The playboy county magistrate

"Li Xuanzhi abused his power to seize border territories, colluded with foreign enemies, and deceived the emperor by relying on his merits."

"They fabricated evidence, claiming that he abused his power as border supervisor to accept bribes from the prince of the northern desert. They alleged he exchanged border medicinal herbs for personal favors, deliberately condoning the remnants of the northern desert forces. They accused him of nurturing bandits to enhance his own power and deceiving the emperor!"

The strategist's expression changed instantly.

"Princess! This is a grave crime! Doing so would completely sever the ties between our two nations and gamble your entire future! If you fail, there will be no chance of recovery!"

Princess Ning'an rubbed her temples wearily. "Do you really think we can turn things around by doing nothing?"

In the past, when no one in the northern deserts had any intention of going against the tide, voluntarily submitting might have allowed them to survive as vassal states.

But now...

"I have nowhere to retreat." Princess Ning'an's eyes were resolute, without the slightest hesitation. "Activate the elite guards within Zhenxi Pass."

"Have them find a way to infiltrate the two cities of Yunlan and Hanshuo, which were ceded to the northern deserts, and secretly incite the people, spreading rumors that the Great Yong Dynasty's policies are harsh and that it will surely purge the people of the two cities in the autumn, forcibly conscripting them into hard labor, stirring up public resentment, and creating civil unrest!"

"At the same time, seize the opportunity to assassinate mid-level officers at Zhenxi Pass, creating chaos. Ideally, we should successfully frame Li Xuanzhi, accusing him of lax military discipline and incompetence in managing his subordinates, thus shaking the morale of the army and the people that he has just managed to stabilize!"

Princess Ning'an had a sinister and ruthless look in her eyes.

"Li Xuanzhi, you take advantage of my foolish brother for your own gain, and use the internal strife in the northern deserts to secure the border. You enjoy boundless glory and sit comfortably on your fishing platform."

She muttered to herself, her tone chilling.

"You think this means the outcome is already decided and victory is assured?"

"I will show you what true desperation is. You can hold the border, but not the court. You can control the cities, but not the people's hearts."

"I want your towering edifice, built in just a few days, to crumble in an instant."

……

a few days later.

A thousand miles away, at Zhenxi Pass.

The night was peaceful, and the clear moonlight shone on the city gate.

The military camp was well-organized, and the streets and alleys were peaceful.

The lights of the two newly conquered border towns gradually came on, presenting a scene of peace and tranquility.

The lights in Li Xuanzhi's study remained on all night.

At this moment, he was busy reviewing the household registration, grain storage and defense files of the border town.

Pei Qingyuan sat quietly to one side, arranging the prepared Flame and Cold Flowers and allocating the required quantities according to the quantities submitted below.

At midnight, Tang Zheng, dressed in black, entered and bowed, reporting in a deep voice:

"My lord, there's been unusual activity at the Northern Desert Royal Court. Our intelligence agents have reported that Princess Ning'an is being held back by our Emperor and can't return. In desperation, the Emperor has resorted to his trump card. Upon hearing the news, the Northern Desert King had just regained consciousness when he fainted again. There are reports that the Northern Desert King is on his deathbed."

"A letter from Lord Pei, the eldest brother of the lady, has been sent from the capital. He has identified all the officials who are hiding in the bureaucracy and colluding with Princess Ning'an."

"General Zhou sent a list from Zhenxiguan, which recorded all those who tried to sneak into the two cities. He also found a few timid ones and found out that their purpose was to hide and lie in wait, to incite a riot among the people and assassinate the officers."

Pei Qingyuan's fingers paused slightly as she held the pen, then she looked up and said:

"She's risking everything, going all in on this."

Li Xuanzhi slowly put down the dossier in his hand, raised his eyes to look at the deep night outside the window. There was no surprise in his eyes, only a clear and indifferent understanding.

"As expected."

From the moment he conquered two cities, won over the army, and thwarted all her schemes, Princess Ning'an's move was inevitable.

Li Xuanzhi never expected that Princess Ning'an would possess privileges that even the current King of Mobei did not have.

Li Xuanzhi had heard of the token in Princess Ning'an's possession. However, he only knew about the token because his subordinates in Jinling City had heard about it and recorded it.

Tang Zheng cupped his hands and asked for instructions, "Master, should we immediately seal off the city gates and thoroughly investigate all suspicious persons? Should we impose martial law on the entire city and purge any infiltrating assassins? Also, should we send a message back to the capital immediately?"

A brief silence fell over the room.

Li Xuanzhi tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his rhythm slow and deliberate, his thoughts racing.

Princess Ning'an's scheme was ruthless because of its speed and dangerous because of its chaos.

What she wanted was for the court to convict him and for unrest to break out on the border. She wanted to leave him no time to defend himself, forcing him to react passively and exhausting himself.

The more chaotic the crackdown, the easier it is to create trouble and solidify the guilty conscience.

The more eager one is to defend oneself, the more deliberately pretentious one appears, giving the impression that one is trying to cover up the truth.

A moment later, Li Xuanzhi raised his eyes.

"No need."

Tang Zheng was taken aback. "Master?"

"Take your squad of secret guards and keep a close watch on all suspicious individuals in the two cities and the city gates. Do not arrest or disturb them, and do not alert them. Record the movements and inflammatory statements of the assassins, who they have contacted, and when they were contacted. When the time is right, capture them all in one fell swoop."

"The more you hold back, the more unscrupulous the opponent becomes, and the more flaws they will reveal."

"Zhou Lin also issued orders that the entire army should continue its drills as usual, and that defenses should continue to be advanced as normal. Secretly strengthen the protection of officers, maintain a relaxed exterior but a tight interior, and absolutely do not show the slightest sign of panic."

Pei Qingyuan instantly understood his meaning and added softly:

"As for the capital, I immediately wrote to my brother, asking him to consult with trustworthy people in the palace and the court to devise a strategy. He should truthfully report all the details of the city's pacification and military management, attaching the household registration, grain reserves, and military merit pension ledgers of the two cities. With real achievements, we can silence all the slander."

Li Xuanzhi and his companions worked through the night to make arrangements, and before they knew it, dawn had broken. Meanwhile, in the capital's imperial court, things were already bustling with activity.

Before the Emperor could speak, several Imperial Censors stepped forward, each holding a stack of memorials. They knelt and kowtowed repeatedly, their voices echoing throughout the Golden Palace.

"Your Majesty, I impeach Li Xuanzhi, the Minister in Charge of the Northwest Border Defense!"

The chief censor held up his memorial, his words ringing out, and publicly listed the crimes.

"Li Xuanzhi, entrusted with the emperor's favor and holding the imperial staff to guard the border, instead of thinking of being loyal to the emperor and serving the country, sought personal gain and secretly colluded with the enemy!"

"Firstly, he abused his power on the borders. He secretly colluded with the second prince of the northern desert, Tuoba Lie, and handed over border cities without imperial decree. He used personal favors to gain favor from enemy vassals, showing contempt for imperial authority and acting arbitrarily!"

"Secondly, he accepted bribes from the enemy. He received hundreds of chests of rare and precious treasures, the Flame-Cold Flower, from the northern deserts, but secretly hid them at the border, not putting them into the national treasury. He used the court's power over border defense to enrich himself!"

"Thirdly, he harbors bandits to consolidate his power and deliberately allows chaos! The remnants of the northern barbarians are hiding on the border, yet Li Xuanzhi fails to eradicate them. Instead, he deliberately tolerates them, leaving border troubles to solidify his own position. He deceives the Emperor and misleads the court!"

Three major crimes, each one aimed at the heart, each sentence straddling the line between treason and deceiving the emperor.

Following closely behind, several relatives of the empress and court officials stepped forward to second the motion.

Memorials poured in like snowflakes, piling up on the emperor's desk in just a few breaths.

The officials in the hall were in an uproar, whispering amongst themselves.

The imperial court was still praising Li Xuanzhi's great victory at the border, capturing two cities without a fight and pacifying the people.

In a short time, the winds of change completely reversed. Meritorious officials were instantly branded as traitors who colluded with the enemy.

On the dragon throne, the emperor's eyes were deep and unfathomable, showing no sign of rage. Yet, he exuded an imposing aura as he surveyed the assembled court officials.