The playboy county magistrate

For a time, all the soldiers and civilians in Zhenxiguan were deeply moved.

The soldiers guarding the border do not seek empty fame or fleeting glory. They simply desire medical care for the wounded and sick, solace for their toil, rewards for their military achievements, and recognition for their sacrifices.

In previous years, most of the ministers in charge of border defense were military generals who focused more on warfare and paid little attention to the issue of compensation for wounded soldiers. They were only concerned with defending cities and expanding territory, and rarely cared about the injuries and suffering of the lower-ranking soldiers.

However, since Li Xuanzhi was stationed at the border, he has been strict in enforcing military discipline but not harsh on his soldiers, and he is both strict in enforcing the law and considerate of people's hearts.

Now, all the rare medicinal herbs sent from the northern deserts are being used to comfort the soldiers and treat their wounds.

This magnanimity and compassion left a deep imprint on the hearts of all the soldiers.

"We have dedicated our lives to guarding the border, and to have met you, sir, is a blessing. We have no regrets in this life!"

In the military camp, the shouts of countless soldiers shook the heavens.

After resolving the matter, Li Xuanzhi returned home. He planned to take his wife and the other colleagues who had come from the capital with him to visit the homes of ordinary people the next day.

At this moment, Pei Qingyuan looked at her husband with tenderness in her eyes and softly smiled:

"That second prince in the northern desert thought himself clever and tried to use you to seize power, but in the end, he only benefited you. You stabilized the defenses of the two border cities, won over the army with five hundred chests of Flame-Cold Flowers, and easily resolved all of Princess Ning'an's schemes."

Li Xuanzhi looked up into the distance and said, "Tuoba Lie is greedy for power and short-sighted, blinded by greed. This is an opportunity to take advantage of. I am merely going with the flow to gain the strength that my country deserves and to strengthen the foundation that my borders lack."

From the moment Tuoba Lie stepped into Zhenxiguan, attempting to secretly ally with foreign enemies and engage in power struggles and opportunism, his fate was already sealed.

Those who think themselves clever end up being their own worst enemies. Those who try to outsmart others end up becoming pawns in someone else's game.

"But Princess Ning'an is ruthless. This time, she has lost troops, cities, power, and reputation. She will never let it go."

Pei Qingyuan frowned slightly, her tone becoming more serious.

Li Xuanzhi was well aware of this.

"She has no way out."

"Having lost the border fortress and the reserves of medicinal herbs, she has lost the support of the princes within the country and suffered defeats in the border wars without. If she loses one more step, she will completely lose her voice in the northern deserts and have no chance of ever reaching the top again."

After all, Li Xuanzhi knew very well that once Mobei caused trouble again and was dealt with properly, Mobei would cease to exist.

No longer an independent nation, the northern desert, no matter how resourceful Princess Ning'an may be, is still just the daughter of a subject.

Meanwhile, far away in the capital, inside the royal post station.

Princess Ning'an was furious when Emperor Dayong explicitly refused her request to leave the capital.

When the Emperor of Dayong wanted them to leave, she tried every means to stay, preferring to be confined to her quarters rather than leave.

Now that she wants to leave, the Emperor of Dayong is preventing them from leaving.

They even went so far as to say: Princess Ning'an once said that she wanted to stay in Dayong for a few more years to experience the local customs and culture, so naturally she should experience it properly.

Emperor Dayong not only said it, but also did it.

These past few days, day and night, officials from the Great Yong Dynasty have accompanied them as tour guides around the capital.

Now, Princess Ning'an can't even get her own people to send out a message. The entire royal post station is surrounded by people, even the trees are not spared.

The only feasible way to send the message out is to dig a tunnel.

But the time and resources required to dig a tunnel were unimaginable. Moreover, this was right at the foot of the imperial city; if they weren't careful and made even the slightest noise, they would be discovered by the people above ground.

Moreover, nobody knows whether the capital's underground network has already been established. If they wander around aimlessly and accidentally end up in the palace, they deserve to be beheaded.

If the Emperor of Dayong were to become enraged and order an attack on their northern frontier, that would truly be courting death.

Princess Ning'an is now in a very passive position, especially after learning that Tuoba Lie had been dealt with by her father, she is even more anxious to rush back.

She knew very well that if her father couldn't hold on and she couldn't get back to the Northern Desert, Tuoba Lie would still have a chance to ascend the throne of the Northern Desert King.

But who can we blame for this situation now?

If only I hadn't schemed against Li Xuanzhi beforehand and hadn't attracted the attention of the Emperor of Dayong.

Now, both Li Xuanzhi and the Emperor of Dayong are well aware that Ning An is the pillar of stability in the northern desert, so how could they just let her leave?

Sending her back to the northern desert would be no different from releasing a tiger back into the mountains.

It is far less costly and damaging to easily control or eliminate a powerful adversary than to expend manpower and resources to eradicate them.

His trusted advisor, bowing low, asked cautiously:

"Princess, our army has lost its fighting spirit and its reputation has been damaged. The border is now completely passive, and there is no room for maneuver. It would be better to temporarily halt our advance, lie low and build up our strength, and plan a counterattack next year."

Princess Ning'an rubbed her temples helplessly.

Even if she had a solution, what could she do while being watched closely on someone else's turf?

There are only two possible outcomes now.

First, he watched helplessly as the northern desert changed hands to his most irreconcilable second brother, waiting to be abandoned by the northern desert and reduced to a worthless pawn, left to fend for himself in Dayong.

Secondly, there's nothing they can do but quietly watch as Dayong gradually incorporates Mobei into its territory, forcing it to submit and obey orders. Alternatively, they could try to break out, be strung together and hung on the city walls as a show of force, thus accelerating Mobei's fall.

Princess Ning'an raised her hand, her fingertips tracing a jet-black iron token on the table.

The token's patterns were strange, lacking both royal insignia and clan marks. It was her last trump card, hidden in the shadows for over a decade.

"Princess! You really want to use..."

Princess Ning'an made a gesture to stop him, indicating that he didn't need to continue.

"If I do nothing now, there will truly be no way out for Mobei."

This was a group of assassins and secret agents that she inherited from her mother's clan and had secretly cultivated over many years.

Half of them are buried deep within the imperial court of the Great Yong capital, while the other half are hidden in the heart of Zhenxi Pass. They lie dormant year-round, never revealing themselves, and have never been summoned as inside agents.

"Princess! Can these people still be trusted?"

In the past, Princess Ning'an's confidants would never have asked such a question.

But now that these people are living better and better in Dayong, will they still do things for their so-called great cause, for the northern desert that has never given them any help or warmth?

Princess Ning'an glared fiercely at her confidante who had already given up before doing anything.

"What? You've lived in Dayong for a while now, are you planning to betray us?"

The confidant dared not say anything more. He could only lower his head and quietly await Princess Ning'an's next instruction.

Princess Ning'an gripped the black iron token tightly with her knuckles.

"First, activate all the hidden agents in the capital. Coordinate with court officials and the powerful relatives of the empress who were cultivated last year to submit a memorial overnight, impeaching Li Xuanzhi on three major charges—"