We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

For Li Che, there was no need to sympathize with the aristocratic families, and these means of production had to be redistributed.

However, Li Che was not a murderer, and the noble families who were not directly involved in the rebellion could be given a chance to live.

Anyway, when they lose power, there will be plenty of enemies who will come to find them, so there is no need to dirty their knives.

Under Song Zhong's guidance, Li Che visited the Zheng family, Wang family and other prominent families in Luoyang City one after another, and issued an ultimatum in the same way.

Either you voluntarily hand over your core assets in exchange for the continuation of the family; or you wait for new and old accounts to be settled together and your entire family to be destroyed.

He wields absolute military power, occupies the moral and legal high ground, and leaves these aristocratic families no room for bargaining.

Like the Xue family, the other family heads were all filled with despair but did not dare to resist.

However, what they didn't know was that the most despairing thing was still to come.

No one knew how the family spent the next three days.

When the three-day deadline was up, the Luoyang government office was surrounded by whispering people.

Today, the people of Luoyang City have a new understanding of the Fengtian Army.

The Fengtian Army was really just as the rumors said, and they did not harm the civilians at all.

Not only did he return the food to each household, he also lifted the city ban, provided a large number of jobs, and helped the people resume production and life.

Of course, there were people like Zhao Laoshuan who spontaneously promoted the Fengtian Army.

And today, the people have witnessed another rumor about the Fengtian Army.

We will not harm the common people, but we will strike hard at the aristocratic families!

The noble families who were once high and mighty now stopped at the gate of the government office with their carriages and horses pulling heavy boxes.

The people were whispering and talking to each other, with curiosity and pleasure in their eyes.

Soon, several heads of noble families, led by Xue Chang, stepped down from the carriage tremblingly with the help of their servants.

The old men looked at each other and saw the same gray and dejected look on each other's faces.

After exchanging greetings, they straightened their clothes and walked into the government office gate as if they were going to their deaths.

In the main hall, Li Che sat in the main seat.

Generals Yue Yun, Yang Xuan and others stood on both sides, and the atmosphere was solemn.

Li Che looked at the group of family heads walking side by side below with a smile on his face.

Everywhere you look, you see gray heads. The average age of these old men is probably older than when Emperor Qing passed away.

Thinking of this, Li Che couldn't help but feel a little absurd.

Everyone says that medical conditions in ancient times were poor and life expectancy was low.

But look at this group of pampered family heads. The youngest is nearly sixty years old, and the others have white hair and beards and look like they are in their seventies or eighties.

As expected, money is the best thing that nourishes people.

Wealth and status are the best tonics. The so-called average life expectancy only includes the vast majority of poor people who are struggling to survive.

Even the average life expectancy of those in such a high-risk profession as emperor is not as high as that of these old foxes.

Xue Chang stepped forward, holding a heavy rosewood box in his hands, which contained a thick stack of documents.

He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, all the Xue family's land, shops, mines and other assets and documents are here."

"The criminals dare not hide anything. They will be handed over to the court and Your Majesty will deal with them."

The other family heads also stepped forward, presenting their family's written business contracts, and expressed their apologies and pledges of loyalty.

Li Che did not comment, waved his hand and asked Qiu Bai to accept the documents, but did not count them on the spot.

These aristocratic families certainly don't dare to be clever. Even if there are some who are really blind, they will not be able to escape the reckoning in the future.

Xue Chang paused and added tentatively:

"In addition, of the gold, silver, and valuables stored in our family's treasury, except for the necessary funds to sustain our family members, the rest of our family property is voluntarily donated by these criminals to help Your Majesty with military funds, so that you can capture the imperial capital as soon as possible and conquer the world!"

This was said in a nice way, as if they donated voluntarily rather than being forced to hand it over.

Upon hearing this, Li Che tapped the table lightly, with a half-smile on his face, and interrupted, "Mr. Xue, this is wrong."

"These lands and shops were originally acquired by you through years of exploitation and manipulation, leveraging your power. They are ill-gotten gains."

"I will not keep what you have handed over today, but will return it to the court and to the people of the world, returning it to its original owner."

"This is a matter of course, not a voluntary donation from you. It's better to make this clear, lest someone accuse me of forcibly taking it away in the future."

Xue Chang's old face turned red, and he secretly cursed Li Che for being mean and ungrateful.

He just wanted to save face for the Xue family, but the emperor wanted to tear off even the last bit of fig leaf. He was truly not a human being.

Although he was complaining in his heart, he could only say yes repeatedly:

"Yes, yes, your Majesty is wise, and it is the people who are guilty of speaking out of turn."

"This is indeed returned to the court, and the property is returned to its original owner!"

The other family heads also quickly agreed, their hearts chilled.

This new emperor is truly merciless and is determined to push the aristocratic families into a desperate situation.

Seeing them like this, Li Che nodded slightly and said in a slightly slower tone: "Okay, now that this matter is over, let's turn the page."

"I will not pursue your past any further."

Upon hearing this, the heads of the families felt relieved. At least their lives and the little wealth they had were saved.

However, before they could catch their breath, Li Che spoke again.

This time, Li Che's tone became quite sincere: "You all come from families with a deep appreciation for poetry and etiquette, and you are well-read and knowledgeable."

"I have a difficult problem right now, and I need your collective wisdom to help me come up with a good solution."

The hearts of the family heads instantly rose again, and they forced smiles: "Your Majesty, if you have any orders, we will not refuse even if it means death!"

Although they said this, everyone was alarmed.

I don’t know what tricks this evil star will play next. It doesn’t sound like a good thing.

Li Che sighed, "Our Fengtian Army soldiers are brave and good at fighting. In recent days, they have defeated powerful enemies and recovered large areas of land. The situation is very good."

"However, the army is mostly composed of unsophisticated soldiers, and few of them can read and write and understand government affairs."

"Now that the territory is growing, the talent for governance is stretched to the limit. This is really giving me a headache."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of several family heads instantly burst into surprise.

Here it comes! As expected!

No matter who becomes the emperor, even if it's the evil star Li Che, he still cannot do without our family!

How can there be no one to govern the country and bring peace to the world?

Most of the talented people come from aristocratic families.

It seems that handing over property is just a way to avoid disaster. The emperor still dare not easily shake the root of official position and power.

The reason why they finally chose to surrender was largely because Li Che did not ask them to hand over their collection of books.

After all, the connections, knowledge and educational resources accumulated by the family are the real foundation, and these cannot be measured by the production capacity of gold and silver fields.

Xue Chang quickly interjected, his tone becoming even more enthusiastic: "Your Majesty is right. The key to governing a country lies in finding the right people!"

"Although our families in Luoyang are not talented, our children have studied the classics, history, and literature since childhood, and have some knowledge of government and economics. If Your Majesty does not forsake us, we are willing to serve you with all our might!"

Other family heads also expressed their opinions, and they were eager to recommend all their children and grandchildren immediately.

Some people even began to consider taking this opportunity to recommend themselves and stay by the new emperor's side to gain more benefits for their family.

Hope was rekindled in the hearts of the family heads, but Li Che's next words were like a basin of ice water, chilling them to the core.

"Since you all understand the righteousness, then let it be so."

"When you return, please count all males in your clan, aged fourteen and over, and aged forty and under, regardless of whether they are legitimate or illegitimate, and send them all to the army to report."

He paused, looked at the family heads who were frozen for a moment, and smiled slightly:

"My army is currently short of numerous secretaries, clerks, and staff officers. I urgently need talented individuals from noble families like you to serve. This would be a way to make the best use of your talents and contribute to the country."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent.

The several family heads seemed to be under a spell, and the smiles on their faces were completely frozen.

They stared with wide eyes at the young emperor with a warm smile, as if they saw a demon running out of the underworld.

From fourteen to forty years old, all of them are male!

How could this be a request for help? This was clearly an attempt to wipe out the family's talent base for the next few decades!

If all these young and strong men were conscripted into the army and placed under the emperor's nose, what would be left for the aristocratic families?

Only some old, weak, women, children and empty shells are left. All their influence and connections have become nothing!

Of course, Li Che is not really short of people.

The Fengtian Army, the army he built himself, was almost organized according to the army in his previous life, and literacy work was of paramount importance.

The grassroots officers and soldiers of the Fengtian Army had a cultural level far beyond any other army of that era, and they also had a complete political commissar system responsible for ideological work.

Even ordinary soldiers know some simple words and can understand military newspapers.

The reason why he forcibly recruited the children of aristocratic families was very clear.

One is to use them as hostages so that these aristocratic families dare not act rashly.

The second is to remove the fuel from the fire and completely destroy the possibility of resistance from the aristocratic families. Without this group of backbones, what can these old men from the aristocratic families use to rebel?

The third reason is to do it for other aristocratic families in the world who have not yet surrendered to see.

Those who oppose me will die!

Those who obey me, even if they lose their wealth, can still save their clan.

Li Che knew very well that it would be satisfying to carry out a bloody purge of the local noble families every time he captured a city.

But over time, it will inevitably provoke them to fight to the death, and even involve the people, causing more unnecessary casualties.

The purpose of war is to stop fighting and establish a new order, not just destruction.

As the saying goes: After the war, politicians shook hands and made peace, capitalists made a fortune, and only mothers buried their children in the collapsed ruins.

Li Che didn't want to do such a thing.

It is far wiser to leave the aristocratic families a glimmer of hope than to force them into desperate situations.

Looking at the ashen-faced family heads, Li Che's smile remained calm:

"What's the matter? My dear ministers, are you in trouble?"

Xue Chang and the others' lips trembled, and finally responded bitterly:

"We... obey your order."