Mingshu and her party were taken to a separate courtyard for accommodation.
The Prefect of Jincheng, Zhang Jingshan, for some reason had learned of their arrival and came to greet them respectfully.
Unlike Governor of Youzhou, Chen Baichuan, who was astute and experienced, this Prefect of Jincheng had a stern face, seldom smiled, and there was a touch of exhaustion in his eyes. He appeared earnest and upright, the sort who only knew to bury himself in hard work.
According to Si Chu, this man was an honest and competent official yet he possessed a head of elm wood, disliking factions and not adept at currying favor. After the outbreak of the plague in Jincheng, his role as the Prefect wasn't without questions of dereliction of duty: he was expected to be stripped of his black gauze cap and die to apologize for his crimes.
