First, Mu Bowen's memorial and essay secretly mocked Assistant Minister Lan for not being capable enough to be an official and blaming Qi Haoran for his weak will which led to his suicide attempt. In doing so, he successfully diverted the topic away from Qi Haoran.
Just as the courtiers were about to respond, Qi Xiuyuan quickly removed Assistant Minister Lan's official title and even asked the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs to reassess him. Although he did not say it explicitly, it was clear that he agreed with Mu Bowen's point of view.
