The sky was overcast, and it started snowing sometime later.

The little beggar by the roadside had a red face from the cold, his hands were covered in chilblains, and his big eyes looked around helplessly.

"Mom, I'm so hungry. I haven't eaten for days."

A ragged woman by the roadside held the little girl and comforted her, saying, "Little Liu, don't be afraid. Those officials will give us food after they've eaten their fill. Don't be afraid."

Tears welled up in the little girl's eyes: "Mother, don't we have fertile land? Last year, Father said we would never go hungry again. Liu'er is so hungry."

As she spoke, the little girl rubbed her hands together vigorously to warm them.

The woman could only weep; her husband had been conscripted and was on his way to the capital.

These ordinary people didn't quite understand the struggle between the King of Liao and the Crown Prince; they just wanted to live a life where they could have enough to eat.

However, the new regulations issued by the Jingzhao Prefecture suddenly increased the agricultural tax from 1% to 50%, leaving many people unable to afford food after paying their taxes.

Recently, some big businessmen have been snapping up land everywhere.

Many farmers who originally had land to cultivate and food to eat are now like this mother and daughter, without land. The men in their families were forcibly conscripted into the army, losing their source of income and becoming beggars on the street.

They could only wait for the rich people to finish their meals, and then eat the leftovers in the garbage dump.

Who doesn't want to live?

On the streets of Chang'an, there are more and more beggars like them.

Sun Bangyuan returned from outside the city, surrounded by his personal guards. The soldiers in front of him were driving away the beggars who were surrounding him with knives.

"Sir, please give me some food, just one bite, I haven't eaten for days!"

"Your Honor, please give my child a bite to eat, just one bite, please!"

"Didn't the imperial court say that officials are the parents of the people? If a child is starving to death, don't the parents feel sorry for him?!" someone cried out in despair and helplessness.

"Get out of here, you lowly commoners, you lazybones!"

Sun Bangyuan's confidant, Zhang Chu, roared fiercely at the front.

The security team members raised their sticks and lashed out at the beggars. Several of them beat one of the beggars so badly that his head was bleeding profusely.

Seeing this, the others quickly retreated in fear, not daring to go forward again.

Their faces were gloomy, filled with despair for the world.

In just a few months, countless people have become homeless.

The snow fell even heavier, and the little girl, her face red from the cold, shrank back and finally couldn't hold back her tears.

Ignoring her tears, everyone stared blankly ahead.

Suddenly, several burly men from Sun Bangyuan's personal guard drew their swords and rushed toward the carriage in the center.

"You corrupt official, prepare to die!"

They attacked the carriage simultaneously, their sharp sabers thrusting towards it.

But the moment they got close, the people next to them also moved, as if they had expected it.

At the same time, he drew his sword and blocked their attacks.

One of the officers, dressed in the uniform of a military commander, roared angrily, "Changning, why!"

"By order of Commander Sun, capture the traitor Xue Jin!"

"Changning, you!"

In just a few moments, the soldiers who had suddenly launched an attack were captured.

Sun Bangyuan's voice came from inside the carriage: "Xue Jin, do you think I don't know about your scheme?"

Xue Jin's face darkened, and she said angrily, "Sun Bangyuan, you have acted against the natural order, causing immense suffering and outrage to both gods and men. Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?"

"The Song Dynasty has changed hands! Your Xue family has colluded with the deposed crown prince, defied the court, and plotted a rebellion!" Sun Bangyuan, inside the carriage, declared righteously, "It is you who are acting against the tide!"

"You scoundrel! How dare you face His Majesty the Holy Martial Emperor!" Xue Jin's eyes were bloodshot; he was filled with hatred.

He was a graduate officer of National Wuhan University and always respected Zhao Huan as his teacher.

Deeply influenced by the emperor's ideology, he was furious at Sun Bangyuan's actions.

"Stop spouting nonsense! I have always upheld the legacy of His Majesty the Holy Emperor and taken the fate of the nation as my own responsibility. Look, Chang'an is now more prosperous than ever before! It is you, a traitorous minister, who has attempted to overturn the new policies and plunge the people into misery. Fortunately, I saw through your conspiracy in time!"

He added, "Xue Jin, as long as you reveal Xue Donglai's whereabouts, I will not only forgive your past transgressions but also promote you to Military Commander!"

"You sons of bitches! Kill me if you want! When His Majesty the Holy Martial Emperor returns, you will all suffer a terrible death!"

Upon hearing the words "Emperor Shengwu has returned," Sun Bangyuan reacted as if a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his fur standing on end.

It was only after news of the Holy Martial Emperor's death in the Western Regions came from Youzhou, the northern capital, that Sun Bangyuan dared to rebel against Tokyo.

But he kept having nightmares about Zhao Huan. Every time he dreamed, Emperor Shengwu would return with the Imperial Guards and have him executed by slow slicing.

Zhao Huan is now his nightmare; he will fly into a rage whenever anyone mentions him.

Sun Bangyuan roared, "Kill this man on the spot!"

Several soldiers immediately pinned Xue Jin and the others to the ground, preparing to kill them on the spot.

Xue Jin roared in fury, "You scoundrel, you'll die a horrible death!"

The surrounding crowd also became agitated, with some shouting, "That traitor Sun deserves to die! That traitor Sun deserves to die!"

Sun Bangyuan was furious and roared, "Kill these scoundrels and throw them into the wild to feed the dogs!"

At his command, all the soldiers drew their swords, ready to begin a massacre in the streets.

This has happened more than a dozen times in the past few months.

The horrific incidents on the streets resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people each time, with corpses piled up and displayed on the streets, staining them red with blood.

Just then, a rider came galloping up, shouting: "Urgent battle report! Urgent battle report! Sixty thousand enemy troops are already five miles away!"

Sun Bangyuan got off the carriage, and everyone else stopped as well.

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