Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

At this moment, Qu Lian looked even more old and frail, seemingly hanging on by a thread, as if he could breathe his last at any moment.

Furthermore, Qu Lian held a stalk of Lin Yi rice in his hands, prostrating on the ground, hands above his head in a gesture of submission, and hoarsely and somewhat distortedly spoke.

"The sinner Qu Lian... offers the rice."

Li Ji didn't signal for Qu Lian to rise, instead taking out a scroll of bamboo slips brought back from the Champa royal palace and began to read it.

After a moment, just as Qu Lian was about to collapse from prostrating for so long, the bamboo scroll was directly thrown in front of Qu Lian by Li Ji, who coldly said.

"You have quite the audacity, splitting Han territory to establish yourself, and even altering history?"

This bamboo scroll recorded the founding history of the Lin Yi Kingdom.

In it, not only was Qu Lian depicted as a divinely appointed king born in response to destiny, but the massacre of Han people during his rebellion was glorified as defeating the Han army, taking the heads of Han people to pose as Han army heads to establish his prestige, and then establishing the kingdom.

Not to mention that the Lin Yi Kingdom repeatedly encroached on the land of Rinan Commandery, and also killed and injured many Han people.

If Xu Sheng hadn't led his army there, Rinan Commandery might have been gradually蚕食 by the Lin Yi Kingdom in a few years, eventually becoming their territory instead.

This point made Li Ji exceptionally displeased.

Feeling the oppressive aura emanating from the young man in the main seat, Qu Lian, who had long been a grandfather, was almost scared into being a grandson on the spot.

The older one gets, the more one fears death.

Qu Lian was perhaps over eighty years old, but he felt he could live longer and was unwilling to die now.

Qu Lian hurriedly defended himself.

"No, I wouldn't dare, this... this must be some treacherous and rebellious subject who secretly stuffed this bamboo scroll into the royal palace to slander me. My heart is with the Han. I was forced to rebel back then."

Li Ji almost couldn't help but laugh at this defense, and said.

"Oh, then do you have any suspected treacherous and rebellious subjects? Specifically, which of your ministers brought this bamboo scroll to the royal palace? Coincidentally, your descendants, family members, and a group of noble ministers are all waiting outside. I can have you confront them directly."

A surprise attack, even more exaggerated than the Jingkang Incident in later generations, wiped out the entire ruling class of the Lin Yi Kingdom.

Therefore, how could Qu Lian dare to name names and shirk responsibility?

No matter who Qu Lian pointed at, Li Ji could really bring the corresponding noble ministers to confront him.

Faced with Li Ji's gaze, Qu Lian understood that simply defending himself would probably only make the Li Ji before him even more displeased.

In the next moment, Qu Lian suddenly kowtowed heavily, saying.

"I really was forced to rebel against the county magistrate back then. These years, I have also regretted my impulsive actions from time to time, so... so..."

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Qu Lian's turbid eyes, and he quickly continued.

"So, I have been征讨 everywhere day and night, in order to conquer more land and then dedicate it back to the Holy Dynasty, in order to obtain the Holy Dynasty's forgiveness and allow me to return to Great Han."

As Qu Lian finished speaking, Li Ji didn't speak, leaving only Xu Chu's heavy breathing, who was guarding by the side, filling the room.

The somewhat intense heartbeat made Qu Lian's spirit even more tense.

Finally, Li Ji, who was sitting in the upper seat, got up and walked to Qu Lian.

Only after seeing Li Ji's feet appear in front of him did Qu Lian subconsciously want to slowly raise his head.

In the next moment, the folding fan in Li Ji's hand pressed against Qu Lian's head, stopping his movement to raise his head.

"Put your head... down," Li Ji's voice sounded.

"Yes."

Countless fearful thoughts flashed through Qu Lian's mind, but he didn't dare to disobey, and hurriedly lowered his head again.

"Do you want to live?" Li Ji asked.

"Yes," Qu Lian replied quickly.

"Do you want to offer the land of the Lin Yi Kingdom in exchange for a chance to live?" Li Ji asked again.

"Yes."

"You are both afraid of death and know what's what. Logically speaking, someone like you has some value in being used, but the problem is, do you still have the land of the Lin Yi Kingdom in your hands?"

Li Ji said softly, causing Qu Lian's heart to sink to the bottom.

"I... I, I have a very high reputation in the Lin Yi Kingdom. I can help the Holy Dynasty stabilize the situation in the Lin Yi Kingdom," Qu Lian pleaded with some stammering.

An old and frail man pleaded and showed weakness like this.

Unfortunately, Li Ji's eyes didn't show the slightest bit of wavering, but instead said meaningfully.

"Oh, so you have a very high reputation in the Lin Yi Kingdom."

Qu Lian was subconsciously overjoyed at first, and then his whole body couldn't help but stiffen.

These words were tantamount to seeking death.

"I will never dare to rebel again. I really regret the past all the time, and I am willing to atone for my sins to the Holy Dynasty with my remaining life. Please give me a chance, my lord," Qu Lian said pleadingly.

"Losing, being captured, and then knowing to regret, isn't it a bit too late?"

Li Ji shook his head, saying.

"Of course, perhaps you still have some use..."

This made Qu Lian's spirit shake, but as Li Ji's next words sounded, Qu Lian's already extremely ugly face turned pale.

"It's just that, I don't like what you've done. Why should I keep you around to be an eyesore?"

After saying that, Li Ji picked up the Lin Yi rice that Qu Lian had been holding with both hands, and turned to walk back to the main seat, saying at the same time. "Zhongkang, drag this person down and behead him."

"Yes, Marquis."

Xu Chu immediately stepped forward, reached out and grabbed Qu Lian, directly pulling him up, only to find that Qu Lian's whole body was already as soft as a noodle, and his face was particularly pale.

Seeing this, Xu Chu frowned, shook him a few times and found that Qu Lian was still soft and unresponsive, so he reached out and pressed on Qu Lian's neck.

"Marquis, this old thing seems to have been scared to death directly."

"Scared to death?"

Li Ji was stunned, but he didn't expect that Qu Lian, who could be considered the founding ruler of a country, would actually be scared to death like this.

"The older one gets, the less courageous one becomes. What an ugly end."

After a pause, Li Ji waved his hand, saying. "Still behead him and send his head back to Lin Yi to show to all sides, so that Governor Yu of Rinan Commandery can better stabilize the people's hearts."

"Yes."

"Those royal descendants, family members, and noble ministers of the Lin Yi Kingdom outside, the men will serve as laborers, the women will be sent to be camp prostitutes, and the children will be changed to lowly status."

Li Ji's light sentence completely decided the fate of the thousands of people that Xu Sheng had specifically brought back.

Perhaps forced labor is no longer being conscripted in Yangzhou, but Li Ji doesn't mind using foreign labor.

Li Ji often shows benevolence towards the Han people, but he doesn't harbor unnecessary kindness towards foreign races.

Especially these ruling classes of the Lin Yi Kingdom, who have enjoyed so many dividends from invading Great Han for many years, it is naturally time for them to repay.

The premise of not harming family members is that it does not benefit family members.

The same is true for these ruling classes of the Lin Yi Kingdom.

(End of this chapter)