The playboy county magistrate

County Magistrate Cao also rushed in from outside, his face flushed with urgency.

"Rumors are circulating in the city that the workshops have consumed enormous amounts of materials and money, leaving the county treasury empty. To fill the deficit, the government will surely increase taxes and impose corvée labor in the fall, and ordinary people will ultimately have to pay the price for the new policies."

Tang Zheng actually came over so late, his eagerness no less than that of Magistrate Cao and County Commandant Feng.

"Recently, unidentified individuals have been secretly purchasing surplus iron from the public, deliberately bypassing the county government's control channels, which is suspected to be an attempt to create a black market."

County Lieutenant Feng frowned deeply. "Is Diao Mao desperate and causing trouble in secret? I will immediately lead men to investigate and arrest him! Suppress the rumors and stabilize the workshop!"

"It's not Diao Mao."

Li Xuanzhi gently put down his pen and looked up at the deep night outside the window.

"He doesn't have the meticulous planning ability, nor does he have the guts to so openly and comprehensively stir up chaos throughout the county."

Unable to win open arguments or suppress the issue in the imperial court, the court abandoned open confrontation and instead resorted to covert suppression.

This was an inevitable counterattack by the old-fashioned nobles after being driven to the brink of despair, and it was also their most adept and most unsolvable tactic in power struggles.

On the surface, they abide by the rules and respect the emperor's will, never openly defying the emperor's authority.

They secretly create chaos and sow seeds of trouble, using rules to trap and cripple their opponents.

Magistrate Cao finally realized what was happening and felt a chill run down his spine.

"They want to use the inspection rules during the observation period to accuse us of 'disorderly management' based on minor irregularities, thus completely stifling the new policy!"

"That's right."

Li Xuanzhi slowly rose to his feet. "They dare not abolish the new policies, nor dare they offend the people. So they try to taint, waste, and ruin the new policies."

"If we arrest people, it will be seen as our county government abusing its power and going too far in maintaining stability, giving others ammunition to criticize us. If we don't arrest them, it will be seen as chaos spreading, a loophole in our management, and solidify the criticism."

Upon hearing this, County Lieutenant Feng became even more anxious. "Then how can we break this deadlock? If we let the chaos spread, the prefectural government will investigate in half a month, and we'll have no way to defend ourselves!"

"There's no need to arrest, no need to block, and no need to rush to defend yourself."

Li Xuanzhi spoke calmly, having already devised a plan to break the deadlock.

"If the other side tries to trap me with chaos, I will break the deadlock with stability. If the other side stirs up trouble in secret without leaving any evidence, I will openly and publicly do so, keep records, and solidify the evidence."

"Cao County Magistrate".

"Your humble servant is here!"

"Pass down the order to implement these three tasks immediately."

"Firstly, the workshop underwent a restructuring overnight. All artisans and workers were paired up for mutual support and worked in shifts. All outsiders were registered and their origins recorded. All disputes, conflicts, and work stoppages were recorded and archived on the same day. No investigations or penalties were imposed, only detailed records were kept. This confirmed that the trouble was deliberately provoked by outsiders, and was not a problem inherent to the workshop."

"Secondly, notices were posted in all four cities, publicly disclosing the county government's income and expenditure, workshop profits and losses, material losses, and ironware distribution details. Everything was in black and white, clear as day. This allowed all the people in the city to see that the new policies had not depleted the county treasury, nor had they taken any benefits from the people. On the contrary, the inventory was full, benefiting the people, and the solid data shattered the rumors."

"Thirdly, an order was issued to all storytellers and actors in the marketplace: there is no need to deliberately refute the rumors. Just tell the truth every day about the wages of workshop workers, the resettlement of displaced people, and the benefits of agriculture. If the truth is repeated every day, the falsehoods will fall apart on their own, and the foundation of the people's hearts will be firmly secured."

Three commands precisely dismantle all insidious traps.

We must not fall into the opponent's rhythm, nor be swept up by the chaos. Instead, we should use the opponent's counterattack to further solidify the compliance and people-benefiting nature of the new policies.

Everyone felt relieved and went about their busy work.

The lights in the study in the backyard are always on.

Li Xuanzhi did not rest.

To make the full accounts public and dispel rumors, it is not as simple as just copying down the numbers.

The workshop materials, mining losses, ironware sales, craftsmen's wages, and county treasury revenue and expenditure were all numerous and intricate. The slightest oversight would be seized upon by the enemy, who could then charge the workshop with a capital offense of unclear accounting.

At this critical juncture, a single accounting error or a ambiguity could destroy the foundation of the new policies implemented months ago.

The door was gently pushed open, and soft footsteps approached. Unlike the hurried and steady footsteps of the constables, the footsteps carried a lightness unique to women.

Gu Pan'er carried a thick stack of neatly copied account books and slowly walked into the study.

She was dressed in plain clothes, her hair neatly styled. She had shed the timidity and shyness she had shown when she first entered the county government office, and had gained a more composed and capable air about her.

Having been in charge of the county government and workshop accounts for days, she had meticulously reviewed and checked them day and night, and had long since memorized the entire book. She had become Li Xuanzhi's most worry-free and trusted personal accountant.

"grown ups."

Gu Pan'er bowed her head and spoke softly.

"The woman has worked through the night to review all the accounts in the workshops and county government warehouses throughout the city. All income, expenditure, losses, sales, and wages have been reconciled item by item, with no false records or ambiguities."

She gently laid the account book on the table; the handwriting on the paper was neat and elegant.

The entries are categorized clearly and distinctly.

Every transaction was marked with the date, source, and purpose.

Li Xuanzhi glanced down at the account book, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

Since the implementation of the new policy, the accounting work has become complicated and tedious. With a large amount of money coming in and going out every day, even ordinary veteran officials are prone to making mistakes and omissions. However, Gu Pan'er, a woman, has been able to meticulously check the accounts day and night without any errors. Her attention to detail and composure far exceed that of ordinary people.

"Thank you for your hard work." Li Xuanzhi's voice was calm. "The situation was turbulent tonight, and you were still able to sort things out overnight. That's commendable."

A simple, gentle word, falling into Gu Pan'er's ears, warmed her heart.

She raised her eyes slightly and looked at the young county magistrate under the lamp.

The flickering candlelight illuminated his handsome and serene features. Despite being in the midst of a great upheaval, with pressure from the court, treacherous schemes from powerful figures, and chaos erupting, causing widespread panic throughout the city, he remained as steady as Mount Tai, calm, composed, and unperturbed.

She witnessed firsthand how this young county magistrate broke the monopoly of the local gentry, relieved the suffering of displaced people, and initiated new policies for the county.

He was not greedy for fame or fortune, did not disturb the people, and did not bully the weak.

Despite being mired in the quagmire of officialdom, he remained honest and upright, single-handedly bearing the storms and hardships of the entire county.

As time went by, the initial respect quietly transformed into a deep-seated admiration.

However, she was of humble status and always kept to herself, never daring to overstep her bounds.

She only wished to quietly work at her desk to keep the accounts clear for him, relieving him of any worries. That was all she could do.

Gu Pan'er concealed the slight ripple in her eyes and replied softly:

"I am deeply grateful for your trust, sir. It is my duty to sort out the accounts and safeguard the fundamentals for you, and I dare not complain of the hardship."

She paused, then looked up and spoke solemnly, her tone carrying a hint of certainty:

"My lord, I swear on my life that the accounts of the new policies are crystal clear. The county treasury has not been emptied, and the people have not been extorted even a penny. Those rumors are purely malicious fabrications by those with ulterior motives, and have no basis whatsoever."

"I know." Li Xuanzhi nodded slightly.

He understood better than anyone the foundation of his new policies and the insidious schemes of his opponents.

The other party dared not attack based on actual achievements and the law, so they could only fabricate rumors and stir up public opinion.

This precisely demonstrates that they had run out of options and could only resort to unorthodox methods.