Refer to the image: Which of the following best explains why the Song emperor would host scholar-officials such as those depicted in the image?

A) he shared the Confucian values that prized scholarship, and learning

B) He wanted to converse with aristocrats who ran the bureaucracy in China

C) He held the Confucian belief that women should be part of the governing the nation

D) He wanted to impress them with his power by showing off trade goods from Europe