He intended to say a few more words in favor of Yang Ge, but felt that too much would be as bad as not enough and thus turned to say, "Your Majesty, based on the information provided by Yang Ge, the coastal pirate troubles might be more serious than we anticipated. If not controlled promptly, I fear it will lead to the deterioration of the situations in both Jiangzhe and Jiaodong, giving opportunists a chance to exploit the chaos."
Emperor Xiping gave a noncommittal "hmm" in response, casually remarking, "There's no rush, the time isn't ripe yet."
Shen Fa understood the hidden meaning behind his words, but thinking of Yang Ge's fists, he steeled himself to persuade once more.
Just then, Emperor Xiping, shaking the document in his hand, asked, "Where is Qin Feng, the vice commander mentioned in the report?"
Shen Fa replied, "Your Majesty, Qin Feng has not yet arrived in the capital."
Emperor Xiping asked, "Is he Ma Dai's man?"
