The playboy county magistrate

Immediately following, another low, cold snort rang out, and the emperor's aura instantly filled the entire hall.

The faint praise vanished instantly, replaced by genuine rage.

The emperor's eyes were cold and sharp as he looked directly at the kneeling deputy envoy from the northern desert below.

Her voice was icy and chilling as she glanced at Princess Ning'an, who stood frozen to the side.

"I remember that you, the envoy from the northern deserts, were treated with the utmost courtesy during your recent visit to the capital, and I did not mistreat you in the slightest. Yet you have become so arrogant, treating the court of my Great Yong Dynasty as a child's game!"

"Princess Ning'an publicly solicited gold and silver from my court officials, disrupting the court with her personal feelings. She treated the officials of my Great Yong Dynasty as playthings to be traded! Such behavior is an insult to the nation and a violation of etiquette. How can such conduct be tolerated?"

The deputy envoy from the northern desert was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he knelt heavily on the ground with a thud. His forehead slammed against the cold, white jade steps, and he kowtowed repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! The princess is young and ignorant, and her words were spoken in a moment of impulsiveness; she had no intention of offending Your Majesty. We beseech Your Majesty to be magnanimous and forgive our Northern Expedition!"

Princess Ning'an trembled, a genuine sense of fear rising in her heart. Yet she still refused to bow her head and submit, her jaw clenched, biting her lower lip tightly, her eyes filled with resentment.

She had been pampered by her father since childhood and had never been publicly reprimanded like this before. She felt both ashamed and angry, and blamed all her embarrassment on Li Xuanzhi.

The emperor was even more enraged upon seeing this, completely ignoring the deputy envoy's pleas for mercy. Without the slightest relentless pressure, he immediately issued a decree of punishment. Each penalty was a severe and substantial punishment, showing no mercy to the northern deserts.

"Good neighborliness between two countries can only last if they are courteous. Today, the northern desert has acted rudely first. How can we expect other countries to be convinced if we don't punish them? Let's impose a fine of three points."

"Firstly, all the treasures, cattle, sheep, and horses that were presented as tribute from the northern deserts this time have been put into the treasury. The border trade taxes and profits that were originally to be delivered to the northern deserts every year have been confiscated in full this year. They will be used as official funds for the construction of water conservancy projects and the resettlement of displaced people in the interior."

"Secondly, the entire delegation from the northern desert shall immediately withdraw from the main hall and return to the post station for three days of confinement. During this period, they shall not step out of the post station, nor shall they have any private meetings with any court officials or local gentry."

"Thirdly, within three years, no princesses or high-ranking members of the royal family from the northern deserts shall be allowed to visit the court. Ordinary tribute envoys shall be subject to the minimum regulations, and their reception and supplies shall be reduced."

The three punishments were handed down, and all the civil and military officials in the hall were shocked.

All taxes and profits will be confiscated, and entry into Beijing will be restricted.

The losses to the northern desert region are enormous, amounting to a direct loss of its economic benefits.

It also clearly tells the world that anyone who dares to insult the officials of the Great Yong Dynasty or neglect the court of the Great Yong Dynasty will have to pay a real price.

The deputy envoy from the northern desert knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

But he dared not utter a single word of rebuttal, and could only keep kowtowing.

"Your Majesty, I accept the decree and thank you for your leniency."

Grand Tutor Huo Linyuan and his group of former officials stood to the side, their faces ashen, their hearts ice-cold.

They originally intended to use the princess of the northern desert as a pawn to bring down Li Xuanzhi in one fell swoop. Once Li Xuanzhi fell, the influence of the new policies would naturally cease to expand.

Unexpectedly, not only did they fail to harm Li Xuanzhi in the slightest, but they also enraged the emperor. The emperor publicly punished the northern desert region severely, which in turn confirmed their selfish intention to use foreign power to suppress loyal officials.

After this incident, the emperor's suppression of powerful and influential officials will only intensify. From now on, obstructing new policies will be virtually impossible.

Grand Tutor Huo Linyuan gripped his court tablet tightly with his fingertips, his palms sweating profusely from his sleeves. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he secretly plotted to devise a strategy after the court session, gathering his senior officials in private. He was determined not to stand idly by and watch the new policies be implemented, eroding the foundations of powerful families.

Upon hearing the three severe punishments, Princess Ning'an's eyes instantly reddened, her chest filled with grievance and resentment.

Because Li Xuanzhi refused to obey him, the entire northern desert would suffer enormous losses.

They were forbidden from entering the capital for three years, and all tributes and tax revenues were lost.

After she returns to her country, even if she is the princess whom her father loves the most, she will definitely be held accountable.

She raised her eyes and gazed at Li Xuanzhi across the hall filled with court officials. There was no regret in her eyes, only an increasingly obsessive possessiveness.

She secretly vowed: though she was severely punished and returned in a sorry state today, this matter would never end here. No matter how many years it took or how many methods she used, she would definitely come back to Dayong and bring Li Xuanzhi back to the northern desert.

The princess of the northern desert suppressed the soreness in her throat, stiffly bowed, and spoke with embarrassment.

"Your Majesty, I am aware of my mistake and will obey Your Majesty's decree."

Having said that, she no longer waited for the emperor's orders. She turned abruptly, her gilded skirt sweeping violently across the stone steps, the clinking of her jade pendants creating a jarring sound. She hurriedly led the delegation from the northern desert region out of the hall, their earlier arrogance completely gone.

Only after the group from Mobei had completely left did the atmosphere inside the hall ease slightly.

The emperor suppressed his anger and turned his gaze back to Li Xuanzhi, who was standing in the hall, his tone now showing a hint of appreciation.

"Minister Li, your words just now upheld the principles of a subject and protected the dignity of the nation, which greatly pleased me."

"I am aware of the situation in Pingzhou. Pingzhou no longer requires your personal presence. I will promote a few of your trusted advisors to take over your duties in Pingzhou. From this day forward, you are my personally appointed Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, a fourth-rank official!"

As soon as the words were spoken, gasps of astonishment rose and fell among the courtiers in the hall, and a murmur of surprise quietly spread through the solemn hall.

The entire court was shaken and incredulous.

No one expected that Li Xuanzhi, at such a young age, would not only return to the capital looking so radiant after breaking through the impasse and upholding his integrity, but would also have advanced in rank!

To outsiders, the imperial court appears to be filled with high-ranking officials of the first, second, and third ranks, and the fourth-rank official position is not considered top-tier, but no one dares to underestimate the weight of this position.

The Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate was a true eye-and-eye strategist for the emperor, whose power and responsibilities surpassed those of ordinary officials.

Firstly, it can supervise all officials around the clock, inspect the conduct of the court and the countryside, and wield the power of impeachment. Even high-ranking officials of the third rank or above can be impeached without going through multiple levels of reporting.

Secondly, they could jointly conduct trials with the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review. By intervening in major criminal cases across the country and wielding supreme power of judicial oversight, they could influence the outcome of serious cases.

Thirdly, it can collaborate with the Ministry of Personnel to assess officials below the fifth rank, control the promotion and demotion of grassroots officials, and hold the reins of countless local officials' careers.

Most importantly, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief directly oversaw all the censors in the country, giving him complete control over the local official oversight system. The corruption of officials at the prefectural and county levels, official malpractices, and the chaos caused by powerful local figures were all within his purview.

This was by no means a nominal position; it was a truly powerful and influential post. It was also a sharp weapon specifically used to check and balance the old guard in the court and to rectify the corrupt practices of powerful clans.

Only an absolute confidant of the emperor, a person of upright character and exceptional integrity, would have any chance of sitting in this position.

In contrast, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate was mostly a nominal position held by local governors-general and provincial governors. While seemingly prestigious, it was essentially a gilded but empty post. It held only the title without real power, purely used to elevate the status of local officials.

Normally, a transfer from a high-ranking official of the third rank to this position is regarded by court officials as a genuine promotion.

Even senior officials of the first or second rank, if they happen to meet on the road, must get out of their sedan chairs and give way according to regulations, showing them full respect.

This is far from a simple promotion.