The playboy county magistrate

Soon, two imperial guards escorted a pale-faced, trembling eunuch into the room.

The man was young and had an ordinary appearance. He blended in with the palace servants and was completely unrecognizable.

It was this seemingly insignificant figure who, lurking deep within the palace, quietly laid a trap, shaking the very foundations of the emperor and plunging the Great Yong Dynasty into turmoil.

The young eunuch's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. Blood seeped from his forehead, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.

"This servant is innocent! This servant knows nothing of any poison! This servant has never harmed His Majesty! I beg Your Highness and Lord Li to investigate thoroughly!"

He immediately began crying and making excuses, appearing completely innocent and wronged.

Li Xuanzhi stood before him, his posture upright. His gaze was indifferent as he looked down at him silently, his tone calm yet extremely authoritative.

"The incense contained poison, and remnants were found in the residence. The effects of the incense match His Majesty's symptoms; the evidence is irrefutable. Do you still dare to deny it?"

The young eunuch kept kowtowing, his face covered in snot and tears.

"That's because I didn't know the spices were poisonous! Someone else gave me the spices; I was just following orders and truly didn't know the details!"

"As His Majesty's close attendant, do you not know that His Majesty uses the same things on a regular basis? You dare to decide and use anything on your own? Who gave you the audacity? And who gave you the spices?"

Li Xuanzhi pressed closer, his voice growing colder and colder.

The young eunuch stiffened, his eyes darting away, stammering and unable to utter a complete sentence, his eyes filled with panic and fear.

The crown prince, who had been quietly watching the kneeling eunuch trying to argue his case, suddenly spoke up.

"You dare not speak because you know that the person behind this is still powerful, and you are afraid that confessing will implicate your clan and lead to your death."

"But if you refuse to confess, today will be your death day. Your entire clan will be implicated, and no one will escape."

The young eunuch trembled violently, looked up at the young crown prince, and his lips quivered.

Li Xuanzhi then spoke in a deep voice, "I hold the power of life and death in this court. If you confess the truth today and reveal the mastermind behind it, your clan will be spared punishment and you will be allowed to die a natural death. If you insist on resisting, concealing or protecting others, you will be executed immediately and severely punished."

After a moment of deathly silence, the young eunuch completely broke down, collapsed to the ground, and wept uncontrollably.

"This servant confesses! This servant confesses! It's the Minister of Rites! It's Lord Feng!"

"Lord Feng told me that all we need to do is mix a small amount of a secret poison into the incense every day. Once His Majesty is weak and unconscious, and the court is in chaos, we can take the opportunity to reinstate the old system, overturn the new policies, and the aristocratic families can rise again."

"He promised me that after the deed was done, my family would be pardoned, and I would be promoted to a high position, holding a post in the Emperor's court! I was confused for a moment, greedy for wealth and glory, and thus went astray. I beg Your Highness and Lord Li to spare my life!"

The Minister of Rites remained in seclusion for several years, biding his time.

He appears to be just a stubborn old official clinging to the old system, but in reality, he is the core mastermind behind the remaining old forces.

He tested the waters in the imperial court and poisoned the palace, attempting to seize power during a crisis.

This isn't targeting the new policies at all; it's clearly an attempt to overthrow the Great Yong Dynasty and change the dynasty!

A layer of frost instantly covered the prince's eyes, and his youthful face was filled with fierce anger.

"In court, they spout lofty principles of family and state, yet behind the scenes they poison and murder the emperor, wreaking havoc on the nation. Hypocritical and despicable, their crimes are unforgivable!"

"Immediately seal off the residence of the Minister of Rites, arrest Minister Feng Huai'an, seize all his private residences, search all his letters and accounts, and thoroughly investigate all evidence of his collusion with the old faction, his private power, and his treasonous crimes!"

"Furthermore," Li Xuanzhi continued, following the Crown Prince's orders, adding more instructions with an increasingly cold and stern tone.

"A city-wide crackdown is underway, thoroughly investigating all former officials in the court who have close ties with Feng Huai'an. Anyone implicated or suspected of any unusual activity must be arrested and detained for further investigation!"

Better to arrest the wrong person than let them go free!

The atmosphere inside the Imperial Study was solemn and cold.

They could stabilize the court and maintain order in the country, but they could never completely eradicate the greed and rebellion hidden deep in people's hearts.

The crown prince stood beside him, gazing at the dragon bed, and spoke softly, his tone unwavering.

"Teacher, this time we must nip it in the bud and leave no room for any future trouble."

……

The Feng residence was located on a prominent street in the capital, and in the past, it was always bustling with activity and carriages.

Those who frequented the Ministry of Rites were mostly conservative old officials and remnants of powerful families, who used their authority over etiquette and law to control academic conduct. They secretly colluded with the old forces in the court and the countryside, lying low for several years.

At this moment, the night is deep and still, the mansion is surrounded by high walls and deep shadows, with only a few lights shining inside. It appears peaceful and serene, but in reality, it has long been a den of filth and treachery for rebels.

The iron cavalry thundered in, closing in, while the Imperial Guards deployed layer upon layer of defenses. All entrances and exits were blocked; their swords and armor gleamed in the cold moonlight, chilling and intimidating.

Tang Zheng stood with the commander of the Imperial Guards in front of the mansion, their voices piercing through the deep night.

"By imperial decree, search and confiscate the residence of the traitorous official Feng Huai'an! Leave no one untouched!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the Imperial Guards sprang into action. They broke down the gates and entered the mansion, taking control of the entire residence in an instant.

The servants and retainers of the mansion panicked and fled in all directions. However, they were all intercepted and subdued by the armored soldiers, and none of them managed to escape.

In the study of the inner courtyard, Feng Huai'an had not yet gone to bed. Dressed in casual clothes, he sat upright at his desk, his fingertips tracing a scroll of old secret correspondence between aristocratic families, his face gloomy.

His outburst in the imperial palace during broad daylight was his first step in testing the political situation.

The emperor was in a coma, and the crown prince was young. The regent was left to bear the pressure alone, which was a golden opportunity for him to turn the tables and seize power.

He was certain that the eunuch was tight-lipped and acted in secrecy. The poisoning was so well-hidden that no one could detect it.

If the emperor remains unconscious for an extended period, the court will inevitably descend into chaos.

He could then collude with the old faction, using ancestral rules and etiquette as a pretext to force Li Xuanzhi to relinquish power and allow members of the imperial clan to rule as regents. This would completely overturn the new policies and restore the old privileges of the powerful clans.

Then you can devise a plan to eliminate all those incompetent members of the royal family. By then, you will have full power and everything you do will fall into place.

His plan was ingenious, but he never expected that in just half a day, the pawn hidden deep in the palace would be exposed.

A sudden, urgent sound of the door being broken down rang out, and footsteps drew closer.

Feng Huai'an's heart jolted, and he abruptly stood up. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and sternly rebuked:

"Who dares to trespass on the residence of a high-ranking official of the imperial court? How dare you!"

Tang Zheng strode in, his gaze icy. Holding the imperial warrant for handling the case, he spoke with resounding conviction.

"Feng Huai'an, you colluded with the old faction, assassinated the emperor, wreaked havoc on the nation, and plotted treason. The evidence is irrefutable! By order of the Regent, you are hereby arrested and brought to justice to surrender!"

"Nonsense!"

Feng Huai'an, his beard and hair bristling, argued sternly, feigning composure.

"My family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, upholding the duties of a subject. I have devoted myself to assisting the Great Yong Dynasty. How could I be guilty of treason and regicide? It is clearly Li Xuanzhi who has seized power, deliberately framing this old minister and eliminating dissidents!"

Tang Zheng didn't bother to say anything more and raised his hand to signal the Imperial Guards behind him to step forward.

"The evidence is irrefutable; there's no room for your sophistry! Take him down!"

Two imperial guards stepped forward and instantly grabbed Feng Huai'an's arms.

Feng Huai'an struggled and roared, his face contorted with rage, no longer displaying any of his former refined and dignified demeanor.

"I am a second-rank official, a minister! Without His Majesty's personal decree, who dares to arrest me!"