The playboy county magistrate

For a moment, the front hall was filled with voices admitting their mistakes and begging for forgiveness.

Pei Qingyuan sat upright to the side, her expression calm and composed.

She didn't immediately offer forgiveness, but simply looked at the group of people indifferently.

"I had no intention of pursuing the matter of your idle chatter. However, as a member of a prominent family, every word and action I take is related to the family's reputation."

"It is the most basic principle to refrain from commenting without knowing the full picture. Yet you all, relying solely on rumors from the streets, wantonly smear loyal officials and slander others' character. You are turning black into white and spreading rumors, which is truly unbecoming."

His words were gentle yet powerful, leaving the men blushing with shame.

The woman in pink who had first made the sarcastic remark now had her head bowed low, filled with remorse.

She used to love gossiping among wealthy women. Relying on her decent family background, she freely judged others and never made a mistake.

I spoke too much today and almost implicated my husband and brought shame upon our family.

Although she was still resentful, she knew that she deserved to be caught red-handed today.

She quickly choked back tears and admitted her mistake, "Madam's teachings are truly wise! I was short-sighted and narrow-minded! I know I was wrong, and from now on I will definitely reflect on my actions and words, and never dare to criticize anyone again!"

The woman in pink said this, but what she was really thinking was—

Next time, even if I'm discussing others, I will never do it in a public place like a teahouse. I will also never gossip or spread rumors in front of strangers, so as to avoid a repeat of today's incident.

The other women echoed their apologies, repeatedly promising never to repeat the mistake.

Li Xuanzhi sat upright in the main seat, his expression aloof, and he did not utter a single word throughout the entire process.

He doesn't need to be harsh on the women; he only needs to make their husbands aware of their mistakes and discipline them strictly.

After all, it would be dishonorable for a grown man to argue with a group of women. Since male dominance is the norm these days, letting the men deal with them would be enough to prevent future troubles.

The woman in pink's husband was the leading official, and upon seeing this, he quickly bowed again.

"Rest assured, sir, we will certainly discipline your wife strictly upon returning. From now on, my wife will be dutiful, discerning right from wrong, and will never repeat today's mistake!"

Seeing that they were sincere in admitting their mistakes and their attitude was fairly proper, Pei Qingyuan had no intention of pursuing the matter further and simply said:

"To admit one's mistakes and correct them is a good thing."

"Let's leave it at that. But this is a one-time exception, and it must not be repeated."

"Thank you so much, Madam Pei, for your magnanimity! Thank you so much, Lord Li, for your forgiveness!"

Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon, thanking him repeatedly, and the weight on their hearts was finally lifted.

They dared not linger, bowed again to apologize and left behind the gifts they had brought, then hurriedly took their leave with their wives.

The front hall was quickly restored to its former tranquility.

A servant stepped forward to collect the teacups.

Pei Qingyuan breathed a slight sigh of relief and turned to look at the man beside her.

"That's good, from now on no one will dare to gossip."

Li Xuanzhi reached out and pulled her into his arms, his fingertips gently stroking her hair, his eyes full of doting affection.

"The lady is kind and forgiving; she forgives others whenever she can."

"But remember this: from now on, if anyone dares to make you suffer even the slightest grievance or annoyance, you don't need to bother arguing or backing down."

"I will step in to clear away all the troubles and shield you from all the storms."

Pei Qingyuan nestled in his warm embrace, her heart filled with warmth, her eyes crinkling with joy.

"With my husband protecting me, I naturally have nothing to fear."

……

The next morning.

Inside the Golden Palace, officials stood in solemn silence.

The emperor sat upright on his dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over his ministers as he listened methodically to the reports from various officials.

After the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of War finished their reports, everything went smoothly, and the atmosphere in the court was peaceful and stable.

Just when everyone thought the morning court session was about to end smoothly, an old voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence in the hall.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has something to report."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Wang Runze, a veteran of three reigns who had resigned from his post many years ago but was invited back by the emperor to become the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince.

This person has always adhered to old customs and held rigid views. He values ​​social status and etiquette above all else.

Although he admired Li Xuanzhi's abilities, he was also the one who privately criticized Li Xuanzhi's way of handling things and disagreed with his decision to sever ties with his family.

The officials in the hall instantly understood, exchanging glances and guessing that the other party was definitely targeting Li Xuanzhi.

The gossip of the common women yesterday was ultimately a trivial matter, but the prejudice and apprehension in the hearts of these conservative old ministers have never truly dissipated.

The emperor's gaze darkened slightly, and he spoke calmly, "Grand Tutor Wang, please speak."

Wang Runze bowed and stepped forward, holding a ceremonial tablet. He spoke solemnly, his powerful voice resounding throughout the hall.

"Your Majesty, although there have been no major upheavals in the capital recently, there is a hidden worry concerning the atmosphere of the court and the rules of officialdom, which this old minister must speak out about."

"It is a good thing that young officials in the court are ambitious and have made outstanding achievements. However, some officials have shallow foundations and are easily impetuous and arrogant when they suddenly rise to high positions and receive the emperor's favor."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became awkward.

These words, ostensibly referring to everyone, were in fact directed directly at Li Xuanzhi.

Among all the young officials in the court, only Li Xuanzhi had recently risen to prominence and was able to break free from old rules and clan constraints.

Many officials lowered their heads silently, not daring to utter a sound, and watched the situation unfold in quiet contemplation.

Li Xuanzhi stood in the middle of the line, calm and composed, listening quietly to the other person's speech without showing any unusual expression.

Seeing that he remained silent, Wang Runze became even more convinced that what he said made sense, and continued to speak loudly.

"This old minister has heard that recently, a high-ranking official in the court has severed ties with his clan due to personal grudges. Although his father and elder brother may have been at fault, as a junior, he has broken with familial affection and confronted his own father in court. Ultimately, this violates filial piety and disregards the proper order of things!"

Although the emperor ordered that no one should mention this matter again, Wang Runze was a veteran of three reigns, and even the current emperor's father was taught by him.

Others may fear the emperor's retribution and punishment, but that doesn't mean he does.

"If this trend continues, the sons of officials will follow suit, abandoning their relatives and severing filial piety at the slightest conflict. At that time, the social order will collapse, hierarchy will be disordered, and the consequences will be endless!"

"Therefore, this old minister earnestly requests Your Majesty to curb the rising tide of arrogance, restore order to the court, and restrain officials' private conduct. Do not allow the trend of arrogance and disloyalty to spread throughout the court and the country!"

His impassioned petition, righteous and stern, was entirely based on traditional Confucian principles. While seemingly advocating for the country, it was in reality a deliberate attempt to suppress Li Xuanzhi by dredging up old, rigid rules and preconceived notions.

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

Several conservative old ministers stepped forward to echo his sentiments.

"Grand Tutor Wang is absolutely right! Etiquette and propriety are the foundation of the court and cannot be abandoned!"

"As a subject, even if wronged by one's elders, one should be tolerant and forgiving, and uphold the duty of filial piety. Severing ties with relatives is ultimately too blatant and loses the humility and deference expected of a subject!"

A chorus of agreement rang out.

On the dragon throne, the emperor's gaze was deep and he did not immediately express his opinion. Instead, he turned his gaze to Li Xuanzhi.

"Minister Li, do you have anything to say?"