After crossing, I surrounded the capital from the countryside

Many of them were forcibly conscripted and were unwilling to fight in this meaningless war. Now that the people who usually watched them were dead, they felt relieved.

"Those people are dead, hahahaha, we are really free! I want to go home, my wife is about to give birth, I want to go home to take care of her!"

"I want to join the Rebellion!"

"Me too!"

……

This army, forcibly conscripted by the imperial court, was like a group of sheep driven mercilessly by fate. They should have been cultivators in the fields, or merchants and craftsmen in the streets of the market, but because of an imperial edict, they were forced to put down their hoes, scales and tools, put on rough armor, and embark on this road full of unknowns and dangers.

They were filled with fatigue and confusion every day, their hearts filled with reluctance to leave their families, fear of the future and anger towards those in power at the court.

Their training time was so short that it could almost be described as hasty. In this limited time, they barely learned how to hold guns and line up, but deep-level combat skills such as tactical coordination and formation changes were more like a fantasy to them.

The weapons and equipment were even more miserable. Most of their weapons were old and rusty, and some were even made of picked up limbs and broken arms.

The armor was also uneven, some were thick and clumsy, while others were as thin as paper and could hardly protect against enemy arrows and swords.

With such equipment, they seemed like a group of abandoned soldiers. The imperial court regarded them as insignificant cannon fodder and sent them to the front line of the battlefield to consume the strength of the rebels.

Now the court's running dogs have all been dealt with by the rebels. Encouraged by Xu Qingqing, many people chose to join the rebels, while many also chose to leave, choosing to pursue their own ordinary and happy lives.

While the rebels achieved unexpected gains, the imperial court suffered an unprecedented shock due to the economic sanctions imposed by Xu Qingqing, Chen Furong and others.

The Minister of Revenue hurried into the palace, his face pale, holding an urgent memorial in his hand, and went straight to Zhou Shijie.

"Your Majesty, this is bad!" The voice of the Minister of Finance was filled with anxiety and fear. "The amount of silver in circulation in the market has decreased dramatically, and the national treasury is now facing a serious financial crisis."

Zhou Shijie stood up suddenly, his eyes widened, and his hand trembled slightly as he took the memorial.

"What's going on?" His voice was low and full of anger. "Could it be Xu Qingqing and the others again?!"

"Your Majesty, they not only took advantage of the people's dissatisfaction with us and gained widespread support." The Minister of Revenue explained, "More importantly, all the 'Lun Xiaoyao' established by Xu Qingqing were closed, resulting in a decrease in transactions on the market. There is no problem in the short term, but over time it will be found that this has had a huge impact on the economy. In addition, the Gongfu Bank suddenly announced that it would stop lending, and many merchants' capital chains were broken, resulting in a large amount of wealth being deposited, and the liquidity in the market was greatly reduced."

"The national treasury is now empty and cannot support the military's expenses..."

Zhou Shijie frowned and gave an order: "Immediately investigate local officials and severely punish corruption! Confiscate the homes of those corrupt officials. It's time to spit out what you have taken in. At the same time, increase taxes to fill this hole as soon as possible."

"If the army is gone, my time as emperor will be over, and you will die with me!"

"But, Your Majesty, public resentment is already very high. Raising taxes further may cause an even larger backlash." The Minister of Revenue was sweating profusely, but still reminded with a smile.

Zhou Shijie gritted his teeth, "I know, but we must take action now. Pass on my order to strengthen the military deployment in various places, especially to Xu Qingqing's uprising army, which must be dealt with resolutely!"

The Minister of Revenue heard this and although he was worried, he knew that he could only obey the emperor's order. He bowed his head and agreed, and was about to leave when he was stopped by Zhou Shijie.

"Wait a minute," Zhou Shijie said with a heavy tone, "Regarding the tax increase, we do need to be cautious. But when the country is in danger, sacrifices are inevitable. You should immediately draft a notice to explain the current situation and win the understanding and support of the people. At the same time, strengthen public opinion control to prevent rumors from spreading and shaking people's hearts."

The Minister of Revenue took the order and left, leaving Zhou Shijie alone to face the long night.

He slowly walked to the window, staring at the dark sky outside, with a myriad of thoughts in his mind. The wind seemed to become even colder at this moment, blowing through the hall, bringing waves of chill, as if mocking his powerlessness.

"Xu Qingqing..."

……

Zhou Shijie's decision soon caused an uproar.

Soon after the edict was issued, news came from all over the country that people were protesting and the streets were filled with anger and dissatisfaction.

Shops were closed, markets were deserted, and the once bustling streets were now deserted. Burdened with heavy taxes, farmers became pale and thin, and their lives fell into hardship.

Xu Qingqing was also a little anxious when she saw this situation. After all, this situation was indirectly caused by her, so she should also be responsible.

So along the way, wherever the rebels passed, the people would often be liberated. Xu Qingqing would teach them how to grow crops that could yield a thousand kilograms per mu, and would also leave them a lot of food so that they could get through this period safely.

Of course, the food for the rebels was not inexhaustible, but Xu Qingqing had a space. The products from the years in the space had piled up into several mountains, which they could not finish eating.

So, under the cover of Xiao Yuheng, Xu Qingqing would take out some food from the space and mix it with the original food from time to time. In addition, her second brother would bring food to them with his second sister-in-law from time to time. Under the double cover, Xu Qingqing smuggled out a lot of food, and no one has discovered it so far.

It was also because of the rebels' actions that a saying soon spread among the people: only the rebels can save the poor people, and only the rebels can bring peace.

The imperial power and the aristocratic families suffered another blow.

……

The sun shone in a corner of Kyoto. Zhou Shilian, dressed in an elegant palace dress and holding a plate of carefully made pastries, slowly walked into Zhou Shijie's study.

In the study, Zhou Shijie was buried in a mountain of memorials with a frown on his face, obviously troubled by the recent Xu Qingqing uprising and the national situation.

"Brother Emperor, you are busy with state affairs again." Zhou Shilian's voice was gentle and delicate, like a spring breeze, instantly alleviating the dull atmosphere in the study.

She walked lightly to Zhou Shijie's side and placed the pastry gently on the table. The pastry had an attractive color and a fragrant aroma, and it was obvious that a lot of thought had been put into making it.