Shi Li'ai's words were truly scathing.

He knew perfectly well that the killer today was Wanyan Qi, and he also knew perfectly well that the emperor was instigating him.

He was well aware that Wanyan Qi was just a scapegoat, and he was certain that Wanyan Qi would have no further use after the killing.

Eliminating Wanyan Qi would naturally bring him no harm whatsoever.

This morning, he was an ally of Wanyan Qi, sharing life and death, but now he wants to kill him.

Zhao Huan sat firmly on the throne, remaining silent.

Tang Ke, with a faint smile on his face, naturally understood and knew it was time for him to speak.

Tang Ke will be "exiled" here for a long time to come, and dealing with the local forces is inevitable.

Judging from the current situation, preserving Wanyan Qi is absolutely in our best interest.

Among these barbarians, only Wanyan Qi can rival Shi Li'ai and Han Qixian.

With Wanyan Qi around, the main conflict here was likely between the Han Chinese from the north and Wanyan Qi himself.

If Wanyan Qi dies, the balance of power will be broken, turning into a conflict between Tang Ke and these Han Chinese aristocratic families in the north.

The saying goes, "Even a mighty dragon can't suppress a local snake." Once the emperor leaves, all the conflicts and pressures will pile up, and Tang Ke might not be able to handle it.

Li Chongguang was placed here to hinder me; he's unreliable.

Therefore, now is a good opportunity to win over someone with troops.

How could Tang Ke let this go?

The emperor was well aware that if Tang Keren were left here, these Han Chinese from the north would be ruthless and merciless.

Li Chongguang's role, in terms of power, is more about restraining Tang Ke.

If Tang Ke wanted to do something here, it would be no simpler than climbing Mount Shu.

Now that the opportunity has come, how could we possibly let it slip by?

Tang Ke knew the emperor very well.

You think he'll just kill someone because you tell him to? Are you kidding me!

The emperor remained silent, but Han Qixian stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that what Prime Minister Shi said makes sense."

Logically speaking, since they have just surrendered, their opinions should be respected.

Zhao Huan's gaze swept over everyone.

Wanyan Qi had just finished killing a group of people outside and was negotiating with the Song army. Huyan Tong was in charge of the handover with Wanyan Qi.

Wanyan Qi had no idea that he had been betrayed.

Fortunately, the current situation does not allow him to die; otherwise, he would have been beheaded tonight.

Zhao Huan also felt that Wanyan Qi should not be killed so quickly.

Wanyan Qi, who came to join them, behaved much better than these Han Chinese from the north; he set an example through his actions.

If we were to kill them immediately, it would surely chill people's hearts.

Death is inevitable, but it cannot be immediate.

Tang Ke stepped forward at the opportune moment and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that too much blood has been shed in the capital. The most urgent matter at present is not to kill the murderers, but to restore the laws and regulations of the capital, so that the people's hearts can be at peace and the world can know Your Majesty's benevolence."

Shi Li'ai's face was full of wrinkles, his hair and beard were all white, and his narrowed eyes would occasionally flash with a sharp light. He said in a very slow tone, "I think what Prime Minister Tang said is very true. The most urgent thing now is to restore the laws of the capital, so that the people's hearts can be at peace and the world can know the benevolence of Your Majesty. Therefore, Your Majesty should bring the murderers to justice in order to stabilize the people's hearts."

Tang Ke smiled and said, "Many of those killed were disloyal, rebels, or those who resisted in self-defense. If we behead the murderers, it will only add to the bloodshed. This will not only fail to quell the situation but will also make the people more fearful. It would be better to have the Imperial Guards strictly guard the capital so that everything can return to normal. In less than half a month, people's hearts will be somewhat at ease."

Shi Li'ai was clearly unwilling to give up: "Your Majesty..."

Tang Ke spoke first: "Why doesn't Your Majesty pardon all the guilty people in the capital? This would reassure the people and stabilize their hearts, rather than adding more bloodshed."

Zhao Huan nodded and said, "Minister Tang is right. Convey my decree to pardon all criminals in the capital, regardless of their crimes."

The crowd exclaimed in unison, "Your Majesty is virtuous!"

Shi Li'ai did not succeed, but he was not in a hurry. He quickly came up with another plan.

Killing Wanyan Qi is simple: who in the Song army hates the Jurchens the most?

Of course, it's the famous Li Chongguang.

It's common for people from the same military background to look down on each other.

Moreover, Wanyan Qi's woman had not yet been redeemed, and from a legal perspective, she still belonged to the Shi family as property.

Zhao Huan asked a few more questions, and then it gradually got dark.

Zhao Huan removed his armor and entered his bedchamber.

The place had been thoroughly cleaned beforehand, a task personally arranged by the meticulous Tang Ke.

The Imperial Guards were so tight that not even a fly was allowed to get in.

Then, the servants brought in a fair-skinned, beautiful, and graceful young woman to serve the emperor.

The days in the capital thereafter became quite boring.

Unlike Tokyo, the world's largest metropolis, life in Kamijou is extremely monotonous.

First of all, the food was very coarse, mainly because it contained very few spices and was basically just boiled with salt, with a strong fishy smell. Even the food served to royalty was terribly unpalatable.

The main reason is that the area was not well developed in this era, and many crops could not be grown, including spices.

Since the Song army started the war, the trade routes between the north and south have been cut off.

In the past, many delicacies and spices, including chili peppers, would also be transported here.

But in the past year, the nobles in the capital have felt as if they have suddenly returned to the tribal life they once knew.

Secondly, there are no entertainment venues other than brothels.

Of course, there are also many nouveau riche here.

These barbarians seem to have little else of taste besides women.

For example, Cuju (ancient Chinese football), polo, poetry gatherings, wine tasting, philosophical discussions...

There was none at all; all that was happening was street fighting.

The northern barbarians are naturally brave, fierce, and warlike, and are not tamed.

Sima Junru presented these "small reports" and couldn't help but smile bitterly. After all, he was the commander-in-chief of the Northern Prefecture of the Imperial City, but now he looked just like a lewd thief who spied on people every day.

Zhao Huan would take the time every day to carefully read this information.

He wanted to fully understand what the people here did every day.

He also wanted to know the latest activities of those powerful and influential people.

This place was of strategic importance to the Zhao Huan Empire.

People of this era might have thought this was a desolate and barbaric land, but Zhao Huan knew perfectly well that it contained rich iron ore deposits.

There is also a large amount of oil that is not currently in use.

Furthermore, the fertility of the black soil is something that people of this era are unaware of.

In short, this is a treasure trove.

From Zhao Huan's perspective, his decision to send Tang Ke to manage this area showed that he valued it highly, and there was no implication of a promotion in name only.

However, Tang Ke himself misunderstood.

The situation in Shangjing, which had just been captured, was still very delicate, with multiple forces vying for power.

Zhao Huan's goal was to weaken and assimilate the last remaining barbarians.