The playboy county magistrate

Everyone knows that the conflict between the Second Prince and Princess Ning'an has gone from a political disagreement to a fight to the death.

The King of the Northern Desert felt utterly exhausted.

He regretted it; he regretted letting Princess Ning'an leave Mobei and stay in Dayongjing City for too long.

I should have just thrown this idiot to Dayong to fend for himself. At least Ning'an's brain is much better than his.

The King of the Northern Desert, unwilling to watch his hard-earned legacy be squandered by this spendthrift son, could only clutch his chest and speak with difficulty.

"You thought you were using Li Xuanzhi to seize power, but little did you know that Li Xuanzhi was just going with the flow and taking all the chips you offered for nothing."

"The two cities you sent have filled the gaps in the Great Yong's border defenses, allowing the Great Yong to guard the borders without any worries. The five hundred boxes of Flame-Cold Flowers you sent can not only heal thousands of wounded soldiers guarding the border, but also strengthen the physique of many others. Such a boost to morale is enough to make his prestige on the border soar, truly winning the hearts of the people! In the future, neither facing the enemy head-on nor rumors will have any effect."

"You arrogantly believe that's a long-term investment, a far-sighted strategy. In reality, you're paving the way for your arch-enemy, helping him gain a foothold, and enabling the Great Yong to completely conquer the Northern Desert!"

"And you? You squandered national resources, destroyed your own defenses, and earned a reputation for being foolish, incompetent, and a disservice to the enemy!"

"With a brain like yours, what makes you think you can compare to your imperial sister in every way? What makes you think you're better than her? You're not even as good as Ning An's fingernail!"

Every sentence hits the nail on the head.

Tuoba Lie was jolted, his mind going completely blank. All the smugness on his face vanished in an instant.

He had never thought about that aspect.

His mind was completely focused on seizing power.

They schemed against Princess Ning'an and manipulated Li Xuanzhi.

However, from beginning to end, he was subtly manipulated and exploited by the young and powerful minister of the Great Yong Dynasty, Li Xuanzhi.

He thought he was one step ahead, but in reality, he was being played like a fool the whole time.

"Impossible..." Tuoba Lie muttered to himself, his face as pale as paper, his body swaying slightly.

"He was so kind to me, and he kept praising me. He even promised to befriend me, so how could this happen..."

"Praise? To befriend?"

"His praise of your great principles is nothing but a ploy to get you to give him more benefits. His honesty with you is merely a means to use you to undermine the northern frontier from within!"

"He's a courtier of the Great Yong Dynasty, why is he praising a prince from the northern deserts? Fool!"

The cold wind rushed into the tent, making the documents on the table rustle, each sound like a slap in Tuoba Lie's face.

At this moment, he finally realized, belatedly, the utter absurdity and embarrassment of the situation.

He won a verbal battle but gambled with the northern border and rare medicinal reserves.

In the end, they benefited their opponents, squandered their own advantages, and became the biggest joke.

On the dragon bed, the King of the Northern Desert coughed for a long time, and then it took him a while to recover. Only then did he turn his gaze back to Tuoba Lie, his eyes no longer filled with any affection, but only with disappointment and coldness.

"Ignorance and shortsightedness, greed for power and ruin of the country."

"For your own selfish desire to seize power, you disregarded the safety of the nation. You arbitrarily ceded border cities and supplied valuable treasures to the enemy. You destroyed our border defenses and weakened our national strength."

"Effective immediately, the Second Prince Tuoba Lie is stripped of his power to participate in government affairs. He is confined to a separate residence, ordered to reflect on his actions, and is not permitted to leave without imperial decree. He is forbidden from participating in any border affairs!"

Tuoba Lie felt a chill run through his body, his knees buckled, and he collapsed heavily to the ground, his eyes filled with panic and resentment.

"Father! Your son knows his mistake! Your son was merely negligent in a moment of oversight and had absolutely no intention of harming the country! I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

But the King of the Northern Desert had already closed his eyes, refusing to look at him again, his tone cold and resolute.

"Take him away."

The guards entered the hall, lifted the distraught Tuoba Lie, and dragged him out.

The once ambitious second prince, who aspired to the throne, has been reduced to a prisoner.

"Li Xuanzhi..."

The King of the Northern Desert murmured the name.

"They took advantage of the infighting among my northern comrades to reap the benefits, gaining the city and treasures without lifting a finger. What a brilliant tactic! No wonder Ning An has his eye on them. It seems I have no choice but to do something."

……

The fratricidal strife within the Northern Desert Royal Court and the news of the Second Prince's deposition have yet to spread. Inside and outside Zhenxi Pass, a new and orderly atmosphere of reform and renewal has emerged.

On the brand-new border town land deed, the ink characters are clear, and the royal seal is bright red.

The cities of Yunlan and Hanshuo were officially incorporated into the territory of Dayong and placed under the jurisdiction of the Zhenxiguan Border Defense.

The civil and military officials stood in rows, all with excited expressions and eyes full of respect.

Previously, a few veteran generals on the frontier secretly felt that Li Xuanzhi had risen to the top at a young age, believing that he was more capable of political maneuvering in the court than of battlefield experience.

In just a few days, this young high-ranking official used strategy to defeat the enemy, dispel rumors, repel the iron cavalry, and quell the chaos.

Now, without firing a single shot, they have captured two important border cities and seized rare medicinal supplies from the northern desert.

Such an achievement is rare among the important officials who have served as border governors throughout history.

Holding a border map, Zhou Lin strode forward, his voice strong and clear, full of sincere admiration.

"My lord! The household registrations, granaries, and military supplies of all officials and civilians in Yunlan and Hanshuo cities have been fully inventoried. The border guards can immediately move into the two cities to repair the defenses, deploy hidden sentries, and completely open up the border defense line!"

The originally incomplete and disadvantaged defensive line was instantly filled with its weaknesses due to the inclusion of the two border cities, making it as solid as a rock.

Li Xuanzhi sat upright in the main seat, his fingertips lightly tracing the newly added territorial markings on the map. His expression was calm and undisturbed, without the slightest hint of arrogance or self-satisfaction.

"The border residents of the two cities have suffered from the harsh policies and wars of the northern deserts for many years." He raised his eyes and ordered in a deep voice, "Immediately allocate grain from within the pass and winter clothing needed for the upcoming snowstorm to the two cities. In addition, reduce taxes in both places for six months, appease the displaced people, and settle their livelihoods. First, put the people at ease, then strengthen the city's defenses."

"This subordinate obeys!" Zhou Lin bowed and accepted the order.

Appeasing the people is a fundamental strategy for consolidating power, and Li Xuanzhi understood this principle well. He knew that it was not just about seizing cities and territories, but also about winning people's hearts.

After finishing his duties in the border town, he turned his gaze to the neatly stacked wooden crates on one side.

The wooden box was completely solid, and a faint, elegant, and refreshing floral fragrance wafted from the gaps—it was the unique Yanhan Flower of the northern desert.

Five hundred boxes of Yanhan flowers were stacked layer upon layer, their red and white colors interspersed yet crystal clear.

"The properties of the *Yanhanhua* herb are unique, requiring specialized processing and classification for medicinal use. External application can heal wounds and frostbite, while internal use can strengthen the body and calm the mind, perfectly suited to cure the chronic typhoid fever accumulated by soldiers stationed on the border over the years. Has the army doctor arrived?"

The military doctors were incredibly excited. Apart from those who were left in the medical tent to guard the wounded and sick soldiers, all the military doctors came to Li Xuanzhi to collect the Yanhan Flowers.

Although Yan Hanhua could be carried to the medical tent by the soldiers, they also wanted to come here to take Yan Hanhua back.

However, Li Xuanzhi considered the matter very thoroughly and felt that relying solely on these military doctors to prepare the medicine would be too wasteful of time and energy.

"From this day forward, establish a border pharmacy to produce Flame-Cold Flower. Make sure that every soldier who has fought and bled to defend the border has access to it as soon as possible."

"In addition, we will take stock of all wounded and elderly soldiers in the army, verify their military merits, and register them one by one. We will provide compensation and rewards based on their work and merits, and we will never let the blood and sweat of a single person go unnoticed."

The military order spread instantly throughout the entire city and all the military camps.