Lizhou. The General's Residence.
"Your Highness, please consider this carefully and treat the prisoners kindly."
"If another mass death of prisoners of war like those in Luocheng and Yancheng occurs, I'm afraid it will damage Your Highness's reputation."
"That's right, Your Highness. There are all kinds of unfavorable rumors circulating outside. Of course, they're just a ploy by the enemy to sway public opinion, and we can ignore them. But what if the people of Great Zhou believe them?"
Inside the council hall, the generals who had just conquered the city were earnestly pleading with her.
Qian Du swept her gaze across the hall and said coldly, "What use are these surrendered soldiers? If we give them only one bowl of porridge a day, we can save our own provisions while draining their fighting strength. Even if Lizhou is retaken by Great Zhou, those surrendered soldiers and generals will be unable to fight again for some time. It accomplishes two things at once. What's wrong with that?"
"Princess Qian Du is absolutely right," General Gongsun Yi shouted angrily. "Not killing those surrendered soldiers and generals was already giving them a chance to live. Shouldn't they be grateful for Princess Qian Du's mercy? One bowl of porridge a day provides them with the most basic means of survival. Do we really have to feed them until they're full, wait for them to recover their strength, and then let them pick up their blades and swords to slaughter us again? Did the sons of the Peacock Dynasty die in vain?" He was a staunch supporter who backed every decree issued by Princess Qian Du, including burying all surrendered soldiers alive and imprisoning prisoners on one bowl of porridge a day. "This saves our provisions and drains the strength of those surrendered troops.