In summary, this fellow is a ruthless and cruel official; he definitely can't be considered a good person. But in these times, it's like choosing the tallest among the dwarfs; at least he outwardly enforces the national law and maintains the order of Jingji without blatantly indulging tyrannical nobles in their evildoing and oppression of the people. That alone makes him not the worst draw from the pile.
And Wen Zhang was no fool; as soon as he saw the young man entering the yamen, he knew trouble was afoot.
