Commissioner Zhao had become the laughingstock of the Yangzhou officialdom; the heat of the debate surrounding him had, for a time, even surpassed that of the paralyzed Grand Canal.
How other yamen mocked Commissioner Zhao was beyond the reach of the educational system, but the people in the education sector certainly could not mock him. After all, there was no better official than Commissioner Zhao when it came to caring for his subordinates. The solidarity shown by the educational community regarding the assault on Lord Zhao—who served as both commissioner and professor—could only be described as "sharing a common hatred for the enemy." Had it not been for the fact that the man who ordered the beating of Commissioner Zhao was the Fuzhou General, the Prefectural Academy might have even organized the students to protest.
The twenty strokes ordered by Commander Kui were delivered with such force that Zhao An had to be carried back home on a stretcher. Naturally, he required medical treatment, and during his "hospitalization" at home, a stream of visitors arrived to offer their condolences.
Chapter 181