The playboy county magistrate

Almost as soon as Li Xuanzhi finished speaking, Li Dehai's image as a loving father completely collapsed, and he kicked Li Xuanzhi directly.

"You little brat! Instead of finding yourself a wife to take care of you, why are you asking for my wife?!"

Li Xuanzhi quickly dodged, muttering to himself as he continued to thrash about in his father's irritable heart.

"Father, you're mistaken. There are so many concubines in our household. Even if we arranged them on a schedule, with each one taking care of you for a day, it wouldn't be enough for more than two rounds in a month. What's wrong with me having my mother come with me?"

Li Dehai felt that this brat son was truly unacceptable.

"How old are you? Still talking about your mother all the time when you're out in public. What? Are you a baby who hasn't been weaned?"

Li Xuanzhi scoffed, "You're still vying with my uncles and elders for the title of ancestor. If we're talking about not being weaned, it's you who have a bigger problem."

"You little brat! Get lost! Get far away from me, just looking at you annoys me!"

Li Xuanzhi pursed his lips, thinking to himself: It's not like I like you.

The carriages and horses were ready to depart, and the accompanying guards stood in formation. The ones standing at the front and the back were the ten-man squad of imperial shadow guards who had been ordered to escort Li Xuanzhi and ensure his safety, and who would stay with Li Xuanzhi in Pingzhou.

At the city gate, countless scholars from humble backgrounds, minor officials, and ordinary people from the capital spontaneously saw him off.

"May Lord Li have a safe journey!"

May the new policies be implemented throughout the land, and may all people live in peace and prosperity!

The shouts of farewell echoed continuously, their simple and sincere voices resounding both inside and outside the city gates.

Li Xuanzhi stood before the carriage and horses, turning to look at the majestic imperial city, his gaze deep yet gentle.

That high-walled, deep palace concealed all the intrigues and treacherous schemes, as well as the coldness and warmth of human nature.

There was the king he met by chance in his youth in the marketplace, and the corrupt court he confronted and swept away. There was suspicion and checks and balances, but also mutual understanding and trust.

"Let's set off."

As Li Xuanzhi's carriage drove further and further away, Zhang's tears fell even more fiercely.

Returning to Pingzhou this time, there were no more assassins chasing us day and night, nor were there any rumors of the city being overthrown.

The Imperial Shadow Guards, arranged in front and behind, served as both supreme protectors bestowed by the emperor and a silent deterrent to all the prefectures and counties under heaven.

The political situation has been settled, and the new policies are legitimate.

Now no one dares to speak ill of Li Xuanzhi in the slightest, and no one dares to obstruct the new policies in the slightest.

Gu Pan'er leaned against the car wall, her tense nerves finally relaxing, and her eyes were filled with a gentle smile.

"Looking at the world now, I find it completely different."

Before entering Beijing, everyone was filled with anxiety.

Along the way, the prefectures and counties were exhausted by the exploitation of the gentry, the people looked sad and miserable, and the cities were desolate and oppressive.

But now, on the way home, everything is full of life.

Li Xuanzhi sat quietly by the window, the wound on his shoulder already healed and scabbed over. The sharp edge he had displayed during their confrontation in court had faded, replaced by a gentle and serene expression.

"The spirit of new policies is most conducive to nurturing people. What is eliminated from the court is power; what is stable in the localities is the people."

The downfall of powerful figures in the capital and the purges in the imperial court were too distant for ordinary people.

They don't care who wins or loses, or who controls the government.

They only care about whether they have land to cultivate and work to do. Taxes can be light, and life can be peaceful.

"Fan Wuwei and his group are like rotten wood floating on the surface of the court, easy to clear away and get rid of. But the deep-rooted problems hidden in the countryside are like old roots deeply embedded in the soil, very difficult to uproot."

This new policy has spread throughout the country and seems to be an unstoppable trend, but in reality, countless local gentry and clans are lying in wait and watching.

They dared not openly defy the imperial edict, nor openly resist the new policies.

But they will inevitably delay and evade the issue behind the scenes, paying lip service while secretly disobeying orders.

If the new policies are slightly flawed or stalled, these dormant local forces will make a comeback.

If it weren't for the fear that things might develop in an undesirable direction, Li Xuanzhi would have actually planned to stay in the capital.

Nobody is a masochist. Why would someone give up a leisurely life and make themselves suffer every day?

The carriages and horses traveled day and night, without disturbing the people or the prefectures and counties, speeding all the way.

The closer it got to Pingzhou, the more prosperous it became.

The official road along the way was smooth and wide, with a constant stream of merchants and travelers.

The barren fields beside the official road have all been reclaimed into fertile land, and the chimneys of the former abandoned workshops are now emitting wisps of smoke.

The rural market was bustling and lively, and the people had rosy complexions and walked with ease.

As you approach the gate of Pingzhou Prefecture, you can see a large group of people standing quietly waiting in the distance.

Cao County Assistant... no, he should be called Cao County Magistrate of Fuyu County.

The magistrate of Cao County, along with all the officials of the prefecture, stood at the front, their postures upright and their expressions solemn.

Following them were village elders, renowned artisans from various workshops, and well-known merchants from the marketplace who were skilled in business and praised by everyone.

The carriage slowly moved to a stop in front of the Pingzhou government office, and Li Xuanzhi lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage.

The next instant, a deafening roar erupted.

"Welcome home, Lord Li!"

"Thank you, sir, for protecting the people of Pingzhou!"

Every word was earnest and sincere.

It is the most sincere gratitude of the people, and the hearts of the people that the powerful and wealthy in the court can never win.

Magistrate Cao hurried forward, bowed deeply, his eyes filled with excitement and respect.

"My lord! The entire Pingzhou region has been eagerly awaiting your return day and night! The new policies are firmly established, and the administration is clean and efficient. The people live in peace and tranquility, and no old malpractices have resurfaced!"

He lived up to the trust placed in him and steadily protected Pingzhou, this fertile land of new governance.

Li Xuanzhi raised his hand to support her, his heart burning with warmth.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

A simple greeting brought tears to the eyes of countless people.

The welcoming ceremony lasted for a full hour before gradually dissipating.

The people were reluctant to leave, their hearts filled with longing for a peaceful future.

After calming the people down, Li Xuanzhi, along with Gu Pan'er and Magistrate Cao and other officials, entered the government office.

The imperial guards, following the emperor's decree, immediately released carrier pigeons to return to the capital to report.

Everyone stayed in Pingzhou, hiding in the streets and alleys and inside and outside the government office.

Upon arriving at the back hall, Magistrate Cao immediately presented all the state affairs files, people's livelihood ledgers, and official inspection records for the past few days, bowing and reporting them in detail.

"My lord, since you came to the capital, I have strictly implemented the new policies in accordance with the regulations you left behind. I have redistributed land, standardized taxes, and strictly investigated private corruption. The whole process has been open and transparent, and subject to the supervision of the people. In the past few months, the taxes of the whole prefecture have been fully deposited into the treasury, with no deficits and no cases of gentry and local bullies disturbing the people have been reported."

"However..." Magistrate Cao paused slightly, "I recently went on a secret inspection tour of various counties with Old Feng and discovered some unusual things."

Li Xuanzhi sat upright at the table, lightly tapping the tabletop with his fingertips, his expression calm: "Speak frankly."

"Although there are no overt conflicts in the implementation of the new policies in each county, there are many minor obstacles."

"The measurement of some rural farmland is delayed, and the reporting process for some workshops is repeatedly postponed. Furthermore, the subsidies for reclaimed land in many villages have not yet been fully distributed to the households."

"Upon careful investigation, I found that all the officials in charge had performed their duties in accordance with the rules and there was no sign of corruption or malpractice. The problem was that all the issues were stuck at the level of the village elders and the head of the village. Most of these village elders and the head of the village were still collateral branches of the old aristocratic families, people who had been attached to the local gentry in the past."