While Fang Yun and Yan Yukong exchanged letters, most of Ding County's residents poured out through the city gates to witness a sight the people of Xiang Prefecture had never seen before.
Except for scholars of Metropolitan Graduate rank or higher, the entire Xuanwu Army went down on one knee and apologized to the people of Ding County they had plundered, offering some of their treasures as compensation.
Prefectural Governor Dong Wencong and Commander Fang Shouye personally accepted the Xuanwu Army's apology and declared that they would make proper arrangements for the victims of the plundering.
After apologizing, the Xuanwu Army hurried away without looking back, utterly disgraced.
The people of Ding County were elated. Just days earlier, after being plundered, they had cursed the county magistrate, the prefectural governor, and Fang Yun, even dragging the king and queen dowager into their tirades. They had been convinced that Xiang Prefecture would be better off returning to the Qing Kingdom-at least then the Qing Kingdom's army would not rob them.
Yet everything unfolding before their eyes today shocked them. They realized that the Qing Kingdom seemed no longer to be the Qing Kingdom of old, and the Jing Kingdom was no longer the Jing Kingdom of old either.
Afterward, Dong Wencong, Fang Shouye, and the others returned to Baling City.
By the time they reached Baling City, night had fallen. Dong Wencong went alone to Fang Yun's study, knocked, and entered.
"This subordinate, Dong Wencong, pays his respects to the Governor-General." Dong Wencong entered the study with a smile.
"Sit," Fang Yun said casually.
"This subordinate would not dare," Dong Wencong said.
"How did things go in Ding County? Some people have mentioned it on the Discourse Ranking," Fang Yun said.
"The Xuanwu Army stalled for a long time, but no