in2ebook Chapter 141 Emperor Qing Zhao's eyes were deep,
Chapter 141 Emperor Qing Zhao's eyes were deep,
Gazing at Xie Sichen, who was covered in wounds but still pleading, he spoke slowly, his voice carrying undeniable authority yet also revealing a subtle softness: "If your method of drying salt can truly benefit Zhao State, I may also consider it as a way for your brother to atone for his sins."
Upon hearing this, Xie Sichen's eyes gleamed with hope. He quickly kowtowed in thanks, his voice trembling with excitement. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. I will submit all the salt-drying methods I know to atone for my mistake."
Emperor Qing Zhao gently raised his hand, signaling the guards to release their hold on Xie Sichen. Seeing this, the guards immediately withdrew the knives from Xie Sichen's neck and stepped aside. Xie Sichen was finally able to stand up. Although his body was trembling slightly, his eyes were filled with determination.
"You should first write down the method of salt drying and present it to me. As for the crimes of you and your brother, I will deal with them according to the law, but I will also consider your meritorious performance." Emperor Qing Zhao said, with a barely perceptible expectation in his tone.
Xie Sichen quickly nodded in agreement, secretly glad that Emperor Qing Zhao was willing to give his brother a chance of survival.
At this time, Eunuch Fu placed paper and pen on the ground in front of Xie Sichen.
Seeing this, Xie Sichen, despite the pain in his body, crawled to the ground and began to carefully write the method of drying salt. Every word was condensed with his hard work and hope, and he hoped that this effort would bring a better future for him and his brother.
After a while, Emperor Qing Zhao looked at the salt drying method on the table. After a moment's silence, he slowly spoke, "I will punish you according to the law. I can also spare your brother's life for his involvement in this matter. However, you must report everything you know to me one by one, without hiding anything."
Xie Sichen felt a little relieved when he heard this. He kowtowed to express his gratitude and told him everything he knew, including the clan's plans, their actions, and Zeng Qing's various behaviors.
Zeng Qing was terrified as he listened to this. He knew that he could not escape death for his crime.
After listening to Xie Sichen's explanation, Emperor Qing Zhao ordered the guards to take Zeng Qing and Xie Sichen to prison first, and also asked the current Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Lord Lin, to go back.
After everyone left, only a handful of close ministers and the brothers Li Huayao and Li Huacheng remained in the hall. The atmosphere was solemn. The emperor, seated on the dragon throne, slowly scanned the people standing below, finally resting on Li Huayao and Li Huacheng. He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked in a deep voice, "What do you two think should be done with the captives from Qingxue City?"
Hearing Emperor Qing Zhao's question, Li Huayao pondered for a moment, then took a small step forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, these nearly 100,000 captives are a significant number. Rashly slaughtering them all would likely cause public outrage. Therefore, in my opinion, it would be better to exile them in batches to the border areas and let them fend for themselves. This would prevent them from feigning obedience now and causing trouble later."
Emperor Qing Zhao nodded with satisfaction. His son had suffered a great blow during the time he followed Mu Yunxi. After returning, he also loved reading and would come to him to ask questions when he didn't understand something.
At this moment, Li Huacheng, who had been silent the entire time, stepped forward, bowed respectfully, then raised his head and replied with neither arrogance nor servility, "Father, I believe that the primary approach to these captives should be to appease them. They are now prisoners. If we can treat them with kindness, it will not only demonstrate the generosity and benevolence of our Zhao State, but will also earn their sincere submission and encourage them to willingly serve our State. In this way, we can rationally utilize these captives, turning them into our nation's labor force, using them in various construction projects or agricultural work, contributing to the development of our State."
Emperor Qing Zhao nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with this statement. His son's strategies had never disappointed him. Several ministers also nodded frequently, agreeing with Li Huacheng's statement. However, Li Huayao's statement was not without merit. After all, as the saying goes—"Those who are not of our race must have different hearts," one must be wary of outsiders!
Emperor Qing Zhao pondered for a moment, then calmly said, "Come here, quickly summon General Su Yao to the palace for an audience."
Time passed minute by minute, and about two quarters of an hour later...
Finally, footsteps were heard outside the hall, and a figure slowly entered with steady steps. It was Su Yao, a tall, slender man with a handsome face, his armor accentuating his elegant demeanor and heroic presence. Upon entering the hall, Su Yao respectfully bowed to Emperor Qing Zhao, then stood quietly aside, awaiting the emperor's words.
Emperor Qing Zhao's gaze fell on Su Yao, and he slowly said, "My dear Su, I now entrust you with an important task. You will be responsible for the management of those captured Confucian scholars."
Su Yao was momentarily stunned, then a perceptive minister briefly recounted the events of Qingxue City to him. Su Yao immediately clasped his fists and replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my utmost. However, I would like to ask if Your Majesty has any special wishes or requests?"
Emperor Qing Zhao waved his hand and said, "I trust you, my dear minister. Just follow Hua Cheng's advice and focus on appeasement. Of course, necessary precautions are also essential, and killing a chicken to scare the monkey is also acceptable."
After Su Yao received the order and retreated, he led his troops straight to Qingxue City.
"Your Majesty! What should we do with those who escaped?" asked Taifu Lou.
Emperor Qing Zhao said nonchalantly, "Now our Zhao State already has ten Zhaoyang warships. We can send two over to garrison there first."
Suddenly, two noises of "bang, bang" were heard. Emperor Qing Zhao listened to the sound coming from far outside the palace and muttered, "This sound is different from the sound of cannons. Has the Innovation Academy come up with something new?" The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was so. He could no longer sit still and called the Li Huayao brothers and several ministers to rush to the Innovation Academy.
After the head of the Innovation Academy learned the purpose of Emperor Qing Zhao's visit, he led them to the courtyard of the weapons manufacturing department. At the entrance, they saw several young people tinkering with something that looked like an iron rod. A girl in a pink dress stood out, holding the rod-like object. Emperor Qing Zhao and his courtiers were surprised to see a young woman in the manufacturing department, as most women at the Innovation Academy were only interested in medicine. Furthermore, Zhao State's capital now had its first hospital. While its equipment wasn't as good as modern ones, it was still comprehensive.
Standing at the entrance to the manufacturing class, Eunuch Fu was about to make an announcement when Emperor Qing Zhao stopped him. He slowly approached the group. Upon seeing the face of the girl in the pink dress, he instantly lost his curiosity about who would come to learn weapon manufacturing. The same thing happened to the people behind him. "Mu Yunxi's sister, that's not surprising."
When Mu Yunyue saw the visitor, she immediately knelt down and saluted: "Your Majesty, your servant greets you!"