In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

Upon hearing this, all the Japanese prisoners were on the verge of tears.

This means becoming a prisoner forever, and having to hand over everything the family has built up over the past century.

They remained unmoved and kept their heads down when presented with paper and pens.

Li Yuanchang knew the problem lay with the Emperor; if he didn't surrender, it would be difficult for others to do so.

He slowly squatted down, his voice magnetic and authoritative: "Down or not?"

Emperor Kōtoku trembled, his body shaking uncontrollably: "Even if you kill me, I will not back down. The century-old foundation of Japan cannot be lost in my hands!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang stood up and said without further ado, "Since that's the case, then don't blame me."

As he spoke, he waved his hand.

A group of soldiers quickly approached and dragged Emperor Kōtoku to his feet.

"What, what are you trying to do?"

"Help me, help me!!"

The Emperor called upon his former subordinates, but they were all under control. They had the will but not the power, the strength but not the courage, and could only watch helplessly as their revered Emperor was hung up.

"This is the Lingchi punishment of the Tang Dynasty. Within three hundred cuts, you will not die, but you will watch your own flesh and blood being peeled away piece by piece."

"This is your punishment for assassinating me."

The light, airy voice reached Emperor Kōtoku's ears like the whisper of a demon.

When Emperor Kōtoku saw someone take out those small knives, which gleamed in the sunlight, he was so frightened that he wet himself on the spot.

"No, no!"

"Li Yuanchang, if you dare kill me, the entire nation of Japan will condemn you!"

"You were the one who colluded with that bitch from the Kuril Islands to seize my Japanese territory. You started the war. What's wrong with me sending people to kill you?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"

He was so frightened he didn't know what to say, sometimes begging for mercy, sometimes roaring.

Li Yuanchang watched quietly without saying a word.

At this moment, the executioner stepped forward, raised his knife, and made the first cut on his arm.

"ah!!"

With just one cut, Emperor Kōtoku let out a pig-like scream, writhing in agony.

"I issue an edict! I issue an edict!"

He screamed in terror, broke down, and gave in, unable to hold on any longer.

Upon hearing this, the Japanese royalty and nobility were struck dumb, their beliefs shattered.

Their revered emperor, whom they worshipped as a god, actually surrendered?

This is tantamount to a psychological collapse.

Li Yuanchang cast a disdainful glance at him. Just now, when he said that the foundation should not be ruined in his hands, he thought he was a tough guy.

As a result, this is it?

"Even if I gave you the chance to become an emperor who will be remembered in history, you still couldn't do it."

Humiliated, Emperor Kōtoku lowered his head in shame, not daring to look at his former subordinate.

Li Yuanchang waved his hand, and the person was put down, along with paper and pen.

In order to escape trial and punishment, Emperor Kōtoku eventually wrote an abdication edict.

His subordinates witnessed the entire process. Although they did not speak or hurl insults, they were mostly in despair, and their last shred of resistance was shattered with the Emperor's abdication.

Immediately afterwards, everyone began writing letters of surrender in exchange for a chance to live.

Thus, the ruling class of 7th-century Japan came to an end, its rule completely discontinued.

Li Yuanchang acted swiftly, immediately sending the abdication edict and a large number of surrender letters to the Japanese mainland and to the Kuril Islands.

The Thousand Islands knew how to use it to quickly stabilize Japan and bring all forces, large and small, under their control.

As for these prisoners, most of them were imprisoned in the old palace. They had food and clothing, but they certainly wouldn't be living such a carefree life.

However, a small number were secretly executed.

They were later found to be from the Soga clan, and they launched wars more than once, killing many Han soldiers.

They were not granted any immunity; they were all executed. No one knew of their deaths or their bodies, as if they had been quietly erased from the world.

After the matter was over, Li Yuanchang, as usual, sent a memorial to Chang'an as a formality.

By early April.

Li Yuanchang then led a group to Japan to inspect the post-war situation and prepare for reconstruction.

Japan has too many islands, and like the cities of Goguryeo, the population is scattered. Apart from a few cities, most of the islands are in the wilderness, where people live in primitive communities.

He planned to redivide these territories, establish a state and county system, and relocate all the population together.

This facilitates management, promotes the dissemination of written technology, and maximizes the utilization of labor.

He estimated that it would take at most one year to achieve complete stability and at most ten years to gradually assimilate the population, so that both the peninsula and Japan would speak Chinese.

As generation after generation passed, they naturally became Han Chinese, or one of the many ethnic groups.

But these things are easier said than done.

In June, Li Yuanchang mobilized more than 500,000 islanders from Japan, asking them to leave their original habitats and relocate to designated areas.

There are eight of these regions, which are collectively known as the "Eight States of the East China Sea".

Each state has certain freshwater resources and fertile plains for farming and fishing, which are essential for survival.

Ultimately, this unprecedented migration lasted until July.

The manpower, materials, and financial resources consumed were astronomical, but fortunately, Japan was destroyed, and the wealth of the Japanese emperor directly covered the expenses of this great migration, with a considerable surplus.

Li Yuanchang distributed all of it to the people as the first fund for reconstruction.

The Japanese emperor and his several powerful families controlled 95% of the nation's wealth. How could development not be slow under such a feudal system?

After the migration of the eight prefectures ended, Li Yuanchang abolished the old clan system and immediately began to establish schools, workshops, farms, etc.

Abundant seeds, farm tools, and inexpensive ink provided strong support for the reconstruction.

In personnel appointments and removals, Li Yuanchang rewarded meritorious officials, especially members of the Ōtomo clan led by Chishima, with nearly thirty of them remaining in their positions.

Of the eight governors of the prefectures, four were from the Ōtomo clan.

They were all arranged by Li Yuanchang, and in the end, all they needed to do was submit a list to Chang'an.

Of course, these people's promotions are not the main focus. The real core is still the Han Prince's Mansion, where more than two hundred people have been promoted one after another.

Some of the guards went out to serve as military officers, guarding their respective areas, while some of the staff went to various prefectures and counties to serve as local officials, responsible for all kinds of affairs, especially education and agriculture.

Li Yuanchang was so busy that he didn't return to the Central Prefecture until September.

At this moment, the weather on the Far Eastern peninsula is cold again, but the tens of thousands of people who fled to the Far East have already gotten used to the weather here and have begun to settle down, making it a special region on the far frontier of the Tang Dynasty.

With the war completely over and the Han Prince's Mansion experiencing a series of happy events, including the birth of children to Yin Yao, Qi Senluge, and many others, Li Yuanchang's life seemed to have suddenly entered a state of "early retirement."