Only now did Zhao Guangyi and his son Zhao Xu finally understand the whole story.
The old Zhao rested his hands on the dragon throne's armrests and suddenly stood up. He looked at the officials in the hall and said, "We shall proceed as Duke Fang proposed!"
"To compromise with foreign tribes is a betrayal of the Great Song, a betrayal of all the people, and a betrayal of our ancestors!"
"Guards, take them all away!"
Han Shizhong was extremely pleased. He had long disliked these fellows, and now that even Emperor Taizong approved of Fang Er's decision, he did not hesitate for a moment.
Soon, hundreds of imperial guards rushed into the hall and dragged Qin Hui and the others out, their struggles proving futile.
The officials who had previously relied on Qin Hui and his ilk now desperately wished they could stay out of it, not daring to utter a word. They could only watch blankly as they were led away.
On the imperial street outside the palace gates.
The commoners who had been pointing and discussing the helicopter suddenly saw a group of people being escorted out by the imperial guards, mistaking it for the resolution of a palace coup.
But the next moment, they saw the imperial guards begin to tear the clothes off these people.
Regardless of gender or age, they were all stripped bare and bound together by ropes connecting their calves and shoulders, forcing them into a kneeling posture.
After this was done, the leader of the imperial guards announced in a clear voice.
"It has been verified that Qin Hui, Mo Qixie, and others colluded with the Jin people and persecuted loyal officials, their crimes equivalent to treason!"
"By imperial decree, they are punished to kneel here and beg for forgiveness from all the people!"
After explaining the reason to the crowd, he led his men away, leaving a squad to keep watch.
The surrounding citizens, upon hearing this, immediately began to discuss among themselves.
"I knew it, that dog Qin Hui has always told the Emperor to make peace, he must be no good!"
"Exactly, and that scoundrel Mo Qixie, he's no good either!"
"Smash them to death!"
As someone said this, they threw the freshly bought vegetables towards Qin Hui.
"Are you stupid? Throwing such good vegetables at them is too good for them!"
"That's right, look at my rotten eggs!"
"You buy things with money to throw at them, aren't you afraid your wives won't let you back home? Watch this!"
As the man spoke, he walked up to Qin Hui's wife, opened his mouth, and after much preparation.
"Heh~ tui~!"
A mouthful of century-old phlegm flew out of his mouth and landed squarely on Lady Wang's face.
"Hmm~ this is good, I'll do it too~"
"Heh~ tui~!"
Seeing this, others followed suit, and in an instant, countless people launched their attacks on Lady Wang and the other women.
In less than the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn.
The faces, brows, chests, and hair of these stripped women were covered everywhere with yellowish-white liquid!
The scene was indescribably bizarre.
In the Wende Hall, Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, and Yang Yizhong were analyzing the situation with the Jin people for Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Xu.
Wei Liangchen, the Vice Minister of Personnel who had just returned from an envoy mission to the Jin state, also occasionally made supplementary remarks.
After understanding the situation, Zhao Guangyi suddenly rose from his dragon throne, took a few steps forward, stood at the edge of the imperial steps, and began issuing orders.
"Yue Fei, hear my decree!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"From this moment on, you are appointed Grand Marshal for the Northern Campaign!"
"Immediately take charge of reorganizing the Bei Wei, You Yi, and Ta Bai armies, to recover lost territories and expel the Jin rebels!"
Upon hearing this decision, Yue Fei's eyes immediately turned red. He cared not for his own life, only wishing to fulfill the dying wish of the old marshal Zong Ze.
Cross the river!
Go across the Yellow River!
"Your subordinate, Yue Fei, obeys the decree!"
He knelt heavily on the ground and kowtowed three times, expressing his excitement to Zhao Guangyi.
Zhao Guangyi continued to issue orders.
"Han Shizhong is appointed Left General for the Northern Campaign."
"Reactivate Liu Guangshi as Right General for the Northern Campaign."
"The Ministry of War shall immediately commence the recruitment of soldiers!"
"The Ministry of Revenue shall assess our reserves and ensure sufficient funding for the northern expedition!"
"The Ministry of Personnel shall select officials to accompany the northern expeditionary army, ensuring that lost territories are maintained in order by officials!"
As he said this, he slammed his fist onto a candelabra next to the imperial steps, a trickle of blood dripping from his fist. Seemingly unfazed by the pain, he sternly declared.
"Issue my decree to proclaim to the world that from this day forth, the Great Song shall wage an unending war against the Jin rebels!"
He had learned his lesson, only announcing appointments for the main commanders and saying nothing further about other matters.
Yue Fei and Han Shizhong exchanged glances, then replied in unison.
"Our Emperor is wise!"
"Our Emperor is wise!"
In the hall, other officials also knelt and echoed their sentiments.
Such commands had not been heard for a long time, and with the fate of Qin Hui and his ilk, no one dared to oppose the northern expedition.
Only Zhao Gou!
This fellow was still thinking about the events at Wuguo City.
"Ancestral Emperor Taizong, about those in Wuguo City~~"
"Silence!"
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Guangyi glared at him and reprimanded him.
"As emperors, after being captured, they did not think of preserving the dignity of the Great Song, but instead bowed and scraped to the Jin people, bringing endless shame to the Great Song. What use are such emperors?!"
"Dying there is their proper end!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Gou felt a sudden sense of relief. The two individuals before him might not be able to stay here for long, but it was certainly impossible for them to remain permanently.
Therefore, he was not afraid of Zhao Guangyi reclaiming power.
However, Zhao Huan, who was still alive in Wuguo City, was a thorn in his side. Once Zhao Huan returned, it was hard to guarantee that he would not rally his old subordinates and seize power.
Yet, just as his relief was only halfway, he heard Zhao Guangyi utter words that he never expected.
"And you!"
"As the ruler of a nation, you tolerated your officials framing loyal subjects, you are unfit to be a ruler!"
"From this day forth, abdicate in favor of the current Crown Prince, and you shall retire to the countryside to farm!"
"Wherever the lost territories are recovered, that is where you shall farm!"
"Since you cannot appoint people based on merit, you shall personally defend the borders for the country!"
Zhao Guangyi was stunned. He stood there blankly, not knowing how to respond.
Suddenly, Yang Yizhong, who was standing nearby, cupped his hands and said.
"Replying to His Majesty Emperor Taizong, His Majesty has no sons, so the Eastern Palace has always been vacant."
Zhao Guangyi looked at Zhao Gou with great confusion.
"Is there no one in the imperial harem?"
"Replying to His Majesty Emperor Taizong, there are not a few concubines in the imperial harem."
"Then what is the reason?"
"Replying to His Majesty Emperor Taizong, when the capital was moved south, His Majesty was so terrified by the Jin people that he developed a problem, and since then has been unable to perform his marital duties~"
As Zhao Gou's confidant, Yang Yizhong knew such matters clearly and did not hesitate to reveal them without concealment.
That one sentence about exterminating the nine generations of kin truly struck him with a sense of heartbreak!
With no Crown Prince to succeed him, the remaining issue was to discuss who would be chosen to succeed.
Fang Er did not interfere in these matters. After all, with all the people of the Great Song going to the Tang Dynasty in the future, the Zhao family would have no choice but to step down.