The playboy county magistrate

"Li Xuan is temporarily relieved of his duties as magistrate of Fuyu County and is to be placed under investigation. I will dispatch my shadow guards and the chief eunuch of the Imperial Guard to Fuyu County immediately to conduct a thorough investigation."

"During the investigation, all new policies in Fuyu shall remain in effect and shall not be suspended. Workshops shall operate normally, and ironware shall be distributed as usual. Anyone who takes this opportunity to cause trouble or disrupt people's livelihoods is strictly prohibited."

An imperial edict, seemingly complying with the demands of the old faction to suspend officials and investigate individuals, actually preserved the foundation of the new policies.

The old guard wanted "abolishing the government and killing people," but the emperor only gave them "suspension from their posts for investigation."

The old guard wanted to take the opportunity to paralyze the new policies, but the emperor strictly ordered the new policies to continue operating as usual.

Fan Wuwei's face suddenly darkened.

In the past, in similar disputes between the two factions in the court, the emperor would eventually send people from both sides to investigate, and whoever prevailed in the end would be the winner.

But now, the emperor isn't using anyone from either faction. Instead, he's directly targeting his own power base, which no one can buy off?

wrong……

If the emperor sends his own people, doesn't that mean the emperor doesn't trust us, the old ministers?

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 10 ...

If the emperor discovers that all that evidence was fabricated, wouldn't this matter be...?

All the nobles in the hall looked unwilling, but none of them dared to refute him in court.

There was no way to find fault with the imperial edict, as it balanced reason and emotion, and clearly distinguished between public and private matters.

……

It was another day when Li Xuanzhi was silently counting down the days.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed outside the courtyard; imperial edicts arrived, and guards rode straight to the county government office, shouting loudly:

"Imperial edict arrives—"

Li Xuanzhi's expression hardened slightly, and he immediately straightened his clothes and went out to greet him.

Upon receiving the imperial decree, Magistrate Cao turned pale and was filled with anxiety.

Suspended from duty pending investigation, officials are being restrained; this is clearly being shackled!

In contrast, Li Xuanzhi remained calm and composed.

He understood the emperor's mind too well, and he understood this political game too well.

Suspension is an explanation to the old guard, while upholding the new policies is an explanation to the people's livelihood. The time for investigation is an opportunity to turn things around.

What appears to be a desperate situation is actually a sign that the Emperor's will has already shifted towards reform, and the overall situation is now in his favor.

The emperor dispatched his shadow guards and the chief eunuch to personally investigate.

Very good!

He desperately needs a public and impartial witness to publicly expose all the false evidence, to let the world see the integrity of the new government and the corruption of the old regime.

Li Xuanzhi bowed to receive the imperial edict, saying, "Your subject, Li Xuanzhi, magistrate of Fuyu County, accepts the edict and expresses his gratitude."

The imperial guard had barely finished speaking, and hadn't even put away the edict, when suddenly, the thunderous sound of hooves rose again on the distant official road. Unlike the hurried pace of ordinary post horses, this troop's hooves were steady, orderly, and solemnly weighty.

A black, gilded imperial banner fluttered wildly in the wind, dazzling and eye-catching.

Magistrate Cao, who was already anxious, suddenly narrowed his eyes upon seeing this and felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

It was not the official entourage of any state official.

It was the imperial guard in the capital.

Fuyu County is no bigger than a small county town.

For so many years, they had never encountered an imperial envoy. Today, the emperor himself had come, instantly raising the atmosphere in the entire county government office to an extremely tense level.

People in the streets and alleys stopped and watched from a distance upon hearing the sound. No one dared to speak loudly, and a sense of impending doom instantly enveloped the entire city.

The carriages and horses came to a stop in front of the county government office, and dozens of black-clad shadow guards landed first. They stood tall and straight, their aura restrained. They made no unnecessary movements, yet they exuded a chilling pressure, instantly sealing off all passageways around the county government office.

The leader was dressed in a dark purple brocade eunuch's robe. His face was fair and gentle, with clear and bright eyes, unlike the effeminate and obsequious eunuchs of the past. He was none other than Fuquan, the chief eunuch and the emperor's most trusted advisor.

This person never participated in court factional struggles, did not associate with noble families or aristocratic clans, and only obeyed the emperor.

Fu Quan slowly ascended the steps, his gaze sweeping over the crowd in front of the door, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

"Magistrate Li Xuanzhi of Fuyu County received the imperial decree."

The sound fell silent.

Li Xuanzhi straightened his clothes again, bowed his head respectfully, and said, "Your subject is here."

Fuquan unfolded the bright yellow secret edict he carried with him and read it aloud.

The words are clear and the pronunciation is solemn.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The new policies in Fuyu are of great importance to the people's livelihood. The court and the country are in turmoil, and there is a risk that local governments may be biased, favoritism, or deception. Therefore, the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Guard, Fuquan, is hereby dispatched to Fuyu with the Imperial Shadow Guard to fully investigate the case of impeachment for corruption."

"All account books, witness testimonies, physical evidence, and public opinion records are independently verified by the Imperial Envoy. They are not subject to the obstruction of local government offices or interference from official correspondence, and are reported truthfully and without reservation."

"Furthermore, Li Xuanzhi has rendered meritorious service in governing the county. He has reclaimed wasteland to ensure the well-being of the people, stabilized the railway and facilitated trade, and implemented reforms that benefit the people, achieving remarkable results. Although he is involved in a case pending investigation, the overall situation of the new policies cannot be left without a leader, and the foundation of reform cannot be lightly abandoned."

"Li Xuanzhi is hereby promoted to the rank of Assistant Magistrate (equivalent to a sixth-rank official) and temporarily appointed to govern Fuyu County. His rank and responsibilities remain unchanged, and he will continue to oversee all affairs related to the new policies in Fuyu. He will continue to perform his duties as usual during the period pending investigation. This is the imperial decree."

As soon as he finished speaking, the wind stopped abruptly.

Everyone present was stunned; no one had expected the Emperor's will to be so unexpected.

He was first suspended from his post pending investigation, and then promoted exceptionally.

On one hand, there was the serious crime of corruption impeached by the censor; on the other hand, there was the promotion of rank personally granted by the emperor.

What appears to be contradictory actually vividly demonstrates the emperor's checks and balances, and his desire to protect the regime.

The old guard at court wanted to convict, suppress, and abolish the new policies. The emperor, going along with the flow, granted them permission to investigate and temporarily relieved them of their duties. He gave the aristocratic families all the face and respect due to etiquette, silencing any dissent from the nobles and officials throughout the court.

Secretly, he immediately replaced officials with factional biases with absolutely neutral trusted confidants to conduct investigations. This eliminated the possibility of local framing, collusion among officials, and forced confessions, thus sealing off the old faction's underhanded operations at the root.

More importantly, the person under investigation was promoted in rank first.

The promotion from a seventh-rank county magistrate to a sixth-rank prefectural judge may seem like only a half-rank jump, but it is a world of difference.

From then on, Li Xuanzhi was no longer a lowly, insignificant seventh-rank official.

His rank has officially entered the middle level of the imperial court, with broader authority and responsibilities, and a more legitimate status.

Even if the final investigation does not completely determine the charges, his official rank has already been raised by one level.

His Majesty's action was tantamount to a blatant declaration of his stance:

I believe in his innocence, value his talent, and protect his new policies.

Today's investigation is only to silence public opinion, not to actually punish or kill someone.

Despite being under investigation for a crime, he was promoted, an unprecedented display of imperial favor.

Before the county government office, Li Xuanzhi, with a clear mind, bowed solemnly to receive the imperial decree:

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."

He understood perfectly, comprehending all the profound meanings behind the imperial edict.

His promotion was the Emperor's way of backing him up and supporting the new policies.

Sending the emperor to investigate was to clear away all factional suppression and prevent the framing of innocent people.

Retaining their authority and continuing the new policies was to stabilize the overall trend of reform and not give the old faction any opportunity to take advantage.

Fuquan put away the imperial edict and looked at the young, newly appointed prefect before him, his eyes filled with a scrutinizing gaze of an emperor's close advisor, as well as a genuine appreciation.

"Lord Li, I am acting on His Majesty's secret orders. This investigation is solely for the purpose of verifying the truth."

"His Majesty has said that the new policies of Fuyu are the beginning of reforms across the land and should not be ruined by factional strife and infighting. Honest officials should not be wronged by sordid framing. If you are innocent, the court will surely give you justice and reward your merits handsomely. If you have ulterior motives, I will also report the facts truthfully and will not show favoritism."