Chương 44: Huangfu Song Wants to Kill the Prisoners

As the group exchanged pleasantries, a quartermaster responsible for taking stock of the battlefield rushed over, knelt on one knee, and reported the results of the battle in a loud voice:

"Reporting to all generals! The initial inventory is complete!"

"In this battle, the enemy suffered approximately 30, 000 dead and captured over 70, 000 Yellow Turban rebels!"

"We captured countless supplies of grain and weaponry! The exact number of our casualties is still being tallied!"

Seventy thousand prisoners! This number invigorated the generals present.

The quartermaster then asked, "Generals, what should we do with these Yellow Turban soldiers?"

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Song almost instinctively flashed a fierce look across his face, and he coldly snorted:

"Hmph! These traitors, inciting chaos and bringing disaster to the country and its people, deserve to be executed according to the law!"

"In my opinion, keeping these prisoners is a waste of food and a potential threat. It would be better to..."

Before he could finish saying "massacre them all," Liu Ce's heart skipped a beat:

"Holy crap! Here it comes! Historically, this old guy had a penchant for this kind of thing; his reputation for massacring cities and burying prisoners alive isn't exactly stellar."

"These represent 70, 000 able-bodied men, plus potential soldiers; it would be such a waste to kill them!"

Liu Ce quickly interrupted Huangfu Song and said to him:

"General Huangfu! Wait!"

All eyes turned to him. Liu Ce smiled and said:

"General Huangfu, most of these prisoners are poor people who were bewitched by Zhang Jiao and forced to join the bandits out of necessity."

"Now that the Yellow Turban rebel leader Bo Cai has been killed, they are leaderless and have already surrendered."

"If we slaughter them all, it would be against the will of Heaven and Earth, and it would also easily provoke more intense resistance from the Yellow Turbans in other places, which would be detrimental to our subsequent efforts to quell the rebellion."

(Jia Xu: It may offend Heaven, but it will not offend literature.) Liu Ce paused, noticing Huangfu Song's hesitant expression, and pressed his advantage, saying:

"How about this, General, you hand these prisoners over to me to deal with?"

"I have my own way of settling them down, which will not only eliminate the hidden dangers, but may also add some strength to my great Han Dynasty."

"This will save General Huangfu and General Zhu from having to be distracted and affecting the next step of the military operation."

Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun exchanged a glance. They were also having a headache about how to deal with so many prisoners. Killing them would certainly damage their reputation, but keeping them alive might cause trouble.

Since Liu Ce, the "imperial brother," took the initiative to shoulder this trouble, they were naturally happy to go along with it, especially since Liu Ce held the most power here.

Huangfu Song nodded: "Since General Liu is so kind-hearted and willing to take on this trouble, then these prisoners will be entirely under your control."

"Thank you, General!"

Liu Ce was secretly delighted; this was a huge profit!

With the matter settled, the generals returned to their respective military affairs.

Upon returning to his camp, Liu Ce immediately summoned his core brothers, including Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Qin Qiong.

Liu Ce instructed, "Yun Chang, Zilong, Shubao, you guys are meticulous in your work. Take some literate clerks and reliable soldiers and go and sort through those 70, 000 prisoners."

He specifically instructed: "Let them identify each other! Focus on rooting out those Yellow Turban leaders and scoundrels who have indiscriminately killed innocent people, raped and plundered, and committed other crimes!"

"These people are heinous criminals; keeping them alive is a disaster. Verify their crimes and execute them on the spot. There should be no leniency!"

"Using their heads to intimidate others is also a way to give an explanation to the people they harmed."

"Yes, brother (my lord)!" Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and Qin Qiong bowed and accepted the order, feeling no qualms about cleaning up the scum.

Liu Ce continued, "After the cleanup, carefully screen the remaining prisoners and select those who are strong, look honest, and preferably young and strong to supplement our infantry."

"Tell them that if they follow me, Liu Ce, they'll have food to eat, military pay, and rewards for their merits in battle. It's better than being bandits or getting beheaded!"

"Understood!" The group nodded.

"Finally, those left are the elderly, women, children, or those who are unsuitable for military service."

Liu Ce then said, "Select a reliable team from our veterans to escort them all to Zhuojun! Hand them over to Lao Zhao and the others for resettlement."

"Tell them that these are valuable laborers, and make proper arrangements for clearing land for planting and restoring production."

"Remember this: in these chaotic times, population is the most important resource! More precious than gold!"

"Brother, you have a brilliant idea!" Everyone admired Liu Ce's long-term vision.

This series of combined measures not only cleared out the scum, expanded the army, but also increased the population of the territory, achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop.

After arranging these important matters, a grand victory celebration banquet was held in Changshe City that evening.

Although supplies weren't particularly plentiful, there was plenty of food and drink, and the atmosphere was lively.

As the hosts, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun frequently toasted Liu Ce, their gratitude evident in their words.

Cao Cao was also active among them, chatting and laughing with everyone, demonstrating his superb social skills.

Zhang Fei, Dian Wei, and Cheng Yaojin, these fierce warriors, ate and drank to their hearts' content, played drinking games, and shouted louder and louder than the last, almost lifting the roof off.

Guan Yu was more composed, but he had also drunk quite a bit, and his face was even redder. (Actually, it was hard to tell.) Zhao Yun and Qin Qiong, on the other hand, remained relatively restrained and vigilant.

At the banquet, there was no shortage of praise for Liu Ce.

Liu Ce drank the wine, his mind clear, and while dealing with the situation, he pondered his next plan.

A few days later, in Luoyang, at the Imperial Palace, in the Deyang Hall.

The urgent military report of the victory at Changshe was delivered swiftly by fast horses.

Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, was already overwhelmed with worries due to the unfavorable war situation in various regions. Upon hearing this news, especially the news that Bo Cai had been beheaded and 100, 000 Yellow Turban rebels had been wiped out, he was deeply troubled.

He jumped up from the dragon throne, his gloom vanishing instantly, and couldn't help but burst into laughter:

"Hahaha! Excellent! Excellent! What a fine Liu Bolue! Truly my blessed general, a pillar of the Han Dynasty!"

He waved the military report, proudly showing off to the ministers below who kept their heads bowed:

"Look! You all need to take a good look! In this crucial moment, the one we can rely on is still our own family, my own brother whom I personally promoted! Liu Ce!"

"Using fire, we decisively defeated 100, 000 Yellow Turban rebels and even personally beheaded Bo Cai, our greatest threat! Hahaha, Bo Cai's head is already on its way to Luoyang!"

"I will hang it at the city gate so everyone can see what happens when they defy the imperial court!"

The ministers below, whether they were from the eunuch faction or officials from the outer court, all bowed respectfully and began showering him with flattery.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty has discerning eyes and is truly wise and powerful!"

"General Liu is truly a remarkable man; it is all thanks to His Majesty's ability to recognize and appoint capable people!"

"May Heaven bless the Han Dynasty! His Majesty's blessings are boundless!"

For a moment, the Deyang Palace was filled with a joyful atmosphere, as if the Yellow Turban Rebellion would be quelled the next day.