Inside the Deyang Palace, after Liu Hong and the others decided to conduct a thorough population census of Ji Province and Yi Province, they began a series of discussions about various issues that might arise during the census process.

Then Liu Hong looked at everyone and said in a deep voice:

"Gentlemen, the other provinces are manageable, but the population census in Ji and Yi provinces will surely provoke resistance from some people. I believe the court should send troops to garrison them to prevent unrest. What do you all think?"

Liu Hong's words caused the expressions of everyone present to change.

Sending troops there is clearly a prelude to massacres, which will inevitably provoke resistance from some people and may lead to even greater trouble.

However... without killing a few, the work certainly cannot proceed, and what will the court rely on to establish its authority?

For a moment, a conflicted look appeared on everyone's faces; they wanted to offer advice but didn't know how to start.

After all, given the current prestige of the emperor in the army, as long as the emperor gives a word, those people will really fight wherever he points. Whether or not to send troops depends entirely on the emperor's word, and their opposition is useless.

Just as everyone was hesitating, Li Ying was the first to stand up, bow to Liu Hong, and say with a cold expression:

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. I think it's feasible. Some people can't be persuaded by mere reasoning!"

"The Grand Commandant is right. The reason why some people look down on the imperial court is simply because they think that the court will not dare to do anything to them in order to maintain stability, so they act so recklessly!"

Hu Guang, who was standing to the side, also stood up and chimed in. Clearly, this old man was also very dissatisfied with those corrupt officials who were causing trouble in the area.

"Indeed, some people are ignorant of their place and disregard the imperial court. If this trend is not eradicated, we officials of the court will become a laughing stock!"

Chen Fan also stood up with a serious expression. As someone who always valued rules the most, he naturally could not tolerate anyone daring to provoke the imperial court.

"We second that proposal!"

Seeing this, the others no longer hesitated and expressed their support, since the court's increased prestige would be very beneficial to everyone present.

Moreover, when the emperor sends troops, it is to help the court establish its authority, and establishing authority always involves bloodshed.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Liu Hong smiled and nodded, then said:

"Since you all agree, then Ji Province will be under the command of the Black Edge Battalion and the Blazing Fire Battalion of the Northern Army, along with 10,000 troops from You Province."

As for Yizhou, I will send 5,000 Imperial Guards and 10,000 Liangzhou troops to garrison it. What do you all think?

"We second that proposal!!"

Subsequently, Liu Hong and the others, in the name of the imperial court, issued mobilization orders to the Imperial Guards, the Northern Army, the Liangzhou Army, and the Youzhou Army respectively.

Seeing that everything was settled, Liu Hong looked up at the already darkening sky outside, then turned to the crowd and said with a smile:

"Alright, it's getting late. You should all go back and rest!"

"We take our leave!!"

Everyone rose, bowed to Liu Hong, and took their leave. They then left Deyang Palace together, except for Xi Zhicai, who was kept behind by Liu Hong.

After Chen Fan, Cao Song, and the others left, Liu Hong couldn't help but stand up, stretch, and then walk out of the hall.

Xi Zhicai, Zhang Rang, Song Dian, and the others followed closely behind Liu Hong.

As he arrived at the entrance of the main hall, a gentle breeze suddenly blew by. Liu Hong couldn't help but close his eyes, take a deep breath, and savor the warmth in the wind with a look of enjoyment.

At this moment, Liu Hong felt incredibly relaxed, because now that he held military power, he had the confidence to try out reforms for the first time.

Once the population census and land tax reform in Ji and Yi provinces are completed, the remaining provinces will no longer be a problem.

In front of Deyang Palace, Liu Hong closed his eyes and fell into deep thought. Xi Zhicai, Zhang Rang, and Song Dian stood silently behind him, while the guards in front of the palace stood upright on both sides.

For a moment, Liu Hong was surrounded by silence.

"Whew!"

After a long while, Liu Hong finally exhaled and slowly opened his eyes.

"Zhang Rang, Song Dian!"

"Yes, sir!"

Zhang Rang and Song Dian, who were standing nearby, quickly stepped forward and bowed, standing behind Liu Hong.

"This time, you two will each go to Youzhou and Yizhou to serve as military supervisors, responsible for assisting with the population census there! The actions of the Northern Army and the Imperial Guards there will also be temporarily under your command!"

"This servant will obey Your Majesty's command!"

Zhang Rang and Song Dian quickly and respectfully accepted the order.

"Also... on your journey, you don't need to worry about the common people, but you must find out who the powerful families, landlords, and other wealthy landowners are hiding."

As for what to do, you can figure it out yourselves. I only care about the results! Do you understand?

Liu Hong's tone was very calm, his gaze fixed on the increasingly dark sky ahead.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, this servant understands!"

Zhang Rang and Song Dian quickly nodded to indicate that they understood.

In fact, they understood the emperor's intention from the beginning: he wanted them to take the blame for the emperor and the officials in the court, or rather, to be the scapegoats. However, the two of them still agreed without hesitation.

As for the so-called infamy, they don't care about those things at all. All they care about is the emperor's attitude towards them. Based on their understanding of the emperor over the years, as long as they are wholeheartedly serving the emperor, basically no one can touch them.

Furthermore, if they handle such a significant matter well, they will not only increase their standing in the emperor's eyes, but also gain the favor of the court officials. Either way, it will be a worthwhile outcome.

Liu Hong turned around to look at the two of them, nodded in satisfaction, and said with a smile:

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