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.