Chapter 179 Chu Lingyang's Path to Emperorship 2
"To spare their lives today would be tantamount to raising a tiger to cause future trouble!"
"Once they have recovered and their strength has grown, they will surely return with a vengeance. When war breaks out again, how much more blood will our Great Zhou soldiers shed?! How much more suffering will our Great Zhou people endure from displacement and hardship?!"
"Besides, war inevitably involves killing; this is an age-old truth! If we're going to kill, let's kill decisively and cleanly. Why waste words?"
Chu Lingyang paused, suddenly remembering an old story that the Grand Tutor had mentioned.
"Your subject once heard the Grand Tutor say that during the previous dynasty, tens of thousands of barbarian prisoners of war were captured. At that time, the court was also benevolent and wanted to influence them, so they settled them in the border counties."
"Who would have thought that three years later, those barbarians would secretly collude and launch a rebellion, capturing three cities in one fell swoop and slaughtering tens of thousands of our Great Zhou people!"
"Have you all forgotten such a bloody lesson?! It is clear that these barbarians are wolves in sheep's clothing, beyond redemption, and must not be allowed to live!"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall turned pale. The tragic scene of the riot in the previous dynasty, even after many years, was still a nightmare for the entire court and the people.
Chu Lingyang's gaze suddenly fell on Minister Liu in the corner of the hall. She asked in a deep voice, "Just now, Minister Liu said that educating the barbarians is a long-term plan with lasting benefits! May I ask Minister Liu, are you willing to take on this important task of educating the barbarians?"
When Minister Liu was called upon, he was startled and hurriedly knelt down, stammering, "This...this...this old minister is incompetent and unable to shoulder this great responsibility..."
Chu Lingyang withdrew her gaze and looked at Chu Siheng again, her tone resolute: "In my opinion, the only way to deal with such tyrannical people is to use violence to stop violence, and to stop killing with killing!"
"Kill these 50,000 prisoners of war, and the barbarians will be unable to pose a threat to our Great Zhou for the next hundred years! In this way, our people can be spared the suffering of war and live in peace and prosperity!"
"Father, this is exchanging a moment of bloodshed for a hundred years of peace!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Siheng's eyes flashed with approval, and he nodded repeatedly. He looked at the officials below and said in a deep voice, "What do you think, my dear ministers?"
The officials looked at each other in bewilderment. Chu Lingyang's words had hit the nail on the head, leaving no room for argument.
After a moment, everyone bowed their heads and praised in unison, "The Crown Princess is absolutely right! At such a young age, she has such foresight and courage; she is truly a blessing to our Great Zhou!"
In the Golden Palace, Chu Lingyang, dressed in a crimson palace gown, stood amidst a sea of bowing officials, her eyes clear and bright, already possessing the air of an emperor who looked down upon the world.
Time flies, and another three years have passed in a flash.
Chu Lingyang had turned eighteen. That year, a sudden rainstorm hit Jiangnan, lasting for three months. Rivers burst their banks, fertile fields were destroyed, and people were displaced, with many becoming refugees.
When the news reached the capital, it caused a stir in the court and among the people.
In the Golden Palace, Chu Lingyang volunteered to go to Jiangnan to manage the floods and provide disaster relief. Chu Siheng was worried when he heard this and immediately wanted to dispatch 10,000 imperial guards to accompany and protect the emperor, but Chu Lingyang politely declined.
Chu Lingyang knelt below the steps and kowtowed, saying, "Father, your son's trip is for disaster relief and saving the people. Naturally, I will travel light and simply so as not to disturb the people and to truly get close to their hearts!"
Looking at the determination in Chu Lingyang's eyes, Chu Siheng finally couldn't persuade her otherwise and had to agree. However, he repeatedly instructed the accompanying officials to ensure the safety of the Crown Princess.
On the eve of Chu Lingyang's departure, the candles in Chengqian Palace burned all night long.
Lu Zhaoxue sat under the lamp, needle and thread in her hand, sewing a warm cloak for her daughter. Every stitch on the dark red brocade was a mother's concern.
Lu Zhaoxue looked up at Chu Lingyang, who was sitting to the side. Seeing that her daughter's features were exactly the same as Chu Siheng's, she said softly, "Zhaozhao, when you go to Jiangnan, you must act according to your ability and not be reckless."
Chu Lingyang got up and walked to Lu Zhaoxue's side, bent down and held her mother's hand, "Mother, rest assured, your daughter will not fail in her mission and will take good care of herself."
When Chu Lingyang arrived in Jiangnan, the once fertile fields were now completely submerged by muddy floods, with only a few bare treetops showing.
The people were displaced and crammed into makeshift shacks, all of them emaciated, ragged, and filled with despair.
Chu Lingyang did not delay for a moment. As soon as she arrived, she ordered the granaries to be opened and all the grain and medicine she had brought with her to be distributed.
Chu Lingyang then issued a public notice, summoning doctors from all over Jiangnan to set up free clinics to treat the sick people.
After completing these tasks, Chu Lingyang personally led officials to survey the river channel and formulate a water management plan.
During the day, Chu Lingyang toiled along the riverbank, her plain white dress stained with mud, and her originally delicate and fair face tanned dark by the scorching sun of Jiangnan.
But Chu Lingyang didn't care at all, and continued to direct the laborers to dredge the river and reinforce the dikes with great enthusiasm.
Seeing how exhausted Chu Lingyang was, the accompanying ministers couldn't bear it and advised her, "Your Highness, you have been traveling for several days in a row. Why don't you take a rest?"
Chu Lingyang simply shook her head, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and smiled faintly: "The people are still suffering, how can I rest in peace? The people will not have a moment of peace until the dike is repaired. As the Crown Princess, I have an inescapable responsibility."
Chu Lingyang's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every laborer.
Looking at the figure standing tall and straight in the mud, everyone felt a surge of warmth in their hearts, and their enthusiasm for work grew even stronger.
Months of hard work have finally paid off.
The blocked waterways were cleared one by one, the breached dikes were reinforced as before, and the raging floodwaters finally receded.
The sun shone down on the earth again, revealing the long-lost fertile fields.
The people spontaneously came out of their shacks, knelt by the roadside, and kowtowed again and again in the direction Chu Lingyang had left, shouting "Long live the Crown Princess!"
On the day Chu Lingyang returned to the capital, Chu Siheng and Lu Zhaoxue led the entire court of civil and military officials to personally go out of the city for ten miles to welcome her.
The imperial carriage slowly approached, the curtain was lifted, and Chu Lingyang stepped down. Her cheeks were dark, and her eyes showed a hint of fatigue, but her eyes were still surprisingly bright.
Lu Zhaoxue strode forward, looking at her daughter with slightly reddened eyes, "Good Zhaozhao...you did it...you really did it..."
Chu Lingyang bowed respectfully, "Your subject has fortunately fulfilled your mission!"
In the Golden Palace, Chu Lingyang stood on the steps, holding a memorial outlining flood control and disaster relief measures, and clearly explained the subsequent appeasement measures.
Chu Lingyang's actions and words were all to the point, and the officials were all convinced. After she finished speaking, all the civil and military officials bowed their heads and shouted, "The Crown Princess is wise!"
Chu Lingyang raised her eyes and looked over the officials below the steps, her eyes shining brightly.
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