The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 174 - 154, Zhao Douan: Your Majesty, I wish to enter...

At noon, following the dismissal of government offices and the end of classes at the academy in the Capital,

In the tea houses and taverns, explosive news about today’s "Three Agencies trial" began to spread wildly among officials and scholars.

"Gentlemen, you would never guess what happened at the trial today!"

A government official who had watched the proceedings from outside the court barely sat down before he started spouting to his colleagues and friends, recounting what he had witnessed.

As expected, almost everyone was greatly shocked.

"What? Zhao Douan produced evidence on the spot that Master Zhou had plotted against him? And he was released without any charges?"

"So, he really didn’t touch that singer? This..."

The outcome evidently far exceeded people’s stereotypical impressions of Zhao Douan.

In Great Yu, fraternization with courtesans was the norm among officials and literati.

Unlike the "personal style issues" of later generations, in Great Yu, it was considered a matter of charm and romance.

But for Zhao Douan to have maintained his "innocence" was unbelievable.

And if the above news still counted as mere gossip,

then the following news of Zhao Douan accusing Zhou Cheng in court of revisiting an old case from thirteen years ago exploded like a bomb in deep waters.

"Bang!" A scholar slapped the table and stood up excitedly,

"The death of Master Xue years ago was always suspicious, and now to think it was this surnamed Zhou—a national traitor—who deceitfully killed an important official! Alas, today the injustice has finally been cleared!"

As he spoke, his eyes were faintly red with emotion. Some recognized him as a literatus who had once been close to Xue Lin.

Xue Lin was a disciple of Grandmaster Dong and had considerable reputation among the scholars.

The reopening of her case instantly caused many who had experienced the incident back then to speak out.

"That Zhou Cheng was known for his insatiable greed and bad repute. I always said, what goes around comes around," one person commented after the fact.

"It was actually that Zhao thief who rectified Master Xue’s name..."

Others struggled to accept that Zhao Douan—whom they loathed day to day—could do such a just act.

However, as more details emerged, everyone realized that Zhao Douan didn’t care about justice at all; the Xue Lin case was purely a tool for his revenge.

"Truly terrifying. I had heard that Lord Zhao was extremely vindictive, that anyone who offended him could hardly escape his retribution... from the Zhang brothers and the father-in-law and son-in-law of the Pei family to even the Princess and the Marquis...

Now, Master Zhou was just the latest, having impeached him in court a few days ago, and to think that he would be subjected to such retribution..."

The crowd exchanged glances, zipping their mouths shut and inwardly cursing:

He really is a despicable person who never forgets a slight!

The tavern buzzed with discussion.

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...

In a private room, a group of young scholars was also gathered, overhearing the conversations from outside and looking puzzled.

"Was it really Zhao Douan’s doing? A mere Martial Artist and soldier has such strategies?" one doubted.

Another shook his head and said,

"Who knows? Haven’t you heard that Mr. Yuan also took part in this case? It might be a joint effort, and Zhao was merely pushed to the forefront."

"Brother Li’s words make sense. An official with a military background might have some ability, but to say he has such strategies is simply inconceivable," another agreed.

At this moment, someone with a gentle voice spoke up:

"Gentlemen, do not underestimate the people of this world. I have also heard of Lord Zhao. It is true that he has a bad reputation, but given the Emperor’s wisdom, if he was merely good-looking, His Majesty would never have put him to use.

In my opinion, even if there was help from others in the plot against Zhou Cheng, it could very well have been led by him."

Upon his speaking, the scholars at the table suddenly changed their tune, echoing:

"Han Banshan is right."

"Han Banshan has a lofty character indeed; it’s just us who are petty."

The one called "Han Banshan" was a scholarly man of about thirty, dressed in Confucian robes, slightly frail, with his hair neatly tied back, clear eyes, and a very literary air.

In the Capital, he was a top-ranked celebrity among scholars, known as "Han Zhou."

He was also recognized as the leading talent among the young generation in the Capital.

Coming from a humble background, he had studied the works of various schools since childhood, later achieved top honors in the imperial examination, and joined the Hanlin Academy as a compiler.

Now flattered by his peers, he just smiled calmly, as if accustomed to such adulation.

"Speaking of which, although Zhao Douan has gained quite a momentum lately, he’s after all just a military officer; how capable can he be?

At most, he’s just another King Ma.

Whereas Brother Banshan, I hear, has been accepted into Xiuwen Pavilion by the Grandmaster. With the pavilion’s inauguration in a few days, his future accomplishments are immeasurable," someone touted loudly in the group.

Xiuwen Pavilion?

Suddenly, some scholars outside the private room turned their heads in surprise.

These days, the hottest topic in literary circles was that the Empress wanted to recruit young talents into the new office of the Xiuwen Pavilion to assist the Saint in handling major government affairs.

It was said that the selection for the first batch of scholars to join the Xiuwen Pavilion was extremely stringent.

Rumors even claimed that the Xiuwen Pavilion was the embryonic form of a "new cabinet."

Anyone who could enter and become a close minister to the Emperor could imagine the achievements they would have in the future.

Han Banshan had been admitted?

This news was still spreading within a small circle, and now that it was being proclaimed, it suddenly overshadowed the topic of Zhao Douan’s removal of Zhou Cheng among the seated scholars.

Han Zhou frowned slightly, disliking this behavior of elevating one by stepping on another.

But he could not say much and could only make polite conversation before leaving.

This scene made many people envious.

"That’s Han Zhou, Han Banshan,"

Meanwhile, in the main hall of the same tavern, at one table, an official looking at the departing scholarly figure couldn’t hide his envy:

"Yet another young talent about to rise to glory."

Having said that, he turned his head toward Lu Zhi sitting across from him and teased: