Young Master Gao? Call me Little Grand Secretary!

Hearing the sound, Lu Zhishen looked over and saw Gao Zhao. He couldn't help but mutter, "A night owl has entered the house!"

Then, he subconsciously glanced at the neatly arranged plots of vegetables in the garden, which did indeed resemble a military formation...

Damn it, this jerk is mocking me!

Lu Zhishen looked up angrily and shouted, "You scoundrel, what are you doing here? Did you get expelled from the Imperial Academy? That would be truly gratifying!"

Gao Zhao strode forward. He had been exhausted from a long night and another morning of hard work, so he was somewhat drained and had no interest in arguing with the monk. He waved his hand and said:

"Fat monk, you know I'm now a student at the Imperial Academy, a world apart from your status! But rest assured, I am humble and open-minded, accustomed to befriending those of lower status, and I don't look down on you because of your humble origins!"

Lu Zhishen was amused by his arrogant attitude and scoffed, "Condescend to my lowly status? You're just a spoiled brat who got into the Imperial Academy's outer dormitory by relying on your father's influence, without any official position. You dare to talk to me about condescending to my lowly status? I was once an Inspector General of Five Routes..."

"Pah! Bullshit!" Gao Zhao interrupted him without hesitation, pointing at him with disdain and sneer, "I bet you don't even know what an Inspector General is!"

Lu Zhishen hesitated for a moment, but then insisted, "How could I not know! When investigating the military, political, and civilian conditions of various regions, I always consult officials one rank higher!"

"Haha...you really don't know! You probably just heard of this official's reputation and used it to brag, didn't you!" Gao Zhao laughed heartily, his words laced with sarcasm. "Come on, let me teach you a lesson. Don't use that to brag in the future!"

"The Inspector General was originally a traveling official, and was appointed by eunuchs and military officers. He was originally appointed to supervise the various military commanders and officials. He could indeed investigate the military, political and civilian conditions of various regions and report on rumors. Although he was nominally under the control of the various military commanders, he could actually reach the emperor directly and did not need to pay attention to local control at all."

Lu Zhishen's face stiffened, and he looked embarrassed.

Gao Zhao continued, "Moreover, there can only be two commanders on each route at most. Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, there has never been a precedent of one person concurrently serving as the commander of multiple routes. But you, damn it, have directly brought up five routes."

"What?! You're the Pacification Commissioner in charge of the five routes of Guanzhong?! That's the authority of Grand Commandant Tong, even higher than the rank of your eldest son, the Grand Marshal Zhong!"

Lu Zhishen's face flushed red, and he roared, trying to hide his embarrassment with anger, "What nonsense are you spouting, you bastard? I'll say whatever I want!"

"Tch! Only officials of the rank of 'Zou Ma Cheng Ren' (走马承任) can hold this position. You, a mere military officer, are not even an official. Do you think you are worthy?"

Seeing his embarrassment, Gao Zhao naturally wouldn't let it go, and continued to ridicule him: "By the way, the Imperial Attendant has to return to the capital every year to report on his duties and meet the Emperor. With your foul mouth and lack of manners, you'd probably have been dragged out and beaten to death for disrespecting the Emperor long ago!"

Lu Zhishen was speechless, his face turning a deep purplish-red. He had only picked up a few snippets of gossip about the lowly but powerful Inspector General in Weizhou Prefecture, and he had memorized them to use in his position.

Little did they know that this arrogant young master was thoroughly familiar with all these intricacies, even recounting the evolution of the official system and the rules of appointment with perfect accuracy, leaving no loopholes for himself.

They have no emotional intelligence and don't understand social etiquette!

"I can brag however I want, it's none of your business!" Lu Zhishen retorted angrily, "What brings you here today? What do you want? Get out of here!"

Gao Zhao reached into the garden, picked a cucumber, wiped it on his clothes, and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it as he ate. "Do you remember that Beggar Clan leader, Fu Jin? He's the one who sent people to plunder every last vegetable in your garden right under your nose..."

"I remember! You don't need to go into such detail!" Lu Zhishen was furious, feeling that if he brought this up again, it would become a disgrace he could never wash away for the rest of his life!

"Wasn't that scoundrel missing? You're bringing him up again, has he found traces of him?"

"Indeed!" Gao Zhao reached for the palm-leaf fan on the table, waved it, mimicking the gesture of a scholar with a feather fan, took a bite of cucumber, and continued, "That fellow thought he had connections in the Imperial City Guard and could be released, then change his appearance and evade justice! Little did he know that I, your humble servant, am incredibly wise and discerning, and with a single move, I've exposed him completely!"

Lu Zhishen ignored his boastful words, sat down at the table, and pondered, "That Fu Jin must have a powerful background, right? For him to send you to me, he must have someone you shouldn't mess with!"

Gao Zhao smiled slightly. He knew Lu Zhishen well. Lu Zhishen was treacherous and cunning. On the surface, he pretended to be a rough and honest man, but in reality, he was very scheming.

Without hiding anything, he slowly stepped forward, sat down opposite him, and nodded, saying, "That's right, he's currently working at the notorious brothel in the south of the city. I suspect he must have powerful backers! But so what? Are you scared?"

"Ha!" Lu Zhishen sneered, disdainfully saying, "Don't try to provoke me. Whether you're afraid or not is another matter, but I will never be used by you!"

"I think you're wrong! You'll be used by me this time!" Gao Zhao said confidently. Seeing Lu Zhishen's disdainful look, he became serious and said, "Because this time I'm on the side of justice!"

"Fat monk, although we rescued those children from the cave that night, their disabilities will last forever! I have no intention of letting such beasts go unpunished!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhishen's thick eyebrows shot up sharply, and the mocking expression he had just given Gao Zhao vanished, replaced by a gloomy face.

"When we Confucianists talk about the good and evil of people, we first talk about the difference between humans and animals. Such a person who has lost all conscience is no different from a beast. Therefore, I must kill him to rid the people of this scourge and to serve as a warning to others."

Gao Zhao said firmly, "If you are willing to help me, then I will have another helper. If you are not willing, then I will do it myself. Where righteousness lies, I will go even if it means facing a million men!"

"Hmph, so you're bragging in front of me!" Lu Zhishen sneered. "It's just a bribe! I'll go to that den of iniquity and kill him with a single blow! Why do you need to show off your words in front of me!"

After saying this, Lu Zhishen grabbed his monk's staff and headed out.

Gao Zhao quickly stopped him, shouting, "Wait! If you go like this, you might not only fail to kill him, but also scare him away. It will be difficult to find him again!"

Lu Zhishen, growing increasingly impatient, retorted, "This won't do, that won't do! What exactly do you, you spoiled brat, want?"

Gao Zhao said in a low voice, "I'm here today to reach a consensus on how to deal with him. As for how, wait for my news!"

Lu Zhishen asked suspiciously, "What kind of trick are you up to now, you idiot?"

Gao Zhao smiled without saying a word, waved his hand, and strode away.

How can we let the payment be settled so easily? We need to teach those students of Biyong a lesson!

In this way, it can also be considered as a selection of talents for the Song Dynasty!

Sigh, I'm so worried about the Song Dynasty!