The playboy county magistrate

Over the next two days, Zhou Dechang indeed demonstrated his strengths.

Linjiang Inn is the most prestigious, followed by two other top-tier inns: Juxianlou and Tongjizhan.

The four major intermodal transport companies, "Shun'anxing", "Guangyuanhao", "Hengtong Huozhan" and "Zhiyuan Shanghang", all submitted to the government.

More than a hundred shops of all sizes in Jinling City flocked to it like rivers flowing into the sea.

Li Xuanzhi oversaw the entire process, establishing a unified communication code and a system for reporting information every other day.

Large shops monitor information across the entire area, medium-sized shops guard key points in streets and alleys, and small shops keep an eye on activity in the corners and edges.

In just a few days, an intelligence network covering the entire city's streets and alleys, connecting the north and south by land and water, quietly took shape.

Inside the inn, a gentle evening breeze blew, and the night air was slightly cool.

Li Xuanzhi stood under the corridor, flipping through the latest compiled list of merchants and a map showing the distribution of influence.

In Nanjing today, his eyes and ears are everywhere, his manpower is everywhere, and his informants are everywhere.

All the commotions in the city, the rumors circulating between the north and south, and the movements of various forces were all under his control.

Thousands of miles away, in a secluded villa on the western outskirts of the capital, the night was deathly still.

With the downfall of the princess and the Left Chancellor Ren Jianxiao, the influence of the court's nobles and officials was reduced by more than half.

"The young censor has rendered unparalleled service. He has not returned to the court, abandoning the smooth path to advancement, but instead guarding the prosperous city of Jinling. This is certainly not out of a desire for pleasure and comfort. This man must be secretly plotting, preparing to strike, and sooner or later he will settle accounts with all the nobles in the court."

The powerful and influential families who were unaffected and sat around the table nodded in unison, their hearts filled with unease.

No one dared to gamble on Li Xuanzhi's magnanimity, and no one dared to allow him to build up his private power in Jinling City and grow stronger step by step.

"We need to investigate his strengths and weaknesses, and cut off his foundation," one person said in a deep voice. "Ordinary spies are crude and clumsy, making it difficult to get close to him. If we can't find out his true intentions, we'll easily alert him."

Almost the instant the words were spoken, the curtains fluttered slightly, and a slender figure slowly stepped out.

The woman wore an elegant, moon-white gauze dress, her black hair loosely tied up. Her figure was slender and graceful, her brows and eyes refined and aloof. Seemingly a delicate beauty untouched by hardship, she harbored a chilling killing intent.

She is skilled in seduction and disguise. She is adept at assassination, possesses intelligence, and has never failed.

Despite having no blade in his hand and no sharp edge on his body, he was more terrifying than a hundred assassins.

Li Xuanjing slowly emerged from the dark corner, raising his head to stare intently at the woman before him.

The most beautiful courtesan in the capital, whom he had dreamed of countless times, turned out to be a terrifying enchantress.

It was obtained by selling countless rare and unique manuals, along with all the money he had saved over the years, and the top assassins he hired.

"You approached Li Xuanzhi under the guise of a talented orphan girl whose family had suffered a great upheaval and who had no one to rely on. You used poetry gatherings and chance encounters in the marketplace as pretexts to get closer to him."

"Firstly, we need to uncover his true intentions in staying in Nanjing and investigate the forces he has secretly cultivated. Secondly, we need to find his weaknesses and confuse him. When the time is right, we will eliminate him on the spot and prevent future troubles."

In this world, no one wanted Li Xuanzhi dead more than Li Xuanjing.

……

Inside the study of Li Xuanzhi at the Jinling Post Station.

The lamplight shone brightly, illuminating the densely packed intelligence files on the desk.

Tang Zheng received the message from his subordinates and immediately came in, reporting in a low voice:

"The movements of the spies in the capital have been pinpointed. This time, Xun Gui did not send any martial arts practitioners to infiltrate, but instead dispatched a top-notch undercover agent. I've heard she's skilled in disguise, seductive, and dedicated to close-in reconnaissance and assassination."

Li Xuanzhi lightly turned the pages with his fingertips, his expression calm and undisturbed.

"I knew they wouldn't send coarse assassins. The nobles in the court are masters of using soft tactics to conceal their true intentions. They know I am alert and well-prepared, and that a direct assault would be a failure. Therefore, they chose the honey trap."

"I have ordered Su Wanwan of Tinglan Pavilion to keep a close watch on all the literary gatherings and social events in Jinling City. If any strange, beautiful, and talented woman suddenly appears and deliberately approaches, report it immediately."

After a pause, Tang Zheng continued to ask for instructions in a deep voice:

"Should we take precautions in advance and intercept this person when the opportunity arises?"

"No need."

Li Xuanzhi closed the file, looked up at the lights outside the window, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Let her do it."

"The honey trap is a two-way game. She wanted to get close to me, seduce me, and then kill me, so I used her to spread false information to confuse the court, stabilize the situation, and lull the old foxes in the capital into a false sense of security."

There was one more thing Li Xuanzhi didn't say.

Now that he was a man who had experienced the ways of the world, he did not bring any of his wives or concubines with him when he came to Jinling City.

Although the women in the pleasure quarters were all good-looking, Li Xuanzhi was a germaphobe.

He finds women who have been touched by other men dirty.

If the woman who came to use her beauty to seduce him this time is truly a clean and beautiful woman, then serving her comfortably wouldn't be a bad idea.

Having tasted the bland and unassuming, he now wanted to experience what it was like to be a fiery assassin.

Li Xuanzhi's gaze darkened slightly as he slowly spoke:

"Tang Zheng, activate all of Xuan Yuan Ke's secret networks to establish the Dark Tower. Gui Yun Fang, Ting Lan Xie, Shang Lv Trading Company, and others will all be incorporated into the Dark Tower. To the outside world, they will only recognize Xuan Yuan Ke, not the Censor's official status."

Tang Zheng was stunned for a moment.

"Xuan Yuan Ke? That legendary figure who has clashed with countless martial arts forces, yet never reveals his official status, and whose true appearance is unknown to anyone?"

Tang Zheng's eyes were filled with astonishment.

Having followed Li Xuanzhi for so many years, he only knew that his young master was remarkable, transforming from a playboy into a rising star censor in the imperial court. He was upright and honest, skilled in political maneuvering, and he had never heard of any other hidden identity.

Today, he was told that the senior he secretly admired, whom he had never met, the Robin Hood who robbed the rich to help the poor and had many friends in the martial arts world, was actually Li Xuanzhi!

Li Xuanzhi touched his nose.

It's not Tang Zheng's fault; the original owner's memories were fragmented, and he had only just begun to recall them.

However, the more Li Xuanzhi knew, the more secrets the original owner of the body seemed to possess.

But no matter what, having so many identities is definitely advantageous to him.

Using the identity of Xuan Yuanke is much easier than using the identity of Li Xuanzhi.

After all, using the identity of Li Xuanzhi would involve too many considerations. But Xuan Yuanke is a mysterious figure who appears and disappears like a dragon, capable of gathering forces from the common people and building connections with people in the martial arts world. He can do things that the imperial court cannot do, and he can also set up schemes that cannot be set up openly.

On the surface, Imperial Censor Li Xuanzhi remained in charge of Jinling City. His apparent laxity, indolence, and indulgence in pleasures lulled the nobles of the capital into a false sense of security.

Secretly, the Jianghu Xuanyuanke gathered forces in Jinling, integrating local wealth, power, intelligence, and connections.

Li Xuanzhi reached out and touched his nose before slowly speaking again.

"The beauty assassin sent from the capital is just the right person to solidify this illusion." He said calmly, "Let her find out that I am not plotting against the court, but rather indulging in worldly affairs and poetry gatherings, with no interest in the power of the court. Let her think she has my weakness in her grasp, and let her send false information back to the capital to completely lull those old nobles into a false sense of security."

His opponent tried to trap him with a honey trap, but he used this honey trap to turn the tables perfectly, and at the same time took the opportunity to revitalize an identity that he hadn't used for many years.