The playboy county magistrate

"Lord Li of the Cabinet?"

Lin Meiren paused for a moment, then chuckled, her tone becoming increasingly flippant and disdainful.

"Look at how fair and handsome he is, could he be one of those old fogies in the cabinet? Could it be that the Empress has taken a liking to him, which is why you dare to deliberately deceive me? He's just a pretty boy, he'd be better off entering the harem to serve his master, that would be putting him to good use, instead of wasting such a good-looking face."

His words were frivolous and disrespectful, showing no regard for the important officials of the court.

Xiao Zhuozi was so frightened that his heart pounded and he broke out in a cold sweat.

The pillar of the state, revered by all in the palace, was so disrespectfully mocked by a newly promoted concubine. It was utterly audacious and utterly ignorant of the immensity of the realm.

Li Xuanzhi stood rooted to the spot, his expression unchanged. His brows and eyes were indifferent, showing neither anger nor agitation. Only his gaze was slightly cool as he quietly observed the arrogant and ignorant woman before him.

He had seen the ruthlessness and cunning of powerful ministers and the deep scheming of concubines in the harem, but he had never seen such a spoiled, willful, ignorant, and fearless person.

Even the once favored Consort Shu wouldn't dare to be this presumptuous.

Seeing that he remained silent, Lin Meiren assumed she was right and that he was timid and reserved.

He couldn't help but feel increasingly smug and became even more audacious.

Lin Meiren took two steps forward, looked up at Li Xuanzhi, who was a head taller than her, her eyes filled with undisguised greed and calculation.

"She's absolutely stunning."

She clicked her tongue in praise, her tone carrying an air of condescending charity.

"He's pleasing to the eye. It's such a pity that such a handsome man has toiled away in the capital, exposed to the sun and rain."

She turned to her personal maid and casually gave her orders, her tone flippant yet forceful.

"Go, take him to the Imperial Household Department yourself and give him a proper bath and cleansing."

He then looked at Li Xuanzhi with a smile, "You don't need to go back to the previous dynasty to serve anymore. Just stay by my side and serve me. With your looks, if you serve me well, I will guarantee you a life of plenty and a prestigious life, which is better than struggling in the outer court."

As soon as the words were spoken, the spring breeze in the garden seemed to freeze abruptly.

The accompanying palace maids all froze on the spot, silent as cicadas in winter, none daring to utter a sound.

Xiao Zhuozi's face turned deathly pale, and he almost knelt down on the spot, his heart pounding wildly.

In the vast imperial court, with so many civil and military officials, no one dared to make a loud noise in front of Li Xuanzhi, and no one dared to show him the slightest disrespect.

Now, a newly appointed concubine is spouting outrageous words. She wants to castrate the Grand Councilor Li Xuanzhi and take him as her personal eunuch!

absurd!

Madness!

Ignorance to the extreme!

A faint hint of coldness finally flashed across Li Xuanzhi's eyes, and his lips pursed slightly. His voice was unreadable, yet it carried an imposing aura.

"You flatter me, my lord." He spoke very slowly, each word clear.

"Your Majesty, I stand in the court, assisting you in governing the country. I secure the state, comfort the people, and oversee the rise and fall of the officials of the Great Yong Dynasty. The rules of the Imperial Household Department are the regulations governing the palace eunuchs. As a former regent minister, there has never been a precedent of a chief minister being castrated to serve the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Lin Meiren not only failed to restrain herself, but also frowned, showing displeasure and revealing her arrogant nature.

"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible! If I say they exist, then they exist!"

Lin Meiren thought this man was incredibly bold, daring to fool even someone as favored as her.

Whenever he mentioned any other official position, Lady Lin would have to think it over carefully.

Why did they have to say something so wrong? Why did they have to pick a fight with the cabinet?

What is the Cabinet?

Even gray-haired old ministers have a hard time being selected for this place, and he? So young, it's practically a dream come true!

"His Majesty has always indulged this beauty. Why be bound by old rules over such a trivial matter? It's merely keeping you by my side to serve me; it's an honor I'm bestowing upon you. This is a favor that ordinary people would beg for, yet you dare to refuse?"

Accustomed to a life of luxury and ease, she had always enjoyed a smooth and successful life. No one had ever dared to go against her wishes, and now, being calmly rejected by Li Xuanzhi, anger was rising in her heart.

Li Xuanzhi's gaze turned completely cold, a thin layer of frost covering his clear eyes.

"Your Majesty's kindness is too much for me to bear."

"I am a man of integrity, dedicated to the nation, and I will not bow to personal feelings or be subservient to the powerful. Not to mention Your Highness, even the Empress, the head of the six palaces, has no right to make any official of the court submit to her and become a palace slave."

Just moments before, Lin Meiren had been arrogant and unrestrained, but now she was suddenly intimidated by this imposing aura. She instinctively took a half-step back, a strange sense of panic creeping into her heart. Yet, she still forced a show of pride, her voice sharp but her tone weak as she said:

"You... how dare you! You're just a subject, yet you dare to defy me? Believe me, with a single word from me, you'll be dismissed from your post!"

Li Xuanzhi looked down at her calmly, his eyes devoid of any emotion, only indifference and aloofness.

"Your Highness may wish to give it a try."

"In the official system of the Great Yong Dynasty, the decisions of promotion, demotion, reward, punishment, appointment, dismissal, and promotion were all made by the Grand Secretariat and His Majesty. The empress and concubines were not allowed to interfere in politics, nor were they allowed to speak ill of court officials or interfere with their official duties."

"Your Highness, acting solely on your own whims, has recklessly insulted a high-ranking official and disrupted the laws of the land. This is an overreach of your authority and a violation of palace rules."

Lin Meiren was completely stunned. No one had ever dared to contradict her so bluntly and point out her mistakes so sternly.

She was both ashamed and angry, and her eyes reddened.

Xiao Zhuozi quickly stepped forward and whispered urgently for advice:

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words! Lord Li is a key minister appointed by His Majesty to assist in governing; you must not act rashly!"

Only now did Lin Mei realize her fear.

She finally realized that the stunningly handsome young man before her was not some nameless servant to be manipulated at will.

He is the young, powerful minister to whom even the emperor has entrusted the empire, and whom no one in the court dares to offend! He is the man named Li Xuanzhi, whom his family has repeatedly warned him never to offend!

I just made a wild statement, saying I wanted to castrate Li Xuanzhi and keep him in service. It was utterly foolish, and my words have brought me disaster.

Li Xuanzhi withdrew his slightly cool gaze, having no intention of getting entangled with the ignorant and spoiled concubines of the harem. He stepped aside, giving way slightly, his tone indifferent and aloof.

"I shall take my leave now."

Li Xuanzhi didn't take the absurd farce he had just witnessed to heart at all.

To him, it was nothing more than the shallowness and narrow-mindedness of those in the inner palace. They were not worth getting angry about, nor were they worth investigating further.

But Xiao Zhuozi beside him felt ice-cold all over, still shaken.

Xiao Zhuozi walked with his hands at his sides, his steps slow and deliberate. He dared not speak much until they left the Imperial Garden, at which point he spoke in a low, cautious voice:

"Lord Li, Consort Lin misspoke just now. This servant will certainly report everything to Her Majesty the Empress for her handling... I hope you will not take it to heart and let it affect your mood."

We can't afford to let Lord Li get angry and take it all out on His Highness the Crown Prince!

Li Xuanzhi continued walking, his expression calm, his eyes devoid of any emotion, and simply said, "I am unharmed."

He paused, without a trace of personal resentment.

"As someone who holds power in the imperial court, I am always subject to rumors, criticisms, and disparaging speculations. But she lives in the inner palace, where every word and action must adhere to palace rules and decorum. Her reckless words today cannot harm me in the slightest, but will ultimately only harm herself."