Grand Tutor Liu stared at Ye Shangzhou in disbelief. “Your Majesty, this is the way of cruelty. Your humble servant is incompetent. Let Grand Tutor Ma teach you the way of a gentleman first. Your humble servant takes his leave.” He bowed and departed.

"Grand Tutor Liu!" Qiao Zhen watched Grand Tutor Liu's angry departure, then glared at Ye Shangzhou, who was feigning innocence, with a look of exasperation. "I'll deal with you when you get back!"

She chased after him, catching up with Grand Tutor Liu at the entrance of Xuanming Hall. "Grand Tutor Liu, His Majesty's ideas are already deeply ingrained. You must not give up on him."

Grand Tutor Liu turned around and bowed to Qiao Zhen, "Madam, this old minister will find a way to better instruct His Majesty, but he will need your protection and help in the process."

Qiao Zhen replied solicitously, "These are all things that I should do, as long as you don't back down."

The three Grand Tutors were actually selected by Ye Huaijin from Gongzi Jin's faction, and they were truly talented and learned ministers. If they also backed down, Ye Shangzhou would be truly finished.

After seeing Liu Taifu off, Qiao Zhen rolled up her sleeves and headed towards Xuanming Hall. Her expression was no less gloomy than Ye Shangzhou's when he was enraged and about to kill. As she walked, the palace maids and eunuchs knelt along the way.

With a bang, she kicked the door open and shouted his name through gritted teeth, "Ye Shangzhou, is this what you promised me, to study with the Grand Tutor?"

Nightfall Boat nodded thoughtfully.

His serious, childish act infuriated Qiao Zhen.

This is absolutely outrageous! Qiao Zhen raised her fists and rained blows on Ye Shangzhou's face, each strike extremely forceful. "If you dare to spout those nonsense to the Grand Tutor again tomorrow, do you believe I can break all your teeth?!"

Ye Shangzhou felt extremely wronged. "How do you know if what he said is fallacious? And what I said is also fallacious? They are just contradictory."