It's a pity that Wang Anshi failed, and the Song Dynasty continued its entrenched problems irreversibly.

There is not a single benefit to these accumulated problems, but countless drawbacks.

For example, administrative efficiency was low to the point of near collapse; the army was in disarray; there were many treacherous officials; factional strife was constant; taxes were heavy; land was annexed; the national treasury was empty; and there were too many idle people.

Speaking of the excessive number of idle officials, Zhao Huan really wanted to publicly curse people in the court. Just how many idle officials were there in the Song Dynasty? The shameless system of hereditary privilege had been taken to the extreme by the Song Dynasty. Half of the people's tax money was used to support idle officials!

That's fucking awful!

On this day, the emperor finally came out of his study and went to his "gym" to work up a sweat. He then summoned Liu Yanzong.

Throughout the journey, Liu Yanzong kept thinking to himself that the emperor hadn't appeared for quite some time, and now that he was suddenly summoned, it couldn't be anything good.

This emperor is such a troublemaker; he's definitely up to something big again!

Liu Yanzong also felt that being Zhao Huan's subject was too brain-draining; the emperor was too difficult to scout.

Upon arriving at the inner palace, Liu Yanzong saw the emperor wearing a t-shirt, covered in sweat, and lacking any dignity or image befitting an emperor. He gradually got used to it.

While doing pull-ups, the emperor said, "Drink tea."

"Your subject dares not."

"What is there to be afraid of? I am not a tyrant. Don't you know me, Minister Liu?"

"The emperor is a sage ruler." After saying this, Liu Yanzong sat down on the ground and drank a cup of tea by himself. The tea made him feel very uncomfortable. The emperor seemed calm and collected, but there was a faint murderous intent in his eyes.