The distressful state of Li Qiu did somewhat impact Zhou Shuren, as his image had always been that of a benevolent official who was close to and loved the people. Some thought Zhou Shuren was too harsh, while others felt it was necessary.
Each person had their own opinion, and with tens of thousands of people, the stories spread and lost their authenticity, leaving Zhou Shuren's reputation a mix of good and bad.
Fortunately, in ancient times there was no bandwagon to jump on, and a servant who had signed a death contract and betrayed their master was of no value anymore.
In the capital, the Emperor was surprised and pleased upon receiving the news. He had been worried Zhou Shuren wasn't ruthless enough and had considered giving him a hard time, but now it seemed unnecessary and would save a lot of time.
The Emperor took out an imperial edict, which was a promotion for Zhou Shuren, and handed it to Eunuch Liu, "Burn it."
Eunuch Liu took it and replied, "Yes."
