Hu Yong's gaze finally returned to the figure behind the swirling dragon aura above the imperial steps.
His voice was steady. "Your Majesty, and my colleagues. Azure Abyss Marquis Qing Chen's merits in the Southern Borderlands are indeed no small matter and cannot be casually erased. If the Imperial Court were to withhold rewards and instead rebuke him harshly, or even arrest and punish him, I fear it would chill the hearts of the hundreds of thousands of cultivators on the frontier."
"However."
Hu Yong shifted his tone, a trace of caution entering his voice. "The position of Provincial Governor of Qiongzhou is, after all, no small matter.
"Its holder governs a territory spanning millions of li, bearing upon the welfare of tens of billions of subjects on the immortal register, affecting the Dao paths of more than ten million cultivators, and even involving the flow of an entire province's vast fortune.
"Although Qing Chen possesses exceptional courage and strategy and outstanding combat strength, his cultivation has yet to reach the Nascent Soul middle stage, and his seniority within the Immortal Dynasty remains rather shallow. Suddenly entrusting him with the heavy responsibility of proper provincial governor would risk pulling up seedlings to help them grow. I fear it would not be an entirely sound course, nor would it readily convince the subjects and officials on all sides."
His words were measured and balanced, acknowledging Qing Chen's merits while pointing out his shortcomings.
"Therefore, in this old minister's humble opinion..." Hu Yong bowed slightly and cupped his hands toward the imperial steps, proposing a solution.
"We could have the Azure Abyss Marquis serve temporarily as acting Provincial Governor of Qiongzhou, overseeing its military and civil affairs pending an assessment of his subsequent performance. His noble rank could be raised from Third-Class