The playboy county magistrate

Li Xuanzhi stood in the center of the hall, meeting Li Xuanzhi's gaze with open eyes.

"You know perfectly well that I am an imperial censor, in charge of investigating cases and cracking down on corruption. Yet you still dare to proactively deliver a letter, luring me to a brothel. Aren't you afraid I'll take the opportunity to shut down Tinglan Pavilion?"

Su Wanwan's eyes flickered slightly, and she responded softly, her voice clear and melodious like flowing water.

"Your Excellency investigates corrupt officials and punishes those who harm the country, never killing innocent people or implicating ordinary citizens. Everyone in Nanjing knows your character and magnanimity."

"Tinglan Pavilion was once used by the Left Prime Minister and his wife, but it never harmed the people. It only stored intelligence and never got involved in bloodshed. If you really wanted to hold them accountable, you would have surrounded this place immediately and wouldn't have allowed me to wait until today."

These few words are enough to show that this woman is insightful and has a keen eye for people.

She had long seen through Li Xuanzhi, realizing he was neither a cruel official nor a sycophant.

A hint of approval flashed in Li Xuanzhi's eyes. "You see things very clearly."

Su Wanwan raised her eyes, looked directly into his eyes, and said with utmost sincerity:

"When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Tinglan Pavilion, which once possessed the most intelligence and the widest network of connections in Jinling City, is now leaderless. It will either be secretly swallowed up by the remaining powerful figures in the capital, or it will be divided and devoured by local forces. In the end, the pavilion will be destroyed and its people will die, and it will be completely wiped out."

"This humble woman submits a petition seeking an audience. She does not ask for wealth or status, but only for a stable life. She begs the dozens of sisters in the village to find a place to live and make a living."

She offered no empty flattery or deliberate attempts to please. She simply stated the pros and cons and frankly revealed her desires.

Li Xuanzhi slowly spoke, "Do you know what it means to submit to me?"

"It means that from now on, they will abandon darkness and embrace light, break away from the powerful and influential clique, and submit to the leadership of the master."

Su Wanwan raised her head slightly and, seeing that Li Xuanzhi's expression remained unchanged, continued, "From now on, Tinglan Pavilion will no longer be a private official's secret place, but rather the eyes and ears of the lord. I will investigate all secrets of the Jinling officialdom, the merchants from the north and south, and the movements of various forces without concealment."

"But I have three requests." She changed the subject, her expression becoming solemn.

"First, we beg Your Excellency to spare the lives of everyone in Tinglan Pavilion and not to pursue the crimes of those who previously relied on the Princess and the former Left Prime Minister. Second, we beg for a stable future, that the sisters in Xuxie be released from their social status and allowed to marry freely. Third, we beg that we only transmit intelligence and not get involved in bloodshed or commit any underhanded or murderous acts."

Li Xuanzhi nodded slightly in agreement, "Alright."

"Past grievances will be wiped clean. Once the situation in Nanjing stabilizes, I will personally petition the court to clear your names of your lowly status and grant you your freedom."

Su Wanwan's shoulders, which had been tense for many days, suddenly relaxed, and the fear that had been building up in her eyes faded away.

She slowly bent her knees and performed a deep bow, her posture solemn.

"Your subordinate, Su Wanwan, along with everyone at Tinglan Pavilion, formally submits to you, Young Master! From this day forward, we will be utterly loyal."

This bow marked the complete capture of Tinglan Pavilion, the premier intelligence outpost in Jinling City, by Li Xuanzhi.

Li Xuanzhi raised his hand in a gesture of support, his tone calm.

"Rise. From now on, there's no need for elaborate formalities. In private, simply address me as Your Majesty. In public, continue as before and maintain your original demeanor."

Su Wanwan stood up, her expression now completely respectful. "Your subordinate understands."

She immediately turned around, took out a thin black booklet, and presented it with both hands.

"My lord, this is a record of all the information Tinglan Pavilion has kept since its founding. It records the powerful figures, merchants, and martial arts forces that have come and gone from Jinling over the years. It includes each person's preferences, factional affiliation, strengths and weaknesses, and private transactions. It also includes recent developments, including the remaining nobles in the capital and the local gentry in Jinling, all of whom have already made their moves in secret."

Li Xuanzhi took the booklet, his fingertips tracing the cool cover, a sharp glint in his eyes.

With this book, he essentially held a power structure chart of most of Nanjing. Who was loyal and who was treacherous, who was hiding and who was moving, who was forming cliques, and who was secretly accumulating power—all of this was crystal clear.

"Well done," Li Xuanzhi said in a deep voice.

Su Wanwan lowered her head and said softly, "From today onwards, I will immediately adjust the layout of the pavilion, change the communication codes, and clear out the old subordinates and spies of the previous master to prevent outsiders from spying. From now on, I will connect and bring together all the painted boats, waterfront taverns and pleasure pavilions related to Tinglan Pavilion one by one."

Li Xuanzhi nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the deep night outside the window: "There's no need to rush. The best course of action is to first stabilize the foundation of Tinglan Pavilion."

His expansion into the city was just beginning; the foundations of his inns, merchants' lodgings, and casinos were not yet fully established, so it was not wise to act rashly at this time.

The news of Tinglan Pavilion's quiet change of ownership was never leaked out.

The pleasure boats still teemed with song and dance, and the wealthy and powerful, despite realizing that things had changed, continued to seek pleasure and chat as usual.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Tinglan Pavilion, once the most prestigious pleasure house, had already undergone a complete transformation.

The following morning, the city of Nanjing was shrouded in mist, and the streets and alleys were just beginning to awaken with the sounds of cooking fires.

Zhuque Street in the south of the city is a bustling commercial area.

The "Guiyunfang" standing in the center of the street is the largest gambling den in Nanjing.

Unlike the crude and chaotic street gambling stalls, Guiyunfang boasts high walls and vermilion gates, with a luxurious and elegant interior.

They don't accept bettors from the streets; they specialize in gambling with the sons of high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants from the north and south, and gentry from rural areas.

There's no distinction between day and night here; every day is a high-stakes gamble. The turnover is often in the tens of thousands, and all the surplus silver is secretly collected and sent to the private treasuries of powerful figures in the capital.

Taking advantage of the fact that the powerful and influential people in the capital dared not act too recklessly, Lei Biao, the owner of Guiyunfang, monopolized a huge business and became the local tyrant of the southern part of Jinling City. He acted tyrannically, and no one dared to interfere.

Inside the inn, morning light streamed through the windows and fell on the black leather register on the desk.

Li Xuanzhi pointed to the last page of the register, which clearly recorded the transaction details and business dealings of Guiyunfang.

"Now that we have a place to control intelligence, the next step is to allocate funds."

Tinglanxie laid out an intelligence network for him in Jinling City, which could be used to establish his power, gather manpower, appease subordinates, and cultivate undercover agents, all of which required money.

Without wealth, there is no power. Without resources, there is no foundation.

Guiyunfang was the second cornerstone he needed to establish himself in Jinling.

Tang Zheng stood aside and reported in a low voice.

"Young master, Lei Biao, the owner of Guiyunfang, is violent and ruthless. He employs dozens of thugs and guards and has been entrenched in the south of the city for many years. Now, relying on his men and wealth, he refuses to submit to any power and refuses to be controlled by the government."

"The local county government has always been wary of his power, and there have been financial transactions between them in the past. For many years, they have turned a blind eye to the illegal gambling and usury in Guiyunfang."

Li Xuanzhi raised his eyes and asked calmly, "What is he thinking now?"

"He thought the young master was focused on old court cases and officialdom, and disdained to get involved in the chaos of gambling dens in the city. He planned to control a huge amount of wealth, observe the changes in the situation, and then expand the scale after the storm, monopolizing the underground financial channels of Jinling."

Li Xuanzhi's lips curled slightly, a faint hint of coldness flashing across them.

This person is brave and powerful, but lacks long-term vision.

They occupy positions when there is profit to be made, and lie low when there is no profit. These are the most suitable to be recruited and used as guard dogs to protect the city and secure the source of wealth.