The playboy county magistrate

Li Xuanzhi's expression remained unchanged, and there was not a trace of yielding in his eyes.

"Generous gifts are a courtesy in diplomatic relations; demanding a minister's presence is an overstepping of boundaries."

"When the two countries interact, engage in trade and tribute, and establish alliances through marriage, there are ancient systems, rules, and court regulations. Never before has a princess of one country openly offered a large sum of money to buy off a foreign subject, treating pillars of the state as her personal favorites and vassals!"

He looked up and stared directly at the princess, his gaze clear and sharp.

"If the princess truly wishes to maintain friendly relations with her neighbors, she should observe proper etiquette and abide by the laws and regulations of our Great Yong Dynasty. What she has done today is to lure court officials with wealth, to intimidate them with power, and to disrupt the court with her own selfish desires. This is by no means a sincere attempt at a marriage alliance; it is an opportunity to humiliate them!"

Li Xuanzhi countered with reason and evidence, instantly turning the opponent's aggressive attack into evidence of blatant overreach and provocation against diplomatic relations.

The emperor's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and a barely perceptible hint of joy flashed in his eyes.

Li Xuanzhi's counterattack was truly brilliant!

Do not act impulsively or engage in verbal disputes. Uphold justice, abide by the law, and uphold righteousness.

Princess Ning'an of the northern desert was arrogant and domineering, and her former officials took the opportunity to frame her.

But with just a few words, he was able to elevate the overall situation, pinning the root of this dispute over diplomatic etiquette directly on the other side.

Princess Ning'an was speechless after being refuted, her face turning pale and then red.

She had never suffered such injustice before. In the Northern Desert, no one dared to go against her wishes in the slightest.

After entering the capital of the Dayong Dynasty, the senior officials of the court, whether they were sycophants or prudent in their self-preservation, all treated her with deference.

Only Li Xuanzhi rejected her, argued with her, and disregarded her completely.

The resentment, anger, and obsession in my heart intertwined and completely overwhelmed my last shred of reason.

She gritted her teeth and sneered, her sharp tone carrying a hint of arrogance and humiliation.

"That sounds so noble! In reality, you just think my northern frontier is too remote, that we northerners are all barbarians, and unworthy of you?"

"Is it a good thing that you're in Da Yong? You're impeached every day, suspected at every turn, and no one in the court truly cares for you! This princess promises you a bright future and unparalleled honor that even your emperor wouldn't dare to grant, yet you insist on acting high and mighty, truly stubborn and incorrigible!"

"I'll make this clear today: if you reject me today, you'll regret it tomorrow! The Great Yong is using you as a whetstone now, but once you've accomplished your goals, they won't tolerate you anymore. Only my Northern Desert is your true home!"

These words completely stripped away the pretense of diplomatic relations. Placed in the solemn and majestic Golden Palace, they appeared all the more absurd, frivolous, and utterly inappropriate.

Grand Tutor Huo Linyuan's heart tightened upon seeing this. He once again feigned mediation, but in reality, he continued to frame Huo Linyuan.

"Your Majesty! Princess Ning'an is from the northern deserts, and is naturally straightforward, with no ill intentions. Li Xuanzhi is young and impetuous; he has contradicted a foreign guest in court and humiliated a noble princess from a foreign land, thus losing his decorum as a subject and potentially damaging the harmony of diplomatic relations!"

"Your Majesty, I implore you to punish Li Xuanzhi for his breach of etiquette, quell the anger of the northern deserts, and stabilize the diplomatic relations between our two nations!"

Even though the old officials felt that Grand Tutor Huo's words were far-fetched, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and agree with him again because of his power.

The clamor piled up in layers, attempting to forcefully pin a crime on Li Xuanzhi.

"The Grand Tutor's words are quite right! He should be severely punished as a warning to others!"

"The delegation from the northern deserts has come from afar and is watching from the imperial court. We are a nation of etiquette, and we absolutely cannot do such a rude thing; it would be unbecoming of a great power and would be a breach of decorum!"

"We must not let the arrogance of one person jeopardize the peace of two nations for years!"

A cacophony of noise swept through the main hall.

On the dragon throne, the emperor's gaze swept over the chaos in the hall. His fingers paused slightly, but he remained silent and observant.

He neither interrupted nor interfered, allowing the two sides to confront and clash. Yet, his eyes had already seen through everyone's thoughts and schemes.

Despite facing condemnation from the entire court, Li Xuanzhi remained upright and showed no sign of retreat or fear.

He turned to look at Huo Linyuan, his tone casual, as if he were simply commenting on the weather, yet it struck at the heart of the matter:

"Grand Tutor Huo claims to be stabilizing diplomatic relations, but in reality, he intends to sell out his subjects, curry favor with foreign powers, and stifle the new policies. How biased and unjust!"

Huo Linyuan's face darkened, and he shouted in a deep voice:

"Insolence! I am only acting in the public interest; how can I be accused of bias or injustice? Do not spout nonsense and slander this old man with your blatant lies!"

Li Xuanzhi stepped forward, neither dodging nor yielding, confronting him in public.

"If one is truly impartial, one should uphold the integrity of a subject of the Great Yong Dynasty and respect the laws and regulations of the court. Today, foreign guests have overstepped their bounds and interfered in politics, demanding large sums of money from us. They are doing things that disrupt our court and disregard our nation. Grand Tutor Huo, as a high-ranking official of the Great Yong Dynasty, does not reprimand the foreign guests for their indiscretions, but instead holds our loyal subjects accountable."

"May I ask Grand Tutor Huo, is the face of the Great Yong more important, or is pleasing foreign powers more important? Is it more important for the new policies to benefit the people and stabilize the country, or for the powerful and wealthy to maintain their dignity and protect their so-called purses?"

Two questions in quick succession, each one forceful and clear. Instantly, Huo Linyuan was rendered speechless, his face turning pale and then red, unable to refute them.

The entire hall fell silent instantly, and no one dared to echo the condemnation.

Everyone knew that Li Xuanzhi's two sentences directly exposed the hypocrisy of the old ministers' faction.

The so-called consideration of the overall situation and the maintenance of diplomatic relations are nothing more than their despicable excuses for using external forces to suppress dissent and obstruct Li Xuanzhi from further expanding the influence of his new policies.

Li Xuanzhi withdrew his gaze, bowed to the throne once more, and spoke earnestly and frankly.

"Your Majesty, I have integrity and will not betray my country. I have a heart and will not fawn upon foreign powers."

"Though the gifts from the northern deserts are substantial, they cannot surpass the weight of the Great Yong's land. Though the honor of a prince consort is noble, it cannot surpass the integrity of a subject."

"While I was in Pingzhou, I eradicated the long-standing abuses of the aristocratic class and restored fertile land throughout the land. I revitalized the markets and commerce, bringing peace to tens of thousands of people. I do not seek high office or great wealth. I only pray for a peaceful and prosperous world, for the people to live in peace, for Your Majesty's empire to be stable, and for the nation to be secure."

"In this life, I will serve only the Great Yong, not be a vassal of any foreign land. My integrity may be broken, may be shattered, but it will never be bought or sold, never be dishonored!"

His sincere words resonated throughout the palace and touched the hearts of everyone present.

Many neutral officials in the hall were deeply moved upon hearing this. Their gazes toward Li Xuanzhi were now filled with admiration and emotion.

A young and promising official, despite holding a low position, dared to confront the powerful and powerful and stand up against foreign powers.

Upholding the principles of loyalty and withstanding pressure—such integrity is rare even among the entire court.

Princess Ning'an stared blankly at his tall and upright back. The obsessive possessiveness in her heart was suddenly mixed with a trace of inexplicable frustration and panic.

She had seen courtiers who coveted wealth and glory, sycophantic nobles, and capable people who had no choice but to compromise.

I have never seen anyone like Li Xuanzhi, a strange person who is unmoved by the temptation of a fortune, unshaken by the pressure of power, and unyielding to the entanglements of personal feelings.

The more unattainable something is, the more determined she becomes. Her obsession only grew stronger.

But now, with everyone in the hall watching, she had lost face and was caught in a dilemma. If she continued to cause trouble, she feared it would implicate the entire Northern Desert.

Just as the hall fell silent, the emperor on the dragon throne finally spoke slowly.

"Well said."

"My bones will never betray my country, and my heart will never fail my people."

A single word of praise completely shattered all the framing and scheming, washing away all the unfounded charges against Li Xuanzhi.