At this moment, Zhang Juzheng spoke!
His eyes were solemn as he said in a deep voice, "As citizens of a defeated nation, they are, according to the rules, our prisoners. Their lives and deaths are not in their own hands, but rather at His Majesty's disposal."
Allowing them to earn a living through work is not a harsh thing; on the contrary, it is a blessing bestowed upon them by His Majesty.
What is a nation war?
That was a battle concerning the very survival of the nation; it was a life-or-death struggle that required all-out effort, not child's play.
If you win, you take everything; if you lose, you have no say in anything.
This is a nation-wide war!
This time, Zhennan mobilized the entire nation to fight, yet still lost to Great Liang. Their fate was already sealed: they would become prisoners of Great Liang.
Letting them die is no problem, let alone doing some work; for them, that's their chance to survive.
"That makes sense, that's what happens to losers!"
"They were going to be prisoners anyway, but now they're able to contribute to the Great Liang; that's their good fortune."
The people in the hall were all knowledgeable, and after hearing Zhang Juzheng's explanation, they immediately understood that the emperor's arrangement was perfectly sound.
So what if there are two million laborers? This is precisely their opportunity.
Those Zhennan Nation were all prisoners of war. It was already a favor not to kill them. If they complained even when asked to do some work, then there was really no need to keep them alive.
"That's right, that makes sense!"
Xun Yu and the others nodded silently. This was the law of nature, a matter of the survival of the fittest.
If the Zhennan win this time, the consequences for Great Liang will likely be even worse.
"Why!"
Even Wen Tianxiang couldn't help but smile bitterly, saying, "These words may be cruel, but they are the ultimate truth of the universe: when the country is shattered, how can any egg remain intact?"
When the country is gone, what dignity is left? Being alive is a gift from the victors.
"Hahaha!"
Upon hearing Zhang Juzheng's words, Lin Yi couldn't help but burst into laughter, praising, "Minister Zhang understands my heart perfectly; he saw through my good intentions at a glance!"
Although they were prisoners, I did not want to exterminate them, so I gave them a chance to support themselves.
As long as they work, they can get food and gain the approval of the Great Liang; this is their only chance to turn their lives around.
To be honest, just based on Zhang Juzheng's few words, Lin Yi thought more highly of him.
Although this person was a scholar, he was not pedantic, and had an astonishing vision and perspective, no wonder he could influence Great Ming Dynasty.
The key is that he is pragmatic and knows how to understand the emperor's intentions; such a minister is truly excellent.
As for his shortcomings, they are really nothing in the face of matters of principle. With his talent, he is more than capable of serving as prime minister, so perhaps we can give him a chance.
Just as Jia Xu wanted to slack off, he could let Zhang Juzheng take over.
Compared to Jia Xu's ruthlessness, Zhang Juzheng was much more domineering, and he used his power to suppress others.
Such a person is a sharp weapon; if not fully controlled, they will eventually become a major problem, but not for oneself.
On the contrary, this kind of personality suits him very well; at least with such subordinates, his life as emperor will be much easier.
"Your Majesty's benevolence is truly a blessing for All Under Heaven the people!" Zhang Juzheng said solemnly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
The other ministers immediately understood and echoed their agreement.
"Your Majesty is merciful!"
Forehead!
A smile flashed in Lin Yi's eyes. It was indeed good to have such a capable minister. In the blink of an eye, he had gone from a sinner who oppressed Zhennan to a benevolent saint.
He raised his hand to silence the cheers of the crowd, looked at Li Bing, and said, "Minister Li, the Southwest Great Road is now entrusted to you."
"If two million isn't enough, then three million!"
The destruction of Zhennan had a direct impact on all directions. Not only did the entire territory of Zhennan fall and its inhabitants become prisoners, but the surrounding small countries would also inevitably be incorporated into the territory of Great Liang.
In that case, there will be even less of a shortage of people!
"Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to ensure the success of the Southwest Great Road as soon as possible, and contribute to Your Majesty's great cause!" Li Bing said solemnly, not daring to be negligent.
kindness!
Lin Yi nodded slightly. With these matters arranged, the rest would be simple.
Conquer cities and seize territories!
Now that Zhennan has been captured, the remaining task is to manage and conquer this land.
He took a deep breath and said in a solemn voice, "From today onwards, the Zhennan Dynasty will be renamed Southern Liang, and divided into five major prefectures: east, south, west, north, and central. The Southern Liang Grand Commandery will be established to govern the entire Zhennan territory!"
What's this Zhennan" or "Zhennan"? Since we have the Southern Liang here, "Zhennan" doesn't exist!
To fundamentally deny the existence of the other party and directly erase the significance of Zhennan is the approach that aligns with the interests of Great Liang.
" The Southern Liang Grand Commandery!"
Everyone gasped. They had no objection to the name; as long as the Emperor was happy, that was all that mattered.
However, the Emperor's words were significant; they essentially created a Grand Commander with immense power, which was no small feat.
Not only does it govern the entire Zhennan, but it also extends its influence to the surrounding small countries. One can imagine how terrifying the existence of this Grand Governor's Office is; it is almost a king-level entity.
If you gave that to anyone, it would be a meteoric rise to success.
Xun Yu could no longer sit still. He stood up and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, you must not! The power of the Southern Liang Grand Commandery is comparable to that of a ruler of a country. If it were in the hands of anyone, it could become a source of future disaster for the Great Liang. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"
He could ignore other things, but he had to remind people about this.
The Grand General's Office possesses both military and administrative power, making it essentially a Grand General's Office with the standard rank of a king. If this Grand General harbors even the slightest disloyalty, he will surely become a major threat in the future.
"That's right, Zhennan is a great power. Even though we defeated it, it still has considerable strength. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable!" Wen Tianxiang couldn't help but advise.
The other ministers also couldn't sit still and began to offer their advice.
Lin Yi nodded slightly. He was not angry at his subordinates' opposition; on the contrary, he was quite gratified, after all, they were thinking of his empire.
The reason he divided it into five parts was actually to prevent any one part from becoming too powerful.
With these five checks and balances in place, they would actually be the safest entity. All that would be needed above them was a nominal Grand Commander to govern them; the rest would be minor issues.
He waved his hand and laughed, "I have decided that the first Grand General of Southern Liang will be the Retired Emperor, so that his imposing presence can suppress this land. However, since he doesn't have time to manage it, we need to select a capable Chief Secretary to manage the Grand General's Office!"