Bingzhou Governor? Zhang Yi almost thought he misheard.

Otherwise, why would he hear Cui Lie say that he was not being addressed as “Envoy” due to his role as the Emperor’s Minister, but rather because he was taking over as the Governor of Bingzhou?

When Cui Lie was appointed Minister in March, although many felt that his actions had tainted his reputation with greed, Zhang Yi was not among them.

In Zhang Yi’s view, Cui Lie’s decision was understandable.

The Emperor openly sold the positions of the Three Excellencies.

If someone had the financial means to buy it and didn’t try, leaving the opportunity to others, how could they ever hope to become a Prime minister?

First, seek a high position, and then plan to advise the Emperor.

Cui Lie, known for examining famous scholars in Jizhou, would likely have no problem securing his position as Minister.

Zhang Yi had even written to congratulate him.

He had thought…

He had thought that his various reports to the provincial government in recent days had reached the Emperor’s ears, leading to the arrival of one of the Three Excellencies.

So, with Minister Cui’s arrival, first, the corrupt county marquis could be brought to justice, and second, Zhang Yi’s grievances as the Governor could be redressed.

He hadn’t resorted to a hunger strike while under house arrest in the provincial government; instead, he had conserved his strength for this moment, to lodge his complaint.

But it turned out that the “emissary” he had assumed was here to help him was actually coming to replace him as Governor of Bingzhou!

“Why would you make such a joke, Sir Cui?”

Zhang Yi’s expression nearly froze at this sudden news.

He struggled to suppress his brewing emotions of complaint and finally managed to speak.

His turmoil deepened because if Cui Lie was truly here to become the Governor of Bingzhou, it implicitly meant—

The Emperor was dissatisfied with the current Governor of Bingzhou!

Wouldn’t that render all the grievances he had endured worthless?

What kind of absurdity was this?

But Cui Lie clearly wasn’t joking.

Previously, out of some sympathy for Zhang Yi due to their past correspondence, Cui Lie had expressed some regret for him.

However, when Zhang Yi suspected him of joking at such a moment, Cui Lie immediately adopted a more serious demeanor.

He promptly took the imperial decree from his attendant and read it aloud on the spot.

The Emperor’s orders are not to be taken lightly.

The decree stated that Zhang Yi was to be removed from his position as Governor of Bingzhou and reassigned as the Prefect of Guangling County.

Cui Lie would take over the position of Governor of Bingzhou.

Governor of Bingzhou.

“Guangling County is a key county in Xuzhou, vast and rich in seafood.

Moreover, it has not suffered from locust plagues recently, making it a good place to be. In fact, it might be better than eating dust in Bingzhou,” Cui Lie thought for a moment and decided to offer some consolation to the unfortunate Zhang Yi.

But to Zhang Yi, Cui Lie’s words of comfort were more irritating than soothing.

Given the current special circumstances, how could a county prefect compare to a provincial governor?

Besides, Bingzhou was not nearly as desolate as Cui Lie implied.

The expansive Jinzhong Basin still had fertile lands and orderly governance.

Since the Southern Xiongnu had submitted, they had contributed plenty of cattle and sheep, making the region’s diet quite abundant.

While border conflicts were dangerous, they also provided opportunities for military achievements.

All these advantages made Bingzhou far superior to Guangling County.

Zhang Yi felt deeply suffocated by Cui Lie’s arrival, which seemed more like a punishment than a rescue.

However, he knew he couldn’t give up just yet; he needed to hear how the Emperor planned to deal with Qiao Yan, the insolent figure whose actions had caused this upheaval.

Then he heard something even more suffocating.

In the imperial decree, Liu Hong stated that while Qiao Yan’s conduct had been inappropriate and disrespectful, her actions showed her ability to save the people from disaster and demonstrated her sincere efforts to turn the tide in Bingzhou.

Therefore, it would be inappropriate to punish him severely.

Instead, Liu Hong appointed a scholar from Jizhou as the Governor of Bingzhou and ordered the Marquis of Leping to remain confined to Leping for two years.

During this time, she was to visit the provincial government every ten days to receive guidance and correct her behavior through education.

As for the Prefect of Shangdang, Guo Yun, who knew Qiao Yan’s actions were improper but still petitioned on his behalf, he was reassigned as the Prefect of Yanmen to defend against the Xiongnu and reflect on his mistakes.

“…?”

This perfectly captured Zhang Yi’s current state of mind.

Ignoring the fact that the confinement order for Qiao Yan seemed weak, even if she couldn’t leave Leping, how was that a punishment?

Leping, despite being a county, was still a substantial county with tens of thousands of households.

Traveling from one end to the other took at least half a day, which was far better than Zhang Yi’s previous house arrest.

Moreover, the local magistrate of Leping was someone Qiao Yan had personally recommended, making the place essentially her domain.

Running free in her own territory—how was that confinement?

And having to visit the provincial government every ten days for guidance was even less of a punishment!

Cui Lie’s grandfather, Cui Yin, had penned “Dazhi,” which was known for its eloquent language, and “Qiyi,” celebrated for its scholarly finesse .

To receive guidance from such a notable scholar—

Zhang Yi thought that if he weren’t immediately required to take up his new post, he too would stay and listen.

And then he remembered that Cai Yong was also in Leping.

This made him even more frustrated.

What was this? Visiting the provincial government every ten days and spending the rest of the time listening to Cai Yong’s lectures?

Whose confinement was like this? Even the Imperial Academy wasn’t this good!

Looking at Guo Yun’s punishment, Zhang Yi felt even more annoyed.

The Prefect of Shangdang had already arrived in Jinyang a few days ago and had even appeared before Zhang Yi several times, firmly expressing his support for Qiao Yan.

Because of this, Zhang Yi had cursed him numerous times in his heart, feeling that this man was truly an anomaly in the Yangqu Guo family.

Guo Yun had a good position but chose to side with someone so rebellious.

Even if the aristocracy backed Qiao Yan, he couldn’t escape punishment if Luoyang pursued his crimes.

Now, Guo Yun was reassigned from a prosperous county to the border as Prefect of Yanmen, which seemed like a demotion.

However, based on Guo Yun’s behavior, it was clear he was a hardliner!

Such a person might even feel that this new assignment was his dream job.

Zhang Yi felt more than just a heavy heart; seeing Guo Yun’s unhidden smug expression made his teeth ache.

Yet, no matter how frustrated he was, he clearly didn’t have the standing to question the Emperor’s decisions.

At this moment, the most powerful person in Bingzhou was not Zhang Yi, but Cui Lie.

After Cui Lie finished reading the imperial decree, Zhang Yi suppressed his tumultuous emotions and forced out the words “I accept the decree” through gritted teeth.

As he prepared to leave in frustration, Qiao Yan suddenly stepped in front of him, bowing respectfully, and said, “I have offended you many times before, and I hope Governor Zhang will not hold it against me.”

“…” Zhang Yi took a deep breath, trying hard not to show any improper reaction to Qiao Yan’s deliberate use of the title “Governor.”

But then he heard Qiao Yan continue, “As you are about to depart, it is customary for me to return all borrowed items from the provincial government, except the official seal. Unfortunately, some items have already been sent to the Emperor and cannot be returned.”

Zhang Yi was about to ask her what she meant when…

The meaning of these words was heard by her only two words, “Yuan Benci.”

Zhang Yi’s eyes shook.

“Prefect needn’t worry, His Majesty has not mentioned this in the decree. It seems that this strategy of sowing discord among the Hu people is feasible. If he doesn’t come back, he won’t come back. However, if he still wants to collect this ink, he needs to ask for another letter.”

Seeing Zhang Yi’s bad complexion, Qiao Yan raised her eyebrows. “Prefect Zhang, why this expression?”

Zhang Yi smiled and replied, “There’s no need for that. There are many famous calligraphers today. I’ll ask someone else.”

This news caught him off guard again.

Qiao Yan’s suggestion was almost impractical.