The playboy county magistrate

These words struck everyone like a thunderclap.

The people, who were originally full of resentment, suddenly had a glimmer of light in their eyes.

Chopping wood is all about luck; when you encounter wild animals, you have to fight for your life.

Now, with the government's assistance, they can steadily receive their wages and live a peaceful life.

It's obvious which is good and which is bad.

"Then...what about the saying that the mountain god brings disaster and recklessly disrupts the feng shui?"

An elderly person hesitated and asked in a low voice.

Li Xuanzhi remained calm and composed, refuting the absurd rumors:

"Mountains and rivers are meant for the benefit of all people, not for the fear of the ignorant. Throughout history, the development of water conservancy, the reclamation of wasteland, and the construction of mountain roads have all involved altering mountains and land, yet they have never brought disaster upon us."

"The real scourge of a region, the ones who siphon off the people's wealth, are not the mountains and rivers, but the parasites who monopolize resources and oppress the people!"

His words went straight to the heart of the matter, and were incredibly sharp.

The last trace of doubt in the hearts of the people completely dissipated, and the resentment that had been stirred up was transformed into anger towards the local gentry and the inactive officials.

The magistrate spoke so frankly and acted so openly in front of so many people, showing no fear of trouble. What does this mean?

This proves that what the magistrate said is true!

In this situation, even a stubborn donkey would turn back by now, let alone all these living, breathing people. Who would want to be used as a pawn?

The men who had led the disturbance turned pale and tried to slip away quietly amidst the chaos.

"Take it down!"

Li Xuanzhi glanced at him coldly and gave the order in a deep voice.

The men who had been waiting in secret rushed out and instantly pinned the troublemakers to the ground.

As the cold chains tightened around their bodies, the agitators instantly turned ashen-faced.

At this moment, cold sweat soaked through Diao Mao's back, and his arrogance and scheming had long been swallowed up by panic.

He just couldn't understand how a seemingly perfect dead end could turn into a complete defeat.

In the past, no matter which county magistrate was in charge or which place, when faced with civil unrest and petitions, they would either panic and compromise to revoke their orders, or they would suppress the unrest with a strong hand. In either case, they would always end up with a handle against them.

But this young magistrate, who had purchased his official position through donation, defied all established norms. He neither retreated, nor killed, nor avoided the people; with just a few words, he stirred the hearts of the populace.

No wonder the eldest son of the Marquis of Chengen was so wary of his younger brother.

Diao Mao was filled with regret!

If he had known earlier that Li Xuanzhi, the second young master of the Chengen Earl's Mansion, was so powerful, he would have sided with Li Xuanzhi even if he was being targeted by the eldest son of the Chengen Earl's Mansion!

The title of the eldest son of the Marquis of Chengen is well-known, but his influence is far from enough to allow him to kill someone from such a distance with a mere wave of his hand.

Having managed the Diao family for so many years, how could he have made such a foolish decision?

He wanted to leave, but how could Li Xuanzhi allow him to?

"Sir Diao, now that things have come to this, is there anything else you'd like to say?"

Most of the common people were bewildered by Li Xuanzhi's words, completely confused and not understanding how the local gentry could be involved.

After all, in the hearts of the people of Fuyu County, the servants in the Diao family were truly despicable, but the gentry Diao himself was a very good person.

After all, he was a well-known philanthropist in the surrounding area. If it weren't for the occasional good deeds he would occasionally slip through his fingers, most of the people in Fuyu County would probably have starved to death long ago.

But Magistrate Li was also a good man, and he helped Fuyu County more than anyone else.

Was Magistrate Diao not a good person? He always seemed so kind and compassionate, yet those servants, abusing their status, were all secretly instigated by Magistrate Diao?

Li Xuanzhi approached Diao Mao step by step, his official boots clicking crisply on the bluestone ground, each step seeming to pound on Diao Mao's heart.

His gaze was cold and unyielding, devoid of any personal feelings, as he looked down at the arrogant local gentry before him. His voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the room.

"You have relied on your family's power to bully the weak, deliberately fabricated rumors of feng shui disasters, misled the honest people, stirred up the hearts of the people in the county, and disrupted public order. You have also deliberately obstructed the implementation of county policies, interfered with official duties, and shown contempt for official authority."

"What is the punishment for Diao Mao?"

Diao Mao looked at the person he had hired to spread rumors and who had been completely subdued, closed his eyes tightly, and felt a chill run down his spine. He forcibly suppressed the panic in his heart and braced himself to beg for mercy.

"My lord! I know I was wrong! I was confused for a moment and misled by others. I had no intention of causing trouble! I beg you to consider that I have lived in this village for generations and have done some good deeds, and to punish me leniently!"

Now that things have come to this, denying it is useless, and he can only bow his head and admit defeat in order to beg for forgiveness.

"A little bit of skill?" Li Xuanzhi sneered, his tone full of sarcasm.

"Your Diao family has guarded the northern lands for generations, monopolizing trade in various counties, sucking the people's blood and sweat, benefiting yourselves, but never benefiting the common people!"

"The common people have been oppressed by your wicked servants for years, daring not to speak out. The meager merits you speak of are nothing more than compensation for your conscience, which is almost gone after years of evil deeds."

Li Xuanzhi was never bloodthirsty, but he was by no means a soft-hearted person either.

Today's turmoil is a crisis, but also an excellent opportunity to establish a foothold.

He wanted to use the public eye to completely shatter the arrogance of local powerful families and gentry. He also wanted to disrupt the plans of the higher-ranking officials in the prefecture who were still observing and devising countermeasures.

He wanted everyone to see clearly that from this day forward, Li Xuanzhi was the sole person in charge of Fuyu County. His elder brother, the Marquis of Chengen, who was far away in the capital, had no right to interfere in the affairs of the territory under Li Xuanzhi's jurisdiction.

If anyone dares to extend their claws again, don't blame him for being ruthless!

One of the people cheered first, and the rest of the people followed suit, praising and clapping.

"From now on, we'll definitely follow Magistrate Li's lead closely. Even if you whisper it in my ear, I won't listen!"

"Yes! Even if my wife tries to bribe me to whisper sweet nothings in my ear in the middle of the night, I'll slap her away and kick her out. I won't tolerate it!"

"If anyone dares to spread rumors that our Magistrate Li is messing around, we'll just yell at them! And if we have anything in our hands, we'll throw it in their mouths to stop them from spouting nonsense!"

"Sir! Punish this scoundrel surnamed Diao severely! He's not even from Fuyu County, what's he doing coming here acting like a big shot?"

"Exactly! Look at that belly, which is even bigger than when my wife was about to give birth, and that oily face—he's obviously no good!"

The people clamored for Li Xuanzhi to deal with Diao Mao, which terrified Diao Mao.

In all his life, when has Diao Mao ever suffered such a great injustice?

Now, not only does he have to suffer injustice, but he also has to endure such humiliation in front of so many poor people whom he has never taken seriously. Diao Mao is about to hate Li Xuanjing, who wrote him a letter and made him a promise, to death.

Li Xuanzhi smiled, slowly raised his hand, and said something that made everyone, including Diao Mao, feel very complicated.

"I will not punish Diao Mao for his serious crimes today."