As news spread, the city's residents finally ventured out, families bringing their meager stores to comfort the army.
The Great Qian soldiers politely declined, while also offering their own rations and dried meat to the populace.
"How can we accept this!" the people of Panyu protested in fear, only to have the soldiers press the food into their hands.
"This is His Majesty's decree! The Marquis of An Guo pacified Jiaozhou to eliminate rebels, not to give you another master to lord over you!"
At this moment, all the soldiers and civilians in Panyu Prefecture finally broke down, weeping with gratitude.
"We thank His Majesty! Many thanks to the Marquis of An Guo!"
Countless soldiers and civilians of Jiaozhou could not help but prostrate themselves to the north.
Liang Xiao finally entered Panyu and took stock of the situation within the city.
"Jiaozhou has one hundred and forty million mu of arable land, of which one hundred and twenty-seven million are in the hands of the Southern King's Mansion and their cronies. Most of the prefecture's wealth is hidden in the Southern King's Mansion, the Dugu family, the Ouyang family, the Helian family, the Gongyang clan, the He family, and countless others..."
Yan Shiming had already met with Yan Huaixi and Lu Changhe beforehand. Now, he sat respectfully before Liang Xiao, full of reverence, and truthfully reported all the intelligence he knew about Jiaozhou.
He had initially been kneeling, but Liang Xiao had helped him up and granted him a seat.
"Setting aside the Southern King's Mansion for now, those families who withdrew from the capital and gathered their assets from all over the country, each household should still have at least ten million taels in capital. They even went to Luzhou to exchange for bank notes." Liang Xiao mused, his gaze gradually sharpening. "If I am not mistaken, some of this gold and silver has flowed out to the Peacock Dynasty, hasn't it?"
"Exactly! They, along with the Southern King's Mansion, funded the purchase of armaments and supply carts from the Peacock Dynasty, arming their entire army, which gave them such logistical capabilities!" Yan Shiming nodded repeatedly.
Liang Xiao clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, "These families deserve to die!"
He had considered that Xiao Chang and others might have withheld information from him, such as stashing away private treasuries.
However, the outflow of gold and silver was a considerable loss to the economic development of Great Qian.
The captured armaments were useful, but not entirely so.
The Great Qian nation, after military equipment reforms, no longer used much of the old equipment. It could only be distributed to local soldiers.
As the two conversed, Yue Qingtian strode in from outside, his face beaming with excitement.
"My Lord, Xiao Feng and his men have arrived. They seized ten thousand taels of gold, hundreds of pieces of jewelry, jade, and antiques, as well as nearly one hundred thousand taels of Great Qian banknotes and one million taels of Great Qian silver notes!"
"These rebels, they still hoped to secretly send people to Great Qian to exchange them someday?" Zhuo Ying sneered.
Under the gaze of Liang Xiao and the generals, Xiao Feng and his cohorts were tied up with ropes by the Qingtian Guard and brought into the grand hall.
"Liang Xiao!!"
Upon seeing Liang Xiao, Xiao Feng, Dugu Xiao, Ouyang Sheng, Ouyang Ping, and He Anding turned ashen and trembled all over.
Ouyang Hong had already passed away, thus escaping this calamity.
"I never imagined that a wastrel once spurned by everyone in Yanzhou would transform into the Heavenly General, the Marquis of An Guo..." Dugu Xiao muttered to himself, then burst into laughter. "But no matter what, at least my reputation and status were once above yours, and that is enough!"
Ouyang Sheng, however, bowed his head to the ground, not daring to look up.
Once, they were all the favored sons of heaven, with a starting line far superior to Liang Xiao. Now, they were prisoners!
Liang Xiao ignored Dugu Xiao, his gaze fixed sharply on Xiao Feng.
"Treason, patricide, pandering to foreigners, enslaving the people, and making a futile stand." Liang Xiao couldn't help but smile.
Only then did Xiao Feng regain his senses and beg for mercy.
"Marquis of An Guo! This servant knows his mistake! Knows his mistake! Please give this servant a chance. All that I own will be offered to the Marquis of An Guo!!"
"These now belong to Great Qian, and have nothing to do with you," Liang Xiao said coldly.
"I will assist the Marquis of An Guo in appeasing the people of Jiaozhou!" Xiao Feng vowed earnestly.
Laughter echoed through the hall.
"You? You think you are fit to appease the people? You should be grateful if you don't cause trouble for the Marshal!" Shi Liuyun taunted.
Xiao Feng persisted, kowtowing and begging for mercy.
"No matter what, I am still a member of the imperial family..."
"Your ancestor was merely a distant relative of Great Qian's High Ancestor, too far to be considered. If it weren't for your ancestor's moral blackmail back then, and for the sake of stabilizing the hearts of the people, Great Qian's High Ancestor had no choice but to grant your family a title. Do you think you are worthy of anything today?" Lu Changhe angrily retorted.
Xiao Feng was speechless.
The first Southern King of that generation had indeed shamelessly demanded a princedom and publicized it everywhere...
After acquiring wealth and status, the Southern King's family intensified their efforts, attempting to encroach upon central power. Eventually, they were driven out of the capital by Great Qian's High Ancestor. They then fled to Jiaozhou, and after generations of cultivation, the Southern King's Mansion became the true ruler of Jiaozhou.
"It seems you cannot demonstrate value worth sparing your life. Then, this Marquis will have to drain your final value and use your head." Liang Xiao shook his head.
Xiao Feng's face turned instantly pale, and he said urgently, "My sister is the Consort of the Peacock Dynasty. If you kill me, the Peacock Dynasty will surely raise an army for revenge!"
Everyone frowned. "Consort of the Peacock Dynasty?"
Liang Xiao's face immediately darkened, and he said sternly, "Go ahead. One day, the might of Great Qian's soldiers will also crush the Heavenly Sun Tribe of the Peacock Dynasty! Guards, take him away for Lingchi!"
Regardless of how Xiao Feng and his cohorts pleaded, threatened, or cursed, Liang Xiao remained unmoved.
Xiao Feng and his followers were all executed. Dugu Xiao and the others were also subjected to Lingchi by Liang Xiao.
The soldiers and civilians of Panyu Prefecture all clapped their hands in delight.
"From now on, there will be no more aristocratic families in Great Qian!" Nan Jiyun said heartily, laughing and clapping his hands.
"Not yet," Liang Xiao replied with a smile.
Nan Jiyun was taken aback, and then everyone suddenly realized: "Right! After we return, we still have to recapture Da Liang!"
On this day, the square was under the watchful eyes of thousands, and all the soldiers and civilians looked expectantly at Liang Xiao.
"The Royal Army has marched south, eradicating the rebels of Jiaozhou today and successively recovering all of Jiaozhou, liberating the people!"
"In accordance with the court's previous promise, after the census and registration are confirmed, the one hundred and twenty-seven million mu of arable land in Jiaozhou will be equally divided among every citizen of Jiaozhou origin, based on quality and price. Every single one!"
As soon as his words fell, thunderous cheers and applause erupted from the crowd. Everyone rejoiced, raising their arms and shouting: "Long live His Majesty! We thank the Marquis of An Guo!"
If the previous propaganda from the Great Qian soldiers had still left them with some doubt, then Liang Xiao's personal guarantee now was enough to completely dispel all their suspicions.
Winning the hearts of the people required more than just slogans; it required fulfilling their most basic needs.
On this day, the people of Great Qian wholeheartedly submitted and became citizens of the Qian tribe, their century of oppression finally liberated.
"Make way, the stone tablet personally inscribed by the Marquis of An Guo has arrived!"
Just as the people were celebrating joyfully, a distant shout was heard, and the crowd parted to make way.
It turned out that dozens of horses were pulling a giant wooden plank with wheels at the bottom. On the plank was placed a stone tablet, five zhang high and two zhang wide.
Everyone gazed at the stone tablet and unconsciously began to read, their hearts filled with patriotic fervor.
{Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever the wind and rain reach, all is our territory. Those who dare to invade, though far away, shall be punished; though strong, shall be slain!}