The playboy county magistrate

Upon hearing the steward relay the message, Li Xuanjing's expression grew even more somber.

Now even his own father doesn't like him anymore, and he doesn't even want to step into his study, so he just sends over a steward from the manor.

But what could he do?

He wasn't Li Xuanzhi; he couldn't dare to show disrespect to his father without fear of punishment.

Li Xuanzhi didn't care at all what Li Xuanjing and everyone else in the Marquis's mansion were thinking. Right now, all he wanted was a good night's sleep; he had other things to do tomorrow.

If it weren't for the fact that his mother, Zhang, treated him so well, Li Xuanzhi would rather sleep in an inn than return to the Chengen Earl's Mansion.

After all, who would want to live under the same roof as an enemy they desperately want to get rid of?

The following morning, the imperial edict was issued and proclaimed to the world.

The corrupt practice of hereditary privilege among aristocratic families was abolished, and officials and nobles in the court were prohibited from forming cliques and engaging in private activities.

Local gentry and clan leaders were strictly forbidden from annexing private lands and exploiting villagers.

The new policies of Pingzhou were widely publicized, and officials in all prefectures and counties were instructed to emulate and study them. They were implemented selectively and steadily.

Officials and gentry across the land were terrified upon hearing the news, while countless ordinary people, poor scholars, and impoverished craftsmen celebrated with joy.

The new policies that benefit the people are no longer an exception in Pingzhou, but a legitimate national policy.

……

Li Xuanzhi had just woken up and finished washing up when Uncle Wang walked in with a smile.

"Second Young Master, Master and Madam didn't sleep last night; they were both waiting in the main hall to see you. But you were too tired, so they didn't summon you to have a talk."

Let's leave it at that; it would be impolite to go into any further detail.

Li Xuanzhi naturally understood what Wang Bo meant, and he had no intention of continuing to delay the meeting.

Just then, Tang Zheng walked in with a big bag and small packages, all smiles.

"Second Young Master, the local specialties you asked me to prepare are all ready! I just received them at the post station, and they've just arrived."

Li Xuanzhi changed his clothes before nodding with a smile.

"Let's go, at least we didn't come empty-handed."

He didn't need to worry about Gu Pan'er, since the Imperial City Guard was staffed with people trusted by the Emperor.

Now that she is the emperor's most trusted minister, those people, as long as they are not completely out of line, will treat Gu Pan'er well out of respect for her, and will not bully or ignore her.

As soon as Li Xuanzhi stepped out of the courtyard, someone hurried toward Zhang's courtyard.

Zhang got up very early, but Chengen Earl Li Dehai got up even earlier than her today. He changed his clothes no less than eight times, just to wait and see his second son.

Now that the news has arrived, the children have finally come to visit them, and they are incredibly excited.

"Xuanzhi likes chicken porridge. Go ask the kitchen if it's ready. We can serve it now!"

Li Xuanjing had been thinking about this all night, not sleeping a wink. Just as he was starting to feel a little sleepy, he heard the servants outside whispering and laughing—

"It's good that the Second Young Master is back. Even we get a reward. I wonder how much the people who serve the Second Young Master and the people on the Madam's side got."

"Shh... keep your voice down! Don't you know our young master doesn't like the madam and the second young master? We can take the reward money and keep our gratitude to ourselves, but don't let our young master know. If he's unhappy, you'll be in big trouble!"

"Sigh... Outsiders only see that we're living a glamorous life following the young master, but who knows our suffering? Following such a capricious master who's always on his mind, beating and scolding us, and is also stingy and miserly, is tough!"

Li Xuanjing clenched his fists in anger, unaware of the heartwarming scene unfolding in Zhang's courtyard at that moment, where the "family of three" were enjoying a peaceful breakfast together.

"Good child, come here quickly and let your mother see you!"

Zhang's eyes instantly reddened. She pulled Li Xuanzhi up and down, and tears streamed down her face. She felt a lump in her throat, and her voice choked with emotion.

"You've gotten tanned and thinner. Have you been eating poorly while you were out? How did you end up like this?"

Li Xuanzhi used to be fair-skinned and plump, or at least as clean-cut as a young woman. When did she become so rough?

Li Xuanzhi chuckled and gently put his arm around his mother's shoulder, who was a head shorter than him. Suddenly, the arm aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain.

Zhang immediately thought of her second son's assassination attempt upon returning to the capital, and in fright, she hurriedly shouted outside:

"Steward! Go and fetch the royal physician!"

As Zhang smelled the medicinal fragrance emanating from Li Xuanzhi, tears welled up in her eyes again.

Li Xuanzhi wasn't afraid of anything else, except for women crying.

Especially after seeing that Zhang looked exactly like her mother, who had passed away early before her transmigration and loved her dearly, he didn't want to see Zhang shed tears, so he quickly whispered to comfort her:

"Mother, don't worry. Yesterday, His Majesty kept me in the palace. Apart from normal conversations, he also had the imperial physician come and give me a thorough examination."

"The imperial physician has already told us what to be careful about, and even prescribed the medicine. Mother, please rest assured, there won't even be a scar left in the future."

As soon as Li Xuanzhi finished speaking, his father, Marquis Chengen Li Dehai, who felt neglected, immediately snorted, finally finding a place to interject.

"You're a grown man, not a girl. What's wrong with a few scars? Consider it a keepsake. It will be a reminder to be prepared when you see your scars in the future, and prevent this from happening again. It's a constant reminder."

Zhang couldn't help but roll her eyes wide.

What causes scarring?

Because Li Xuanjing himself chose his future wife's biological father!

It's easy for someone standing still to talk like that. No matter which son it is, they are all Li Dehai's offspring, so he's not worried at all.

But she, as a mother, only gave birth to this one precious child, who was her treasure, her very eye!

"If you don't like the food in my house, my lord, you can go to Aunt Sun's place where she's a good cook. If that doesn't work, you can go to Aunt Liu's place; you might even see your beloved eldest son there."

Aunt Liu was Li Xuanjing's aunt. Over the years, she had often tried to compete with him by relying on Li Xuanjing, the eldest son left by the late wife.

Li Dehai suddenly shut up, not daring to say another word.

Don't let Zhang's usual cautious and meek demeanor fool you; if she's truly angered, she's capable of unleashing a barrage of punches on him, the head of the household, while he's asleep.

Especially after Li Xuanzhi became successful, Zhang's family also rose in status.

Not only did Li Xuanzhi's maternal grandfather transform from Vice Minister of Revenue to Minister of Revenue, but even Li Xuanzhi's maternal uncle, Zhang's half-brother, was now appointed by the emperor to join the Imperial Guard and given the position of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, specifically responsible for the safety of the Crown Prince who had just turned three.

As for the Li family, the fact that they weren't implicated because of that fool Li Xuanjing was already a great act of mercy from the emperor.