What did Teacher Lou mean by that?
The principle is non-negotiable, but if Professor Zhao himself is the principle, then the matter is negotiable. To put it in plain language: "Lord Zhao, you are the head of education in Yangzhou; do as you please. Why worry so much? The report has to go through my hands to reach the provincial authorities anyway. I have no objections, so naturally, the Education Commissioner will have no objections either."
After all, he is just a degenerate litigious pettifogger. Stripping him of his status—so what? It is a trivial matter. Would the Education Commissioner really butt heads with a professor—whom the Emperor personally "specially promoted" five ranks—over a mere troublemaker? Is the Education Commissioner looking to lose his position, or does that pettifogger have a death wish?
Chapter 90