Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

In the cold and windy January, Los Angeles woke up from the ashes of war.

The flag of Chu has been raised on the city wall, but the undercurrent is still surging.

Although the eight great families have been executed, their remnants are still lurking in the streets and alleys, waiting for an opportunity to cause chaos.

Chu Ning knew very well that only by using thundering means to eliminate rebellion and using conciliatory policies to appease the people could this thousand-year-old ancient city be truly incorporated into the territory of Chu.

On this day, just after dawn, Di Ying led dozens of civil servants and guards through the snow-covered streets to the official warehouse in the center of Luocheng.

This was once the stronghold where the eight noble families stored grain and exploited the people. Now the granary door is wide open, and soldiers from the State of Chu are carrying out bags of corn and wheat.

The ragged people had already heard the news and came here, shivering in the cold wind, with both expectation and doubt in their eyes.

Di Ying climbed onto the makeshift wooden platform and announced, "My fellow elders! From today on, Luo City will be under the rule of the Chu State! Your Majesty has ordered the granaries to be opened and every household will receive three dou of rice and one dou of salt to help them through the cold winter!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, but some still murmured, "Could the Chu State really be so kind? Could it be that they have other motives?"

Di Ying smiled slightly and continued, "I know you all still have doubts in your hearts, but please remember, Chu is not Zhou, and certainly not the Eight Great Aristocratic Families! In Chu, no powerful aristocratic family can oppress the people at will, and no official dares to withhold your life-saving food!"

After saying this, he personally walked down the stage and handed a bag of rice to a trembling old man.

The old man was stunned for a moment, then suddenly knelt down and kowtowed, choking with sobs, "Thank you, sir, thank you, sir!"

This scene moved many of the onlookers. They came forward to receive the food, and the wariness in their eyes gradually dissipated.

In the afternoon, Di Ying summoned the original village heads and elders of Luocheng to discuss matters in the government office.

He unfolded a scroll of bamboo slips and said in a deep voice, "Starting this year, taxes in Luo City will be reduced by half. Farmers will only have to pay 30% of their harvest, and merchants' market taxes will also be reduced by 20%."

A village head couldn't help but ask, "Sir, with taxes so low, how does the court maintain itself?"

Di Ying's eyes sparkled as he said, "What Chu State wants isn't to exhaust all resources, but long-term peace and stability! As long as the people are prosperous, why worry about the national treasury being full?"

He paused, then continued, "In addition, with spring plowing approaching, the government will loan seeds and oxen to poor households. After the autumn harvest, they only need to return the principal, with no interest!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.

Under the rule of the Zhou Dynasty, loans often resulted in compounded interest, eventually forcing people to sell their children.

Because these were all implemented in accordance with the policies of the previous emperor, this also prevented the Zhou Dynasty from becoming strong.

It is rare to see the Chu State being so generous nowadays.

In the next few days, Di Ying personally inspected various places in Luocheng.

He ordered the conscription of able-bodied men in the city to provide work in lieu of relief, and to repair the city walls and houses destroyed by the war.

Wages are paid daily and will never be delayed.

One day, he came to a slum in the south of the city, where the houses were low and dilapidated, and sewage was flowing everywhere.

Di Ying frowned and said, "This place must be rebuilt!"

The accompanying official looked embarrassed: "Sir, I'm afraid the treasury doesn't have any extra silver."

Di Ying raised his hand to interrupt: "The mansions of the eight great families are extremely luxurious. Now is the perfect time to demolish them and use their bricks, stones and timber to build new houses for the people!"

With one order, Los Angeles was in an uproar.

The people spontaneously joined the labor team, and some even shouted: "Long live the Chu State!"

Unlike Di Ying's conciliatory approach, Zhao Yu's mission is to completely eradicate the remaining forces of the eight major families.

The three thousand Chu cavalry and one thousand White Horse cavalry under his command had already surrounded Luo City.

At dawn, Zhao Yu, clad in black armor, stood atop the city wall and said in a cold voice, "Although the eight great families have been destroyed, their followers remain. From today on, anyone who harbors rebels will be punished with the same crime!"

As soon as he finished speaking, teams of cavalry rushed into the city and headed straight for their target according to the list provided by the spies.

In a gambling house in the west of the city, a dozen assassins from aristocratic families were plotting a night raid on the Chu army's granary.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open and Zhao Yu led the team in.

"Leave no one behind!"

He shouted loudly, drew his sword, and with a flash of cold light, the head of a dead man rolled to the ground.

The white horse cavalry followed closely behind, firing crossbow arrows at once, instantly turning the remaining people into hedgehogs.

Blood splattered on the gambling table, and the dice, which had not yet dried, were stained scarlet.

Zhao Yu knew very well that killing just a few assassins was far from enough.

He ordered a city-wide search, and anyone who had any relatives or old friends with the eight great families would be arrested and interrogated.

In a merchant's house in the north of the city, the owner was kneeling and begging for mercy: "My Lord, please understand! I only sold cloth to the Wang family and have absolutely no collusion with them!"

Zhao Yu sneered, "Selling cloth? Your daughter married the Wang family's steward, and your cloth price is 30% lower than the market price. Isn't this funding rebellion?"

He waved his hand: "Drag him out and behead him!"

Dozens of people were executed every day on the execution ground.

The blood melted the snow and seeped into the soil, and even the crows dared not approach.

The remaining soldiers from the aristocratic families were unwilling to sit and wait for death, so they raided a Chu army outpost at night.

They lit torches, shouted slogans of "Restore Zhou", and crazily hacked and killed patrolling soldiers.

When Zhao Yu arrived upon hearing the news, the battle was almost over. He looked coldly at the dozen or so trapped warriors and said calmly:

"Fire arrows."

After the rain of arrows, no one was left alive.

After ten days of bloody purge, there was no more sound in Los Angeles.

Zhao Yu ordered the heads of the rebels to be hung at the city gates and a notice was posted: "All rebels will be treated like this!"

Ten days later, Los Angeles finally regained its brief peace.

In the early morning, the wind was biting cold. Chu Ning took Wu Zhao and seven-year-old Wu Xiuning on a carriage, ready to return to the capital of Chu.

Di Ying led a group of ministers to see him off at the city gate.

Wu Zhao was wearing a fox fur coat and had a calm expression on her face.

She looked at Di Ying and said calmly, "Mr. Di, I leave Luocheng to you. From now on, I will only be the vice-consort of the Emperor of Chu. You don't need to ask me for instructions on government affairs."

Di Ying quickly bowed and said, "I will obey your Majesty's orders and do my utmost to govern Luocheng well."

Chu Ning stood beside the carriage with a deep look in his eyes.

He patted Di Ying's shoulder and said, "Luocheng has just been settled, and the people are uneasy. You need to appease them. If there is any unusual movement, you can execute them first and report to them later."

Di Ying said solemnly: "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will live up to your trust."

Chu Ning nodded and turned to get on the carriage. Zhao Yu gave the order, and the white horse cavalry formed a formation to escort them. The carriage slowly drove out of Luo City and headed towards the capital of Chu.

The cold wind howled, blowing up the snow on the ground.

Di Ying looked at the departing convoy, took a deep breath, turned around and said to the officials behind him:

"Let's go back to the city. We still have a lot to do."

The ten days in Los Angeles were ten days of blood and fire, but also the beginning of a new life.

The cold wind was howling and the carriage was moving further and further away.

Di Ying turned and looked in the direction where Chu Ning left, muttering, "A new era has begun."

After a pause, he sighed, "I wonder what the Tang and Han will do when they learn of this."