Fan Ming, standing to the side, looked at Yang Qiu and hesitated, saying, "Captain Yang, the people involved in this case are numerous. I think... should we consult His Majesty before making a decision?"
Yang Qiu waved his hand and stood up, saying, "These traitors deserve to be killed by everyone. If we don't kill them as soon as possible to deter others, there's no guarantee that no one will take chances!"
"This... Captain Yang is right!"
Seeing Yang Qiu's murderous expression, Fan Ming could only shake his head and sigh helplessly.
Soon, with Yang Qiu's order, more than 3,000 scholars and powerful figures within the territory were slaughtered, and more than 20,000 others were arrested and imprisoned.
On the other hand, after several days of arrests, most of the gentry and powerful families in Changshan, Zhongshan and other places, except for a few who were loyal to the court, were completely eliminated by Zhang Rang and his men, thus eliminating the local worries.
Just as Yang Qiu and Zhang Rang were wreaking havoc, after a period of rest, Lu Qing, Han Yuan, Liu Kui and others also joined forces in Xindu, bringing the total army to 80,000, making them a formidable force.
Inside the main tent, Liu Kui sat in the main seat, full of vigor, while a group of scholars and powerful leaders sat on either side.
Liu Kui raised his wine cup, faced the crowd, and said loudly, "Thanks to your help, we have now captured Anping, Qinghe, and Bohai prefectures, as well as Qing and Yan provinces. Most of the counties and prefectures are now under our control, and we have more soldiers and more food. I would like to toast you all!"
The imposter Lu Qing was the first to stand up: "The King of Bohai has acted in accordance with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people, eliminating treacherous officials for the sake of the country and its people. We should give him our full support! Cheers!"
Having said that, Lu Qing picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
Everyone stood up and shouted, "Cheer!!"
With a cup of wine down, the banquet began, and the tent was filled with the mingling of lights and the lively atmosphere.
"Report!!"
Just as the banquet was in full swing, a messenger suddenly ran into the tent.
"Your Majesty, according to reports from scouts, Yang Qiu has wreaked havoc in Zhao County, nearly wiping out the local gentry and prominent families. He has also recruited 20,000 able-bodied men and is training them intensively, intending to defend Zhao County to the death!"
As soon as the messenger finished speaking, the tent fell silent.
"What...? This Yang Qiu, how dare he do this?"
"Once we conquer Zhao County, I will surely tear that Yang Qiu to pieces!!"
Upon hearing the messenger's report, the scholars and powerful figures in the tent who had close ties with Zhao County cursed loudly, expressing their deep hatred for Yang Qiu.
Liu Kui, sitting in the main seat, also looked extremely grim. He had been hoping that the scholars in Zhao County would cooperate with him from within and without to take Zhao County in one fell swoop, but now they had all been killed by Yang Qiu. If he wanted to advance eastward, he was afraid it would be very difficult.
One of them stood up and said, “Gentlemen, Yang Qiu has been indiscriminately killing innocent people. We must not let him off lightly. I propose that we send troops immediately to take Julu and then Zhao County to avenge the victims!”
"Yes, revenge!!"
In an instant, the crowd inside the tent was filled with righteous indignation, clamoring for troops to take revenge.
Liu Kui turned to the messenger and asked in a deep voice, "Has any intelligence come from Julu and Wei Commandery?"
The messenger reported, "The governors of Julu and Wei are posting notices everywhere, recruiting local militia, and preparing to defend the two prefectures to the death!"
"Your Majesty, there is no time to lose. We should immediately send troops to attack the two commanderies to prevent them from coordinating with Zhao Commandery from both sides!"
Seeing this, Liu Kui had no choice but to stand up and say, "Since everyone agrees, let's raise an army immediately and take Julu and Wei Commandery first!"
Soon, drums thundered in the camp, and the 80,000-strong army gathered in Xindu broke camp and headed towards Julu.
On the march, Liu Kui called Lu Qing to his side and asked, "Mr. Lu, there are currently 5,000 Imperial Guards under Wang Yue in Zhao County, as well as 20,000 newly recruited young men. If our army cannot take them down in one fell swoop, what should we do?"
Lu Qing lowered his head and sighed, "I share the same concern. Although our army has 80,000 men, it has only recently been integrated and its combat effectiveness is uneven. It is fine for fighting when the wind is favorable, but if we suffer heavy losses in a siege, it may shake the morale of our army!"
Liu Kui's face showed anxiety: "Then what should we do?"
Lu Qing thought for a moment, then said, "Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to find some scapegoats!"
"What is a substitute for someone who dies...?"
Liu Kui looked at Lu Qing with a puzzled expression.
Lu Qing said, "Currently, in the three provinces of Ji, Qing, and Yan, although many families have followed the King in raising an army, most people still choose to wait and see."
If we win, they will seize the opportunity to divide the spoils; if we lose, they will surely kick us when we're down!
Liu Kui, his face grim, said, “Mr. Lu is right. These people’s behavior is truly hateful! But they are all from prominent local families and have many connections with you gentlemen, so I cannot force them!”
Even Liu Kui, who raised an army in rebellion, felt a headache coming on when he thought of these entangled and interconnected scholars and powerful figures.
The imposter Lu Qing laughed and said, "Your Majesty need not worry. Yang Qiu can execute the scholars and powerful families of Zhao County on charges of treason. You can also force those people to choose sides by claiming that you are colluding with treacherous officials in the court. At that time, those who follow will be spared, and those who do not will be killed. Then, we can seize their property and subordinates to strengthen our army!"
Liu Kui nodded: "Mr. Lu is right. Those guys are all opportunists, and they're all staying in the rear. If they collude with the court and cut off our retreat, we'll be in a dilemma!"
Subsequently, Liu Kui ordered a halt to the march, summoned the scholars and powerful leaders who had accompanied the army, and shared his concerns with them.
Upon learning that Liu Kui intended to emulate Yang Qiu and first stabilize the rear, everyone hesitated for only a moment before nodding in agreement.
After all, Liu Kui's concerns were quite reasonable. As fellow scholars and powerful figures, they were naturally very clear about the nature of those who sat on the sidelines.
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