The playboy county magistrate

Fu Quan slowly closed the account book, his eyes no longer showing any hesitation, only a chilling coldness.

Having served the emperor for a long time and witnessed countless factional struggles in the court and local conflicts, he could not help but feel indignant at this moment.

"To obstruct the new policies of a county and for the private interests of nurses, they did not hesitate to fabricate evidence, falsely accuse virtuous officials, stir up public sentiment, and deceive the court and the public."

"How dare these local gentry act so arrogantly! They are truly audacious and lawless!"

He immediately raised his hand to give the order:

"Guards! Immediately seal off the entire Diao family compound, arrest Diao Mao and all his core confidants and those involved in causing trouble, and bring them all back to the county government for trial."

At this moment, the Diao family was already in complete chaos.

Diao Mao stood in the courtyard, surrounded by the cries and complaints of his wives, concubines, and children.

The approaching, menacing footsteps drew ever closer. Diao Mao remained standing, gazing at the blooming flowers and trees in the courtyard, finding the situation utterly absurd and laughable.

He held the power of the local gentry and had the backing of the aristocratic families in the capital. After months of planning, he coordinated with the imperial court and exhausted his personal wealth.

They laid out layers of deadly traps, hoping to abolish the new policies in one fell swoop, eliminate Li Xuanzhi, and stabilize the Diao family's century-old foundation.

In the end, the rumors in the streets were shattered by the will of the people, the chaos in the workshops was regulated and quelled, and the impeachments in the imperial court were checked and balanced by the emperor's will.

Every step he planned, every step he failed to achieve.

As the shadow guards burst through the door and locked him in iron chains, Diao Mao collapsed to the ground, all traces of arrogance gone, replaced by endless despair and defeat.

"I lost... I lost completely..."

He muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and weak.

The Diao family's century-old legacy as local gentry has crumbled in a single day.

……

The turmoil in the county government study has subsided, and all filth has been eliminated.

Fuquan looked at the young magistrate in front of him, his eyes filled with genuine appreciation and respect.

He finally understood why the Emperor was willing to promote this person exceptionally and to exert checks and balances on the court, insisting on protecting him.

He remained calm in the face of danger and handled matters with composure. Such a capable and loyal minister truly deserved the emperor's full protection.

"Lord Li," Fuquan said solemnly, without a trace of the scrutiny he displayed during the investigation, "today's investigation has clearly established the truth and the facts. You are completely innocent and have done nothing wrong."

"I will immediately draft a secret memorial and send it back to the capital overnight to report the truth to His Majesty. This will clear your name of all stigma and reveal the whole truth."

Li Xuanzhi bowed slightly and calmly expressed his gratitude:

"Thank you, Your Excellency, for upholding justice and fairness, for restoring clarity to Fuyu, and for clearing my name."

Fu Quan carefully put away all the certificates and said in a deep voice:

"The crimes of false accusation, the disaster of disrupting the operation, and the evils of private furnaces can all be used to convict the Diao family. The old faction is about to be destroyed, and this defeat will surely severely damage its vitality."

"However... the power struggles within the court are deeply entrenched. They will certainly not let this defeat go unpunished. In the future, things will likely only become more brutal and dangerous."

Li Xuanzhi's eyes were clear as he looked out the window at the bright sunshine, his tone firm and composed.

"As long as the new policies benefit the people, I will have no fear, no matter how many storms may rage."

……

The imperial secret report was delivered to the capital by express courier, traveling 800 li (approximately 400 kilometers), and sent directly to the palace.

Soon, the news was copied by someone with ulterior motives and sent to the Censorate at an extremely fast speed.

In the main hall of the Censorate, the lights suddenly came on, and the atmosphere became as still as ice.

A group of powerful figures, led by Fan Wuwei, gathered here, all staring at the secret report in Fan Wuwei's hand.

Fan Wuwei gripped the paper tightly with his knuckles, his fingertips turning white, his back stiff, and his eyes surging with overwhelming ferocity and unbelievable frustration.

He had sat in the imperial court for decades, manipulating power struggles and framing countless political enemies. Never before had he suffered such a swift defeat.

Using the name of an imperial censor, he rallied powerful families and local gentry. He exerted pressure through both public opinion and legal regulations, but ultimately lost to a county accountant, a humble accountant led by a weak woman, and a report on the people's livelihood that was truthfully presented in every word.

"The meticulously forged ledgers, the heavily bribed witnesses, the flawlessly exploited legal loopholes... all came to nothing?"

Fan Wuwei muttered to himself, his voice cold and hoarse, filled with resentment.

He originally thought that as long as the death penalty for embezzlement and illegal ironworks was imposed, he could disregard public opinion and political achievements, and crush all objections. Even if the emperor was biased, he could only dismiss the officials and abolish the new policies according to the rules.

But to his utter surprise, the emperor made an exception and appointed his trusted confidant to investigate the case, severing all factional biases.

Even more unexpectedly, Li Xuanzhi, a playboy who bought his way into office, actually had such a meticulous mind.

This attempt to frame him failed, and he is instead implicated in the crime.

The old guard not only failed to suppress the Fuyu New Policies, but also confirmed the aristocratic factions' control over local areas, their false accusations against virtuous officials, and their obstruction of people's livelihoods.

Even more devastating was that Li Xuanzhi was exceptionally promoted by imperial decree from a seventh-rank county magistrate to a sixth-rank prefect.

The emperor's favor deepened, and the foundation for reform was thoroughly solidified.

The new policies, which were originally on the verge of collapse, were not destroyed by this incident. On the contrary, they gained a firm foothold by taking advantage of the political turmoil and became a legitimate reform policy that benefits the people.

Some people were filled with deep anxiety and sighed softly beside Fan Wuwei.

"We have lost the debate on etiquette and law, and now the bureaucracy has collapsed due to its machinations. All our open and covert strategies have failed. If this drags on, the new policies will sweep across the country, and the aristocratic families' century-long monopoly on land, iron, and workshops will surely crumble."

Panic and anxiety quietly spread among the old-fashioned crowd.

They clung to ancestral rules and clung tightly to their privileges. The very foundation upon which they stood was being gradually shaken by Li Xuanzhi's reform policies.

Fan Wuwei slowly raised his eyes, suppressing the rage in them, his expression becoming increasingly sinister and cold.

He knew that things had come to this point, and that complaining and holding people accountable would be pointless.

The struggle between the old and the new is an endless battle; retreat means total defeat, while advancing offers only a glimmer of hope.

"What's the panic?" he said in a deep voice, his tone chillingly cold. "It's just one loss; the outcome is still uncertain."

"This defeat was due to underestimating his meticulousness and the depth of his heart. However, the new policies were newly established, the foundation was not yet stable, there were both advantages and disadvantages, and there were still flaws."

"The stability of Fuyu County alone is not enough. Once the new policies are extended to other areas, they will inevitably affect the foundations of the gentry throughout the land. What may benefit the people in one place will inevitably lead to chaos and corruption in other places. At that time, we will not need to frame them; the new policies will be full of flaws on their own."

A ruthless glint flashed in Fan Wuwei's eyes. "Pass down the order: temporarily restrain yourselves. No more confrontations in court, no more private framing."

"Secretly contact the gentry and noble families of all the prefectures and counties, and wait for the new policies to be implemented throughout the entire territory. Wherever the new policies are implemented, we will find fault with them and amplify the chaos. We will make the reforms ultimately become a source of trouble and criticism from both the court and the public."

"Li Xuanzhi can stabilize a county, but he can't stabilize the whole country. Today he has overturned the verdict with solid evidence; tomorrow we will judge him based on the chaos that has gripped the nation!"

Upon hearing this, the fear in the hearts of the nobles subsided, and they all nodded and accepted the order.

……

Fuyu County in the north.

The Diao family's property was completely seized.

Hundreds of acres of private land and stockpiled materials, along with all the shady dealings, were seized and stored in the warehouse.

All the local gentry who had colluded with the Diao family to commit evil deeds were arrested by the shadow guards and brought to the county jail to await trial. The gentry who had exploited their neighbors for hundreds of years were now completely stripped of their former glory.

Inside the county government office.

Fuquan stood up and looked at Li Xuanzhi, who was standing under the corridor, with a gentle expression and sincere appreciation.

"Lord Li, although we have suffered an undeserved calamity, we have also turned misfortune into a blessing in disguise."

"His Majesty's trust in you and his expectations for the new policies are greater than ever before. Your promotion from a sixth-rank prefecture may seem like an exceptional one, but in reality, His Majesty is paving the way for you. Once the new policies are implemented, you will be the most meritorious official and a rising star in the court."