I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 853 This is not a negotiation

Su Yao's meaning was very clear.

It is not impossible for the dignitaries and noble families in Jizhou to surrender if they want to.

But it's too late for you to surrender now. How can you have any bargaining chips with me?

If the blood doesn't come out in time, Su Yao doesn't mind spending a little more effort to pull it out by the roots and flatten it in one go.

Ju Su naturally understood this.

Therefore, he ignored Cui Lie and others' previous suggestion that he should try to retain as many benefits and privileges as possible, and directly made up his mind and said through gritted teeth:
"General, we, the Jizhou noble families, are willing to open our clan's private vault and give you all the gold, silver and land we have accumulated over the years. We only ask that you show some leniency and spare everyone's lives."

"If the general can agree, we will be grateful to you and obey your orders in the future."

"Well, finally there is some sincerity."

Su Yao nodded slightly:

"But it's not presented to me, but handed over to the court for confiscation. The nature of it cannot be messed up."

"Yes, yes, the general is fair and honest, and he is dedicated to the court and the country. I admire him very much."

Ju Su wiped the sweat from his forehead and hurriedly offered flattering words in his heart.

This isn't all flattery.

Now, he no longer dared to underestimate the young man in front of him.

Previously, Su Yao's military talent displayed on the battlefield had already shocked him, and now at the negotiation table, the other party's precise control of the situation and sense of proportion made him realize the extraordinary talent of this great general.

Su Yao raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and said with a faint smile:

"Ju Gongyu, you are a smart man. You should know that the chaos in the world today is caused by the disparity between the rich and the poor, and the chaos in Jizhou is rooted in the short-sightedness and greed of the aristocratic families."

"Now that you have surrendered, you must show your determination to break down and then rebuild."

As he spoke, Su Yao walked in front of Ju Su and looked directly into the counselor's eyes:
"What this general really wants is not your gold, silver and land, but the long-term peace and stability of Jizhou."

"The general is wise!"

Ju Su bowed again hurriedly and said:
"After this chaos, all industries in Jizhou are in decline. We need a wise and brave man like the general to restore order."

"We, the aristocratic families of Jizhou, are willing to do our best for the revival of Jizhou and the world under the guidance of the great general. In the future, if there is any mission, we will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

"There's no need to go through fire and water," Su Yao waved his hand gently, "but some rules must be established."

"First, the military restriction order must be thoroughly implemented. The children of noble families are no longer allowed to raise private soldiers. Your previous armed forces and prohibited weapons must all be handed over and accepted by the court for reorganization."

"Secondly, the equal distribution of land must be thoroughly implemented. At the same time, noble families will no longer enjoy any privileges in commercial trade within Jizhou. All trade activities, including land transactions, must follow the unified laws of the court and be conducted fairly, impartially and openly."

"Third, all officials and generals who participated in the rebellion, regardless of their positions, must be registered and await the court's decision, especially the leaders of the rebellion, Han Fu and Cui Lie. They were high-ranking officials and princes of the court, but they rebelled brazenly and were stubborn and unyielding. Their crimes are unforgivable and they must not be allowed to escape."

hiss--

When Ju Su heard this, his heart tightened and he immediately took a breath of cold air.

Since he had just made such a bold promise and promised to ask the noble families to hand over everything, whether it was their private soldiers or their privileges, it was naturally impossible to keep them.

However, the conditions of the third article are too harsh.

Let’s not talk about the fact that Han Fu was a foreign puppet nominated by the aristocratic families and was doomed to die. But the reason why Cui Lie and other officials who had joined the rebellion surrendered voluntarily was not because they wanted to save their lives?
Now the general is determined to bring them to justice. What should we do?

The sweat on Ju Su's forehead rolled down faster. He knew very well that once this request was spread, those noble families would definitely panic again, and maybe something unexpected would happen.

"General," Ju Su said, trying to remain calm, "Although Cui Lie and the others have committed serious mistakes, they have already surrendered, and the situation in Jizhou is still uncertain. If we punish them severely at this time, it may discourage the other surrendered people, which is not conducive to stabilizing people's hearts."

Su Yao stared at Ju Shou with a sharp gaze, his expression did not soften at all:

"Ju Gongyu, you are a wise man. You should know that the laws of a country are as strong as a mountain."

"As officials appointed by the imperial court, they did not think about serving the country, but instead started a rebellion. If they are not severely punished, how can we deter the world? How can we show the imperial court's determination to quell the rebellion?"

Ju Su lowered his head slightly, thinking about countermeasures in his heart. He knew that Su Yao's words made sense, but the current delicate situation in Jizhou forced him to fight for a glimmer of hope for the noble families.

"General, I understand what you mean, but right now Jizhou has a lot of work to do and needs to be rebuilt. We need all parties to work together."

"Mr. Cui and others have a great influence in Jizhou. If we can let them atone for their sins and contribute to the reconstruction of Jizhou, it may be able to better unite the people and give other people who have made mistakes a chance to reform."

"I didn't give you a chance!"

Su Yao waved his hand, a hint of impatience on his face:
“But how did you guys do it?”

"Liu Yu has set an example for you, but you are still unwilling to give up your privileges. Not only are you determined to rise up and fight, but you, the noble families, are also helping the tyrant and mobilizing the whole state to fight."

"If the rumors I heard are correct, then that plan was yours, right?"

boom--

Suddenly, there was a buzzing sound in Ju Su's brain. With a thud, he fell to his knees again after having just stood up.

Ju Shou didn't dare to say anything, for fear of angering Su Yao. Su Yao ignored him, just folded his hands across his chest, closed his eyes and said nothing.

Suddenly, the commander's tent fell into a stomach-aching silence.

Finally, Ju Su swallowed his saliva and broke the silence with a trembling voice:
"The general is wise."

"I deserve death, and I am willing to die as a token of my guilt."

"But the Jizhou noble families have already realized their mistakes. If something unexpected happens again because of this punishment, the people of Jizhou may fall into dire straits again."

Ju Su's voice trembled, his forehead pressed against the ground:
"The general is dedicated to the long-term stability of Jizhou. But if you push too hard now, Jizhou's fragile situation, which has just been through a war, may collapse in an instant. The people who have already returned will also be uneasy because of the turmoil in the aristocratic families, and reconstruction will be out of the question."

"I beg the general to consider the people and reconsider this matter!"

Su Yao's face was grim. He glanced at Ju Shou, who was lying on the ground. He felt that the time was almost right, so he slowly spoke:
"Since you said so, I will be a little more lenient."

"I will allow you to keep one third of the property of the Jizhou noble families. As for the other accomplices, they can be spared from death and only need to be dismissed from office and stripped of their titles."

"But Han Fu and Cui Lie have committed heinous crimes. Their rebellion has caused great suffering to the people and devastated the land of Jizhou. If these two are not killed, it will be difficult to appease the public anger and uphold the law. They must be executed. There is absolutely no room for negotiation."

"The other rebellious families will be split up and relocated to fill the Guanzhong and Central Plains areas."

"what?!"

“Split migration???”

Ju Su was somewhat pleased to hear that the general would only take half of the money and that his accomplices would be spared from death.

As a result, this sentence completely stunned him.

The foundation of a powerful family is the connections, land and family heritage in a certain place. Once they are split up and migrated, it is like a towering tree being uprooted and scattered in all directions. How can the family prosper and have power and status?
Ju Su raised his head, his face full of panic.

This guy, even though he was spared from death, the blow he suffered was more serious than a death!
"General, this is too decisive!"

Ju Su didn't care about much and said hurriedly:

"My family has been ancestral to Jizhou for hundreds of years and we miss our homeland. Now we are suddenly split up and migrated. Not only will it be difficult for our family members to accept it, but there will definitely be many changes along the way."

"Let alone how to deal with the family business, the panic among the people alone may lead to civil unrest. Jizhou has finally been settled, and it cannot afford such turmoil!"

"enough!"

Su Yao flicked his sleeves and said coldly:
"This is not okay, and that is not okay. Do you think my army's tent is a vegetable market? Are you going to let you bargain here?"

"I'll be frank with you. I'm not discussing this with you. I'm informing you."

"I'll give you three days to think about it. If you are reasonable and willing to cooperate, I will open the city gates and send Han Fu and Cui Lie to me."

"If you still have hope and try to delay or resist, don't blame my army for being ruthless."

After speaking, Su Yao waved his hand, signaling Ju Shou to leave.

Ju Su was filled with helplessness and fear. He stood up, bowed, and then walked backwards out of the general's tent. His steps were unsteady, as if he had aged more than ten years in an instant.
(End of this chapter)