Merchants' rebellion was inevitable.

When capital accumulates unprecedented wealth during primitive accumulation, ambition and desire will surge accordingly.

When Zhao Huan was still in the capital city of Dongjing, he was able to maintain order by virtue of his prestige.

Once news of the emperor's death during the western expedition reaches us, those dormant and patient large corporations will begin to stir.

Those who had long since established a vested interest with the King of Liao tore away their last fig leaf.

As a time traveler, how could Zhao Huan not know the basic logic of this economic and power shift?

Any Chinese student who has even a basic grasp of logic and economics in the 21st century would probably know this.

But can it be stopped?

Of course, it could suppress them briefly until Zhao Huan died.

When Zhao Huan dies of old age, will those powers that are even stronger than they are now not rebel?

Therefore, rebellion was an inevitable outcome.

The laws of history never change because of anyone's will.

However, human factors can shorten the historical process.

How to shorten the historical process?

Let the conflict erupt prematurely, then fuse blood and bones into the furnace.

To put it simply, it means to raise the butcher's knife.

The butcher's knife is never just for killing people; more importantly, it is used to teach people.

People are taught that the tyranny of certain forces will lead to great chaos, and that the consequence of certain forces expanding unchecked is destruction.

At this moment, Sun Bangyuan was indulging in debauchery in his mansion, surrounded by rows of beautiful women, naked, pouring him wine, playing music for him, and providing him with pleasure.

If this had happened in the past, and it had been reported to the emperor, he, the military commissioner, would have been dismissed.

But now the entire Shaanxi Road has changed course and transformed itself, joining the Liao King's forces.

All the disobedient officials were executed on the spot, and even the head of the Imperial City Commander was hung on the city wall.

From then on, he became passionate and unrestrained in Chang'an.

A magnificent carriage stopped in front of the military governor's mansion. Liu Zhiwu, the prefect of Chang'an, wearing a bright red official robe, stepped down and strode inside.

When he arrived at the backyard, he saw more than a dozen beautiful women with attractive figures, all naked. Sun Bangyuan was already quite drunk.

Sun Bangyuan didn't shy away from such a private matter. When he saw Liu Zhiwu arrive, he asked directly, "What is it?"

Liu Zhiwu hurriedly said, "Commander Sun, we have discovered a group of thugs in Chang'an County, numbering as many as eight hundred."

"Why don't you handle it yourself? Why do you need to come to me with such a trivial matter?"

"General Sun, there are still many people in Jingzhao Prefecture who harbor rebellious intentions. I believe that you should seize these eight hundred people now and execute them in public by yourself. Then, have their heads circulated to deter those who intend to rebel!"

"You have a point!"

A beautiful woman immediately wiped his body with a cotton towel, and others came over to help him put on his clothes.

Sun Bangyuan suddenly said, "I had a bad dream last night, and I'm still a little worried. Your suggestion to behead those eight hundred people and display their heads is indeed a good idea."

Liu Zhiwu asked in confusion, "What kind of dream could make Marshal Sun worry?"

“Alas, I dreamt of the emperor.” The mere mention of the emperor filled Sun Bangyuan with fear and dread.

This fear comes from the depths of the soul, just like the fear that forest animals feel when they see a tiger.

Liu Zhiwu was also startled when he heard this. He seemed to hear the emperor's voice again, and his legs almost went weak with fright.

It had only been a few months since I last saw the emperor.

However, the situation in the Song Dynasty today is completely different from that of a few months ago.

"General Sun is overthinking it. The late emperor has passed away, and the new emperor has ascended the throne in Youzhou. The Yanyun War Zone and Liaodong both support the new emperor, and he will soon head south to take over Tokyo."

Sun Bangyuan's wildly beating heart calmed down slightly.

Their fear of Zhao Huan exceeded their own expectations, but at the same time they were also deeply grateful to him.

The Song Dynasty of today has surpassed any previous dynasty in China, boasting abundant resources and convenient roads.

Most importantly, there is a huge amount of money.

Now that they have more power, they can enjoy these fruits of their labor without restraint.

"Go and make preparations. Take those eight hundred people to the city gate. It would be best to gather the people to watch, so that everyone knows the consequences of causing trouble now."

"Yes, I will take care of it right away."

After Liu Zhiwu left, Sun Bangyuan immediately wrote a letter to Zhao Chen in Youzhou, informing him that the rebels in Shaanxi had been quelled and that they would soon attack Tang Ke's army from the northwest. He said that within two months, they would reach the Yellow River and advance straight down the Yellow River.

Everything seemed perfect.

The emperor died at a crucial moment; nothing could be happier.

Not only was Sun Bangyuan happy, but the merchants of the Song Dynasty were also happy.

In the temporary court of Youzhou, some merchants have become important ministers of the new emperor. The commercial taxes in the Yan-Yun area have been further reduced, and the control over commerce has changed from strict management to no management at all.

They even handed over mineral resources, railways, and highways to businessmen.

Sun Bangyuan had long coveted this opportunity. As a court official, he couldn't get involved in these things before, but now he could, and he could do it in his private capacity, using his power to create a monopoly on resources and funds.

This is much faster than making money by becoming an official.

Soon, he will be able to monopolize all the important businesses on Shaanxi Road and become the veritable local tyrant of Shaanxi Road.

He even harbored a sliver of hope that once he had money and power, he could purchase large quantities of firearms and military equipment. If he could develop a large-scale army, he would be even more secure, and it might even be possible for him to become emperor one day.

He grew happier the more he thought about it. His men had already prepared a carriage for him, guarded by soldiers both in front and behind.

Along the way, pedestrians on the roadside avoided him after seeing him.

Outside the city, Liu Zhiwu, through a series of rambling conversations, forcibly gathered a group of people to watch from outside the city.

Under the escort of the Shaanxi army, the more than 800 "traitors" who had rebelled were brought over bound.

Sun Bangyuan quickly left the city and saw a huge crowd outside. He was overjoyed: it would be great to take this opportunity to intimidate these unruly people and make them behave themselves in the future!

He had just alighted from the carriage and was about to walk up when several scouts on horseback rushed back: "Report! Urgent military report! Urgent military report! A large army is advancing towards Chang'an City, only twenty li away from here!"