Upon arriving at the Five Dynasties Gate, a large crowd gathered outside. Three people were kneeling there: Li Bangyan, Tong Guan, and Wang Fu. They were all in a disheveled state, a far cry from their usual imposing presence in the imperial court.

"These three are all wicked and evil men, but the current emperor is wise and sagacious!" The speaker was a tall, slender young man with a resolute face. He spoke in a loud voice, making no attempt to conceal his true feelings.

"Hmph! Brother Ziming, even if Cai Jing and his ilk are despicable, the Emperor should not kill them, especially not in front of these ignorant commoners. This is a slap in the face to us scholars! The founding emperor established a rule against killing scholar-officials. The current emperor has violated this rule. At best, it will cause turmoil in the court and the country, affecting the people; at worst, it will lead to the collapse of the state!"

“Brother Jiefang, I believe they should be killed. The emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners, let alone scholar-officials. These three should be beheaded and their heads displayed to serve as a warning to others!”

"Ziming, it is an ancestral rule not to kill scholar-officials!"

"What about ancestral rules? Outdated ancestral rules should be reformed!"

"Ziming, keep your voice down, or someone with ulterior motives might hear you!"

"I, Shi Ziming, am a seven-foot-tall man, upright and honest, what have I to fear!"

The young man on the side shook his head and sighed: "Ziming, you need to change your personality, otherwise how will you serve as an official in the court and serve the country in the future!"

Zhao Huan overheard their conversation. When he heard what the young man named Jie Fang said, he cursed inwardly: "He really is a pedantic scholar!"

But when he heard the young man named Ziming speak, his heart was filled with joy. He never expected that there would be such a person among the corrupt scholars of the Song Dynasty. What a breath of fresh air!