Young Master Gao? Call me Little Grand Secretary!

Gao Zhao did not immediately plead for the dark-skinned, thin man. These things cannot be rushed. If he doesn't suffer a little, how will he know the weight of gratitude?

I've wasted half a day here, and I haven't even gotten the important stuff done yet!

He glanced back at the bustling crowd, mounted his horse, and rode away slowly, giving the impression of leaving without a trace of accomplishment, concealing his achievements and fame.

"Young Master Gao, wait a moment!"

A voice came from behind. Gao Zhao turned around and saw that the imperial student named Chen Dong was hurrying after him. This surprised him. He immediately stopped his horse, turned around, and asked with a smile, "Is there something you need, Scholar Chen?"

Chen Dong approached, panting, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Young Master Gao, were you the one pleading for those people just now?"

"Surprised?" Gao Zhao smiled slightly, jumped off his horse, took the reins, and looked at him with a half-smile.

Chen Dong was somewhat embarrassed by the question, but still said frankly, "It is indeed very unexpected! I've only been in the capital for a short time, but I've heard of the young master's reputation. What I've seen today seems to be somewhat different from the rumors!"

Gao Zhao had no intention of trying to whitewash his image, as that would only put him in a position where his reputation would be a burden. He nodded and said in an extremely frank tone, "The rumors are true, I do indeed have the 'Imperial Illness'!"

Chen Dong paused, he hadn't expected anyone to be so open about being lustful. He had always thought that only that old rogue, King Xuan of Qi, would be so shameless!

He was about to offer some advice in the style of Mencius when Gao Zhao smiled slightly and said, "But what does this have to do with what I did today? Does a lustful person not uphold justice?"

Chen Dong frowned and said seriously, "Since you have a heart that yearns for good, why do you indulge in women?"

Gao Zhao scoffed, thinking that no one would do good deeds if they didn't want to indulge in women even more!

Of course, he couldn't say such things aloud. He shook his head, smiled mysteriously, and asked, "What is good and evil?"

This is a profound question, and such metaphysical questions are generally difficult to answer. Gao Zhao used this as an excuse to deflect the other party's sermon.

Chen Dong thought for a moment, then said seriously, "The Doctrine of the Mean says: 'What Heaven imparts to man is called human nature; to follow this nature is called the Way; to cultivate the Way is called education. The Way cannot be separated from us even for a moment; what can be separated from us is not the Way!'"

Gao Zhao blinked, not understanding. He hated people who used Confucian jargon all the time!

He waved his hand dismissively and said bluntly, "I'm illiterate and don't understand these things. Speak properly!"

Chen Dong choked, somewhat speechless. It's one thing if you don't study, but how can you speak so arrogantly!

Where does this inexplicable sense of superiority come from?

However, there was no point in arguing with such an ignorant person. He calmed himself down and patiently explained, "The Doctrine of the Mean was written by Zisi, a descendant of Confucius, who studied under Zengzi. If you don't know him, you should know that his disciple Mencius..."

"I know Mencius!" Gao Zhao finally heard a familiar name and exclaimed excitedly, "The Second Sage, right? He was incredibly good at arguing! He single-handedly insulted everyone at the Jixia Academy!"

Chen Dong: "..."

He was somewhat at a loss for words when it came to Gao Zhao. You could say he was unlearned, yet he knew that Zhao Qi of the Eastern Han Dynasty called him "a great talent who was second only to the sage of his time." But you could also say he was learned, yet his understanding of Mencius was that he was good at arguing!

Mencius was indeed very good at arguing, but the important thing is that we should learn from his thoughts and principles!

"What I'm saying is Mencius's theory of the inherent goodness of human nature!" Chen Dong corrected him with a serious expression: "The young master felt compassion upon seeing a child being harmed; this is the beginning of benevolence. He felt righteous indignation upon seeing the injustice of the left inspector; this is the beginning of righteousness!"

"This clearly shows that the young master is inherently good. He only needs to cultivate his character and extend his empathy to others, and he will surely become a saint or a sage in the future!"

Gao Zhao understood what this meant; it was an attempt to persuade him to do good!

But what's the point of living like that?

Furthermore, the reason I'm doing these things today is entirely due to life... physical necessity. If I had a normal human body, I would be willing to even glance at these beggars!

Gao Zhao shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, I don't agree with Mencius; I prefer Xunzi..."

Although Xunzi believed that human nature is inherently evil, and that goodness is merely a facade, his main proposition was to use rites, righteousness, and laws to educate and restrain people, thereby guiding them towards goodness!

Chen Dong saw through Gao Zhao's thoughts, interrupted him, and said smugly, "Therefore, these two sages may seem to have different ideologies, but in reality, they arrive at the same goal by different paths!"

Gao Zhao was somewhat embarrassed. Although he had read extensively, his understanding of the classics was superficial, and he was completely unable to debate with someone like Chen Dong who had deeply studied Confucian classics.

He decided to resort to shamelessness, waving his hand and saying, "Scholar Chen, your reasoning is profound, but don't just talk to me! The people are all waiting for your guidance!"

Chen Dong glanced back at the crowd of people, then turned to Gao Zhao, firmly shaking his head and saying, "Confucius said: 'The superior man understands righteousness; the inferior man understands profit!' What these people need is to earn money to support their families. These grand principles cannot satisfy their hunger!"

"But if I can explain the principles of benevolence and righteousness to you and guide you toward goodness, countless people will surely benefit from it in the future. Even if you do not perform good deeds, you will not harm the people at will!"

Gao Zhao pointed to his nose with a blank expression and asked in surprise, "You mean I'm a gentleman?"

"Of course!" Chen Dong affirmed, "You are the son of the Commander of the Palace Guards, and you will inevitably become an official in the future, even in a county..."

"Wait a minute!" Gao Zhao quickly interrupted, "Are you judging gentlemen and villains by whether or not they hold official positions?"

Chen Dong nodded matter-of-factly and said solemnly, "The principles of Confucianism are meant to teach gentlemen!"

Gao Zhao immediately objected, "That's not right! Some people also use Confucian principles to govern ordinary people!"

Chen Dong's face showed disdain, and he said scornfully, "Those kinds of people are only afraid to offend the powerful and wealthy, so they turn around and try to control the common people! They are a disgrace to Confucianism!"

Gao Zhao scratched his head, feeling that Chen Dong's words were different from what he had previously known!

He stared intently at the upright-looking young man in front of him, and a sudden realization struck him—he remembered who he was!

The imperial student who knelt before the palace gates in the first year of the Jingkang era and petitioned for the execution of the six traitors seems to have been named Chen Dong!

However, this person's fate seems to be quite tragic; he was beheaded by Zhao Jiu!

"You can't do it this way!" Gao Zhao shook his head and said, "To be an official, you must know how to be flexible and blend in with the world. You're too sharp and outspoken; you'll surely suffer the consequences!"

Chen Dong smiled wryly: "I study the classics to learn loyalty and righteousness, but if I don't even dare to speak the truth, what's the use of being an official?"

Gao Zhao remained silent. Although he did not agree with his statement, he admired him greatly!

The ability to uphold justice and do what others dare not do is the most commendable quality!

Of course, later generations would call this foolish!

"Alright, young master! Let's continue discussing Confucian principles! You just mentioned having a ailment, which is quite normal. Food and sex are human nature, but everything should be done in moderation. As Master Hengqu once said: 'The desires of one person are selfish desires...'"

Gao Zhao felt dizzy upon hearing this. He looked up and saw Lu Qian and the others, and immediately shouted, "Take him down!"