Chu Fan was thinking in his mind how to deal with Qiu Li. After all, Qiu Li’s identity was a bit too complicated.

Qiu Li used to be the general of the Gan State. He led an army of 100,000 to invade the Wei State and committed many crimes in the border areas. Then he was a spy instigated by Mu Yunfeng to be sent back to the Gan State. Because his identity was exposed, Mu Yunfeng was almost implicated.

Chu Fan didn't know how to deal with such a person for a while. If he had followed the previous way of dealing with him, Qiu Li would have been granted an official position to show Chu Fan's magnanimity and the tolerance of Wei State, which would have attracted more people from other countries to join Wei State.

At that time, in future wars, it will be easier for Wei to surrender enemy generals and reduce unnecessary casualties and losses.

But Chu Fan had another consideration in mind, that is, the State of Wei had carried out educational reforms, and the way the court elected officials had also undergone fundamental changes. If enemy generals like Qiu Li, who had caused great harm to the State of Wei, could be directly entrusted with important tasks, then wouldn't it be unfair to those people of Wei who had studied hard and passed the imperial examinations step by step?

How would those scholars who had studied so hard at the time view the justice and fairness of the court? Would they think that since they still needed to study so hard to be appointed to the court in Wei, they might as well defect to the enemy and then surrender to Wei, where it would be easier to get an official position.

Another point is that if Qiu Li was directly entrusted with an important task without passing Wei's selection system, then even if Qiu Li entered the Wei court, he might be excluded and suppressed by Wei's court ministers in the future. They might even use this violation of regulations to criticize Qiu Li. At that time, Qiu Li's life would probably not be easy.

Imagine that all your family members lost their lives in the invasion of the Qian country, and you barely survived that purgatory. However, when you finally got through that painful experience, you tell me that the enemy general who once committed heinous crimes has now become your manager and your immediate superior. This feeling is probably not something that ordinary people can bear.

Although the State of Wei has gradually become stronger because of Chu Fan, and its soldiers are extremely loyal and powerful, a little turmoil will not have much impact on the court and foundation of the State of Wei. But when the court of Wei is weak, when those who are dissatisfied with the court of Wei gain powerful strength or have enough power, will they in turn pose a threat to the rule of the State of Wei?

Chu Fan himself was an ordinary person when he was on Blue Star. He understood that an ordinary person was too powerless when facing injustice, so he was unwilling to let the Wei court become an unjust place in the eyes of ordinary people.

Why should he dishearten countless people who had sacrificed blood and sweat for the State of Wei, and even lost their loved ones, just to appease a former enemy? Chu Fan knew that the true way to govern a country was not just about balancing power and interests in the short term, but also about maintaining social order, good customs, fairness and justice in the long term.

Another point is that for the generals who defected to Wei for the sake of benefits, were they really loyal to Wei in their hearts?

Some might say that after luring these people into surrendering, they could find an opportunity or excuse to eliminate them later. But where would the court's credibility be? If this were truly done, it might even give rise to rumors that the Wei court was treacherous and abandoning its allies. Not only would the people of the enemy countries that had surrendered believe this, but many in Wei would also believe it.

Therefore, Chu Fan felt that directly granting Qiu Li an official position was not a wise choice. He needed to find a balance between maintaining the justice and fairness of the Wei court and demonstrating the magnanimity and tolerance of the Wei state.

The best solution would be to grant Qiu Li citizenship in Wei and grant him some money and land, allowing him to settle down and live a prosperous life in Wei. If Qiu Li wanted to continue serving as an official in the court, he could take the exam, enter university, and then, through the Wei selection system, obtain an official position based on his talent and hard work. This would not only reflect Wei's principle of appointing people based on their merits, but also allow Qiu Li to truly integrate into the Wei system and win the recognition of the people.

Thinking of this, Chu Fan said to Qiu Li: "Qiu Li, I know you made many mistakes when you were serving the country, but I have also heard many of your heroic deeds. You were extremely brave on the battlefield and made great achievements. I also admire your talents."

Qiu Li was very excited when he heard Chu Fan's words. He bowed and said, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I made mistakes out of ignorance before. I hope Your Majesty will punish me."

Chu Fan continued, "In recognition of your contributions over the past period, I have decided to grant you citizenship of the State of Wei. I will also grant you some money and land near Kaifeng City so that you can settle down and live a prosperous life. If you still wish to continue serving as an official in the court, I welcome you to take the examination and pass the Wei selection system, and obtain an official position through your own talent and hard work."

Qiu Li felt a little dissatisfied when he heard Chu Fan's words. After all, in the history of Shengwu Continent, surrendered generals like him were directly granted official positions. But now he had to be an ordinary citizen first and take exams before he could enter the official career. This seemed somewhat humiliating to Qiu Li.

However, the situation was stronger than he was. Qiu Li knew that he was no longer in a position to bargain with Chu Fan. He could only kowtow and say, "Thank you, Your Majesty, the Emperor of Wei, for your grace."

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