Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

Qin Ming stood on the blood-stained steps of the City Guard's Mansion, Wudun's head and body torn apart at his feet. The dragon pattern on his black armor was stained with blood, adding a touch of ferocity. He looked around the city, freshly ravaged by blood and fire, with a cold indifference. Everywhere he looked, he saw ruined walls and a devastating mess. Civilians cautiously emerged from their hiding places, their faces a mixture of fear, bewilderment, and a glimmer of hope for survival.

"Your Majesty," Meng Zhi strode forward, his armor clanging and his face splattered with blood, yet he remained vigorous. "The stubborn resistance within the city has been largely eliminated! Over 4,000 heads have been beheaded, and over 2,000 Qiang soldiers and traitors have been captured! All of Wu Dun's generals have surrendered or surrendered!"

"Are our troops suffering casualties?" Qin Ming's voice was steady, and no emotion could be heard.

"Over 800 were killed and over 2,300 were wounded." Meng Zhi's tone darkened. "The Liangzhou heroes... also suffered heavy casualties."

Qin Ming nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping over the leaders of the Liangzhou heroes who had gathered spontaneously, with injuries on their bodies, ragged clothes but with burning eyes.

"Fellow citizens of Liangzhou," he began, his voice low but clear to everyone's ears, "you have not feared violence, your hearts are devoted to your homeland, you have risen up in times of crisis, and helped the royal army recover your homeland. This is a great service to the country and a great favor to me."

He paused, then continued, "All heroes who participated in the battle will be rewarded according to their military merit! Those who died in battle will receive generous pensions, and their children will be raised by the government! The wounded will receive full medical treatment! All those who were coerced into joining the bandits by the Qiang rebels will be forgiven!"

"Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!" The heroes were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes. They knelt and kowtowed, shouting "Long live the emperor!" These few words undoubtedly gave these brave men the greatest affirmation and reassurance, and quickly calmed the anxious hearts of those who had been forced to work for the Qiang people.

"Li Gan."

"The general is here!"

"You are ordered to lead your troops and immediately take over the city defense, eliminate the remaining enemies, and maintain order! Anyone who takes advantage of the chaos to loot or cause trouble will be executed without mercy!"

"Here!"

"Meng Zhi."

"The general is here!"

"Inventory the treasury, count the spoils, and appease the surrendered soldiers. Salt the heads of Wudun and the main Qiang chiefs, place them in boxes, and display them to the western counties as a warning to others!"

"According to the order!"

"Send it to the military secretary and the craftsman of the Ministry of Works."

Soon, several civil servants and craftsmen came to pay their respects tremblingly.

"Immediately draft a public notice to reassure the people and post it throughout the city: From this day forward, Liangzhou returns to Daqian! All of Liangzhou is exempt from taxes and corvée labor for three years! Open government granaries to provide relief to the victims, distribute grain, and help the people resume production!"

"Gather the craftsmen and immediately survey the damage to the city walls, government offices, and residential buildings. Draft a repair plan. The required funds and materials will be allocated by the court!"

"Your Majesty, we obey!" The civil servants and craftsmen hurriedly accepted the order, shocked by the emperor's swift and decisive measures and his pragmatism beneath the seemingly cold heart.

Orders were issued one after another in an orderly fashion, like a shot of adrenaline, injecting the recently devastated city of Liangzhou into its body. Chaos was quickly contained, order began to be restored, and the flame of hope was rekindled.

After handling urgent government affairs, Qin Ming, flanked by his personal guards, entered the now-shattered lobby of the City Guard Mansion. The personal guards quickly cleared an area and set up a simple table, chairs, and map.

As soon as he sat down, a Tingfeng Guard appeared silently in the hall like a ghost, knelt on one knee, and lowered his voice: "Your Majesty, urgent news from Beiting."

Qin Ming's eyes fixed: "Speak."

"Upon hearing of Your Majesty's great victory in Liang Province and the execution of Wudun, the various tribes in the northern border reacted in varying ways. The Black Water and Tufa tribes, formerly affiliated with the Shenmu tribe, sent envoys to the Beiting Protectorate, offering tribute and respectful words, requesting submission. However, while the majority of tribes, such as the Hunxie and Xiutu tribes, remained relatively unmoved, they withdrew their forces and stepped up their defenses. Their leaders... refused to meet with our Protectorate envoys."

Qin Ming's face remained expressionless, his fingers tapping lightly on the rough wooden table. The northern border was vast, with numerous tribes, and it had always been a state of ambivalence. The destruction of Wudun was enough to deter the scoundrels, but it would also inevitably arouse the vigilance and self-preservation of some powerful tribes. A combination of kindness and force was the only long-term solution.

"Inform the Protector General of Beiting, Meng Zhi, that those who are obedient will be generously rewarded and allowed to submit to the interior, and border markets will be opened. Those who are on the sidelines and on the alert will not be reinforced for the time being, but they must be closely monitored and patrolled with more cavalry to show their authority, so that they do not think I am beyond their reach."

"Yes!" Tingfeng Wei accepted the order and retreated quietly.

At this moment, a slight commotion was heard outside the hall. A moment later, a personal guard entered and reported, "Your Majesty, several surviving gentry clan leaders within Liangzhou City are requesting an audience, earnestly requesting to express gratitude for Heaven's grace."

Qin Ming hesitated for a moment and said, "Let them in."

Soon, several old men, dressed in old but neat Confucian robes, with expressions of fear and gratitude on their faces, walked tremblingly into the hall under the guidance of their personal guards, knelt on the ground from a distance, and did not dare to look up.

"We, the common people, come to pay our respects to Your Majesty! Your Majesty has recovered Liangzhou and saved our people from danger. I will never forget your grace of rebirth!" The voice of a white-haired old scholar in the lead was choked with sobs.

"Stand up." Qin Ming's tone slowed down. "Liangzhou was robbed, and you have suffered. Don't worry about giving birth in the future. The court will be merciful."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The elders kowtowed again, but did not stand. The white-haired old scholar hesitated for a moment, then, as if mustering up courage, said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty... I... I have something else to say, but I'm not sure if I should say it..."

"speak."

"Liangzhou... Liangzhou was occupied by the Qiang rebels for several months. During that period... During that period, the Qiang chieftain abducted hundreds of decent women from our city and took them into his camp for sexual pleasure... Although the rebel chieftain has been defeated, most of these women... are still detained in the camp west of the city. They... they..." The old scholar was already in tears when he said this and could hardly continue.

The hall instantly fell silent. Generals like Meng Zhi were filled with indignation, but they dared not speak out. Such incidents were common during war, yet they were also the most difficult scars to address.

Qin Ming was silent for a moment, a chill rising in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. He knew that the experiences of these women were the ugliest scars of war, and if he handled them carelessly, he would force them into a dead end.

"Li Gan." He spoke again, his voice emotionless.

"The general is here!"

"Take your men and immediately seal off the barracks west of the city. Dispatch reliable female relatives from the army, as well as midwives and female doctors from the city, to properly house all the abducted women. Provide them with clothing and food, call in doctors for treatment, and comfort them. Strictly prohibit any soldiers or outsiders from approaching or spying. Anyone violating this order will be executed."

"Also, pass on my oral order: All women who have been abducted are a national tragedy and the fault of the imperial court. Those who wish to return home will be escorted by the government and given silver, money, and land to ensure their future livelihood. Anyone who falsely criticizes their innocence will be charged with slandering the imperial court! For those who are homeless or unwilling to return home, the government will set up workshops for them to stay and teach them needlework so they can support themselves."

"You will personally supervise this matter. If anything goes wrong, you will be held responsible!"

Li Gan's body trembled upon hearing this, and he bowed deeply: "I obey your command! I will do my utmost to protect these unfortunate women!"

Upon hearing this, several gentry in the hall burst into tears of gratitude and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty is benevolent! Your Majesty is wise! On behalf of the people of Liangzhou, we bow to thank God for His grace!"