Taking Changli meant nothing more than repeating what had been done in Tuhe City. Ask the commoners in the city about the reputations of the officials and wealthy households. Those with good reputations would be personally received by the Great General and assigned managerial posts, serving as screws in the Great General's machine. Those with poor reputations but not bad enough to be killed would be assigned as low-ranking clerks to compile all kinds of data. Those who refused would be sent to labor camps.
Those who deserved death would be dragged out, the city's people gathered, and the Great General's personal guards would awkwardly skin them alive with knives. Wang Yan had trained them for this. After all, this was an age that truly devoured people; without harsh laws, the realm could not be governed. It was just that these boys were poor at the craft. After skinning so many people, they had not succeeded even once. Their victims always died halfway through, never managing to be flayed alive and made to watch their own skins stuffed with straw.
As for the property of wealthy families, those who had acted honorably were left untouched, while those without virtue had their homes confiscated. Wang Yan had settled down now and needed to govern the region. He could not simply kill, kill, kill, nor could he confiscate homes without distinguishing right from wrong.
Of course, even with such greatly relaxed standards, not a single wealthy household in the city escaped confiscation. Their people were dealt with in the same ways as above.
In truth, many people deeply admired Wang Yan, because he actually dared to employ these people. Their positions were not high, but they could still influence internal affairs. Put oneself in his place—who would dare use people burdened by