The Emperor establishing a study outside Qiankun Palace should have been a matter for the court officials to ponder, but it was completely overshadowed by Gu Pin's stunning performance.
People are always more interested in scandalous rumors, especially when they involve the Royal Family.
The Emperor intentionally indulged the gossip. Consequently, by the end of the day, no one was paying attention to the true purpose of Qingliu Hall; they were all gossiping about just how breathtakingly beautiful Gu Pin was. The five Hanlin Officials had received the Emperor's private instructions, permitting them to discuss Gu Pin... The order wasn't explicit, just that if anyone asked, they needn't be deliberately secretive. Sure enough, the moment they left the palace and returned to the Hanlin Academy, their colleagues surrounded them, bombarding them with questions about what they'd learned after being personally summoned to Qingliu Hall by the Emperor.
