Fang Yun continued, "Since Ning'an County has been chosen as a Craftsmen School pilot, this county must make changes in certain areas. The first step is clear rewards and punishments! What are your opinions?"
The officials present lowered their heads and said nothing. Even Shen Ming, who had wanted to seize this chance to strike back at Fang Yun, decided not to open his mouth.
An acting county magistrate appointed through the Palace Examination held more real power than an ordinary county magistrate, because Palace Examination Metropolitan Graduates themselves bore the responsibility of reform. Even if they went somewhat overboard, so long as the Sacred Academy did not step in to stop them, the various nations would not prohibit it in principle.
Now that Ning'an County had become a reform pilot county for the Crafts Hall as well, Fang Yun's authority had grown even greater. These officials could trip him up in secret, but face-to-face, they had no grounds whatsoever to stop him.
"Everything shall be decided by County Magistrate Fang," Tao Dingnian said.
Fang Yun said, "Punishment means punishing those who seriously violate the law and refuse to rein themselves in."
Everyone present was an old hand. They understood perfectly well that Fang Yun had drawn a line for the standard of these punishments: those who seriously violated the law would be dealt with, while those whose offenses were less severe would be given a chance to redeem themselves through merit under the principle of curing the sickness to save the patient, or receive a slight punishment rather than a heavy one.
"Where there is punishment, there must naturally be reward as well. Take Workshop Master Liang as an example. He painstakingly saved the dyeing workshop and rendered great service. How could that little bit of compensation possibly be