The playboy county magistrate

"As Li Xuanzhi requested, by special decree, he is granted permission to be removed from the household registration, establish a separate household, and become an independent family!"

"From this day forward, the household registration and property of Li Xuanzhi's lineage shall be completely independent of the Cheng'en Earl's Mansion. They shall form their own branch and shall not be subject to the control of the Earl's Mansion."

"Li Xuanzhi's mother, Zhang, is of impeccable character and upright conduct. She lives separately from her son, enjoying a life of dignity and self-sufficiency, free from any constraints. Her remaining years are peaceful and worry-free, without any further disputes or entanglements!"

Words spoken with absolute authority carry immense weight. And so it is, settled, and cannot be changed.

Li Xuanzhi bowed deeply, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness!"

After the court session ended, the eunuchs relayed an imperial edict, summoning Li Xuanzhi to a side hall to await further instructions.

Before long, the emperor arrived slowly. The solemnity of the court had faded, replaced by a more gentle demeanor.

He sat down, looked directly at Li Xuanzhi, and slowly began to speak.

"I know that you have been confined to the Earl's mansion for many years, bound by many constraints, and have not dared to easily display your true talents. Today, I grant you permission to separate from the family, both to fulfill your desire to protect your mother and to uphold your duty to the public."

Li Xuanzhi bowed his head and replied respectfully again, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your consideration."

The emperor nodded, his gaze filled with approval.

"As an imperial censor, you are upright and incorruptible, clearly distinguishing between public and private matters. You do not sway by clan favors, nor are you intimidated by powerful families. You are a model for all officials. Now that you have established your own faction, I cannot wrong you."

"In Qinghe Ward, East City of the capital, there is an empty residence that meets the standards for an Imperial Censor. The courtyard is well-organized and the layout is square, befitting your status as a Fourth-Rank Vice Censor-in-Chief. From today onwards, that private residence belongs to you."

"Furthermore, your mother, Zhang, is virtuous and kind, skilled in raising her son, and of impeccable character. She is hereby granted the title of Fifth-Rank Lady of the Imperial Household, and bestowed with the official robes and hat of a Lady of the Imperial Household. She need not be referred to as the Lady of the Earl of Cheng'en. The honor and title that you, her own son, have brought her are far more prestigious than the empty title of the second wife of the Earl's family."

Li Xuanzhi was also surprised that the emperor would bestow an imperial title upon his mother.

Although he was a fourth-rank official and his mother was only a fifth-rank noblewoman, it was a world of difference compared to their awkward position in the Earl's mansion, where they didn't even have a noblewoman's title.

Imperial consorts received a salary from the imperial court; they were supported by the court.

Because Marquis Chengen Li Dehai was disliked from childhood to adulthood, the late emperor never thought of rewarding his women when he was alive.

Whether it was her grandmother or Li Xuanjing's biological mother, they were only nominally wives.

My own mother, Lady Zhang, was the first and only person to receive an imperial title. She didn't rely on the unreliable Earl of Cheng'en, but on me, a close advisor to His Majesty!

Most importantly, His Majesty has even prepared a residence for himself that meets the required standards.

As the saying goes, if the benefits are good, what job can't you do well?

Following such an enlightened and generous emperor means a bright future!

Li Xuanzhi was deeply moved and kowtowed solemnly.

"Your Majesty, I kowtow in gratitude for your great kindness! My mother has received such grace, and I will remember it for the rest of my life! From now on, I will be even more diligent in my duties, upright and honest in my service, to repay Your Majesty's kindness and compassion!"

"I trust you." The emperor smiled faintly and waved for him to leave. "Today is an auspicious day. Go back and move."

At this moment, the Chengen Earl's Mansion was shrouded in a somber and deathly silence.

Li Dehai sat alone in the inner room, his face gloomy, his heart filled with resentment that lingered.

He had just received news that his plan to secretly contact court officials and frame Li Xuanzhi under the guise of filial piety had completely failed.

Instead, Li Xuanzhi confessed in court, revealing his true colors and being branded as selfish, oppressive, and cruel to his wife and children.

He had thought that allowing the family to separate was the limit. At most, he would allow Li Xuanzhi to leave the Earl's Mansion and form his own lineage.

But to his utter surprise, his second son, whom he had personally discarded like a worn-out shoe, received the emperor's extraordinary favor. He was granted a mansion and allowed to establish his own household.

He neglected and ignored his second wife for half his life, yet she received an imperial decree and was adorned in fine clothes and honors.

Meanwhile, his eldest son, Li Xuanjing, whom he had meticulously cultivated and who had devoted all the resources of the manor to, stood to the side with his head bowed, not even daring to raise his head.

The entire Chengen Earl's Mansion is like a lonely house completely abandoned by prosperity.

Comparing the two, Li Dehai felt as if he had been slapped repeatedly in the face.

The imperial ceremonial guards, bestowed by the court, stood in neat rows along the long street.

Twenty-four imperial guards in brocade robes, sixteen musicians, and eight eunuchs carrying imperial edicts stood on either side. Their attire was gleaming, and their demeanor was solemn.

The golden book, the imperial edict and robes, and the imperial residence token were displayed in order. They gleamed with golden light and were extremely dazzling.

Ordinary fourth-rank officials never had such regulations when moving to a new place.

Such a grand display was a privilege bestowed by the emperor, an unparalleled imperial favor that others could only dream of.

Li Xuanzhi and Zhang's courtyard had all their boxes and items loaded onto the cart.

Without any extravagance, each piece is elegant and refined.

Neat and tidy, these are all testaments to the mother and son's many years of honest and upright conduct.

There is not a trace of corruption or private wealth, nor is there any filthy origin.

Liu Yunrou and Gu Pan'er each performed their duties, leading the servants and maids in an orderly manner to take inventory and settle them properly. They were poised and dignified in their actions.

Zhang, dressed in the robes of a fifth-rank imperial consort, wearing a pearl and jade crown and a gilded sash, stood upright beneath the courtyard gate.

Li Xuanzhi changed into a brand-new fourth-rank imperial censor's uniform, the blue robe crisp and the jade-like fabric reaching his waist.

His posture was as upright as a pine tree or a solitary bamboo, standing beside his mother.

His features were serene and his expression calm. He possessed no trace of arrogance or complacency, but rather an air of dignified authority.

"Mother, the auspicious time has arrived; it's time for us to set off."

He spoke softly, reaching out to support his mother's forearm with gentle movements. He escorted her step by step out of the gates of the Cheng'en Earl's mansion, which had confined her for many years.

Taking this step means breaking free from the cage and being completely reborn.

From then on, there was no longer any constraint from the Earl's Mansion, no more oppression, and no more humble forbearance from having to be subservient to others.

With a command to set off, drums and music resounded, echoing through the long street.

The procession led the way, followed by a band of musicians. Carriages and horses laden with chests and boxes accompanied the guests.

A long procession snaked its way out from the entrance of Bofu Lane and slowly made its way along the main street of the capital. It attracted the attention of thousands of people who stopped to watch.

The people stopped and whispered among themselves, filled with envy.

"I heard it's Imperial Censor Li moving into a new residence! A mansion personally bestowed by His Majesty, who also conferred upon his mother the title of Fifth-Rank Imperial Lady!"

"Young and promising, upright and honest. He relies on his own abilities to establish himself in the court, without depending on family background or patronage; truly rare!"

"I've heard that Imperial Censor Li used to be a spoiled brat, and he only acted that way to save his life. Thinking about it, it makes sense. Even when he was a spoiled brat, he never oppressed the common people. I heard he suffered all sorts of injustices in the Marquis of Chengen's household, but now that he's risen to prominence and established his own household, the mother and son have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel!"

All the praise was unspeakable, without a single criticism. This made the harshness, bias, and disregard for kinship of the Cheng'en Earl's Mansion all the more unbearable.

Halfway through the journey, a group of carriages and horses slowly approached from the opposite direction; it was Zhang's maternal relatives.

The Zhang family was originally a family of upright officials. Although Zhang was a concubine's daughter, she was raised under the care of the principal wife.

After marrying into the Earl's mansion as his second wife, she was subject to the mansion's power and influence. Although her family wanted to take care of her, they could only rely on her third son, who was good at making money, to give Zhang some money to live on.

Due to the rules and etiquette of the aristocratic family, they dared not interfere too much in the affairs of the Earl's mansion, and could only let her suffer alone in the deep mansion.

Today, I heard that the Zhang family has broken free from the constraints of the Earl's Mansion and been granted an imperial title. All the elders of the Zhang family have come out, led by the clan head himself, carrying a cart full of congratulatory gifts and precious items, to offer their special congratulations.