Young Master Gao? Call me Little Grand Secretary!

The courtiers in the hall stood frozen in place, looking at each other with disbelief on their faces.

Throughout history, there have been countless instances in the imperial court where rulers were advised to be frugal and to cherish wealth and love the people. But to regard large-scale construction projects as a way to enrich the country is something I've never heard of before.

These words may seem absurd at first glance, but upon closer examination, they make a lot of sense!

Wang Fu smiled slightly, looking calm. Ever since he learned from Gao Zhao how to deal with the Prefect of Kaifeng and achieved remarkable results, he had started to look at this young man in a different light, knowing that he was eloquent and quick-witted.

Today, as expected, he presented his flawed argument—that extravagance and wastefulness were uttered in a way that made it sound coherent, as if building grand palaces was the key to enriching the people and strengthening the nation.

Gao Qiu sat behind the table in silence. He was not surprised by Gao Zhao's unconventional insights; on the contrary, he seemed somewhat dazed.

Wei Xun, who was in the Gemensi queue, had just been unable to suppress his joy and was waiting to hear the Emperor and his ministers' fury. But after listening to Gao Zhao's whole speech, the smile on his face froze, and he was completely dumbfounded.

The whispers and exclamations of his colleagues from the Gatekeeper Bureau behind him only made him more agitated!

He could only curse inwardly, "This official is truly a treacherous minister! He can even utter such sycophantic words!"

Looking at the emperor's close ministers in the palace, he felt even more indignant. Did none of them dare to denounce such a fallacy that turned black into white?

"Nonsense!"

Just then, an angry shout rang out.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an official in a scarlet robe step out from the middle of the civil officials' line. He flicked his sleeves, bowed deeply to the throne, then turned his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, pointing directly at Gao Zhao below the steps. His voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the entire Hall of Preserving Harmony.

"Your Majesty! This argument is utterly heretical and corrupts the court! I implore Your Majesty to refute this fallacy and severely punish Gao Zhao!"

The clamor in the hall instantly subsided, and all eyes turned to the official.

Gao Zhao was also flustered. He was an introverted and shy boy who was just standing in his post quietly. Suddenly he was called on to speak. He said that he was not knowledgeable enough and would not speak well, but they insisted that he speak.

I told you, but you got upset and started cursing at me!

Look at this official, he's all dressed in a scarlet robe, yet he dares to lower himself to the level of a lowly envoy like me. What am I supposed to do?

Isn't this bullying honest people?!

The official, however, showed no sympathy for Gao Zhao's predicament. Instead, he glared at him angrily and continued his impassioned rebuke:

"Large-scale construction projects have always been disastrous undertakings that drain the nation's resources and exhaust the people! Requisitioning timber from deep mountains and quarrying stones from treacherous ridges, transporting goods over thousands of miles, and conscripting laborers across the land! This leads to the neglect of spring planting and autumn harvest, the separation of families, and the exhaustion of the nation! Such wasteful and exhausting undertakings must never be encouraged!"

"In the past, Emperor Renzong was afraid that his superiors would set an example for the people, wasting resources and causing trouble for them. He would not even drink a bowl of mutton soup. The emperor should emulate Emperor Renzong's virtues, be diligent and frugal, and care for the people."

His words were forceful and righteous.

Most of the civil and military officials in the hall nodded in agreement; this was the mainstream value!

On his throne, Zhao Ji's eyes flickered slightly. He was annoyed by these people's high-sounding pronouncements, all of them demanding of him the standards of a saint. "I have money, so what if I spend a little?"

However, he could only keep these thoughts to himself and couldn't say them aloud!

The emperor is supported by the people, and since he sits in this position, he cannot do whatever he wants. Everything he does must be in accordance with his status as emperor. This is also the Confucian concept of name and reality.

Simply put, Confucianism first established the standards for the emperor. If you sit in this position, you must abide by these standards, otherwise you are not an emperor.

King Xuan of Qi asked Mencius, "Was King Wu's conquest of King Zhou an act of insubordination, where a subject murders his ruler?"

Mencius said, "I have heard of the execution of a mere tyrant, but I have never heard of the murder of a ruler."

This is the principle of ruler and subject. When a ruler does not abide by the standards of a ruler, then he is not a ruler, but a mere man, and everyone has the right to kill him!

So at this moment, even though he was unhappy, he had no choice but to accept advice humbly. But then he saw Gao Zhao below weakly raising his hand.

Zhao Ji's eyes immediately lit up, and he raised his chin, saying, "Gao Zhao, do you have anything else to say?"

Gao Zhao was very timid and replied hesitantly, "Your Majesty... I think... what he said is incorrect..."

"Oh..." Zhao Ji immediately became interested, his voice rising as he pointed at him and said, "You dare to question even such lofty theories? You've got some nerve! Come, today I'll hear what other absurd nonsense you have to offer!"

These words are brilliant. The phrase "eloquent and insightful" sounds like praise for honest words, but to the minister in question, it carries a subtle hint of condescending detachment and mockery. It is not wrong, but it is extremely irritating.

"Your Majesty, I dare not presume! I merely have a humble opinion!" Gao Zhao hurriedly bowed, and said with trepidation, "The Great Learning states: 'When wealth is concentrated, the people scatter; when wealth is distributed, the people gather.' Therefore, I believe that if Your Majesty adopts a policy of frugality and hoards wealth internally, you may lose the hearts of the people..."

"absurd!"

Before he could finish speaking, the official interrupted him with an angry shout, sternly rebuking him: "This passage from the Great Learning speaks of light taxes and levies, allowing the people to accumulate wealth, and absolutely does not advise the emperor to recklessly engage in large-scale construction projects and squander the imperial treasury!"

"How can we distribute wealth among the people?" Gao Zhao asked, feigning a humble inquiry. "When the Emperor built the Hall of Preserving Harmony, wasn't it to take money from the imperial treasury and distribute it to the people? If this method is inappropriate, then what should be done?"

The official choked, and before he could speak, Gao Zhao continued, "You say it's a waste of manpower and resources, but I don't understand that. Money is money; it's either in the government's treasury or among the people, and it's all within the Song Dynasty. How is it a waste? Did you smash the money with a hammer?"

"As for the claim that it's a burden on the people? I understand even less! Does the government not pay the workers when building palaces? Or does it not provide them with food? Isn't this clearly for the people's livelihood? How is it a burden on the people?"

"Are we supposed to let the people lie at home hungry? Would that not be laboring for the people? Wouldn't that be called laziness and aversion to work?"

"You're all just flattering and utter nonsense!" The official was rendered speechless by Gao Zhao's barrage of questions and became enraged.

"Don't get agitated. Before the Emperor, let's talk things out calmly. Let's reason things out and not argue. As the old saying goes, reason doesn't lie in raising your voice!"

Gao Zhao still looked timid, as if he had been frightened, but the words he spoke were piercing to the heart.

The official, not expecting that Gao Zhao, such a lowly official, would dare to criticize him, immediately retorted angrily, "Am I agitated? I'm just trying to reason with you!"

"Look at you, getting impatient again!" Gao Zhao took a deep breath, as if to encourage himself, and looked directly at him, saying, "Normally, people who are in the right will speak as calmly as I do. Only those who are guilty and in the wrong resort to emotional manipulation!"

"Insolence!" the official roared in anger, taking a step forward, but several people behind him, seeing the situation was not right, quickly pulled him back.

The official's chest heaved violently, his beard and hair standing on end. To be publicly questioned by a mere gatekeeper was an utter disgrace to him. He broke free from his colleague's arm, pointed at Gao Zhao below the steps, his breathing somewhat disordered.

Gao Zhao raised his head, his gaze coldly fixed on the official, and said, word by word, "If you wish to make a move, I am not entirely without martial arts skills. I will not accuse you of bullying the weak, nor will you accuse me of taking advantage of your age. What do you say?"

The hall erupted in an uproar.

None of the officials in the court had anticipated that the situation would develop in this way.

What should have been a scene of ministers supporting the emperor and rebuking heresies has turned into a martial arts arena, with not only verbal battles but also physical fights!