The playboy county magistrate

Li Xuanzhi's gaze narrowed slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

The old court officials only resort to such petty and underhanded methods; they are truly as despicable as ever.

"Open all windows for ventilation, remove all incense burners, and inspect each item in the room."

Liu Yunrou gave the order in a deep voice, adding, "Go and fetch a few more buckets of clean water to splash on the ground."

Liu Yunrou also took the lead and went inside herself, while taking out the Refreshing Herbal Incense from her sachet, lighting it and placing it in the corner of the room.

After spending a considerable amount of time getting ready, the inn's servants brought in several exquisite dishes, tea, and snacks.

They appeared to be very polite and their behavior seemed flawless.

Tang Zheng had been by Li Xuanzhi's side for a long time, and he knew that Li Xuanzhi had been schemed against both openly and secretly when he was in the capital. In addition, the people he had been dealing with recently were even more insidious and had made considerable progress in certain matters. It could be said that they were most familiar with all kinds of underhanded methods.

Tang Zheng's gaze had just swept over the food and tea when he immediately noticed something strange.

He raised his hand to stop everyone from picking up their chopsticks, and bent down to examine them carefully.

"Sir, the food is not poisonous, and the tea is clean, but..."

"These pastries contain a trace amount of warming and drying medicinal powder, which is fine to eat on its own. However, the tea they brought has the effect of warding off the cold. If eaten together, it will cause internal heat to attack the heart, eventually leading to a feeling of chest tightness and insomnia. These two cold dishes are on the colder side. Although they seem refreshing and cleansing, they actually clash with the evening breeze and dew, and can easily cause a cold and low-grade fever at night."

It's not fatal, but it can keep you up all night and cause minor ailments.

We'll have to continue our journey tomorrow, and if everyone sets off in this state, there's no guarantee that unexpected situations won't arise along the way.

However, if they do not leave the inn, the longer the delay, the more time the other party will have to prepare more thoroughly.

"Remove everything, don't use any of it," Li Xuanzhi coldly ordered. "We have our own dry rations and clean water, we can manage. The inn's supplies are limited, let's leave them for those who need them more."

It's a pity we won't be able to have a decent meal.

The innkeeper's servant was called back, and now he was being ushered out carrying untouched food. A look of astonishment and resentment flashed in his eyes. But he dared not say a word and could only obediently bow and leave.

With their schemes repeatedly foiled, the prying eyes outside the courtyard grew even more intense.

As dusk settled, night quietly enveloped the inn.

Outside the main courtyard, footsteps echoed softly, and figures moved about frequently.

While it appeared to be a routine night patrol at the post station, spies were actually constantly spying on the place, recording what was happening inside, and waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Even worse, some have begun to spread rumors in secret. They use the words of passing merchants and officials who are resting there to subtly spread the following:

Li Xuanzhi, accompanied by women, lived a life of extreme luxury in his private residence, the main courtyard.

Gu Pan'er stood under the corridor, listening to the faint whispers coming from outside the courtyard, her eyes cold and clear.

"When their schemes failed during the day, they decided to use the night to spread rumors and tarnish your reputation for no reason."

"Miss Yunrou and I are already the master's people. What's wrong with serving him? Besides, we haven't done anything wrong along the way, not even the slightest thing. Why should they use rumors about private matters between men and women and so-called extravagant lifestyles to smear your upright reputation?"

Li Xuanzhi stood in the courtyard under the moonlight, the evening breeze ruffling his robes, his brows and eyes clear and sharp as frost. There was not a trace of anger, only understanding.

"Because they had no better options, they could only resort to the cheapest method."

Li Xuanzhi gently patted Gu Pan'er's shoulder, who was trembling with anger, and then gave the order in a deep voice:

"Tang Zheng, order the shadow guards to strictly guard the courtyard gates. No one is allowed to approach tonight. Seal off any movement inside the courtyard and prevent any outside spying."

Tang Zheng stood at the courtyard gate, his back ramrod straight, his gaze fixed on the deep shadows of the lamplight in the front courtyard of the post station. He had deliberately taken an extra half-circle under the pretext of patrolling the courtyard, and the more he looked, the colder his heart became.

The inn tonight is much more lively than I imagined.

The officials and merchants from the north and south who stopped to rest chatted and laughed softly, but the sounds never stopped.

The most unusual thing is that these people don't go back to rest late at night. Instead, they sit leisurely on the stone benches outside, watching the fish swimming in the lake, but their eyes always seem to be glancing at the courtyard wall.

It wasn't blatant spying, but rather extremely sophisticated and well-hidden surveillance.

Tang Zheng gently stroked the hilt of the knife with his fingertips, his knuckles slightly clenched, and he thought to himself:

Sure enough, the old ministers of the court had already spread their influence throughout this area.

Tang Zheng turned his head and spoke in a low voice to the two shadow guards accompanying him in the corridor, making sure that only they could hear what he was saying.

"Something's off with the people outside. More than half of them are unfamiliar faces that I haven't seen since arriving at the post station today. They're not the post station's regular staff, nor are they ordinary merchants on their way."

The accompanying shadow guards were all from the palace and were used to such things; they had a premonition in their hearts.

From the moment they stepped into the post station and were deliberately restricted in their courtyard by the postmaster, they understood that the other party's purpose today was not simply to make things difficult for them.

What they wanted was everything from food, clothing, shelter, and transportation to physical health, mood, and even reputation. They were slowly wearing down Li Xuanzhi's character.

The shadow guard raised his eyes, looked out at the deep night outside the courtyard, and said softly:

"They dare not act openly. Your Excellency is a meritorious official, and you have us, His Majesty's personal men, accompanying and protecting you. If they dare to harm you in public, it would be treason."

He paused slightly, his gaze growing colder, before uttering the second half of his sentence.

"So all they do is grind. Grind their spirit, grind their condition, grind their reputation, grind their sense of propriety in dealing with people."

Those old ministers in the court have been entrenched in power for decades. They know the rules best and how to use them to kill without shedding blood.

On the surface, every sentence is a testament to ancestral rules and the nation's interests, brimming with righteous indignation.

Behind the scenes, they resort to all sorts of underhanded tricks and schemes.

They knew that Li Xuanzhi was more confident this time back in the capital.

A direct confrontation is futile.

You can't force it down.

"They're getting anxious."

Inside the room, Li Xuanzhi rubbed his temples and spoke slowly after a long while. His voice was calm, yet it conveyed a sense of certainty that he understood everything.

"The more anxious they are, the easier it is for them to slip up. But tonight will be tough; they won't let us get through the night in peace."

Almost as soon as Li Xuanzhi finished speaking, a melodious, silvery laugh suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

The sound was neither too far nor too near, just enough to drift into the courtyard.

"I heard that Lord Li from Pingzhou brought two women with him on his return to the capital?"

A woman's voice, feigning casualness, rang out. Her tone was flippant, and she sounded utterly reckless as she continued:

"Can those women be as beautiful as me? I've heard that Lord Li is exceptionally handsome and talented. I'll go and see for myself. If he's not too bad looking, then I, the princess, will take him as my male consort. That would be incredibly lucky for him, like his ancestors were blessed with good fortune."

Outside the courtyard gate came the extremely respectful greetings of the courier, his posture utterly humble.

"Princess Ning'an of the Northern Desert has arrived with her delegation to visit Lord Li!"