The playboy county magistrate

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Cao's brow twitched violently, and his heart trembled.

Should barren mountains be sealed off?

This is for real!

If there are no minerals, such a large-scale effort to seal off abandoned mountains is clearly disruptive to the people and a violation of the law, and the perpetrators cannot escape responsibility.

Now that things have come to this, Magistrate Cao can only hope that Lord Li was not lying.

She had suffered her whole life and didn't want to endure all the hardships in the world only to drag her whole family down with her and lose their heads along with Li Xuanzhi.

Li Xuanzhi stood atop the mountain, overlooking the endless barren hills below. His eyes gleamed with a hidden glint, and his mind raced with calculations.

Coal and iron ore are found together, and the material is shallowly buried and easy to extract.

Now, holding this coal and iron complex vein is tantamount to directly controlling the industrial lifeline of Fuyu County and even several surrounding counties.

With coal, one can start fires to smelt iron, fire bricks and tiles, and provide heating for workshops.

With iron, new agricultural tools, sophisticated machinery, and sturdy city defenses can be forged.

"Don't worry. From today onwards, our Fuyu County will undergo a complete transformation."

County Magistrate Cao's face was wrinkled like a steamed bun.

He didn't know if things would change in Fuyu County; all he knew was that his world was about to collapse.

They'll either be dragged down to death by their own parents, or they'll be worked to death by their parents' endless orders.

As soon as Li Xuanzhi and his party returned to the yamen, they posted notices all over the city walls announcing the closure of the barren mountains.

Considering the high illiteracy rate among the people of Fuyu County, they specially assigned two literate people to read the text on the notice repeatedly to ensure that everyone could hear it.

In an instant, the entire Fuyu County exploded as if a drop of water had fallen into a boiling pot of oil.

"We've survived until now entirely by gathering withered branches and digging up small, bitter wild vegetables in those desolate mountains. We sold some firewood to earn a little money to supplement our income. Now that the government has suddenly sealed off the area and forbids anyone from setting foot in, how are we supposed to live?"

"We thought this Magistrate Li was a good person. He helped us build houses and even gave us money to repair the reservoir and dig irrigation canals. Turns out he's just using that to gain our trust so we'll work for him?"

"Speaking of officials from the capital, not a single one is good, and this Magistrate Li is no better!"

"That's right! The one who escaped only took decades' worth of our taxes, but this one wants our lives! They're both incredibly ruthless!"

"That philanthropist next door, Diao, said that our Fuyu County is truly suffering, stuck with such a good-for-nothing! You don't know, do you? The entire Fuyu County is all part of this Lord Li's gamble!"

"The bet? What bet? Tell me about it!"

"All I know is that our lord bought his official position with money. Isn't buying an official position a one-off deal? There must be a stake involved, right?"

"Heh, what do you know? Our Lord Li has wagered the entire Fuyu County. If he wins, he'll go back to be the heir of the Earl's mansion. If he loses, even if he wreaks havoc on our Fuyu County, he'll still go back to be the second young master of the Earl's mansion, living a life of luxury, nothing will change!"

Rumors spread like wildfire on the streets, and people were in turmoil.

Li Xuanzhi naturally knew what was being said outside, and it was impossible for him not to be disappointed in the people of Fuyu County.

After all, the only sum of money Li Xuanzhi "scammed" after transmigrating was all spent on the people of Fuyu County.

As a result, not only were they ungrateful, but they also easily provoked and started to explode.

Although Li Xuanzhi knew very well that these people were uneducated and not very bright, it was only natural for them to think this way after living in a situation where they didn't know where their next meal would come from.

But discomfort is discomfort, and she silently held a grudge against Diao Mao and the others.

Meanwhile, inside the main hall of the Diao family, the local gentry were still gathered together, showing no sign of leaving.

Diao Mao sat upright in the main seat, toying with a warm jade thumb ring in his hand. After listening to the news brought back by the servant, a sinister sneer curled up at the corner of his mouth.

"Should we close off the barren mountains?"

"This Magistrate Li is really stubborn; he won't turn back until he hits a brick wall."

Upon his return, Diao Mao immediately joined forces with these close local gentry to spread rumors.

They deliberately exaggerated the government's measures to close the mountains, inciting panic among the people. They portrayed Li Xuanzhi as a ruthless official who was ambitious and willing to cut off the people's livelihood for his own selfish desires.

A thin country gentleman standing nearby stroked his beard and scoffed in agreement:

"He's just a spoiled brat from the capital who bought his way into office. With his little bit of cleverness, he thinks he's some kind of capable minister who can govern the country? What's the use of enfeoffing people in these desolate mountains and wilderness? It's just a waste of resources and manpower."

"In my opinion, he just wants to use the pretext of mining to make money and ruin the local area!"

Another man, named Lu Xiao, who held salt permits for all the nearby counties and towns, put down his teacup and spoke in a deep voice:

"Brother Diao, the Earl's Mansion has already sent word that we should 'restrain' this Lord Li properly. He's too influential in Fuyu County. If he really makes a name for himself, our families' influence in the entire northern region will be completely undermined in the future."

The group exchanged glances, each with their own agenda.

Historically, all the prefectures, counties, and towns in the north have been jointly governed by powerful families.

Every county magistrate who took office had adopted a low-key and compromising approach. No one had ever dared to act so arbitrarily and touch their vested interests.

Furthermore, Fuyu County was indeed a useless county, offering no real benefits whatsoever. Therefore, for many years, the authorities had turned a blind eye to Fuyu County's situation.

Li Xuanzhi's road repairs and water management benefited the people, and they could not find fault with him, so they could only endure and watch.

But now the other party is determined to violate the taboos of mining, which is practically handing over their weakness to us.

Diao Mao patted his belly lightly, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Since he insists on making a scene, let's play along with him."

"Let people continue to spread rumors in the city, saying that Lord Li has recklessly disturbed the imperial tombs and violated the feng shui, and that sealing off the barren mountains will invite the mountain god to bring disaster, which will ruin the entire county's harvest."

"Then order the refugees we have prepared to incite the people of Fuyu County to gather at the county government tomorrow to petition and demand the lifting of the ban on closing the mountains."

Diao Mao chuckled as he looked at Lu Xiao, the one with the most powerful backing and the most money.

"Brother Lu, you have extensive connections. I would be grateful if you could secretly contact your acquaintances in the prefecture to prepare the impeachment documents. Once public resentment rises, report it immediately and accuse him of disturbing the people, disrupting the government, and acting absurdly!"

This group of gentry, who have been rooted in the North for generations, are best at using public opinion to create momentum and using rules to intimidate people.

In just one night, rumors and gossip completely engulfed the people of Fuyu County, whose will was not strong.

From street vendors to rural farmers, everyone was talking about the absurd actions of the new county magistrate.

The people were filled with fear and, secretly incited by the local gentry, directed all their resentment at Li Xuanzhi.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Outside the county government office, a bustling crowd had gathered. The noise was deafening.

Li Xuanzhi sat on the rooftop, gazing into the distance, and let out a cold laugh.

"Is this the only tactic the people of Fuyu County use—forming a protest outside the county government office?"