The playboy county magistrate

Li Xuanzhi knew he wouldn't get any information out of them, so he could only wave them away helplessly.

People are inherently selfish, especially since in the eyes of the world, the power and influence of nobles are far greater than that of themselves.

Even if they believed in their hearts that he, the censor, could get justice, they didn't dare to believe that he could protect their family members' lives.

Li Xuanzhi spent his days reviewing case files at the Censorate, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted. He failed to keep his promise to return home early, and even after arriving home, he only managed to rest for two hours in his study.

The next day, Li Xuanzhi attended the morning court session. Most of the officials' eyes were seemingly on him, though not explicitly.

There was curiosity and prying, and there was also a hidden sense of apprehension. Many officials from the elite faction also harbored a mocking glint in their eyes, waiting to see the show unfold.

The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials below, his voice steady and authoritative.

"There are many unresolved cases in the court recently. If any of you have something to report, please do so. If not, the court is adjourned."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Xuanzhi stepped forward. His posture was upright, he raised his hand to hold the tablet and bowed, his voice clear and crisp, resounding throughout the hall.

"Your subject, Li Xuanzhi, Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, has a memorial to present."

He looked up directly at the sky, his expression calm and composed.

"Two years ago, there was a case concerning the allocation of funds for the repair of the Linghe River in Jinling. After reviewing and verifying the case, I discovered that a huge sum of treasury funds had been embezzled and misappropriated at various levels, involving high-ranking officials in the capital. I humbly request Your Majesty to allow me to conduct a thorough investigation, hold those responsible accountable, and uphold the law."

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall froze.

The slight rustling of clothes around them disappeared completely, and all the officials lowered their heads, even deliberately softening their breathing.

Standing at the front of the line, Left Prime Minister Ren Jianxiao slightly raised his eyelids, his cold gaze sweeping over Li Xuanzhi, a faint, mocking smile curving his lips.

Before the emperor could speak, several veteran ministers stepped forward one after another, bowing and refuting his arguments.

The leader was the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, with half-white hair and beard. His tone was earnest, but every word carried a deliberate attempt to suppress him.

"Your Majesty, the Linghe case has long been settled. The officials involved at the time verified and filed the records at every level, and there were no errors or omissions. Censor Li, newly returned from his marriage, is likely eager for credit and has mistakenly believed one-sided accounts, thus wrongly overturning the old case!"

Another person followed closely behind, speaking in a firm tone.

"The consumption of materials for river works is inherently difficult to verify in detail, and this has been the case every year. For Censor Li to hold Xun Gui accountable and reopen the case based solely on the verbal testimonies of a few low-ranking officials and laborers who went through the motions without obtaining any information is far too hasty! If this precedent is set, old cases in the court can be arbitrarily investigated in the future, wouldn't the court be thrown into chaos?"

"I second that proposal!"

One after another, voices of agreement arose, all from officials of the nobility, their statements uniform and consistent, each accusing Li Xuanzhi of "rash judgment and disruption of the court," firmly suppressing his petition.

Li Xuanzhi suddenly chuckled, "You all know perfectly well what the Censorate did yesterday. Those who know it do so for the country and the people, while those who don't might think you've planted spies everywhere, forming cliques to do something big."

Everyone was shocked.

The Censorate was not like other government offices in the imperial court.

Those places were full of the emperor's men. The fact that information could still leak out under such circumstances is enough to show that the officials inside are about to be purged.

They naturally understood the principle that one should not allow others to sleep soundly under one's bed. If the Censorate, which the emperor trusted, were also infiltrated by officials, it would not be a small matter of a few people losing their positions or their heads.

Li Xuanzhi remained calm and composed, raising his hand to present the sealed account book from his bosom.

"Your Majesty, I am not speaking without reason. This is a comparison of the accounts of the grain transport and river works over the years. The loopholes in the accounts and the shortfalls in funds are clear and obvious, and this is not a one-sided account."

So what if there are no witnesses right now? Sometimes physical evidence is much more useful than witnesses.

Moreover, this is the emperor's domain; if the emperor really wants to investigate, he can pry open even the toughest mouth.

Those so-called witnesses were just worried that Li Xuanzhi didn't have strong enough backing and didn't dare to take the risk.

If they knew that the emperor was protecting them if they told the truth, they would be quick to speak.

The eunuch hurriedly went down the steps, took the file, and presented it to the emperor.

The emperor lowered his eyes and turned the pages; the hall was deathly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Left Chancellor Ren Jianxiao slowly stepped forward, his expression respectful.

"Your Majesty, the case files have been archived for two years. Over the years, wear and tear are inevitable, and errors in transcription are common. Censor Li is young, upright, and dedicated to public service. It is possible that he was unintentionally exploited by someone with ulterior motives, which almost led to a wrong judgment."

His words were extremely cunning, both praising Li Xuanzhi's reputation for being selfless and quietly overturning all the evidence, thus characterizing the matter as being instigated by someone else.

Li Xuanzhi raised his eyes, his gaze meeting Ren Jianxiao's directly, his voice steady yet each word forceful.

"Minister Ren is mistaken. The omissions in the account books are irrefutable evidence that can be verified in writing. As the Left Prime Minister, Your Excellency should not rely on your own conjecture to deceive His Majesty and cover up wrongdoing."

The two men locked eyes in mid-air, exchanging a silent battle, and the atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense.

Ren Jianxiao's expression darkened slightly, but he still refused to back down and bowed again to plead his case.

"Your Majesty, I am not protecting anyone. It is just that the old cases in the capital are very extensive. If we were to impeach nobles and launch a major purge based solely on incomplete old records, it would likely cause an uproar in the court and among the people, which would be detrimental to the stability of the court."

The assembled nobles and officials once again seconded the motion.

The emperor gently stroked the pages of the document with his fingertips, his expression calm and unreadable, and he remained silent for a long time.

Li Xuanzhi stood quietly at the foot of the steps, his heart sinking.

He suddenly realized.

Yesterday, he forced witnesses who dared not provide testimony to the Censorate and secured physical evidence.

Seemingly gaining the upper hand at every step, they had actually already fallen into the opponent's trap.

The Hoongui lineage wasn't afraid of his investigation at all; rather, they deliberately allowed him to collect superficial evidence, waiting for him to present it in court today.

Then, on the grounds of "weak evidence, incomplete witness testimony, and disturbing the imperial court," all his investigations were completely overturned.

These veteran officials have held sway in the court for decades, and their greatest skill is using the greater good to cover up their personal misdeeds.

Sure enough, after a moment, the emperor slowly raised his eyes, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable majesty.

"What you all say makes sense. The case is old, and the evidence we have now is not enough to convict the powerful and influential. A hasty and thorough investigation could indeed cause turmoil in the court and among the people."

Li Xuanzhi's shoulders stiffened slightly, his knuckles clenched quietly, and a faint look of surprise and disappointment flashed across his eyes.

He clearly possessed flawed account books, yet they became utterly worthless in the face of power in the court and the balance of factions.

A hint of triumph flashed across Ren Jianxiao and the others' eyes, but they maintained a respectful and dignified demeanor, revealing no flaw whatsoever.

The emperor's gaze returned to Li Xuanzhi, and after scrutinizing him for a moment, he slowly spoke.

"Li Xuanzhi, you returned to court shortly after your marriage, and you have been diligent and upright in your duties, as I know. This case is complicated and deeply entrenched in the capital. If we leave it in the capital to investigate, we will inevitably be hampered by others, and it will be difficult to distinguish the truth from the falsehood."

Li Xuanzhi raised his eyes: "Your Majesty, I await your judgment."