Young Master Gao? Call me Little Grand Secretary!

Gao Zhao's sudden attack stunned everyone in the hall!

In the Ministry of Personnel's main hall, officials and candidates for vacancies came and went in an endless stream. To beat up a Ministry of Personnel official in full view of everyone... this is not how you do things!

Even if this clerk is of low rank, you still have to consider the owner before beating the dog. Your punch isn't just hitting this minor clerk, it's hitting the face of the Ministry of Personnel!

It's obvious they don't take the Ministry of Personnel, the head of the six ministries and in charge of selecting civil and military officials, seriously!

Besides, judging from your appearance, you're here on business!

Even spoiled brats don't behave like this!

If you don't even understand the most basic social etiquette, you're in big trouble now!

If things go wrong, not only will your own future be affected, but your parents and elders in the family may also be implicated!

Those around knew something was wrong, and they all clicked their tongues in surprise, looking around and asking whose son this was.

Someone who knew Gao Zhao revealed his identity to everyone, and they all realized that he was Gao Qiu's playboy!

They all fell silent and watched the spectacle with glee.

Gao Qiu was a minister who served in the Prince's residence and was deeply trusted by the Emperor. He was appointed as the Commander of the Palace Guard, a position of great power and influence.

But the Ministry of Personnel isn't bad either!

We cannot let this humiliation go unpunished, as it concerns the reputation of the Ministry of Personnel!

If the Ministry of Personnel were to swallow its anger and let the matter rest, the news would spread throughout the capital and the country by tomorrow!

At that time, the Ministry of Personnel will inevitably lose all its prestige, and officials and scholars throughout the land will laugh and say that the Ministry of Personnel is cowardly and easily bullied. From then on, all kinds of powerful and influential people can trample on the rules of the Ministry of Personnel at will, and the selection system of the country will become a mere formality.

I'm afraid Gao Qiu is going to get caught in the crossfire this time!

Especially when they saw another minor official hurriedly running towards the back hall, they knew that this matter was about to escalate!

Everyone turned to look at Gao Zhao, only to see him with an arrogant expression, clenching his fists and shouting at the old official who was still lying on the ground.

The old official didn't retaliate, but simply covered his mouth and nose, staring coldly at Gao Zhao.

……

The official on duty at the Ministry of Personnel today was Tan Shiji, an assistant director of the Ministry of Personnel. Upon hearing that a powerful and influential young man who had come to receive imperial favors had gone so far as to assault the officials of the Ministry of Personnel, he immediately flew into a rage, slammed his fist on the table, and was about to retaliate.

The messenger's eyes darted around, and he quickly stepped forward to stop him, whispering, "Sir, you mustn't be reckless! That man is the son of Gao Qiu, the Commander of the Palace Guards. We can't afford to offend him!"

Tan Shiji was furious upon hearing this. What did Gao Qiu's son matter? Back then, he didn't even give face to Cai Jing and Liang Shicheng!

Otherwise, given his success in the imperial examinations and his outstanding achievements in both poetry and literature, he wouldn't have fallen so low as to be merely a junior official in the Ministry of Personnel.

He waved his hand and shoved the clerk aside, then strode towards the main hall.

As he approached the hall door, he heard someone shouting loudly. He was about to push the door open when he suddenly stopped.

"You dare to deny the Emperor's decree! Who gave you the audacity, and who's backing you up? Speak up, reveal your master, or I'll drag your Minister before the Emperor to ask if this Ministry of Personnel is still the Ministry of Personnel of the Great Song Dynasty, or even the Emperor's Ministry of Personnel!"

The voice was extremely arrogant and aggressive, which made Tan Shiji momentarily dazed, thinking it was a colleague from the Censorate coming for a private visit.

The main thing is that the hat was buttoned so skillfully!

In just a few words, the official's verification was elevated to the level of implying imperial authority and disloyalty!

This guy is no pushover!

Tan Shiji quickly made a decision in his mind!

Ordinary spoiled brats cause trouble by acting wildly, bullying others, and relying on their power.

But this fellow, as soon as he opened his mouth, went straight to the Minister of Personnel with the imperial edict! Clearly, he was well-versed in the ways of framing people in the court and was no ordinary person!

What a fine young master Gao Yanei!

Not only are they arrogant and domineering, but they are also cunning and adept at distorting the truth!

He took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and pushed open the hall door.

Crunch!

Upon hearing the sound, everyone looked in that direction, and the hall immediately fell silent.

All the candidates for the vacancy and the clerks on duty fell silent, their eyes fixed on Master Tan, who was known as an "iron-faced and upright official."

Tan Shiji stood solemnly in his blue robe, his posture upright and his cold gaze sweeping across the entire room.

First, the light fell on the old official, who was bleeding from his mouth and nose and silently enduring the pain, and then it was fixed coldly on the arrogant and haughty face of Gao Zhao.

"Why did you hit someone? Do you know where you are?"

Gao Zhao's arrogance was shattered by this cold shout. He glanced sideways and saw that it was just a minor official in green robes. A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, and he immediately spoke:

"So you're the one backing this old codger? Did you instigate him to disregard the imperial edict? Are you deliberately making things difficult for me, or are you simply showing disrespect to the emperor? Come, tell me your true intentions!"

The onlookers clicked their tongues in amazement. "You're being a bit too audacious! He's the Chief Official of the Right Selection Division of the Ministry of Personnel!"

The old steward looked at Gao Zhao with a complicated expression. "Have you forgotten what you said to the Grand Commandant last time?"

I repeatedly told you not to cause trouble here, and you readily agreed. How come you've already forgotten all of that now that you've just arrived!

Tan Shiji's expression remained unchanged, but his face darkened slightly as he loudly proclaimed, "I am Tan Shiji, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Today, I am on duty at the Ministry of Personnel, in charge of matters concerning the hereditary privileges of military officers, the imperial appointment of officials, and the selection and appointment of officials to vacant positions."

"The imperial edict is personally issued by the Emperor; no official in the realm dares to disobey or disobey it! To to show disrespect is a grave offense!"

Everyone turned to look at him, feeling that his words seemed to indicate a willingness to back down. They couldn't help but wonder if this Assistant Minister of Personnel was afraid of Gao Qiu's power and wanted to settle things peacefully!

Ignoring the stares of the crowd, Tan Shiji slowly stepped forward, picked up Gao Zhao's various documents from the table, glanced at them, then turned and gave the old clerk a meaningful look before closing the documents and saying calmly, "This document is missing the Privy Council's examination document! Therefore, the procedures are incomplete, and it is only right that it be rejected!"

The old steward stepped forward and said with a smile, "A pen written by the Emperor is exempt from examination!"

Gao Zhao immediately perked up, exclaiming in an exaggerated, drawn-out tone, "Oh... is this the legendary collusion between officials? I never imagined the Ministry of Personnel could be so corrupt! A mere assistant official openly cheats and protects his subordinates, and then claims you're not his protector!"

Tan Shiji's lips twitched, and he was about to speak when Gao Zhao called out again, "Someone, go to the Censorate to report this case for me. I have connections there..."

"Shut up! Stop spouting nonsense, making baseless accusations, and disrupting the Ministry of Personnel's court!"

Tan Shiji suddenly shouted to stop them. He took half a step forward and looked coldly at the two of them, saying, "The imperial decree only pardons the martial arts examination, not the Privy Council's filing process. The Palace Attendants are close officials of the court, entering and leaving the palace and accompanying the emperor. The Privy Council must keep records of their appointments for future reference. This is a precedent set during the Daguan era, and the Ministry of Personnel is responsible for verifying it."

"Oh, I see." Gao Zhao glanced at the old steward, and seeing that he didn't speak, he guessed that this thing was probably dispensable. Since the other party was nitpicking, there was nothing he could do. So he magnanimously waved his hand and laughed, "Since it's a misunderstanding, then let it go!"

"That's enough?" Tan Shiji sneered. "Now it's time to settle the score for you assaulting an official and disrupting the order of the Ministry of Personnel!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Zhao's expression turned cold, and he looked at the official in front of him with shock and anger.

How could this guy be so narrow-minded!