Nie Zhenbang paid little heed to Ma Yunfang's resentment. In local regions, to flex one's muscles naturally incurs the displeasure of some. It was impossible to ascend smoothly while remaining friendly with everyone.
In Jingcheng, the reason many offspring of distinguished families were reluctant to take lower positions had to do with these local struggles. Because once they took the plunge, they would not voluntarily label themselves as the son or grandson of so and so.
If they did, the national prestige would crumble. A family-run state would be considered intolerable under any circumstances. In fact, there were notable figures from Jingcheng who did not perform well when sent to local areas. There were countless examples of humiliated individuals returning in disgrace. Such failures impacted their once promising future, dimming its prospects.
