Inside the Heaven Number One private room, all the other servants had been dismissed, leaving only the Song siblings and Qingshuang.
Rise, Song Jinzhao said with a smile. She was highly satisfied with this man's performance since his arrival in the Southwest.
Feng Yi stood up and remained respectfully in place, quietly waiting for Song Jinzhao's questions.
Song Jinzhao's bright eyes swept over him as she asked leisurely, How much have you found out about the situation in Suining Prefecture?
Before leaving the capital, Song Jinzhao had instructed Qingshuang to have Feng Yi investigate Suining Prefecture. He was to look into every detail, gathering intelligence not only on the officials but also on the common people.
Feng Yi raised his head and began to explain slowly.
Upon receiving the County Princess's orders, your subordinate dispatched men to Suining Prefecture to gather information. Suining Prefecture governs four counties: Qingxia, Yunzhu, Songhe, and Yanshan. Among them, Qingxia and Yanshan border the settlements of thirteen foreign tribes in the Southwest. Therefore, compared to Yunzhu and Songhe, the situations in Qingxia and Yanshan are much more complicated.
Sitting in his chair, Song Qiming narrowed his eyes. Complicated in what way?
Earlier that morning at the Gu residence, Gu Zhongxun had already given him a general overview of Suining Prefecture, specifically mentioning Qingxia and Yanshan counties.
He had repeatedly warned that the border regions could not afford any unrest, advising him to turn a blind eye to certain matters, as nothing was more important than the stability of the Southwest.
When he tried to ask for more details, Gu Zhongxun had deflected his questions, simply telling him to go and see for himself after taking office.
Feng Yi looked at Song Qiming, his tone growing noticeably heavier as he spoke of these two counties.
Since the territories are adjacent, interactions between the commoners are inevitable. However, due to their different tribes, disputes frequently break out, especially with the people of the Wumeng and Shimen tribes.
If a dispute occurs within the county town, it ranges from verbal abuse to physical brawls. But in the villages, fights involving dozens or even hundreds of people are a common occurrence.
Whenever such incidents happen, the magistrates of Qingxia and Yanshan counties always placate the situation by holding their own local citizens accountable. The locals are full of complaints, and public resentment is incredibly high. Over the past two years, there have even been two civilian uprisings, though both were suppressed by the local magistrates.
Hearing this, Song Qiming abruptly stood up, a look of disbelief on his face.
Civilian uprisings? Has it really gotten that severe? Is the Prefect of Suining aware of this?
Feng Yi nodded emphatically.
Of course he is aware. The constables in Qingxia and Yanshan were insufficient, so Suining Prefecture had to send additional manpower.
Song Jinzhao furrowed her brows and asked, To make the local governments of both places so wary, the opposing forces must be quite substantial.
How many people are there in the Wumeng and Shimen tribes, and how large are their settlements?
There were hundreds of tribes, big and small, in the Southwest. Not all of them were as powerful as the Yang clan of Panzhou or the Mu clan of Ningzhou, but there were a few tribes just below them in strength that had relatively large populations and settlements.
Feng Yi shook his head. In terms of numbers, even if you add up all the elderly, weak, women, and children, the Wumeng and Shimen tribes only have about ten thousand people each. Their settlements are only a third of the size of Qingxia County, with sixty percent of that being mountainous forests. Among the hundreds of foreign tribes in the Southwest, their power can only be considered lower-middle tier.
Song Jinzhao lifted her eyelids, her gaze focusing into a sharp point.
Do they have a backer?
Feng Yi gave a knowing smile, his tone carrying a hint of flattery toward Song Jinzhao.
The County Princess is wise. Their backers are exactly the Yang clan of Panzhou and the Mu clan of Ningzhou.
Song Qiming suddenly understood. He sat back down and leaned against his chair. So it's them. No wonder the magistrates don't dare to provoke them.
Feng Yi nodded. The daughter of the current Wumeng tribal chief married the third son of the Panzhou Pacification Commissioner, and the same goes for the Shimen tribe. Because the Wumeng and Shimen tribes border Qingxia and Yanshan counties respectively, they act as the eyes and ears for Panzhou and Ningzhou within Suining Prefecture. Any news from the entire Southwest or even the imperial court is immediately relayed back to them.
