The challenges of the Jingnan Feudal Lords seemed still to echo through Changle Palace, but the faint scent of blood in the air proved that all of that was already in the past.
The Jingnan Army took control of the imperial capital. Great numbers of nobles were driven from their sumptuous residences and tried one by one. The ringleaders were beheaded, their accomplices exiled. Those with fiefs lost land and subjects; those with titles were stripped of them and imprisoned. The imperial sons and consorts were confined, then reduced to commoners once everything was settled. Close maternal relatives suffered the penalties of the law, while distant ones were banished to the farthest reaches of the south and north.
As for whether they could survive once the new emperor ascended the throne, that was not for the Jingnan Feudal Lords to concern themselves with. They refrained from killing Liu Dan's sons because they did not wish political struggles to cross the final line, and wanted a dignified conclusion. Sparing most of the nobles from death was likewise intended to end the war.
"Cut the grass without uprooting it, and the spring wind will bring it back to life" was not yet the prevailing outlook of this age. Exile was enough.
Having swept away their opponents, the feudal lords sat in a circle. "The time has come to pass judgment on this undertaking of ours! To define Liu Dan, and to define ourselves. What faces we will show in the clear light of history will be decided now."
The feudal lords grew solemn at these words. They all shared the same thought, yet hesitated somewhat.
"In the days of the Zhou royal house, King Kang and King Zhao brought orderly rule. King Zhao's father was King Li, yet even with his exalted