The playboy county magistrate

"What's the panic?" Fan Wuwei slammed down his teacup and looked up at the man who was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

"The assassins are nameless and unregistered; their tokens can be forged and their weapons stolen. They can all be framed by others or used by bandits in the mountains."

"How can you convict us based solely on a pile of inanimate objects?"

The crowd felt a little more at ease, but remained deeply worried.

"But Li Xuanzhi holds all the accounts of Pingzhou. If we confront him in court tomorrow, it will be difficult to deal with."

Fan Wuwei sneered, "No matter how clear the accounts are, or how real the achievements are, it's still just a case of being too high-profile."

"Tomorrow at the morning court session, we will not discuss the interception or the accounts. We will only discuss the principles governing the relationship between the emperor and his subjects, and the stability of the nation."

"Once we confirm that he has amassed power by inciting the people and has become too powerful for the Lord, all his achievements in benefiting the people will become evidence of treason!"

Night was falling inside the Imperial City Guard.

The rooms in the side courtyard were quiet and solemn, without any luxurious furnishings.

There was only a table, a chair, a solitary lamp, and a narrow single wooden bed.

Li Xuanzhi stood by the window, gazing at the deep night, remaining silent for a long time.

The three-year agreement was made, but I didn't expect to be back in Beijing so soon.

I wonder what the family members of the Marquis of Chengen are thinking right now.

At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), the bell tolls in the imperial city.

The gates of the Zichen Palace slowly opened, and civil and military officials lined up.

A heavy, oppressive atmosphere enveloped the entire hall, making even breathing feel tense and chilling.

The Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, officials from the Six Ministries, nobles in the capital, censors, and military generals from all walks of life were all present.

Not a single person was absent from today's court assembly.

Everyone knew perfectly well that this was not a routine performance review inquiry.

On the dragon throne, the emperor sat upright with his eyes lowered, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

No one could discern even a trace of the emperor's favor from his expression.

"Summon Li Xuanzhi to the palace."

The eunuch's drawn-out chanting echoed through the palace.

A moment later, Li Xuanzhi steadily stepped into the imperial court.

He walked to the center of the hall and knelt down to pay his respects in a proper manner.

"Your subject Li Xuanzhi pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

Every action was in accordance with etiquette and law, and there was not a single fault to be found.

Before the emperor could even ask any questions, Fan Wuwei stepped forward, holding a jade tablet, and launched a stern challenge in court.

"Your Majesty! Li Xuanzhi has committed numerous crimes, including wreaking havoc in the region, seizing popular support, and establishing his own independent regime. Every single one of these crimes is verifiable and verifiable!"

"He implemented new policies in Pingzhou, arbitrarily changing the old system. He abolished the millennia-old traditions of the aristocratic families and seized the ancestral property of the local people. He used petty favors to win over the ignorant masses, causing the people of Pingzhou to know only Lord Li and not the imperial court!"

"We have heard in recent days that the people of Pingzhou have spontaneously petitioned, and the officials have become their puppets, turning the area into the private domain of the Li family! If such officials are not eliminated as soon as possible, they will surely become a major threat to our future!"

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of former officials in the hall stepped forward and bowed in agreement.

"Your Majesty, we humbly request that you severely punish Li Xuanzhi for his excessive power and influence over the people!"

Their words were earnest and sincere, cloaked in the guise of "national stability and the proper order between ruler and subject." In reality, they were framing and suppressing, clinging to their own selfish interests.

The courtiers standing in the hall held their breath, none daring to speak.

The few civil officials who favored the new policies were weak and powerless. Faced with the encirclement of the court's nobles, they could only stand silently and dare not step forward.

Amidst the clamor of condemnation, Li Xuanzhi remained calm and composed, neither arguing nor getting agitated, quietly waiting for the crowd's voices to subside.

Once the chorus of agreement from the court had ceased and the hall had returned to deathly silence, he finally raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the civil and military officials before finally settling on the throne, where his eyes paused slightly.

The person on the dragon throne... why does he look so familiar?

But the issue now isn't why this person looks familiar; the most important thing is to defend yourself in court.

"Your Excellencies accuse me of 'privately winning the hearts and minds of the people and establishing my own independent regime.' But I would like to ask you all—what does it mean to privately win the hearts and minds of the people? What does it mean to establish your own independent regime?"

His voice was clear and bright, neither too loud nor too soft, and his speech was slow and gentle.

"Is it winning over the hearts of the people to redistribute their private lands to the wealthy and powerful and restore their livelihoods? Is it winning over the hearts of the people to regulate illegal businesses, eliminate tax evasion and smuggling, or to stabilize prices, facilitate trade, provide jobs for artisans, employment for displaced people, and ensure the safety of the people?"

"The hearts of the people that I have won over are the very desires of all the people under heaven for survival and for peace."

Fan Wuwei's expression darkened slightly, and he immediately refuted him sharply.

"You are a master of flattery and deceit! It is the duty of a subject to bring peace and security to the people. Yet you use the guise of peace to seize power! The officials of Pingzhou obey you without question, as do the common people. Where does this place the dignity of the court and His Majesty's grace? If this is not secession, then what is it?"

"Alright." Li Xuanzhi nodded, accepting the challenge without hesitation. His gaze was sharp as torches, directly facing the assembled dignitaries.

"Since Lord Fan has addressed the issues of authority and responsibility, then I have no choice but to engage in a proper debate with Lord Fan in court."

Li Xuanzhi raised his hand to ask the emperor, "I have evidence outside. May Your Majesty allow me to present the evidence inside?"

The emperor naturally wouldn't refuse, and waved his hand to signal the chief eunuch.

The chief eunuch immediately cleared his throat and summoned the Imperial City Guard officials who had been waiting outside the hall.

Immediately, several officials from the Imperial City Guard entered the palace steadily, carrying stacks of heavy account books and evidence files.

"Your Majesty, I have three pieces of evidence that can clear my name, prove the true intentions of the new policies, and distinguish right from wrong in the court and among the people."

Li Xuanzhi stepped forward and presented the items one by one in court.

"Firstly, the evidence of accounting records."

"For decades, the gentry and clans of the three counties of Pingzhou have concealed public land and underreported production capacity. They have evaded taxes, exploited the people, and emptied the public treasury. All the secrets over the years have been thoroughly investigated and recorded."

"The purpose of the new policies is to recover public property, replenish the national treasury, and regulate officialdom. There is not a single penny embezzled, not a single act of favoritism, and not a single overstepping of authority. If I were to intend to establish my own independent regime, why would I need to file all the accounts, both public and private, and submit them all to the court?"

His clean accounting is his strongest source of confidence.

Fan Wuwei forced himself to remain calm and coldly rebuked:

"Neat accounting records are merely post-hoc embellishments! How can a mere set of books serve as evidence?"

Li Xuanzhi ignored it and continued to present the second piece of irrefutable evidence in court, his imposing manner growing ever more imposing.

"Secondly, it is proof of the people's will."

"When I arrived in Pingzhou with my new policies, I did not increase taxes by a single levy or impose corvée labor on a single person. On the contrary, I reduced exorbitant taxes for three years, subsidized agricultural tools and rice seeds, and regulated workshop wages. The tens of thousands of acres of public land that were once occupied by local gentry and nobles were all returned to the displaced people. Commerce that was once monopolized by powerful families was also fully opened up."

"The people of Pingzhou are not grateful to me alone, Li Xuanzhi, but to the court for finally rectifying official corruption, to the Holy Dynasty for finally showing concern for the people's livelihood, and to the fact that justice still exists in the world! For you officials to regard the people's loyalty as evidence of your crimes is putting the cart before the horse and disregarding the common people!"

These words caused a slight stirring in the hearts of many neutral civil officials in the hall.

The world praises power and authority. But this man alone dares to put the people's hearts and minds on the table in the court, regarding it as the duty of a subject and the right path for the country.

Thirdly, evidence of guilt.

Li Xuanzhi spoke in a cold tone, his eyes fixed on Fan Wuwei.

"I was ordered to return to the capital to report on my duties, and I have been dutiful to my subject and have followed the imperial edict. However, I was ambushed and killed by dozens of assassins at Black Wind Pass."

"The dead soldier's blade, his exclusive token, the assassination warrant, and the list of corpses—all the evidence is complete and sealed by the Imperial Guards. Some dare not argue the law in court, dare not confront the evidence, and dare not face the deep-seated problems of powerful families. So they take the risk of killing me to silence me and destroying the evidence to cover up their private misdeeds!"