Young Master Gao? Call me Little Grand Secretary!

Zhao Ji walked over slowly, and when he turned his head, he saw Gao Zhao waiting to the side. He immediately smiled and said, "Why did you come so early today? Is something the matter?"

Gao Zhao was very satisfied with Zhao Ji's reaction. This is the attitude that should be shown to talented and loyal ministers like us!

But his playful and frivolous manner is rather frivolous!

But that's normal, he's frivolous!

"Your Majesty, the stolen goods seized from the Wuyou Cave's accounting channels last time have been inventoried and are hereby presented to you!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji's eyes lit up, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face. However, he still hesitated and said, "Since it is stolen goods, it should be handed over to the relevant officials for disposal. Presenting it to me is probably inappropriate! It might even cause controversy!"

"Ah!" Gao Zhao exclaimed in astonishment, "Your Majesty, this is not right! I handled the case, I confiscated the stolen goods, I am the official in charge! And I was acting on Your Majesty's orders, so I should naturally present them to Your Majesty!"

"Your argument is incorrect!" Zhao Ji shook his head and said sternly, "I am the Son of Heaven, and I merely command you to eliminate evil and punish wickedness. How can you then appropriate stolen goods for your own benefit!"

"Isn't that wrong?" Gao Zhao was too lazy to play along with his hypocritical act. He turned to Yang Jian, who was accompanying Zhao Ji, with a blank look. "I'm young and inexperienced, and I don't understand these court rules. What do you think, Yang?"

Yang Jian cursed under his breath, "You cunning brat, you don't want to do the dirty work that violates the law and regulations, so you're trying to shift the blame onto me!"

Knowing Zhao Ji so well, he saw through the man's thoughts at a glance and had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Yes, Your Majesty! These stolen goods should indeed be handed over to Your Majesty for disposal!"

"Is that really true?" Zhao Ji still had some doubts.

Gao Zhao secretly rolled his eyes. He was an upright and honest man, always aboveboard, so how could he possibly cooperate with Zhao Ji's hypocritical act? He immediately said:

"Your Majesty, I do not understand the intricacies of this matter. In my eyes, Your Majesty is the ruler of the land, and it is only right and appropriate to hand over the stolen goods to Your Majesty for disposal. As for what happens next, it is entirely up to Your Majesty to decide!"

"Hey kid... isn't this just lazy and inefficient governance? How can you say it so confidently!"

Emperor Huizong laughed and cursed a couple of times, but seeing Gao Zhao's nonchalant attitude, he had no choice but to shake his head and sigh, "Since that's the case, I'll accept it for you for now. We'll deal with it when the authorities come looking for it later!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Gao Zhao was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly bowed to express his gratitude.

Yang Jian looked at him with a half-smile, "You've come to pay your respects so early this morning, surely it's not just for this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji looked at him with interest and nodded slightly, saying, "Hmm? It seems you were right? Is there anything else? Please speak freely!"

"It's nothing serious!" Gao Zhao smiled and bowed, saying, "It's just that I raided Wuyou Cave the night before last, wiped out all the brothels known as 'Ghost Fanlou,' seized over twenty million coins, rescued dozens of women from our Great Song Dynasty, and killed and captured many others. I was just about to hand them over to Kaifeng Prefecture, so I came to ask Your Majesty for instructions!"

Emperor Huizong was immediately delighted; this thing sounded so inspiring!

Yang Jian gave Gao Zhao a strange look. This kid was indeed cunning. He had made a fortune out of just over 20,000 strings of cash. What! Just by changing the unit of measurement, he could make the amount seem larger!

They even killed and captured people! It was just the annihilation of a bunch of local ruffians. Anyone who didn't know better would think you had won a great victory at the border and were now reporting your triumph to the authorities!

Thinking about how he had just shifted the blame onto her, she smiled slightly and said, "This is indeed not a great achievement, and it's commendable that you, Lady Gao, are so diligent, going to the palace early to report the victory!"

Emperor Huizong sensed something amiss in Gao Zhao's words and was about to reconsider when Gao Zhao spoke again: "Prefect Yang is absolutely right. However, suppressing bandits is not a major matter. But in my humble opinion, Your Majesty is wise and insightful, with a vision that illuminates the world. Your thoughts and considerations far surpass those of mine. I have not come here to seek credit, but simply to report on the progress of the matter. The subsequent decisions should be made by Your Majesty!"

Yang Jian immediately shut up and gave Gao Zhao a deep look. What superiors fear most is not subordinates becoming arrogant because of their achievements, but rather events spiraling out of their control!

Gao Zhao's words were exactly what Zhao Ji wanted to hear, so he naturally dared not say anything more!

As expected, upon hearing this, Zhao Ji's smile widened, and he immediately waved his hand, saying, "Let's go inside and discuss this in detail!"

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the back hall of Chongzheng Hall. Gao Zhao hurriedly followed, secretly glaring at Yang Jian. "That dog eunuch actually wants to harm me, a loyal minister!"

Once I have power, you'll be the first person I deal with!

Let me show you the power of Loyal Minister's Iron Fist!

The three entered the hall. Zhao Ji sat high on the throne and smiled at Gao Zhao, saying, "Gao Zhao, you are truly remarkable. Since taking office, you have launched numerous attacks on Wuyou Cave, with considerable success. I am very pleased!"

Gao Zhao quickly replied respectfully, "Your Majesty flatters me. I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's trust and the important responsibilities you have entrusted to me. I have received your kindness before I have even accomplished anything. I have no way to repay such great favor but to devote myself wholeheartedly to serving Your Majesty to the point of death!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji was overjoyed and laughed heartily. He pointed at him and said, "You are just like your father, with a heart of unwavering loyalty! Alright, no need to flatter me. Just tell me how you did it! Why were the previous people helpless against Wuyou Cave, while you were able to achieve success time and time again!"

"Your Majesty, it is not that I am exceptionally talented, but simply that I am diligent!" Gao Zhao first said modestly, then put on a sighing and reminiscing expression and slowly began to speak.

"When I was ordered by the government to wipe out the Worry-Free Cave, many people advised me not to take the job. Worry-Free Cave was notoriously difficult to conquer, and it was hard to achieve any merit. Moreover, it might even invite retaliation or endanger my life. It was far safer to gain experience in the Gatekeeper's Office!"

"I was under immense pressure at the time. Not only myself, but the soldiers in the army were not optimistic about this operation. Some even secretly tipped off Wuyou Cave. No one thought we could accomplish this."

At this point, Gao Zhao's face showed a bitter smile: "Even my master is prepared to swallow his pride and beg the Emperor for a favor!"

The smile on Zhao Ji's face slowly faded, and he sat up straight, listening attentively.

"However, I stopped my master. I told him I wanted to give it a try! Eradicating the Worry-Free Cave isn't for my personal fame or fortune, but for the peace and prosperity of the people of the capital!"

"I believe that since I have been appointed to office by the grace of the Emperor, I should share the Emperor's burdens. If we rush to seize any benefits and shrink back from any difficulties, what use are we to the Emperor? Who will alleviate the Emperor's worries? Therefore, I have decided to rise to the challenge, and I am even prepared to make sacrifices!"

Gao Zhao raised his head, his gaze resolute, and said, "Where righteousness lies, I will go even if it means facing a million men! Even if I die here, there will be those who follow in my footsteps! That is enough!"

"However, eradicating Wuyou Cave is by no means an easy task! I discussed the matter with the generals of the army for a long time, and everyone put forward many methods, but after simulation, they were all rejected one by one."

"We expanded our search and interviewed sixteen officials from Kaifeng Prefecture, twenty-eight chivalrous men from the martial arts world, and more than one hundred idlers on the streets. Only then did we begin to get a clue."

"Then I retrieved the files from Kaifeng Prefecture detailing the years of raids on Wuyou Cave, studied them carefully, and repeatedly reviewed them. During this time, I also consulted with Grand Tutor Cai and my father, and finally came up with a rough plan!"

"In the past, when the government suppressed the Wuyou Cave, they chose to achieve a complete victory in one battle! But it wouldn't be long before it would resurface. Grand Tutor Cai said that evil will never leave a vacuum; someone will always fill it!"

"I wholeheartedly agree, and thus changed my strategy, choosing a gradual approach to dismantle the businesses of Wuyou Cave."

At this point, Gao Zhao sighed again, "It was really too difficult, we almost couldn't keep going! But our efforts also attracted the help of like-minded people."

"The reason we were able to succeed this time was because of the information provided to us by the Prefect of the Ministry of Defense, Xuan Zan, and Xuan Junma, which enabled us to destroy Guifanlou in one fell swoop!"

Emperor Huizong was deeply moved and excited by his eloquent and rhythmic narration. He nodded repeatedly in praise, exclaiming, "Truly a loyal and courageous man!"