The playboy county magistrate

The old magistrate was completely stunned, feeling as if half of his body had gone numb.

"Lord Li, the people of Fuyu County are usually very sensible and would never do anything so extreme. I suppose everyone wants to see what the new magistrate looks like, so they came all this way to welcome Lord Li to our Fuyu County."

Li Xuanzhi could easily detect the unease hidden beneath the old magistrate's words. He immediately expressed his stance, reassuring the old magistrate.

Li Xuanzhi was genuinely worried that before he could smoothly hand over the reins, the old magistrate would frighten him, affecting the handover time, delaying his official appointment, and hindering the progress and efficiency of his work.

After all, there was still a three-year agreement between him and his father, the Earl of the capital.

Given the current situation in Fuyu County, there is not much time to waste if one wants to achieve political success and be promoted.

This simple meal won't take long to finish, and since the people have all arrived, there's no harm in going out to take a look.

It's much easier to face the people with this group of officials than to face them alone.

Li Xuanzhi never expected that these people, exploited to the point of being emaciated and weak, would come to the county government office for—

"Lord Zhao! The new magistrate is here and not leaving? Where are you going? We'll miss you! If it weren't for you leading us all these years, we would have starved to death long ago!"

"Those corrupt officials are inhuman! You used all your wealth to buy food and feed all the people in our county. Although we eat wild vegetables and thin porridge every day, at least we can survive. What will we do if you leave?"

"Lord Zhao! Can you find a way to get this new magistrate to leave Fuyu County as quickly as the previous ones? We only recognize you as our magistrate; you are the true official in charge of Fuyu County!"

"What can this newcomer do? Just look at him, his whole demeanor is completely out of place in Fuyu County. He'll only cause trouble if he stays here!"

Li Xuanzhi was speechless.

Other officials, upon taking office, faced exclusion and mistreatment from their colleagues.

When it came to him, he was instead rejected by the people who joined forces.

I doubt that anyone throughout history has ever had such an experience.

If this were told to others, probably no one would believe it; they might even think he ate too much good food and ruined his brain.

Magistrate Zhao smiled and raised his hand, signaling the people to stop talking.

This group of people were indeed very obedient and gave Magistrate Zhao a lot of face.

Seeing everyone looking at him expectantly, he stood on the steps and said in a slightly louder voice:

"As the magistrate of Fuyu County, I am very grateful for your recognition and trust. However, I am getting old and simply do not have the energy or ability to continue serving as magistrate. Our new magistrate comes from the capital, and his vision and ability far surpass mine. You can rest assured to follow him!"

After Magistrate Zhao uttered these words, the scene became even quieter for a few seconds before spiraling out of control once again.

The people started chattering again, one after another, making it even noisier than a vegetable market.

"What can a rich kid from the capital like him do for us? They're all just wasting money, all they do is walk their dogs and birds!"

"Exactly, a young nobleman from the capital, why would he come to our poor, remote place? He must be a notorious villain in the capital, and his family is afraid he'll do something wrong and implicate the family, so they sent him here far away."

"Heavens above! Open your eyes and see! Our lives are already hard enough, and now you've sent this devilish person with powerful backing all this way. Do we even have a chance to survive?"

"That corrupt official who ruined us is from the capital! It's clear that no one from the capital who comes here is any good! Brothers, grab your weapons!"

Li Xuanzhi was shocked. Good heavens, how come these people are even more reckless than the original owner of this body?

Magistrate Zhao lifted his patched sleeve and fiercely wiped the sweat from his forehead. His heart pounded like a drum; he felt like a child caught doing something wrong, stealing glances at Li Xuanzhi, his mind racing with thoughts—

"We're doomed! We've been waiting and waiting for a good successor who's willing to stand with the entire Fuyu County through thick and thin. We can't let these brutes discourage us!"

Suddenly, a clod of earth flew out from who-knows-where, startling Magistrate Zhao so much that his eyes narrowed and he unleashed the fastest speed he had ever traveled, blocking Li Xuanzhi's path.

The people who threw the clod of earth were stunned, and the surrounding people, whose emotions had been rising, were also stunned.

The next second—

"Who! Which bastard threw that clod of dirt! If it hurts Lord Zhao, I'll tear your whole family apart!"

"Then why did you actually resort to violence? The rest of us want to live in other counties, but they all look down on us, saying we're brainless and just reckless brutes who only know how to fight. Don't you all understand? Lord Zhao has told us so many times to use our brains and stop itching for a fight. Have you all just listened to a dog's ear?"

"Which son of a bitch threw this! Come out here yourself!"

"Exactly! Get out here yourself!"

……

Li Xuanzhi watched as the people went from targeting him to protecting the old magistrate, and now they wanted to catch the culprit and vent their anger. He felt a mix of emotions.

To be honest, he was a little envious that Magistrate Zhao had so many people who genuinely protected and supported him.

These people are really loyal. If I could help them live a good life, they would definitely protect me in the same way.

When people are united, they can move mountains. No matter how bad the environment or how dire the situation, so be it.

As long as the entire Fuyu County is of one mind, a three-year agreement is definitely not a difficult task!

Li Xuanzhi's confidence surged instantly, and he even found the man who had been dragged out and beaten up for accidentally injuring Magistrate Zhao by throwing clods of dirt at him much more agreeable.

Magistrate Zhao couldn't bother trying to stop the fight anymore. He could only clutch his aching shoulder and explain to Li Xuanzhi, trying to protect the troublemakers.

"They're just afraid that you'll impose heavy taxes and make their already impoverished lives even harder. They're all pitiful people, but their hearts are warm, and each one is more kind than the last."

Seeing that Magistrate Zhao's eyes were filled with tears and his lips were trembling with anxiety, Li Xuanzhi was afraid that the old man might faint again from worry, so he quickly smiled and gently patted the old man's shoulder.

"Don't worry, we officials treat the people under our jurisdiction like our own children. No matter what happens, parents will never have any complaints about their children."

Magistrate Zhao was at a loss for words, only nodding repeatedly. His eyes were filled with admiration and even more joy.

As if he had made some important decision, Magistrate Zhao remained silent for a long time, then suddenly turned around, took a deep breath, and said loudly: