"These are all the golden words of the Holy Emperor. Because of Zhu Xi's cruelty, the Holy Emperor was furious when he learned of it and ordered me to come here to relieve your worries. What I can do is to ensure that your monthly wages are settled on time, prepare plenty of food for you every day, and accompany you through the winter."

"This road leads from the south to the capital. Once this road is opened, it will be much more convenient for the people of the south to travel to the capital. We are changing the Song Dynasty and making it better. Every drop of sweat from each of us is meaningful. This is the teaching of the Holy Emperor, and I am speaking to you all about it."

"Long live the Holy Emperor!"

Shouts echoed through the wilderness.

At this moment, the businesses along the four cement roads are being strictly investigated.

I was shocked when I checked; every single one of them was non-compliant.

On every road, people die.

Upon seeing this report, Zhao Huan shook his head and said, "Prime Minister Tang, you tell me, the imperial court has allowed these merchants to make a lot of money. Even though they paid monthly wages and provided winter clothes and provisions for the laborers, they still made a considerable profit. Why would they still do such a thing?"

Zhao Huan asked the question knowingly. Perhaps the ancients, living in an agricultural society, only knew that merchants were unethical, but did not know how evil they could be. However, those who have lived in the 21st century know that when capital goes crazy, it can devour people without spitting out the bones.

After this incident, Tang Ke realized that these businessmen were even more greedy and despicable than he had imagined.

"Your Majesty, merchants do not speak of righteousness. Although merchants can bring wealth to the court and make people's lives more prosperous, they need to be strictly controlled."

Tang Ke's ability to say these words demonstrates remarkable foresight.

Tang Ke deeply understood this, and Zhao Huan also felt relieved.

Although commerce was developed in the Song Dynasty, it was still in its infancy compared to the 21st century.

Babies have to take many detours. For example, Europe took hundreds of years to follow the path of an absolutely free market, which caused bloodshed all over the world and experienced several economic crises before it realized that commerce cannot be left to the whims of any particular hand.

The fact that such a concept was established at the highest levels of the Song Dynasty meant that Emperor Zhao Huan had at least succeeded in taking this step, and those who followed him would not have gone down the path of an absolutely free market economy.

The first snowfall ended quickly, and the sky suddenly cleared up, becoming a breathtakingly blue, without a trace of impurity.

Starting in the winter month, the imperial court began to reorganize the merchants, whether in the south, the central plains, or the northwest.

At this time, news also came from Japan regarding the latest war situation.

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