Zhao Huan asked, "What about Jiangnan West Circuit, Jinghu Circuit, and Chengdu Prefecture Circuit? What if these places take the opportunity to rebel while the imperial court is sending troops to the southeast?"

Xu Churen said, "The new policies will not be implemented in these places for the time being, and the various gentry families will certainly not dare to rebel casually."

Liu Yanzong, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore. He was already furious because he hadn't been able to relieve his anger in the brothel, and listening to Xu Churen's nonsense made him even more agitated.

He immediately showed disdain for Xu Churen's plan, slightly raised the corner of his mouth, and looked at him with a sidelong glance, as if to say, "I really didn't believe your nonsense." He was just short of pointing his finger at Xu Churen and calling him stupid.

This expression infuriated Xu Churen so much that he wanted to slap him a few times.

Upon seeing that Liu Yanzong was up to his old tricks again, Tang Ke quickly stepped forward and added, "Your Majesty, I believe that not only should we temporarily suspend the implementation of the new policies in other regions, but we can also reward and bestow honors upon the transport commissioners and other officials of all ranks in Jiangnanxi, Jinghu, and Chengdu Prefecture. We can also grant titles and official ranks to the local gentry, and grant them additional privileges in commerce. For example, given the benevolence of the Holy Emperor, we can reduce the commercial tax on Jiangnanxi, Jinghu, and Chengdu Prefecture by five-thousandths to temporarily stabilize them. Once the court has pacified and occupied the southeast, the court's power can form a pincer movement to attack them."

It must be said that Tang Ke's psychological offensive was quite effective. The so-called titles and official positions are just empty names. They are useless without real power, but they are very effective in winning people's hearts, or in temporarily stabilizing people's hearts.

As for commercial taxes, merchants are profit-driven. If you lower commercial taxes for them now, they'll be groveling before you. Even if some people with a broad vision see that this is just a delaying tactic by the court, it will be a hundred times more difficult to rally people's hearts to fight against the court at this time than before.

Once the court quells the rebellion of the aristocratic families who object to the new policies, adjusting commercial taxes would be much simpler, wouldn't it?

This strategy of pulling and hitting was exactly what Zhao Huan wanted.

But judging from Liu Yanzong's expression, he still seemed to feel there was a big problem, and he had more to say.