12dz Chapter 1936 I am informing you!
Chapter 1936 I am informing you!
Inside the waterside pavilion, the excited and chaotic voices of objection, pleas, and excuses from the heads of the noble families surged like a tide, trying to use various reasons to shake the will of the young emperor on the throne.
They brought up the issues of family survival, local stability, people's livelihood and economy, and even the argument of "discouraging those who surrender" with a hint of threat.
They were confident that with the collective strength and seemingly "reasonable" excuses, they could at least make the new emperor cautious and make concessions.
However, Chu Ning's reaction was like a basin of ice water, extinguishing all their hopes.
He didn't get angry or even interrupt.
He just used his eyes, as deep as a cold pond, to look at the group of family heads who had lost their composure below indifferently and calmly.
There was no emotion in that look, no anger due to opposition, nor pity due to pleading.
There is only a condescending look, as if looking at a group of ants struggling hard but in vain.
At first, everyone was still speaking excitedly, but as time went on, under the silent yet heavy gaze, their voices involuntarily lowered.
Chu Ning's silence was more oppressive than any harsh rebuke.
His cold gaze was like substance, sweeping across every face that was flushed with excitement or pale with fear, making everyone feel a chill rising up their spine.
The noisy sounds gradually died down and eventually turned into dead silence, with only the heavy and uneasy breathing of some people remaining.
Everyone realized that their "argumentation with reason" seemed so pale and ridiculous in the face of absolute power.
Only then did Chu Ning slowly speak.
His voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone, with an indifference that could decide the life and death of others:
"It seems that you all have great objections to my proposal."
He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table, his eyes like a cold blade sweeping across the room:
"In that case, I will give you two choices."
He held up a finger and spoke in a calm tone as if he were discussing the weather:
"First, you can emulate the great Qin family that I uprooted. They were stubborn and would rather die than submit, vowing to live and die with their ancestral heritage."
The corners of his mouth curled up in a cruel arc: "Then, I will grant you your wish."
"At that time, your family, young and old, masters and servants, and relatives will all be wiped out without a single survivor."
"Their land and property will naturally be confiscated and redistributed by me."
He said the word "silence" lightly, but it shocked all the family heads present and their faces turned as pale as paper in an instant.
Some of the timid ones even felt their legs go weak and almost collapsed to the ground.
They had long heard about the tragic demise of the Qin family, which was a true loss of everything!
Then, Chu Ning extended his second finger:
"Second, choose to obey. Like those great Zhou families who submitted to me long ago, recognize the current situation, hand over what should be handed over, and keep what can be kept."
"Then you can still keep some of your land and mansions, and your family members can also take the imperial examinations, serve as officials in the court, and enjoy the treatment that citizens of the new dynasty deserve."
"The family can continue, and the wealth and honor may not be completely lost."
There are two choices. One is death and the family will be wiped out.
The other option is to live in humiliation, give up core interests, and fall from a behemoth that can compete with imperial power to an ordinary wealthy family that needs to rely on imperial power to survive.
Everyone's expressions kept changing, and they were struggling with their conscience.
They definitely don't want to die.
But they definitely don’t want to be as “aware of current affairs” as the aristocratic families of the Great Zhou Dynasty!
That means they will completely lose their transcendent status that allows them to call the shots and make the imperial court wary of them. Hundreds of years of accumulation and privileges will be greatly reduced. This is difficult for these aristocratic leaders who are used to being high and mighty to accept!
In the silence, Cui Yan of Qinghe Cui family knew that he could not remain silent any longer.
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and bowed again, his tone filled with a final struggle and temptation:
"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty's divine authority, we common people will never dare to disobey!"
"It's just... it's just that Your Majesty has just taken over Chang'an, and there are many things to be done. It's a time when you need to stabilize people's hearts."
"I'm waiting for a big family that still has some influence in the local area."
"If Your Majesty can show some mercy and allow us to retain some of our ancestral land and profits, we, humble servants, are willing to pay only 10% and swear to devote our entire clan's strength to cooperating with the court to pacify the region, collect taxes, and promote education!"
"This way, Your Majesty can preserve your reputation for benevolence and quickly stabilize the Han territory. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"
He tried to use cooperation as a bargaining chip in exchange for retaining his interests, and once again implicitly mentioned stabilizing people's hearts, implying that if Chu Ning pushed too hard, chaos might occur.
Wang Jing quickly echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty! Lord Cui is absolutely right! It's not that we are unwilling to contribute to the country, but we are suddenly losing our roots and fearing that our families will be torn apart, which would be detrimental to local peace!"
Li You even played the emotional card with tears in his eyes: "Your Majesty! Considering... considering that my family has contributed to this land, I beg Your Majesty to show some leniency!"
They talked to each other, and although they called themselves common people and spoke in a humble tone, their core intention was very clear - bargaining.
They still subconsciously believed that Chu Ning had just taken Chang'an and slaughtered the royal family of the previous dynasty. What he needed most at the moment was stability, and he would never dare to kill these complicated and powerful families like them.
Otherwise, it will inevitably lead to chaos in the Han area and the loss of people's support.
However, they underestimated Chu Ning's determination and misjudged his methods.
Looking at the group of family heads in front of him who are still chattering and trying to play tricks and bargaining chips.
The last bit of patience in Chu Ning's eyes was finally exhausted, replaced by an undisguised, ice-cold murderous intent!
He slammed the table with a loud bang, causing everyone's heart to stop suddenly!
"enough!"
He suddenly stood up and looked down at the crowd who had suddenly fallen into silence. His face was no longer calm, but only a biting coldness and a mocking sneer:
"You don't really think that I'm holding a banquet today just to discuss something with you, do you?"
His voice suddenly rose, like thunder from the sky, carrying with it supreme majesty and brutality:
"I am informing you!"
"The path I offer you is yours to choose, or not! There is no room for bargaining!"
His eyes were like lightning, staring intently at Cui Yan, Wang Jing and others who were leading the group:
"Since you are shameless and hopeless, unwilling to agree to my request, then there is no point in keeping you here!"
Then, Chu Ning suddenly grabbed the jade cup filled with fine wine in front of him.
A fierce look flashed in his eyes, and he used all his strength to throw himself hard towards the open space in the middle of the pavilion!
“Snap!”