The playboy county magistrate

After watching her leave, Li Xuanzhi strode straight into the Zhenxiguan Military and Political Hall.

The main hall is spacious and solemn, with a plaque bearing the four characters "Guard the Land and Secure the Borders" hanging high in the center.

At this moment, all the civil and military officials in the hall stood solemnly, quietly lined up on the left and right.

The generals were all iron-blooded soldiers who had guarded the border year-round and fought bloody battles; each one was more robust than the last.

Civil officials were local officials stationed at the border, managing grain reserves and civil administration, and overseeing trade markets. They appeared weaker than military generals, but were much stronger than the civil officials in the capital.

All eyes turned to this surprisingly young and important border patrol official.

Everyone in the court and among the common people knew that Li Xuanzhi was unparalleled in wisdom and strategy, and enjoyed immense favor from the emperor. However, most people had only heard of him by name and had never seen him in person.

Now that we have witnessed it firsthand, it is inevitable that some people harbor doubts about how someone of such a young age can hold such great power over border affairs throughout the Northwest.

He secretly felt that such young court officials might not be able to control the complex and chaotic situation on the border.

Li Xuanzhi walked steadily and went straight to the head seat to take his seat.

Before he even spoke, his aura was already palpable. His cool gaze slowly swept over the crowd below, and wherever his eyes fell, all scrutiny and speculation vanished.

"You are all meritorious officials who guard the border and protect the land. You have been stationed at the border year after year, braving wind and rain. You have worked hard and made great contributions to guarding the country's gates."

Li Xuanzhi first reassured her, without showing the slightest arrogance or harshness.

The people below breathed a sigh of relief and bowed in unison.

"It is our duty, and we dare not claim it is hard work!"

No one expected that Li Xuanzhi would suddenly change the subject in his next sentence.

"Those who have rendered meritorious service should be rewarded, and those who have made mistakes should be corrected. I have traveled thousands of miles to the border not to listen to your empty words and pleasantries, or to whitewash the situation."

"Recently, border clashes have been frequent, with cavalry from the northern deserts repeatedly crossing the border to spy on and plunder livestock belonging to border residents. Trade markets are poorly managed, prices are soaring, and grain and salt are adulterated. Furthermore, border guard posts are lax and negligent, allowing enemy cavalry from beyond the pass to press closer and become increasingly rampant."

The expressions of the officials below the hall changed drastically.

Some looked guilty, while others' eyes flashed with panic. Several officials in charge of the trade market and sentry posts were tense, avoiding eye contact.

Commander Zhou Lin stood at the head of the military officers, his face dark and resolute. At this moment, he also showed a look of shame and stepped forward to apologize in a deep voice.

"This humble general failed in his duty to discipline the troops and neglected preventative measures, resulting in unrest on the border and unrest among the people. This humble general is willing to accept punishment!"

Zhou Lin was open and honest, and although he was conscientious in guarding the pass, he was ultimately unable to be thorough in every aspect due to the complexity of the affairs. As a result, the soldiers and officials under him inevitably became lax and made mistakes, leading to chaos.

As the supreme commander, he felt he could not shirk his responsibility.

Li Xuanzhi raised his hand and said calmly:

"The commander-in-chief oversees the entire situation and bears the greatest responsibility. He may have made mistakes, but they are by no means the root cause of the chaos. Today's meeting in the main hall will not hold the commander-in-chief fully responsible, but will only hold those who have neglected their duties accountable and determine a solution to the chaos."

Li Xuanzhi, having risen through the ranks from a low-level official position, would naturally not abuse his power or take his anger out on the innocent.

Act fairly and appropriately, first clarify the root cause, then determine rewards and punishments.

After all, he came to resolve the issue, not to vent his anger.

After speaking, he turned his gaze to the civil officials' ranks on the left and asked in a cold voice.

"Who is responsible for the chaos in the border trade?"

A middle-aged civil official dressed in a blue robe quickly stepped forward, bowed, and lowered his head.

"I am the head of the border trade office, in charge of border trade, price control, and merchant inspection."

The man's face was pale, his tone was somewhat flustered, and he was already feeling guilty and short of breath.

Li Xuanzhi stared directly at the man, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"Before I entered the border, I had already investigated the situation. For nearly half a month, merchants from the northern deserts, taking advantage of the fact that the disaster had not yet occurred, deliberately raised grain prices and hoarded salt and iron based on their experience and predictions of the impending disaster. They were wantonly driving up prices and oppressing the people of my Great Yong border region. Why did you turn a blind eye and let this go unchecked?"

"Even worse, the trade in prohibited ironware was tacitly permitted within the border markets. Accounts were unclear, and inspections were practically nonexistent. This resulted in a significant amount of strategic materials secretly flowing into the hands of people in the northern deserts. How do you explain this?"

A series of questions, each one hitting the nail on the head, leaving no room for explanation.

Sweat beaded on the forehead of the trade official, who repeatedly kowtowed and stammered his explanation:

"My lord... disaster prevention is underway at the border, causing unrest among the people and making prices unstable. I have tried my best to manage the situation, but the merchants in the northern deserts are cunning and shrewd, and the merchants in the border areas are a mixed bunch. With insufficient manpower, it is simply impossible to handle everything properly... It is by no means my negligence or dereliction of duty!"

"Difficult to handle completely?" Li Xuanzhi's lips curled into a cold smile, his tone suddenly becoming stern.

"I have heard that you have recently been meeting privately with the officials in charge of the northern frontier, accepting bribes, and condoning disorder. You have been protecting merchants who violate regulations and enriching yourself. You have allowed the enemy to erode our border interests, failing to balance the interests of the Great Yong Kingdom with your own personal interests. Is this what you mean by being unable to balance things?"

The person in charge shuddered, his face turning even paler. His body went limp, and he had no strength left to argue, lying prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

The crowd below was in uproar. No one had expected that among those who had shared their hardships, there was someone who had colluded with foreign powers and was corrupt and derelict in his duties.

Li Xuanzhi glanced at them coldly and pronounced the verdict in a deep voice.

"As a subject of the Great Yong, you are entitled to the emperor's salary and have the responsibility to defend the territory. Yet you have privately accepted bribes from foreign countries, allowed the enemy to wreak havoc on the border, and caused chaos in the lives of the people. Your crimes are unforgivable."

"Guards, remove him from his post and immediately detain him. Thoroughly investigate all accounts and transactions related to his illicit dealings. Once the charges are verified, he will be dealt with severely!"

"yes!"

The guards on both sides stepped forward and swiftly took down the limp market manager.

To make an example of someone, he struck with an iron fist.

All the officials below the hall felt a chill run down their spines, and none dared to harbor any illusions or be perfunctory. Each of them had a solemn expression and was on edge.

After dealing with the problems of the border trade, Li Xuanzhi turned his gaze to the ranks of military officers, looked at Zhou Lin, and asked in a deep voice.

"Why were the sentries so lax, allowing enemy cavalry to spy on them?"

Zhou Lin immediately cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and replied in a frank tone.

"Reporting to my lord, the northern desert has recently been deliberately sending light cavalry squads in batches into the wilderness beyond the pass. They avoid direct confrontation, instead roaming and spying, harassing the area day and night in shifts."

"Our garrison soldiers have been on high alert for days and are exhausted from dealing with the situation. In addition, some newly recruited soldiers lack experience, which is why there are occasional oversights that the enemy cavalry take advantage of."

"Furthermore, rumors are being secretly spread in the northern deserts, falsely claiming that our Great Yong will completely sever border trade and blockade grain and salt. This has caused panic among the border people in the northern deserts, which in turn has affected the people here, who are worried that the enemy will rush over to burn, kill, and plunder without regard for consequences."

Li Xuanzhi hesitated for a moment, then said, "Pass on my order!"

"First, enforce military discipline. Double the number of personnel on duty at all sentry posts in Zhenxi Pass, arrange shifts, and conduct patrols day and night without interruption. New and old soldiers will undergo unified training and assessment. Those who are negligent, derelict in their duties, or leave their posts without permission will be dealt with according to military law without leniency! Additional hidden sentries and scouts will be set up in all the wilderness outside the pass to monitor the movements of cavalry in the northern desert in real time. Once they cross the border, they will be driven away immediately. Anyone who dares to invade our territory will be met with battle on the spot!"

"Secondly, reorganize the trade markets. Thoroughly investigate the qualifications of all merchants and shut down illegal shops in the northern deserts. The government will intervene to stabilize the prices of grain, salt, and other commodities, and appease the people. All ironware and various military and war-related materials will be strictly prohibited from private circulation. Establish a dedicated official review channel for strict control!"

"Thirdly, suppress rumors. Post notices to reassure the people will be displayed throughout the region, and government officials will go to the countryside to give speeches. Clarify false rumors and stabilize public sentiment. Anyone who deliberately spreads rumors, incites unrest, or misleads the military will be arrested and severely punished!"