Young Master Gao? Call me Little Grand Secretary!

Amidst the clamor of voices, a large group of imperial students gathered around, their eyes fixed on the center of the room, their gazes toward Gao Zhao carrying a hint of inquiry.

The scholar who had just run to call for help immediately rushed forward, pointing at his companion who was being trampled on the ground, and raised his voice, each word filled with sorrow: "Fellow students, look at this! This Gao Zhao, Gao Gongming, is bullying us poor scholars because of his noble birth, wantonly humiliating us intellectuals, and even forcing us to kneel and kowtow! How vicious he is!"

The person who fell to the ground curled up on the ground, groaning and moaning, deliberately displaying his disheveled appearance, which immediately attracted the attention of everyone and sparked much discussion.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Gao Zhao remained calm and showed no panic. He even had a smile on his face and felt a strange sense of pleasure, wanting to make things even bigger!

Beating up a group of intellectuals in front of them seems even more exciting!

"Gao Gongming, what exactly is going on? We demand an explanation!" As more and more people gathered, someone finally couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to question them.

"Explain?" Gao Zhao turned his gaze, a mocking smile on his face. "Why should I, Gao Zhao, explain my actions to you?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding murmurs abruptly ceased, and everyone was stunned.

No one expected Gao Zhao to be so arrogant, refusing to defend himself, show weakness, or even offer an explanation. This was not just arrogance; it was downright domineering!

The students were overjoyed and immediately shouted, "Fellow students, you all saw it! This Gao Gongming, having gained the emperor's favor and been appointed to an official position, has revealed his true colors, becoming arrogant and reckless!"

The surrounding students were immediately in uproar, all filled with righteous indignation, and they all condemned Gao Zhao for his petty triumph!

"Too spoiled! Having just gained the Emperor's favor, he already looks down on his classmates!"

"If he's already so arrogant and spoiled now, what will he be like when he becomes an official? What have the people of the world done to deserve this!"

"How can such a morally bankrupt person be an official? We should report this to the Imperial Academy and condemn Gao Zhao's despicable conduct!"

……

The students looked at Gao Zhao with sorrow and resentment. Regardless of their motives, they were all united in their hatred and condemnation of Gao Zhao.

"Don't listen to their nonsense! They are maliciously slandering Gao Gongming!"

Gao Zhao was not in a hurry, but Qin Hui couldn't sit still. He stood in front of Gao Zhao, waved his arms, and explained to everyone with a flushed face.

Looking at Qin Hui's slender yet strong back standing in front of him, Gao Zhao's eyes flashed with surprise. In his eyes, Qin Hui was a treacherous minister.

Anyone who has ever been a treacherous official knows that a cunning treacherous official often appears as a loyal minister, seemingly righteous and awe-inspiring, but in reality, he weighs the pros and cons at crucial moments.

In pursuit of maximizing profits, many things can be sacrificed, such as morality and conscience!

Judging from the current situation, Qin Hui's best option is to stay quietly behind him. This matter has nothing to do with him, so there is absolutely no need for him to step forward.

But now he's stepped forward and clearly stood on his side, which is quite interesting!

Qin Hui came from a humble background, which shaped his cautious and prudent character, making him adept at seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.

He was already having a hard time in Biyongli, and this clear-cut stance on taking sides will only make things more difficult for him in the future!

Gao Zhao couldn't understand why he made this choice.

He could only sigh inwardly, realizing that he was indeed a loyal minister, but he simply couldn't fathom the treacherous thoughts of these wicked officials!

"Please do not believe everything you hear! This is absolutely not a case of Brother Gongming bullying the weak! It was they who provoked us first, demanded money, and insulted our reputations! Brother Gongming only acted out of anger!"

Qin Hui tried his best to defend himself, but the entire audience was filled with angry shouts, and his weak voice was instantly drowned out by the surging accusations.

"Ha, someone who lives by giving alms will naturally speak up for his master!"

"Do those groveling scoundrels even deserve to discuss right and wrong here?"

"They're just colluding with each other!"

……

Countless taunts and mockery came crashing down on Qin Hui. His face stiffened slightly, but he still stood firmly in front of Gao Zhao, refusing to back down even a step.

"That's enough!" Gao Zhao stepped forward, gently patted Qin Hui's shoulder, raised his fist, and shouted, "Hey! Gentlemen of morality, I'm standing right here. Instead of your verbal attacks, why don't you come forward and uphold justice!"

Gao Zhao's sarcastic remark instantly ignited the crowd, with shouts and curses erupting everywhere. Some even rolled up their sleeves, ready to fight him.

The poor students were overjoyed. Gao Zhao was really stupid. He didn't know how to defend himself and instead provoked everyone!

"Stop!" A loud shout suddenly came from the crowd. Everyone turned to look and saw Chen Dong stride in from the crowd.

"Please don't act rashly, everyone! Listen to me!" Chen Dong approached Gao Zhao, turned to the crowd, and bowed, saying, "There's more to this than meets the eye. We don't know the truth yet, so we can't jump to conclusions! I also know Gao Gongming, and I believe he's not the kind of person who bullies the weak!"

Someone shouted, "What's so strange about this? It's obvious he's abusing his power!"

Chen Dong's expression turned serious as he said, "This is in front of Yangzhengzhai, the residence of Gao Gongming. Have you ever seen a victim come to your door to be bullied?"

One sentence immediately brought the restless crowd to a standstill. The few people who had just rolled up their sleeves and were about to step forward froze in mid-air, their faces showing hesitation.

Chen Dong turned to look at Gao Zhao, saw his nonchalant expression, smiled, and then turned to Qin Hui and asked, "Classmate, you were also involved, why don't you tell us the cause and effect?"

Qin Hui nodded, about to speak, when the student who had fallen and was groaning suddenly panicked, scrambling to his feet and crying out, "We came here only to ask for the money we were promised, but he attacked us without a word..."

"Providing financial assistance?" Chen Dong keenly grasped the meaning of the phrase, then turned to look at the crowd, asking with a half-smile, "I am rather ignorant; could any of you explain to me how providing financial assistance can be related to begging?"

"Whoosh!"

The crowd stirred again, and many of those who were clear-headed realized something was wrong, and their anger, which had been fueled by emotions, subsided considerably.

The faces of the students from impoverished families grew increasingly grim. They stammered and dared not answer, only able to feign grievance once more, explaining, "It's not that we're ungrateful, but he made a promise to us two days ago, and now we're at our wits' end, forced to abandon our dignity and come to him for help. We never expected him to humiliate and beat us, students from humble backgrounds!"

Chen Dong smiled and said, "Then can you tell me why this is the case? As far as I know, Gao Gongming has helped many people; he doesn't seem like someone who would bully his classmates for no reason!"

The group of people froze, stammering and unsure of how to begin.

"Alright, I'll tell you!" Gao Zhao stepped forward and sneered, "I was just playing you guys on purpose!"

"Whoosh!"

The crowd erupted in cheers once again.

Chen Dong stared at him speechlessly. What a terrible teammate! He's impossible to carry!