The playboy county magistrate

"I order you to leave the capital immediately and head south to Nanjing to thoroughly investigate this case."

The emperor spoke with certainty and issued the decree decisively.

"The source of the Linghe River is in Nanjing, and the Grand Canal Transport Office is also located in Nanjing. All the original records of annual allocations, purchases, and labor are kept in the local government treasury. You are to go to Nanjing personally to review everything from the beginning, trace the source thoroughly, and investigate without interference from anyone in the capital. Once you have found out the truth, report back immediately."

Upon hearing this, all the court officials in the hall were taken aback.

Everyone can understand the deeper meaning behind this.

It appears that the emperor rejected Li Xuanzhi's petition in court today, thus protecting the dignity of the nobles in the capital.

In reality, it was a ostensible decentralization, keeping him away from the factional infighting in the capital. The goal was to trace the source of the corruption and uncover the truth behind this old case.

Li Xuanzhi instantly understood why his superior had specifically asked him to investigate this old case.

Perhaps it was personally assigned by the emperor, and the superior was merely a messenger.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. The national treasury is much fuller than before, all thanks to the new policies implemented by Li Xuanzhi.

If Li Xuanzhi could thoroughly investigate the matter in Jinling, the national treasury would certainly be much fuller.

Who doesn't know that Nanjing is a wealthy city that is in no way inferior to the capital?

To put it simply, apart from the absence of an emperor and powerful figures residing there year-round, Nanjing is in no way inferior to the capital.

With well-developed transportation and a large population flow, the area is dominated by merchants, whose taxes alone account for about 70% of the annual tax revenue of the Great Yong Dynasty.

Ren Jianxiao's composed smile froze instantly, and his heart sank. He instinctively wanted to step forward and dissuade him, but found himself speechless.

The imperial decree was fair and appropriate, without the slightest bias, and there was nothing wrong with it.

Li Xuanzhi was slightly taken aback, then bowed his head with a solemn expression.

"My lord, I obey your order."

"This case is to be investigated by you alone, and you may choose the officials who accompany you. All prefectures and counties along the way must cooperate and must not shirk their responsibilities or obstruct the investigation."

The emperor added again, his tone subtly revealing his bias.

"Investigate the whole story thoroughly. No matter who is involved or their official rank, report the facts truthfully without regard to personal relationships or connections within the court."

"Your subject will certainly do his utmost to investigate thoroughly. He will show absolutely no leniency and will not fail Your Majesty's grace."

Li Xuanzhi spoke each word with conviction, bowing respectfully to receive the decree.

For the remainder of the morning court session, no one mentioned the case again.

The group of noble officials had different expressions; they appeared calm, but their eyes were already filled with unease and fear.

They originally intended to suppress the case in court and dampen Li Xuanzhi's arrogance.

Unexpectedly, this backfired, forcing the emperor to relinquish power. This allowed Li Xuanzhi to take full control and travel south to Jinling, completely freeing him from their control.

As the court session came to a close, the officials gradually withdrew from the court.

As the crowd dispersed, those who passed by Li Xuanzhi hurried along, their eyes darting away, and no one dared to approach and speak to him.

A few upright colleagues only dared to cast worried glances from afar, but dared not approach in public, for fear of being seen as forming cliques and taking sides, and getting caught up in the storm.

Ren Jianxiao walked slowly past him, paused slightly, glanced at him sideways, and spoke in a very low voice, carrying a warning:

"Imperial Censor Li has traveled to Jinling so soon after his marriage, and he has been working very hard. However, the journey is long and the future is uncertain. I hope that the Imperial Censor will take good care of himself."

Li Xuanzhi looked up at him, his expression indifferent and calm, and replied with neither arrogance nor servility.

"Thank you for your concern, Prime Minister Ren. As an official, I only seek to ensure that the law is clear and just. I have never been afraid of anything else, whether it be good or bad, honor or disgrace."

Ren Jianxiao gave him a deep look, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

On the empty palace steps, all the court officials had dispersed, leaving only Li Xuanzhi standing there.

The situation in the capital is deeply entrenched. Personal connections and checks and balances of power make it impossible to ever fully investigate a long-standing case involving powerful nobles.

Although the emperor is still on his side today, Li Xuanzhi also senses what fate awaits him once he loses the protection of imperial power.

It seems that the meager affection he had when the emperor was still the crown prince is not enough.

The imperial court is ruthless; who knows when they might decide he's useless or has made too many contributions and then eliminate him?

It's time to take a closer look, expand our influence, and cultivate our own power to resist potential future risks.

The influence of a single new policy is not enough to protect oneself.

After all, the huge impact of the new policy is more directed at ordinary people. No matter how many of them there are, they are just powerless ants and have little effect.

I feel a little guilty towards the women in my family.

The newlyweds hadn't even returned to their parents' home for three days, the red "double happiness" characters were still new, and the two concubines hadn't been favored yet.

He then had to pack his bags immediately, bid farewell to his family, and travel to Jinling City, a thousand miles away.

Tang Zheng, who was waiting outside the palace gate, saw his young master come out and immediately hurried to greet him.

Seeing that his young master was holding the imperial edict, and having overheard the discussions among the court officials who had come out earlier, he had a general idea of ​​what was going on, and asked in a low voice.

"Young master, when will you depart south? Your subordinate will immediately prepare the carriage, horses, travel expenses, and travel permits."

Li Xuanzhi was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's set off immediately."

The longer it drags on, the more suffering will come, and the greater the pressure will be.

He had to make sure he got to Nanjing faster than the powerful and wealthy could get the evidence of the destruction.

Tang Zheng paused, a look of surprise appearing in his eyes.

He gazed at his young master's upright yet somewhat thin back, and in the end, he simply bowed his head in response.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will arrange it immediately and it will be ready within half an hour. Should I inform Madam in advance so that she can prepare to accompany me?"

Li Xuanzhi waved his hand dismissively, "No need, just let her stay in the capital."

Who knows how many more crises await on this journey? Pei Qingyuan is just a weak woman; she can't withstand such great harm and blows.

Furthermore, he was also worried about leaving his mother alone in the capital with her two concubines to manage the Imperial Censorate.

If Chengenbo, that cheapskate father, comes to cause trouble, Mother definitely won't be able to handle it.

With Pei Qingyuan around, at least the Pei family can help look after things.

No matter how reckless the Marquis of Chengen was, he dared not offend the Pei clan, who had a certain voice and influence in the court.

Li Xuanzhi sat inside the carriage. The curtain fell, shutting out the outside noise. The only sound in the small carriage was the gentle swaying of the wooden frame.

He closed his eyes slightly and leaned against the cold car wall. His tense nerves relaxed a little, but his heart was filled with an unyielding sense of unease.

The carriage sped along and soon entered Qinghefang.

The mansion gates were wide open, and the festive lanterns still hung under the eaves. They swayed gently in the breeze, filling the air with joy.

A faint aroma of tea and the fresh scent of flowers and trees wafted from the courtyard, creating a tranquil atmosphere that seemed to be a world completely different from the turbulent undercurrents of the imperial court.

Upon hearing the return of the carriage, Pei Qingyuan hurriedly stepped forward to greet them, her smile gentle and warm.

"My husband came home early today; breakfast has just been warmed up in the kitchen—"

Before she could finish speaking, she noticed Li Xuanzhi's solemn expression. The weariness and coldness between his brows were impossible to conceal, and it was definitely not the usual peaceful demeanor after court.

The words she was about to say caught in her throat, and she subconsciously suppressed her smile.

Li Xuanzhi didn't say much, but simply took Pei Qingyuan's hand and rubbed it in his palm.

"Prepare hot water; I need to change my clothes. You two wait in Mother's courtyard for a moment; I have something important to tell you both."