The playboy county magistrate

Li Xuanzhi slowly rose, his posture as upright as a pine tree. Standing on the steps, his upright and honest demeanor overshadowed the arrogance of the foreign procession filling the courtyard.

His gaze swept over the other person indifferently, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

"As a subject of the Great Yong, I have received the favor of the Great Yong Emperor and am solely responsible for guarding the land and rivers of Great Yong. Foreign relatives and private affairs are neither appropriate for me, nor something I desire, nor something I fear."

"The princess has overstepped her bounds by barging into the palace tonight and uttered insults against me, which is a disrespect to the court. It is the princess who has acted improperly, not me."

Princess Ning'an's face darkened completely, her beautiful eyebrows and eyes were covered with frost, and her arrogant and fierce aura burst forth.

"Well done! What a sharp-tongued minister of the Yongzheng Emperor!"

"I'll remember you. I'd like to see if your so-called upright and capable minister can withstand the questioning of my Northern Desert delegation!"

In her fury, she flung her sleeve violently. The pearls and jade clashed, producing a jarring, sharp sound. Filled with arrogance and ferocity, she turned and stormed off.

The armored ceremonial guard from the northern desert followed closely behind, and in an instant, they all withdrew from the courtyard where Li Xuanzhi was.

The next day, dawn broke.

After packing up, Li Xuanzhi and his entourage were discharged from the hospital on time and set off.

Tang Zheng was still dressed in black, with a sword at his side, and his eyes were even colder than yesterday.

Last night, Princess Ning'an of the northern desert was publicly humiliated. The group of people who were spying on her openly and secretly were definitely not acting on a whim.

Since we're traveling to Beijing together today, there's bound to be some deliberate targeting.

He remained secretly vigilant and, together with his shadow guards, deployed even more densely. Their flanks intertwined, providing no opportunity for outsiders to exploit.

Li Xuanzhi slowly stepped onto the main carriage, his expression calm and composed.

The humiliation and scheming of last night were all hidden in his heart, not showing a trace on his face.

He knew all too well that the real battlefield was not the verbal battles at the post station or the struggles along the way, but in the imperial palace, under the watchful eyes of the court and the public.

As soon as the carriages and horses left the fork in the post road, a luxurious procession blocked the way in the middle of the official road ahead.

The gilded carriage was spacious and luxurious, pulled by four pure-colored fine horses, and the curtains were embroidered with totem patterns from the northern desert.

The heavily armored guards on both sides stood in strict formation, exuding a chilling aura; this was the ceremonial guard of Princess Ning'an of the Northern Desert.

The other side neither blocked nor obstructed, nor caused any trouble. They simply walked at a leisurely pace in the middle of the official road, steadily occupying the main road and deliberately slowing down their pace, clearly intending to suppress Li Xuanzhi's group.

Tang Zheng's brows furrowed instantly, his palm gripped the hilt of his knife, and he reported in a low voice to the person inside the car.

"Second Young Master, the Northern Desert delegation is deliberately blocking my way by slowing down our progress. According to the regulations of the Great Yong Dynasty, important officials returning to the capital can proceed first on the official roads around the capital. Their actions are intentional."

Inside the carriage, Li Xuanzhi spoke calmly, as if he didn't care about anything.

"There's no need to fight for the road; just follow behind at a slow pace."

The other party was trying to force him to overtake, to urge him to speed up, and thus to start a dispute.

If his troops were to show the slightest impatience or loss of composure, the spies and former officials lurking along the way would immediately record it and send it back to the court, turning it into evidence of "arrogance and bullying of foreign nations."

If the other party deliberately sets a trap, he simply won't take the bait.

The convoy immediately slowed down, steadily following behind the delegation from the northern desert. They neither chased nor rushed, demonstrating impeccable manners.

Inside the front carriage, Princess Ning'an leaned against a soft brocade cushion, her eyes fixed on the procession of carriages carrying Li Xuanzhi behind her through the lace curtains.

She was publicly rejected by Li Xuanzhi last night, which humiliated her, and her anger lingered.

In the northern desert, she was always respected, feared, and flattered by others.

Who would dare to discard her charity like trash? Let alone dare to publicly humiliate her.

Her fingertips unconsciously caressed the precious jade bracelet on her wrist, her eyes filled with resentment and stubborn pride.

She had thought that if she simply maintained a little restraint with her entourage during the procession, the young official would surely lose his composure.

Whether by sending messengers to urge her to leave or by feigning weakness, even the slightest bit of awkwardness or embarrassment could dispel the frustration she felt the previous night.

But he was unbelievably steady.

Without vying or fighting, without being impatient or complaining, they followed quietly and steadily, without being able to find the slightest fault in them.

On the contrary, it made their own deliberate act of blocking the road seem petty and unreasonable.

"You're quite composed," Princess Ning'an sneered, her heart filled with impatience. "I'd like to see how long you can keep up this act."

She raised her hand to lift the carriage curtain and called out to the convoy behind her. Her voice was clear and loud, deliberately meant to carry on both sides of the official road, each word carrying a condescending and disdainful tone.

"I've heard that the new officials of the Great Yong are the most disciplined and humble. In my opinion, it's you officials who only follow along blindly, cowards who don't even have the slightest courage to clear the way."

The spies lurking along both sides of the official road held their breath upon hearing this, awaiting Li Xuanzhi's reply. They hoped he would become enraged and lose his temper.

Outside the car, Tang Zheng's face darkened, and he was about to speak up in rebuttal, but was stopped by a calm voice from inside the car.

No response is needed.

Li Xuanzhi's voice was calm and even, coming through the carriage curtain without any urgency or impatience.

"There should be order in walking, and distinction between elders and juniors. Foreign guests should go first, which is the proper etiquette of our Great Yong. To follow the rules is not cowardice, but the dignity of the court."

With a single sentence, he deftly defused the other party's sarcasm.

It upheld the hospitality etiquette of the Great Yong Dynasty while subtly criticizing the other party for being ignorant of etiquette and arrogant due to their favor.

Princess Ning'an, who was in the carriage in front, stiffened again upon hearing this.

She intended to verbally intimidate the other person and trample them underfoot.

Unexpectedly, the other party caught him firmly in a few words and even gained the upper hand without him noticing.

She felt increasingly frustrated, realizing that Li Xuanzhi was impervious to both soft and hard approaches, a hundred times more difficult to deal with than those sycophantic and obsequious old ministers in the court.

The deputy envoy from the northern desert accompanying her whispered, "Princess, there are many eyes and ears on this official road. We must not provoke them recklessly, lest we lose face for the northern desert. It is not too late to make a move in the court after we enter the capital of Dayong."

"Dignity?" Princess Ning'an raised an eyebrow, her eyes flashing with even more malice. "He insulted me last night, and today I'll make sure he has a miserable journey! My dignity is always earned, not something I endure!"

She wouldn't listen to any advice; her pride and possessiveness were intertwined within her.

The more she was rejected and treated coldly, the more unwilling she became.

Having witnessed countless acts of sycophancy, Li Xuanzhi's uprightness, pride, and refusal to bow to wealth and status only intensified her obsession. It was a mixture of anger and a somewhat fanatical covetousness.

The delegation from northern Mongolia deliberately slowed down along the way, sometimes stopping abruptly and sometimes moving slowly, intentionally disrupting the rhythm of the procession behind them.

As villagers watched from the roadside, the servants accompanying the Northern Expedition deliberately spoke loudly, spreading rumors that "Li Xuanzhi failed to flatter foreigners and instead insulted them, becoming arrogant and conceited because of his achievements."

Along the way, passing inns and teahouses, the Ironclad Guards of the Northern Desert deliberately occupied all the open spaces beside the road, blocking any possibility of Li Xuanzhi's group taking the initiative to advance.

Tang Zheng clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly.

He was a man of iron will and could not stand such underhanded and petty tricks.

But he knew the gravity of the situation and understood that if a conflict broke out today, it would give the other side a handle to completely confirm their framing.

They could only grit their teeth and endure it, steadily protecting the team.