Chapter 932 The Victor’s Declaration

Chapter 932: 932 The Victor’s Declaration

A few days later, Zhuge Liang, who was in charge of Shouchun, accepted Sun Quan’s surrender on behalf of Lu Ming.

At the same time, Shi Bian, the governor of Jiaozhou, also submitted a letter of surrender.

Jiaozhou, during the Central Plains War, was a relatively peaceful and stable region. However, due to its limited technology, many areas remained undeveloped, hindering its overall development.

Completely powerless to resist Qin, they decided to surrender decisively, securing an official position and retaining some power and wealth.

Thus, Qin unified China, ending the era of warlordism...

And Lu Ming became an emperor whose name would be etched in history.

Without special instructions, the historians knew to glorify Lu Ming; he was a great emperor for all time.

Reuniting a chaotic land was vastly different from inheriting the throne.

Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Guangwu both achieved unification, so Lu Ming could be considered on par with them.

After arranging for personnel to take over, Lu Ming also brought Sun Quan and Shi Xie’s family to Zhu City.

At the same time, he summoned back the veteran military and civil officials to begin rewarding those who had rendered meritorious service.

Those who deserved promotion were promoted, and those who needed to be purged were purged.

Furthermore, he summoned former colleagues and adversaries like Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, now prisoners, and in their presence, rewarded the subordinates to whom they had once served.

After the great war, everything was in ruins, and the immediate need was for economic development.

The advantage of centralized power was that the emperor wielded immense power. Lu Ming’s plan was to build highways, dredge waterways, and develop maritime and land transportation.

This was destined to be a long process; infrastructure projects require decades to complete.

Popular science education could wait; things needed to be stabilized first.

He would use the merits of labor to secure educational opportunities for future generations and enslave the imported Japanese pirates, using them to perform the most dangerous tasks.

Building bridges and repairing roads often involves great dangers, such as cliffs, dense forests, and venomous snakes. Mining is the most crucial activity!

Ore refining and steelmaking both rely on raw materials.

Mining is inherently dangerous; collapses are commonplace. Current technology is insufficient, hence the need to employ Japanese pirates for mining.

Their coastal raids and plunders destined them to pay for their sins.

"Benchu, Mengde," Lu Ming declared, "the world now lies in my hands. The future prosperity will rival that of the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing.

Live well and witness my empire rise like the sun."

Lu Ming spoke with boundless pride, standing atop the imperial city, looking down at the kneeling populace.

A surge of indescribable pride filled him. He had never taken Yuan Shao and Cao Cao seriously.

Strategic contempt, tactical respect.

Whether it was Yuan Shao or Cao Cao, he would exert all his strength to contain and strike them through food, economic, and military means.

"We’re not giving them a single chance to breathe. We’re cutting off their supply lines, crippling their army, leaving them without soldiers. They can’t be like Liu Bang, retaining territory and able to rise again."

"Your Majesty, you are right.

Only under your rule can the people live in peace and prosperity.

We cannot do that, nor should we."

Yuan Shao shook his head with a bitter smile. Did he hate Lu Mingma?

Yes, but it was useless.

The hatred of having his wife stolen, the image of her being raped before his eyes, was constantly replaying in his mind.

But what use was hatred?

His three sons had all surrendered, and even his most favored youngest son was more loyal.

Just because his wife, the mother of his sons, was Lu Mingma’s bedmate, and pregnant with the emperor’s child!

With this identity protecting him, as long as he didn’t court death, no one could deal with Nie Chuan.

Living a quiet, unemployed life might allow one to eke out a living; for ordinary people, being free from worries about food and clothing is already a form of ultimate happiness.

Cao Cao remained silent. His wives and concubines had all been taken away and defiled by Lu Ming, who had even revealed their pregnancies to him. This wasn’t just humiliation; it was a devastating blow to his spirit!

So he avoided looking at Lu Ming and closed his eyes.

Seeing Cao Cao’s stubbornness, Lu Ming found it somewhat amusing.

He was truly stubborn to the point of absurdity.

"Mengde, did you not sleep well last night?"

Under Lu Ming’s gaze, Cao Cao could no longer feign ignorance. "Your Majesty, I will watch you, witnessing the changes in this world.

Losing to Your Majesty, I have nothing to say; my skills are inferior. I thank Your Majesty for sparing my few worthless sons."

"Heh heh, I kept you around not for others to see.

Just to show you how badly you lost, whether you accept it wholeheartedly.

I’ve said it before, ’Are kings and generals born with a special destiny?’"

Lu Ming laughed heartily. Dissatisfaction was no problem; he’d go back and have his way with Lady Ding and Lady Bian a few more times, making them bear him a daughter every year!

The more defiant Cao Cao was, the more interested he became in having his way with his wives and concubines!

Resistance was futile; it would only excite him more, utterly meaningless!

After the rewards were distributed, a banquet was held in the palace to entertain the officials.

Besides the ministers, there were also some literary giants; the Hundred Schools of Thought had long since disappeared.

The Legalists could only survive by clinging to a Confucian facade, highlighting the difficulty of their existence.

This time, Lu Ming would personally establish the Royal Academy to cultivate talent.

The surviving schools of thought could all be taught here, with instruction tailored to individual needs.

The Mohists were also revived; to develop technology, Mohists were essential.

The decline of the Mohists was largely due to a lack of funds.

Extensive manual labor required vast amounts of materials for practice, and research and development also demanded funding.

Only Confucianism didn’t require this; it only required rhetoric to educate the people and better control them.

The Han Dynasty needed it because it no longer needed to wage war.

But Lu Ming didn’t need it; he needed to improve technological levels and was waiting for naval battles.

The revival of Legalism and Mohism in the academy was an incredibly shocking development for the leading Confucian scholars.

They felt fear and submitted memorials advising against the revival of other schools of thought.

"Your Majesty," said one official, "the pre-Qin dynasty heavily relied on Legalism, which led to its cruelty and inhumanity, causing widespread resentment and ultimately its downfall.

The re-employment of Legalism has only exacerbated this calamity, beyond human control."

"Your Majesty," another official countered, "the Mohists employ only bizarre and ingenious techniques, their doctrines utterly base.

"How can Your Majesty, as the supreme ruler, associate with such a despicable sect?"

Looking at the officials who had risked their lives to enter, all of them had joined the fray later in life.

Many of them had even been recommended by Jia Yi and Xu Shu, yet now they dared to rebel!