Young Master Gao? Call me Little Grand Secretary!

A gust of cold wind jolted Gao Zhao, and he suddenly connected the events that had happened during this period!

Gao Qiu just said that if they were to deal with those wealthy households, they would send assassins to kill them, which would tarnish and ruin his reputation...

Combined with what he had seen a few days earlier while on duty, he pondered the recently favored Mr. Dongwei, who even knew the emperor's private conversations during sex, and thus speculated that he was sent by someone to threaten Zhao Ji.

This fellow was originally a minor official, but somehow he attained enlightenment and became so good at divination.

Could he have foreseen that he wanted to kill him?

Compared to his claim of enlightenment, Gao Zhao was more convinced that he had been instructed to come to the capital!

Thinking about it now, it really is possible!

After Zhao Ji ascended the throne, he employed Cai Jing to implement the new laws. Regardless of his methods of suppressing the old party, the fact that he expelled the old party from the capital did indeed end the factional strife between the old and new parties that had begun with Wang Anshi's reforms in the second year of the Xining era.

The Chongning Reforms and the Zhenghe New Policies, this series of reform measures, were bound to offend many people.

Especially since Cai Jing was so good at making money...

The blade struck not only the scholar-officials in the imperial court, but also local powerful families, noble relatives by marriage, and wealthy households that had amassed enormous fortunes—the pie of countless vested interests was pried open.

Would these people sit idly by and wait to be slaughtered? Obviously not!

It is highly likely that someone has become unable to tolerate this and has therefore issued a death threat to Zhao Ji!

By the way, Tong Guan's sudden return to the capital is also very strange. Judging from the timing, it's likely that Emperor Huizong summoned Tong Guan back to the capital as soon as he discovered Wang Laozhi's abnormality!

The officials in the outer court were deeply entrenched in their own interests, and half of them were trapped in vested interest groups and could not be trusted.

The veteran generals of the Imperial Guards in the capital were all entangled in their own affairs, and no one dared to give them important responsibilities.

Therefore, he urgently summoned Tong Guan, who held great prestige in the border army and was deeply trusted, back to the capital, and secretly made preparations.

That makes sense!

Gao Zhao couldn't help but shiver.

On the surface, the Song Dynasty still appears peaceful and prosperous, with auspicious ceremonies, banquets, and endless singing and dancing in the Hall of Preserving Harmony. However, beneath the veil, undercurrents are already surging.

Thinking back to Gao Qiu's words to stop him from targeting the wealthy households in the Hall of Preserving Harmony, Gao Zhao felt a cold sweat break out on his back, and the cold wind made his spine even colder!

He suddenly understood what Gao Qiu meant when he hesitated to speak. He had only seen the problems caused by the money shortage and was only thinking about making a quick and decisive move, but he had not seen clearly that what he wanted to deal with was such a complex and intricate network.

I fear that once we actually make a move, before the knife even reaches those powerful figures, it will turn on us in an instant, and may even endanger the entire Gao family.

Holy crap, that's terrifying!

Before he could recover from the shock, another thought suddenly popped into his mind, making his scalp tingle again.

Today, the official has promoted him exceptionally; he probably doesn't think he's on the same side as the official!

This was because they recognized his excellent qualities of being outspoken and unafraid of powerful figures, and regarded him as a useful tool. Therefore, they deliberately promoted and won him over, binding him to the emperor's warship!

Wouldn't that put me in danger?

Alas! Your Majesty, it is not that I am disloyal, but the enemy's forces are too powerful, and I have no choice but to temporarily retreat from their edge!

But then I thought about it again. I'm not well-liked in the officialdom now. If I don't have a powerful backer, I'm afraid I'll be in trouble too.

He quickly weighed the pros and cons.

Given his background, the civil officials naturally looked down on him, regarding him as a sycophantic military man, while the military officials... well, let's not even talk about it!

My noble principles are completely out of step with theirs!

He is now surrounded by enemies and completely isolated.

If one deliberately distances oneself from the government and tries to protect oneself at this moment, it will not be long before one is crushed by the combined forces of various parties and dies without knowing why.

In the midst of chaos, the worst thing you can do is to waver and do things in opposite directions!

Rather than cowering and waiting to be slaughtered, it's better to go with the flow!

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) remains firmly rooted in the court, wielding imperial power and controlling the overall situation.

He could feign compliance, follow the trend, and use this status as a confidant of the emperor to gain a foothold and accumulate strength.

As for the future...

If I can truly rise to prominence through this relationship, when you are captured by the Jurchens, I will definitely lead my troops to chase after you from afar and protect you as you leave the Song Dynasty, to fulfill this bond between ruler and subject!

Once the thought was made up, my mind suddenly felt clear!

He quickened his pace and headed towards his own courtyard. The room was lit, and Feng Sanniang was waiting for him. Gao Zhao felt a warmth in his heart and quickened his pace even more.

"Wow, really! You got promoted in just a few days, you're amazing!"

"Hehe, I'm good at more than just that..."

"Hate……"

Gao Zhao laughed and pulled Feng Sanniang to the bed. As soon as they lay down, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: Why did Gao Qiu hate the common people so much?

Is it also related to this matter?

However, before he could think any further, Feng Sanniang burrowed into the quilt, and Gao Zhao hissed, immediately banishing these thoughts from his mind.

……

The next morning, Gao Zhao went to the Gemensi (a military police station) for his shift as usual. However, when people saw him today, their gazes became much kinder, as if they were deliberately trying to show their goodwill.

Gao Zhao smiled slightly, then bowed and nodded to everyone, indicating that the events at yesterday's banquet in the Hall of Preserving Harmony had already spread.

Although he had Gao Qiu's connection to him in the past, to be honest, those who could enter the Gemensi (a secret society) didn't really care about such things. In the end, it was just a matter of being a son of a powerful family, and there were plenty of sons of high-ranking officials in the Gemensi.

But things are different now. With the emperor's favor, barring any unforeseen circumstances, a meteoric rise in rank is just around the corner.

This also makes everyone consider the necessity of maintaining a good relationship with him.

Just kidding, I can't possibly offend a colleague with a bright future just to please a temporary boss!

In reality, there aren't many opportunities in a person's life to change their destiny!

This is undoubtedly a great opportunity to make a comeback!

Once you gain the favor of the officials, your life changes completely.

Gao Zhao was fully aware of this and did not have any contemptuous thoughts towards others.

Human relationships are based on self-interest; this has always been true!

The young master is always generous and kind to others, so he naturally won't fuss over such trivial matters. Having more friends means having more options!

After he had been busy for a while, Wei Xun also came in, and the hall immediately quieted down. Then he listened to Wei Xun assign tasks.

As usual, he skipped over Gao Zhao and ignored him. He still disliked Gao Zhao!

After this signal was released, others looked at each other in bewilderment, somewhat at a loss.

Gao Zhao sneered inwardly. Wei Xun was a narrow-minded and ignorant man. In the current situation, he was still so rude to him.

The way they looked at me, especially, was full of hostility and jealousy.

Gao Zhao also became wary. This scoundrel might cause him trouble again, so he had to be careful!

But how do we prevent it?

The young master was upright and kind-hearted, and had no idea about the schemes and plots of these wicked people!

After pondering for a long time without finding a solution, Gao Zhao had no choice but to give up.

Let's strike first and eliminate this potential threat!

We must not be complacent, for we are born in hardship and die in comfort!