However, Emperor Zhao's expression remained unchanged. He responded calmly and even appointed the adult Liang Su as his secretary.

According to the rules set before crossing the river, people could be pardoned and employed before the age of thirty.

Since the army had accepted the surrender, there was no need to say more about what happened next. The city gates were opened as agreed, and veteran general Zhang Jing personally led his subordinates to rush in. They then quickly took control of the city defenses, cleared the streets, and resettled and disarmed the soldiers and civilians in the city... It was a very efficient operation.

Then, Emperor Zhao, accompanied by his close ministers, went directly to the city.

After entering the city and reaching the intersection, Zhang Jing, who was dressed neatly, came hurriedly to meet him. He then bowed his hands and apologized in public: "I am ashamed. Please don't enter the county government office..."

"Is that guy dead?"

Before Emperor Zhao could say anything, Lu Yihao, who was riding a horse behind him, became furious, but it was obvious that he was just angry and there was no surprise on his face.

At the same time, Emperor Zhao looked the same as many smart people, that is, his expression did not change at all. People like Li Qiong, Fan Zongyin, and even the ordinary Southeast Gongge attendants all realized what was going on after a moment.

However, these people from the southeast had never thought that the Confucian scholars in the occupied areas of the two rivers would live in such a state. Even if they woke up, they were still shocked. Li Qiong, Fan Zongyin and others could not help but feel a little emotional, but because of Lu Xianggong's outburst yesterday, they dared not show it.

That is to say, people like Wang De thought it was none of their business and never cared about it from beginning to end. They were just a little confused at this moment.

As for Liang Su, who had just been appointed as a secretary, he also shook on his horse under the gaze of Yu Yunwen, Mei Li and others. Then his face changed drastically, and he jumped off the horse and knelt behind Emperor Zhao.

As a result, he was surrounded by several soldiers.

As for Shi Ju, he almost fell off his horse after his senior brother bowed to him, and was surrounded by several Red Heart Team cavalrymen.

"He's dead." Zhang Jing was a little confused by this scene, but he still hurriedly bowed. "He hanged himself... He left four words, which read 'no regrets'."

"I have no regrets." Just as Lu Yihao was about to get angry again, Emperor Zhao suddenly spoke coldly. "Behead his body and display it to the public!"

Zhang Jing was a military man, so there was no way he would think too much. Seeing that the emperor and the prime minister had the same attitude, and he had received the imperial decree and the explanation, he immediately turned around and went to deal with the body.

Liang Su, in a daze, looked through the soldiers around him at his junior brother who was surrounded and controlled by the knights, and suddenly he kowtowed on the ground.

"I will not change my order. If you have anything to say, you have to say it after the corpse is slaughtered." Zhao Jiu rode on the horse without turning his head.

"I...I would like to collect the body later." Liang Su raised his head, his forehead was purple and his face was pale. He tried to think for a while before speaking with difficulty. "I also ask Your Majesty to allow me to resign from my post...My junior brother is young, and the two countries are at war, so I am afraid it will be difficult to do so. I...I would like to escort my teacher's coffin back to Dingzhou for burial in the name of a commoner."

Zhao Jiu turned around to look at this person, and felt a ball of anger in his heart that had been suppressed for a long time and was gradually burning.

Everyone around looked uneasy, especially the several imperial guards who had been accompanying the emperor for a long time. They simply held their swords in hand just in case. Even people like Yang Yizhong, Ren Baozhong, Yu Yunwen, and Mei Li became nervous and prepared to deal with a possible outburst by Emperor Zhao.

However, Zhao Jiu stared at this man, and although his anger gradually rose, he could not vent it... because he had realized that the object of his anger was not this person, nor was it the Han governor Shi Gao who had been loyal to the Great Jin Kingdom and still boasted that he had a "clear conscience."

Including yesterday's dissatisfaction, it was not directed at Li Qiong.

Moreover, he knew that there must be some silent people at this time who were moved by Shi Gao and the young man in their hearts, thinking that "Confucians teach by their own actions" and that no matter whether Shi Gao violated the law or not, he was a "good Confucian" who had no regrets.

And this anger is not directed at those who remain silent.

It is a broad and complex emotion, which may contain some elements such as pity for their misfortune and anger at their lack of resistance, but it is definitely more than that. It is also mixed with a sense of grievance and anger and shame for one's own incompetence.

There is a kind of feeling that even though I have done so much and worked so hard in the Northern Expedition, there are still so many people who follow that confused logic to think and do things, as if my efforts are not worth it, and as if my efforts are not enough.

This is an emotion that comes with a reflective mindset.

But no matter what, contrary to everyone's expectations, Emperor Zhao actually calmed down this time. He did not issue any manifesto-like rebuke, nor did he take the opportunity to say any lofty words to scold anyone or express his mood... He endured it.

The only reason he was able to endure it was not because of the complexity of these complex emotions themselves, but because he realized that, in the final analysis, just as all the conflicts were caused by the Song-Jin War, these emotions and events, numbness and ignorance, passion and silence, and even justice and evil, ultimately all needed to be underpinned and determined by the success of the Northern Expedition.

Everything is for military victory itself, everything is for the success of the Northern Expedition.

Before that, there is no point in saying anything.

This battle in people's hearts is itself a part of the Northern Expedition. Since it is a war, do we have to win by talking nonsense? !

"That's it."

To the surprise of many of his close ministers, who did not realize that they had missed two famous prime ministers of the Jin Dynasty in history, or rather, who would not care even if they knew, Emperor Zhao calmly threw out this sentence, then rode his horse forward, and crossed the intersection under the escort of the densely packed soldiers on the street.

As soon as Emperor Zhao left, the two young men, who also had no idea that they would become famous prime ministers of the Great Jin Dynasty in another time and space, got rid of their fear. But then, they could not help but burst into tears in the street under the gaze of all the soldiers in the city.

Confucians teach others by their own actions.

Regardless of how the Zhao Song court evaluated Shi Gao, in the eyes of these two people, he conveyed their ideas to them.

Have a clear conscience!

In the afternoon, in the county government office of Anyi City where a man had just been hanged, the newly arrived Zhao Guanjia released the restraints without hesitation and issued an order on the spot to require Henan craftsmen to rush to make a large banner with the words "Sparks of a Wilderness" and prepare to give it to Ma Kuo. At the same time, he sent a letter to Tieling Pass, requiring Han, Li, and Ma to strictly enforce military discipline and strictly investigate the incidents of disobeying orders, looting and rioting since the start of the war, and directly named Liang Xingliang and Zhao Cheng who was injured.

Finally, Emperor Zhao did not forget to directly issue an imperial edict to question Wu Jie in northern Shaanxi, asking him whether he wanted to go there in person to take Guo Zhen's head?

PS: Thanks to Mingyubaba for his three leaders, this is the fourth cutest! Thanks to Yekuangxueji for his cuteness, this is also the fourth cutest!

Then the official activities for Zhao Jiu’s birthday should continue, and everyone is welcome to participate.