The playboy county magistrate

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room erupted in uproar.

Countless people looked puzzled, and even Magistrate Cao was puzzled, wondering why the magistrate had shown mercy.

But the next second, Li Xuanzhi's words rang out again.

"Not punishing them does not mean condoning their evil deeds, but rather giving all the local gentry who come to Fuyu County and cause trouble behind the scenes a chance to repent."

"But mistakes cannot be made in vain, and transgressions cannot be overlooked."

Li Xuanzhi met Diao Mao's gaze again, his expression becoming even more serious.

"Diao Mao, you have spread rumors and misled the public, so your Diao family is fined 1,000 shi of grain to be donated to relieve the people of Fuyu County and a few displaced people."

"Furthermore, you must take the lead in having all the local gentry in the vicinity of Fuyu County establish village rules and regulations. Strictly prohibit the oppression of the people and interference in official duties! Any repeat offenders will be punished for multiple offenses without exception!"

They didn't take his life or confiscate his property, but they precisely seized Diao Mao's lifeline.

Donating a thousand bushels of grain is a way to atone for one's sins by spending money.

The new regulations aim to fundamentally prevent local gentry and their backers from interfering in politics and oppressing the people.

A gentle knife, yet every strike is deadly.

Diao Mao's face turned pale and then red, his heart aching with extreme pain.

But given the current situation, he dared not utter a single word of objection and could only grit his teeth and bow in obedience.

"This humble subject... obeys!"

He knew in his heart that if Li Xuanzhi really took what he had done today seriously, he might not be able to save his life and his family.

The current situation is already excellent. To dare to say anything more would be tantamount to courting death.

The servants sent by the other gentry to watch the spectacle hid behind the crowd. Upon seeing this, they were even more terrified and quickly dispersed from Fuyu County to return and report back.

Li Xuanzhi turned around and faced the crowd, his voice gentle yet powerful.

"I hereby swear that as long as I am in Fuyu County, I will implement measures that benefit the people! I will eradicate all evils that harm the people!"

The resounding vows echoed in front of the county government office and settled in the hearts of every citizen.

After a brief silence, the entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Thank you, sir!"

"Our leader loves the people like his own children; he is like a second parent to Fuyu County!"

"I knew Lord Li was a good official! I could tell the moment he stepped through the gates of Fuyu County!"

Li Xuanzhi tried hard to keep his lips from twitching, because what that person had just said was as good as farting.

Knowing he was a good official, why did he repeatedly block the gates of the government office?

The county magistrate and others who were standing by witnessed this reversal of what they thought was a dead end, and their shock remained unabated for a long time.

Although Magistrate Cao believed that his vision was limited, he had spent most of his life in officialdom and had seen the attitudes and styles of countless county officials in the northern regions.

There are those who use ruthless suppression, those who use appeasement, and those who compromise and avoid trouble, but I have never seen an official like Li Xuanzhi.

Without firing a single shot or resorting to cruel torture, they broke the deadlock and established rules by simply relying on their insightful understanding of people's hearts and their ability to act in accordance with the prevailing trend, thus winning the hearts and minds of the people.

Perhaps by clinging to the powerful figures around me, I can pave a bright future for my children before I reach the age where I should retire completely.

The area in front of the county government office returned to calm.

Li Xuanzhi stood on the steps, gazing at the endless barren mountains in the distance.

He knew that this victory was just the beginning.

No one in the streets and alleys was talking about the mountain god bringing disaster or closing the mountain to bring calamity to the people anymore.

Every household is looking forward to working in the mountains so that they can be paid according to their labor and live a good life with enough to eat and wear.

The Dayong Dynasty shared a common characteristic with the historical dynasties I knew from my studies before my time travel—emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce.

Ironware has always been a core resource strictly controlled by the government and monopolized by powerful families.

Fuyu County is located in a remote area and has no official iron smelting workshops.

Not to mention Fuyu County, the people of all the counties and prefectures in the north relied entirely on a few local gentry to transport and resell iron plows, iron hoes, kitchen knives, sickles, and other tools from other counties.

The local gentry, backed by powerful figures, controlled the distribution channels and added layers of markups.

An ordinary iron hoe costs as much as half a month's worth of food for a refugee, and it is crudely made and easily damaged.

Even worse, during spring planting and autumn harvest, this group of people would take the opportunity to hoard goods and raise prices.

When ordinary people have their basic needs met, they are left at the mercy of others.

Those who couldn't afford to buy them had no choice but to make do with wood or stone.

But wood is not durable and is prone to breaking and rotting.

Stones are too heavy and not sharp enough to be used as farm tools.

The land in Fuyu County is difficult to cultivate, so the harvest from the crops is meager. The farming tools are also poor, which naturally leads to a significant reduction in total output.

Over the years, the high cost of ironware and the scarcity of agricultural tools have become the biggest shackles on agricultural production in Fuyu County.

With production capacity falling short and the soil's acidity and alkalinity making it unsuitable for crop cultivation, Fuyu County naturally became poorer year by year.

Officials like Magistrate Zhao naturally knew the shortcomings of Fuyu County.

Firstly, they didn't know where the ore veins were, so they had no raw materials to refine. Secondly, they didn't know the methods of iron smelting, so they could only let the local gentry and their backers monopolize the profits, and they had no way to break the monopoly.

However, these two major problems were utterly insignificant to Li Xuanzhi, who possessed modern knowledge.

"Immediately dispatch twenty diligent and reliable young men to the restricted mountainous area to mine shallow open-pit iron ore and raw coal. Select the best ones, sort them, and stack them in categories."

"Furthermore, anyone skilled in blacksmithing, firing, or polishing tools, regardless of their background or age, shall be summoned to the county government. I will select the best candidates and provide them with uniform stipends in grain and rice."

County Magistrate Cao was only stunned for a moment before instantly understanding Li Xuanzhi's intention. His eyes were filled with surprise and shock, and he asked incredulously and cautiously:

"Sir, do you intend to build your own iron smelting workshop?"

It's no wonder Magistrate Cao was shocked; it was beyond his comprehension. Even the previous Magistrate Zhao wouldn't have dared to dream of such a thing.

Iron smelting is a major process that requires specialized workshops, ancestral skills, and years of accumulation; it cannot be done hastily.

Ordinary folk craftsmen can only forge crude ironware and have no experience in large-scale iron smelting.

Li Xuanzhi nodded slightly: "Without iron, there is no agriculture. If we continue to allow the local gentry to monopolize ironware and exploit the region, Fuyu County will never be prosperous. Rest assured, since I dare to say this, it means I have the ability to accomplish this."

His words were firm, and his demeanor was composed. Magistrate Cao was trembling with fear. He immediately bowed and accepted the order, swiftly carrying out every single task as instructed by Li Xuanzhi.

In a single day, all the "craftsmen" in the county who met Li Xuanzhi's requirements gathered together.

It must be said that although Fuyu County is entirely populated by the descendants of soldiers who were discharged due to injury or disability and were resettled nearby.

But among these people are indeed descendants of artisans who have relied on their skills for generations.

However, most of them were exploited and oppressed for many years, and most of the ironware and other items they produced had to be handed over to the government. Due to poor management and lack of shrewdness, they could only sell a few remaining items at low prices to barely make ends meet.

In the end, due to various reasons, not wanting to starve to death, he had no choice but to join the army and risk his life for a way out.

Upon learning that the county magistrate was going to open government-run workshops and hire artisans at high salaries, the group of people were filled with both trepidation and anticipation.

In contrast, at this time, in the home of the local gentry—