I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

Chapter 391 Kill the leader first, then reward him; such is human nature, unchanged throughout histo

Qin Mu looked at the distant mountain ridge and slowly said:

"These people have been bewitched by the Moon Goddess Cult for decades. They have long regarded the Moon Goddess as a deity and the Moon Goddess Cult as their home. Even if I wipe out the Moon Goddess Cult and kill the Moon Goddess, those people will still remember them and feel that the court has destroyed their faith."

Qin Mu's voice was soft, yet carried a rare seriousness.

"I can kill a few to make an example of them. But I can't kill them all. There are hundreds of thousands of people; I can't kill them all, nor can I. If I kill them all, the southwest will be depleted. Who will farm the land? Who will pay taxes? Who will guard the border?"

He turned his head and looked at the three women.

"Do you have any good ideas on how to ensure that, after the Moon Goddess Cult is wiped out, these believers can return to their previous lives and be under the rule of the Great Qin as quickly as possible without any resistance?"

The three women's eyes flickered simultaneously.

They all knew that this was the time to test themselves.

It's not a test on the battlefield, it's a test in the mind.

His Majesty is seeking advice and looking for a way out for the southwest after the crisis.

They all wanted to share Qin Mu's burdens and wanted to demonstrate their value at this time.

Zhao Qingxue was the first to speak.

She rode beside Qin Mu, her back straight and her gaze steady, like a minister who had stood in the court for many years, stating his political views.

"Your Majesty, I believe that this matter should not be rushed, nor should it be handled by force."

Her voice was clear and calm, each word sounding as if she had thought it through several times before uttering it.

"The Moon Goddess Cult has been operating in the southwest for decades, with hundreds of thousands of followers and deep roots. If a large army arrives and forcibly demolishes altars, arrests believers, and bans its doctrines, it will only incite a popular uprising. The people are ignorant and do not understand the bigger picture; they only know that someone wants to destroy their god. They will fight to the death, and then there will be rivers of blood, which will be a great loss."

Qin Mu glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Zhao Qingxue continued:

"When I was in Liyang, I dealt with a similar matter. There was a small tribe on the southern border who worshipped a shaman and refused to submit to the king's rule. Instead of sending troops to suppress them, I had schools, clinics, and shops built among their people, so that their children could learn to read and write, their patients could receive medical treatment, and their goods could be sold. After a few years, they stopped worshipping the shaman themselves. They discovered that life was better without the shaman."

Her gaze fell on Qin Mu's face, carrying a calmness that came from having seen it all.

"The people believe in gods because they believe that gods can bring them benefits. If someone can bring them more benefits, they will naturally switch to another god. Your Majesty does not need to destroy their gods; you only need to give them a better option."

Qin Mu nodded, the smile on his lips deepening.

"Go on."

A glint of light flashed in Zhao Qingxue's eyes.

"Your Majesty's suggestion is that after the Moon Goddess Cult is eradicated, the court should build schools, clinics, granaries, and shops along the southwestern border. Schools can teach their children to read and write, clinics can treat their illnesses, granaries can provide relief during famine years, and shops can buy their goods. This will let them know that the court is not here to rob them, but to help them. As for the Moon Goddess Cult, there is no need to explicitly prohibit it; we can simply gradually weaken it. When they realize that worshipping the Moon Goddess cannot bring them food, cure their illnesses, or save their children's lives, while the court can, they will naturally turn to the court."

After she finished speaking, she looked away and turned her gaze forward again.

Her hand rested on the scabbard of Frostmoon Sword, her fingertips gently caressing the pale blue gem.

Qin Mu nodded and looked at Jiang Zhaoyue.

"My beloved concubine, what do you think?"

Jiang Zhaoyue rode at the very back of the group, listening quietly the whole time.

She heard Qin Mu call her, raised her head slightly, and pursed her lips.

She doesn't have the experience of governing a country like Zhao Qingxue, nor the decisiveness of killing like Yunluan.

She was just a woman who came from the North, who had seen the wind and snow, seen the hearts of people, and seen those people who clung to a straw in despair and refused to let go.

She thought for a moment, then spoke.

The voice was soft, yet it carried a sincere and unadorned warmth.

"Your Majesty, I think what Sister Zhao said is all correct. Schools, clinics, and granaries are all good things. But I feel that these alone are not enough."

Qin Mu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What else is missing?"

Jiang Zhaoyue lowered her eyes and looked at the reins in front of the saddle.

Her fingers gently circled the reins once, then loosened.

"What's missing is a convincing reason. To make people feel that worshipping the moon goddess isn't wrong, but that there are better options. Instead of making them feel that they've been deceived by the moon goddess cult, that they're fools, and that their faith is a joke."

Her voice was soft, yet firm.

"Everyone has dignity. If you tell an old woman who has worshipped the moon goddess for decades that she is worshipping an evil god and that she has been deceived, she will not be grateful to you; she will hate you. Because that would be tantamount to denying her decades of faith and denying the meaning of her life."

She looked up at Qin Mu.

"Your Majesty, I believe the best approach is not to tell them that the Moon Goddess Cult is wrong, but rather to tell them that the Moon Goddess has completed her mission and it is now time for the court to take over."

Qin Mu's eyes lit up slightly.

"How so?"

Jiang Zhaoyue pursed her lips, speaking a few steps faster than before.

"It is said that the Moon Goddess was a messenger sent from heaven, and her mission was to guide the people through the most difficult period. Now that the southwest is at peace, the Moon Goddess has completed her mission and returned to heaven, entrusting the remaining work to His Majesty. His Majesty is the one chosen by the Moon Goddess, who has come to take over her duties and continue to protect the people."

A glint flashed in her eyes.

"The people have believed in the Moon Goddess for decades, and it's impossible to suddenly make them stop believing. But if you tell them that Your Majesty and the Moon Goddess are in cahoots, and that Your Majesty is the one chosen by the Moon Goddess, they won't resist. They might even feel honored because the Moon Goddess they believe in has chosen their emperor."

After saying that, she lowered her head and wrapped her fingers around the reins again.

Qin Mu looked at her, and the smile on his lips deepened.

He didn't speak immediately, but turned his head to look at Yunluan.

"Yunluan, what do you think?"

Yun Luan rode to Qin Mu's right, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her gaze cold and stern.

She didn't speak at length like Zhao Qingxue, nor did she speak softly like Jiang Zhaoyue.

She remained silent for a moment before speaking, her voice clear and crisp.

"Your Majesty, I believe the people believe in the Moon Goddess Cult because they are afraid. They are afraid of getting sick, afraid of going hungry, afraid of war, and afraid of dying. The Moon Goddess Cult has given them a non-existent hope, and they cling to it."

Her gaze fell on the distant, desolate mountain ridge, her eyes expressionless, only showing a calmness born of someone accustomed to life and death.

"To make them unafraid, we must let them know that fear is useless. The imperial court is not here to beg them, but to govern them. Those who are willing to submit will have food, clothing, and medical care. Those who are unwilling to submit will be arrested, imprisoned for a few days, and shown what fear is. And those who still refuse to submit—"

She paused, her voice turning colder. "Kill them. Make an example of them. Kill a batch, and the rest will behave."

Qin Mu looked at her without saying a word.

Yunluan lowered her eyes and tapped her finger lightly on the hilt of her sword.

"I've been in the military for many years and have seen too many people like this. You can't reason with them; they don't understand and they don't want to listen. You can give them food, but they still won't believe you after they've eaten. Only when they know fear will they obediently listen."

She looked up and met Qin Mu's gaze.

"Of course, we can't just kill them and not raise them. If we kill the ringleaders and give the rest benefits, they will naturally behave themselves. That's human nature, and it's the same throughout history."

Qin Mu listened to the three men's words and remained silent for a moment.

His gaze swept from Zhao Qingxue's face to Jiang Zhaoyue's face, and then to Yun Luan's face.

He didn't say anything, he just smiled.

The smile was faint, yet it carried a rare and genuine approval.

He turned his head and looked at the winding official road ahead.

The morning light grew brighter, bathing the entire road in a golden glow.

He didn't comment on who was right or wrong, he simply nodded slightly, and then spurred his horse to quicken his pace.

The three women exchanged glances and all saw a hint of a smile in each other's eyes.

They didn't ask Qin Mu whose idea he thought was better. They all knew that His Majesty didn't say because he had listened to all three ideas.

This is enough.

Four horses galloped along the official road, their hooves shattering the morning light and raising fine dust.

The wind whistled past their ears, making the four of them flutter their clothes.

In the distance, the vast mountain range drew ever closer; the Moon Goddess Cult's headquarters were hidden among the mountains.

And they were walking slowly and steadily in that direction.