The next day, several people arrived one after another at the prefectural office where the Imperial Envoy conducted his business.
This office was not far from where the Imperial Envoy resided, but public and private matters were kept separate. The people in charge here had no direct chain of command with Qiu Yan's residence.
In the front hall, several Military Governors who had rushed over through the night were already seated inside, every one of them grim-faced. The office steward had served tea and sent someone to notify Qiu Yan.
There were seven Military Governors in all: those of Western Shannan Circuit, Wuding, Xiongwu, Zhaowu, Wude, Yongping, and Wuxin. Not all of them belonged to Jiannan Circuit, but the White Lotus Sect's uprising had mobilized the strength of the entire Southern Ridges Circuit, sending out four armies in a grand display of force. There had been almost no warning beforehand, and they had been caught completely off guard. Its effects spread far and wide, and no one dared take it lightly.
The military towns bordering Jiannan Circuit and Jiangnan Circuit were likewise deeply worried. Qiu Yan oversaw Jiannan's military and civil affairs and, in terms of authority, was the highest authority in Jiannan Circuit. Naturally, they had all gathered here.
"Fan Yiyuan truly hasn't come."
Once everyone had taken seats on either side, Chen Shouxin, Military Governor of Yongping Army, glanced around and understood.
"That is only natural. That rebel army of the White Lotus fiends has crossed the Red Marsh. Either it heads north into the Chu Lands, passes through Wuzhen City, and enters Shu, or it passes directly through his Wutai Commandery. He certainly cannot afford to let down his guard."
Fan Yiyuan was the Military Governor of Wutai Commandery, one of the three military towns along Jiannan's