After all the obedient and sensible laborers had been properly settled, Liu Cheng also ordered that all the former noble lords who had been determined to rebel against the Han Dynasty be brought to the square in front of the palace.
Under the protection of a thousand Imperial Guards, Liu Cheng slowly walked to a makeshift platform and sat down behind a table.
In the center of the table were several files, and to the left of the files was a bamboo tube containing several bamboo sticks.
Zhou Yu, standing to the side, picked up the dossier in the slightly chilly spring breeze and read aloud the crimes of the old noble lords kneeling in the square.
A single sentence that offended the might of the Han Dynasty was enough to warrant their death.
"Execute them!!"
With a soft shout from Liu Cheng, a bamboo stick was thrown off the platform.
Immediately afterwards, a row of executioners wielding large swords appeared.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone around, nearly a thousand loyal old noble lords who had died for their country were all beheaded.
Among these people were those who changed their minds and wanted to join the Han Dynasty, but they were all rejected because Liu Cheng needed their heads to establish his authority and that of the Han Dynasty.
Immediately afterwards, Liu Cheng ordered that the more than one thousand heads be used to build a mound of skulls.
Looking at the mounds of graves that resembled ordinary tombs, those who were still grateful for the Crown Prince's kindness and benevolence couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and relief.
Only then did they realize that the crown prince of this burly man was benevolent, but when he turned ruthless, he was also terrifying.
Kindness and leniency are not contradictory to ruthlessness and decisiveness.
After establishing his authority, Liu Cheng immediately announced a series of preferential treatments for those who submitted to the Han Dynasty.
For example, locals who learn Chinese and Chinese characters can be exempted from taxes for five years, including local commoners, merchants, and noble landowners. Local scholars can also enter government service after passing a Chinese language exam.
After hearing Liu Chengxin announce the policy, those who were shocked by the killings just now took a long time to cheer loudly.
The right way is to combine kindness and severity!
Looking at the square still stained with blood and listening to the praises of the people around him, Liu Cheng's eyes gradually turned cold.
It must be said that Liu Hong's education of his eldest son was very successful.
At the very least, judging from Liu Cheng's character, he could have become an excellent ruler who governs the country well, or he could have become a ruthless tyrant who is decisive in killing, but he would never have been an incompetent and weak ruler.
Seeing the people still cheering, Liu Cheng got up and left, heading towards his palace.
As Zhou Yu watched Liu Cheng's departing figure, he felt both happy and slightly disappointed.
The good news was that the prince he served had finally figured out how to be an emperor; the bad news was that he could no longer be like a brother to the prince as he was when they were children.
“Gongjin, Your Highness will be ruling an unprecedentedly vast empire in the future. Therefore, Your Highness is destined to shoulder things that ordinary people cannot bear, including emotions.”
Seeing Zhou Yu's complicated expression, Sima Yi stepped forward to offer a word of comfort.
Although he was four years younger than Zhou Yu, Sima Yi's face showed a maturity and ruthlessness that did not match his age.
Zhou Yu nodded somewhat dejectedly: "I understand what you're saying, but His Highness is only fifteen years old this year, he..."
"When His Majesty ascended the throne, wasn't he only twelve years old?" Sima Yi raised his eyelids, his voice carrying a hint of depth: "If Your Highness cannot become what His Majesty expects, what do you think His Majesty will do?"
"Zhongda, aren't you overthinking this? How could His Majesty possibly...?"
Zhou Yu was startled. As the emperor's disciple, Liu Hong was, in his mind, the greatest and most sagacious ruler. He dared not imagine the hidden meaning in Sima Yi's words.
"Perhaps I'm overthinking it, but in this world, besides His Majesty, only His Highness is worthy of our loyalty. The more His Highness meets His Majesty's expectations, the happier we should be, shouldn't we?" Sima Yi said to Zhou Yu, his expression more serious than ever before.
Zhou Yu remained silent. Although he was a few years older than Sima Yi, he could never see through the other's thoughts. But the only thing he knew was that Sima Yi, like him, was absolutely loyal to the Crown Prince.
"It's best not to tell His Highness what we're saying today. Only if His Highness understands it himself can he better take over the Han Dynasty in the future!"
After Sima Yi finished speaking, his face returned to its previous lazy expression, and he turned and walked to the other side.
Seeing Sima Yi turn around, Zhou Yu couldn't help but call out to him, "Zhongda, do you still remember His Majesty's teachings to us?"
"Of course, our ideal is the whole world. We are a whole, sharing honor and disgrace!" Sima Yi said without turning his head.
"Sharing honor and disgrace!"
Watching Sima Yi's figure gradually disappear into the distance, Zhou Yu murmured something and then suddenly laughed.
...
It's April now.
Under the azure sky, spring is the busiest yet most beautiful season of the year for the people of Illinois.
Accompanied by Zhou Yu, Sima Yi, Guo Jia, and others, Liu Cheng also left the palace, taking with him some scholars who were well-versed in agriculture to conduct an on-site investigation of the agricultural situation in Yizhou.
During his months of stay in Yizhou, Liu Cheng, with the help of Zhou Yu and others, and through the various policies he promulgated, gradually built up his prestige among the people of Yizhou.
Therefore, the people of Yizhou responded with great enthusiasm and support to Liu Cheng as he went into the fields.
Chu Qian, Jian Shuo, and the other officials understood that they were getting old, and all they could do now was help the Crown Prince make various arrangements in Yizhou as soon as possible.
Therefore, when Chu Qian came into contact with Zhou Yu, Sima Yi, Guo Jia and others, he was open and honest with them and did his best to provide them with various forms of assistance.
In particular, Chu Qian handed over all the information to Liu Cheng regarding the spies in Parthia and the Left Chancellor who had been recruited as an inside agent.
Liu Cheng entrusted all these personnel to Sima Yi for management.
In Liu Cheng's view, Sima Yi not only possessed Jia Xu's shrewdness and deep calculation, but also some of Cheng Yu's ruthlessness.
Just as the Emperor commented, Sima Yi, though a man of deep thoughts, is an extremely useful weapon if he can be kept in check.
Liu Cheng, on the other hand, had the confidence to suppress Sima Yi.
Looking at the list that Liu Cheng handed over to him, Sima Yi was extremely excited and quickly immersed himself in it.
Upon learning that these people lurking in Parthia were all bribed by Chu Qian on the emperor's orders several years ago, Sima Yi felt an even greater sense of awe for the emperor in Luoyang.
Sima Yi had studied the affairs of the emperor since childhood, and he also found that various reforms and foreign wars were proceeding very smoothly.
The main reason for the success was that the emperor had made advance plans and arrangements before taking action.
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