Young Master Gao? Call me Little Grand Secretary!

The next day, Gao Zhao got up feeling refreshed. He glanced at Feng San Niang, whose face was flushed and who was hurriedly getting dressed, and laughed heartily, feeling even more delighted.

As soon as he stepped out of the room, he saw the old steward standing in the courtyard, waiting for him with a smile on his face.

"Young master, by order of the Grand Commandant, I am here today to escort you to the Ministry of Personnel!"

Gao Zhao subconsciously glanced back into the room, thinking that the old steward was so old that he must be hard of hearing and have poor eyesight, and probably hadn't heard anything just now!

Seeing the old steward's smiling face, Gao Zhao nodded, turned around and went back to his room. He gave Feng Sanniang a wink, signaling her not to go out yet. Then, he put Zhao Ji's imperial edict into his bosom and hurriedly ran out again.

Then the two walked out one after the other. On the way, they encountered Qian Bao'er again. The girl became terrified at the sight of the old steward, standing aside with her head down and eyes lowered, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Seeing this, Gao Zhao took the opportunity to tease her, behind the old steward's back, winking and sticking out his tongue to tease her lips.

After a few small actions, Qian Bao'er's cheeks quickly flushed red. She was both ashamed and annoyed, but because the old steward was beside her, she dared not utter a single word of reproach. She could only tightly grip the hem of her clothes, bury her head even lower, and deliberately avoid his teasing gaze.

Upon reaching the side gate, Gao Zhao was about to call for someone to prepare a carriage, but the old steward stopped him and instead had two horses brought over.

Seeing Gao Zhao's confusion, the old steward chuckled and said, "Young master, you are going to the Ministry of Personnel to take up a military post. If you go by carriage, you will inevitably be criticized for being pampered and indulging in comfort. It would be better to ride a horse to the Ministry of Personnel, which is more efficient and appropriate for a military officer."

Gao Zhao readily agreed, took the reins, mounted the horse, and muttered as he rode, "All he does is engage in this kind of formalism."

He knew he had already lowered his voice to a whisper, but the old steward still turned around and said with a smile, "Young master, you must remember that the self you see is not the real you; the self you see in the eyes of others is the true self."

Gao Zhao was startled and realized something was wrong. This old guy had such good hearing; he must have heard the gunfire coming from his room that morning.

He looked warily at the old steward, who still had a smiling, harmless look on his face. He cursed him under his breath as a smiling tiger, thinking that if the old man dared to betray him, he would find an opportunity to give him a good whack and let him know how powerful he was with his spear and stick.

The two rode their horses out of the palace headquarters and headed along the Imperial Street towards the Ministry of Personnel. The streets were bustling with activity, with pedestrians and carriages coming and going in an endless stream.

Gao Zhao had long been tired of the bustling scene in Tokyo, finding it crowded and noisy. Now, all he wanted was to finish his business quickly and go home as soon as possible. He still wanted to rent a house!

After traveling north for a while, crossing the state bridge, and arriving inside the Zhuque Gate, the road became much quieter. In the distance, one could see the government offices of the Ministry of Personnel, including the offices of the Six Ministries.

"The Six Ministries originally had no real power. During the Yuanfeng Reform, Emperor Shenzong followed the Six Codes of Tang and reformed the official system, thus restoring the real power of the Six Ministries."

The old steward walked slowly, explaining to Gao Zhao as he went, "The Ministry of Personnel was formed by reforming the original Imperial Selection and the Three Offices into the Left and Right Selection Offices of the Vice Minister of Personnel, and merging the original East and West Courts of Judges into the Left and Right Selection Offices of the Minister of Personnel!"

"The official position that the young master is to be appointed to through hereditary privilege this time is Zhongxun Lang, which is a minor official position. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Right Selection Officer of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. We will go there to handle the matter in a moment!"

"Oh!" Gao Zhao replied casually, feeling that Zhao Ji was somewhat stingy for giving him such a minor official position. Bored, he asked again, "How much is my salary?"

The old steward thought for a moment and replied, "The monthly stipend for the Loyal and Instructor is seven thousand coins, but the young master who serves as a gatekeeper will receive ten thousand coins, plus one thousand coins for the gatekeeper's food and provisions, and two shi of grain—a truly commensurate treatment for a Beijing official!"

"What? That's all the money you have!" Gao Zhao was furious when he heard this. This amount of money wasn't even enough for his trip to a brothel!

He's seen money before, you know! Back then, he had 90,000 strings of cash, what a display of magnanimity! He donated 2,000 strings to a nursing home right away. Now he's only given this little bit of money and is even making me work. What's the point of being an official?

The old steward remained calm and continued in a slow voice, "The imperial court also provides four bolts of spring silk, five bolts of winter silk, and 20 taels of winter cotton every year. Does the young master have any other expenses while living in the palace mansion? All his needs for food, clothing, lodging, and transportation are provided. His salary is more than enough for his expenses!"

"How could this be...?"

Before Gao Zhao could retort, the old steward spoke up again: "By the way, now that you've become a government official, you can no longer go to brothels. Even if you do go, you can't patronize prostitutes. If anyone sees you sitting with a prostitute, you'll be impeached and punished!"

"Ah!" Gao Zhao stopped in his tracks, his eyes widened, and he immediately didn't want to go any further. If you're saving me money this way, what use is the money to me?

This damn official position is better off gone!

"Young master, the Grand Commandant never bestowed any favors upon you back then because he saw you were still young and wanted you to play for a few more years. But he never expected that you would be so exceptionally talented, like an awl in a bag, destined to reveal its hidden potential, and thus attracting the Emperor's favor!"

Seeing Gao Zhao's stiff expression, the old steward said with a half-smile, "Now that the Emperor's decree is in place, this matter is settled. Your son should also make great strides in his official career and bring glory to your family!"

Gao Zhao understood; this was telling him that things had come to this point and he had no choice but to go.

But thinking about my goal, which is to live a life of luxury and debauchery in the south, how can I not become an official!

Alright, no pain, no gain. I'll just have to endure this hardship for now!

Once they made up their minds, the two quickened their pace and soon arrived in front of the Ministry of Personnel.

Before us, towering red walls rise, and rows of buildings are layered together within the Ministry of Works complex, their eaves pointing upwards, exuding a solemn aura.

On either side of the main gate stood several armored imperial guards, their expressions stern and their eyes fixed straight ahead; on the bluestone path in front of the gate, officials in their standard uniforms hurried by, none daring to make a sound, exuding an air of solemn official authority and displaying the majesty of the head of the Six Ministries!

"Take it!" Gao Zhao casually tossed the reins to the imperial guards beside him, and then strode inside.

The old steward followed closely behind, dismounted, straightened his clothes, walked to Gao Zhao's side, and whispered his instructions:

"Young master, do not speak carelessly. The Ministry of Personnel is an important place with strict rules. In the future, first present your name card and state your identity, and then take out the imperial edict, household registration documents, and application form for the selection of officials in order."

You were appointed to this official post by special imperial decree, exempt from examination. Your appointment only requires verification and filing by the clerk of the Right Selection Office under the Vice Minister; there is no need for further conversation.

"Understood!" He nodded casually, his gaze sweeping over the various officials entering and leaving the gate. He noticed many junior officials dressed in blue robes and thought to himself that he would wear the same blue robes when he went to court and on duty in the future.

The thought of having to go to the palace on time and follow the rules brought back a little reluctance, but he didn't complain anymore.

The old steward followed his gaze and glanced at them, then chuckled, "These junior envoys are all here to await appointments; often, they may not find a vacancy for several years. Unlike you, young master, who can be personally selected by the Emperor to become an attendant to the Emperor!"

As they spoke, the two went to the Right Selection Hall of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, found a clerk to explain the situation, and handed over various documents.

The clerk glanced at it, casually pushed it back, and said indifferently, "Incomplete materials, cannot be processed!"

Gao Zhao could tell from his expression that this was intentional harassment. A little flattery would have made things easier, but he was in a bad mood today and didn't want to indulge this bad habit. He immediately stepped forward and said, "Look carefully, this is the Emperor's calligraphy!"

"An imperial brush? Then have the Emperor give it to you... Ah!"

The old official sneered, but before he could finish speaking, Gao Zhao punched him. The old official screamed and fell to the ground, blood flowing from his mouth and nose.

Everyone in the hall turned to look, and they were all horrified!

The old steward was dumbfounded. This was the Ministry of Personnel! You...you've really messed up!