The playboy county magistrate

Beijing.

The court assembly is usually orderly and solemn, but today the atmosphere inside the hall was stagnant, with civil and military officials standing on both sides, clearly separated.

On the dragon throne, the emperor sat silently.

His fingertips lightly touched the table, and his eyes held a depth far beyond his years.

He has been on the throne for thirteen years, yet he is constantly constrained by the powerful and influential officials. Much of the power in the court has fallen into the hands of others. This struggle over the Buyeo New Policies is a crucial move he has been secretly observing, waiting for an opportunity to break the deadlock.

The first person to step forward in the hall was Fan Wuwei, the Grand Secretary of the Censorate, the biological father of the eldest son of the Earl's family's newly found wife, and a veteran conservative official.

He held the protective board in his hand, his steps steady. His expression was solemn, and his voice, loud and clear, resonated throughout the hall, every word adhering to ancestral rules and etiquette.

"Your Majesty, I implore you to abolish the new policies of Fuyu and severely punish Magistrate Li Xuanzhi!"

"If mining can benefit the people in one county today, then counties and prefectures across the land will follow suit tomorrow! At that time, mountains and marshes will be unrestricted, ironware will be distributed, craftsmen will be scattered, privately owned tools will proliferate, clans and gentry will seize the opportunity to amass power, and regional governors will acquire powerful weapons. A hundred years from now, chaos will surely ensue! This man may seem to benefit the people, but in reality, he is a scourge to the nation!"

His words, each one seemingly from the high ground of the court's long-term stability, directly labeled a local reform aimed at the people's livelihood as a threat to the very foundation of the nation.

His Highness and his many senior officials stepped forward to second the motion, their ranks orderly and their presence imposing.

"Lord Fan is absolutely right! Ancestral rules cannot be abolished, and prohibitions cannot be broken!"

"A mere seventh-rank county magistrate has broken with regulations and altered rules without imperial decree. If he is not severely punished, where is the authority of the imperial court? Where is the law and discipline?"

"We humbly request Your Majesty to reject the state government's memorial, abolish the new policies, and hold the corrupt officials accountable, so as to restore order to the court!"

The old-fashioned officials banded together to exert pressure, their voices surging so loudly they nearly crushed the entire palace.

"We humbly request Your Majesty to punish the corrupt officials and restore order to the court!"

This group of people inherited the benefits of the aristocratic families for generations, and maintained their high positions by monopolizing local resources and controlling various industry channels.

The new policy in Fuyu may seem minor, but it precisely targets their core interests.

They knew better than anyone that once it became the norm for government-run mines to benefit the people and for technologies to be made public, the wealth and privileges that the aristocratic families had monopolized for a century would completely collapse.

After a moment of silence, a slender figure slowly stepped out from the end of the civil official queue.

Pei Yuting, the newly appointed compiler of the Hanlin Academy, was of low rank, but he was known for his outspokenness and willingness to offer advice. He was one of the few enlightened civil officials in the court and a rising star who was secretly observing the effectiveness of the new policies.

Holding a copy of the performance report of Fuyu County, he bowed respectfully, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, facing the assembled veteran officials in the hall.

"Your Majesty, I have an objection."

"You gentlemen speak of ancestral rules, of chaos and disorder, of the court, and every word you utter refers to what will happen a hundred years from now, yet you never mention the suffering of the people in the present moment."

"In the past, Fuyu County had barren land and impoverished people, with refugees everywhere and eight or nine out of ten fields lying fallow. It was not that the people were lazy in their farming or that the local government was incompetent, but rather that ironware was scarce, farm tools were expensive, and the gentry hoarded them, leaving the poor with no way to make a living!"

He raised his hand, unfolded the paper, and read it aloud, each sentence a testament to his solid achievements.

"Within a little over a month of implementing the new policies, all the displaced people in Fuyu County have been resettled. More than a thousand acres of fertile land have been reclaimed, and government-made ironware has been sold at fair prices. Not a single household has abandoned farming due to a lack of tools, and not a single displaced person is wandering and begging outside. The workshops are government-managed, the accounts are transparent, and the ironware is stored in the warehouse and can be traced. There are no problems of private storage, private sale, or private manufacturing. How can there be any talk of chaos?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Wuwei immediately gave a cold look and sternly refuted:

"Editor Pei is young and impetuous, only concerned with immediate gains and ignoring long-term dangers! The absence of trouble today does not guarantee the absence of chaos tomorrow! Ancestral rules are meant to prevent future threats; how can we overstep these principles for the sake of temporary peace!"

"Ancestral rules for prevention should also benefit the people!" Pei Yuting argued on the spot, refusing to back down.

"If ancestral systems only impoverish the people, the county, and the region, allowing gentry and clans to monopolize power and ensuring generations of poverty, then adhering to old rules is not upholding principles, but rather upholding abuses, greed, and private power!"

In short, it precisely tore away the hypocritical facade of etiquette worn by the old-fashioned officials.

The hall fell silent instantly.

All the senior officials and nobles turned pale, but for a moment they had no way to refute them.

Pei Yuting's words are all true. The achievements of the new policies in Fuyu County are evident, with no chaos or trouble whatsoever. To merely talk about long-term hidden dangers is ultimately baseless speculation.

However, factions in the imperial court are deeply entrenched, and reason can never prevail over interests.

An elderly official from the Ministry of Rites with white hair slowly stepped forward, his tone sinister and heavy, each word carrying the oppressive weight of his faction:

"Lord Pei is merely a Hanlin scholar who has never personally experienced local governance and chaos, and does not understand the treacherous nature of people in the mountains and countryside. The common people are short-sighted, only concerned with their immediate needs for food and clothing, unaware of the strictness of the law. If the government grants mining rights today, tomorrow craftsmen will dare to illegally construct for profit, and the people will dare to illegally occupy mountains and lakes. Once the rules are broken, it will be difficult to restore order."

"Li Xuanzhi uses petty benefits to deceive the people, seemingly showing love for them, but in reality, he is fostering chaos. This trend must never be allowed to continue!"

The old and new factions each held their own views, leading to a stalemate in the court.

The conservatives talked about discipline, future troubles, and the majesty of ancestral rules.

Enlightened people talk about people's livelihood, practical achievements, and current governance and disorder.

The two sides have conflicting positions and interests, and neither can persuade the other.

As the stalemate continued in the palace, several newly arrived secret reports from outside the palace completely disrupted the old faction's entire plan.

The eunuch, carrying an urgent secret report, hurried into the hall and bowed as he presented it to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the new iron-smelting method of Buyeo County has spread. Refugees and craftsmen from several surrounding counties have spontaneously sought to learn it. People from many prefectures and villages have earnestly requested their local governments to emulate Buyeo, develop industries in the mountains, and supply iron at affordable prices."

"There are also rumors circulating among the people that storytellers and actors in many places are telling stories about the advantages and disadvantages of the new policies and talking about the hardships of the people. Most of the people are praising the new policies and criticizing the old system."

These two short sentences, though seemingly casual, landed in the hall like a thunderclap.

The expressions of all the nobles in the hall changed simultaneously, and their pupils contracted sharply.

The situation they feared most has finally arrived.

If it were only Fuyu County acting recklessly, they could simply convict Li Xuanzhi, abolish the new policies, and the turmoil would be over in no time.

But now the new policy has already spread beyond Fuyu County.

The outflow of technology has become an unstoppable trend in public opinion.

Impoverished counties and prefectures across the country are all watching and waiting. Countless ordinary people are all hoping.

Forcibly abolishing the new policy at this moment would no longer be punishing a minor official who overstepped his bounds. Instead, it would be going against the people and the livelihoods of the common folk.

Fan Wuwei's expression turned completely cold, his heart filled with shock and anger, but he no longer had the absolute confidence he had before.

He finally understood that the magistrate of Fuyu County, that good-for-nothing playboy who bought his official position, was not afraid of being held accountable by the imperial court or pressured by powerful figures.

What the other side wanted was never a written approval from the imperial court for the pilot program, but rather to use the court's delays as an opportunity to allow the new policies to take root among the people.

The old faction tried to use power to suppress reason, but the other side broke the deadlock by appealing to public opinion.

On the dragon throne, a faint smile flickered in the emperor's eyes, but it vanished in an instant, leaving him with the composed and prudent demeanor of an emperor.

This stalemate is exactly what he wants.

The old guard is powerful and unshakeable; only popular support can break down the barriers of power and privilege.

The current standoff between the old and new regimes has created a dilemma for both the government and the public. This presents him with an excellent opportunity to act as a middleman, maintain balance, and strategically position himself.

The emperor cleared his throat and spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it carried an imperial majesty that instantly silenced all the arguments in the hall.

"What you, my dear ministers, have said is all reasonable."