How did Taizu treat captured soldiers and defeated leaders?

The Taizu emperor, founder of the Song dynasty, was known for a policy of clemency and humanitarianism toward his defeated opponents, which aligned with the Confucian ethos of his reign.1

Rather than employing the harsh tactics common in previous eras, Taizu consistently extended generous treatment to those he conquered. He explicitly instructed his generals to avoid causing unnecessary harm to the citizens of occupied territories and to spare the lives of captured soldiers and leaders. Among those who benefited from this policy was the poet-prince Li Yu.12

This approach was part of a broader strategy of mixing military action with lenient diplomatic terms to facilitate the reunification of China. By offering defeated rivals generous treatment, he successfully encouraged surrender and stability, contrasting sharply with the destructive patterns of the preceding Five Dynasties period.21