"Go ahead. I'm listening."
Fang Yun sat in the pavilion, looking into the distance.
Huo Long did not expect Fang Yun to be so straightforward and not overbearing, but his words were full of strong self-confidence. He was saying "I'm listening", but to others, it sounded like "I order you to speak."
Huo Long lowered his head slightly, blinked a few times, thought for a few breaths, and then said, "Gentleman Ge is not too concerned about the matter of Yingfang Pavilion. It's just because Hua Qingniang has a history with Ge's elders, he has to stand up and say a few words, and he has no other intentions. As for Qiu Xiucai and those ruffians, they have nothing to do with Ge. It's just a trick played by a few shopkeepers. Ge has tied up the three shopkeepers and handed them over to the Baling County Court for severe punishment. Qiu Xiucai and others, the Ge family has already reported it in their names, exposing the eight people who besieged the human race Xusheng and the Governor of Jingguo. Please ask the Baling County Magistrate to handle it low-key, and this matter will never be reported to the government."
After saying that, Huo Long stared at Fang Yun nervously, fearing that Fang Yun would have an extreme reaction. After all, someone who dared to threaten the Dongting Dragon King as soon as he arrived in Baling really didn't care about a mere Ge Yiming, and he might not even take Ge Baiwan seriously in the eyes of this virtual saint.
"Well, it's a good thing for me to handle this matter in a low-key manner. After all, it's not a glorious thing for me to be besieged by scholars in my own jurisdiction. However... how can he, a mere Jinshi holding an idle position, control the official newspaper of Xiangzhou?" Fang Yun turned his head slowly and stared at Huo Long with his dark eyes.
At this moment, Huo Long felt like he was back in school, when he was about to pee because of the stern teacher.
Huo Long wanted to slap himself in the face. He and Ge Yiming were used to being domineering in Xiangzhou. Even if they were restrained now, they could still accidentally reveal their true colors. He could usually tell Official Qing and his subordinates about controlling the official newspaper, but he could never tell the governors of the two states.
Huo Long thought of a solution in a hurry and said: "I have some friendship with the editor of Xiangzhou Dibao, and this matter concerns the governor, so I have no choice but to put down my face and ask for help."
Hearing the words "Xiangzhou Dibao", Fang Yun recalled what he had seen on the way to Xiangzhou, and concluded that the greatest ability of the editor of "Xiangzhou Dibao" was to be able to write bad things about Qing Kingdom as good things, and good things about Jing Kingdom as bad things.
"Xiangzhou Dibao? If I remember correctly, Xiangzhou Dibao is under the charge of the Ministry of Rites. The current editor is the Right Chief of the Ministry of Rites, right?"
"It's Lord Guan Yi." Huo Long said.
Fang Yun nodded and said, "Before coming to Xiangzhou, I read all of the Xiangzhou Gazette. This person has signed many articles. He is a good writer."
Huo Long's heart trembled. The entire Ministry of Rites was composed of officials from the Qing Dynasty. Guan Yi had often denigrated Jing State. Fang Yun's sudden praise might not be a good thing.
"Mr. Guan will definitely keep the Xiangzhou Gazette under control." Huo Long didn't dare to say anything else and had to follow Fang Yun's wishes.
"Yeah, his last name is Guan, so he can naturally control him." Fang Yun nodded slightly.
Huo Long had no idea what Fang Yun meant, and he froze in place, not knowing what to say. He thought rapidly in his mind, trying to get out of this predicament.
Fang Yun stood up and said, "They are nothing more than a few scum among the scholars. There is no need to make a big fuss. It is too much to accuse them of attacking Xu Sheng. However, since it involves me, it will be inconvenient for the county magistrate to try the case, so let's hand it over to the Xiangzhou Procuratorate and the Court. As for this matter, there is nothing wrong with recording it truthfully in the Xiangzhou Gazette. In addition, those who are innocent will be innocent, and there is no need to take crooked paths in the future. You can go back." After speaking, he walked into the study.
"I'll take my leave." Huo Long said, and walked back while thinking, then he couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"This person is just as the rumors say. He doesn't act like an official at all. He doesn't follow the rules of the officialdom at all. If it were any other official, he would have been expelled long ago. But he is a virtual saint, so there is nothing wrong with his behavior. If a virtual saint follows the rules and regulations in the officialdom and blends in with the world, he will win the hearts of officials but lose the support of the people. But is it his personality or is he doing this to win the hearts of the people?"
Huo Long walked while thinking, and finally shook his head slightly, whispered the three words "I can't guess", and then left the provincial government office.
Fang Yun sat in his study, thinking about his path in Xiangzhou.
Even as the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Fang Yun decided to focus on his studies and take governing Xiangzhou as a secondary task, and to put off all things that could be put off.
However, there is one thing that cannot be postponed, and that is to allow Jing State to better control Xiangzhou, which is the top priority.
The prerequisite for controlling Xiangzhou is stability. If Xiangzhou is unstable, neither scholars nor common people will be willing to become Jing people.
“Stability must still be maintained.”
Fang Yun raised his head, looked at the map of Xiangzhou hanging on the wall, and then walked over.
To the west of Xiangzhou is Dongting Lake. Black ink and red ink appeared in front of Fang Yun. Without hesitation, he picked up the pen and dipped it in black ink, and outlined the border line between Xiangzhou and Dongting Lake in black, while thinking in his mind.
"The Dongting Jiao King may look ferocious, but he has actually been at ease for many years and lacks the fighting spirit. Not to mention Ao Huang, even if Ao Qingyue comes, he will be suppressed. He is the son of Jiao Sheng and has guarded Dongting Lake for many years. Jiao Sheng will not easily mobilize him, so Dongting Lake is worry-free."
The Yangtze River is to the north of Xiangzhou. Fang Yun picked up his pen and outlined the boundary line between Xiangzhou and the Yangtze River in black. However, he suddenly stopped writing, thought for a long time, took out another pen, dipped it in red ink, and outlined the area between the Yangtze River and Xiangzhou with red ink, even drawing it twice.
Fang Yun looked at the map of the Yangtze River again, and finally wrote three eye-catching words on it in red ink: Jiao Sheng Palace.
"The area around the Yangtze River is my fiefdom. Jiangzhou is on the north bank. I don't need to be on guard, but... I ignored the Jiao Sheng Palace. This time, the Jiao Sheng Palace used the Dongting Jiao King to test me, and they will never give up. I just don't know how the Jiao Sheng Palace will target me next time. I'm afraid that if they don't make a move, it will be fine. Once they make a move, I will be caught off guard and suffer a great loss. I must be on guard. At this time, I have to use the means of the Zongheng family. I can only trouble Ao Qingyue or Ao Huang to go to the Jiao Sheng Palace."
Then, Fang Yun looked towards the south of Xiangzhou.
To the south is Moyao Mountain.
Moyao Mountain is one of the five great demon mountains. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, a demon saint sneaked in, causing five unstable space cracks to form between the two worlds. Fortunately, these space cracks can usually only allow the demon king and the barbarian king to enter and exit, and only at special times can the great demon king and the great barbarian king enter. It is very difficult for the great demon king at the emperor level to enter and exit. As for the demon and barbarian saints, they can never enter and must pass through the Two Worlds Mountain.
In the past few years, Fang Yunwen's reputation rose suddenly and he became the target of suppression in the demon world. In order to prevent accidents, Wang Jinglong expended his own strength to block the five demon mountains, but now the blockade has been lifted.
Fang Yun painted thick red ink at the junction of Moyao Mountain and Xiangzhou.
To the southeast is Xizhou. Without thinking, Fang Yun changed his pen and painted the border between the two states with black.
The Xun Sheng family is in Xizhou. Although the Xun Sheng family's fiefdom is only Xun County, in fact most of Xizhou is covered by the power of the Xun Sheng family. The successive Qing kings are helpless. After all, the Ya Sheng family is far more stable than the Qing Kingdom. As long as there is no chaos in Xizhou and taxes are paid on time, the Qing king will ignore it.
.(To be continued.)