Regarding the implementation of the new policies in Jingdong Road, the Emperor originally ordered the Council of State Affairs to investigate and granted them full authority to make adjustments. However, it seems that the Council of State Affairs is no longer able to make adjustments, as the vested interests involved have clearly reached the officials of the Eastern Prefecture.

This was also within Zhao Huan's expectations. The reason he asked Xu Churen to do this was to make Xu Churen fully realize once again how incompetent he was as prime minister.

Liu Yanzong continued, "Your Majesty, Zheng, Hua, Meng, Cai, Chen, Ying, and Ru have all begun to secretly recruit soldiers. These places are where the Xinyang Imperial Guard is stationed. Please make a decision as soon as possible, or things may change!"

Zhao Huan sneered. So those people finally couldn't hold back anymore and were about to rebel?

"It's alright, I've been waiting for them for a long time, just waiting for them to rebel!"

"Your Majesty, I do not understand your intentions. Now that the new policies have been introduced and the Northwest has just been pacified, if war breaks out in the Central Plains, it will be detrimental to our dynasty."

Zhao Huan tossed the investigation report submitted by Liu Yanzong onto the table, his expression menacing, and said, "As you can see, apart from the capital region, where else can my new policies be implemented?"

"If I had turned a blind eye to the Qingzhou case, perhaps they could have tolerated it. Even if the Confucian scholar had been sent to the Northwest, it would have been none of their business. They could have continued to exploit the people as before. But I killed everyone involved in the Qingzhou case, and they felt my murderous intent. They were bound to come back sooner or later, so they might as well come sooner!"

Liu Yanzong immediately understood and continued the emperor's words: "Your Majesty is wise. Why not strike first and catch them off guard!"

"Why strike first? Let them rebel first, then I will have a legitimate reason to attack! Summon Shi Xun to see me!"

Wang Kui'an immediately went to find Shi Xun, and Shi Xun arrived shortly afterward.

"Your subject kowtows to the Emperor."

"I want everyone listed in tomorrow's Song Dynasty Gazette!"

Upon receiving the report from Liu Yanzong, Shi Xun immediately understood what was going on: "Your Majesty, I will take care of it right away."

After leaving the palace, Shi Xun immediately went to the Song Dynasty Gazette Office. No one would have to sleep tonight; they had to work overtime. Late at night, all the newspaper deliverymen were ordered to wait at the entrance of the Song Dynasty Gazette Office. Once the newspaper was published, it had to be delivered to various post stations as quickly as possible. Tomorrow, this edition of the Gazette would appear in all the prefectures and counties of Jingxi Road and Jingdong Road.

The next day, the headlines of the official gazettes of the Song Dynasty in various regions carried a large line: "Those who evade taxes are traitors to the country and should be punished by the whole nation!"

Almost all the major landowners along Jingxi Road were featured in the newspapers, and more than thirty officials were named, causing a stir among the people!

This was the first time since the founding of the dynasty that so many officials and their crimes had been made public, immediately causing a great shock in western and eastern Beijing.

Under the late summer sun, the long-silent Jingxi Road and Jingdong Road finally couldn't hold back any longer. First, in Zhengzhou, Caizhou and Ruzhou, soldiers appeared on the streets. They rushed into the Great Song Dynasty Gazette Office and began to smash it to pieces, arresting everyone and throwing them into prison.

Subsequently, notices were posted on the city walls, stating that the Song Dynasty's official gazette had been seized by traitors led by Shi Xun and Liu Yanzong, the emperor had been taken hostage, heroes from all walks of life should respond, and the Hexi Imperial Guards should immediately mobilize troops to the capital to defend the emperor.

The Song Dynasty is on the verge of collapse. We must lead the Imperial Guards to purge the court of corrupt officials and restore order to the nation!

As evening fell, Zhengzhou, Caizhou, and Ruzhou simultaneously launched an attack on the Song Dynasty's official gazette and political propaganda department. All those involved were sent to the city walls and executed for their crimes of harming the country and its people. When the news reached the capital, the court and the public were shocked!

The turmoil triggered by the Confucian scholar case had barely subsided, and the bloodstains of the rebels in Luoyang and Zhengzhou were still fresh when such things happened again in Zhengzhou, Caizhou, and Ruzhou. This was an attempt to rebel!

Even the officials who were transferred by the emperor last time were either demoted or killed.

By nightfall, the matter had spread rapidly like a plague. All the prefectures in Jingxi Circuit, including Zheng, Hua, Meng, Cai, Chen, Ying, and Ru, dealt with the official reports of the Song Dynasty and the Political Propaganda Department. Almost everyone the emperor had sent was executed.

Of the cities along the Jingdong Road—Qing, Mi, Yi, Deng, Lai, Wei, Yan, Cao, Yun, Ji, Shan, and Pu—only Qizhou, Zizhou, and Xuzhou have remained silent; these three cities are still observing the situation.

Most of the Xinyang Army on Jingxi Road and the Huaiyang Army on Jingdong Road began to assemble, calling themselves the Loyal Army.

The ministers of the two prefectures were urgently summoned to the palace. Xu Churen thought to himself, "I knew it! This new policy shouldn't have been implemented so quickly. Now it has angered the local powers and things have come to this. How are we going to clean up this mess? How are we going to clean it up!"

Zhou Chao was also sweating profusely with anxiety. The two armies closest to the capital were simultaneously gathering troops to rebel, something that had never happened before in the entire Song Dynasty. This was a sign of the country's demise!

Tang Ke finally awoke from his dream of a commercial empire. He realized that his current approach had led to this situation—wasn't this tantamount to the downfall of the country? Wasn't this a repeat of the internal strife that plagued the former Tang Dynasty?

We never imagined that after driving away the Jurchens, we would perish at the hands of our own people!

When the ministers of the two courts arrived at the palace, they saw Zhao Huan leisurely drinking tea, with another person sitting next to the emperor. This person was none other than the late Emperor Zhao Ji!

The ministers were slightly taken aback, and quickly said, "Your subject kowtows to the Emperor and the Retired Emperor."

Zhao Huan was pouring tea for Zhao Ji, a smile on his face: "Please, no need for formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Come over and have some tea."

The gentlemen all bowed and then sat down, and the young eunuch began to pour tea.

After drinking a cup of tea, Zhao Huan said to his ministers, "Just now, I was chatting with the Emperor Emeritus, and we talked about the recent events in Jingxi Circuit and Jingdong Circuit. I asked the Emperor Emeritus, 'I'm perfectly fine, so why are they purging the court of corrupt officials?'"

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!