told to Qin Ji was an expansion, extension, and in-depth exploration of topics that Qin Ji might be interested in. Qin Ji casually flipped through a couple of pages and couldn't help but be drawn in to read on.

This box full of books shows just how much work was involved.

No wonder he had been Jiang Jibai's disciple for three months before receiving this belated apprenticeship gift.

Qin Ji received countless gifts throughout his life, some unique and some priceless. Countless people tried to please him, racking their brains to deliver gifts that would win his favor.

But no gift touched him as much as the box of books Jiang Jibai gave him.

There was no ulterior motive, and I didn't expect to gain anything from him; it was simply a teacher's sincere and dedicated feelings for his student.

This gift was not presented to the King of Dayin, but was given to his student Bian Feibai.

Qin Ji carefully placed the copy of "The Doctrine of the Mean" back into the box, then glanced at it and saw another copy lying next to him.

Why would the teacher leave two identical books?

Qin Ji took it out curiously and saw that it was also full of annotations, but it was completely different from the previous one. It no longer focused on Qin Ji's interests, but on preparing for the imperial examination, deeply studying the principles and dissecting them as if they were fire.

Jiang Jibai said to him, "You may still be confused about whether or not to enter officialdom. That is your life, and I cannot make the choice for you. What I can help you is to be prepared no matter what you choose."

Listening to Jiang Jibai's words, Qin Ji ran his fingers over the freshly dried ink stains between the pages of the book, his throat tightened slightly, and he remained silent.

Jiang Jibai remembered the helplessness he showed when it came to whether or not to enter officialdom. He took his "confusion" to heart, but instead of forcing him to make a choice sooner, he thoughtfully built every bridge and paved every road for him, just so that he could walk more smoothly in the future.

But he didn't need to take the imperial examination at all; it was all a deception.

This book, which he could not use, also consumed a great deal of Jiang Jibai's energy, simply because of his true and false lies.

Qin Ji had never realized so clearly before that he was betraying the sincerity of a good teacher.

Even if he had a million reasons, even if he had genuinely accepted Jiang Jibai as his teacher.

Deception is deception; the fake can never become the real.

When he can no longer hide it, what will Jiang Jibai's feelings be when he abandons his identity as a subject to the emperor?

How heartbroken would he be if he were deceived and played like a fool?

Will he forgive me?

But he didn't want to play tricks on his teacher; he just wasn't willing to let go anymore.

Qin Ji held the book, looked at Jiang Jibai, and wanted to say something, but his throat felt like it had rusted, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Finally, he opened his mouth, cleared his throat, and uttered two words, "Thank you."

Lost in thought, Qin Ji placed the book he was holding into the box. His wrist was grabbed, and an arm reached out to support his shoulder, pulling him away from the chair. Confused, Qin Ji looked at Jiang Jibai. "Teacher?"

"Didn't you say you couldn't get out of bed?" Jiang Jibai sighed, scolding helplessly, "You're such a troublemaker."

Even reprimands are full of indulgence.

Where is my forty-meter-long cleaver?

I deserve to die! Waaah~

Qin Ji's eyebrows twitched slightly. He let go of Jiang Jibai's hand that was supporting him and slammed himself back into the chair.

He smiled palely under Jiang Jibai's surprised gaze, "I really like the apprenticeship gift you gave me, and I'd like to look at it a little longer."

Jiang Jibai was unaware of the myriad feelings in his young disciple's heart, but the disciple liked the gift he gave him upon becoming a disciple, was eager to learn, and did not disappoint his efforts, which brought him a sense of satisfaction.

Although the young disciple is a bit mischievous, he is a good child, and his father was right about him.

Jiang Jibai reached out and ruffled Qin Ji's hair before returning to his desk and sitting down again. "Ask me if you don't understand anything."

Qin Ji closed his eyes, feeling the pain in his body, and picked up his pen to start copying the teacher's annotations onto the paper.

Jiang Jibai looked up at his junior disciple who was diligently copying and annotating, a faint smile appearing on his face.

The master and apprentice sat silently together in the room, one composed and the other filled with guilt, finding a rare moment of peace.