Li Sisi was surprised and happy. Nangong Lian'er smiled at her and said, "Sister Li, I'll accompany you."
Another young eunuch ran in and whispered something in Bai Jinjiu's ear.
Bai Jinjiu hurriedly walked to Zhao Huan's side and said, "Your Majesty, Empress Nangong also knelt outside the palace."
"Nonsense!" Zhao Huan angrily threw the book on the table.
Bai Jinjiu was so frightened that he lowered his head and dared not move.
Zhao Huan was upset and said, "Go and call them in."
Bai Jinjiu was overjoyed and hurried outside the palace: "Empress Li, Empress Nangong, His Majesty invites you."
Li Sisi was overjoyed. Her legs were numb from kneeling for a long time. When she stood up, she staggered and almost fell. Nangong Lian'er hurriedly supported her.
The maids behind Li Sisi also had happy expressions on their faces, and they all stood up and chattered.
Li Sisi walked into the Renzheng Hall holding Nangong Lian'er's book.
"Your Majesty." Nangong Lian'er called sweetly.
Zhao Huan really couldn't bear to be cruel to his concubines, but it was also impossible for him to send troops to Western Xia.
"Your Majesty, please avenge my father." Li Sisi's eyes were red and she knelt down again.
"Get up first. I know it's cold in the north and it's not pleasant to kneel outside. So please stop kneeling."
Li Sisi shook her head: "If Your Majesty doesn't agree, I won't get up."
Zhao Huan sighed: "Sisi, you should know my feelings. I love every concubine equally. However, sending troops to Xixia concerns the fate of the Song Dynasty. I need to consider it carefully."
"Your Majesty is unwilling to send troops." Li Sisi said in a sad tone.
Zhao Huan picked up the book again and patted his head with it: "Lian'er, you go out first. Bai Jinjiu, you go out too."
Nangong Lian'er pouted and stood up to take her leave with Bai Jinjiu.
Only Zhao Huan and Li Sisi were left in the Renzheng Hall. Zhao Huan walked over and gently helped her up. "Sisi, my love for you is evident to all. I'd pluck the moon and stars for you, but have you considered the consequences of sending troops? The Mongols currently occupy Linhuang, the area north of Heilongjiang, and your entire Western Xia. Their strength is comparable to that of the Song Dynasty. If we really risk the entire world in a fight to the death against the Mongols, victory would be fine, but what if we lose?"
Tears welled up in Li Sisi's eyes. "I just want Your Majesty to avenge my father and kill that bastard Xiao Zunru!"
Seeing Li Sisi crying so sadly, Zhao Huan felt a pain in his heart and hugged her in his arms. Li Sisi cried even harder.
Zhao Huan patted her gently and said, "I promise you, I will avenge you. I swear, I swear!"
Li Sisi was shocked and her eyes flashed: "Really? Your Majesty, are you telling the truth?"
Zhao Huan nodded solemnly: "I will fight the Mongols, but not now."
"What do you mean?" Li Sisi asked in confusion.
Zhao Huan wiped the tears from her eyes and said lovingly, "In three years, maybe five years, no more than ten years, I will definitely go to war with Mongolia!"
"Three years, ten years." Li Sisi murmured, "Why wait so long?"
"I can't defeat them now. The Song Dynasty hasn't grown up yet. Although we defeated the Jin Dynasty, the Jin people are just children who have never seen the world. When the Song Dynasty grows up, I will avenge you."
Li Sisi leaned on his shoulder gratefully: "Your Majesty."
If the Song Dynasty is to have a solid foundation and last for generations, it must become stronger.
Zhao Huan would not declare war on Mongolia. Zhao Huan knew very well that there was no need to provoke Mongolia. Once they became stronger, they would naturally cause trouble for you.
When the Mongols started a fight, Zhao Huan could legitimately send his troops to fight. He couldn't allow others to sleep peacefully beside his bed. Then he could just take advantage of the situation and say he had helped Li Sisi. She would be filled with gratitude.
In fact, Li Sisi was already filled with gratitude: "I just have hatred in my heart. I hate those who killed my father and destroyed Xixia. With your Majesty's words, Sisi can die without regrets."
Zhao Huan gently stroked her back and said, "I must find Hebule and retrieve your father's body. I will bury him with royal rites. This can be considered as my filial piety to you as a daughter and to me as a son-in-law."
"Your Majesty." Li Sisi rushed forward with infinite gratitude.
The scene immediately changed with what happened next. In the Renzheng Hall, Zhao Huan was discussing military affairs with his officers and soldiers.
At this moment, Zhao Huan was hesitant to accept it: "This, this place is not suitable, this place..."
"I don't care, I just want it."
"Then you have to be gentle, I'm a little..."
"I don't."
"Well, alright then. Actually, I just like your wildness, hehehe..."
The next day, Zhao Huan returned victoriously to the capital. Along the way, the imperial guards, carrying colorful flags, were beaming with joy. Along the way, the common people, who had suffered greatly at the hands of the Jin, slaughtered cattle and sheep, prepared wine, and lined the streets to see off this kingly army.
After recovering the Jin Dynasty, Zhao Huan issued an imperial decree to reduce taxes by half and exempt corvée labor.
During the Jin Dynasty, taxes were halved, which was a great joy to the common people in the north, and they praised the country endlessly.
Some Jurchens even knelt and shouted "Long live Zhao Huan" because Zhao Huan gave them hope. These Jurchens had feared being slaves of a conquered nation and forced to live under someone else's roof, but unexpectedly, the emperor's grace was so great that many Jurchens continued to serve in official positions. Han and Jurchen peoples were treated equally, and racial prejudice was abandoned.
The exemption from corvée labor meant that people no longer had to provide free labor for the government. In the past, not only did they have to perform corvée labor, but they also had to bring their own food.
From now on, whenever the government recruits labor, it will have to use silver to hire them.
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