The playboy county magistrate

Commander Feng galloped between the nearby checkpoints, issuing clear commands and coordinating operations in an orderly manner.

The officers and soldiers acted swiftly and accurately, capturing every person who deliberately caused trouble, set fire to grain, or trampled on fertile fields.

There was no involvement of bystanders, and no chaotic suppression.

Precise strikes, pinpoint capture of the perpetrators—the precision and tact were impeccable.

The sudden counter-encirclement caught all the troublemakers completely off guard.

Those foolish, deceived refugees who thought it was just a mass petition were instantly panicked and stood frozen in place.

The servants and assassins carefully trained by the various families were utterly astonished.

How could the government be in place ahead of schedule?

How could they accurately guard against every point of trouble?

How could they know so much about their plans?

Under the old locust tree, the ecstatic joy on the face of the Liu family head suddenly froze, and his pupils contracted sharply.

He watched as his meticulously orchestrated chaos crumbled the moment it began to unfold. A chilling shiver ran through him.

Something's not right, something's really not right.

His plan was extremely secretive, involving overnight coordination and covert operations.

Only the heads and core members of the major families knew the whole plan; outsiders had no way of finding out.

Even if the government had taken precautions, it could only conduct broad patrols. It was impossible to precisely target specific points and handle the situation so quickly and thoroughly.

"What happened?!" The Wang family patriarch, standing to the side, was deathly pale and his voice trembled.

"It seems they...knew exactly where we were going to make our move!"

The head of the other clan also trembled, filled with fear, and said:

"Perfect! All the uprising points were surrounded, and not a single one of our men escaped! This wasn't precaution; it was... a trap set up in advance for us to walk into!"

In a short time, all the troublemakers in the eight locations were captured.

The fire did not ignite the seeds, and the trampling did not spread to the fertile fields.

Their carefully planned chaos collapsed before it could even take shape.

The people were initially startled, but then they understood everything.

Seeing the troublemakers being escorted to their knees by soldiers, and seeing the weapons and embers of fire hidden on the ground, the people instantly understood—someone was deliberately causing trouble today in order to destroy the crops and ruin their hard-won peaceful life.

"So someone was deliberately causing trouble! They don't want us to have a good life!"

"The new policy is clearly meant to save our lives, yet these wicked people insist on spreading rumors and causing chaos!"

On the high platform, Li Xuanzhi quietly surveyed the turbulent scene, his expression remaining calm and aloof, without the slightest ripple.

He slowly took a step forward, and his clear voice once again resounded throughout the venue, drowning out all the noise.

"Three days ago, someone secretly informed this official."

"Some aristocratic families, still clinging to old privileges, are unwilling to relinquish their rights and are attempting to act against the tide of history. They are plotting to burn grain and destroy farmland today, inciting popular unrest. Their aim is to overthrow the new policies and wreak havoc on Pingzhou."

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.

All the common people turned their heads, their gazes fixed on the pale-faced and stiff-bodied Liu family head and other heads of powerful clans.

Li Xuanzhi's gaze was sharp as a knife as he stared directly at the Liu family head under the old locust tree.

"You have occupied the countryside for generations, monopolized the land, and exploited the people for over a century. With the implementation of the new policy, your private taxes have been exempted, and your surplus land has been distributed. We have not wiped you out completely, but have left you with a glimmer of hope."

"But you are unrepentant and do not appreciate the Emperor's grace. You are obsessed with your own wealth and power, and you do not hesitate to stir up unrest and damage people's livelihoods."

"Clearly, it is they who have defied the heavens and harmed the people, yet they attempt to shift the blame onto the new policies, slander this official, and deceive the people!"

The head of the Liu family felt cold all over, his fists clenched tightly, his eyes filled with resentment and madness, yet he had no way to refute it.

Everything he had painstakingly planned was exposed.

"Tang Zheng," Li Xuanzhi ordered in a deep voice.

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Apprehend the ringleaders from the major families who caused the disturbance, seize their secret letters of collusion, and compile a list of conspirators and concrete evidence of their rebellion. Publicly announce this to set the record straight!"

"Yes, sir!"

Tang Zheng moved swiftly, leading his shadow guards out and instantly landing in front of the Liu family head and the other family heads.

The iron chains clattered to the ground, firmly locking up several once-powerful heads of various clans.

A respected elder from a prominent family who once controlled the affairs of Pingzhou Township, monopolized the local area, and was someone no one dared to provoke.

At this moment, they were all prisoners, utterly humiliated and disgraced.

Officers and soldiers simultaneously searched and confiscated the secret letters carried by everyone.

On the pages, words are strung together, revealing a plot of rebellion, laid out in a series of points. Every word is clear, the evidence irrefutable.

The evidence was made public, and the people saw it clearly, which ignited their anger completely.

"They've called themselves local worthies for generations! In reality, they're treacherous villains who bring disaster to the people!"

"Destroying fertile fields and cutting off our livelihood is a crime deserving of death!"

Curses and insults rose and fell.

Bound by iron chains, the head of the Liu family hung his head in a sorry state, the last trace of his obsession in his eyes shattered completely.

He finally realized that he had lost completely.

He suddenly looked up, pushed through the crowd, and stared intently at Liu Yunrou, who stood quietly in the crowd.

Eyes facing each other.

Liu Yunrou remained calm, showing no hesitation or remorse.

A metallic taste rose in the throat of the Liu family head, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. His eyes were filled with regret, anger, and despair.

On the high platform, Li Xuanzhi announced the verdict.

"From this day forward, the hereditary private rights of the major families in Pingzhou are abolished, the monopoly system by village elders is eliminated, and centuries-old malpractices and bad habits are destroyed!"

"From this day forward, the land of Pingzhou belongs to the people, the power belongs to the law, and the benefits belong to the masses!"

"No powerful families act arrogantly, no local gentry oppress the people. Only justice prevails, and only the common people live in lasting peace!"

The deafening cheers lingered for a long time. The people knelt beside the newly reclaimed fertile fields, gazing at the upright and dignified figure on the high platform, their eyes filled with an unprecedented trust and sense of security.

Tang Zheng, escorting the heads of several major families and holding the secret letters and lists of names and evidence of rebellion that had been seized, strode to the open space in front of the stage.

Several people were bound by cold iron chains; they were once well-dressed, respected elders of powerful families who held sway over the region.

At this moment, his hair was disheveled, his face was ashen, and he looked utterly wretched, with none of his former imposing demeanor remaining.

"Thankfully, the magistrate was astute and saw through the treacherous plot beforehand! Otherwise, our harvest this year and our livelihood next year would have been completely ruined!"

"They deserve to die! They should all be severely punished without exception!"

The surrounding crowd gathered in layers, their shouts and curses echoing endlessly.

After months of being nurtured by the new policies, the people have long since escaped the hardships of being displaced and starving.

They were allocated fertile land and exempted from heavy taxes, thus truly grasping their own livelihood.

Now that they know that everything these people have done is based on the lives and property of all the common people, the anger and hatred in their hearts have long since overwhelmed all fear.

The other clan leaders were already ashen-faced, heads bowed and silent, completely devoid of their former arrogance and domineering nature.

Only the head of the Liu family remained stubbornly holding his head high. His cloudy eyes swept over the jubilant crowd, finally settling on Liu Yunrou, who stood calmly and serenely among them.

His gaze was heavy, filled with endless regret and an extreme sense of resentment.

The head of the Liu family stared at her for a long time, a metallic taste rising in his throat again, and a trace of dark red blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Half a lifetime of scheming and plotting. He schemed and plotted, yet ultimately fell victim to the very granddaughter he raised himself—a truly ironic end.

"Take him back to the prefectural jail, keep him under strict guard, and await trial and sentencing."