"Now, the Supreme Ruler King is dead, but I will not transfer my anger to you."
"Today, I have gathered you here because I have something to announce to you all."
"I know many of you are worried about your fate and the safety of your family."
“These concerns are natural.”
Lin Ke said this and then paused for a moment.
He could see the fear in the eyes of those Hebrews.
However, if the issue of prisoners can be properly handled, the reputation of Holy Egypt will not be affected.
"Today, I tell you that your destiny is in your own hands."
"Next, please listen carefully to what I say."
“If any of you wishes to leave Jerusalem, you may do so.”
"I promise you that no soldier will embarrass you or take revenge on you."
As soon as Lin Ke's words came out, the Hebrews felt that they were hallucinating.
"What?"
“Can we leave Jerusalem?”
"How is this possible!?"
Then, Lin Ke's voice sounded again.
"But not everyone can leave Jerusalem."
"If you want to leave here, there are conditions."
“Only those who pay the ransom can leave.”
Lin Ke continued to speak, and the Hebrews below just listened carefully to Lin Ke's words, afraid of missing a single word.
"Families who are able can pay the ransom to gain their freedom."
"Those who have elderly people, women or children in their families and cannot afford the ransom can be released without compensation. During the period when the Holy Egyptian Alliance army is stationed, they can receive food and water at the designated location every day."
These words were like a bolt of lightning, splitting the dark clouds that shrouded the hearts of the Hebrew people.
The expressions of fear on their faces had even changed completely.
Especially the elderly, women and children, the expressions on their faces almost immediately showed a hint of shock and joy.
Lin Ke continued: "As for the young and middle-aged people and the soldiers of the empire, I will give you a chance to exchange your labor for food and shelter."
“Jerusalem needs to be rebuilt and the city needs to be repaired. This is not a task that can be completed in a short period of time. I need you to contribute your strength.”
At this moment, whispers began to appear among the crowd, and they simply couldn't believe their ears.
"Your Majesty the Holy Pharaoh, what is this doing?!"
"He wants to rebuild Jerusalem? We can just work and get food in exchange?!"
"Food that can fill your stomach?!"
After hearing Lin Ke's words, the expressions of many Hebrews changed completely.
After all, ever since the heavy rain and bloodbath, there has been a food shortage in the entire Hebrew Empire.
Those cities far away from Jerusalem were almost facing the situation of having no food available, and they could only use their financial reserves to buy food from outside.
Of course, part of the food was bought by the Hebrews in the name of the caravan, and Lin Ke was already well aware of this information.
For the people of Jerusalem, many of them have been starving for some time.
Especially the young and middle-aged civilians, because when the Holy Egyptian Alliance attacked the Hebrew Empire, almost all food reserves were supplied to the army.
Even without the help of any tools, Lin Ke could easily distinguish between imperial soldiers and civilians with his eyes.
This difference is first reflected in body shape.
Imperial soldiers are generally tall and strong, with broad shoulders and thick backs, and obvious muscle lines can be seen on their arms.
Even under the harsh conditions after the defeat, their physical fitness remained at a considerable level, thanks to years of military training and relatively adequate nutritional supply.
Their postures were upright, and even when they were captured, it was difficult to completely conceal the discipline and vigilance unique to soldiers.
In comparison, civilians are obviously much weaker.
Long-term food shortages have left most of them skinny, with sunken cheeks and severe atrophy of the muscles in their arms and legs.
Children are stunted, the elderly are hunchbacked, and the women are tired and emaciated.
They often hunch over with their feet slightly apart to maintain balance, obviously showing weakness caused by long-term malnutrition.
In addition to physique, mental state is also a significant difference.
Although the soldiers were defeated, their eyes were still scrutinizing and alert, and their gazes were relatively focused.
Simply put, their bodies, at least, have not yet entered a state of malnutrition, so they can still concentrate.
The weak civilians mostly looked distracted, with dull or frequently wandering eyes. This was because they had been living in a turbulent environment for a long time, coupled with the problem of food shortage.
Not only that, the clothes of those civilians were also varied. Most of them were worn-out civilian clothes with obvious signs of repair and dull colors.
Moreover, those people in the crowd who were in better shape but obviously not soldiers were usually skilled workers or businessmen in the town. They had a certain social status but not as high as that of the soldiers, so they could at least exchange their property for expensive food.
The weakest groups are often farmers and the urban poor, so they are the most directly affected by the famine.
Military needs take priority, and the food and clothing of ordinary people are placed in a secondary position.
This sharp contrast silently exposes how stupid the empire's long-standing resource allocation model is.
Especially in the later stages of the war, when granaries became empty, the first thing to be reduced was the rations of civilians, while the army was still able to receive relatively stable supplies to maintain its combat effectiveness.
Not only that, some young and strong recruits can be seen among the imperial soldiers, while among the civilian population, the younger generation is generally underdeveloped, and many teenagers look only seven or eight years old.
This further reveals a cruel fact about the imperial conscription system, that is, only young men with qualified physiques can be drafted into the army.
As for those young people who were weak due to malnutrition, they were eliminated and became laborers or coolies.
Clearly, under imperial rule, human worth was reduced to the extent of one's contribution to the war machine.
Soldiers are viewed as valuable assets because of their combat effectiveness, while civilians are viewed as lesser expendables whose very right to survival can be sacrificed at any time for military objectives.
This is also one of the fundamental reasons for the decline of the Hebrew Empire.
Seeing the reactions of the Hebrews, Lin Ke became even more certain that his decision was correct.
So he continued speaking.
“We will allocate additional food subsidies based on family size.”
“Families with children to support will be given priority, no one will go hungry and no one will live on the streets.”
As soon as Lin Ke finished speaking, many Hebrews shed tears.
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