The Lame Scholar's analysis made a lot of sense. Zha Zhonghe and the others shared similar concerns, and Xia Huai'an also found the situation rather headache-inducing.
In truth, he had no desire whatsoever to wade into the muddy waters of officialdom.
Had he merely been a garrison commander without real power, training private troops with his own funds while steering clear of the local officials' interests, that would have been one thing. But by executing Magistrate Zhao and submitting a case detailing the magistrate's corruption and lawbreaking, he had plunged headfirst into officialdom, leaving him no turning back.
Chapter 90