Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

These words carried weight and caused everyone around to change color.

Even Chen Shao looked at him in shock.

Huang Chao remained unfazed.

"Your Majesty, we must kill them even if they climb the cloud ladder, sooner or later. We cannot hesitate now, or they will become too powerful to control."

"Kill them until they are terrified, and no one will dare to enter the city again. This is called killing their courage."

"The Yellow Turban Army knows that Your Majesty dares to kill, which is why they spared most of the people. If they knew that Your Majesty was in a difficult position, they would only be worse. Even if they retreat today, they will bring people to attack the city again tomorrow, and it will never end."

"Your Majesty can immediately take the money upstairs and scatter it down to the city walls. The sound of the copper coins hitting the ground will start a disturbance."

"When people are after money, they will forget everything else. This is called bewitching their hearts."

Huang Chao glanced at the Yellow Turban soldiers mixed among the common people.

His tone turned slightly somber.

Finally, he abandoned his troops and murdered his lord.

"Throw the weapons down from the city wall and let the people pick them up. If anyone dares to whip them again, they will chop them down."

"These three methods complement each other, and this is currently the only way to save the lives of the majority."

Upon hearing this, Han Cao flew into a rage:

"Huang Chao, how could you be so heartless! These people are also subjects of the Great Yan Dynasty. You ordered His Majesty to kill them?"

"Leaving aside your viciousness, who do you think you are? Do you even have the right to speak here?"

Huang Chao was not angry; he simply shook his head calmly.

"Prime Minister Han, it seems there is no better way at the moment."

Han Cao was simply at his wit's end.

"Do you want His Majesty to bear the name of a tyrant who indiscriminately slaughters innocent people?"

Huang Chao argued his case based on reason.

"His Majesty alone bore the infamy, yet he saved the entire city's inhabitants, and even the vast majority of those below the city walls and those the Yellow Turbans would later drive away!"

"You're just making excuses!"

"The student was simply reporting the facts!"

The two were locked in a fierce confrontation, and Chen Shao had no time to deal with him.

What Huang Chao said was indeed correct.

But it was too ruthless.

Kill?

I cannot kill them. If I set this precedent myself, the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty will treat the people like straw dogs.

Huang Chao also made another correct point.

There is no time to hesitate.

The more they hesitate, the more Yellow Turbans will drive them away.

He had already shown hesitation, so he could only... resolve the Yellow Turban Rebellion in one go.

"Stop arguing."

Chen Shao finally moved. He waved his hand, and the two immediately shut up.

Chen Shao then called Bai Bingbing over and whispered a few words of instruction to her, after which she accepted the order and left.

The only solution now is to use persuasion instead of killing.

Killing their courage turns into emboldening them.

Chen Shao had no choice but to take a gamble.

The power of words should never be underestimated.

Sometimes it can even be as effective as a thousand troops.

For example, according to unofficial historical records, Li Bai's "Letter to Frighten the Barbarians" directly scared away thousands of troops.

Moreover, Chen Shao also has the entry for "Chinese Succubus".

Chen Shao nodded to Huang Chao.

"That's right, but the first strategy needs to be changed. Instead of killing their courage, we should encourage it."

He took a deep breath, focused his energy in his lower abdomen, and circulated his vital energy.

He shouted loudly towards the city walls:

"Listen, people below the city! I am Chen Shao, the Emperor of the Great Yan!"

The people looked at the young man in bewilderment, and for a moment they actually stopped crying.

"I know you want to live, I know you want to enter the city!"

"But there is absolutely no way we can open the gates today. Opening the gates would mean that everyone in the city would be buried with us. You should understand that."

"Of course, it's not that the lives of the people in the city matter, but your lives don't."

"Gentlemen, if I open the gate, I will not be letting you in, but letting the barbarian tribes of the Northern Barbarians in."

"Given the Yellow Turbans' nature, if they drive you to attack your own cities like this, do you think they can withstand the Northern Barbarian cavalry?"

"Protect his mother's head!"

"The Northern Barbarian cavalry will surely sweep in, turning the Central Plains into pastures and your descendants into two-legged sheep!"

"At that time, the Central Plains will be submerged, and nine out of ten houses will be empty!"

"Children will become food, women will become tools, men will become slaves, and corpses will be used to fill trenches. The Yellow River will be stained red with our blood."

"I would rather bear the infamy than allow such a thing to happen."

"As long as you listen to me, I promise I will save you."

"I currently have two concubines. If I cannot save you today, they will both be buried with you."

Han Cao and Yuwen Huagu, standing nearby, turned pale.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't..."

Chen Shao ignored the two and continued:

"I will also be buried with you!"

"Now, everyone, do as I instruct."

"First, lie down here. In fifteen minutes, I will personally open the city gates and let you in! Large pots have been set up at the city gates, with plenty of meat porridge and prepared herbs. Those with broken legs will have them set, and the wounded will be treated!"

"Secondly, listen carefully: anyone who can still move, behead one of the bandits who drove you away, and bring me their head in exchange for five taels of silver! Behead two, ten taels! Behead ten, and I will appoint them to an official position!"

Perhaps it was the term "Chinese succubus" that really came into play.

Or perhaps they were moved by the sincerity in Chen Shao's words.

The people listened to him and slowly prostrated themselves.

Tens of thousands of people, most of them, remained silent.

It was a dark, dense mass.

He merely glanced at the menacing-looking men wielding whips, but dared not make a move.

Chen Shao turned around and glanced at Han Cao and Yuwen Huagu.

"Prime Minister Han, General, I need to borrow something from you."

The two were immediately terrified. Usually, this phrase is followed by "I'll borrow your head for a reason."

Chen Shao saw through their intentions.

"You are my right-hand men, my most trusted advisors. How could you have such thoughts? I would rather commit suicide than harm you."

At this moment, Bai Bingbing strode up the city wall, followed by a group of Imperial Guards carrying dozens of heavy wooden boxes.

The box was placed on the stack, and the lid was opened.

It was full of gleaming silver and copper coins.

With a wave of his hand, Chen Shao caused dozens of wooden crates to tip over at the same time.

Splash!

Money is being scattered like rain.

Silver and copper coins poured down from the city wall like a torrential rain, rolling into the crowd.

There was a commotion below the city.

What followed was a frenzied looting.

Several Yellow Turban soldiers even dismounted and whipped the people next to them to the ground.

"Mine, all of this is mine! Whoever tries to take it, I'll kill them!"

Chen Shao seized the opportunity and, gathering his strength, let out another sharp shout.

"I keep my word. The money has already been distributed, and there will be porridge and medicine later!"

"I will give you weapons; you can exchange them for the heads of the Yellow Turban rebels. I will never go back on my word!"

Before he could finish speaking, another series of loud clanging sounds rang out.

Bundles of short knives and spears tied with hemp rope were thrown down from the city wall.

The rope broke apart, and the weapons scattered.

The clanging of weapons ignited the frenzy among the people.

I wouldn't dare to go in unarmed, but it's a different story if I have a knife.

Even a clay figure has some fire left, after being whipped so many times and killed so many people.

Many civilians, as if possessed, picked up weapons and charged from all directions at those who did not treat them as human beings.

Public opinion is like a flood.

It got out of control.

The Yellow Turban soldiers who were closest to him were immediately chopped into mincemeat.

Zhang Bao was completely panicked this time.