Gu Shenwei wanted the Chancellor to make a clear judgment about Pang Jing. Zhong Heng paced three steps, turned, then took three more. "He's a clever man."
"What makes him clever?"
"Newly in office, the first thing he did was muddy the waters instead of making nice with the 'big fish.' My guess is that this shows how dissatisfied he is with the status quo—and how confident he is. The Western Regions Protectorate Official wants to change the balance of power in Jade City. That should probably be good news for the Dragon King."
Gu Shenwei agreed with the Chancellor's analysis, but reserved judgment on the conclusion. Even as he entered the Central Plains army's camp with several attendants, he still regarded Pang Jing as an unknown quantity.
Pang Jing had chosen to meet the Dragon King outside the city. That was the result of a private agreement between them. In any case, the Dragon King couldn't visit the City Governor's residence the way Meng Mingshu had, so they had no choice but to meet in the military camp, as was customary.
As soon as they met, Pang Jing showed how little he cared for formalities. He came down from the seat of honor and hurried toward the Dragon King like a gust of wind, clasping his fists in greeting like a martial artist. "At last, I get to meet the Dragon King in person. All those thousands of miles I traveled through wind and snow to Jade City were worth it. I only regret that I'm not free to do as I please. Otherwise, I'd have rushed to the Dragon Army's camp at the first opportunity and begged to serve as a foot soldier. Why did it take until today for us to meet?"
Pang Jing's enthusiasm often left