Li Dingguo stepped forward and patted Gao Wengui on the shoulder: "Keep up the good work."
"Thank you, Governor Wen, thank you, General Li!" Gao Wengui bowed again and remembered something. He asked in a low voice, "My Lords, how do we deal with these prisoners?"
Wen Anzhi thought for a moment and said, "Most of these people are from the Mengzi area and are familiar with the local terrain. What I mean is to detain them first and let them lead the way when we counterattack Mengzi."
Li Dingguo blinked his eyes, clasped his hands and said, "Governor Wen, I have different ideas."
"Tell me about it."
"I mean to kill them all to serve as a warning to others!"
"This..." Wen Anzhi was frightened by Li Dingguo's idea: "Isn't this bad? Treating prisoners well can not only win over the hearts of the prisoners, but also win over the hearts of the rebels who have not yet surrendered."
"Once the news of killing prisoners spreads, no one will dare to surrender... After all, surrender means death, while not surrendering may still allow one to survive."
Li Dingguo said with a firm look: "Governor Wen is wrong. Killing the prisoners is exactly the fulfillment of our promise."
"Before the siege, our army spread the news that those who surrendered would be pardoned, but those who resisted would be killed without mercy!"
"Pu'an Prefecture, Xinxing Suo and Annan Guard surrendered at the sight of our army, and our army didn't kill a single person! When they arrived in Qujing, the rebels not only did not surrender, but instead took the initiative to provoke and shoot the messenger."
"It is impolite not to reciprocate. Our army must teach the chieftains and soldiers of Yunnan a lesson and let them know that the Ming army keeps its word."
"Once the news gets out, it will not only not increase the difficulty of advancing, but will force the rebels to surrender."
"Another point, these people are from Sha Dingzhou's direct lineage. Do you dare to keep them in the army?"
"Please think twice, Governor."
Wen Anzhi began to hesitate.
There were many reasons why he didn't want to kill the prisoners, one of which was mercy.
Li Dingguo saw his hesitation and advised again: "Sir, these chieftains and cave soldiers are not like us Central Plains people who succumb to reason. They only succumb to the strong."
"My subordinates did this not for immediate benefits, but for strategic purposes."
"What's the strategic purpose?" Wen Anzhi raised his head and asked.
"Use a brief killing to achieve the goal of defeating the enemy without fighting!"
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