It wasn’t until the last official disappeared beyond the vermilion doors that Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Di Renjie, let out a long sigh.

He paced to Lou Shide’s side, gazing at the empty hall, worry etched deep in his brows, his voice lowered to a whisper:

"Lord Lou, if the Grand Tutor gives no further guidance... the state of the court, the people’s will... I’m afraid it won’t hold."

Upon hearing this, Lou Shide did not immediately reply.

He slowly turned around, looking deeply at the equally worried chief officer of the Ministry of Revenue, a barely perceptible, meaningful bitter smile tugging at his lips:

"Huaiying," Lou Shide’s voice was deep and even, imbued with the weariness of someone who has seen the world, "we have followed the Grand Tutor for many years, do we still not understand the Grand Tutor’s nature?"

Di Renjie started slightly, lifting his eyes to look at Lou Shide.

He saw Lou Shide gently shake his head, his gaze turning to the gloom outside the window, as if to see through the depths of the palace: "If the Grand Tutor strikes like thunder, it would be simple."

"That would mean that in his eyes, the matter is just a minor ailment, easily settled with a turn of the hand."

His tone paused slightly, then when he spoke again, his voice carried a chilling and weighty gravity: "But as it stands now...."

Lou Shide withdrew his gaze, looking directly at Di Renjie, his words clear and solemn:

"I fear... the Great Tang will face a massive upheaval!"

"Not just patching things up, but a—"

"Complete overhaul!"

In an instant, Di Renjie’s body couldn’t help but tremble slightly. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

...

Champion Marquis Mansion.

Gu Jing was immediately aware of what had transpired at the Ministry of Revenue, but offered no comment.

He naturally couldn’t expect everyone to trust him unconditionally.

After all, his age speaks for itself, just as some at court said, "The Grand Tutor is old and muddle-headed," which could very well be true.

Of course, Gu Jing wouldn’t be so petty as to act against those people.

Even though their current expressions were quite fierce, Gu Jing couldn’t label them all as traitors.

This world has always been thus.

Whether capable ministers or treacherous ones, it’s impossible to always view matters from a single perspective.

Such is the situation within the court now.

The ministers all wish to swiftly resolve the immediate issue, hoping for the Great Tang to once again prosper as before, yet they fail to realize how much upheaval conceding this time would cause.

They haven’t seen the threat of merchant capital.

But under Gu Yi’s influence, Gu Jing can see it clearly now.

He is viewing the matter long-term, which is why he has been patient.

Gu Yi has been silently watching it all.

He is not surprised by Gu Jing’s actions; amid the tides of this era, Gu Jing needs to seize the best opportunity.

Simply put—

Gu Jing has now become a reformer, one of the few to emerge in the long stretch of history.

He now faces the challenge of reforming the core tone set for the Great Tang since the Zhenguan era.

This is the essence of the Great Tang.

He needs to ensure that everything can continue developing as usual, while also managing the capital that arises within.

This is the most challenging part.

Moreover, Gu Yi feels that Gu Jing intends to cleanse the court of its parasites.

Indeed, he has aged.

While Li Longji remains youthful, the future is uncertain, but for Gu Jing, it is enough for him to, like successive ancestors of the Gu Clan, give his all!

Time flies by, and the struggle at court grows increasingly intense.

As tensions reached a critical point, Gu Jing finally made some moves.

—He mobilized the troops!

In the name of Regent Grand Tutor, with the Great Seal of Emperor Li Longji, and even an autograph by Wu Zetian, the Empress Dowager, he mobilized forces from various regions.

Though not many, in the current situation, it was earth-shattering!

Overturning the table?

This was the first thought everyone had.

A pervasive pall enveloped the entire Great Tang, with merchants and merchant guilds instantly feeling a boundless fear.

This was their greatest fear.

If the court were truly to risk everything and overturn the table, they truly couldn’t stop it.

But how could this be possible?

Where did Gu Jing get such audacity to do this?

By now, it’s not just these merchants and guilds involved!

The court was also rife with criticism!

Lou Shide and others could no longer suppress these voices, bringing the matter to Gu Jing’s attention.

The ministers all advised Gu Jing to remain calm!

After all, no matter how you look at it, the situation isn’t beneficial for the entire Great Tang.

But Gu Jing’s stance remained firm.

The Great Tang was shadowed under a cloud; with various forces rapidly advancing towards coastal cities, the invisible gloom deepened.

It was like a blade ready to fall at any moment, perpetually putting pressure on those people.

Under such circumstances, the investigation’s progress into various offenses quickened, with prominent figures one after another being found out.

In Luoyang, at Taichu Palace.

Gu Jing followed the palace maid slowly inside, his expression serene.

He was well aware of the purpose behind Wu Zetian summoning him at such a time; if it were anyone else, he might have thought it was a plea for mercy.

But with Wu Zetian, it was entirely different.