The playboy county magistrate

All eyes immediately turned to Li Xuanzhi.

Faced with a group of senior officials who relied on their age and seniority to launch a collective attack and deliberately suppress him, Li Xuanzhi slowly stepped out of the ranks without the slightest hesitation.

He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say in my defense."

Upon seeing this, Wang Runze suddenly remembered the emperor's favoritism towards Li Xuanzhi and immediately frowned and spoke in a low voice.

"Lord Li, what I have said is in accordance with proper etiquette and court rules. Even if you are resentful, you cannot disobey your filial duty!"

Li Xuanzhi raised his eyes and slowly shifted his gaze to the other person.

"Grand Tutor Wang keeps talking about filial piety, respect for hierarchy, and the proper way of etiquette. Then I would like to ask Grand Tutor Wang a question—what is filial piety? What are rules and regulations?"

Wang Runze was taken aback, then said coldly:

"The father is the head of the family, and there is an order of seniority! Regardless of whether the elders are right or wrong, the younger generation should be tolerant and respectful; this is the proper way to uphold filial piety!"

"Is that so?" Li Xuanzhi's lips curled into a faint, cold smile as he asked, his voice resounding throughout the hall.

"If elders abuse their power and tolerate evil, and even embezzle public funds and pervert the law, and dare to frame loyal and virtuous officials, should the younger generation also simply endure and blindly obey? Is this the filial piety and righteousness that the Minister speaks of?"

"If that's the case, then such filial piety is not the right path, but blind obedience! Such rules are not propriety but shackles!"

Wang Runze's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted angrily.

"How dare you! You have the audacity to criticize the established moral principles and distort the teachings of the sages!"

Li Xuanzhi did not back down at all, speaking calmly and logically, refuting each point in front of the audience.

"Students never dare to speak recklessly about etiquette, precisely because they uphold its essence! The foundation of etiquette lies in parental love and filial piety, in brotherly love and respect, and in mutual support and fulfillment. It is absolutely not about one-sided oppression and restraint, or taking advantage of one's age to commit violence!"

"The Earl of Chengen, as a father, failed to manage his family properly and protected his wicked son. He even dared to make false accusations in front of His Majesty, turning black into white and falsely accusing a court official in court."

"My elder brother, Li Xuanjing, despite being the eldest son, committed acts of corruption, framing, and disregard for human life, repeatedly harming my wife and me."

"I've been dutiful, and all I've gotten in return is relentless pressure. Do I really have to do nothing and have my family destroyed?"

"May I ask you gentlemen, if blind forbearance is considered filial piety and righteousness, then am I to sit idly by and await death, allowing myself to be slaughtered, in order to be considered not violating propriety?"

A series of rhetorical questions, delivered with force and conviction, left the assembled veteran officials speechless.

Li Xuanzhi's gaze swept over the crowd, and he bowed again, his tone frank and sincere.

"My decision to sever ties with the Marquis of Chengen in front of His Majesty was not out of personal grudge, but to protect myself. Furthermore, my public testimony was not out of disobedience, but to safeguard the legal fairness and justice of my Great Yong Dynasty."

"National law supersedes family matters, and justice outweighs personal kinship! To allow evildoers to run rampant and to shield corrupt officials and criminals simply because of a nominal filial piety is to truly corrupt the court and overturn the principles of justice!"

"My courage to speak out today is not out of arrogance or to take advantage of your favor, but because I have a clear conscience! Does Grand Tutor Wang really think that the interests of a nation are less important than the interests of the Marquis of Cheng'en's household?"

Grand Tutor Wang Runze's eyelids twitched violently.

He really didn't dare to accept that.

If he dared to utter a single word in rebuttal, Li Xuanzhi would have countless scapegoats ready and waiting for him.

The status of a veteran of three dynasties is indeed respectable, but it also requires even more caution.

Otherwise, what awaits him is not only the collapse of his personal credibility and reputation, but also whether his entire family can continue its glory.

Li Xuanzhi's words were really hard to respond to. The group of old ministers who had been so righteous and stern just now all looked embarrassed and speechless, standing there in a dilemma.

Wang Runze, who was in the lead, turned pale and then flushed, gripping his official tablet tightly. He was filled with resentment, but couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal.

On the dragon throne, the emperor's eyes were filled with deep approval as he spoke in a deep voice, making the final decision.

"Well said!"

"National law comes first, family etiquette follows. Without justice, how can we talk about filial piety and righteousness? Without right and wrong, how can we talk about rules and regulations?"

"What Minister Li did was to protect himself in a desperate situation. It was to uphold justice and protect the law; he was completely without fault!"

The emperor's gaze swept lightly over the group of conservative old ministers, his words carrying a hint of authority and warning.

"From now on, court discussions shall focus solely on merit and demerit, regardless of social status or kinship. Let us cease using rigid, outdated rituals to bind our officials and harshly criticize loyal ministers!"

"Anyone who stirs up trouble and speaks ill of loyal ministers will be severely punished by me!"

Wang Runze was able to weather the storms of the imperial court through three emperors, so he wasn't so stupid as to be beyond redemption.

At this moment, his body trembled, his face filled with shame and fear, and he immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

"This old minister...this old minister misspoke, please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

If it were any other official, they would not be saying "Please forgive me, Your Majesty" but rather "Please punish me, Your Majesty."

The other senior officials who echoed this sentiment also bowed their heads and begged for forgiveness.

All the civil and military officials stood with their hands at their sides, not daring to breathe loudly.

Wang Runze knelt on the cold blue bricks of the main hall, his old face burning with shame.

He had lived most of his life as a man of impeccable morals and integrity. Never before had he been so humiliated in public by the emperor.

He gripped the tablet tightly in his hand, his fingertips turning white, his heart filled with regret and bitterness.

He originally intended to use the principles of Confucian ethics to suppress the newly rising Li Xuanzhi and curb the emerging trends in the court.

After all, in his view, the new ministers had risen too quickly and had not been suppressed much, so they were likely to be unable to recover if they encountered a major event in the future.

If we wait until then, not only will it delay important matters of the court, but we may also lose a promising talent for governing the country.

In the end, not only did he fail to harm the other party in the slightest, but he also confirmed his own accusations of being old-fashioned, conservative, and making trouble out of nothing.

The emperor's cold gaze swept across the entire hall. "Court adjourned."

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

All the officials bowed in unison, their unified voices resounding throughout the hall.

As soon as the emperor rose and left, the oppressive aura suddenly dissipated, and the entire Golden Palace instantly came alive, yet it still exuded a sense of restraint.

The group of veteran officials hurriedly stood up, none daring to look at Li Xuanzhi again. Their faces were sheepish as they quickly left, heads bowed, afraid of being mocked by Li Xuanzhi again.

After all, Li Xuanzhi can be quite unreasonable at times, not even giving face to his father and brothers. How much benefit can these outsiders possibly gain?

The officials who had just spoken up in agreement were now filled with lingering fear.

"Master Li!"

Several gentle calls rang out.

Several officials who had previously been on good terms with Li Xuanzhi stepped forward, their faces full of admiration and smiles.

"Today's debate in court was truly gratifying! Your Excellency's every word was reasonable, completely shattering these outdated prejudices!"

The person who said this, like Li Xuanzhi, was also the second son of his family.

Although not as miserable as Li Xuanzhi's childhood, compared to other second sons raised in families, he still grew up in a state of abuse.

"Yes! What is proper etiquette? True etiquette is having kind thoughts and abiding by the law! Blindly following filial piety is putting the cart before the horse!"

This person has a foolish father and a mother who blindly obeys him. From childhood to adulthood, she has felt repressed, yet she has no choice but to follow the path arranged by her parents step by step, constantly being manipulated by filial piety.