The playboy county magistrate

Princess Ning'an of the Northern Desert.

Upon hearing the six words, the expressions of the people in the courtyard subtly changed.

The Dayong and Mobei regions have been at war for many years, and only recently reached a peace agreement.

They agreed to exchange diplomatic missions to each other's countries for friendly exchanges and mutual communication.

Princess Ning'an was the most beloved daughter of the Khan of the Northern Desert. She was always arrogant and domineering, taking advantage of his favor.

Relying on the superior military strength of the northern deserts, coupled with the deliberate appeasement by the Dayong court, they have always acted with impunity in Dayong, never taking ordinary court officials seriously.

No one expected that she would also be staying at the inn tonight, and that she would deliberately wander into this secluded main courtyard.

A clear, arrogant female voice, carrying an innate air of haughtiness and flippancy, rang out again from behind the courtyard wall, each word grating:

"I've heard that a young and capable minister has emerged from the Great Yong Dynasty and is staying here tonight? Open the door, this princess wants to see for herself."

The tone was utterly disrespectful, completely dismissive and contemptuous, as if the speaker were looking at a plaything.

Tang Zheng frowned deeply, and anger surged within him.

When a princess from another country passes through a region and stays at an inn, she should observe proper etiquette and show respect to the court officials.

At this moment, he broke into the residence of an important official at night, which was extremely disrespectful and presumptuous.

He did not open the door without permission, but turned to look into the room, waiting for Li Xuanzhi's instructions.

Li Xuanzhi remained calm, but a barely perceptible hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

The old court officials were indeed ruthless.

They knew that rumors and petty schemes about his private life were not enough to shake his foundation. So they used the arrogant and willful nature of the Northern Desert Princess as a raft.

This woman is known for her willful and unruly behavior, lacking any sense of propriety. Furthermore, given her special status, she is particularly adept at speaking recklessly and insulting others.

If she utters any outrageous words or stirs up any scandal tonight...

Tomorrow morning, rumors will spread throughout the court and the country that "Li Xuanzhi is having an affair with a foreign princess, colluding with foreign powers, or committing a disgrace to the nation."

Foreign relations are far more fatal than personal moral flaws.

"Open the door."

Li Xuanzhi spoke softly, his voice steady and calm.

Tang Zheng was slightly taken aback, but dared not hesitate, and slowly pushed open the courtyard gate.

The courtyard gates swung open, letting in moonlight that illuminated a line of black-clad, armored guards from the northern desert outside. Each guard was burly and imposing, with a cold and hard expression. Standing solemnly on both sides, their aura was overwhelming.

In the center of the crowd stood a young girl dressed in brocade and fine clothes.

She wore a long robe of brocade embroidered with gold from the northern desert, and her hair was adorned with dazzling pearls and jade. Her eyebrows and eyes were bright and flamboyant, her chin was slightly raised, she looked down on everyone, and her whole being exuded an arrogant and domineering air.

She didn't need to take a step; she possessed an air of superiority, as if everyone in the world should bow down and submit to her will.

It was Princess Ning'an of the Northern Desert.

She stepped into the courtyard, her gaze unabashedly landing on Li Xuanzhi on the steps.

He scrutinized her carefully from top to bottom and from left to right, his gaze unrestrained and blatant, as if selecting a toy to his liking. He showed absolutely no reverence whatsoever for important officials of the court or capable ministers of the realm.

That gaze swept over me with a naked scrutiny, contempt, and amusement, making me feel extremely uncomfortable.

Liu Yunrou felt a slight tightness in her heart and subconsciously took half a step forward, quietly standing diagonally to Li Xuanzhi's side.

The princess's gaze was too flippant and sarcastic; it was not a visit with goodwill, but rather a deliberate attempt to humiliate her.

Gu Pan'er's eyes instantly turned cold, and her fingers quietly clenched.

The princess was of noble birth and a distinguished guest from a foreign land. Her arrogant remarks were simply a matter of her nature, and no one else could hold her accountable.

However, as a minister of the Dayong Dynasty, Li Xuanzhi's mishandling of the situation would be disrespectful to foreign guests and a disgrace to the country.

If you swallow your anger, you will suffer unwarranted humiliation and lose face in front of so many people.

Princess Ning'an sized up Li Xuanzhi for a long time, a flash of amazement crossing her eyes. This quickly turned into a deep mockery and disdain; her red lips parted slightly, her tone extremely frivolous:

"No wonder everyone says that a peerless young man has emerged from the Great Yong Dynasty. He is indeed born with a handsome appearance. Compared to the male concubines I have carefully kept in the Northern Desert..." Princess Ning'an paused for a moment before adding with a smile, "He is even more outstanding."

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the courtyard instantly became tense.

The words "male concubine" floated into my ears, carrying the utmost humiliation.

Tang Zheng's chest surged with rage, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned blue and white, and he could hardly contain his urge to draw his sword.

The dignified pillar of the Great Yong Dynasty, a wise and benevolent minister, was so wantonly humiliated by a woman from a foreign land!

Even the usually composed Uncle Wang was furious at this moment.

He looked at Li Xuanzhi, whose expression remained unchanged, and was about to speak in rebuttal when he was quietly stopped by Li Xuanzhi's slightly raised eyes.

Princess Ning'an, completely disregarding the tense atmosphere in the courtyard, took two steps forward, getting closer to Li Xuanzhi. Her gaze grew increasingly wanton and greedy, her tone laced with an arrogant sense of entitlement.

"This princess is leading a delegation to the capital, and the journey has been quite tedious. I had heard that you were a capable minister of the Great Yong Dynasty, and I thought you would be a pedantic and boring old minister. I never expected you to be so young and handsome."

"You serve as an official in Dayong, working tirelessly at your desk every day, and are constantly impeached. You are hampered at every turn, and no matter how hard you try, you are still just a subject who is suspected and faces difficulties at every step."

A haughty smile played on her lips, as if bestowing a favor, her tone flippant yet certain.

"Why not come with me, abandon your official position in the court, and come to the Northern Desert to join my princess's residence as my personal lover? I'll guarantee you a life of luxury, and no one will dare to bully you. How about that? Compared to the hardships you endure in the Great Yong, suffering endless suspicion, isn't that a thousand times better?"

In the shadows outside the courtyard, countless spies held their breath, waiting for Li Xuanzhi to lose his composure.

As soon as Li Xuanzhi lost his temper and behaved improperly, they would immediately send a message to the court overnight to confirm all the charges against him.

The night wind swept through the courtyard, causing the candlelight to flicker wildly.

The dappled light and shadow made the armored guards in the courtyard appear even more imposing and solemn.

Princess Ning'an, seeing that Li Xuanzhi remained silent, assumed that he was hesitant and secretly weighing his options.

Her contempt grew stronger, and her smile widened.

"It's a real pity that someone as beautiful and graceful as you is buried in the infighting of the court. Entering my princess's residence, you won't have to worry about politics or the people's livelihood. You only need to serve me every day and please me. That will be the greatest opportunity of your life."

"What Dayong can give you, I, the princess, will give you double. Whatever grievances Dayong inflicts upon you, I, the princess, will shield you from. All I ask is that you be willing to be my vassal."

She was certain that no one could resist such a temptation of wealth and honor, and even more certain that this seemingly upright young official must be greedy for glory and wealth at heart.

Li Xuanzhi finally raised his eyes.

There was no rage, no loss of composure, and not a trace of embarrassment in his eyes.

There was only a serene and cold atmosphere, like the moon's reflection falling into a pool, clear yet piercing.

He gazed silently at the arrogant and unruly foreign princess before him, his heart unmoved.

"The princess has misjudged people and misjudged the heart of the Emperor of Yong."

"I disdain the wealth and status of the princess's residence. The opportunity the princess speaks of is something I will despise for the rest of my life."

Princess Ning'an's smile froze instantly, her arrogance turning into astonishment, followed by intense anger and disbelief.

As the most favored princess of the northern desert, she was always the object of everyone's adoration and fawning. No one had ever dared to discard her charity as worthless.

She stared intently at Li Xuanzhi, her eyes suddenly sharpening, her tone cold and angry.

"You dare refuse me?"

"Do you know what crime it is to refuse this princess?"